Unit 1 Changing Population Flashcards
Physical factors affecting population distribution
Geographic relief
Climate
Fertile land: Nile valley
Water availability
Raw materials
Natural threats
Human factors affecting population distribution
Secondary industry
Accessibility
Political decisions and policies
Conflict
Global patterns of LIC’s, MIC’s, and HIC’s
of people living in LICs dropped from 3B to 600M
LICs
Fewer countries than ever before are classified as LICs
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MICs
⅓ of global GDP produced in MICs
5B people live in MICs
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HICs
Income in HICs increased massively
Norway $26K to $103K per capita from 1994 to 2014
What was the former common method of economic classification?
First (developed western) world
Second (state-controlled) world
Third (developing) world
Detailed modern economic classifications.
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More economically developed countries (MEDC/HICs): UK and USA
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Newly industrializing countries (NICs): S.Korea and Taiwan. Rapid industrial, social and economic growth since the 1960s.
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Centrally planned economies (CPEs): N. Korea. Socialist under strict government control.
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Oil-rich countries: Saudi Arabia. Rich in terms of GNP per head but not distributed evenly. Without oil, countries would be LEDCs.
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Recently industrializing countries (RICs): Chile. Same path as NICs, though more recently.
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Less economically developed countries (LEDCs): Egypt. Lower stage of development and lower quality of life. Can be divided into MICs and LICs. Now known as LICs.
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Least developed countries (LDCs): Afghanistan. Very low standards of living and development indicators.
Define voluntary internal migration.
The movement of people within a country by choice, rather than due to forced circumstances like conflict or natural disaster. People may migrate internally for various reasons, including economic opportunities, lifestyle changes, education, or family reunification.
Define core-periphery patterns in population distribution.
An arrangement where the “core” regions (typically urban or economically developed areas) are densely populated and economically dominant, while the “periphery” regions (rural or less developed areas) are sparsely populated and less economically active.
Describe megacity growth.
The rapid expansion of cities with populations exceeding 10 million, driven by high birth rates, rural-to-urban migration, and economic opportunities. As populations concentrate in megacities, they create both opportunities, like economic dynamism and innovation, and challenges, including housing shortages, pollution, and strained infrastructure.
(Case study) Uneven population distribution in France
(Case study) Uneven population distribution in Ethiopia
Discuss the relative importance of different influences on where people live.
Climate and Geography: Favorable climates and fertile land attract populations for agriculture or quality of life; adverse conditions can deter settlement.
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Social and Cultural Ties: Proximity to family, cultural hubs, or communities with shared values can also guide settlement choices.
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Infrastructure and Services: Access to healthcare, education, and transportation makes certain areas more desirable.
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Political Stability and Safety: Regions with safety, governance, and stability tend to retain or attract residents compared to areas of conflict or instability.
Discuss the interactions between places at varying scales.
Define the following:
Natural Increase
Doubling time
Population momentum
Population Projection
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Calculated by taking the death rate away from the birthrate. Does not take migration into account. Population change does.
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The number of years needed for a population to double in size. (70 ÷ % rate of natural increase) in years.
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The tendency for a population to grow despite falling birth rate and fertility due to a high concentration of people in pre/childbearing years.
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Predictions about future population based on trends in fertility mortality, and migration.
Explain Total fertility rate and the factors affecting it.
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1. TFR is the average number of births per thousand women of childbearing age Highest in poorest countries.
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2. Status of women assessed by Gender-related development index (GDI). Inequality in life expectancy, education and standard of living.
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3. Level of education and material ambition. Higher means fewer children.
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4. Location of residence, rural populations have more children.
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5. Religion can increase birthrates in MICs and LICs due to generally more pro-natalist approaches, but not followed in HICs.
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6. Maternal health. unhealthy mothers may experience a higher infant mortality rate and get pregnant more often.
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7. Economic prosperity favours increase while increasing costs lead to birth rate declines. More equitable distribution of wealth in a country also correlates to low rates.
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8. Need for children in agricultural societies or populations with high infant mortality rates.
What is life expectancy?
The average number of years that a person can be expected to live from birth, assuming demographic factors remain unchanged.
What are age/sex pyramids? What do different structures mean?
Showcase population structure and composition in ages and sexes
Wide base - high birth rate
Narrowing base - falling birth rate
Straight sides - low death rate
Concave slopes - high death rate
Bulges suggest immigration or in-migration
Events such as post war Baby boom are evident in a lot of countries pyramids.
What is the dependency ratio?
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Measures the working population and the dependent population. It is worked out by taking the dependant population, diving it by the working population (15<x<65) and multiplying by 100.
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Many people stay in school after 15, and many work beyond the age of 64.
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In the developed world, there is a high proportion of elderly.
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In the developing, a high proportion of youth.
What do triangular graphs show?
Data that can be divided into three parts. It can be used to show the age structure in percentages of young, adult and elderly, or soil structure variation in clay, sand and silt.
What is the Demographic transition model? What stages make up the model?
A generalised attempt to establish linkage between a sequence of population changes that occur over time and the economic developments of a country.
