Population and Settlement
This domain tests population structure and change, migration, and settlement patterns. You need to interpret population pyramids and use rates correctly.
Core rules and concepts
- Birth rate and death rate are usually per 1000 people per year. Natural increase = birth rate − death rate. Total growth also includes net migration.
- The demographic transition model links changes in birth and death rates to economic and social development. Stages move from high fluctuating to low fluctuating rates.
- Population pyramids show age-sex structure. A wide base suggests high birth rates; a narrow top can reflect shorter life expectancy or older age structure, depending on the shape.
- Migration is pushed by negative factors and pulled by positive factors. It can be voluntary or forced, internal or international.
- Settlement sites are chosen for water, defence, fuel and fertile land; situation relates to surrounding routes and resources. Patterns include dispersed, nucleated and linear. Settlement hierarchy relates size, services and sphere of influence.
Worked example
A country has 300 people aged 0–14, 600 aged 15–64 and 100 aged 65+. Dependency ratio = (300 + 100)/600 × 100 = 66.7 dependents per 100 working-age people. Reasoning: both young and old dependents are counted; the working-age group is the denominator.
Traps
Do not use natural increase as total population growth when migration is significant. Do not confuse population density (people per area) with distribution (where they are). Check whether a rate is per 1000 or a percentage. Do not call a settlement pattern nucleated merely because it is large.