Exam practice

Explain two reasons why the world is increasingly urbanised? (4)

Rapid urban growth in LIDC’s
SKILLS: Study the map. 

1. Which countries are

these cities in?
2. Which cities will
grow the most
between 2010 and
2025?
3. What do you notice
about the
distribution of these
cities? Do they have
anything in common
with each other?
So, WHY do cities grow so quickly in LIDCs?
• Rural-urban migration
• Internal growth
 Rural-urban migration 
 The movement of people from rural areas to urban areas.

Rural-urban
migration is
particularly
common in
LIDCs. WHY?
Why might rural to urban migration be
higher in LIDCs than in ACs?
Zambia Other
Access to electricity
reasons?
Urban- 47%
Rural- 3%
Why do people leave rural areas to go to
urban areas?
Rural to Urba Internal Migra
n India tion India

Rural to urban migration

in China

As you watch the videos, make a list of reasons why someone may want to
leave rural areas and why they may be attracted to the city.
Extension: What are some of the issues of this migration?
Can you think of what factors people
might have for wanting to move from
rural areas of Africa to urban ones? Split
them into ’push’ factors (reasons to leave
rural area) and ‘pull’ factors (reasons to
move to the urban area).
Push and Pull Factors
Push: A negative aspect which
makes you want to leave an
area. 
Pull: A positive aspect which
encourages you to come to an
area. 
Internal Growth

Internal growth is the growth of a population as a result

of a higher birth rate than death rate.

>
Why might internal growth be so high in
urban areas of LIDCs?
Most migrants to the city are young
Why do slums develop?
A slum is a crowded urban area where people live in inadequate housing and poor living conditions.

• People move to the city for jobs, education, better services. Housing is not their priority so they
live where they can afford.
• Unemployment or low incomes – people are forced to live in cheap housing.
• Poor urban planning – lack of money & poor organisation means cities do not build enough
affordable houses for new residents. 
• Therefore citizens often develop their own houses where there is available land. This is often in
undesirable locations, e.g. near a river or a railway line.
Top 20 slums in the world, by population

Task: Plot these slums onto your blank world map.

Then: Describe the pattern

Extension task:
Choose one of the slums above and use your device to find out more about
it, and the city in which it is located, including its physical geography.
Identify the hazards that might pose a threat to those living there.