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BCS Written Geography study materials
BCS Written Geography study resources

BCS Written Geography practice questions

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Question 1Physical Geography (geomorphology, climatology, oceanography, biogeography)

Which layer of the atmosphere contains the ozone layer that absorbs most ultraviolet radiation?

  1. Thermosphere
  2. Stratosphere Correct answer.
  3. Mesosphere
  4. Troposphere

Explanation

The ozone layer lies mainly within the stratosphere, where ozone molecules absorb harmful ultraviolet radiation from the Sun. This absorption warms the stratosphere and creates a temperature inversion that stabilizes the layer. Weather phenomena are confined to the troposphere below it.

Question 2Physical Geography (geomorphology, climatology, oceanography, biogeography)

A river flowing across a gently sloping plain deposits sediment that builds a broad, fan-shaped landform where it leaves a mountain front. What is this feature called?

  1. Delta
  2. Alluvial fan Correct answer.
  3. Levee
  4. Oxbow lake

Explanation

When a stream exits a steep mountain channel onto flatter ground, its velocity drops abruptly and sediment spreads out in a fan shape. This depositional feature is an alluvial fan. Deltas form where rivers enter standing water, not at a mountain front.

Question 3Physical Geography (geomorphology, climatology, oceanography, biogeography)

Which type of plate boundary is associated with the formation of new oceanic crust along mid-ocean ridges?

  1. Convergent boundary
  2. Subduction zone
  3. Divergent boundary Correct answer.
  4. Transform boundary

Explanation

At divergent boundaries, tectonic plates move apart and magma rises to fill the gap, cooling to form new oceanic crust. Mid-ocean ridges are the classic example of this seafloor spreading. Convergent and transform boundaries involve collision or lateral sliding rather than crust creation.

Question 4Physical Geography (geomorphology, climatology, oceanography, biogeography)

What primarily drives the global pattern of surface ocean currents?

  1. Tidal forces from the Moon alone
  2. Salinity differences at the poles only
  3. Undersea volcanic activity
  4. Prevailing winds and the Coriolis effect Correct answer.

Explanation

Surface currents are driven mainly by prevailing winds pushing the water, with the Coriolis effect deflecting the flow to the right in the Northern Hemisphere and left in the Southern. Together these produce the large gyres. Tides and deep density differences play separate roles.

Question 5Physical Geography (geomorphology, climatology, oceanography, biogeography)

Which biome is characterized by permafrost, low shrubs, and a short growing season?

  1. Tropical rainforest
  2. Temperate deciduous forest
  3. Savanna
  4. Tundra Correct answer.

Explanation

The tundra occurs in high latitudes where temperatures are low, permafrost underlies the soil, and the growing season is very short. Vegetation is limited to mosses, lichens, and low shrubs. Warmer biomes have longer seasons and taller vegetation.

Question 6Physical Geography (geomorphology, climatology, oceanography, biogeography)

The process by which water vapor changes directly into ice crystals without passing through a liquid stage is called:

  1. Condensation
  2. Deposition Correct answer.
  3. Evaporation
  4. Sublimation

Explanation

Deposition is the phase change from vapor directly to solid, forming frost or ice crystals in clouds. It releases latent heat, which is important in the formation of cirrus clouds. Sublimation is the reverse process.

Question 7Physical Geography (geomorphology, climatology, oceanography, biogeography)

Which soil horizon is typically the uppermost mineral layer, rich in organic matter and dark in color?

  1. B horizon
  2. R horizon
  3. A horizon Correct answer.
  4. C horizon

Explanation

The A horizon is the surface mineral soil enriched with humus, giving it a dark color and high biological activity. It overlies the B subsoil and the weathered C horizon. The R horizon is unweathered bedrock.

Question 8Physical Geography (geomorphology, climatology, oceanography, biogeography)

What is the name of the line on a map joining points of equal atmospheric pressure?

  1. Contour
  2. Isotherm
  3. Isohyet
  4. Isobar Correct answer.

Explanation

Isobars connect locations of equal pressure and reveal the shape of pressure systems such as highs and lows. Their spacing indicates the pressure gradient and hence wind strength. Other isolines represent different variables.

Question 9Physical Geography (geomorphology, climatology, oceanography, biogeography)

A coastal area experiences high and low tides twice each day. Which factor best explains this semidiurnal pattern?

