Case Studies v2GEOGRAPHY CIE IGCSE

By Theo DickAided by Alex Haji and Nick Gwynne Edited by Ethan Sarif-Kattan

Namibia – Sparse and Dense PopulationBackground

LEDC in Southern Africa split into various regions Population of 2.5 million 825,000 km2

Sparse Population e.g. Karas & Hardap regions density under 5 people per km2 – Causes

Desert Regions – not enough rain for crops, land is too dry so hard to build on Mountainous land – hard to build on steep surfaces, limited transport Lack of jobs – people move to areas where jobs available Lots of land is prone to flooding – limited space to live

Dense Population e.g. Oshana & Ohangwena regions density over 15 people per km 2 – Causes

Not in desert – easy to build on land and grow crops Diamond areas – attracts people as jobs for mining e.g. 3% of population employed here More transport links – easy to commute for work and visit regions Better access to shops – people not put off by idea of walking miles for water Fertile soil for farming – attracts farmers to live in region Near coast for exports – business and job opportunities Services available – schools and hospitals of better quality available

Niger – Population explosionBackground

Landlocked LEDC in West Africa One of world’s poorest countries Hot and dry climate Population increased by 12 million in 50 years

Causes – High birth rates Highest fertility rate – 7.1 births per women 2.9% growth rate Preference for a male child – keep having children until male Lack of contraception – many unplanned or unwanted babies More children available to help work on farms Religious beliefs – abortion is wrong Ensures protection against high infant mortality rate

Causes – Decreasing death rates Life expectancy increased to 44.3 years Clean water and improved diet – lower deaths by diseases and lower infant mortality More hospitals – medical care and testing for disease Government want to increase family planning from 5-20% by 2015, educate women and

religious leaders on its importance, and raise marriage age from 15-18.

Nigeria - OverpopulationBackground

170 million people 70% live on less than $1 a day920,000 km2

Impacts of overpopulation

Not enough housing - e.g. Abuja High crime rates Pollution - litter and no proper sewage system Shortage of food and water - 28% of children underweight Not enough health care and education Congested roads - e.g. Lagos

Australia - UnderpopulationBackground

23 million people 7.7 million km2

6th largest nation

Impacts of underpopulation

Vast open spaces – e.g. town of Perth Foreign immigrant – threatens native population War – less army so worse defence Desertification – few people to cultivate land Less workers – both skilled and unskilled Public transport might close – e.g. Canberra Schools and hospitals might close

China – Anti-Natalist Government policyBackground

1.4 billion people – worlds highest population Population was 830 million in 1980

Causes

1960’s – 1970’s, Chairman Mao of the communist government condemned birth control and banned imports of contraceptives

He wanted to strengthen China and its army He then realised he could not provide food and jobs to entire population

Consequences

The one child policy was introduced in 1979, forcing abortions and sterilisation and fining families thousands of dollars, this prevented 250 million births

Originally the officials pushed the slogan ‘later, longer, fewer’; the population growth dropped by half from 1970-76 but then levelled off, officials wanted more drastic measures

Massive gender imbalance – 32 million more boys than girls In 2007, there were six working age adults to every retiree, but in 2040, it is predicted to reach 2:1 (too

few children to care for them, elderlies will suffer neglect) Contraception was made more available Increase in health care meant that abortions were used more 1.7 children now per women Population growth dropped from 2.4% to 1%

Russia – Falling Birth Rate & HIV/AIDSBackground

Population projected to decline from 143 million to 111 million by 2050 17 million km2

Causes

High death rate and low birth rate Low immigration Many emigrants to Western Europe Life expectancy was 65 in 2004 Male life expectancy is 59 - related to alcoholism Women do not want more children 1.1% of adults aged 15-49 have AIDS (more than 1 million people) 1.1 fertility rate

Italy – Ageing PopulationBackground

Dying Italian village – Vastogirardi Mayor has decided to tax singles in hope this will lead to more children In last 30 years, population has dropped from 3,000 to 823 Baby crisis - few people wanting to have children, population decreasing, low birth rate of 1.2

children per woman, ageing population

Causes

Developing country - more self-sufficient Education - more people want careers ‘Mammoni’ - bachelors living with parents

