Population change Flashcards
How is the population distributed across the earth?
very cold areas, such as northern Canada, are sparsely populated as it is hard to produce crops
areas with fertile soil, good water supply, low lying land and good communication links, e.g. Europe, are densely populated
near the equator, e.g. west Brazil, is too hot, too much rainfall and the thick forest makes communication difficult, as a result, it is sparsely populated
How is death rate, birth rate and total population affected by a country’s development
in early stages of development the death rate and birth rate is high, total population is high
as a country becomes more developed, death rate falls and birth rate remains high, as a result the population grows
then birth rate falls, causing the population to rise at a lower rate, death rate remains low
eventually, death rate may exceed birth rate and population may decline slowly
What are the reasons for changes in birth and death rate?
birth rate falls because:
- contraception becomes more widely used
- children are no longer needed to look after the family
- smaller families become prefered, women have full time careers and delay having children
death rate falls because:
- infant mortality is lowered due to better health care
- old people’s home and geriatric care is readily available
- elderly live in good conditions as they have a pension
- health care is better and widely available
What are the human factors for the uneven population distribution in China?
development of industries was focused on the east coast of China, this meant people moved to the east coast for jobs
the east coast was selected by businesses for development due to its ports and good communication links with other countries
What are the physical factors for the uneven population distribution in China?
mountainous areas in the west make travel and growing crops difficult, e.g. Tibet
flatter ground in the east is perfect for agriculture, expanding cities and transport
lower rainfall in the west makes farming difficult as it leads to drought
high rainfall in the east benefits farming and provides water for the population
What were the incentives to stick to having one child in China?
cash bonus
preferential housing
better childcare
longer maternity leave
What were the disincentives to encourage people to stick to having one child in China?
sterlisation was virtually forced if you have more than one child
could be sacked from job
fines
Why did China control the birth rate?
overpopulation can lead to high unemployment, food shortages and overcrowding
What incentives the Singapore’s Government offer to families who decided to have more children?
offer them spacious apartments
offered $3000 for first and second child, $6000 for third and fourth
cheaper nurseries
Government matched couples’ saving in Child Development Accounts
children got access to the best schools
Why did the Singapore government need families to have more children?
at first, Singapore feared overpopulation, encouraged families to ‘stop at 2’
this was so successful, in the 1980s the Government had to reverse the policy
they introduced the ‘3 or more - if you can afford’ policy
What is the shape of a typical LIC population pyramid?
thinner towards the top due to a high death rate
wide at the base due to a high birth rate
lots of young adults, responsible for the high birth rate
youthful population greatly exceeds the ageing population
What is the shape of a typical HIC population pyramid?
wide in the middle, due to young people surviving throughout their adult lives, shows there was once a high birth rate when they were born
increasingly narrow at lower stages in the pyramid shows birth rate is falling
wide and tall top, shows life expectancy is high
the gap between the ageing population and the youthful population is much lower
What are the problems with a youthful population?
more food, employment and housing will be needed
more money spent on schools, children’s clinics, nurseries etc.
children are heavily dependant on the support of their parents
increased pressure on jobs and education
What are the positives of an ageing population in the UK?
disposable income is welcomed by UK retailers
old people have lots of leisure time - growth in the leisure industry
can provide their time working with the community or at charity shops
What are the negatives of an ageing population?
reduce size of workforce, less tax to help pay for pensions
puts pressure on state pension and healthcare
money cut from other sectors to pay for the elderly
larger demand on housing, may increase prices