  1. Seasonal changes in wind direction
  2. The melting of polar ice sheets
  3. The rotation of the Earth beneath two tidal bulges Correct answer.
  4. Variations in ocean salinity

Explanation

The Moon and Sun raise tidal bulges, and as the Earth rotates a given coast passes through two bulges and two troughs each lunar day. This produces two high and two low tides, known as a semidiurnal pattern. Wind, ice, and salinity do not create this rhythm.

Question 10Physical Geography (geomorphology, climatology, oceanography, biogeography)

A parcel of air at 20 degrees Celsius with a relative humidity of 50 percent is warmed without adding moisture. What happens to its relative humidity?

  1. It increases
  2. It decreases Correct answer.
  3. It stays the same
  4. It rises to 100 percent

Explanation

Relative humidity is the ratio of actual vapor to the saturation capacity at a given temperature. Warming the air raises its capacity to hold vapor while the actual moisture stays constant, so relative humidity falls. The absolute humidity is unchanged.

Question 11Physical Geography (geomorphology, climatology, oceanography, biogeography)

Which condition favors the formation of a tropical cyclone?

  1. Warm sea surface temperatures and low vertical wind shear Correct answer.
  2. High pressure over a cold landmass
  3. Strong vertical wind shear and dry air
  4. Cold ocean water and strong upper-level winds

Explanation

Tropical cyclones draw energy from warm ocean water, typically above about 26 to 27 degrees Celsius, and require low vertical wind shear so the storm column stays vertically aligned. Cold water and strong shear disrupt development.

Question 12Physical Geography (geomorphology, climatology, oceanography, biogeography)

A meander in a river is eventually cut off from the main channel. The resulting crescent-shaped body of water is known as:

  1. A delta
  2. An oxbow lake Correct answer.
  3. A floodplain
  4. A gorge

Explanation

Erosion on the outer bank and deposition on the inner bank cause meanders to migrate until the neck is breached. The abandoned loop becomes an oxbow lake. Deltas and gorges form under different processes.

Question 13Physical Geography (geomorphology, climatology, oceanography, biogeography)

Which type of weathering involves the breakdown of rock by chemical reaction with water and dissolved carbon dioxide?

  1. Abrasion
  2. Frost wedging
  3. Exfoliation
  4. Carbonation Correct answer.

Explanation

Carbonation occurs when carbon dioxide dissolved in water forms weak carbonic acid, which reacts with minerals such as calcite in limestone and dissolves them. Frost wedging, exfoliation, and abrasion are physical processes.

Question 14Physical Geography (geomorphology, climatology, oceanography, biogeography)

A wind blowing from the sea toward the land during the day is best explained by:

  1. Seasonal migration of the ITCZ
  2. Differential heating of land and sea Correct answer.
  3. The rotation of the Moon
  4. The Coriolis effect alone

Explanation

Land heats faster than water during the day, so air over land rises and cooler air flows in from the sea, creating a sea breeze. At night the pattern reverses. This is a thermal circulation driven by differential heating.

Question 15Physical Geography (geomorphology, climatology, oceanography, biogeography)

Which ocean zone receives enough sunlight for photosynthesis to occur?

  1. Aphotic zone
  2. Benthic zone
  3. Photic zone Correct answer.
  4. Abyssal zone

Explanation

The photic zone is the sunlit upper layer of the ocean where light penetrates sufficiently for photosynthesis by phytoplankton and algae. Below it the aphotic zone receives too little light. The abyssal and benthic zones refer to depth and seafloor position.

Question 16Physical Geography (geomorphology, climatology, oceanography, biogeography)

A species of bird has a beak shape well suited to extracting nectar from deep flowers. This is an example of:

  1. A population bottleneck
  2. A morphological adaptation Correct answer.
  3. A behavioral migration
  4. A symbiotic relationship

Explanation

A physical structure that improves survival and reproduction in a particular environment is a morphological adaptation. The beak shape is an inherited physical trait matching a food source. Migration and symbiosis describe behavior and interactions, not physical form.

Question 17Physical Geography (geomorphology, climatology, oceanography, biogeography)

Which factor most strongly controls the rate of chemical weathering in a warm, humid climate?

  1. Rapid tectonic uplift alone
  2. Abundant moisture and high temperature Correct answer.
  3. Low rainfall and freezing temperatures
  4. High wind velocity

Explanation

Chemical reactions proceed faster at higher temperatures, and moisture supplies the water needed for hydrolysis and solution. Warm, humid climates therefore promote rapid chemical weathering and deep soils. Cold, dry conditions slow these reactions.

