Human Geography: Population, Migration, Settlements and Economic Activities
Human Geography: Population, Migration, Settlements and Economic Activities
This domain tests population distribution and density, growth and transition, migration, settlement types and the classification of economic activities. Expect data interpretation and push–pull reasoning.
Core rules and concepts
- Population density is persons per square kilometre; it differs from growth rate, which measures change over time.
- Demographic transition has stages: high birth and death rates, then falling death rates, then falling birth rates, then low rates. Stage 3 growth is still high because births exceed deaths.
- Migration is push (unemployment, disaster, conflict) and pull (jobs, education, services). Net migration is immigration minus emigration.
- Settlements are rural or urban; patterns include compact, dispersed, linear and circular. Urban functions include trade, administration and industry.
- Economic activities: primary (extractive), secondary (manufacturing), tertiary (services), quaternary (knowledge) and quinary (decision-making).
Worked example
A district has a falling death rate but a still-high birth rate. Reasoning: better health care lowers mortality first, while social attitudes and family norms keep fertility high, so natural increase peaks. This is late Stage 2 or early Stage 3. It explains rapid school and housing demand, not a labour shortage.
Traps
Density is not growth. A declining growth rate does not mean a declining population. Push factors operate at the origin, pull at the destination. Primary activities include mining and fishing, not food processing.