Population dynamics

Candidates should be able to:

Describe and suggest reasons for the rapid increase in the world’s population in recent times, ‘the population explosion’.

Define the main components influencing population growth – birth rate, death rate
and migration.

Describe the relationship between population growth and resources and explain why problems may result in some areas such as over-population and under-population.

Identify and suggest reasons for contrasting patterns of population growth in different world areas as influenced by differences in birth rate, death rate and
migration. Factors affecting these influences should be considered such as differences in social, economic and other factors, e.g. government policies and their
impact upon birth rates, differences in health care,social and other factors influencing death rates, especially the impact of HIV/AIDS. These factors should be
illustrated by reference to selected examples.

Describe the consequences (benefits and problems) of different patterns of population growth. Consideration should be given to variations in the size and
nature of dependent populations and standards of living.

Identify and suggest reasons for different types of population structure as shown by age/sex pyramids. Candidates should be able to describe population pyramids
and relate them to the different stages of the Demographic Transition Model.

Identify the major influences on population density and population distribution. Reference should be made to physical, economic and human factors.

Throughout their study of population, candidates should make use of statistics, graphs, diagrams and maps.

The study of population is often referred to as demography

• It focuses on the number, composition and distribution of humans in relation
to variations in the conditions over the Earth’s surface
Human population
• refers to the total number of people living in a defined geographic unit area
at any given time.
• The geographic unit can be a village, town, city, country or continent

Reasons for collecting population data

• Population data is collected for a number of reasons among them.
• Economic planning.- ,regional planning
• Exploitation and distribution of natural resources.
• Provision of social services such as education, health, sanitation and water.
• Provision of employment