Population Flashcards
(26 cards)
Migration
– the movement of people into an area
Population density
The number of people in a given area. The total population in a country or region is divided by its area (people/km2).
Population pyramids
age & sex structure of a population can be shown in this type of
graph, factors control the shape, birth & death rates & migration.
Crude birth rate
the number of births per 1000 people (CBR).
International migration
when people move from one place to another
Immigration
when people move into an area
CASE STUDY BANGLADESH AN OVERPOPULATED COUNTRY
Causes of overpopulation
● Bangladesh has the 7th largest population in the world, but it only ranks 94th in land area. This
means it has an extremely high population density (over 1000 per square kilometre).
● Bangladesh has few natural resources and relies heavily on agriculture.
● There are high birth rates (23 per 1000) but death rates have fallen (5.7 per thousand), meaning
that the population is growing quickly through natural increase.
● Birth rates have traditionally been higher in Bangladesh as 85% of the population are Muslim
and some religious leaders do not encourage the use of contraception. Since many people work
in agriculture, birth rates can also be high so that children may help with farm work.
● Because of these factors Bangladesh has far more people than it has resources.
Impacts (consequences) of overpopulation
● As the country is so overcrowded, many people are forced to live in dangerous areas that are
prone to flooding. Floods have caused more than 1 million deaths in Bangladesh over the last
200 years.
● 40% of the population are underemployed. Many exist on low wages working for just a few
hours a week. As a result, GDP per capita is low at $1700 per person and this is not enough
money to support a good standard of living.
● There are not enough schools and hospitals to meet the needs of the large population. Only 48%
of the population is literate and most people have no qualifications. Access to healthcare is poor,
for example infant mortality rate is 5.07%.
Family planning
– where families receive advice about how to control births and access
healthcare such as contraception.
CASE STUDY AUSTRALIA AN UNDERPOPULATED COUNTRY
Causes
● Australia has a small population size (21.7 million) and an abundant land area (). This gives it one
of the world’s lowest population densities (just per km2)
● Although a large proportion of the country is desert or semi-desert, there is still ample suitable
land for an increase in settlements.
● Australia experiences high rates of emigration. The country is geographically remote which
means that young people often migrate to areas that are more connected e.g., Europe.
● Australia also has low birth rates and death rates, with a population increase of only 1.15% per
year. This helps to keep the area underpopulated as the population is not growing rapidly
through natural increase.
Impacts
● Australia has large reserves of natural resources e.g., gold, copper, natural gas and uranium. It
has more resources than the country can use and so it is able to export surpluses. Its export
earnings are worth $200 billion annually
● Australia’s strong economy leads to a high GDP per capita ($41,300). Education standards in the
country are high (99.9% literacy rate) and healthcare services are very good.
● Australia’s excellent living standards show that they could support more people.
Age dependency
– percentage of population that depend on economic support (e.g.,
pension for the elderly, school for the young).
Population distribution
the way people are spread out in an area
Demographic transition
– model to describe how population changes over time due to
changes in birth & death rates.
Life expectancy
– how long people in certain countries are expected to live.
Internal migration
movement of people inside a country
Natural increase
– The difference between the birth rate and death rate. Natural increase
will occur if the birth rate is higher than the death rate. Natural increase = CBR – CDR.
Emigration
when people leave an area
Positive net migration
when more people move into an area than leave an area
Crude death rate
the number of deaths per 1000 people (CDR).
Forced migration
when people are forced to leave an area due to natural disasters, war
etc
Negative net migration
when more people leave an area than move into an area
7 mark question:
Q: For a named country explain why natural population growth is taking place
The Gambia is a country in west Africa. It is a developing country, with high birth rates and falling death
rates. It is at stage 2 of the demographic transition model. Whilst healthcare has improved, enabling death
rates to fall, Gambia’s birth rate remains high.