Impact

Loss of commerce - no bank, plumber, shoemaker, priest Increase tax for those not wanting kids 3 :1 funerals to weddings No schools or secondary school People have become self-sufficient Increased dependency ratio

Uganda – Youthful populationBackground

7 fertility rate Half the population is under 15 38 million population Fastest growing country in the world Only 1 in 5 have access to contraception 30% illiteracy rate

Impacts

Increased competition for scarce resources, land and conflict is likely to increase Government doesn’t see it as a problem, they see it as their biggest resource Cost of contraception is not the problem, the problem is access – a lack of clinics in most parts

and need an economic boost to prioritise schemes in order to lower fertility rate More money has been put into health and education Child care must be provided so that parents can work

Rio di Janerio – Internal Rural to Urban MigrationBackground

BRIC country 200 million people Recently held world cup

Causes – Push factors – from rural

Drug gangs have occupied 20 slums/favela Deadly gunfights Unreliable rainfall Poor education Wealth inequality Malaria Poor soil for farming Lack of materials

Causes – Pull factors – to urban

Higher wages and more jobs Provision of water, electricity Good education Urban areas have better population control Protection from conflict

Favelas in Rio – Types of housingBackground

Rio is the largest city in Brazil Over 1 million people live in Rio’s favelas

Problems

Landslides caused by deforestation Risk of eviction - land built on is illegally occupied No proper electricity connections Housing vulnerable to flooding No clean water supply – leads to diseases No toilets, showers, or proper sewer systems No proper rubbish collections

Consequences

High unemployment, Crime rates increase - gangs, drugs, murders Self-help schemes have now been introduced - residents given ownership and materials provided by government, local labour is used and they learn new skills)

Advantages of self-help schemes – local

Improved housing Legal ownership of their house/land Better water supply and sewers Reliable electricity supply Locals health should improve

Advantages to self help schemes – government

Residents now paying taxes Less health problems for government to pay for Crime rates reducing Labour is free

Poland to UK – International & voluntary migrationBackground

Poland has one of the highest unemployment rates out of EU countries 62% of the 600,000 EU migrants to UK were polish in 2004 This is because EU permits free immigration to other EU countries UK attracts Poland because of high average income and low unemployment

Advantages – UK

Jobs filled that UK workers don’t want Can pay lower wages to them Polish workers will work for longer hours More money spent on local economy form increased population

Disadvantages – UK

Few unskilled jobs available for UK workers Polish may return to Poland once they’ve made money – leaves gap in workforce Anti-immigration issues and racism Strain on services such as hospitals and schools

Advantages - Poland

Job opportunity with better pay Save up money to return to Poland Chance to earn money to send back home

Disadvantages – Poland

Family left behind in Poland Hostility encounter in UK Language difficulties Struggle to find housing Cost of moving is high

Iraq – Forced Migration Background

American invaded in 2003 2.5 million have emigrated mainly to Syria and Jordan 33 million population

Causes – Push factors

Religious persecution Safety concerns No education Loss of housing, jobs, money Famines and drought, food shortages, diseases Political persecution Isis

Problems of receiving country

Cost of maintaining new population – food, education Pollution and racial tension Unemployment increase

Stevenage, UK– housing shortages Background

Demand for housing 210,000 but only 154,000 are being built Area of 26 km2 84,000 population

Causes

More divorces – more singles needing houses Leave home younger Migrants are single Married later Old people living on their own Some houses are uninhabitable

Impacts

Rising homelessness Soaring house prices

Solutions

New town – planned urban centre with government sponsorship Abercrombie plan – Victorian houses replaced by apartment blocks Stevenage is now more attractive to businesses

London – CBD & Traffic Congestion Background

9.8 million population

Causes

Increase in car usage Limited amount of public transport usage Many roads not designed for cars - for horses Population growth – more cars Movement of lorries and containers onto lorries stops traffic

