uk in the 21st century

Question 1

Define population density

Answer 1

• Population density is the number of people per unit area
  e.g. per km2

Question 2

Where is population density the highest? Give examples

Answer 2

• Population density is highest in cities
  e.g. London, Glasgow, Birmingham
  e.g. London: 5500 people per km2

Question 3

Apart from cities, where else is population density high? Give examples

Answer 3

• Population density is also high in areas around major cities or where there are clusters of cities
  e.g. the south-east, Midlands and central Scotland

Question 4

Where is population density lower? Give examples

Answer 4

• Mountainous regions have low population densities
  e.g. North Scotland & Central Wales
• Other areas of low population density are North England and West Wales.
  e.g. Eden in Cumbria: population density of about 24 people per km2

Question 5

What problems can a high population density cause?

Answer 5

• There may be a shortage of available housing
  e.g. London - up to 60,000 new hoes are needed every year to keep up with population growth
• Shortage can drive up the price of houses, so some people can’t afford to live there
• There may be pressure on services such as health care and schools - there can be long waiting lists to see doctors, and children may have to attend a school a long way from home

Question 6

Explain relief rainfall

Answer 6

• Winds from the southwest bring warm and moist air from the Atlantic Ocean
• The air is forced to rise up and over the mountains
• This leads to cooling, condensation and the formation of rain clouds
• This explains why the mountains receive the highest rainfall totals
• When the air transfers to the east, it is much drier, accounting for the lower rainfall totals in the rain shadow

Question 7

Where in the UK is the rainfall generally high? Give an example

Answer 7

• The north and west of the UK generally have high rainfall
  e.g. Aultbea in northwest Scotland: average annual rainfall of 1470mm

Question 8

Where in the UK is the rainfall generally low? Give an example

Answer 8

• The south and east of the UK generally have lower rainfall
  e.g. London: annual average rainfall of 560mm

Question 9

Where does rainfall tend to be higher?

Answer 9

• Rainfall tends to be higher in costal areas than inland
• Rainfall is also higher in areas of higher elevation - mountainous areas get more rainfall than low-lying areas

Question 10

Why is having low rainfall in an area of high population density bad?

Answer 10

• Areas with a high population density use a lot of resources e.g. water
• If the area also has low rainfall, this can cause water stress - there isn’t enough water to meet people’ need.
• London experience severe water stress

Question 11

Define water stress

Answer 11

• When there is a limited supply of water but a large and growing demand for it

Question 12

Why is water supply in the UK an issue?

Answer 12

• Most rain falls in the west and north, whereas the greatest demand for water - for domestic use, industry and agriculture is in the south and east

Question 13

How can we solve the UK’s water stress issues?

Answer 13

• Transfer water from the wetter west to the drier east - could involves rivers, canals, or pipelines
• Construct new reservoirs in the east to capture and store water - would be very expensive
• Focus on water conservation by reducing leaks from pipes and encouraging people to use less water

Question 14

List some factors affecting population density

Answer 14

• Flat land suitable for building
• Fertile land suitable for farming
• Plentiful supplies of water
• Cities providing opportunities for work
• Moderate climate
• Extreme, hostile climate
• Presence of raw materials for industrial development
• Steep and mountainous landscape
• Thin sols not well suited to farming
• Remote with poor communications
• Lack of natural resources
• Extensive forest and woodlands

Question 15

Define land use and give examples

Answer 15

• Land use is how land is used, e.g. housing or farming

Question 16

What is a satellite image?

Answer 16

• An image of the whole or part of the Earth taken from space using satellites

Question 17

What is digital cartography?

Answer 17

• Where a collection of data is complied into a virtual image
  e.g. a digital map with details of roads such as Google maps

Question 18

What percentage of the UK is agricultural land?

Answer 18

• About 70% of the UK is agricultural land

Question 19

How is land used in the higher land and the mountains of the UK?

Answer 19

• Tend to have rough pasture or heather moorland
• Harsh climate and poor soils limit the growth of commercial crops
• Sheep grazing is the main form of farming
  e.g. Scotland

Question 20

How is land used in the east and south of the UK?