Question 18Physical Geography (geomorphology, climatology, oceanography, biogeography)

A mountain range forces moist air to rise, cooling it and producing heavy rain on the windward side. Which term describes the dry downwind side?

  1. Jet stream
  2. ITCZ
  3. Monsoon
  4. Rain shadow Correct answer.

Explanation

As air rises over a mountain barrier it cools and loses moisture as precipitation on the windward slope. Descending on the leeward side, the air warms and dries, creating a rain shadow. The other terms describe broader atmospheric systems.

Question 19Physical Geography (geomorphology, climatology, oceanography, biogeography)

Which process transfers heat through the bulk movement of a fluid such as air or water?

  1. Conduction
  2. Convection Correct answer.
  3. Reflection
  4. Radiation

Explanation

Convection moves heat by the physical circulation of a fluid, as warm air or water rises and cooler fluid sinks. Conduction transfers heat through direct molecular contact, and radiation travels as electromagnetic waves. Reflection returns radiation without heating the fluid.

Question 20Physical Geography (geomorphology, climatology, oceanography, biogeography)

A glacier advances down a valley, plucking and abrading bedrock. Which landform is most likely to be produced by this erosion?

  1. A U-shaped valley Correct answer.
  2. A stalactite
  3. An alluvial fan
  4. A sand dune

Explanation

Glacial erosion widens and deepens valleys into a characteristic U-shaped cross-section, with steep walls and a broad floor. Sand dunes are aeolian deposits, alluvial fans are fluvial deposits, and stalactites are cave formations.

Question 21Physical Geography (geomorphology, climatology, oceanography, biogeography)

Which of the following best describes the thermohaline circulation?

  1. A tidal current caused by lunar gravity
  2. A coastal upwelling caused by offshore winds
  3. A surface current driven mainly by prevailing winds
  4. A deep-ocean overturning driven by temperature and salinity differences Correct answer.

Explanation

Thermohaline circulation is the slow global overturning of the deep ocean driven by density differences arising from temperature and salinity. Cold, salty water sinks in high latitudes and flows through the deep basins before rising elsewhere. Wind-driven and tidal currents are separate systems.

Question 22Physical Geography (geomorphology, climatology, oceanography, biogeography)

An area has a mean annual temperature of 10 degrees Celsius and a mean annual precipitation of 1000 millimeters. Using the standard classification, which climate type does this most likely represent?

  1. Hot desert
  2. Polar tundra
  3. Tropical rainforest
  4. Temperate humid Correct answer.

Explanation

A moderate mean temperature around 10 degrees Celsius combined with ample annual precipitation of 1000 millimeters fits a temperate humid climate. Deserts receive far less rainfall, tundra is much colder, and tropical rainforests are much warmer.

Question 23Physical Geography (geomorphology, climatology, oceanography, biogeography)

In a river's long profile, why does the gradient typically decrease downstream while discharge increases?

  1. Sediment load blocks the channel upstream
  2. Tributaries add water as erosion reduces elevation Correct answer.
  3. Evaporation removes water along the channel
  4. Rainfall decreases toward the river mouth

Explanation

As a river flows downstream, tributaries add water and increase discharge, while erosion progressively lowers and smooths the channel gradient. The result is a concave long profile. Evaporation and sediment blocking do not explain this systematic pattern.

Question 24Physical Geography (geomorphology, climatology, oceanography, biogeography)

Why do tropical rainforests have high net primary productivity despite nutrient-poor soils?

  1. Seasonal dormancy that conserves nutrients
  2. Rapid decomposition and nutrient recycling in the warm, wet canopy Correct answer.
  3. Slow decomposition that stores nutrients in the soil
  4. Low rainfall limiting nutrient loss

Explanation

Warm, moist conditions speed decomposition, and dense root mats quickly reabsorb released nutrients, so most nutrients are held in living biomass rather than soil. This tight recycling supports high productivity on infertile soils. Slow decomposition and low rainfall would reduce, not sustain, such productivity.

Question 25Physical Geography (geomorphology, climatology, oceanography, biogeography)

A region has prevailing onshore winds, a warm offshore current, and a coastal mountain range. Which combination most favors high rainfall there?

  1. Offshore winds plus cold upwelling
  2. Onshore moisture plus orographic uplift Correct answer.
  3. Descending air plus high pressure
  4. Cold current plus low humidity

Explanation

Onshore winds carry moist air toward the coast, and the mountain range forces this air to rise, cool, and condense, producing heavy orographic rain. Offshore winds and cold upwelling tend to keep air dry and stable. High pressure suppresses uplift.

