Human - Population Flashcards
Development
An increase in the standard of living of the people in the country
Social indicator
Measures the quality of life in a country
Economic indicators
Measures the wealth of a country
Population distribution
The spread of people across the area
Population density
The number of people living in a particular area (1sq km) and is calculated as total pop/land area
What physical factors affect population density?
- Climate (temperate is best)
- Water availablility for drinking and farming
- Temperature (too hot means diseases etc)
- Humidity (extremes are uncomfortable)
- Relief (steep slopes are hard to build on, flatter areas have deeper soils so good for crops)
- Lack of natural resources means lack of employment
- Fertile soil (volcanic areas and river deltas) is good for farming
- Natural disasters causes refugees
What human factors affect population density?
- Job opportunities and industry (cities have more diverse choices)
- Transport links (easier to move around, more trade)
- Services (cities have more services so people want to live there)
- Government policies (un-inclusive policies mean people will move out, provided aid and funding means people set up businesses and need employees)
- Conflict (people escape from war, increase in density in refugee camps)
- Infrastructure (people will go where there is better roads etc)
Birth rates
Number of live births per 1000 people per year (%)
Death rates
Number of deaths per 1000 people per year (%)
Natural increase
Birth rate - death rate (around 12% in the world right now)
Immigration
People moving into a country (mainly adults e.g. young professionals and families)
Emigration
People moving out of a country (usually due to war, persecution, or natural disasters)
Migration
A combination of immigration and emigration
Factors affecting birth rates in developing countries
- Children help out on farms
- High infant mortality rate (more kids wanted for backup)
- Lack of freely available contraception, education, and family planning
- Kids needed to look after parents in old age (no pensions)
- Culture and tradition - big families, keep trying for a boy, women seen as “less healthy” if they don’t have lots of children
- Women don’t get much education or work so they can have children earlier and for longer
Factors affecting birth rates in developed countries
- Children are expensive (nursery, food, clothes, etc)
- Higher marriage age so older when having kids
- Good/free access to contraception and family planning
- Low infant mortality rate (good healthcare) so fewer births
- No large family culture
- Children aren’t needed when parents grow up
Factors affecting death rates in developing countries
- Lack of clean water
- Poor housing and sanitation
- Not enough food and bad nutrition
- Widespread diseases
- Fewer medical facilities
Factors affecting death rates in developed countries
- Safe, clean water
- Proper sanitation facilities
- Generally well fed
- Advanced medical facilities and advice
What are the features of a developing country’s population pyramid
- Few old dependants (high death rate)
- Fewer economically active
- Many young dependants (high birth rate)
- Wide-based triangle (the steeper, the slower the growth)
What are the features of a developed country’s population pyramid
- Longer life span
- Evidence of WWII or Vietnam
- Many old dependants (low death rate)
- High numbers of economically active
- Fewer young dependants (lower birth rate)
- Bell shaped
Advantages of rapid growth?
- More powerful (bigger army)
- Bigger number of workers
- Lower wage rates
Disadvantages of rapid growth?
- Smaller farms so more intensive farming
- More trees being cut down for farmland, fuel, and building materials
- Lack of housing so people end up in shanty towns without basic amenities
- High unemployment, crime rates, and congestion
- Overcrowded schools and hospitals
Advantages of slow growth?
Less money needs to be spent on education
Disadvantages of slow growth?
- More money needs to be spent on care services and pensions
- More sheltered housing, nursing, and old people’s homes
- Health services taken up by old people
- Fewer taxpayers, soldiers, and potential parents
What are the 4 stages of population growth?
- Rapid growth
- Slow growth
- Zero growth
- Negative growth
