Characteristics of Rural Environments (Edexcel IGCSE Geography)

Components of a rural environment

• There are many different types of rural areas

• They all have the following components:

  • Landscape

  • Climate

  • Settlement

  • Population

  • Land use

  • Employment

  • Accessibility

  • Management (development or conservation)

• The character of each rural area will be the result of a combination of the different components

Landscape, climate & land use

Landscape

• Rural landscapes are varied and include what can be seen but also the soil

• The type of landscape will influence the land use:

  • Deep fertile soils increase the likelihood that the area will be used for farming 

  • Mountains and lakes may increase the attraction of the area for tourists

  • Rocky areas may make construction difficult

Climate

• Climate includes the precipitation and temperature

• The climate can influence the land use 

  • Crops and livestock can only be farmed where the climate conditions are suitable

• Where rural areas have an extreme climate population densities are likely to be very low

Land use

• Farming (agriculture) dominates the world's rural landscapes

• Other land uses include mining, forestry and tourism

Population, settlement & employment

Population

• Population densities in rural tend to be low

• Some rural areas where there is particularly fertile soil may have high population densities

• Rural populations are often ageing due to:

  • the migration of the younger population for jobs

  • people retiring to rural areas

Settlement

• Settlements are mainly small villages and hamlets

• Individual farms dispersed over a wide area

Employment

• Although primary economic activities dominate the landscape they only employ a few people in rural areas in developed countries

• Increasing employment in tourism

• In developed countries working from home is increasing in rural areas

• Rural areas often lack employment opportunities

• Jobs are often low-paid and/or seasonal

Accessibility & Management

Accessibility

• Rural areas in mountainous, arid, forested and cold areas are often inaccessible 

• Roads, where they exist, tend to be of poorer quality

• Some areas may only be accessed via air or sea

• The closer rural areas are to urban areas the better the accessibility

Management

• Management may include:

  • development of the area including houses, industry, leisure 

  • conservation which involves protecting the rural environment and communities