Chapter 8 HUMAN POPULATION 1

CHAPTER 8: HUMAN POPULATION

1. World Population Growth
(a)Basic terms
 Birth rate is number of births in a population in time of a year
 Death rate is number of deaths in a population in a time period of a
year
 Natural increase is the difference between number of births and
number of deaths in a population in a time period of a year.
 A demographic model is a line graph showing relationship between
birth and death rates of a country over time.
 Overpopulation exists in places where too many people live to be
well provided for by the available resources
 Density of population is the number of people who live in an
area ,measured in people per square kilometer
 Distribution of population is the way people are spread out across
the surface of the earths
 Population structure is the make-up of a country’s population by age
and gender. Data collected is shown in a Population pyramid

(b) Population Structure

 Population structure is made up by age and gender of a country’s
population which is shown on population pyramid.
 Middle aged (15-64) is the working or independent population
 The young (0-14) and old ones above 64 are the dependents
population.
 Higher fertility rates increase birth rates
 Increased medical facilities increase life expectancies and decreases
infant mortality rates.

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(c)Reasons for high population growth:

 Improve medical facilities
 Improved production of better quality food.
 Trend of having large families
 Early marriages
 Religious beliefs
 Desires for sons
 Poor literacy rate
 Inconsistent population welfare policies

(d) Effects of a high population growth:

 An increase in young segment of dependency ratio
 Burdon on economic
 More unemployment and rise in crime rate
 More people migrate from rural to urban areas
 Adverse effects on the health of women

(e) Environmental problems caused by population growth

i. Environmental problems in rural areas

 Soil damage from overculivation and overgrazing
 Loss of nutrients and fertility
 Soil erosion
 Desertification
 Salinization from overuse of irrigation

ii. Water sources

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 Wells are overused and dry out

 Pollution of surface streams
 Demand for water leads to new reservoir construction

iii. Natural vegetation

 Deforestation for new farm land
 Clearing of land for fuel wood supplies
 Overgrazing by livestock

(f) Environmental problems in and around urban areas

 Loss of woodland and habitats, replaced by shanty town
 Pressure on water supplies
 Centres for types of pollution

2. (a) Migration
 It is the movement of people to live on a different place to another
 Urbanization is an increase in the percentage of people living in urban areas
 Push factors are dislike about where they live
 Pull factors are attractions of the place they are moving to
 Voluntary migration is done for work, joining up with relatives or for retirement
such as movement to developing countries etc.
 Forced migration is due to after a war or natural disaster such a movement
camps ,temporary or refugees to other countries

(b) Push factors

 Poverty
 Pressure on land ,work only in farming
 Drought and famine
 Lack of services
 Remoteness ,dirt track links only
 Little hope of change and improvement

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(c) Pull Factors

 Better paid jobs
 Work in factories, offices and shops
 Reliable food supplies
 School, hospitals, water supply and electricity
 Roads and other facilities

(d) Strategies for managing population growth

 Family planning information and services
 Better education
 Improve health care
 Better employment prospects
 Late marriages
 Education and careers for women
 Rising living standards
 Income distributed more equally

Past Papers Question

Why are rates of rural to urban migration much higher in developing countries
than in developed countries?

Ans. already much urbanisation in developed world countries;

less difference in services between rural and urban areas in developed countries;
greater poverty and absence of modern facilities in rural areas;
natural and human disasters may drive people out such as flood, wars;
industrialisation in developing / jobs in urban areas;
in developed countries people wish to escape crime / pollution / noise of cities;

Q. Describe the main features of shanty towns (slum housing)

Ans. Characteristics of slum housing:

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self-built / haphazard collection of building materials / examples of building materials

used
/ poorly built;lack running water / toilets / power / etc.;
unplanned / very high density / narrow alleyways between small houses;
most with only one storey and just one or two rooms;
Types of locations for poor houses:
unused land / often unused for a good reason such as liable to flood;
cheap land on steep (unstable) slopes;
edge of cities;
undeveloped site;
along main transport links
next to a source of pollution such as a factory;
next to rivers and on swampy land; (which increases disease risks)

Q. Suggest how city authorities can improve shanty towns.

Ans. providing essential services such as water, electricity and roads;

so that they are linked into the rest of the urban area;
community participation schemes;
such as ASH (Aided Self-Help) for obtaining building materials and technical help,
sometimes with small loans;
affordable housing;
basic but attractive to people in need of cheap housing;
providing security of tenures; so people are willing to invest in / improve their homes /
services;
site and service schemes;
Give full credit for references to a relevant named example.
One line of explanation followed, without significant development or reference to an
example. Or a general answer describing improvements lacking in detailed explanation
for one or two marks
Q Suggest reasons why urban problems tend to be worse in cities in developing
countries rather than developed countries.

