Geography GCSE
Informal Settlement
What Informal Settlement means in Geography GCSE, as defined for Pearson Edexcel.
Definitions of Informal Settlement
Exam boards and our study guides word this term in slightly different ways. Learn the version your board uses.
Areas of housing built on land not owned by the residents, usually without legal permission and lacking basic infrastructure (also known as slums or squatter settlements).
An area of poor-quality housing, built without legal permission or formal urban planning.
Topics that use Informal Settlement
- The character of the chosen developing country or emerging country city is influenced by its fast rate of growth (Pearson Edexcel GCSE)
- The context of the chosen developing country or emerging country city influences its functions and structure (Pearson Edexcel GCSE)
Related terms
- Central Business District (CBD)
- Connectivity
- Informal Economy
- Natural Increase
- Rural-Urban Migration
- Site
- Situation
- Urban-Rural Fringe
Using Informal Settlement in the exam
Definition questions usually carry one or two marks, and examiners look for the precise wording. Write the definition from memory, check it against the version above, and then use the term in a longer answer on the same topic so it sticks.
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