Case study Theme 1

Question 1

Causes of a country with a high rate of population growth

Answer 1

Named country: Tanzania
- Lack of education for girls in Dodoma, central and capital of Tanzania
- High proportion follow Muslim (banish thoughts of using contraception) & girls are allowed to be married at 15yr => high BR & fertility rate (4.57 children/women in 2024)
- High IMR => family have to plan for higher number of babies compare to the amount they wanted

Question 2

Impacts to a country with a high rate of population growth

Answer 2

Named country: Tanzania
- High pressure on education and healthcare services due to overcrowded in big cities like Dodoma, central and capital of Tanzania
- High rate of unemployment and underemployment as population grows faster than economy
- Housing shortages and the growth of informal settlement as a result of rapid city expansion without proper planning

Question 3

Causes of a country with a low rate of population growth

Answer 3

Named country: Japan
- Better education for girls in big cities like Tokyo, on central-eastern coast of Japan/Osaka, south west of Japan
- Inflation: an increase in prices over time => lots of costs to raise up a child
- Good medical healthcare & services by having luxury nursery home improve the elderly’ QOL

Question 4

Causes of a country which is overpopulated ?

Answer 4

Named country: Tanzania
- Lack of education for girls in Dodoma, central and capital of Tanzania => hight birth rate
- High proportion follow Muslim (banish thoughts of using contraception) & girls are allowed to be married at 15yr => high BR & fertility rate (4.57 children/women in 2024)
- Rural-to-urban migration increases population in large cities like Dodoma => overcrowding and insufficient resources

Question 5

Causes of a country which is underpopulated ?

Answer 5

Named country: Canada
- Harsh physical environment, regions like Nunavut, north of Canada and the Northwest territories experience very cold temperatures => few people live
- Poor accessibility, regions such as Nunavut are far from major cities & transport network => reduces migration to these area
- High rate of emigration (1% of permanent residents leave Canada each year) => shortage of workforce & underused of resources

Question 6

International migration (why people migrate from it to other countries)

Answer 6

Chosen: Mexico to USA
- Geographically close to Mexico => only have to cross the border;
- For educational purposes, better and higher quality than Mexico; Mexico’s LR is 95% (2020); USA’s LR is 99% (2020)
- Better & more advanced medical care through USA’s 77.5 years life expectancy compared to 75 years in Mexico

Question 7

Describe a population policy which has been used to influence population growth

Answer 7

Named country: Singapore
“Three or more” is a wide range policy applied by Singapore to increase BR & FR;
- Gives money to families, $3000 for 1st child and up to $18000 for 3rd child => families have more motivation
- Family with no children can only own a 3-roomed flat
- Extend paid maternity leave from 2 months to 3 months => more time to take care of their children
Overall: Initial success when introduced in 1987; FR decrease since then reach lowest in 2023 (0.43) => wasn’t success in a large extent

Question 8

Describe and explain the impacts of migration in the destination country

Answer 8

Named country: USA
- Increases the labour force => boost the GDP in country & workers accept low pay
- Enrich the culture of USA with food, language, music & sports => contribute to USA’s GDP
- A lot of money is sent out of the USA in the form of remittance; $150bn in 2019 was sent overseas => reduce spending in USA

Question 9

Impacts to a country with a low rate of population growth

Answer 9

Named country: Japan
- An ageing population show through life expectancy of 85.27 years in 2024 => increasing demand for healthcare services & care homes => puts pressure on government spending
- Shortages of workers, not enough workers to support industries & services => slow economic growth
- School closure, especially in rural ares due to too few children => young people move to cities to study causing depopulation of rural regions

Question 10

Problems for a country with a high dependent population ?

Answer 10

Named country: Japan
- Increased pressure on government spending as 29.4% of Japanese population aged 65 and above (2025) spend on pensions, healthcare & elderly services
- Smaller working population => fewer people of working age support dependents through taxes & high pressure to workers
- Economic stagnation, with fewer workers & consumer spending => low demand for goods & services => reduce growth

Question 11

For an area you have studied, explain why it is sparsely populated ?

Answer 11

Chosen area: Gia Lai in Vietnam
- Mountainous relief, Gia Lai is located in Central Highlands, south of Vietnam => difficult to develop settlement & transport
- Poor accessibility, far from major coastal cities and is 700 Km away from Ho Chi Minh city => difficult to develop
- Limited economic opportunities, few industries and services, mainly agriculture => people migrate to larger cities

Question 12

For an area you have studied, explain why it is densely populated ?

