What is a Settlement Hierarchy?

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What is a Settlement Hierarchy?
Hierarchy is just fancy name Dont be put off by
fancy names Geographers love them, it brings
identity to their subject
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Youve done feudalism in History? Of course you
have, you remember King on top then beastly
Barons next the brave fighting Knights last and
least, those poor old peasants What shape does
that make?
3

• Brilliant, of course its a triangle.
• But WHY is it a triangle?
• Here are two reasons, you probably have more
• Most important at the top, least at the bottom
• The higher up the triangle, less of them there are

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• OK now its time to make a settlement hierarchy
• Think of the different types of settlement you
  know
• Town Village Hamlet
• City Megalopolis Farm

And put them into a triangle with the largest at
the top and smallest at bottom . . .
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So there you are its as simple as that. But you
can make yours more interesting by adding colour
and pictures Then write a sentence underneath to
explain what it is to an alien
Dont ever let anyone ever tell you that
Geography is hard!
6
The Hierarchy in real life on a map
Town
Village
Questions How many cities / larger towns /
smaller towns / villages are there? Why are there
no farms on the map? What pattern is starting to
show?