Stage 1: High fluctuating pre-industrial agrarian society with no population growth.
Stage 2: Early expanding initial phase of industrial developments. Death rates fall and population grows.
Stage 3: Late expanding with later industrial development. Birth-rate begins to fall with contraception.
Stage 4: Low fluctuating post-industrial stage with little or no population growth.
Stage 5: Decline, ageing population starts dying out and population begins to fall.
Describe population change in the UK and in Bangladesh.
UK
Phase 1 (Pre-1970s): From the 1700s to the 1970s, the UK’s population grew due to high birth rates and declining death rates. Advances in food supply, hygiene, and healthcare (e.g., vaccination, public health acts) reduced mortality, especially in infants. Significant events like the 1833 Factory Act, compulsory registration in 1874, and post-World War I improvements affected these rates. By the 1970s, birth rates fell, stabilizing population growth.
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Phase 2 (Post-1970s): Since the 1970s, growth slowed, driven mostly by immigration and increased longevity, especially among the elderly. Birth rates remained low, with smaller family sizes and an aging population. Advances in healthcare and shifts in social trends allowed more women to delay childbirth. Immigrant populations and later-life births also contributed to a broader population base, with more people over 65.
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Bangladesh
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Demographic Transition: Bangladesh is moving towards Stage 4 of the Demographic Transition Model (DTM), characterized by low birth and death rates.
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Fertility and Contraception: Fertility rates have dropped from 6.3 in 1975 to around 2.3 in recent years, aided by government initiatives promoting contraception. Contraceptive use among women rose from 8% in 1975 to over 60% by 2010.
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Life Expectancy and Health: Life expectancy increased significantly, from 59 years in 1990 to 69 in 2010, due to improved healthcare and agricultural practices from the Green Revolution.
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Female Empowerment: Increased education and career options for women have contributed to delayed childbirth and smaller family sizes.
What consequences does megacity growth have for individuals and societies? (Mumbai case study)
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Megacities offer jobs, homes, improved living standards opportunities. For some, migration may result in unemployment or underemployment. Too many people coming in may mean the provision of services such as healthcare becomes inadequate. Growth is associated with congestion, expansion of the built area, air pollution, declining water quality.
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Mumbai
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Economic and Industrial Expansion: Mumbai has diversified into finance, technology, and entertainment. It accounts for 25% of India’s industrial output and 40% of foreign trade, hosting many transnational corporations and Bollywood.
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Inequality and Slums: Despite its wealth, Mumbai faces inequality, with 9 million people living in slums. Many, in Dharavi, lack basic services like sanitation, clean water, and healthcare, with over 4,000 daily cases of diseases like typhoid due to poor sewage systems.
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Employment and Informal Economy: Many residents in slum areas, do informal work, including recycling industries, pottery, and other crafts, providing livelihoods despite hazardous conditions.
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Infrastructure and Urbanization: Rapid suburban expansion towards Shivaji Park and Mahim has aimed to accommodate the growing population, though issues like water scarcity and limited housing persist.
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Social and Health Challenges: Limited healthcare access and underemployment continue to challenge low-income residents, and there is pressure to redevelop slum areas, risking displacement.
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Mumbai’s growth has fuelled economic prosperity but also led to increased social inequality, straining urban resources and affecting the quality of life for many low-income individuals.
What is the difference between a refugee and an IDP? What other types of forced migrants are there?
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Refugee
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A person who has been forced to leave his or her country in order to escape war, persecution or natural disaster. They are protected under international law and cannot be expelled or returned to situations where their life and freedom are at risk.
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Internally displaced people (IDPs)
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People who have found shelter in another part of their country after being forced to flee their homes.
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Asylum seekers have left their country in search of protection, with undecided refugee status.
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Development displacees.
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Environmental and disaster displacees.
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Smuggled people moved illegally for profit.
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Trafficked people moved by deception or coercion for exploitation and profit.
What are the causes of forced migration?
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Conflict-induced displacement
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Due to armed conflict such as civil war, violence or persecution on the basis of their nationality, race, religion, political opinion or social group.
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Land grabbing (Development)
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Result of large-scale infrastructure projects such as dams, motorways, airports, urban redevelopment, mining, deforestation, and even the creation of conservation schemes. On average, 10 million people a year are displaced due to dam developments.
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Climate change and disasters
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Natural disasters resulting in large numbers of displaced people include volcanoes, hurricanes, landslides, environmental change (global warming, desertification, land degradation) and human-induced disasters such as releases of radiation and chemicals.
What impact has forced migration had on Syria? Case study.
The Syrian civil war and the rise of ISIS led to massive forced migration, displacing over 10 million Syrians. More than 4 million are internally displaced, while another 4.5 million fled to nearby countries like Türkiye, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, and Egypt. Lebanon alone hosts around 1.4 million Syrian refugees, comprising about a quarter of its population. This influx has strained Lebanon’s resources, causing economic, environmental, and social challenges, including overcrowded schools and stretched healthcare systems. The Geneva Convention suggests a shared global responsibility for hosting refugees, but support remains limited.