A Geographical Study of Rural Settlements in Shrigonda Tahsil

Abstract

Settlementand#8223; is a generic term derived from the word Settle . According to the pocket oxford Dictionary (1966), the meaning of the word Settle is to establish or become established in more or less permanent abode or way of life. It also includes temporary stay at a place. Settlement geography, a branch of human geography, is the study of the cultural landscape. It is a science of systematic inquiry of occupancy features distributed over space with differentiation in relation to man. Settlement geography studies human shelter and dwelling patterns. Shelter is one of the basic necessities of human beings. In the antique age, he had used tree branches, caves or pits or rock-cut hiding places. In the course of time, humans have established various sorts of houses, dwellings, group of dwellings/houses, abodes, habitations. Modern civilization has brought sea change in human activities and as a result of it, shelters are renovated into hamlets, villages, towns, cities, metropolitan and cosmopolitan cities. Physical, social, economical, and cultural factors do affect the forms of human settlements. Human settlement is basically categorized as rural settlement and urban settlement. newlineRural settlement is the pioneer group of dwellings of human beings. Rural settlement is basically a group of dwellings on a rural territory habitated by the rural people with their social, economic and cultural environment. The rural way of life and its structure has a profound effect of this multidimensional environment. Agriculture, fishing, mining, and agro based occupations like basket weaving, flower cultivation; milk vending, pottery etc are at the base of the rural settlement. The form of settlement in any region represents manand#8223;s relationship with environment therefore; the study of settlement is an important aspect of Human Geography. The forms of cultural landscape spread over the surface of the earth are studied in settlement geography. Although urban and rural settlements form two important components, their problems and methods newline