Paper 1 Flashcards
Define a Megacity
A city with at least 10 MILLION people
What is an ‘Urban Primacy’?
The most important city in the country that dominates the rest of the country
What is a hinterland?
The region (area) around a city
Why is the rate of urbanistaion in developed countries much slower than developing countries?
Because developed countries are already highly urbanised
Give two reasons why urban primacy can be a problem for developing and emerging countries.
- economic growth is concentrated in the city
- political power is focused in the city (so decision-making affecting the whole country takes place there)
What is international migration?
When people move to live in another country
What is internal migration?
When people move from an area of a country to another area of the same country
Define natural increase
The difference between the number of births and deaths in a year
How do you cities grow or decline?
— migration
— natural increase
What is the biggest factor for city to grow or decline?
Economic change (e.g fewer jobs or more jobs)
What is a formal employment?
A job that pays taxes to the government and provide employees with job security and legal protection
What is an informal employment?
Jobs that are not regulated meaning workers pay no taxes and are not protected by law
Give four examples of poor working conditions 
— unsafe environment
— stressful or uncomfortable working conditions
— long working hours without enough breaks
— harsh penalties for lateness or absence

Give two advantages of informal employment in a developing country
— migrants can support themselves
— doesn’t require skills/education qualifications
— learned skills that can later be used in formal employment
— it is flexible (e.g family members can join)
— it is easy to start up (e.g no need for rent)
Give three examples of pull factors to a mega city
- access to jobs
- job promotions or job transfers
- access to better education
- access to better healthcare
- better marriage opportunities
- more entertainment options
Give examples of mega city challenges (in a developing country)
- housing (slum housing, shanty towns)
- water supply and waste removal (bottled water but it is expensive, rivers or streams but it is polluted)
- employment and opportunities (pay is low, working conditions are poor, no job security)
Give two advantages of top down strategies in a megacity
- the government can pass laws to change peoples behaviours
- they are large scale, so the problems of the whole city can be tackled together
Give two disadvantages of top-down strategies in a megacity
- the government can be biased
- can be expensive and complicated leading to extra taxes for the population
- they may impose changes on people they don’t like
Give two advantages for bottom up strategies in a megacity
- specific needs of the local communities are targeted
- they can have positive multiplier effects
Give two disadvantages of bottom up strategies in a megacity
- they cannot fix citywide problems
- improving services in slum communities can cause conflict with the government
Give two examples of top-down strategies
- managing water supply
- waste disposal
- transport
- air quality
Give two examples of bottom up strategies
- city housing
- health
- education services
Define sustainability
A lifestyle that uses less energy and minimises pollution which does not consume or destroy resources in the environment
Name four characteristics of a tropical cyclone
- low-pressure
- rotation
- structure
- seasonal global distribution
Describe the properties of low pressure air during a tropical cyclone
It has warm moist air which rises through the atmosphere
Describe how rotation increases the power of a tropical cyclone
The earth’s spin helps the rising air to spiral and drags in strong winds
Describe the structure of a tropical cyclone
Its forms a cylinder of rising, spiralling air around an eye of descending, high-pressure air

- cylinder of rising, spiralling air
- an eye of descending, high-pressure air 
Where do tropical cyclones occur
In the tropics (between 5° and 30° of latitude)
Where and when do tropical cyclones form
Where: seawater
When: summer and late autumn (when the seawater is warmest)
What temperature does sea water have to be for a tropical cyclone to form
26.5°C
Name 3 key movements of a tropical cyclone
- they start in the tropics and move westward (as winds blow from the east around the equator)
- some reach a belt of winds blowing from the west (which makes them change direction)
- can travel 600 km in a day
How is the intensity of a tropical cyclone measured
On a Saffir-Simpson scale
What makes tropical cyclones intensify?
- warm water temperatures
- high humidity
- low wind shear
What makes tropical cyclones dissipate?
- Reaching land (because they lose energy)
- moving into areas of cold water
- encountering other weather systems with winds blowing in different direction
What are some physical hazards/impacts of a tropical cyclone
- storm surges
- coastal flooding
- landslides
What 3 factors make a country more vulnerable to tropical cyclones?
- low-lying coastal areas where lots of people live (physical)
- poor areas that have high density of poor quality housing (social)
- lack of better prediction, protection and evacuation technology (economic)
Name three key facts about hurricane Katrina
- It took place in a developed country USA (Louisiana, (mostly) New Orleans)
- happened in August 2005
- it caused 1836 deaths
- deaths were mainly due to failures in the city’s storm surge defences
- there were problems with evacuation procedures (highways were jammed, public transport was not used, shutters run out of food)
Name three key facts about cyclone Nargis
- it took place in an emerging country Myanmar (Burma)
- It happened in May 2008
- it caused 138,866 deaths
- there were no evacuation procedures or defences against the storm surges
- houses were made of weak materials
- 1 million people were made homeless
- the government refused entry to foreign aid workers for a week