Question 26Physical Geography (geomorphology, climatology, oceanography, biogeography)

Which layer of the atmosphere contains the ozone layer that absorbs most ultraviolet radiation from the Sun?

  1. The stratosphere Correct answer.
  2. The thermosphere
  3. The mesosphere
  4. The troposphere

Explanation

Ozone is concentrated in the stratosphere, roughly 15 to 35 kilometres above the surface, where it absorbs ultraviolet light and warms the surrounding air. This absorption creates the temperature inversion that stabilises the stratosphere and separates it from the weather-active troposphere below.

Question 27Physical Geography (geomorphology, climatology, oceanography, biogeography)

Which type of plate boundary is most directly associated with the formation of a deep ocean trench?

  1. A hotspot located within a plate interior
  2. A transform boundary where plates slide past each other
  3. A convergent boundary where one plate subducts Correct answer.
  4. A divergent boundary at a mid-ocean ridge

Explanation

Where an oceanic plate meets another plate and descends beneath it, subduction bends the sea floor downward and produces a long, deep trench parallel to the volcanic arc. Divergent and transform boundaries create ridges and fracture zones rather than trenches.

Question 28Physical Geography (geomorphology, climatology, oceanography, biogeography)

What is the primary cause of the Coriolis effect on moving air and water?

  1. The friction between the fluid and the Earth's surface
  2. Differences in atmospheric pressure between latitudes
  3. The gravitational pull of the Moon
  4. The rotation of the Earth beneath a moving body Correct answer.

Explanation

Because the Earth rotates, a point at the equator moves faster eastward than a point near the pole. A body moving across latitudes therefore appears to curve relative to the surface, deflecting to the right in the Northern Hemisphere and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere.

Question 29Physical Geography (geomorphology, climatology, oceanography, biogeography)

Which term describes the total variety of life at genetic, species, and ecosystem levels within a defined area?

  1. Ecological succession
  2. Biodiversity Correct answer.
  3. Biomass
  4. Carrying capacity

Explanation

Biodiversity encompasses variation among genes, the number and abundance of species, and the range of ecosystems and ecological processes present. The other terms describe population limits, change over time, or the mass of living material rather than variety.

Question 30Physical Geography (geomorphology, climatology, oceanography, biogeography)

A river flows from a steep upland into a broad, flat plain. Which change in channel behaviour is most likely as it enters the plain?

  1. A steeper long profile and faster flow
  2. Increased vertical incision into bedrock
  3. A shift from deposition to pure downcutting
  4. Increased lateral erosion and meander development Correct answer.

Explanation

On a low-gradient plain the stream loses energy, so lateral erosion and deposition dominate and the channel begins to swing, forming meanders and floodplain deposits. Downcutting is characteristic of steep upland reaches where the stream has excess energy.

Question 31Physical Geography (geomorphology, climatology, oceanography, biogeography)

Why does a rain shadow form on the leeward side of a mountain range?

  1. Surface pressure is lower on the leeward side
  2. Solar heating is weaker on the leeward slope
  3. Air has lost most of its moisture while rising on the windward side Correct answer.
  4. Air cools more rapidly on the leeward side than on the windward side

Explanation

Moist air forced up the windward slope cools and condenses, releasing precipitation. Having lost much of its water, the air descends the leeward side, warms by compression, and arrives dry, so the leeward slopes receive little rain.

Question 32Physical Geography (geomorphology, climatology, oceanography, biogeography)

A sample of seawater has a salinity of 35 parts per thousand. Which process would most directly increase its salinity?

  1. Heavy rainfall over the surface
  2. Net evaporation exceeding precipitation and river input Correct answer.
  3. Inflow from a large river delta
  4. Rapid melting of nearby sea ice

Explanation

Salinity rises when water leaves as vapour but dissolved salts remain behind, so evaporation in excess of freshwater input concentrates the salts. Freshwater additions from rain, rivers, or melting ice dilute seawater and lower salinity.

Question 33Physical Geography (geomorphology, climatology, oceanography, biogeography)

Which soil-forming process best explains the accumulation of a hard, iron-rich layer in the B horizon of many tropical soils?