Answer 20

• Climate is warm, sunny, and relatively dry
• Arable farmland dominates
• Farms specialise in growing cereals such as wheat and barely, vegetables, and root crops
• Horticulture (fruit, salad vegetables, and flowers) also takes place on rich soils

Question 21

How is land used in the west of the UK?

Answer 21

• Grassland dominates
• Climate is wet and mild - ideal for grass which forms rich pastures for dairying, beef cattle and sheep

Question 22

How is land used in the northern parts of England, Wales and Scotland in the UK??

Answer 22

• Coniferous woodlands (often large plantations used for timber production) occupy tracts of Northern England, Wales and Scotland.
• Are often on poor acidic soils in relatively mountainous remote areas

Question 23

In the UK, where is arable farming more common? and where is grazing animals more common?

Answer 23

• Arable farming is more common in the south and east of the country
• Grazing animals is more common in the north and west

Question 24

What percentage of the UK is built on? and where are most of those buildings concentrated?

Answer 24

• Less than 10% of the UK is built on
• Buildings are concentrated in large urban areas, especially in south-east England, the Midlands and central Scotland.

Question 25

What percentage of the UK is forest?

Answer 25

• Forest covers about 13% of the land
• Some of this is natural and some has been planted and is managed by people

Question 26

What happens to areas which are not used as much by humans?

Answer 26

• Some areas are not used as much by humans and have been left in a fairly natural state
  e.g. mountainous or boggy areas in north Scotland

Question 27

How is the UK affected by housing shortages?

Answer 27

• As population & life expectancy increases, more people seek affordable housing - estimated up to 250,000 new homes need to be built each year, however only 110,000 constructed annually
• High-density flats or small houses well suited to urban environments - enable large numbers of people to be settled in small area of land
• However, new housing developments take place on edges on towns and cities - can threaten the green belts: zones of countryside with strict planning controls surrounding most large towns and cities

Question 28

How is the government dealing with housing shortages?

Answer 28

• In 2014, government announced plans to develop garden cities in Kent and Oxfordshire
• Homes will create village communities with plenty of green space and opportunities for shopping, recreation and employment
• Garden cities were first introduced to rehouse people living in poor-quality houses in London - followed WWII when bomb damage wiped out many homes in London

Question 29

How is population measured?

Answer 29

• Population of a country is measured by a survey called a census
• Carried out every 10 years

Question 30

How has the UK’s population changed since 2001?

Answer 30

• In 2001, the population of the UK was about 59 million, increased by over 4 million to just over 63 million in 2011- much of the growth was result off in-migration, particularly from India, Poland & Pakistan
• The number of elderly people in the UK rose about 1 million people, to 10.4 million aged 65+ in 2011
• Birth rate slightly increased - partly due to age profile of new migrants starting families
• Population has increased every year since 2001, but growth rate has slowed down since 2011

Question 31

What did the 2011 UK census discover?

Answer 31

• Marriage is on the decline: UK residents aged 16 over who were married went down from 51% to 47%
• Average no. of rooms per household is just over 5
• In 2001, largest source of immigrants was Ireland, in 2011, largest source was India, Poland and Pakistan
• 87% of UK’s residents described themselves as belonging to a white ethnic group
• Population is increasing & aging

Question 32

How is the structure of the UK’s population represented?

Answer 32

• The changing population structure of the UK is shown using population pyramids
• Population pyramids can be used to see trends in the population: e.g. birth rates

Question 33

What did the UK’s population pyramid in 2001 tell us?

Answer 33

• In 2001, the highest number of people were in 30-39 year ages group - this is party because of high birth rates in the 1960s known as baby boomers
• Females have have higher life expectancy than males
• Decline in birth rate in 1990s as women marry later & decide to have few children

Question 34

What did the UK’s population pyramid in 2011 tell us?

Answer 34

• The highest number of people were in the 40-49 age group, as the baby boomers got older
• Females still have higher life expectancy than men
• Increasing number of people living to due age due to improved healthcare
• Slight increase in birth rate partly due to the increase in young migrants

Question 35

Name some trends in the UK’s changing population

Answer 35

• Between 2001 and 2015, the number of people age 20-29 increased - partly due to the increasing number of young migrants
• The number of people aged 0 to 39 increased by about 3% and the number of people aged over 39 increased by about 18% - this shows that the UK’s population s getting older

Question 36

What is the Demographic Transition Model and what does it show?

