Population Unit

Topic Key Points Case Studies/Examples

1. Population Know the definitions of, and be able to use:
Indicators  Natural Increase – Birth Rate, Death Rate, Fertility
Rate, Mortality Rate, Infant Mortality.
 Migration – Net Immigration, Net Emigration,
 Other key population terms: Life Expectancy, Literacy
Rate, Population Density (Dense & Sparse)

The two main parts to population change are NATURAL

INCREASE and MIGRATION

E.g. you could explain how population growth is like a bath.

Know that the world’s population has ‘EXPLODED’ over time,

particularly in LEDCs:
 Know why LEDCs have high Birth Rates.
 Know why MEDCs have a higher life expectancy and
lower death rates.
 Look at pages 10-11 for help on this.

2. Population Know the definitions of Sparse and Dense populations: No specific case study required,
Distribution  Remember it has to be per area (usually 1km2). but you must be able to look at a
 These describe population density. map and comment on the density
and distribution of a population.
Population Distribution shows spatial distributions – i.e. Use the textbooks to practice
how a population is distributed across an area. this.
 Know the advantages of the Choropoleth, Dot and Size-dot
methods.

 Pages 4-5
 Make sure you know the physical (natural) and human
factors that cause sparse and dense populations.

3. Demographic Know what is – Shows the demographics (population changes) No specific examples, but you
Transition Model of a country as it develops over time. must be able to look at figures of
(DTM) a country and be able to roughly
5 Stages – High Stationary, Early Expanding, Late picture its position on the DTM,
Expanding, Low Stationary and the Ageing Population and be able to explain it.
Stage.
 For each, comment on the BR, DR, Total Population & Be able to draw a population
the rate of change (i.e. is there a rapid pyramid for each stage and
increase/decrease?) annotate it using:
 You should be able to explain each stage (e.g. Low BR  Life Expectancy
because of improved family planning and more career  Birth rate
minded women).  Death rate
You need to be able to draw it from memory, and be able to  Dependency Ratio
give at least 2 example countries for each stage.  Gender balance
 Evidence of migration?
Know and understand the development indicators which
increase the development of a country and increase it along
the DTM
 HDI – Education (literacy rate), Wealth (GDP) & Health
(Access to medical care, sanitation etc).
 Changing role of women – A very important factor.
 Pages 6-7 are very good.
4. Population Be able to sketch a typical LEDC & MEDC pyramid. No specific examples, but you
Pyramids  Comment on the BR, DR, Life Expectancy, balance must be able to look at statistics
of males : females. of a country and be able to
 Dependency Ratio – The number of economically sketch a population pyramid for
active per young & elderly dependent. it, also stating which stage of the
 Be able to comment on the overall shape. DTM it is in.
 Infant Mortality – Does the pyramid suddenly narrow
after the first cohort?

Link each stage of the DTM to a population pyramid shape,

and be able to explain the shape of the pyramid based on the
theory from the DTM.

Be able to use the word cohort – age group.

Although we studied it after, make sure you are able to show

the impacts of migration on both SOURCE and HOST
population pyramids and be able to explain the change in
shapes, AND the environmental, economic, social and
demographic impacts this will have!

 Pages 8-9
5. Ageing Stage 5 of the DTM – Birth Rate falls below death rate. Spain – TFR level is not being
Populations met
MEDCs - Due to development of technology, quality of life,  Govt encouraged
services etc. the life expectancy of these countries is migration.
increasing.  BUT only received elderly
 Does this affect BR levels aswell as DR? dependents who moved
 This increases the dependency level on the elderly side into enclaves.
– What are the impacts of this on society?  More pressure on the
 population.
What are the environmental, economic, social and  Forced Spain to adopt strict
demographic impacts of an ageing population (both positive immigration laws.
and negative) on a country? Make sure you can list these.

 Pages 14-15 are brilliant for Ageing Populations.

6. Overpopulaton Overpopulation – Total population exceeds amount of

resources (e.g. food, housing, water)
 Population-resource imbalance which hinders
development.
 Thomas Malthus said that population grows
exponentially/geometrically (1,2,4,8…) but food
increases at an arithmetic rate (1,2,3,4…). Point of
overpopulation is when population exceeds the
resources.
 Esther Boserup – Optimistic – Declared that humans
would develop new technologies which will increase
resource supply (especially food).
 Club of Rome – Said that issues such as war, natural
disasters, climate change, will reduce the population
and therefore the imbalance wouldn’t be as significant.
 Use page 12 to remind yourself.

7. The One Child China (LEDC) – Make sure you state the location!
Policy  Originally Pro-Natalist up until the 1970s, when they
calculated the Optimum population incorrectly.
 Population had doubled in 40 years to 1.13 billion.
 China tried to encourage people to have “Later, longer,
fewer” or Wan Xi Shao.
  Didn’t work – So the One Child Policy was introduced –
Anti-Natal policy.
 Know what the rules & incentives are. Give examples.
 You must be able to describe (and show) the changes
on the structure after the policy was introduced.

The OCP worked! But at a cost….

 The BR was slowed down.
 Economic, demographic and social (ethical) implications
accompanied the change in BR.

Use page 13 to have a look at the case study more.

There are normally 3 types of question for this:

1. Describe why China needed to change the laws on

population.
2. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the policy.
3. Describe & explain what China did to control a growing
population (Sanctions & incentives!)