Impacts

Social – pollution causes disease e.g. asthma, leaving home earlier, more frequent road deaths and accidents Environmental – air and noise pollution destroys wildlife and leads to acid rain, more roads destroys green areas, Economic – roads are expensive to maintain and build, longer deliveries from lorries costs money, workers are late to work, reliance on

oil for transport

Solutions

Congestion charge - £12 Public transport Transport for London improved and increased Trams and underground extension Pedestrianized areas – discourage car use Websites to encourage car sharing Car tax, bus lanes, park and ride (parking near public transport) Barclays bikes Reurbanisation – people encourages to move closer to CBD so less car usage

Urban Sprawl – Atlanta Background

5.1 million population Fastest growing city in the USA

Impacts

Hotlanta - Deforestation increases temperature as more CO2 in atmosphere

Agricultural land filled with shops and other developments Traffic Congestion – 90% drive to work, air pollution Water contamination with pollutants and litter Flash floods for impermeable surfaces such as roads and concrete Cultural loss – Atlanta well known for battlefields Black and poor population stay in poorer areas in south, north has

more middle class and whites

Cairo – Urbanisation Background

Largest city in Middle East 9 million population Capital of Egypt

Problems

Lack of housing – 80% of Cairo filled with illegal self-built homes, 2.3 million set up homes near tombs, 500,000 people live in homemade huts

Traffic congestion – 1 million cars a day Lack of Jobs – unskilled jobs hard to find, graduates get government jobs on low salaries Pollution – cars and fumes from homes and factories, leaking sewers pollute water courses

Solutions

New satellite/dormitory town built around the city e.g. Tanta Ring road built around city - goes through Abbasyia People with donkey carts licensed to collect and recycle garbage Better waste water project, extended and repaired sewage systems Modern metro built Homes and public services upgraded in most run down part of the city

Baltimore, USA – Urban redevelopmentBackground

620,000 population 240 km2

Largest city in Maryland

Problems

Less demand for manufacturing and shipbuilding industries meant, in the 1970s, it declined in importance

Run down land and abandoned warehouses

Solutions

100 hectares of run down land made into a mix of business - retail, recreational, housing Development of modern, urban, retail complex - previous power plants turned into a retail

leisure building National aquarium built Investors attracted to Baltimore due proximity to Washington DC - 45 minutes by train, over

30 trains to Washington a day on the Baltimore-Washington expressway Cost of living has decreased but standard of living has increased

Chaiten, Chile – Volcano eruptionBackground

Small, cauldron-like volcano which erupted in May 2008 Locate in Chaiten, Southern Chile and Argentina, South America Oceanic to continental margin (destructive margin), denser Nazca

plate subducted under the less dense continental South America plate

Impacts

Social – 4000 evacuated, 8,000 fled, only 200 returned Economic – No water or electricity, 85% of town damaged Environmental – Ash blocked rivers, forest fires

Christchurch – MEDC earthquakeBackground

7.1 magnitude earthquake in South Island of New Zealand 4:35 am on 4th September 2010 New Zealand GDP of $115.3 billion Country has some of world’s top experts in earthquake engineering

Impacts

Two residents seriously injured, one died of heart attack,100 people treated for minor bumps and bruises Powers out in northwest of city (area called the ‘Groynes’), water and sewage affected in several regions 86 staff of supermarket lost their jobs Up to 500 homes badly damaged Government will pay workers ($7.5m to social services) Government says it will cost $4bn (NZ has about 100-150 earthquakes a year) Fatalities avoided due to strict building codes Building standards, materials used, quality of construction Construct used ductile materials (light timber frames) Earthquake commission checked buildings were safe National crisis management centre was quick Ordinary people helped rescue others Long term – red Cross helped and $900 billion in building claims, sewage restored

Haiti – LEDC earthquakeBackground

Tuesday, 12 January 2010 - magnitude 7 earthquake Poorest country in the Western hemisphere Struck Haiti’s most populated area (Port au Prince – Capital)