Answer 36

• The Demographic Transition Model shows how a country’s population is likely to change as it develops, based on changing birth and death rates

Question 37

Describe the changes that occur as a country progresses through the DTM

Answer 37

• At stage 1, birth and death rates are high, and population is low.
• As a country develops, healthcare improves, so death rate falls and population grows.
• Over time, better education and increased access to contraception means that birth rate falls so population growth begins to slow down

Question 38

Describe the characteristics of stage 1 in the DTM

Answer 38

• Birth rate: high and fluctuating
• Death rate: high and fluctuating - due to disease & poor living standards
• Population growth rate: 0 - birth & death rates cancel each other out
• Population size: low and steady
• Where was the UK at this stage: Before 1760

Question 39

Describe the characteristics of stage 2 in the DTM

Answer 39

• Birth rate: high and steady
• Death rate: rapidly falling - healthcare & living standards improve, improved diets due to food imports, restrictions to child labour & improvements to public services
• Population growth rate: very high
• Population size: rapidly increasing
• Where was the UK at this stage:1760 - 1870

Question 40

Describe the characteristics of stage 3 in the DTM

Answer 40

• Birth rate: rapidly falling - infant mortality falls due to better healthcare - fewer children needed to be born, women educated, choose to have fewer children
• Death rate: slowly falling
• Population growth rate: high
• Population size: increasing
• Where was the UK at this stage: 1870 to 1950

Question 41

Describe the characteristics of stage 4 in the DTM

Answer 41

• Birth rate: low and fluctuating - women following careers & choosing to have fewer children, contraceptives widely available
• Death rate: low and fluctuating - advanced society with excellent healthcare & high standards of living
• Population growth rate: 0
• Population size: high and steady
• Where was the UK at this stage: 1950 - present

Question 42

Describe the characteristics of stage 5 in the DTM

Answer 42

• Birth rate: slowly falling - children expensive to look after
• Death rate: low and steady - large number of people reach old age
• Population growth rate: negative
• Population size: slowly falling
• Where was the UK at this stage: in the near future?

Question 43

In the UK how has birth rate and death rate changed overtime?

Answer 43

• Birth rate and death rate have fallen over the past 300 years
• Birth rate is now 12 births per thousand people
• Death rate is 9 deaths per thousand people - both quite low, population still growing slowly - shows that UK is stage 4

Question 44

What is the UK’s population growth drive by?

Answer 44

• Roughly half the UK’s population growth is driven by natural increase (more births than deaths)
• About half by migration

Question 45

Describe the migration patterns in the UK in 2015 (stats)

Answer 45

• In 2015, over 600 000 people moved to the UK, mostly from China, Australia, India and Poland
• About 300 000 people moved overseas, mostly to Australia, France & China

Question 46

How has the number of people moving to the UK changed since 2001?

Answer 46

• The number of people moving to the UK has been greater than the number leaving in every year since 2001
• Net migration to the UK increased from 2001 to 2004, stayed fairly constant from 2004 to 2010, decreased to 2012, then increased sharply
• The majority of migrants move to London and the south-east - population growth is higher there than elsewhere in the UK

Question 47

How does migration affect the UK’s position on the DTM?

Answer 47

• Migration affects the UK’s position on the DTM by increasing the birth rate, because many migrants are of child bearing age
• Immigrants make up about 13% of the UK population, account for 27% of babies born

Question 48

Describe how the population of London increased, and what changes that made to the population distribution

Answer 48

• In 2001, the population of London was about 7.2 million. By 2015, it had increased to more than 8.5 million. This is faster growth than anywhere else in the UK
• Growth was higher amongst groups of working age than for those under 20 or over 69 - lots of people move to London from elsewhere in the UK or from overseas for work. The highest population growth was in the 40-49 age bracket, which increased by almost 30%
• The percentage of men in all age groups increased more than the percentage of women between 2001 and 2013, although the total number of women remained slightly higher
• People who migrate to London from other countries increase the city’s ethnic diversity