  1. Leaching of soluble material from the surface and precipitation at depth Correct answer.
  2. Wind deposition of fine silt over the surface
  3. Freezing and thawing that fractures bedrock
  4. Rapid accumulation of undecomposed leaf litter

Explanation

Heavy rainfall moves clays, iron, and aluminium downward from the upper horizons. When the water table or drying conditions change, these materials precipitate in the subsoil, sometimes forming a hardpan or lateritic layer.

Question 34Physical Geography (geomorphology, climatology, oceanography, biogeography)

A population of insects develops resistance to a pesticide after several years of repeated spraying. Which mechanism best explains this outcome?

  1. The pesticide causing beneficial mutations in each insect
  2. Natural selection acting on inherited variation within the population Correct answer.
  3. Migration of resistant insects from a distant region
  4. Individual insects learning to tolerate the chemical

Explanation

Repeated spraying removes susceptible individuals while those carrying inherited resistance survive and reproduce, so resistance alleles become more common over generations. This is directional selection driven by a strong selective pressure.

Question 35Physical Geography (geomorphology, climatology, oceanography, biogeography)

Which factor best explains why coastal upwelling zones support exceptionally productive fisheries?

  1. Salinity in the surface layer drops sharply
  2. Nutrient-rich water is brought to the sunlit surface layer Correct answer.
  3. Surface water becomes unusually warm and stable
  4. Tidal range in the area becomes very large

Explanation

Upwelling lifts cold water that is rich in nitrates and phosphates into the photic zone, where phytoplankton can use both the nutrients and sunlight. The resulting plankton bloom supports dense food webs and large fish stocks.

Question 36Physical Geography (geomorphology, climatology, oceanography, biogeography)

A region lies on the western coast of a continent at about 30 degrees latitude. Which climate is most likely to prevail there?

  1. Humid tropical conditions
  2. Polar tundra conditions
  3. Cool temperate rainforest conditions
  4. Hot desert conditions Correct answer.

Explanation

Near 30 degrees latitude, descending air in the subtropical high produces clear skies and little rainfall. Western coasts at this latitude are typically dry, and cool offshore currents further suppress rainfall, favouring desert climates.

Question 37Physical Geography (geomorphology, climatology, oceanography, biogeography)

Which feature of a drainage basin most strongly increases the risk of a flash flood after intense rainfall?

  1. A dense forest canopy across the catchment
  2. A large wetland area near the outlet
  3. Steep slopes with thin vegetation cover Correct answer.
  4. Gentle slopes with deep sandy soils

Explanation

Steep slopes shed water quickly and thin vegetation offers little interception or infiltration, so runoff reaches channels rapidly and raises peak discharge. Deep soils, wetlands, and forests store water and delay the flood peak.

Question 38Physical Geography (geomorphology, climatology, oceanography, biogeography)

In a mid-latitude cyclone, which sequence of weather is typically experienced as a warm front approaches and then passes?

  1. Brief heavy downpour, then sharply colder air
  2. Long period of light rain, then clearing with warmer air Correct answer.
  3. Persistent snow, then strong winds from the north
  4. Clear skies throughout, with no change in temperature

Explanation

A warm front has a shallow slope, so its cloud and rain band is broad and precipitation is steady and light. Behind the front, the advancing warm air mass brings higher temperatures and clearer conditions.

Question 39Physical Geography (geomorphology, climatology, oceanography, biogeography)

A glacier retreats from a valley, leaving a ridge of unsorted debris across the valley floor. Which landform has been formed?

  1. A terminal moraine Correct answer.
  2. A cirque
  3. An esker
  4. A drumlin

Explanation

Material carried and pushed by the ice margin is dumped as an unsorted ridge when the glacier pauses or retreats, forming a terminal moraine across the valley. Eskers are sorted deposits laid down by meltwater streams, and drumlins are streamlined forms shaped beneath moving ice.

Question 40Physical Geography (geomorphology, climatology, oceanography, biogeography)

Which combination best explains why the deep ocean below about 1000 metres remains cold and well supplied with oxygen?

  1. Deep water is heated by geothermal activity and oxygenated by volcanic gases
  2. Dense surface water sinks at high latitudes and spreads slowly at depth Correct answer.
  3. Warm surface water descends at the equator and cools with depth
  4. Deep currents rise rapidly to the surface and are replaced by warm water

Explanation

In polar regions, cold, salty water becomes dense enough to sink and form deep water masses. These masses carry dissolved oxygen from the surface and spread slowly through the ocean basins, keeping the deep sea cold and oxygenated.