Ans. traffic congestion in large cities;

old city areas not suitable modern traffic;
worse in developing, no money to deal with problem;
lack of knowledge / technology;
lack of government will / leadership to enforce regulation;
speed of development in newly developing;
many migrants putting pressure on existing services;
pressure on space little resistance to urban sprawl;

Why some countries have very low birth rates.

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Ans. Have readily available family planning for all, often more economically developed
countries that can afford this, also attitudes of people are different with women more
career orientated, education available to all both male and female to high levels,
socially acceptable/normal to have small families,
government pensions and social services to look after elderly,
costs money to bring up children/children no longer seen as work assets.

Q. Explain how and why young population and aging population problems are
different.

Ans. With young populations: high costs for education (also for certain health services,
agriculture for food),unemployment is often a major issue with problems for finding work
for all, population likely to continue growing for many years as they reach marrying age,
continued pressure on resources. With ageing populations: high and increasing costs
for care and pensions, at time when working population paying taxes is decreasing,
funding gap which is going to increase with time, solutions such as immigration for more
workers are unpopular with the public.

Q. Explain some of the advantages and disadvantages of aid for helping poor
countries.

Ans. Advantages of aid – emergency relief aid can help desperate people in desperate
situations after human or natural disasters. Development aid can support projects with
longer lasting benefits to local communities such as clean water supplies, wells,
rainwater storage and small dams to increase farm output in dry times, clinics etc.
Disadvantages of aid – can be given for the wrong things big prestigious/political
projects which give poor value for money spent. In some African countries like Ethiopia
there are fears that many years of aid is leading to a culture of dependency.

Q.

Q. Describe the different ways in which city authorities have attempted to deal
with the problems of housing large numbers of migrants.
Ans. Supply squatter areas with services, provide temporary shelters, build low cost /
basic homes, self-help housing schemes, loans, community involvement,
apartment blocks / flats, building new homes in satellites outside the city.
Q. Suggest the problems caused for rural areas by the loss of middle aged
people.
Ans. Loss of workers, farm productivity will reduce, fewer to support / care for elderly /
young, split families, loss of best educated / professional people
Q. Why some countries have been slow to manage their population growth?
Ans. Poverty, political reasons, religious reasons, attitude, poor infrastructure etc

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Q. Problems with young population

Ans. High costs for education (also for certain health services, agriculture for food)
Unemployment, continued pressure on resources, population likely to
continue growing
Q. Problems with aging population
Ans. High and increasing costs for care and pension, paying taxes will decrease,
immigration for more workers will unpopular with the public.
Q. Why some countries have very low birth rates.

Ans. Have readily available family planning for all, often more economically developed
countries that can afford this, also attitudes of people are different with women more
career orientated, education available to all both male and female to high levels,
socially acceptable/normal to have small families,
government pensions and social services to look after elderly,
costs money to bring up children/children no longer seen as work assets.
Q. Explain how and why young population and aging population problems are
different.

Ans. With young populations: high costs for education (also for certain health services,
agriculture for food),unemployment is often a major issue with problems for finding work
for all, population likely to continue growing for many years as they reach marrying age,
continued pressure on resources. With ageing populations: high and increasing costs
for care and pensions, at time when working population paying taxes is decreasing,
funding gap which is going to increase with time, solutions such as immigration for more
workers are unpopular with the public.
Q. Explain some of the advantages and disadvantages of aid for helping poor
countries.

Ans. Advantages of aid – emergency relief aid can help desperate people in desperate
situations after human or natural disasters. Development aid can support projects with
longer lasting benefits to local communities such as clean water supplies, wells,
rainwater storage and small dams to increase farm output in dry times, clinics etc.
Disadvantages of aid – can be given for the wrong things big prestigious/political
projects which give poor value for money spent. In some African countries like Ethiopia
there are fears that many years of aid is leading to a culture of dependency.

Hamza Mir 03429450059 Human Population