Population Unit

Topic Key Points Case Studies/Examples

1. Population Know the definitions of, and be able to use: No specific case study BUT you
Indicators  Natural Increase – Birth Rate, Death Rate, Fertility need to be able to look at the
Rate, Mortality Rate, Infant Mortality. statistics of a country and
 Migration – Net Immigration, Net Emigration, comment on the indicators
 Other key population terms: Life Expectancy, Literacy opposite, using these to explain
Rate, Population Density (Dense & Sparse) the state of development in the
country.
The two main components of population change are
NAATURAL INCREASE and MIGRATION
E.g. you could explain how population growth is like a bath.

The Total Fertility Replacement level (TFR)- Every SPAIN – Population growth was
country has one of these to indicate the growth needed to not meeting the TFR and so the
sustain a population – i.e. how many children must each country had to encourage
women of fertile age have in their lifetime. migration.

Notes of TFR – Page 357 of the Monster book. SINGAPORE – Need to meet the
TFR, so Prime Minister Lee has
brought in many incentives to
increase the BR.

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 344-346 of the Monster book.

Pages 120-125 of Ross (superb!)

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.
 Try pages 103-104 of Ross.
 Pages 350 – 352 of the Monster book.
Pages 107-109 of Ross.

4. Population Be able to sketch a typical LEDC & MEDC pyramid.
Pyramids  Comment on the BR, DR, Life Expectancy, balance
of males : females.
 Dependency Ratio – The number of economically
active per young & elderly dependent.
 Be able to comment on the overall shape.
 Infant Mortality – Does the pyramid suddenly narrow
after the first cohort?
No specific examples, but you
must be able to look at statistics
of a country and be able to
sketch a population pyramid for
it, also stating which stage of the
DTM it is in.

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 353 – 354 of the Monster book

Pages 110 – 111 of Ross.
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.
Any MEDC (e.g. UK, Germany)
Try page 112 of Ross to see the impact on the UK. can be used.

China? – By limiting the birth

rate of a country does that
increase the number of elderly
dependents?
6. Population- Overpopulation – Total population exceeds amount of
Resource resources (e.g. food, housing, water)
relationships  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.

Consider the possible impacts of overpopulation on a country

and how it would reduce the development.

Be able to apply the Carrying Capacity of a country to

population growth – The largest population that an area can
support based on the environment and amount of resources.
 The Instantaneous Adjustment – Rapid checks made
by a country to limit population growth.
 The Gradual ‘S’ curve – Changes made before the
population ceiling is reached.
 Fluctuating ‘J’ curve – Changes made once
overpopulation has been reached – Sudden changes can
cause significant fluctuations in the population growth
rate.
 Use pages 376 – 379 in the Monster book to look at
this.
 Pages 114 – 115 of Ross.
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 pages 380-383 of Monster book to get additional info.

Be able to sketch population pyramids of before and after the
OCP.

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!)