Edexcel Geography AS Unit 2: Human Environments

2.1.1

• Distribution of population: how affected by physical and human factors. Lorenz curves.

• Reasons for variations in density in rural and urban areas.

• Characteristics of structure and population pyramids in LEDCs and MEDCs at national and local scale – rural and urban areas.

• Population distribution in the U.K.

 

• Two rural areas of contrasting density and an urban area

• Two contrasting countries and typical rural and urban areas within them

2.1.2

• Components of population change, natural (crude birth and death rate) and migration.

• Reasons for variation in fertility and mortality patterns and rates.

• Demographic Transition Model; application and limitations.

• Changes in population structure, characteristics of ageing and youthful populations

2.1.3

• Socio-economic implications of youthful and ageing populations, including dependency.

• Population growth in relation to resources – Malthus and Boserup.

• Concept of over-population, under-population and optimum population.

2.2.1

• Site and situation of settlements: physical, human and political reasons and distributional patterns.

• Variations in settlement size; primacy, rank-size relationships at national scale. Rank-size rule.

• Settlement hierarchies; central place, range and threshold.

• Determining spheres of influence. Break-point analysis

2.2.2

• Spatial variations in land use patterns in urban settlements. Nearest neighbour analysis.

• Economic, political and physical reasons for variations in land use: accessibility, bid rent curves, peak land value.

• Models or urban growth and structure.

2.2.3

• Changes in urban areas - function, land use, street patterns, building age and height, population characteristics.

• Reasons for changes in urban areas, zone of transition, suburbanisation.

• Reasons for and issues associated with edge of town development and city centre redevelopment.

• Impact of physical site on settlement growth.

2.3.1

• Population movements: from short-term circulations to permanent migrations, voluntary to forced.

• Classification of migrations: motive, composition, duration, frequency, direction.

• Use of gravity models.

2.3.2

• Migration flows: push and pull mechanisms.

• Economic, social, political and physical motives for migration over different distances and time scales.

• How migration may be selective: effects of economic, social and political opportunity and constraints.

2.3.3

• Economic, environmental, social and demographic impacts of migration in countries of origin and destination.

• Social and cultural opportunities and challenges at local and national scale.

• The impact of migration on the physical environment.