Population distribution, change and growth Flashcards
(35 cards)
What is development in the context of countries?
Development is a measure of economic, social, and technological progress within a country.
How is standard of living related to development?
An increase in development leads to a higher standard of living
What are indicators used to determine a country’s level of development?
Both social: Education, Healthcare
And Economic: GDP per Capita
Socioeconomic: life expectancy
What does GNP per person measure?
GNP per person is the total value of goods produced by a country divided by the population which gives you an average income per person.
What is a major problem with using GNP as the only indicator of development?
It is an average that can be skewed by a few wealthy individuals
Why is GNP not a complete measure of development?
It does not show how money is used for example money may not be used for healthcare and education. It also doesn’t illustrate the differences between urban and rural areas
What are social indicators of development?
They measure social issues such as health, education, diet, life expectancy, infant mortality, and population change.
Give an example of a health-related social indicator.
Number of people per doctor.
What is an education-related social indicator?
Percentage of adults who are literate.
What social indicator reflects diet?
Number of calories consumed per person per day.
How is life expectancy used as a social indicator?
It shows the average age people are expected to live to in a country.
What does infant mortality rate indicate?
It is the number of children per 1,000 who die before the age of 1.
How is population change measured?
It is the number of babies born per 1,000 women per year
Why are social indicators alone not sufficient to evaluate development?
They are also averages that can hide regional differences and don’t compare various quality of life factors.
What is population distribution?
It refers to how people are spread across the world.
What is population density?
It is the number of people living per square kilometre
What number did the world population reach in 2022?
8 billion people.
Where does the majority of the world’s population live?
In the developing world.
What are physical factors affecting population distribution?
Climate, relief, natural resources and soil fertility
How does climate affect where people live?
People prefer temperate climates with adequate rainfall and no temperature extremes.
Why do high temperatures reduce population density?
High temperatures hinder farming, making it hard to sustain higher populations and you have a higher chance of getting things like heat-stroke, dehydration and sun burn in hot areas
How do cold climates affect population distribution?
They make agriculture, transport, and construction difficult due to frozen ground and extreme cold.
Why are steep slopes a challenge for population settlement?
They hinder the use of machinery and the building of infrastructure like roads and homes.
Why are flat low-lying areas more densely populated?
They have deep fertile soils suitable for agriculture and are easier to build on.