Question 49

What percentage of the UK’s population were born in another country? Compare this to London’s percentage

Answer 49

• Across the UK as a whole about 13% of the population were born in another country.
• In London this value is about 37%

Question 50

Describe the change in ethnic diversity in London

Answer 50

• Ethnic diversity in London has increased between 2001 and the present - in 2001 60% of the population were white British but by 2011 this had fallen to 45%
• The change was driven by an increased in the percentage of white non-British people (particularly) from Poland and Romanian) as well as Black African and Asian people

Question 51

In the UK, what percentage of the population are over 65?

Answer 51

• In the UK, around 18% of the population are over 65.

Question 52

Why is the percentage of old people generally lower in cities?

Answer 52

• It is generally lower in cities, people often live in the cities to be closer to their jobs - high proportion of working age

Question 53

Why is the percentage of old people high in coastal areas?

Answer 53

• Percentage of old people high in coastal areas, especially in east and south-west England because people move there to retire

Question 54

What are the causes of an aging population?

Answer 54

• Large no. of people born after WWII (baby boomers) are now moving into old age
• Improved healthcare & new treatments prolong life
• Reductions in smoking - previously caused huge early death toll
• Greater awareness of benefits of a good diet
• People living more active lives & benefit from regular exercise
• Many older people are well off, can afford a good standard of life
• Birth rates are low because couples are having few children - in the UK, the average number of children per family decreased from 2.9 in 1964 to 1.8 in 2014. More women are choosing not to have children
• Life expectancy has increased from 72 years in 1964 to 81 in 2015

Question 55

What are the negative social effects of an ageing population?

Answer 55

• Healthcare services are under pressure because demand for medical care has increased.
• Some people act as unpaid carers for older family members in their free time, so they have less leisure time and are more stressed, affect ability to remain in full-time employment
  * People may not be able to afford to have lots of children when they have dependent older relatives.
  This may lead to a further drop in birth rate

Question 56

What are the positive social effects of an ageing population?

Answer 56

• Many retired people do voluntary work, e.g. in hospitals. This benefits the community.
• Old people are valued employees - have high standards and are reliable

Question 57

What are the negative economic effects of an ageing population?

Answer 57

* Taxes for working people rise to pay for healthcare and services such as pensions and retirement, homes.
* Older people who aren’t working pay less lax. so their economics contribution decreases.
* Healthcare costs are high & will increase as elderly require support services & expensive treatments
* Shortages of places in care homes - many of which are expensive

Question 58

What are the positive economic effects of an ageing population?

Answer 58

• However, some older people took after their grandchildren, so their children can work.
• Many older people have disposable income. which they spend on goods and services that boost the economy.
• Many older people keen to travel & join clubs, societies, sports: helps boost economy and provide jobs

Question 59

How is the UK government responding to the ageing population?

Answer 59

• As the number of older people increases, the government may need to increase taxes or cut spending in other areas (e.g. education or defense) so fund more support and medical care.
• The government is raising the age at which people can claim a pension - people stay in work longer. so they contribute to taxes and pensions for longer, age used to be 65, now 67
• The government issued Pensioner Bonds in 2015 to encourage older people to save money for the future to help pay for their retirement. These offer a higher rate of interest than many savings accounts, so older people can save more.
• The UK government currently offers a winter fuel allowance to all older people. In future, this may only be given to older people who can’t afford to heat their homes, meaning less money is spent overall
• Allowing more immigration - address the need for a larger young workforce and higher birth rate (however controversial)
• Pro-natalist policies to encourage an increase in birth rate to balance the population structure - include cheaper child care, improved maternity and paternity leave & higher child benefit payments

Question 60

How has politics positively impacted the UK’s economy?

Answer 60

• Between 1997 and 2007, the UK economy grew strongly and unemployment decreased - this was partly because of the government’s priorities:
• Encouraging investment in new technologies, e.g. computing industries.
• Investing in university education, leading to a more skilled workforce.

Question 61

How has politics negatively impacted the UK’s economy?