Question 41Human and Population Geography

Which term describes the average number of children born to a woman over her lifetime in a given population?

  1. Infant mortality rate
  2. Total fertility rate Correct answer.
  3. Natural increase rate
  4. Crude birth rate

Explanation

The total fertility rate sums age-specific birth rates across a woman's reproductive years, giving the average number of children per woman. The crude birth rate instead expresses live births per thousand of the total population in a year, so it is not a per-woman measure.

Question 42Human and Population Geography

A country has a crude birth rate of 34 per 1,000 and a crude death rate of 9 per 1,000. What is its annual rate of natural increase?

  1. 4.3 per cent
  2. 25 per cent
  3. 2.5 per cent Correct answer.
  4. 0.25 per cent

Explanation

Natural increase equals the birth rate minus the death rate, giving 25 per 1,000. Because rates are per thousand, dividing by ten converts this to 2.5 per cent per year.

Question 43Human and Population Geography

In the demographic transition model, which stage is characterised by high birth rates and rapidly falling death rates, producing the fastest population growth?

  1. Stage 3
  2. Stage 4
  3. Stage 1
  4. Stage 2 Correct answer.

Explanation

Stage 2 sees mortality decline sharply through improved sanitation, medicine and food supply while fertility stays high, so the gap between births and deaths is widest. Stage 1 has both rates high and stable, giving little growth.

Question 44Human and Population Geography

Which dependency ratio calculation uses only the population aged under 15 and aged 65 and over compared with the working-age population?

  1. Economic activity ratio
  2. Child dependency ratio
  3. Old-age dependency ratio
  4. Age dependency ratio Correct answer.

Explanation

The age dependency ratio combines both youthful and elderly dependants and divides them by the population conventionally classed as working age. The old-age and child ratios each use only one of those dependent groups.

Question 45Human and Population Geography

A national census records 48 million residents, of whom 6 million were born abroad. What share of the population is foreign-born?

  1. 14.3 per cent
  2. 8.0 per cent
  3. 6.0 per cent
  4. 12.5 per cent Correct answer.

Explanation

The foreign-born share is the foreign-born count divided by the total population, so 6 divided by 48 equals 0.125, or 12.5 per cent. The denominator must be the whole population, not the native-born remainder.

Question 46Human and Population Geography

Which concept describes the movement of people out of a region, measured relative to that region's population?

  1. Net migration rate
  2. Return migration
  3. Immigration rate
  4. Emigration rate Correct answer.

Explanation

The emigration rate expresses departures from an area as a proportion of its population in a given period. Immigration counts arrivals, while net migration is the balance between the two flows.

Question 47Human and Population Geography

Push and pull factors are used to explain migration. Which of the following is best classified as a pull factor?

  1. Civil war in the origin country
  2. Drought destroying crops at the origin
  3. Higher wages available at the destination Correct answer.
  4. Rising rent in the destination city

Explanation

Pull factors are attractions at the destination that draw migrants towards it, such as better pay or services. Push factors are negative conditions at the origin that drive people away.

Question 48Human and Population Geography

Which measure is commonly used to compare the level of urbanisation between countries?

  1. The percentage of the total population living in urban areas Correct answer.
  2. The total number of cities above one million people
  3. The absolute size of the largest city
  4. The annual number of rural-to-urban migrants

Explanation

Urbanisation level is conventionally expressed as the urban share of the total population, which allows fair comparison between countries of different sizes. Absolute counts of cities or migrants depend heavily on total population size.

Question 49Human and Population Geography

A country's population is 60 per cent urban and growing at 2 per cent a year overall, while its urban population grows at 5 per cent a year. Which process best explains the faster urban growth?

  1. An increase in the rural birth rate
  2. A decline in the number of towns classified as urban
  3. Rural-to-urban migration combined with natural increase in cities Correct answer.
  4. A falling national death rate alone

Explanation

Urban populations grow both from net migration into cities and from natural increase among urban residents. When urban growth exceeds overall growth, these two components are reallocating population towards towns and cities.

Question 50Human and Population Geography

Which of the following best defines the informal sector of an urban economy?

  1. Manufacturing carried out in designated industrial zones
  2. Public-sector employment in government offices
  3. Employment guaranteed by a written contract and pension
  4. Economic activity that is unregistered and outside formal labour regulation Correct answer.

Explanation

The informal sector covers enterprises and workers operating outside official registration, taxation and labour protection. It is defined by the absence of formal regulation rather than by the type of product or the location of work.