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casero: isolated rural home, or farm, with additional buildings (granaries, stables, etc.), surrounded by fields of crops or pastures rural exodus or rural-urban migration: migration from the country to the city, which leaves many villages semi-abandoned rural tourism: type of tourism in which tourists visit the countryside to enjoy the natural environment
Settlement in Spain
In Spain, urban settlement predominates. 78.6% of the Spanish population lives in cities.
Rural settlement
Dispersed settlement (hamlets, caseros) is characteristic of the north of the Peninsula. Nucleated settlement is predominant in rural areas. However, there are differences depending on the geographical zone: In the Duero river basin and the Ebro valley, villages tend to be small and close to each other. In the south of the Peninsula, the Mediterranean are and the Balearic Islands, villages are bigger and farther apart. Rural settlement in Spain has seen the following changes: Some villages in mountain areas and the interior of the Peninsula, which had become depopulated because of rural exodus, have now been revitalized thanks to rural tourism and the arrival of immigrant families. Villages in coastal areas, which used to be dedicated to fishing or agriculture, have been converted into tourist towns. Many villages close to big cities have taken on urban functions (residential, industrial, services, etc.) and become part of the metropolitan area of the city.
Alcorcn, a settlement near Madrid, was a village in 1959 (on the left) and is now a large city (on the right).
Urban settlement
In the last few decades, there have been transformations in urban settlement. Large metropolitan areas have been consolidated. The main cities of some of the large metropolitan areas (Barcelona, Bilbao, etc.) have lost some of their inhabitants, while nearby population nuclei have grown. City growth is controlled by an urban development plan. Historic centres, ensanches and the most deteriorated urban areas have been restored. Some cities have carried out modernization projects to improve their image, for example, renovation of the Ra de Bilbao, construction of the Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias in Valencia, etc. Transport has been improved and extended: construction of underground lines, bicycle lanes, transport interchanges, etc.
KEY WORDS
urban development plan: official local government document that regulates land use, construction of buildings, conservation of historic and artistic places, creation of green zones, etc.
In most Spanish cities, we can find the following zones: City center, which consists of: Historic center, including buildings of great cultural and artistic value, commercial and business areas. Residential neighborhoods and ensanches, which were built in the 19th and 20th centuries, and consist of homes for people with high living standards, offices and shops. Former working-class neighborhoods, which have been redeveloped through the creation of green zones, the construction of cultural and leisure centres, etc. Periphery, which includes the following areas: Residential areas with blocks of flats and detached, semidetached or terraced single-family homes. Industrial areas, located near the main access routes to the city. Service areas, which contain hypermarkets and leisure centres (cinemas, theme parks, etc.).
KEY WORDS
services: economic activities that do not produce goods, but provide services to meet the needs of the population; they include economic activities like commerce, transport, tourism, health services, cultural and educational services, etc.
Spanish cities are ranked in a hierarchy according to the following categories: Category
National metropolis
Inhabitants
more than 4.9 million
Functions
multiple: political, economic, cultural, etc. varied: political, commercial, cultural, etc.
Sphere of influence
national and international
Cities
Madrid, Barcelona
Regional metropolis
regional
metropolitan areas of Valencia, Alicante, Sevilla, Bilbao, Mlaga and Zaragoza Murcia, Palma de Mallorca, Valladolid, Crdoba, etc.
provincial
district
These are the characteristics of the Spanish urban network: The majority of large and medium-sized cities are in coastal areas, although there are some important cities in the interior of the Peninsula. The network is dominated by the metropolitan areas of Madrid and Barcelona.
Madrid
Barcelona
Activities
l Are the following statements true or false? Correct the false
ones. a) In Spain, rural settlement is more important than urban settlement. b) In the Duero river basin, villages are usually small and close together. c) Many villages in coastal areas have been converted into tourist towns.
Look at the photo. Read the description and write the mistakes that you can see. Use these words: traditional, village,
wood, narrow, houses, old woman, stick, bucket.
Madrid a) Which urban zone does the photo show? Candelario (Salamanca) b) What functions does this zone normally have and what types of building can we find there?
c)
d) What do you think is inside the buildings? e) What is the tallest building you have ever visited? How many floors does it have? Where is it? What was the reason for your visit?
www.aytojaen.es a) Which part of the city is described in the text? b) What types of tourist attractions or monuments are mentioned? c) Have you ever visited Jan? Would you like to? Explain why I why not.
Settlement
Identify the mistakes in these sentences. Correct them. a) The construction of skyscrapers became possible thanks to the use of wood and titanium. b) Population growth in the 19th century made the construction of skyscrapers impossible. c) In the year 1875, the tallest building in New York was the Singer Building. It was 118 m tall. d) The island of Manhattan did not have the right physical conditions for the construction of skyscrapers. e) The Singer Building was the head office of a company that manufactured cement.
What are the differences between dispersed and nucleated settlements? Where in Spain can we find each type?
Pag. 3.2.
Pag. 6.9.
This photo shows a modern, wide street in a city. The houses are made of bricks and concrete and they all have three or more floors. There are some shops as well. There is a young man walking down the street, carrying a shopping bag. square floors towers blocks of flats church