Population Flashcards
what is overpopulation
when there are more people in an area than can be supported by its resources and technology
what is underpopulation
when there are more resources available than the population can use effectively
5 impacts of overpopulation
- levels of pollution
- crime rates
- unemployment or underemployment
- levels of food and water shortages
- pressure on services such as hospitals and schools
5 impacts of underpopulation
- fewer people pay taxes, which can lead to higher taxes
- underused resources, which can lead to waste
- a shortage of workers
- lower levels of exports and production, which affects the wealth of an area
- fewer customers for goods and services
what is optimum population
when there is a balance between the number of people and the resources and technology available
what is birth rate
The number of babies born per 1000 people per year.
what is death rate
The number of people who die per 1000 people per year.
what is population growth rate
The difference between the birth rate and death rate (how quickly the population grows)
2 ways of population change
- migration
- natural population change
what is emigration
movement of people out of one country into another country
what is immigration
movement of people into a country from another country
what is net migration
the difference between the number of people moving into a country (immigrants) and the number of people leaving the country (emigrants)
4 reasons for global population increase
- improved agriculture, particularly during the agricultural revolution, led to higher yields and more varied diets
- improved medicine and medical care, which reduces the death rate
- improved technology and transport led to a wealthier population, which increased life expectancy
- improved water supply and sewage disposal leading to a reduction in disease
5 reasons for high BR in LEDC’s
- lack of access to family planning and contraception
- an increase in women surviving childbirth
- families continuing to have large numbers of children to look after their parents in old age and to help support the family
- the culture of having larger families, which takes many years to change
- religious reasons
what is natural increase
when the BR is higher than DR so the population increases
what is natural decrease
when the DR is higher than the BR so the population decreases
4 social reasons for population change
- Infant mortality rate - when this is high, the fertility rate also tends to be high as women have more children to ensure some survive to adulthood
- education - higher levels of education lead to lower fertility rates as more women are in formal employment
- Religion - religious beliefs can influence how many children a woman has
- Healthcare - availability of contraception and family planning
3 economic reasons for population change
- Cost of having children- In MEDCs the cost of raising children may reduce the number of children a woman has
- Lack of pensions - in LEDCs, children are needed to care for elderly parents as there are no pensions. This increases the fertility rate
- Contribution to family income - in LEDCs, children often work to contribute to family income so more children are needed, increasing the fertility rate
2 population policies
- Anti-natalist policies - aim to reduce BR and reduce pressure of resources e.g. china
- Pro-natalist policies - aim to increase BR to increase workforce, reduce taxes, etc e.g. singapore
case study: nigeria general facts
- over-populated
- Nigeria’s population is 227 million
- forecast to reach 400 million by 2050 and 1 billion by 2100
- over 30% of the population live in poverty, earning less than $515 a year
nigeria 5 causes
- high birth and fertility rates - 45% of women are married before they reach 18 - increases number of children each woman has as childbearing age is longer. fertility rate is 5.32 per woman
- Larger families are traditionally associated with higher social status
- High infant mortality rates are associated with high fertility rates as women have more children to ensure that some survive to adulthood. It takes time for this to adjust to lower infant mortality rates. IMR used to be 125 per 1000, now is 72 per 1000.
- Lack of education about family planning and contraception - due to poverty cannot afford education
- The death rate has fallen from 19 per 1000 (1990) to 11 per 1000 (2020
nigeria 6 impacts
- Lack of fresh water, which leads to the spread of disease — 29% of children in Nigeria do not have enough water to meet their daily needs
- increased water, air and land pollution - Lagos has one of the highest levels of air pollution of any city in the world
- Increased cultivation of land for food, which leads to soil erosion and desertification - 40 million people in northern Nigeria are at risk of losing their livelihoods due to desertification. Over 19.5 million people face acute food insecurity
- Increased pressure on already poor services such as health and education
- Higher crime rates - high youth unemployment has led to increased gang activity and militant groups
- Development of informal settlements around cities, particularly Lagos e.g. slums
case study: australia general facts
- population of 27 million
- population density of 3 per km^2
- 865 of population is urban
australia 7 causes
- well developed healthcare system increases infant mortality
- people focusing on their careers means less child-bearing time as they get married later
- high quality education to learn about contraception and preventing accidental pregnancy
- easy access to contraception
- infant mortality is low so people dont have to have large families to ensure children survive
- extremely high cost of living means less people will move there
- sparsely populated with 3 people per km^2.
australia 5 impacts
- only 11.6 million labour force
- low per capita income as natural resources arent fully utilised
- too much food produced for the lack of population leading to wastage
- less people having kids means less schools required so there will be less teachers - less job opportunities
- not enough workers to exploit natural resources
case study: niger high natural population growth general facts
- 1960 population was 3.3 million
- by 2021 it was 25 million
- population growth rate of 3.8%
niger 5 causes
- the average age of marriage is 15.7 years, meaning that women have more childbearing years
- low levels of education for women only 4 out of 10 girls finish primary school
- High value is placed on large families
- Only 12% of women use modern contraception
- The death rate in Niger is decreasing, falling from 29 per 1000 (1960) to 8 per 1000 (2020) due to:
- Increased urbanisation, which improves access to services such as healthcare and food
- Better food and clean water supply
- Improved access to healthcare
- Government policies to improve farming practices, which have increased food supplies
- Free healthcare to pregnant women improving mother and baby survival rates