Answer 12

Chosen area: Ho Chi Minh city
- Strong economic opportunities, South of Vietnam & is the largest economic centre => attract migrants from all over the country
- Excellent transport & accessibility, has Cat Lai port in east of HCM => encourages trade & migration to HCM
- Flat, low-lying land => makes construction easier & development of housing, industry => support large population

Question 13

For a named urban area you have studied in an LEDC, explain why large numbers of people migrate to it from surrounding rural areas

Answer 13

Named urban area: Ho Chi Minh city
- Employment opportunities, has many factories, offices & service industries e.g Tan Thuan Export Processing Zone, south of HCM city
- Better education & healthcare services, has universities, colleges & major hospitals => attract young people
- Better infrastructure & transport with airport & ports => easier to travel, trade goods

Question 14

For a named area you have studied, describe and explain the service provision ?

Answer 14

Named area: Phan Thiet
- Tourism services are highly developed (hotels, restaurant) & the new Phan Thiet Dau Giay highway connect to HCM city => accessible for tourists
- In healthcare, has Binh Thuan general hospital, south of Phan Thiet & small clinics; more specialised treatment need to travel to HCM city
- In education, there are primary, secondary and vocational training centres => support population in fishing & tourism; few universities compared to major cities

Question 15

For a named settlement you have studied, describe and explain its functions ?

Answer 15

Named settlement: Phan Thiet in
- Fishing & fish processing, coastal settlement => large quantities of sea food; also well known for fish sauce production
- Tourism, areas like Mui Ne attract lots of tourists with beaches, sand dunes, water sport & the new Phan Thiet Dau Giay highway connect to HCM city
- Commercial & market, acts as a service centre for surrounding rural areas, providing shops, markets, banks & transport connections

Question 16

For a named urban area you have studied, describe the effects of urban sprawl ?

Answer 16

Named urban area: Ho Chi Minh city
- Loss of agricultural land, as city expands to district 9 & Thu Duc, east of HCM city, farmland converted to housing
- Increased pressure on infrastructure & services, rapid outward growth make it difficult for authorities to provide enough services
- Increased risk of flooding, HCM city is low-lying & close to Saigon river => surface run-off increases with less vegetation & wetland

Question 17

For a named urban area you have studied, explain the strategies to used to reduce traffic congestion ?

Answer 17

Named urban area: Ho Chi Minh city
- Development of mass transit system e.g Metro line 1 (Ben Thanh-Suoi Tien) => reduce the number of private vehicles
- Road expansion & new infrastructure project e.g ring roads, flyovers connecting the suburbs & fringes => don’t need to go into city
- Controlling private vehicle use, limiting car ownership, increase parking fees & propose congestion charges in some areas

Question 18

For a named urban area you have studied, describe a change in land use and explain why it has caused conflict ?

Answer 18

Named urban area: Ho Chi Minh city
Phu My Hung, south of HCM from low-lying marshland to modern housing estates
- Environmental conflict, replacing wetland with concrete => increase surface run-off & flooding in other low-lying, poorer areas
- Unequal public spending, high-quality infrastructure in PMH => conflict between social classes in society
- Conflict over land ownership & compensation; local residents & farmers were forced to relocate => disagreement over compensation payment creates tension

Question 19

For a named urban area you have studied, describe the strategies used to improve living conditions in squatter settlements ?

Answer 19

Named urban area: Rio de Janeiro (Brazil)
- Self-help housing schemes, government provides residents with basic materials e.g bricks, cement => gradually improve houses
- Provision of basic services, government installed clean water supply in Rocinha favela, south of RdJ => reduce disease & improve hygiene
- Favela-Bairro project, aim to integrate favelas into formal urban structure of RdJ, improving drainage, accessibility & reduce isolation

Question 20

Describe and explain the impacts of migration on the country of origin ?

Answer 20

Named country: Mexico
- Receive remittances, migrants work in USA send back money => improve living standards; $56 billion from migrants in USA (2022)
- Reduction in unemployment => more jobs available => reduce poverty & pressure for jobs
- Loss of skilled workers (brain drain), educated workers leave for better-paid jobs => less skilled labour in healthcare & engineering

Question 21

For a named urban area you have studied, what has been done to reduce the negative impacts of urbanisation ?

Answer 21

Named urban area: Ho Chi Minh city
- Development of mass transit system e.g Metro line 1 (Ben Thanh-Suoi Tien) => reduce congestion & pollution from private vehicles
- Improve flood control systems, more investment in drainage systems & tidal barriers along Saigon river => reduce flooding
- Maintained & improve parks e.g Tao Dan & develop new green areas in district 9 & Thu Duc, east of HCM => reduce air pollution