Answer 61

• In early 2008 the UK entered a recession: businesses failed, GDP decreased and unemployment increased.
• The government had to change their priorities to end the recession:
• Supporting businesses so they didn’t collapse - their collapse would increase unemployment.
• Decreasing taxes on goods to encourage spending and international trade
• Borrowing money from e.g. private companies and overseas investors.

Question 62

What happened to the UK’s economy when the recession ended?

Answer 62

• The recession ended in late 2009.
• The government had to focus on paying off money borrowed during the recession and helping people to find jobs:
• Cutting spending on public services such as pensions, education and defense to raise money.
• Providing Training for job-seekers and support for new businesses to decrease unemployment.

Question 63

How has the UK’s employment in different sectors changed over time?

Answer 63

* Since 2001, jobs in quaternary industries (e.g. education and research, ICT) have increased most, while jobs in secondary industries (e.g. manufacturing) have decreased.
* Over the same period, the number of people employed in primary production (e.g. farming and mining) and tertiary industries (e.g. retail) stayed fairly steady.
* The biggest increases have been in:
- Professional and technical jobs (e.g. law, computing, research and development).
- Employment in manufacturing decreased most, partly due to cheaper materials and labour being available overseas.

Question 64

How has the number of working hours in the UK changed over time?

Answer 64

• Overall, working hours are decreasing the average number of hours worked in a week was 34.7 in 2001 and 33.1 in 2014.
• The number of hours worked decreased slightly more for men than for women over this time.
• There has been an increase in people doing part-time jobs and zero-hours contracts (where the employee isn’t guaranteed any hours of work).
• However, the number of families with both parents in full-time work has increased since 2003, when the government increased financial support for low-income working parents
• In 2011, mothers with a family were more likely to have full-time jobs than in 2001
• Only 1 in 5 families have a father who is the sole earner
• For women, average hours in full-time employment fell from 41-40 hours a week
• The average number of hours worked by men in full-time jobs fell from 46 hours to 44 hours a week
• Fathers are working shorter hours: in 2001, 40% of fathers worked 488 hours or more a week, 2011. 31%
• Fathers working less at weekends and evenings: in 2001, 67% whereas 2011 50%

Question 65

Define an economic hub

Answer 65

• Places where economic activity is concentrated e.g. they often have lots of businesses.
• They have economic influence beyond the hub itself, for example companies located in the hub may trade with companies in other countries.
• Economic hubs occur at a range of scales e.g. they can be an entire region, a town or city. or a single street within a city

Question 66

Give an example of an economic hub in a region

Answer 66

• South Wales is home to lots of new digital and media companies, which are rapidly increasing their takings and staff numbers.
• This is helping to boss the economy of Wales and the UK as a whole.

Question 67

Give an example of an economic hub in a city

Answer 67

• London is an economic hub for the UK, and has a global economic influence.
  e.g. through trade and financial markets.
• The headquarters of many banks and other businesses (both UK-based and global) are located there
• The city creates 22% of the UK’s GDP.

Question 68

Give an example of an economic hub in a part of a city

Answer 68

• Electric Works, a large office building in central Sheffield, is home to many digital, creative and media companies.

Question 69

What kind of industries do many of the main economic hubs in the UK have a high concentration of and where are they based?

Answer 69

* Many of the main economic hubs in the UK have a high concentration of tertiary and quaternary industries
* These are often based in cities, or in science or business parks on the outskirts of cities where there are good transport links and links with universities.

Question 70

Where are economic hubs concentrated in the UK?

Answer 70

• Economic hubs are concentrated in the south east of England cities like London.
• Brighton and Cambridge are experiencing more rapid growth in new businesses and jobs than cities elsewhere in the UK.
• However, the UK government is encouraging investment outside the south-east, and many companies are setting up sites in other areas.

Question 71

List some core economic hubs in the UK

Answer 71

• Glasgow, Belfast, Salford, Birmingham, South Wales, London, Oxfordshire

Question 72

What is the economy like in Wales compared to the UK?

Answer 72

• Wales is less wealthy than the UK as a whole.
• However, South Wales is much richer than other parts of Wales
  e.g. GDP per capita in Cardiff is £22 000 compared to £15 500 in Wales as a whole.

