Settlement Patterns

Settlement Patterns

Population Distribution • Pattern where people live in a region or country

Distribution Patterns • Dispersed Pattern • found in areas that have a strong agricultural base • Rural areas, farms that are spread apart • Concentrated Pattern • Areas where resources, economic opportunity and population are focused

Distribution Patterns • Linear Pattern • Develop in areas of economic importance (major highways in an isolated area, along coast lines where fishing is an important industry)

Which type of Patterns are these? A. Disperses B. Concentrated C. Lineaar

Rural Settlement

Rural Settlement • Rural settlement involves the settlement of areas outside cities and towns where population density is low and the settlement pattern is dispersed Resources • The most important influence on settlement is the kind of resources that are available - an agricultural area Southwestern Ontario will develop a very different population pattern that an area of the Canadian Shield where forestry provides most of the jobs

Settlement Patterns in Mixed wood Plains and the Prairies • Three types of settlement patterns: • The long lots of southern Québec • The concession system of southern Ontario • The section system of the Prairies

Factors Affecting Rural Settlement • Resources in area • this is what attracts people to the area in the first place (forestry, mining, farmland) • Transportation methods at time of settlement • Pre 1800- water- areas along lakes and rivers • Post 1800- roads and rail (once established)- areas along route • Government • Survey System- settlement depended on type rules of government(if any existed)

Long Lots of Southern Quebec • Settled long before the development of railway and high quality roads. • Most important influence is agricultural resources • Transportation was mainly by water • -long, thin farms, known as long lots, were built along the St. Lawrence River so all farms had access to the river.

Long Lots of Southern Quebec

Concession System of Southern Ontario • Settlement also influenced by agriculture • Settlement occurred after a survey system was already in place • Access to major water was not as important because _roads and later rails were already established • Roads were typically 2km apart and farms were 40-80 in size • Groupings of Concession blocks were called townships and groups of townships were called counties

Concession System of Southern Ontario

Section System of the Southern Prairies • Surveyed long before major settlement had occurred • Land was divided into blocks that were 9.6km by 9.6 km in size • Each block was divided into 36 sections, that was then divided into 4 lots (quarter-sections) that were about 64 hectares in size

Section System of the Southern Prairies

Long Lots of Southern Quebec Pros Cons • Each farm house is close to neighbours • Helpful in emergency situations • Not efficient to work- back part of farm was very far away • Divided lengthwise among dependants – very narrow lots in the end

Concession System of Southern Ontario Pros Cons • Moderate efficiency- farms are in blocks, but much smaller than Prairies • Some isolation- depending on size of farm and location of farm house on property

Section System of the Southern Prairies Pros Cons • Blocks well suited for farm machinery- efficient • Isolation- long way from neighbours

Reasons for Settlement • Resource Based • Mining, forestry, fishing, etc.. • Service Based • Along major roads/busy highways

Question 6 • Top left- Ontario- roads (survey system) are rectangular, many rivers, forested areas, language on map is English • Top right- Prairies- roads (survey system) are square in pattern, few contour lines indicate flatness, few lakes and rivers, language on map is in English • Bottom left- Quebec- linear village along river and roads, cleared areas close to river, forested areas, language on map is in French

Question 7 • Various- Northern Ontario, Central BC, Nunavut, Northern Saskatchewan, much of Atlantic Canada

Question 8 • Advantages- good pay for work, lots of outdoor recreation opportunities Disadvantages- little range of employment, danger of resources running out (ghost town), few amenities • Internet and satellite TV are linking isolated communities in terms of information • Yes or No- Why

Question 9 • Quieter, safer, cheaper lifestyle – new technology means they can still communicate rapidly • May commute to nearby cities, work from home via computer, independent work- creative fields

Settlement Patterns