Population

1. Population Dynamics-2. Population Growth3. Population Structure

4. Managing Rapid Population Growth 5. Ageing Populations

6. Migration/International Migration 7. Managing International Migration

Case study

China has a strict birth control programme...China has the largest population of any country in the world,

therefore the ‘one child policy’ was introduced in 1979. Couples who only have one child are given benefits such as longer maternity leave, better housing and a free education for the child. However couples who have more than one child don’t get any benefits and are also fined part of their income. This policy has prevented up to 400 million births. I think this policy has helped towards a sustainable development-the population hasn’t grown as fast and as big as it would have done without the policy, so fewer resources have been used.

UK’s Ageing population’s Problems & Solutions

Problems:

More elderly people are living in poverty-the working population isn’t large enough to pay for a decent pension, and many people don’t have other savings.

The health service is under pressure because older people need more medical care than younger people do. E.g. in 2005, the average stay in hospital for people over 75 was 13 nights, but for the whole of the UK the average stay was only 8 nights.

Solutions:

Raise the retirement age-it is currently 65 in the UK for men and 60 for women. This is going to change, so by 2046 it will be 68 for everyone. People will have to work for longer, so there will be more people paying tax and fewer claiming a pension.

Encourage people to take out private pensions-the government gives tax breaks for some types of private pension. With private pensions, people won’t be so dependent on the state pension.

Case study- There are economic migrations from Poland to the UK

Push factors:• High unemployment-about 19%.• Low average wages-about one third f the average EU wage.• Housing shortages-just over 300 dwellings for every 1000 people.

Pull Factors:• Ease of migrations- the UK allowed unlimited migration on 2004. • More work and higher wages- wages in the UK were higher and there was a big demand for tradesmen, e.g. plumbers.• Good exchange rate-the pound was worth a lot of polish currency, so sending a few pounds back to Poland made a big

difference to family at home. • Impacts in Poland:• Poland’s population fell (0.3% between 2003-2007), and the birth rate fell as most people who left were young.• There was a shortage of workers in Poland slowing the growth of the economy.• The polish economy was boosted by the money sent home from emigrants.• Impacts in the UK:• The UK population went up slightly• Immigration boosted the UK economy, but a lot of the money earned in the UK was sent home.• New shops selling Polish products opened to serve Polish communities.• Many Polish are catholic so attendance at Catholic churches went up.

Case study-The UK has now changed how it manages immigration

As a result of Economic migration from Poland to the UK, the UK has had to change how it manages immigration.

Immigrants from Poland entering the UK aren’t limited in number, but they do have to register the worker registration scheme if they want to work in the UK

This lets the UK Border Agency monitor how many people are coming into the country, what type of work they’re doing and the effect this is having on the UK economy.

The large numbers of polish immigrants entering the UK led to some complaints-some people thought the resources in the UK wouldn’t be able to cope with all the new people, e.g. there wouldn’t be enough jobs or housing to go around.

In response to this, the government tightened the control of migration from some of the newer EU states. An example would be: immigrants from the two newest EU states, Bulgaria and Romania, have to get permission from the home office to work in the UK (and this is only granted for certain types of jobs).

Example countries: No countries, |Gambia | Egypt | UK, USA | Japan some Tribes | | | | in Brazil | | | |

KEY WORDS/PHRASES

• Birth/Death rate affect the population size of the world.

• Population structure of a country is how many people there are of each age group in the population and how many there are of each sex

• A country’s population structure changes as it develops.

• Ageing population is when the median age of a country or region rises.

• Population=total number of people living in an area.• Population distribution=the way in which people are spread across a particular area. The scale of this can be local, regional or global.• Patterns of population distribution tend to be uneven. Some areas are densely populated (crowded), while others are sparsely populated

(few people).• Population density=the average number of people living in a square kilometre.• Calculating population density: Population density = total population (divided by) total land area (km ,squared,)• Countries with a high population density can be either MEDC’s or LEDC’s. LEDC’s often have low population densities as many people live in

small rural communities. • The world is made up of many different types of environments. Some of these environments attract settlers, while others repel (discourage)

settlers. • Factors attracting settlers:1. Temperature climate2. Low-lying areas3. Supplies of natural resources

Factors repelling settlers:4. Extreme climates5. Mountainous areas6. Vegetation

• Population density is an average figure and it can hide differences in population density within a country or region.

• The world’s population is growing rapidly.• The world’s population is growing rapidly because birth rates are still very

high in LEDC’s, while death rates are falling across the world. • Three causes of population change:1. Births-measured using the birth rate (number of live births per 1000 of the

population).2. Deaths-measured using the death rate (number of deaths per 1000 of the

population).3. Migration-the movement of people in and out of a country.• The difference between the birth rate and death rate of a country is called

the rate of natural population increase.• Population growth rates are highest in LEDC’s, where birth rates are high

but death rates are beginning to fall. Death rates are falling due to global improvements in health and medicine.

• Population structure shows how the population of an area is divided up between males and females of different age groups.

• Population pyramids are used to show population structures. • The population pyramid gives us information about birth

rates, death rates and life expectancy in a country or settlement.

• Population pyramids can change over time, e.g. Over two hundred years ago the UK had a population pyramid with a wide base and a narrow tip, just like the population structure of many LEDC’s today. Although now it is different.

The population of most LEDC’s is rising rapidly. Causes for high birth rates in LEDC’s are:• Limited education about family planning• Maybe traditional to have large families• Children maybe needed to earn money or farm the land-to help

the family (to be able to afford food)The high rate of population growth in LEDC’s means there are

many young dependants. This is a problem because as they grow older, these dependents will need housing, healthcare and employment.

The governments and aid charities in LEDC’s want to reduce birth rates and slow down the rate of population growth.

Case study-managing population growth in Tanzania

Tanzania is one of the poorest countries in the world, it has a total population of 36.2 million.

Tanzania has a natural increase of population.

In Derada is a village where there are many large families, with lots of young children dying before their fifth birthday. The use of contraception is not traditionally acceptable.

A local health clinic has been built where children are vaccinated against childhood diseases. These changes by local authorities and charities have meant that the rates of infant mortality (infant deaths) have fallen and also there are smaller families. This results in children being able to complete their education.

Case Study-population change in the UK

The population growth rates in most MEDC’s is stable (they tend to have low birth rates and low death rates).

One of the biggest issues facing MEDC’s is the problem of an ageing population.

As modern health care becomes more and more advanced and the standard of living in MEDC’s rises, people are living longer.

Types of migration:• Internal migration-when people move within a

region or country.• International migration-when people move from

one country to another.• Voluntary migration-when people choose to

move, perhaps for a better lifestyle or job.• Forced migration-when people are forced to move

home, perhaps due to a natural hazard or war.

• Emigration-when someone leaves a country• Immigration-when someone moves into a

country• Refugees are people who have been forced to

leave their own country, usually because of war or political/religious conflict, or natural hazards e.g. Floods.

• Migration-can be temporary or permanent

Examples of push/pull factors:Push Factors-• Unemployment• Crop failure• Lack of services/facilities• Drought• Flooding• War • PovertyPull Factors:• Employment opportunities• Better housing• Better services/facilities• Better education and healthcare

REVISION TIPS

• Describe: say what you see• Explain: say why it is like that