Which of the following is arranged according to the increasing size of  settlement?

Analyze the question: You are asked to arrange settlements from the smallest to the largest (increasing size).

Explain the concept: In Settlement Geography, settlements are classified by population and the services they offer:

1. Hamlet: a very small cluster of a few houses, with few or no services.
2. Village: bigger than a hamlet, with a few hundred to a few thousand people and basic services such as a market, school or health centre.
3. Town: larger still, with a bigger population, more varied services and more economic activities (commerce, industry, administration).
4. City: a very large and important urban centre. It is not among the options.
5. Conurbation: a huge urban area formed when several towns or cities grow and merge together. Examples are Greater Lagos and the Ruhr in Germany.

Order of increasing size: Hamlet → Village → Town → (City) → Conurbation

Checking the options:

• A. town, conurbation, hamlet, village: the order is mixed up. ✗
• B. hamlet, village, town, conurbation: the correct order from smallest to largest. ✓
• C. village, town, conurbation, hamlet: hamlet is the smallest but placed last. ✗
• D. conurbation, town, hamlet, village: this decreases at first, then is mixed up. ✗

Exam tip: Remember the order as H-V-T-C: Hamlet, Village, Town, Conurbation (with City just before Conurbation). A phrase like "Happy Vendors Trade Constantly" can help you recall it. Also watch the wording: "increasing" means smallest to largest, while "decreasing" means the reverse.