Population Structure

Lesson Objectives
•Describe the Demographic Transition Model
•Suggest reasons behind the shifts in birth rate and death rate shown
•Explain how a country’s population pyramid changes as a country develops
What do you think?

• With a partner discuss the following key terms, what do you think they mean?

• Birth Rate

• Death Rate

• Natural Increase

• Infant Mortality Rate

• Life Expectancy
KEY TERMS

• BIRTH RATE is the number of babies born per thousand of the population per
year

• DEATH RATE is the number of people who die per thousand of the population
per year

• NATURAL INCREASE is where the birth rate is higher than the death rate so
the population increases

• INFANT MORTALITY RATE is the number of babies born who die before their
1st birthday

• LIFE EXPECTANCY is the average age which people in that country live to
 Uneven Population Growth

• Write a paragraph to compare rates of growth in African countries

with those in Europe.

• Give examples of countries and growth rates to back up the points you are
making
Why does the population change?

• The total population of an area is the balance between 2 forces of change

• natural increase

• migration
What do you think?

• What do you think happens to the birth and death rate

of a country as it develops

• What do you think decreases first birth rate or death

rate?
THE DEMOGRAPHIC TRANSITION MODEL
The Demographic Transition Model

• For years geographers have been interested with how the

population of countries is so different

• They identified that as a country changes so does their

population

• So they created a model to show how as countries

develop they pass through different phases of population
growth

• They called this model the Demographic Transition

Model
The Demographic Transition Model

Death Rate Birth Rate

Natural Natural
Increase Decrease
STAGE 1 - high stationary

• Low population

• increasing very slowly

• High birth rate

• High death rate

• e.g. Amazonian Tribes

STAGE 2 - early expanding

• Population growing at a
faster rate

• High birth rate

• Decreasing death rate

• e.g. Cambodia
STAGE 2 - late expanding

• Population still increasing,

but rate of increase is
slowing down

• Decreasing birth rate

• Low death rate

• e.g. Chile
STAGE 2 - low stationary

• High population, almost

stable

• Low birth rate

• Low death rate

• e.g USA
STAGE 2 - declining?

• Birth rates continue to

decrease

• Now seeing natural decrease

in some countries

• This can lead to ageing

populations

• e.g. Japan
Questions about the DTM

Discuss the following with a partner and then answer them in your books

1.What is the key change between phase 1 and 2? Why do you think this
happens?

2.What is the key change between phase 2 and 3? Why do you think this
happens?

EXTENSION TASK

3.What do you think are the strengths and weaknesses of this model?

HINT: think about which countries this works for; the rate of change
in some countries; role of migration; reasons for change
Displaying Population

• We now know all about how population has grown over

time, where it is distributed and how countries change
as they develop

• BUT is it just the number of people in a country that we

need to know

• What other population data would be useful to know?

Population Pyramids

• These show the composition of a countries population

looking at gender and age

• Which do you think is Ethiopia and which is the UK?

Population Pyramids

• Draw two simple sketches of these

pyramids (they can be outlines)

• Describe what the pyramid for

Ethiopia shows

• Think about the birth rate and

reasons for it

• Think about the death rate and

reasons for it

• Now write a comparison to the UK’s

pyramid
Dividing up the
population

• What categories (age

groups) would you
divide the population
into?
ACTIVITIES

• Complete questions 3, 4 and 6 on pages

20-21
What have you learnt?

• Write a question related to what we have covered in the

lesson today

• Pass this question to your partner who must answer it

in a different colour

• Now collect your book and mark the answer