This geography textbook examines urban and rural settlements. It discusses the conventional distinctions between what is regarded as urban and what as rural, takes a look at both the settlement patterns individually and studies the characteristics of their distribution patterns. This volume is one in a series of nine books which cover the scope of most sixth form geographical studies. It looks not only at the established systematic topics in both the physical and the human aspects of the study, but also at the interfaces within and between them. The series is particularly intended for A level and AS level, as well as other post GCSE courses.