CAIE IGCSE Geography 0460 Theory Notes

Theme 1: Population and Settlement

Population Dynamics

• World Population Trends: Increasing daily.
• Population States:
  1. Overpopulation: More people than resources.
  2. Underpopulation: Fewer people than resources.
  3. Optimum Population: Balance between people and resources.
• Key Terms:
  • Birth Rate: Average births per 1000 people annually.
  • Death Rate: Average deaths per 1000 people annually.
  • Natural Increase: Birth rate minus death rate.

Population Change

• Migration: Movement from one place to another.
• Natural Population Change: Birth rate minus death rate.

Migration

• Key Terms:
  • Immigrants: Permanent arrivals in a country.
  • Emigrants: Permanent departures from a country.
  • Net Migration: Immigrants minus emigrants.
• Types:
  • Internal/International
  • Temporary/Permanent
  • Voluntary/Involuntary
  • Refugees/Asylum Seekers
• Reasons:
  • Push Factors: Reasons to leave origin.
  • Pull Factors: Attractions to destination.

Impacts of Migration

• Origin Country: E.g., reduced labor force, brain drain.
• Destination Country: E.g., labor shortage solutions, cultural diversity.
• Migrants: Improved opportunities vs. challenges like discrimination.

Population Structure

• Key Terms:
  • Ageing Population: People over 60.
  • Dependent Population: Non-working age groups.
• Population Pyramid: Age and sex distribution chart.

Population Density & Distribution

• Key Terms:
  • Population Density: People per unit area.
  • Sparsely/Densely Populated: Low vs. high density.
• Influencing Factors: Physical, economic, social, political.

Settlements and Service Provision

• Settlement Patterns:
  • Site: Physical location characteristics.
  • Situation: Relation to nearby features and settlements.
  • Influences: Water supply, defense, resources, climate.
• Hierarchy of Settlements:
  • Based on population size, services, number of settlements.

Urban Settlements

• CBD (Central Business District):
  • Functions: Retail, entertainment, financial services.
  • Issues: Congestion, pollution.
• Other Urban Areas:
  • Inner-city, suburbia, outer-city estates, rural-urban fringe.

Urban Growth and Issues

• Urban Growth/Sprawl: Expansion into rural-urban fringe.
• Problems: Overcrowding, pollution, loss of vegetation.

Urbanisation

• Rural-Urban Migration: Movement from countryside to cities.
• Factors: Better transport, job prospects, resources.
• Squatter Settlements: High-density informal housing areas.

Rural-Urban Migration Challenges

• Push/Pull Factors: Economic prospects, quality of life.
• Squatter Settlements: Lack of infrastructure, high density.