Question 73

What is the difference in wealth between South Wales and the rest of Wales caused by?

Answer 73

• The difference in wealth between South Wales and the rest of Wales is caused by the large number of companies that have located in the south, and the high number of visitors the area attracts:
• Manufacturing e.g. Ford cars have a production plant in Bridgend that employs about 2000 people.
• Services e.g. insurance providers Admiral have their headquarters in Cardiff, as well as offices in Newport and Swansea, and employ over 5000 people in South Wales.
• Digital - digital companies in South Wales grew by 87% between 2010 and 2013 much faster than in the UK as a whole. Techhub in Swansea was set up in 2016 to provide office space networking opportunities and advice for new digital companies
• Media - over 50 000 people are employed in media and creative industries in Wales as a whole, with the highest concentration in South Wales. The head office of BBC Cymru Wales is in Cardiff. and programmes made there, such as Doctor Who and Casualty, are exported worldwide .
• Tourism -600 000 people visit Cardiff each year, contributing 1130 million to the local economy.

Question 74

What is the problem with most companies being based in the cities?

Answer 74

*Most companies are based in the cities - this creates inequalities in wealth between the cities and surrounding areas.

Question 75

What are the positive effects of economic growth in South Wales?

Answer 75

• Growth has a positive effect on the whole region by creating jobs, attracting visitors and prompting further development, e.g. out-of-town shopping centres.
• Through business investment, employment and exports, South Wales contributes significantly to the economy of Wales and theUK as a whole.

Question 76

How has South Wales economic growth impacted the region?

Answer 76

• Economic growth in South Wales has had environmental impacts on the region.
• For example, various manufacturing industries have been built on wetlands at Wentlong in south Newport, damaging natural habitats.

Question 77

When did South Wales first become an economic hub and what was its economy based on?

Answer 77

• South Wales first became an economic hub in the 18th century.
• For much of the 18th and 19th centuries, its economy was based on goal mining and ironmaking.
• Canals and rail networks were built to transport coal and iron to the docks in Cardiff, Swansea and Newport, to be exported.
• Lots of people moved to the cities of South Wales for work, and the area became quite wealthy.

2 in the 20th century, coal mining and ironworking in South Wales declined due to overseas competition.

Unemployment levels were high, and many people lived in poverty.

3)In the 1990s, the different parts of the region started to work together more to achieve economic growth They aimed to improve transport networks, attract businesses, increase skills and draw visitors to the area.
The European Union (EU gave millions of pounds of funding to help South Wales develop, e.g. nearly £4 million to construct the National Waterfront Museum in Swansea and nearly £90 million to improve the A465 between Hereford and Swansea and improve the accessibility of South Wales.

4)This has helped to attract private investors, including lots of high tech companies, to the region, making it the economic hub it is now. These industries are likely to expand in the future, driving further economic growth in South Wales.

Question 78

Define a media product

Answer 78

• Media products are things like films, TV and radio shows, music and books.



Question 79

How has media products contributed to the UK’s economy?

Answer 79

• In 2012, media industries employed nearly 1.7 million people and exported over £17 billion of products worldwide.

Question 80

List examples of media products that have been exported from the UK

Answer 80

• TV drama series
• TV reality shows
• Films
• Music
• Books

Question 81

Give an example of a TV drama series that has been exported from the UK

Answer 81

• ‘Downton Abbey’ is watched by around 120 million people in more than 100 countries, including the USA and China.

Question 82

Give an example of a TV reality show that has been exported from the UK

Answer 82

• ‘The X Factor UK’ is watched by more than 360 million people in 147 territories, and 51 countries have produced their own national version.

Question 83

Give an example of a film that has been exported from the UK

Answer 83

• UK films are distributed all over the world, but are most popular in New Zealand, Australia and Europe.
• For example, ‘The King’s Speech’ took over US $400 million at the box office, of which two-thirds was outside the UK.

Question 84

Give an example of music that has been exported from the UK

Answer 84

• UK artists account for nearly 14% of global album sales each year.
• Adele, Ed Sheeran and One Direction were three of the biggest-selling artists in the world in 2015.

