Population Dynamics Flashcards
Why is population growth in Niger so high?
90% of Niger’s population relies on agriculture for a living meaning people need children to work on the farm
They do not have accessibility to protection so it is easier to fall pregnant
They are not taught about the risks of sex
What is subsistence farming?
A means of supporting life by being able to meet ones own basic needs for food, water and shelter
What is nomadic herding?
People, usually farmers, who move from place to place seasonally to find good land or pasture
What are sedentary farmers?
Farmers who are settled in one particular place
What is an ageing population?
Life expectancy is the number of years that a person in a particular country is expected to live. It has increased due to improvements in health, hygiene and health care, the development of new drugs and vaccinations, a better quality diet and advances in medical knowledge and techniques
What are the positive consequences of an ageing population for MEDC’s?
The construction industry gain money from having to build more homes for the elderly
Businesses gain more money as the elderly have time on their hands during the day
More meals on wheels = more jobs
What are the negative consequences of an ageing population for MEDC’s?
There is a strain on the NHS to cater for the elderly
The taxes will increase for the working population to pay for pensions and NHS for the elderly
Services for the younger generation may be lost due to the need to provide for ageing population
When and why was China’s one child policy introduced?
After 1949 China was experiencing a population explosion or ‘baby boom’. After 1958’s and 1961’s droughts and floods, causing 2 million Chinese deaths, the Chinese leader encouraged people to have as many children as possible which created a second ‘baby boom’. China’s birth rate went to 5.8 children per couple. This is known as the ‘replacement level’. Then in the 1970’s the Chinese government again wanted families to have fewer children. In 1979, it introduced its ‘one child policy’
What were the benefits for a family who only had one child and therefore followed the policy?
Better housing Better childcare Better chances of promotion for government employees Longer maternity leave Cash bonuses
What were the penalties imposed for those who chose not to follow the one child policy?
Government employees sacked
Basic rice allowance withdrawn for all extra children
Government employees retirement pensions cancelled
Extra children denied the same quality of education and health care as the first child
Fines imposed
Farmers who couldn’t pay fines in cash had cattle taken from them
Why was the pro-natalist policy introduced in France?
France felt their fertility rates were too low. They were concerned about: the socioeconomic implications of population ageing
The decrease in the supply of labour
The long-term prospect of population decline
What is overpopulation?
When there are too many people in an area relative to the resources and the level of technology available
What is underpopulation?
When there are too few people in an area to use the resources available effectively
Give facts about zinder
85% of zinder’s population are subsistence farmers or rely on agriculture for their living
Deforestation occurs as most people live in rural areas and rely on wood for fuel
20% of children under 5 are severely malnourished
Infant mortality levels in zinder are 82.8/1000 per year
Less than 45% of the population have access to clean water
Less than 10% have adequate sanitation leading to 20% of deaths in children, due to water bourn disease
33% of children attend primary school
What is population density?
The number of people per square km. It is measured by dividing population/area
Give facts about Australia
It has a population of 20 million
Underpopulation has caused a shortage of workers, less people paying tax and less innovation and development
What is dense population?
Many people live in an area
Why does population density vary?
Relief, climate, economic activities (jobs), soils and vegetation, history and technology
Explain the high population density and distribution in Japan
Most people live on Honshu island and along the coast
Land above 500 metres has a low population density because the land is too steep to build on. Land under 500 metres has a high population density because the land is flat so more people want to live there
What is population change affected by?
The difference between the birth rate and death rate (rate of natural change) and the balance between immigration and emigration (net migration).
What is birth rate?
The number of live births per thousand population in a year
What is total fertility rate?
The average number of children a woman has during her lifetime
What is death rate?
The number of deaths per 1000 population in a year
What is infant mortality rate?
The number of deaths of children under one year of age per 1000 live births per year
What is life expectancy?
The average number of years from birth that a person can be expected to live
What is annual growth rate?
The change in the size of a population caused by the interrelationship between birth and death rates. If the birth rate exceeds death rate, a population will increase - natural increase. If death rate exceeds birth rate, a population will decline - natural decrease.
What is population explosion?
This is a sudden very rapid rise in the growth of the population
What is exponential growth?
This is also known as geometric growth. This means that the population doubles each time it grows for example: (1,2,4,8,16). This is in contrast to arithmetic growth, where something grows by the same amount each time (1,2,3,4).
What is rate of natural change?
The difference between the birth rate and the death rate. If it is positive it is natural increase, if it it negative it is natural decrease.
What is rate of net migration?
The difference between the rates of immigration and emigration
What is the model of demographic transition?
A model illustrating the historical shift of birth and death rates from high to low levels in a population
What is depopulation?
A decline in the number of people in a population
What is optimum population?
The best balance between a population and the resources available to it. This is usually viewed as the population giving the highest average living standards in a country.
What is underemployment?
A situation where people are working less than they would like to and need to in order to earn a reasonable living
What is population policy?
Encompasses all of the measures taken by the government aimed at influencing population size, growth, distribution or composition.
What are pro-natalist policies?
Such policies promote larger families
What are anti-natalist policies?
Such policies aim to reduce population growth
What is the high stationary stage (stage 1) of the demographic transition model?
The birth rate is high and stable while the death rate is fluctuating due to the sporadic incidence of famine, disease and war. Population growth is very slow and there may be periods of decline.
What is the early expanding stage (stage 2) of the demographic transition model?
The death rate declines to levels never before experienced. The birth rate remains at its previous level as the social norms governing fertility take time to change. The rate of natural change increases to a peak at the end of this stage.
What is the late expanding stage (stage 3) of the demographic transition model?
After a period of time social norms adjust to the lower level of mortality and the birth rate begins to decline.
What is the low stationary stage (stage 4) of the demographic transition model?
Both birth and death rates are low. Birth rates are generally slightly higher, fluctuating due to changing economic conditions. Population growth is slow.
What is the natural decrease stage (stage 5) of the demographic transition model?
In a limited but increasing number of countries, mainly European, the birth rate has fallen below the death rate.
