1.1 Population dynamics

Question 1

describe and give reasons for the rapid increase in the world’s population

Answer 1

High birth rates (specially in LEDCs)
Low death rates (specially in MEDCs)
Improved health (less people die of diseases)
Improved water sanitation (less water-related diseases)
Some religions sex education is a taboo (more pregnancy)
Poor education/lack of family planning
Family needs children to work for them
High infant mortality (more to make sure some survive)

Natural resources
Suitable climate (heating, cooling systems)
Communication/transport
Soil appropriate for farming

Question 2

define over population

+ causes and consequences

Answer 2

Overpopulation:
too many people for the available resources in an area

causes:

• natural resources
• climate
• relief
• fertile soil for farming
• businesses/industry/jobs
• communication/transport
• easy access/near coast
• lack of family planning/ high fertility rate
• increased life expectancy/ decrease in death rates
• immigration

consequences:

• pressure on natural resources (food/water)
• environmental hazards (deforestation/habitat loss)
• unemployment/poverty
• pressure on services (education/health care/sanitation)
• lack of housing/overcrowded houses
• pressure on energy sources/overfarming (soil degradation)
• pollution (more people =more cars)/ waste disposal
• faster spread of diseases

Question 3

define under population

+ causes and consequences

Answer 3

Underpopulation:
not enough people for the available resources

causes:

• drop in fertility rate
• emigration
• diseases
• social conflicts, e.g. war, high crime
• famine
• poor relief/ soil for farming
• bad location/ difficult access/ far from sea/ isolated/ climate

consequences:

• unstable economy (low demand, higher prices)
• decrease in environmental problems
• ageing population (higher dependency ratio))
• labour shortage

Question 4

main causes of change in population size

Answer 4

birth rates: live births per 1000 people per year
death rates: deaths per 1000 people per year
migration: movement of people in and out of an area

Question 5

cause/impact of each of the natural causes

Answer 5

Birth rates:
contraception
education
children: to work or economic cost not benefit
religion
women rights

  Death rates:
water/food supply
resources
sanitation/ hygiene
medical care
diseases
shelter
diets

  Migration:
resources
social problems
war
government
unemployment

Question 6

describe and evaluate population policies

Answer 6

Pro-natalist policy:
encourage birth rates
 - parental leave
 - kindergeld
 - free education

Anti-natalist policy:
reduce birth rates
 - increase availability of contraception
 - education (commercials/radio/theatre)
 - women's rights
 - changing social and religious values

Question 7

case study:

over-populated country

Answer 7

Bangladesh

Key facts and figures:

• Pop. density 1150 people per square km
• Low life expectancy (66)
• HDI low (0.47)
• 29 doctors per 1000 people (low)

Places:

• Dhaka city (overcrowded/slums/poor living conditions)
• Ganges and Brahmaputra (fertile river valleys)
• Char lands (areas that can be washed away by the sea)

Issues:

• Densely populated
• Mostly farmers living on fertile river deltas and floodplains, but not too many
• Not enough resources to meet needs of people
• Farms split between male family members so with each generation farms become smaller
• People live in dangerous ground that can be washed away by coastal floods - Char lands
• High levels of malnutrition
• Over using ground water so often unclean water
• Not enough schools: no everyone gets educated, specially girls
• Not enough hospitals: have babies without medical help, people don’t get proper treatment (reduces life expectancy)
• Diseases, crime, poor sanitation/services
• Not enough jobs

Question 8

case study:

under-populated country

Answer 8

Canada

Key facts and figures:

• 3.5 people per square km
• High life expectancy (81)
• 188 doctors her 1000 people
• Large exporters of food (wheat/corn)

Places:

• Sparsely populated areas: Northwest, Manitoba
• Population concentrated near US border, Toronto, Montreal

Key Issues:

• Natural resources not being fully used
• Empty areas need more people so land can be farmed properly and minerals exploited
• Very isolated communities, travel long distances for services. Not every place has enough people for a hospitals/school
• Good living conditions, low poverty
• Most exports are primary products. Could make more money if these were used to make goods (e.g. cars), but there are not enough workers and people to buy them and support local industry
• Many trained people, e.g. teachers, have nobody to offer services to, so they migrate out

Question 9

case study:

country that has a high natural population growth rate

Answer 9

The Gambia

Key facts and figures:

• High birth rate: 38 per 1000 per year
• Low death rate: 12 per 1000 per year
• High natural increase: 26 per 1000 per year
• High fertility rate: 5.4 babies per woman
• Very high infant mortality (81 per 1000)
• Very high female illiteracy (66%)

Place names:
Capital city: Banjul
City: Serakunda
River Gambia

Key issues:
death rates have fallen and birth rates are still high so high natural increase

why has birth rate remained high?

• limited access to contraception
• children needed for work (farming)
• limited education on family planning
• woman have limited power on decision making
• religious beliefs on family planning
• high infant mortality so more babies to ensure some survive

problems?

• youthful population (many children)
• pop will grow even faster when all the kids grow & have kids
• not enough resources/services (schools/food/firewood/land)
• Overcrowding and diseases
• Lack of services, e.g. schools so low education levels specially for females
• overfarming(soil erosion), deforestation
• general pressure on resources and poverty
• unemployment for young people
• high dependency ratio

how have they tried to reduce birth rate?

• fertility rate decreased from 8 to 5 in last 15 years
• access to contraception (shops, prices, motor cycle deliver to rural villages)
• education about family planning (radio, theatre, ads)
• female rights so they can make decisions
• Spaced births (more years between babies reduces risk and number born)

Question 10

case study:

country with low rate of population growth

Answer 10

Germany

Key facts and figures:

• Low birth rates (8 per 1000 per year)
• Low death rates (10 per 1000 per year)
• Natural decrease (2 per 1000 per year)
• Low fertility rate (1.8 per woman)
• Very low infant mortality (4 per 1000)
• Very low female illiteracy (0%)

Places:
Berlin, Hamburg, Frankfurt, Ulm

Key issues/points:
birth rate is low. death rate is low, so low natural change. Sometimes death higher than birth so decrease in population

why is birth rate low?

• Access to contraception
• Children are an economic cost not a benefit (unlike farmers)
• People educated on family planning
• Changing status of women (careers, later marriage, rights)
• Low infant mortality rate

what are the problems of low birth rates and ageing population?

• Too many old people
• Pop decline : bad for economy
• Not enough workers to do important jobs, skills, shortages
• Services under pressure: hospitals, old people homes, transport for old people
• Pressure on tax budgets to pay for services and pensions for many old people from less workers
• High dependency ratio
• Grey vote (more traditional, no initiatives for young people)

How have they tried to solve ageing population?
Increase birth rates:
- Maternity/paternity leaves, keeping jobs open helping women’s careers
- Kindergeld (200 euro per month)
- Kindergarten, schools, universities available
- not really made a difference though
- publicity about low birth rates

Encourage people to work later in life

• Raise retirement age to 67
• Re train old people to keep them in the workforce

Encourage migration

• Bring in key workers to fill shortages
• Working age migrants (pay tax, have children)

Increase financial budget

• Raise taxes
• Lower pensions
• More costs for private health care