There are religious, cultural and economic reasons why birth rates continue to be high in the Gambia. One
reason is that due to the religious beliefs held in the country. 95% of people in the Gambia are Muslim and
Islamic religious teachers have often taught that contraception should not be used. As a result, it is a
cultural taboo in society to use contraception or discuss family planning.
An economic reason for high birth rates is that many people in the Gambia still live in the countryside and
rely on farming for their income. It has often been thought that more hands on the land means better
agricultural production and so children help their families to cultivate the crops.
These factors contribute to a rapid increase in Gambia’s population as birth rates are still very high, with 7
children been born on average per woman, whilst death rates have been declining.
7 mark question:
Q: Describe the problems caused by an ageing population
Japan is a country that has an ageing population, meaning it has a large proportion of its population in the
over 65 age group. This situation has presented Japan with several problems.
One problem is that it often costs a lot of money to care for elderly people, especially as they reach the
older age groups, as people can become increasingly frail and many require specialized care. This means
that more government money needs to be spent on services such as healthcare and state-run retirement
homes, leaving less money for other societal needs.
Caring for elderly people in society often results in a burden for their relatives, who often need to act as
carers for them. Because Japan’s life expectancy is so long (average life expectancy is 83 years), this often
involves elderly people caring for even more elderly relatives. This can be stressful and very time
consuming for these carers.
Japan has a shortage of nurses and professional care workers, because so many are needed to care for the
ageing population. This causes the country to need to look for migrant labour to fill the shortage. However,
immigration is unpopular in Japanese society and it is often difficult for immigrants to settle into the
country; especially due to the language barrier as Japanese is a very difficult language to learn.
A final problem is that pensions in Japan are low, as a result 20% of elderly Japanese live below the poverty
line. This can lead to a poor quality of life and there is an increasing number of homeless people amongst
Japan’s ageing population. Sadly 1/3 of Japan’s suicides are from Japan’s over 65 population.
Case Study of International Migration: Mexico to USA
This is an example of a voluntary international migration
LOCATION AND BACKGROUND
● Migration from Mexico to the USA involves the movement of Mexicans from Mexico to the
southern states of America which border Mexico.
● In order to gain access to the US, Mexicans must cross the “Unites States-Mexico Border”, a border
which spans four US states & six Mexican states.
● In the US, it starts in California and ends in Texas (east to west).
● Due to their proximity to the border & the high availability of work in these states, the majority of
Mexicans move to California followed by Texas.
● California currently houses 11,423,000 immigrants with Texas holding 7,951,000.
● Many Mexicans from rural communities migrate to America, the majority being males who move to
America and then send money back to their families in Mexico.
● Many of these immigrants enter the country illegally, which often requires them to cross a large
desert that separates Mexico and America and the Rio Grande.
● These journeys are dangerous, and many immigrants have died, or nearly died, trying to cross into
the US through these routes.
Case Study of International Migration: Mexico to USA
This is an example of a voluntary international migration
PUSH FACTORS
● High crime rates in Mexico, for example Murder rates come in at around 14 per 100,000 people
(world average 10.9 per 100,000) and drug related crimes are a major concern. It is thought that in
the past five years, 47,500 people have been killed in crimes relating to drugs. Many Mexicans will
move out of fear for their lives and hope that America is a more stable place to live, with lower
crime rates.
● Unemployment and poverty are a major problem in Mexico and has dramatically risen in recent
years.
● A large portion of the Mexican population are farmers, living in rural areas where extreme
temperatures and poor-quality land make it difficult to actually farm. This is causing many Mexican
families to struggle, with 47% of the population living under the poverty line. With these high
unemployment and poverty rates, people are forced to move to America, where they have better
prospects, in order to be able to support their families and maintain a reasonable standard of living.
● The climate and natural hazards in Mexico could force people to move to America. Mexico is a very
arid area which suffers from water shortages even in the more developed areas. The country also
suffers from natural disasters including volcanoes, earthquakes, hurricanes & tsunamis. Recent
natural disasters could force people to migrate if their homes have been destroyed or made
uninhabitable. People who live in danger zones could also migrate out of fear for their lives.
