3.2.4.1: Introduction

Question 1

Give features for the environmental context for human population, characteristics and change

Answer 1

• Uneven distribution around the world
• Size of population is influenced by how many people the surrounding environment can support
• Different spatial patterns of population around the globe which are dependent on the factors and constantly changing
• Natural hazards, disease, population health, natural resources all help explain why populations change in response to their environment an shape a global demographic pattern

Question 2

What are the key elements in the physical environment as context for human population characteristics and change ?

Answer 2

• Climate
• Soils
• Resource distribution including water supply

(also relief, hazards such as volcanoes)

Question 3

What are the key population parameters ?

Answer 3

• Distribution
• Density
• Numbers
• Change

Question 4

Define population distribution and give a case study

Answer 4

The pattern of where people live
- Live in areas with favorable conditions such as coastal plains but not on glaciers
- Population of China is unevenly distributed as 90% of population live in East as most of Western regions are covered by mountains and a desert so are uninhabitable

Question 5

Define population density and give a case study

Answer 5

Population of an area divided by the size of the area
- Can vary between countries and within a country
- Bangladesh = 1200 people per km2
Libya = 4 people per km2
- Highest population density in South and East Asia and tend to be found 20 degrees N and 60 degrees N

Question 6

Give how climate affects population as a feature of the physical environment

Answer 6

• Affects global distribution
• Few people live in arid areas such as Sahara Desert
• Many people live in temperate areas such as the UK
• Tropical and temperate climates have largest populations and highest population densities as easiest to produce food

Question 7

Give how soils affect population as a feature of the physical environment

Answer 7

• Soil fertility determines amount and type of food that can be produced in a region
• Has determined where human settlements have developed and size of populations
• Many cities such as the Naples are built near volcanoes as soil fertility is high
• Also Bangladesh has large floodplains which are fertile to support large scale agriculture to feed a large population
• Soil erosion can cause poeple to migrate

Question 8

Give how resource distribution including water supply affects population as a feature of the physical environment

Answer 8

Population growth, distribution are linked to availability of fresh water and natural resources
- Lack of safe water can cause food insecurity, health problems and death which cause populations to decrease
- Small populations in deserts due to lack of water
- Tropical rainforest have lots of naturally occurring food and fuel to support large populations
- Energy and mineral resources such as coal can cause local variations in concentration of people

Question 9

Give the key features of population change throughout time

Answer 9

• Before 1804 famine, war and disease prevented world population reaching 1 billion
• Until 1950 population growth was limited to developed countries ( Populations of Northern America and Western Europe increased massively during 19th century due to improvements in medicine and food production which increased life expectancy and decreased infant mortality rate )at same time developing countries had a stable population due to high infant and maternal mortality rates and common famine
• After 1950 global population increased rapidly driven by increased life expectancy and decreased death rates in developing countries - predicted to reach 9 billion by 2050

Question 10

Give population increase stat

Answer 10

Population of England and Wales increased from 9.4 million to 32.5 million between 1801 and 1901

Question 11

Give features of current population change

Answer 11

• Some countries such as Japan experiencing population decline as death rate is higher than birth rate
• Global population still increasing
• Distribution of populations has changed as globally urban population are increasing faster than rural ones so less even distribution with high densities in cities
• Continent of Africa has highest population growth rate and still follows trend of highest in LICs

Question 12

What are the past developmental processes which affect population change
?

Answer 12

• Neolithic revolution
• Industrial revolution

Question 13

What was the neolithic revolution

Answer 13

• 12000 years ago people in Western Asia developed agriculture so lifestyles changes from hunting and gathering to farming in permanent settlements
• Population increased in those areas as food supply was more reliable

Question 14

What was the industrial revolution ?

Answer 14

1760 - 1850
- Rapid rise in use of machinery and factories in developed countries
- Caused major population growth as Britain’s population more than doubled within it as death rates fell due to increased food production and people had more money so has better diets
- More concentrated high densities in cities as farming became less labour intensive so people moved to cities for work

Question 15

What are the current developmental processes affecting population change ?

Answer 15

As countries develop the rate of population growth fluctuates although population generally becomes more concentrated in urban areas still

Question 16

What can distribution and density be described as ?

Answer 16

Population parameters