SETTLEMENT INTERACTIONS

INTER-DEPENDENCE BETWEEN RURAL AND URBAN SETTLEMENTS

Urban and rural settlements depend on each other for their continuous existence

A. Dependence of Urban Settlement on Rural Settlement

The rural areas perform the following functions for the urban centres.

(1)        Provision of Food: Urban areas like cities and large towns depend on rural areas for food stuff like yam, plantain beans, cassava, tomatoes etc.

(2)        Unskilled Labour Supply:  So many unskilled labour in urban areas are supplied by the rural areas due to the low level of most people in the rural area.

(3)        Medicinal herbs:  Pharmaceutical companies in cities depend on the rural areas for the supply of medicinal herbs and roots.

(4)        Industrial Raw Materials: Raw materials like latex, cocoa, cotton etc.  Needed by manufacturing industries are supplied from rural areas to the industries in urban areas:

 

However, some problems that limit the performance of the rural areas to perform these functions include:

(i)         Rural – Urban Migration

(ii)        Increasing literacy level by rural dwellers.

(iii)       Lack of agricultural lands to farm

(iv)       Technological development which makes the whole world a global village.

(v)        Natural disaster like soil erosion, flooding etc.

 

B. Ways the Rural Settlements depend on Urban Settlements

The urban centres perform the following functions for the rural areas:

(1)        Manufactured good such as the supply of processed food like milk, sugar, bread, drugs etc.

(2)        Market:  Urban areas like Lagos and Ibadan provide markets for agricultural products from rural areas

(3)        Employment e.g. to skilled and unskilled labour from rural areas.

(4)        Higher Education: Rural areas depend on urban areas for higher education such as universities polytechnics etc.

(5)        Capital Flow: There is always a flow of capital from urban to rural areas e.g. the flow of currencies, trade and commerce including shares and stocks.

(6)        Information: Radio, television, news papers etc usually disseminate information from the urban areas to the rural areas.

(7)        Medical Services: Rural areas enjoy medical services from urban areas such include: the services of Teaching and Specialist Hospital, General Hospitals etc.

(8)        Administrative Function: Most of the administrative headquarters are in the urban areas.  Rural areas therefore depend on the urban areas for effective governance.

(9)        Diffusion of innovation and ideas: e.g. social and education ideas flow from the urban areas to the rural areas e.g. Internet facilities, satellite and cable network, styles and fashion, resort centres, hotels etc.

 

However, some major problems may limit the performance of the above functions by urban area;

(i)         Political discrimination

(ii)        Nepotism and Tribalism

(iii)       Inadequate communication facilities between the two areas.

(iv)       Storage problems due to seasonality of products.

(v)        Tribal /inter-tribal wars and other social unrest.

 

EVALUATION

Mention two ways the urban areas depend on the rural areas.

 

GENERAL EVALUATION QUESTIONS

1. What is a rural area?
2. State the types of rural area.
3. Mention the types of urban area.
4. Explain the interdependence between  rural areas and urban centres.
5. What are the problems hindering the performance of the urban centres?

 

WEEKEND ASSIGNMENT

1. A settlement developed at the meeting point of road is (a) confluence town (b) port town (c) nodal town (d) gap town
2. conurbation can best be described as (a) a large village with thousands of people (b) two or more towns joined together (c) a large area with big cities (d) an area with few settlements
3.  Rural settlement types include all the following except (a) linear (b) dormitory (c) nucleated (d) dispersed
4. Which of the following is not a major type of migration? (a) rural-urban (b) international (c) inter-community (d) urban-rural
5. One effect of rural-urban migration on the source region is (a) rapid urbanization (b) intensive pressure on land use in rural areas (c) rural depopulation (d) urban depopulation

 

THEORY

1. State five effects of rural-urban migration on the source region.
2. Mention five causes of rural–urban migration.

 

See also

MAP DISTANCES: FULL EXPLANATION

INTRODUCTION TO MAP READING

COMPONENTS OF GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEM (GIS)

WEATHER AND CLIMATE: FULL EXPLANATION

THE ENVIRONMENT – FULL EXPLANATION