population 1.1&1.3 (population dynamics+structure) Flashcards
difference between population density and distribution
Population density describes the number of people living in a given area, usually per square kilometre and
population distribution is the (spacial)pattern of where people live
what is population density
measurement of people per km ²
what is population distribution
the (spacial)pattern of where people live
what is population
number of people living in a particular place
what is a population pyramid
a chart that shows the distribution of the population by age and gender at a given point in time
countries that are less developed will usually be in which stage of the demographic transition model
describe it
2
will have a higher percentage of young population
as countries become more developed, what stage of the dtm do they enter and why
3 &4
birth rates begin to drop and death rates begin to slow down/ fall
places with a low population are usually (3)
- difficult environments
- high altitudes
- inaccessible areas
densely populated areas usually are (2)
- wealthy and industrial
- poor with rapidly growing populations
places which are usually densely populated
- lowland areas
- coastal plains
- river valleys
- areas rich in natural resources
why are river valleys usually densely populated
they’re sheltered and provide trade, communication links and transport as well as a water supply.
why are coastal plains usually densely populated
usually have moderate climates and good access for international trade as they have ports.
why are areas rich in natural resources usually densely populated
can have important materials for industry/building like fossil fuels which also creates jobs
why are lowland areas usually densely populated
are flat with fertile soil, which allows farming and easy communication.
why do not many people live in high altitudes
they’re inaccessible, have poor soils, and steep slopes meaning farming is difficult
how do you work out population density
number of people / area
population density is the
average number of people living in an area ( given as people per km²)
densely populated means
high population in an area
sparsely populated means
low population in an area
overpopulation
too many people to be supported by a satisfactory level by the resources available
underpopulation
too few people to make the most of the resources available
optimum population
the resources can be used to their best advantage without having too many people to maintain the standard of living
population growth is the result of
balance between birth and death rate as well as migration
birth rate
number of live babies born per thousand of the population per year
death rate
number of deaths per thousand of the population per year
migration
number of people moving in or out of an area
differences between birth rate and death rate are called
natural increase or decrease
why does the population increase or decrease
if there are more deaths than births, the population will decrease
if there are more births than deaths the population will increase
LEDC
less economically developed countries
MEDC
more economically developed countries
what does the demographic transition model describe
population growth
how many stages of the demographic transition model are there
5
In stage 1 of the DTM , ( birth and death rates and population)
there are high birth and death rates meaning the population is stable and low
In stage 2 of the DTM , ( birth and death rates and population)
death rates fall, while birth rates remain high
population begins to grow
In stage 3 of the DTM , ( birth and death rates and population)
death rates are low and birth rates fall
population is still rising
In stage 4 of the DTM , ( birth and death rates and population)
low birth and death rates
population is high but stops rising
In stage 5 of the DTM , ( birth and death rates and population)
birth rate drops below death rate
population begins decreasing
draw all 5 stages of the DTM
POPULATION STRUCTURE IS
number of males and females in different age groups
shape of population pyramid for an LEDC
-will be triangle, with wide base and thin top.
-CONCAVE SHAPE meaning high death rate
- not very tall
shape of population pyramid for stage 2 of DTM
triangle, iscosceles, steady decrease as you get older
- wide base
shape of population pyramid for stage 3 of DTM (MEDC)
narrower base, increases straight up until 1/3 of the way where it starts to triangulize and get thinner.
- difference between base and top is still large
shape of population pyramid for stage 4 of DTM
more of an upside down u shape but thinner,
- difference between base and tip isn’t as much
- longer life expectancy
shape of population pyramid for stage 5 of DTM
(HEDC)
convex shape
- young population is less than older population
HOW AND WHY MIGHT POPULATION STRUCTURE VARY WITHIN A COUNTRY (4)
Rural to urban migration within a country has a very high impact on the population structure of the country. When people move to urban areas makes having large families is less economically advantageous and so there will be less infants being born. (fewer people in the young age groups). if people are attracted from urban to rural areas- age selective migration will happen
- if there has been a WAR
- if there have been FAMINES
- Political laws
WHY MIGHT THERE BE AN IMBALANCE IN THE PERCENTAGE OF MEN AND WOMEN IN SOME AGE GROUPS
In certain points there might have been a preference of which gender child to have, so gender related abortions would be more frequent, or for example in ww2 it was males who were forced to go out and fight so more males would have been killed.
what does the dependancy ratio tell you
tells you how many people per 100 are economically active in a country. It also allows you to tell how developed they are, if they have a high dependency ratio (close to 100) they are a developing country, while developed countries usually have a dependency ratio of 50-75
MAIN CONSEQUENCES OF A YOUNG POPULATION STRUCTURE (6)
- weak workforce
- rapid population growth
-There is a high dependency, more young children needing support and care and less adults to do that.
- Usually it’s the less developed countries that have a younger population
- Young children need education, teachers and providing schools are expensive, resources are costly and hard to access
- In the future, more children will reach child bearing age, putting more pressure on the health service.
MAIN CONSEQUENCES FOR A COUNTRY THAT HAS AN AGEING POPULATION STRUCTURE (6)
- Increased demand for health and social care
- Government needing to pay more pensions which a+makes it harder for them as the pensions are ultimately funded by taxes paid by the working population but if there is a low amount then it means lower pensions
- declining labour productivity and rising price levels
- Social care provision
- Declining population
- Declining fertility rate
why do no countries fit stage 1 of the DTM
Because they have all faced a death rate decrease
REASONS FOR THE FALL IN DEATH RATES THAT OCCURS IN STAGE 2
(4)
- Better healthcare/more access like clinics
- Better nutrition/ more access to food and clean water
- More medicine(vaccines)
- Younger population
REASONS FOR FALL IN BIRTH RATES THAT OCCUR IN STAGE 3 (4)
- Lower infant mortality rates
women wanting less babies (focusing more on career and having better education)
-antenatal/ countries imposing rules like china’s one child policies)
- Economic conditions (money and wealth)
-Urbanisation (more people moving to the city so less need for help that children would do in farms/countryside)
HOW COULD GOVERNMENT POPULATION POLICY AFFECT THE SPEED OF THE DTM IN SOME COUNTRIES
In some countries they limit the amount of children you can have so it reduces the birth rate
WHY DO DEATH RATES NOT FLUCTUATE IN STAGES 4&5 WHILE BIRTH RATES DO
Better healthcare so there weren’t so many diseases so the birth and death rates couldn’t change as everyone was in good health. Rich people have the money to raise children but when there are economic crisis and people don’t feel financially secure they will decide not to have more children.
what is carrying capacity
largest amount of resources that a certain environment can support for the population
What is the fundamental reason for the growth in human population?
imbalance between death and birth rates, birth rates reaching over death rates.
what is demographic momentum
when population continues to grow even though fertility drops because of a younger population structure.
