Rural Environments 5.4-5.6 Characteristics of Rural Environments

Question 1

what are the main characteristics of rural environments? (8)

Answer 1

• lanscape
• population density
• employment
• land use
• development
• accessiblity
• conservation
• settlement

Question 2

what things does landscape affect? (3)

Answer 2

• the type of farming that is possible
• if the scenery will attract tourists
• if it will be a pleasant place to live

Question 3

population density in rural areas (2)

Answer 3

• rural areas have a relatively low population density, but in some parts of the world rural settlements can be large and compact
• this can occur for example in rural countries such as Bangladesh

Question 4

settlements

Answer 4

the settlement pattern is usually made up of villages, hamlets and farmsteads

Question 5

employment in rural areas (3)

Answer 5

• most jobs in rural areas are in the primary sector
• the most important employer is farming and food production
• jobs in rural areas are usually paid very badly, which causes many people to leave the countryside in search of better paid jobs in towns and cities

Question 6

land use in rural areas

Answer 6

although farming is the biggest use of land in many parts of the world; forestry, mining, quarrying and tourism are also important

Question 7

accessibility in rural areas (2)

Answer 7

• one of the main reasons for the lack of development in rural areas is their lack of accessibility (especially in mountaineous, arid and forested regions)
• however, the situation is changing with the improvement of rural roads (especially for tourism)

Question 8

Development in rural areas (2)

Answer 8

• population pressure means that more use needs to be made of rural areas
• in some countries this means producing more food, in others new activities are encouraged to develop more jobs and reduce the dependance on agriculture

Question 9

conservation of rural areas (3)

Answer 9

• the rise in tourism and leisure is one example of a different way in which rural environments are being valued
• also people are realising that the conservation of rural environments and their wildlife is important for maintaining the world’s biodiversity
• conservation is also seen as vital in reducing global warming (because trees recycle carbon dioxide)

Question 10

what are the fours types of rural areas in many developed countries? (4)

Answer 10

• urban fringe
• commuter belt
• accessible countryside
• remote countryside

Question 11

what are the four main factors for rural change? (4)

Answer 11

• economic development
• technological development
• population growth
• rural-urban migration

Question 12

how has urbanisation worsened the the food supply situation? (case study china) (3)

Answer 12

• farming has lost much of its labout force and its output has declined
• growing urban populations need feeding, but where is the food coming from?
• farmland is being lost as the built-up areas spread rapidly outwards

Question 13

what are rural push factors that cause people to move to the cities? (case study kenya) (6)

Answer 13

• the low productivity of farming
• poor access to basic education and healthcare services
• corruption (better farmland being taken from its owners and given to officials or company bosses for bribes)
• increasing frequency of droughts has a devastating impact on food supply
• the lack of help to deal with the human hazard HIV/AIDS, with treatments being in cities
• the spread of commercial agriculture, which has taken over some of the best farmland