HUMAN ENVIRONMENT SETTLEMENT, TRANSPORT AND COMMUNICATION

Settlements are places where people build their homes. Early human lived on
trees and in caves. When they started to grow crops it became necessary to
have a permanent home.

Settlements can be permanent or temporary. Settlements which are occupied for

a short time are called temporary settlements.
The people living in deep forests, hot and cold deserts and mountains often dwell
in such temporary settlements. They practice hunting, gathering, shifting
cultivation and transhumance.
More and more settlements today are permanent settlements. People built
homes to live in.
Settlements can be also classified as rural and urban.
The villages are rural settlement where people are engaged in activities like
agriculture, fishing, forestry, crafts work and trading.
Rural settlements can be be compact or scattered. A compact settlement is a
closely built area of dwellings, wherever flat land is available. In a scattered
settlement dwellings are spaced over an extensive area. This type of settlement
is mostly found in hilly tracts, thick forests, and regions of extreme climate.
In rural areas, people build houses to suit their environment. In regions of heavy
rainfall, they have slanting roofs. Places where water accumulates in the frainy
season the houses are sonstricted on a raised platform of stilts.
Towns and cities are examples of urban settlements.
Transport is the means by which people and goods move. In olden days the
transport was very difficult. It has become easier now.
In our country animals like donkeys, mules, bullocks and camels are commonly
used a means of transport. In earlier days it took months to reach india via the
sea route. Now it takes only 6 to 8 hours to travel by an aeroplane.
The four major means of transport are roadways, railways, waterways and
airways.
Roadways are the major modes of transport for short distances. They can be
metalled or unmetalled. Manali-leh highway in the Himalayas is one of the
highest roadways in the world.
Roads built underground are called subways under paths. Flyovers are built over
raised structures.
Railways
Railways carry heavy goods and people over long distancres quickely and
cheaply. In olden days steam engines were the only kinds used but currently
diesel and electric engines are extensively used.
Indian rail network is the largest in the world.

The trans Siberian railway is the longest railway system connecting St.
Petersburg in western Russia to Vladivostok on the pacific coast.
Waterways
Since olden times, waterways were used for transportation. They are the
cheapest for using heavy and bulky goods over long distances. Two types of
waterways , inland and sea route.
Navigable rivers and lakes are used as inland waterways. In india gangabrahmaputra river system , the great lakes in north America and river nile in
Africa.
Sea routes are used for transporting merchandise and goods from one country to
another. These routes are connected with the ports. Some of the important ports
of the world are Singapore and Mumbai in asia. New York and los angeles in north
America rio de jeneiro in south America. Sydney in Australia.
Airways
Fastest way of transport. Most expensive due to high cost of fuels. Only mode of
transport for reaching remote areas with no roads of railways.
Helicopters are used in the times of calamities for rescuing people and
distributing food, water, clothes and medicines.
Some important airports are delhi, Mumbai, new York, London, paris, cairo etc.
Communication
Communication is the process of conveying messages to others. The
advancement in the field of communication has brought about revolution in the
world.
Through newspapers, radio and television we can communicate with a large
number of people. They are called mass media.
Satellites have made communication even faster. Now we can send emails
through internet.
Mobile phones are very popular nowadays. Internet can not only help us to get
all the information around the world, it can also make our lives comfortable. We
can book tickets for railways, airways and even the cinemas from the comfort of
our home.