*UK in the 21st Century Theory Flashcards
Define population density
Population density is the number of people living in a given area.
Explain variation in population density across the UK.
- Population density is highest in cities - in London it is about 5500 people per km2.
- It’s also high in areas around major cities or where there are clusters of cities, e.g. central Scotland.
- Mountainous regions (e.g. northern Scotland) have low population densities.
- Other areas of low population density are north England and west Wales - Eden in Cumbria has 24 people per km2.
Explain issues with high population density.
There may be a shortage of available housing (in London 60,000 new homes are needed every year to keep up with population growth), driving up the prices so some people can’t afford to live there.
There may be pressure on services such as healthcare and schools, so waiting lists are long and schools are far from home.
Explain variation in land use across the UK.
- Most of the UK (~70%) is agricultural land - arable farming is more common in the south and east, and grazing animals is more common in the north and west.
- Less than 10% of the UK is built on - buildings are concentrated in large urban areas - but these urban areas are expanding.
- Forest covers 13% of the land - some natural, some planted and managed.
- Some areas are largely unused and left in a natural state, e.g. mountainous and boggy areas in northern Scotland.
Explain variation in rainfall across the UK.
- The north and west of the UK generally have high rainfall, e.g. Aultbea in northwest Scotland has an average annual rainfall of 1470mm.
- The south and east of England generally have lower rainfall, e.g. London has an average annual rainfall of 560mm.
- Rainfall tends to be higher in coastal areas and areas of higher elevation.
From which direction is the UK prevailing wind?
South-west
Explain water stress in the UK.
Areas with high population density use a lot of resources, one of which is water. If the area also has low rainfall, this can cause water stress - when there isn’t enough water to fulfil people’s needs. London experiences severe water stress.
Explain trends in the UK population since 2001.
In 2001, the UK population was ~59 million. By 2015, it was ~65 million.
Population has increased every year since 2001, but growth rate has slowed down since 2011.
How can population structure be presented graphically?
With a population pyramid.
Explain changes to the UK population structure between 2001 and 2015.
- In 2001, the largest age group was 30-39 - partly because of high birth rates in the 1960s (known as a ‘baby boom’).
- By 2015, the largest age group was 40-49 for the same reason.
- The 20-29 age group grew - partly because of young migrants.
- The number of people aged 0-39 grew by 3%, against 18% for over 39s - the UK population is ageing.
Describe the Demographic Transition Model.
- At stage 1, birth and death rates are high, and population is low.
- As a country develops, healthcare improves and death rate falls and population grows (stage 2).
- Better education and more access to contraception means that birth rate falls, and population growth slows (stage 3).
- At stage 4, birth and death rates are low, and population is high.
- At stage 5, death rate rises above birth rate and population decreases.
Explain how the UK fits into the DTM.
Birth rates and death rates have both fallen in the last 300 years - it has been through stages 1-3.
Birth rate is now 12 per 1000, and death rate 9 per 1000. These are low and close, so the UK is in stage 4.
Describe UK media exports and global influence.
- 42% of global unscripted format exports in 2020.
- Number employed increased by more than 30% since 2011.
- British films (70% budget and people) given reductions to incentivize.
- 2019 61 billion of £2.21 trillion total GDP generated by film industry.
