Population and the environment

Question 1

What is the size of a population in an area determined by?

Answer 1

How many people the environment of that area can support.

Question 2

Why are populations not equally distributed around the world?

Answer 2

Because environmental conditions differ around the world, meaning populations are not evenly distributed and are concentrated in certain places.

Question 3

What is population distribution?

Answer 3

The pattern of where people live.

Question 4

Why do conditions affect distribution?

Answer 4

People live in some areas with favourable conditions, but not in other locations with unfavourable conditions.

Question 5

How is the population of China distributed?

Answer 5

Very unevenly; over 90% of the population live in the eastern side of the country as much of the west is covered by deserts and mountains, so large parts remain uninhabited.

Question 6

What is population density?

Answer 6

Is the population of an area divided by the size of that area.

Question 7

Why does population density differ globally? And in a country?

Answer 7

It is higher in some countries such as Bangladesh and lower in other countries such as Libya. Areas of high population density tend to be found in areas between 20N and 60N, particularly South and East Asia. It can differ in a country as some areas are more densely populated than others.

Question 8

How has the global population changed since 1800?

Answer 8

It has rapidly risen. The global population reached 1 billion in 1804 and is now at 8 billion.

Question 9

What inhibited the growth of population?

Answer 9

Famine, disease and war.

Question 10

During the 19th century, what happened to the populations of more developed countries? Why?

Answer 10

They grew rapidly. The US and Western Europe saw improvements in medicine and food production which increased life expectancy and reduced IMR. The population of England and Wales quadrupled from 1801 to 1901.

Question 11

What was the population growth like in less developed economies in the 19th century?

Answer 11

Stable as famine was common and IMR rates were high.

Question 12

What has most of the growth in the last 75 years been driven by?

Answer 12

Driven by developing countries where life expectancy has risen and death rates have fallen significantly.

Question 13

What is happening in some countries where their death rates exceed birth rates?

Answer 13

Population decline, especially in Japan where an aging population is dying quicker than the amount of newborns.

Question 14

What are the three main aspects of the physical environment which affect population?

Answer 14

Climate, soils and resource distribution.

Question 15

How does climate affect population?

Answer 15

The climate type affects the global distribution of population. Few people live in arid areas (Sahara) but many live in temperate areas (UK).

Question 16

Where have the highest populations and densities?

Answer 16

Usually in tropical and temperate climates because it is easiest to produce food.

Question 17

How is climate change affecting population distribution?

Answer 17

In coastal areas, people are being forced to move inland due to rising sea levels. People on small islands are being forced to move too. Climate change is also causing levels of nutrition to fall in some developing countries.

Question 18

How do soils affect population distribution?

Answer 18

Soil fertility determines the amount and type of food that can be produced in a region. It’s played a role in determining where human settlements have developed, and population sizes. Many cities have developed near volcanoes due to high soil fertility. (Naples).

Some countries (Bangladesh) have large floodplains, which are very fertile. This supports large scale agriculture, which feeds the large population.

Soil erosion can also cause people to migrate to other places when agriculture and subsistence farming becomes increasingly difficult.

Question 19

How does resource distribution affect population?

Answer 19

Population size and growth coincides with fresh water availability and other natural resources.

A lack of safe water can cause food insecurity, malnutrition and even death, which makes living in populations without sufficient freshwater supplies near impossible.

Large populations will often be near areas with large food and fuel supplies such as rainforests.

Energy and mineral resources can cause local concentrations of people as they are valuable and can create wealth.

Question 20

How have major advances in development affected population size and distribution Neolithic Revolution.

Answer 20

Neolithic Revolution- around 12,000 years ago, people in some areas developed agriculture (Western Asia). Instead of hunting food as nomads, they could farm in one location permanently. This increased their food security as they usually had a food guarantee.

Question 21

How has the Industrial Revolution influenced population?

Answer 21

From 1750-1860, a rapid rise in the use of machinery in developed countries, coincided with population growth which stimulated economic growth and allowed more people to survive. Also farming became less labour intensive, so people could move to cities for work, causing more concentrated populations.