P&E - Understanding Population And The Environment

Question 1

Define population

Answer 1

The number of people in a defined area

Question 2

What is the population of the world currently at?

Answer 2

8 billion

Question 3

What are population parameters?

Answer 3

Ways of measuring the population

Question 4

4 population parameters

Answer 4

Distribution = the spread of people
Density = the number of people per unit area
Number = amount of people in an area
Change = increases and decreases in population over time

Question 5

What are 2 factors affecting population?

Answer 5

• physical environment
• development processes

Question 6

How does the physical environment affect population?

Answer 6

• soil quality affects the agricultural productivity of an area
• the availability of natural resources, and how accessible they are
• availability of clean water for sanitation, hygiene and drinking

Question 7

How do development processes affect population (examples)?

Answer 7

The industrial revolution - decrease in reliance on labour and a move towards using machinery to produce goods and services
- life was less labour intensive, and so the population increased
The green revolution - using technology and efficient farming practices to increase yields
- increased the food supply, and so a larger population could be sustained

Question 8

Global population numbers

Answer 8

• expected to reach 9 billion by 2050
• stayed below 1 billion until 1804
• reached 2 billion by the 1900’s, and doubled by the 1960’s
• sometimes referred to as exponential growth

Question 9

Global population density

Answer 9

• 55% of the population lives in urban areas
• sparsely populated areas are usually uninhabitable (e.g Canada)
• majority of the population lives in the northern hemisphere
• densely populated areas are usually able to support that population (e.g Bangladesh has very fertile soil)

Question 10

Rates of population change in the past

Answer 10

Mostly concentrated in HIC’s due to better access to healthcare and other services, which improved the standard of living and led to rapid population growth

Question 11

Rates of population change now

Answer 11

HIC’s = lowest populations, and some countries are even experiencing a decline in population
LIC’s/NEE’s = going through what HIC’s experienced in the mid 1900’s with rapid growth

Question 12

Why have HIC’s seen a fall in population growth

Answer 12

may be due to better contraception and sex education