Topic 5 - UK's Human Environment Flashcards
What is population density?
How many people live in an area: High density = lots of people in a small area Low density (sparsity) = dew people in an area
Describe the distribution of people in the UK
The area in the UK with the highest population density is south east England. As you travel further north the population density becomes sparser with the lowest population density being north Scotland with a population density of < 50 people per 5km². The highest population density is London, with central London having a population density of > 5,000 - 13,000 people per 5km². Anomalies include cities such as Edinburgh and Glasgow which are situated in Scotland yet have a population density of > 2,000 - 5,000 people per 5km²
What is a core region?
A core region is an urbanised area of a country that produces large amounts of the annual GDP and drives the economy. An example of this is London which contains 13% of the population but produces 22% of the UK’s annual GDP
What % of the UK is urbanised?
7%
What is the population density like in the Urban core?
High and staying high
What is the population density like in rural areas?
Low but increasing
What is the age structure like in the urban core?
Many young adults, many single people
What is the age structure like in rural areas?
Many older people, Some single people
What is the economic activity like in the Urban core?
Retailing, large shops, offices and corporate headquarters, cultural centre
What is the economic activity like in Rural areas?
Farming, Fishing, Forestry, Mining, working from home (IT), tourism
What are settlements like in the Urban core?
Metropolis, cities, large town
Mix of low and high rise buildings
Property often more expensive
What are settlements like in rural areas?
Market towns, villages and isolated farms
Low rise buildings
Property generally cheaper
Why is population density higher in the urban core?
The population density is higher in the urban core than in rural areas. This is due to age structure, settlements, and economic activity. In the urban core there are many jobs available opening up many job opportunities for people and attracting them to live there. There is also lots of housing in the form of high-rise buildings.
Why do some rural areas have higher levels of poverty?
Rural areas on the periphery of the UK may be isolated and inaccessible, there are few employment opportunities and therefore young people leave to find jobs elsewhere - depopulation leads to loss of services as they can no longer be supported. Rural areas also often provide lower paying jobs due to lower living costs, this means that there are lower taxes paid. Therefore, there is less money that is able to go back into the community, causing neglect of things such as schools or hospitals
How have government policies attempted to reduce the difference between the urban and rural areas?
* Creating Enterprise Zones
* Transport Infrastructure,
* Regional Development
How does creating enterprise zones help reduce the difference between urban core and rural areas?
The UK government has created 55 enterprise zones across England, Scotland, and Wales. These offer companies a range of benefits for locating in enterprise zones, including: reduced taxes, simpler planning rules, and improves infrastructure. These measures can be used to encourage companies to locate in areas of high unemployment, bringing in jobs and income which could help poorer rural areas to develop. For example, the new Dorset Green enterprise zone already has 2 high tech engineering companies and hopes to attract 55 more businesses, creating 2000 new jobs in the region.
How does transport Infrastructure help reduce the difference between urban core and rural areas?
The UK government plans to link London, Birmingham, Leeds, and Manchester with a new high speed railway line, “HS2”. This will increase capacity and allow faster journeys into major cities - promoting industry and jobs in poorer rural areas in the north of England. On a local scale, Lancashire county council has built a new road to link the port of Heysham in Lancashire to the M6. This will encourage businesses to invest by reducing travel times and easing congestion, creating more job opportunities for people in the surrounding rural areas.
How does Regional Development help reduce the difference between urban core and rural areas?
The EU has used the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) to promote growth in poorer rural areas by investing in small high-tech businesses, providing training to improve local people’s skills, and funding infrastructure, e.g. high speed broadband to attract businesses. For example, the EU funded superfast broadband in Cornwall. This attracts digital businesses and links regeneration projects and new research and development centres in the region. This is creating skilled jobs in the area, attracting young graduates and boosting the local economy. The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is an EU initiative to make sure EU farmers can earn a living from farming. It includes training for farmers and assistance for young farmers starting up, as well as subsidies for rural diversification and projects. In 2016, the UK voted to leave the EU, which means future regional development plans are uncertain
How many Enterprise zones are there in the UK?
55
What are the benefits of an enterprise zone?
* Reduced taxes
* Simpler planning rules
* Improved Infrastructure
What sort of jobs does the Primary Sector contain?
Forestry, Fishing, Farming, Mining
(Extract)
What sort of jobs does the secondary sector contain?
Manufacturing, Construction
What sort of jobs does the teritary secotr contain?
Services Distribution
What sort of jobs does the quaternary sector contain?
information, research
What sort of jobs does the quinary sector contain?
high level management
Compare the changing economic sectors in the UK
Since 1961 both primary and secondary sectors have decreased whilst tertiary sectors have increased rapidly. Between 1961 and 2011 primary sectors have gradually decreased from ∼5% to ∼1% of the workforce, secondary sectors have decreased from ∼38% to ∼10%. On the other hand, tertiary sectors have rapidly increased from ∼50% to ∼83%
Why have Primary sector jobs declined in the UK?
*Mechanisation
*Competition from abroad
*Shortage of raw materials
Why have secondary sector jobs decreased in the UK?
