Abstract:

The settlements were generally classified according to their population, location, texture and dominant economic functions. In this study, which aimed to identify the geographical distribution of settlement types in the province of Muş, the geographic elements that were effective on the distribution of settlement location preferences, position, elevation steps of settlements and economic activities carried out were also identified. In the study, the elevation factor was prioritized by looking at the distribution of settlement types in the province of Mush from a different perspective. The number of settlements and the settlement type in each elevation step were analyzed taking into account the natural conditions of the elevation step. There were, it was observed, some notable increases in both the number of settlements and population in the regions where the opportunities provided by the physical conditions for human life and activities increased. The shape and texture of the settlements established in the areas where different geomorphological units are present in the province of Muş, also vary in terms of number and type based on the elevation. In the settlements established in different morphological units, the type of economic function and population distribution also differ. The settlement types were marked by scanning a total of 87 topography maps with 1 / 25,000 scale and five elevation steps were identified at 250 m intervals in digital environment, main landforms such as mountain, plain and plateau were distinguished and their relations with settlement types were identified. In the province of Muş two cities (Muş and Bulanık), 21 districts (Hasköy, Korkut, Malazgirt and Varto district centers and 17 small towns) 367 villages, 279 hamlets, 96 highlands, 23 mountain houses and 5 hovel settlements are located in five different elevation steps. The elevation step in the province of Muş where the settlements and rural population are the densest is between 1551 and 1800 meters.

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