IB Core Geography Changing Population Flashcards
Give reasons for the UK’s uneven population distribution
Physical factors:
Relief: Sparsely populated areas of the UK are largely in mountainous areas. For example, the Scottish Highlands only has a population density of 0-25 people/km2. Flat and fertile land in the South East (including London) is home to just under 30% of the UK’s population.
Human factors influencing this population distribution:
Transport connections: London benefits from excellent transport connections internationally and nationally. It has a population of nearly 9 million people. It is home to three international airports (Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted) which provides connections for people and business.
Political Factors: In the mid-to-late 18th century and continuing intermittently into the mid-19th century, Highland Clearances took place. This was the forced eviction of inhabitants of the Highlands of Scotland.
Economic factors: One-seventh of the country’s population is concentrated in London. London is home to 33% of European headquarters of the Global Fortune 500 (a ranking of the top 500 corporations worldwide).
How do Core Periphery patterns impact the UK?
Uneven Development and Core Periphery Patterns: There is a north-south divide in England’s development. The London average wage is £42000 compared to £29000 in the North East. London accounts for 13% of the UK’s population and 23% of its GDP. Deindustrialisation during the 1980s hit much of the north of England particularly hard with its economy largely centred around primary and secondary industries.
Outline China’s uneven population distribution
The majority of the population are located in the east of China. The western region of Tibet has a population density of only 0-50 people/km2. In contrast, the eastern region of Jiangsu has a population density of 800-900 people/km2.
Give reasons for China’s uneven population distribution
Physical factors influencing this population distribution:
Relief: South-west China is sparsely populated (0-50 people/km2) because it comprises the Tibetan Plateau, a mountainous area with an average altitude of 4,000 metres. Steep relief makes agriculture difficult as well as the construction of urban areas challenging.
Climate: North-west China is sparsely populated (0-50 people/km2) because it is an arid area consisting of a large desert (the Gobi Desert). South-east China constitutes ‘tropical China’, the basin and delta of the Pearl River and Hainan Island. This region contains fertile, well-watered farmland and many large cities, several of which have large-scale manufacturing and port facilities (e.g. Shenzhen and Guangzhou – with populations of 18 million and 19 million respectively).
Human factors influencing this population distribution:
Political factors: Government policy has contributed to China’s uneven population distribution. Special Economic Zones (SEZs) were established in 1979 in eastern China. SEZs are granted more free market-oriented economic policies and flexible governmental measures. This allows SEZs to utilise economic management which is more attractive to foreign and domestic businesses. Human populations have followed – Shenzhen was home to 35,000 people in 1975 but is now home to over 18 million people. In Shenzhen, migrants account for 83 percent of the total population.
What is the pattern of internal migration in China?
Internal Migration: The main pattern of internal migration is rural-to-urban migration. In the early 1980s, more than 300 million people left rural areas to find better lives in cities due to the beginning of political and economic reforms in 1978. From 1996 to 2019, 460 million rural Chinese migrated to cities.
Reasons for rural-to-urban migration include: education (84% literacy rate in urban areas, 65% in rural areas), job opportunities (rural residents have an average per capita income of less than 1/3 of urban residents) and healthcare (Doctors per 1000 people: 4 in urban areas, 1.82 in rural areas).
How do core-periphery patterns affect China?
Uneven Development and Core Periphery Patterns: Development patterns is China largely follows that of the population distribution – this is a self-reinforcing cycle. There are highly developed areas along the east coast where SEZs have been established. This is contrasted by the less developed western regions with its large areas of desert and mountainous areas. There is a stark rural-urban divide in income. The economy of Tibet (south-west China) is dominated by subsistence agriculture. Average annual income is only $1250-1500 per capita. In Shanghai, average income is over $22000 per capita.
