Character of Place (AQA A Level Geography)

Endogenous Factors

• Factors that are internal to a place can affect its character 

• Examples of endogenous factors include physical factors like geology, location and climate 

  • Areas with specific topography and geology will have a specific character 

  • If an area is steep and mountainous settlements will likely be designed in a linear pattern and the town or village can be quite isolated from other nearby population centres 

  • If an area has a dominant rock type, such as slate or limestone, this will likely affect the building materials and the visual character of the area.  It will also affect the local industrial character as there is likely to be a mining or quarrying tradition in the area. 

• Endogenous factors can be human such as land use, infrastructure or architectural style

• Human and physical endogenous factors work independently but are also closely linked 

  • the architectural style is often influenced by local geology and building materials

Exogenous Factors

• Factors that are external to a place and affect its character 

• These distant factors create a relationship between places and can have a significant influence 

• These factors are typically flows of people, resources, money and ideas 

  • flows of asylum seekers from the Middle East and Africa into European states inevitably will impact the character of these places

  • The largest refugee settlement scheme in the UK is in the North East which has changed the character of towns like Darlington and Redcar.  There are language classes, family drop in sessions and a range of new businesses that have been created in the area, significantly changing its character. 

  • Flows of ideas from the USA contribute to an ‘Americanisation’ of many places around the world through changes in culture and language