The UK's evolving human landscape

Question 1

What is the rural-urban continuum?

Answer 1

The merging of towns and villages

Question 2

What is the population distribution like in rural areas?

Answer 2

Low population density - Few people live there and space between houses is large.

Question 3

What are the characteristics of the population in rural areas?

Answer 3

Large portion over 50 years old, as many go to retire in rural areas.
Those who still work work in either agriculture or tourism.
Small number of families, as most couples move to rural areas after their children have moved our (empty nesters)

Question 4

What are the houses like in rural areas?

Answer 4

Typically detached cottages or barn conversions. Few new housing developments, as not many people actually want to move to rural areas. It is cheaper than in urban areas.

Question 5

What is the population distribution like in urban areas?

Answer 5

High population density - large population that lives in the city, especially around the centre. Houses are built close together or stacked on top of each other (like flats).

Question 6

What are the population characteristics in urban areas?

Answer 6

Most of the population is of working age (20-40 years).
Many families live on the periphery of the city centre, as in urban areas, families have great access to services (like education).
Most people work in offices in the centre or the manufacturing industry on the periphery.

Question 7

What are the houses like in urban areas?

Answer 7

Terraced or apartments, because there is limited space. There are many new housing developments under construction. They are more expensive than in rural areas.

Question 8

What strategies can be used to encourage people to move to urban or rural areas without causing inequalities?

Answer 8

Enterprise Zones
EU Grants for Rural Regions
Transport Links
Education and Training Scholarships

Question 9

What are Enterprise Zones?

Answer 9

Regions can be given tax break or start-up costs paid for by the government, to encourage businesses to set up there. This is especially the case for science and technology businesses that can provide many jobs in a rural area.

Question 10

What are the benefits of enterprise zones?

Answer 10

New job opportunities for locals, including the construction.
Attracts high earning scientists, who can afford to live in rural areas.

Question 11

What are the costs of enterprise zones?

Answer 11

Rural land is lost to build offices, which can destroy wildlife habitats.
Not all businesses can afford to relocate to rural areas, especially if they need good transport links or shipping.

Question 12

What are EU Grants for Rural Regions?

Answer 12

EU can provide millions of pounds in grants to rural areas, to reduce inequality between urban and rural areas. This includes agricultural grants for farms to stay in business, and tourism grants to develop attractions.

Question 13

What are the benefits of EU grants?

Answer 13

Tourism provides good job opportunities that local businesses can profit from.
Keeps Bri’ish farms running, which provides good produce without importing food from elsewhere.

Question 14

What are the costs of EU grants?

Answer 14

Grants can be difficult to apply for and receive, so some of the smallest businesses cannot benefit.

Question 15

What are Transport Links?

Answer 15

Involves things like bus links or the underground, which help people get from one place to another. Elderly can get isolated if they cannot drive, so can be assisted with public transport in order to access services or help from another place.

Question 16

What are the benefits of transport links?

Answer 16

It stops isolation in the community, which could lead to loneliness or not being able to get help.
Busses are cheaper than constructing train lines.

Question 17

What are the costs of transport links?

Answer 17

The government cannot afford busses between every house, so some households will be isolated.

Question 18

What were the main changes to the UK’s population between 2001 and 2011?

Answer 18

Number of children under 5 increased.
Number of 20-25 year olds increased.
More people lived to over 80

Question 19

Why did international migration play a role in the UK’s population changes between 2001 and 2011?

Answer 19

Migrants tend to be young adults of working age, which increases the number of people between 20-25.
Young adults start families, which helps explain the increase in young children.
Health services employ migrants to care for the UK’s ageing population and help people live longer.

Question 20

Why has the UK’s population grown?

Answer 20

Baby boom between 1960s and 1970s.
Migration - over half (56%) of the UK’s population increase between 1991 and 2018 was due to net migration.
Decreased death rate due to better medicine (and clean water and sanitation).

Question 21

Why has internal migration increased to population of some areas in the UK?

Answer 21

Big cities like London, Manchester and Birmingham have seen an increase in young people moving to the city due to job opportunities and universities. These places have a more youthful population.

Question 22

Why has internal migration decreased the population of some areas in the UK?

Answer 22

Many older people move out of urban areas to a more scenic, quiet and peaceful environment in the rural areas to enjoy retirement.

Question 23

Why has there been an increase in international migration to the UK?

Answer 23

Commonwealth - Political alliance.
Cost of long distance travel is reduced (people can travel through airlines and cruise ships)
Employment opportunities for migrants in the UK e.g. doctors and labour workers.
UK has an open immigration policy.

Question 24

How might/has migration decreased?

Answer 24

Many British people voted to leave the EU in June 2016, resulting in less migration of people from EU countries.

Question 25

What are the migration statistics in the UK like?

Answer 25

In 2016, over 9.2 million people had living in the UK had not been born there.
3.5 million (over 1/3) were from the EU countries (~ 1 million born in Poland.)
Of those outside the EU, 830,000 were born in India and 520,000 in Pakistan.

Question 26

What is the distribution of immigrants around the UK?

Answer 26

Most move to urban areas where there is more job opportunities (contributed to the urbanisation of the UK in the last 50 years).
Most popular destination is London (voted against Brexit).
N. Ireland was the only UK region with more emigrants than immigrants (they also voted against Brexit).
South coast of the UK is popular for retirement as it has warmer temperatures.

Question 27

What are some advantages of multicultural cities?

Answer 27

Skilled migrants - fill gaps in economy and services.
Multicultural events e.g. Chinese new year. Popular with tourists.
New foods introduced to make the market more diverse.

Question 28

What are some disadvantages of multicultural cities?

Answer 28

Some worry that more people moving in will make some job opportunities more rare, causing unemployment.
Some ethnic groups are targeted for attacks and hate crime e.g. Jews and Muslims.
In some cities, ethnic groups are segregated, therefore culture isn’t shared and hostilities rise.

Question 29

Why has the UK seen a rise in tertiary and quaternary industry?

Answer 29

Large urban areas are susceptible to such growth.
Skills and training - Urban areas are home to large universities which provide a highly skilled workforce, but also attract employees from abroad.
Location and connectivity - Urban areas are well connected with good access to other places and businesses.
Investment - Governments and FDI have invested in urban areas.

Question 30

Why does FDI to the UK increase?

Answer 30

Globalisation - increasing number of connections between countries. Based on money moving almost instantly around the world. London is a global centre for baking and financial services.
Free trade - policies have encouraged FDI. UK used to be a member of the EU, which encourages free trade and makes investment between its member and countries and easy.
Privatisation - The government has privatised companies and encouraged foreign investors to buy them.

Question 31

What are some benefits of TNCs investing in the UK?

Answer 31

The bring new technology and ideas into the UK economy.
Financial services TNCs locate in London. UK receives over £200 bil. a year from financial services.
TNCs have invested over £1 trillion in the UK.