Population

Question 1

Methods and problems of the census

Answer 1

• the census is a questionnaire carried out every 10 years gathering data on factors such as age, sex, occupation and ethnic origin
• it is a legal requirement to complete so the data is usually very accurate
• taking a census is very expensive so many developing countries can’t afford to carry it out properly. They also have more important spending priorities such as education and healthcare
• illegal immigrants in places such as the USA from Mexico may have come over the border unnoticed and may not want to complete the census in fear or getting deported
• under registration is common eg in china when the one child policy was still active, many baby girls were unregistered due to families having a second child in secret
• in developing countries, low levels of literacy rates means people struggle to fill out census forms. May add extra cost as people need to be employed to help them fill it out
• due to multiple languages spoken in one country, forms may been to be printed in lots of different languages again increasing costs
• people living in shanty towns often don’t have a fixed address so it is difficult to track who is living there
• countries in war make censuses difficult as war casualties mean that information changes quickly so gets out of date very quickly
• war also causes many refugee to move out of countries and into new ones so people may be counted twice or not at all during a census

Question 2

Methods of data collection and problems (Barr census)

Answer 2

• Registration of births, deaths and marriages, helps to maintain data in between censuses. They are a legal requirement so is accurate data. Data is held regionally rather than nationally so doesn’t give overall picture of countries, many developing countries have rural areas that won’t have access to registering so there will be under recording
• Sampling is like a mini census between full censuses that give a snapshot of changes and allows specific areas to be looked at. Not always representative of a whole country, doesn’t cover all aspects of full census so doesn’t show full picture
• National surveys such as Scottish household survey allows continuous data to be collected meaning statistics are always up to date. It is not compulsory to take part in these so results are not always an accurate representation, participants are randomly selected so it may not cover all groups in society so doesn’t show an overall trend
• NHS records can provide data on health in a country. These are updated regularly so it is up to data and accurate. Not a central record held in one place so often difficult to gather data

Question 3

Consequences and solutions to population in a developed country (slow growing/aging)

Answer 3

• there is a declining number of young people which may mean there are little work force in furfural years, businesses may need to shut down due to them not having enough workers. One solution is to recruit workers from abroad to fill skills gaps, give more maternity and paternity benefits to encourage people to have more children
• more elderly people may put more stain on elderly services such as nursing homes.
• reduced birth rate may also mean that services for younger people such as school and childcare may go into decline, industries that make products for children eg prams and school uniform may also lose business
• an increased elderly population I’ll put health care services under more pressure as there will be more of a demand for expensive operations such as hip replacements. One solutions is to raise taxes so there is more money to pay for these service
• as the elderly dependency ratio increases the cost of pensions will also need to go up, placing additional strain on working population as they will have to pay more taxes to provide for elderly which may cause people to not be as financially secure. One solution could be encouraging people to take out private pensions, the retirement age could also be raised to increase number of taxpayers and reduce number of pensions

Question 4

Reasons for population structure in a developed country

Answer 4

• low birth rate, people often choose to start having children later in life and also have smaller families , access to birth control and family planning meaning people can choose and limit family size and they most people are now educated on how to not become pregnant
• bulge in middle of pyramid, lots of working age population, immigration due to many well paid job opportunities
• low death rate, better housing, nutrition, education and health care all mean that people usually die later

Question 5

Consequences of population in a developing country (fast growing/youthful)

Answer 5

• huge pressures and expenses required to house, educate and provide health care for the large youthful population, literacy rates may be low as not everyone can access education which may have a knock on effect on businesses and economy in the future
• high unemployment rates as there are not enough jobs available to provide for such a large working population, many may be forced into jobs with minimal pay leading to an increase in poverty rates
• overpopulation and overcrowding with a lack of housing means more people are forced to live in shanty towns, bringing problems such as increased disease risk, lack of sanitation and poor housing quality, in general just a poor quality of life
• pressure on food supply as many countries won’t be able to grow enough food to support their growing population, this might lead to increase starvation or famine
• the increase population also puts more pressure on services such as healthcare water supply and sewage which may lead to increased ill health and spread of disease
• more people means more traffic in cities which can lead to increased traffic congestion and air pollution, this in turn can negatively effect the environment and people’s health
• one positive impact is that the large workforce would help with the development of a country as it allows it to expand into new industries, competition for jobs allows 2ages to be kept low which can help companies make profit and survive

Question 6

Solutions to consequences of population in a developing country (fast growing/youthful)

Answer 6

• laws limiting family size for example chinas one child policy
• more information given out on how to reduce births for example more family planning clinics
• greater education for females as evidence suggests that when female education is better there is often lower birth rates
• more opportunities for abortion and contraception so people can choose when to have kids
• incentives given to limit family size such as free healthcare

Question 7

Reasons for population structure in a developing country

Answer 7

• higher birth rates and greater survival of infants due to medical advances
• higher birth rates as people are unaware of how to prevent getting pregnant
• low life expectancy slowly improving due to medical advances
• high dearth rate due to poor water supply, bad nutrition, bad sanitation, widespread of disease and malnutrition

Question 8

Causes of voluntary migration (Mexico to USA)