Question 85

Give an example of a book that has been exported from the UK

Answer 85

• ‘The Harry Potter’ series by J. K. Rowling has been translated into 68 languages and has sold more than 400 million copies in more than 200 territories

Question 86

How have UK’s media exports influenced people globally?

Answer 86

• Most exported UK media are in English, so people in other countries develop a better understanding of the English language. However, the accents and phrases they learn may not be representative of the UK as a whole.
• The different lifestyles, values and beliefs of UK residents become more widely known and understood. However, this can be misleading - e.g. most people in the UK don’t have servants or live in a house like Downton Abbey.
• Media exports affect the way the UK is perceived in other countries - e.g. in some films and TV shows it is portrayed as an ugly, industrial country, while in others it is shown as scenic and rural.
• Seeing the UK portrayed positively in different media makes people want to come here either to work, to study or just to visit. For example, tourism in the UK increased after the 2012 Olympic Games in London, which was broadcast on TV around the world.
• Exports of similar media products may increase, strengthening the UK’s economic influence.
  UK media exports can inspire people or companies in other countries to create or develop new media products - e.g. the quiz show ‘The Weakest Link” started in the UK but the format was bought by more than 40 other countries, including the USA, Australia and France.
• Some people copy the clothes or hairstyles of celebrities they admire, so British celebrities have an impact on fashion around the world, and can boost sales of products that they use or endorse.

Question 87

How has ethnic groups influenced life and culture in the UK?

Answer 87

• The UK is a multicultural country - for centuries, people have moved here from all over the world. High proportions of ethnic minorities come from India, Pakistan and Africa.
• People moving to the UK bring their own culture, which they share
  e.g. by setting up businesses such as shops and restaurants or building religious centres
  *People from the same ethnic background often settle in the same area of a city, creating a distinctive character in that area (because of e.g. the architecture and types of businesses that people create there).
• Ethnic groups have influenced food, media and fashion in the UK:

Question 88

How has ethnic groups influenced food in the UK?

Answer 88

* Food that originates in other countries has become a staple for many Brits
e.g. curry and pizza.
* Restaurants producing authentic ethnic food are popular with people of that ethnic background, and of many other ethnic backgrounds, including white British people.
* Different national dishes need different ingredients, so shops specialising in those ingredients often open in areas with a high number of people from a particular ethnic background
e.g. London Road in Sheffield has a large Asian community, and lots of shops selling Indian and Chinese produce.
In recent years, mainstream supermarkets have increased the amount of ethnic food that they sell - many large supermarkets have a ‘world food’ aisle, and even small supermarkets offer ready-made curry paste, noodles and other ingredients for ethnic dishes.

Question 89

How has ethnic groups influenced media in the UK?

Answer 89

• People from ethnic minorities have made the media scene in the UK more diverse.
• This has helped different groups to understand and empathise with each other. For example:
• People from ethnic minorities have written, acted in and produced a number of successful TV shows, such as ‘The Kumars’ and ‘Youngers’.
• Music styles including soul, reggae and dubstep all have roots in Black African and Caribbean music. They have been extremely influential in shaping music in the UK.
• Authors from other cultures write books exploring their heritage or experiences in the UK, e.g. ‘Yoruba Girl Dancing’ by Nigerian writer Simi Bedford.
• There have been numerous crossovers between traditional British culture and ethnic culture e.g. several Shakespeare plays, including ‘Hamlet, have been performed as Bollywood musicals.

Question 90

How has ethnic groups influenced fashion in the UK?

Answer 90

• In areas with a high population of people from an ethnic minority background, shops selling traditional clothes for those countries are likely to open. E.g. Stratford Road in Birmingham has a lot of shops selling saris and other traditional Indian clothes.
  As these clothes become more common, people from other cultures start to wear them.
• Asian and middle-eastern fashion has become popular in the UK
  e.g. harem trousers and kaftans
• Fashion houses and high-street shops start to sell their own versions of these clothes, often combining traditional and UK styles
  e.g. Indonesian-style batik prints on strapless tops.
• Hair styles are also influenced by other cultures -
  e.g. dreadlocks were popularised by Jamaican people, and are now worn by lots of white British people.