Secondary jobs have declined because of global shift, this is when industries locate to other countries
Why have tertiary and quaternary sectors increased in the UK?
Tertiary and quaternary sectors increased because of growing populations and the fact that people have more disposable income to spend, this makes these jobs more valuable and required as there is a higher consumption and therefore more employment in retail/leisure is required
How has the number and origin of migrants to the UK changed in the last 50 years?
Between 197- and 1982 more people left the UK than moved to the UK. There has been a constant flow of British people leaving the UK since 1970 - mostly to Australia, the USA, France and Spain. However, since 1983, more people have moved to the UK than have left and net migration has generally been increasing - net migration has more than doubled in the last 10 years. In 2015 the net migration to the UK was 300,000 people.
What is the UK’s population growth driven by?
Roughly half the UK’s population growth is driven by natural increase (more births than deaths), and about half by migration
What has caused primary and secondary sectors to collapse in Burnley and NE England?
* Mechanisation
* Raw Materials
* Competition from Abroad
* Negative Cycle of Decline
* Government Policy
How has mechanisation caused the primary and secondary sectors to collapse in Burnley and NE England?
Mechanisation of the industry has caused a decrease in the secondary sector. An example of this is farming. Mechanisation replaces peoples jobs because, although they have a high initial cost, they save money in the long run as they do not require wages, or holidays. However, although this causes a decrease in some jobs, it would provide new skilled jobs such as building and maintaining the machinery
How has a lack of raw materials caused the primary and secondary sectors to collapse in Burnley and NE England?.
A lack of raw materials has also caused a decline in the secondary sector. An example of this is the mining industry. Over time, as the land continues to be exploited and the materials harvested, the raw materials can run out or become too dispersed to be worth extracting. This can cause the industry to collapse
How has competition from abroad caused the primary and secondary sectors to collapse in Burnley and NE England?
Competition from abroad has also caused a decline in the secondary sector. An example of this is in 1914 when the textiles industry began to collapse due to cheap imports. If companies can import materials or products cheaper from abroad, they will buy from abroad rather than the more expensive local industries.
How has a negative cycle of decline caused the primary and secondary sectors to collapse in Burnley and NE England?
A negative cycle of decline can also cause the secondary industry to collapse. This is because as industries collapse and people become unemployed it causes these locations to become less and less appealing and therefore more people will move away from these locations as it contains a lack of jobs. This can also cause other industries to collapse as people are moving away and there will be a lack of workers.
How has Government policies caused the primary and secondary sectors to collapse in Burnley and NE England?
Government policies can also cause the secondary sector to collapse. If government policies cause minimum wage to rise, some companies may not be able to afford these new costs and may collapse . Furthermore, the government are much more likely to fund newer industries that may be in tertiary and quaternary sectors rather than older secondary industries
Why has the tertiary industry risen in SE England?
* Transport
* Geographical Position
* Government Decisions
* Markets
* Labour and Skills
How has Transport led to an increase in the tertiary industry in SE England?
There is a large network of motorways and railways, such as the M25 and M4 corridor. In 2013, 72% of UK freight was carried on roads in the south east. 4 major airports (Gatwick, Heathrow, Luton, and Stanstead) give excellent access to other countries. Ports such as Southampton and tilbury are important for the movement of heavy, bulky goods
How has Geographical position led to an increase in the tertiary industry in SE England?
The rail and road networks centre on and radiate out from London, the political and economic capital. South East England is close to the decision-making centre of London which contain national government and corporate headquarters. However, the region is also cheaper than London, making it easier for new start-ups. The region is close to the channel tunnel, giving access to mainland Europe
How has Government decisions led to an increase in the tertiary industry in SE England?
Previous governments encouraged firms to leave London and relocate in the South East at places such as Basildon and Newbury
How have markets and labour led to an increase in the tertiary industry in SE England?
The south east is the wealthiest UK region, it provides a large market of 19 million people for goods and services. There is also a skilled local labour force (Oxbridge and London universities)
What is a footloose industry?
Industries that can be located anywhere in the world as they are not reliant on specific resources or services which are found in a particular area
What is Foreign Direct Investment?
Foreign Direct Investment is an investment made by a firm or individual into business interests located in another country
What is an advantage of TNC’s effect on the economy in the UK?
TNC’s play a large role in the UK’s economy such as creating and providing new jobs. They can also help fund large scale projects that the UK government cannot afford, an example of this is £15 billion being invested into the UK infrastructure. They also lead the way in developing technology and business practises which can be used to increase productivity
What is a disadvantage of TNC’s effect on the economy in the UK?
Many TNC’s can lead to an over-reliance on TNC’s. This means that is there is an economic problem elsewhere in the world, the UK’s economy is affected. There is also big affects if TNC’s choose to relocate or change suppliers, for example many farmers are dependent on just one or two large TNC’s who buy their produce. Local businesses could also struggle to compete against large TNC’s such as Starbucks
Why is FDI in the UK increasing?