Answer 8

• people may choose to leave Mexico as more job opportunities and pay in USA. USA offers mulch wider range of jobs eg construction, retail and leisure which don’t need specific skills so many Mexicans can access them. Jobs in the USA may a lot higher for a relatively similar job in Mexico meaning migrant can become more financially stable
• Mexico has much higher rates of poverty and unemployment then the USA so many Mexicans migrate to improve their quality of life
• people also leave Mexico to support their families. This is most commonly men who leave families behind and money back due to the higher wages in the USA. Families will either follow the man if possible or many men return in 5-10 years
• family ties. Many migrant communities in the USA which makes it a desirable location to move to. Large support network with help finding jobs and homes after migrating
• Mexico has a much higher crime rate than the USA with many drug gangs operating in cities as as having a much higher murder rate. Living in USA offers a much safer and stable life and people with kids may opt for this as they don’t want to put their kids in danger
• education. For those migrating with families students will have the opportunity to become fluent in both English and Spanish. The USA offers many more opportunities for further education with over 4000 colleges and universities. This can give Mexicans access to higher paid jobs in the future

Question 9

Impact of voluntary migration on losing country (Mexico)

Answer 9

• many migrant are men who leave to support families. This leaves women and children at home separated from the father. This can cause tension between families who are apart for long periods of time
• however, the money sent home by men from the USA helps to reduce the number of people living in poverty. The extra money also means they can access better health care and education helping to improve their quality of life as well as boosting the economy as people have more money to spend
• less people living in Mexico reduces pressures on housing, schools and jobs and also means there is less unemployment in Mexico
• many young and skilled workers have left Mexico causing a shortage of workers in skilled professions such as medicine
• large reductions in agricultural jobs such as farming. This means many elderly farmers have been left to take on most of the work due to younger workers migration plan this has lead to a decrease in work rate and output which can cause food shortages
• many migrants return to Mexico with new skills. These can often be used to help improve the industry as they can offer a wider range of jobs

Question 10

Impact of voluntary migration on receiving country (USA)

Answer 10

• due to family ties, migrants often settle in communities with other migrants and don’t often integrate into the wider American community. This can create tension between migrants and locals
• there are concerns that migrant are increasing crime rates in areas they migrate to eg some migrants have smuggles drugs across the border
• Mexicans have enriched the diverse American culture. Many people in the USA can benefit from cultures that are different from their own
• Spanish is already taught in many American schools which helps to relieve social tension with migrant as they are often able to speak some of the same language already
• Mexicans fill many low paying jobs which Americans don’t want to do eg agriculture. The number of people willing to do these jobs mean that wages are kept low so businesses keep costs down and increase profit
• migrants pay taxes in the USA as well as sending money home to families. This contributes to the economy and can help improve local services in the USA as well as in Mexico
• “ghetto” areas can often form in cities and there may be a shortage of affordable housing
• increased costs of providing services for migrant populations and their families ed healthcare, education and providing bilingual teachers

Question 11

Causes of forced migration (Syria to turkey)

Answer 11

• Syria is a dangerous country one reason is…
• civil war has lead to a high death toll in Syria so people want to leave as they are worried for their own lives as well as family and loved ones
• 4.25 million people have been made homeless by the Syrian civil war so people have no where to safely stay in Syria
• there have been reports of kidnappings, torture and rose in Syria as well as many other human rights violations
• homes, shops, schools and hospitals etc have been destroyed so people cannot access the services they need to keep them safe and educated
• lack of economic growth has lead to high unemployment and very few job opportunities so people are unable to make money to support their families
• Turkey is much a much safer place for migrant one reason is…
• turkey has around 3.6 Syrian refugees so people often already have family members or friends in the country to help them settle in
• turkeys main religion is Islam which is the same as Syria. This helps to reduce ethnic tensions and helps with integration of the migrants and locals
• refugee camps provide basic shelter, food and water for migrant who have lost their homes helping to make them felt safer
• many camps also provide basic education for children so they can carry on with their schooling as well as getting basic medical care and and somewhere to stay
• Turkish people are open to receiving refugees with a poll in 2016 suggesting around 72% of Turks welcomed them
• safety away from air strikes, military action and the daily stress of being in a war zone

Question 12

Impacts of forced migration on losing country (Syria)

Answer 12

• there has been a brain drain with many well educated and wealthier people fleeing homes. Means there are fewer people to work as doctors, nurses and teachers etc
• a lack of qualified medical staff has meant that those injured or suffering from illness or disease are often left untreated. This has significantly dropped Syrias life expectancy in cities eg Homs and Aleppo
• fewer agricultural workers ,earns less crops are grown, and land sits unused. This can lead to food shortages
• Syria’s economy is stagnant so very few job opportunities
• fewer tax payers mean lack of funding for the government to pay for services such as education and healthcare
• infrastructure such as roads and electricity network has been damaged by the war so few incentives for companies to locate there
• many cultural are now left deserted and ghost towns with few services remain for those who haven’t migrated
• money can be sent back to friends and family still living in Syria improving their lives and boosting local businesses
• many migrant are younger and so an aging population is left behind in Syria. This can cause economy to stagnate further with fewer employees and also leads to increased pressure on healthcare services etc

Question 13

Impacts of forced migration on receiving country (Turkey)

Answer 13

• some temporary refugee camps have been there for over 10 years now and conditions have become poor with limited access to running water, sanitation etc. This can lead to ill health which puts pressure on medical services
• even for those who have left camps and integrated into the wider Turkish society, many are poor having sold off their valuables and savings. This puts pressure on the Turkish government to support them
• ethnic tensions, discrimination and racism can occur between Turks and Syrians. This can be made worse is locals feel the Syrians are ‘stealing’ their jobs
• migrants can fill job shortages in turkey particularly in lower skilled and lower paying jobs eg retail and tourism
• Syrian workers will pay taxes which which contributes to the economy. This can allow for increased public spending on services such as improving education and healthcare
• there may be pressure on accommodation particularly in the cheapest areas of town as this is all that many can afford
• greater cultural diversity and new experiences for Turks such as Syrian food