*Globalisation
*Privatisation
*Free Trade Policies
Why is FDI in the UK increasing due to Globalisation
*Transport and communication links have improved making it easier for companies to operate in the UK
*London has developed as a global financial centre - many foreign banks, e.g. the German Deulsche Bank, have located here because of the business culture and networking opportunities
Why is FDI in the UK increasing due to Privatisation?
*Services that were previously run by the UK government have been offered to private firms. This has increased FDI because foreign firms can buy them or merge them with their existing businesses. For example, many UK electricity boards are now owned by foreign companies - Scottish power is owned by the Spanish energy company, Iberdrola
Why is FDI in the UK increasing due to Free Trade policies?
*Free trade policies reduce import and export restrictions, making it easier for countries to trade
*Free trade is promoted between member countries of the EU. This increases FDI from the EU because companies can move goods and services freely between the UK and their home countries
*Free trade agreements with other countries can attract investors to the UK who want access to the European market and often include special agreements for investment as part of the deal
*Since the UK voted to leave the EU, the future of free trade policies in the UK is uncertain
What is a site of a location?
The location or land on which a place is built
What is the situation of a location?
The location of a place in relation to other places
What is the site of London and how has this enabled London the grow?
*London is sited on the flat floodplain of the River Thames, where it meets the sea
*It is located in SE England, near to France and mainland Europe
*There is very fertile land next to s deep river (River Thames)
*It has naturally deep harbours, allowing large ships to dock and transport goods
Explain the situation and connectivity of London
London is connected well internationally. London has the world’s second biggest international airport at Heathrow. Also, if you add together all the international passengers from all of the UK’s airports, it is by far the world’s largest air “hub”. Eurostar also brings major European cities within a few hours travel of London.
Nationally, the UK’s fastest rail services link London and major UK cities. Manchester and Birmingham each have 3 fast rail services and hour. Future travel times will be further reduced by the building of HS2
Why are travel times in the UK distorted?
Most major rail services centre at London (which is in the South East), these railways link Urban cores together which can be travelled to quickly, however, peripheral areas cannot
What is the burgess model?
The burgess model is a concentric ring model that shows land use patterns. The model was based on 1920’s Chicago where burgess noted different land uses were in a ring pattern. Each ring of the model performed a function for the city and these changed with the increasing distance from the city centre
What are the rings of the Burgess model?
1) CBD (Central Business District)
2) Inner City
3) Suburbs
4) Urban-rural fringe
What is the CBD?
CBD stands for Central Business District, it is the central section of the burgess model. Its function is mainly commercial, providing office space and economic activity. It has a mix of new high-rise buildings and historical buildings. The land value here is very high meaning that buildings are built extremely densely and often high-rise. Its environmental quality is low due to bad air quality caused by traffic, however, central London has 2 royal parks (Hyde + St. James’)
What is the Urban-rural fringe?
This is where the city meets the countryside. Most buildings here were built in the late 20th century. Building density is very low as land price is lower, meaning that there are large detached and semi-detached houses. Also, almost every house has a garden. There are many high-class residential areas, there is also some industry such as oil refineries and manufacturing - these are often seen near the edge of town - however it is mostly residential.
What is the Inner City?
The inner city used to contain most of the old manufacturing industry but much of it has closed down. Houses are laid out in a grid pattern. There is a mix of high-class residential areas containing old terraced houses and low-class residential with 1960-70s high rise flats. Environmental quality varies, some areas have little to no green space whereas others have high-quality green space
What are the suburbs?
The suburbs are generally middle-class residential areas. They are more expensive to live in and popular with families due to larger (20th century detached or semi-detached) houses. There are also many shops and restaurants. Most houses have gardens and large areas of good quality green space.
What happens as you travel towards the CBD?
* Density of housing increases
* Age of housing increases
* Amount of green space decreases
* Height of building increases
* Price of land increases
* Land use changes from residential to commercial
* Houses becomes smaller
Why is London such a popular destination for migrants?
The majority of migrants who move to London are of working age (16-65) meaning that they are able to work and have a job. London is the perfect area for migrants as it has many available jobs - both skilled and unskilled - meaning that all migrants are able to get a job that caters to their skill set. For example, many highly educated and skilled migrants arrive in London and are able to get well-paid jobs in the knowledge economy jobs due to a lack of skilled UK workers. Also, unskilled workers are also able to get a job as there are also many unskilled jobs unwanted by UK workers, or those with unsocial hours that need filling.
Why is migration an economic necessity for London’s economy?
Migration is an economic necessity for London’s economy as there are not enough workers without migration. London companies appoint migrants with particular skills from overseas, as there are not enough skilled UK workers. London construction, hotel, and restaurant companies would find it hard without migration as these jobs are unwanted by UK workers
Why do migrants of similar ethnicities generally migrate into the same location?
Migrants from similar ethnicities migrate to the same locations to develop communities. This helps to defend migrants from discrimination, support ethnic shops and services, and preserve cultural distinctiveness. Some areas have developed cultural festivals (e.g. Notting Hill carnival)
What area of the Burgess Model is Newham?
Inner city
What is ethnicity like in Newham?
It is one of London’s most diverse boroughs; 30% white, 25% black Caribbean, 40% Asian
What is income like in Newham?
Newham is a low average income area