Impacts 3 million people affected - 230k died, 300k injured, 1m homeless 2/3 population (9million) unemployed Roads blocked with debris 4,000 inmates escaped 1 in 5 lost jobs Looting and crime due to slow distribution of resources

Recovery

Short term - $100 million by USA, 800,000 in Aid camps, lack of aid due to poor plan Long term – 98% rubble remains, 1 million with no housed, water sanitation for 2 million

Mozambique - RiversBackground

9th Feb – 27th Feb 2000 40 million population Zambezi was 2.5 m over flood level

Hazards

Destroy infrastructure Death Destroy services Disease Damage to field Damage to communication

Opportunities Fertile land (alluvium) LEDCs make money from subsistence farming Water for irrigation Transport - Travel by boat along river Flat land for building River source of fish (food)

Impacts

Social – 180,000 fled, 81 dead, 150,000 in danger from starvation, 23,000 lost everything they had Economic – Roads and bridges destroyed, transport links cut off Environmental – 7,000 trapped in trees

Great Barrier Reef – Coasts & tourismBackground

Great Barrier Reef (off the coast of Australia) is largest coral reef in the world. 2,300 metres long. Supports 25% of marine species Humans benefit via – tourism ($4 billion), employment, income and mining . Non-human contribution - erosion protection, raw materials, medicine, formation of beaches.

Under Threat by

Tourism, Mining - oil + gas are harmful Climate change - sea level rise causing coral bleaching Water pollution - decline in fish quality Air pollution - dirty air, polyps more likely to die

Solutions

Educate tourists Ten patrol boats check for illegal activity Management of reef is controlled by Marine Park Authority

Amazon Rainforest - ClimateBackground

Either side of the equator in South America, covers 7.3 million km2

68% of Brazil (parts of Peru, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana) 80% of Amazonia is rainforest

Climate

Hot and wet - mean temp. between 25-27 and 2677mm rain per year Rain well distributed in western parts, but south and east experience a short dry season Biome is most biologically diverse ecosystem in the world Tropical soils or latosals are deep as warm, wet conditions encourage intense weathering of bed rock and heavy rain causes intense leaching of soluble minerals leaving soil acidic

Vegetation Adaptations

Canopy trees have umbrella shaped crowns – maximise light exposure Canopy leaves – large to maximise photosynthesis Tree bark thin – protection against low temp. unnecessary Understorey trees produce fruit right on trunk – better chance for germination Plank buttress occurs at base – support Epiphytes – plants that use tree branches for support but don’t feed off them Lianas are large vines – use trees to gain access to sunlight and flower in canopy

Human Impact

In the 60s, Brazilian government encouraged large scale project to exploit resources Since then, 17% of original forest has been lost Main causes: Cattle Ranching (80%), Soya Bean agriculture, colonisation, hydroelectric power generation, logging, hunting birds, reptiles, mammals

Consequences

Loss of certain species – disrupts ecosystems and food chains Reduction of biodiversity Complex interdependent relationships between animal and tree species breaking down as well as variations in microclimate Vegetation may be unable to grow as nutrients and energy on ground is disrupted Lead to surface run off and flooding Deforestation – loss of ‘lungs of the earth’ (carbon store)

Solutions

Full establishment over properties – so that land grabbing and illegal logging is reduced 4.5% paid so that owners do not cut down trees Encourage markets to buy forest products Monitoring deforestation e.g. satellites Expanding areas e.g. National Parks Ecotourism – protects rainforests from hunting and logging

Sahel - DroughtBackground

zone across Northern Africa Goes through countries such as Niger 5,400 km long Average Rainfall between 300-900mm per year and when it does rain, up to 90% of moisture evaporates

Causes

Highly erratic rainfall, droughts can last for decades Change in temperature of surrounding oceans – monsoons weaken and thunderstorms reduced Less rain means less vegetation - weakening monsoons Overgrazing

Impacts

Environmental – Fall in water table, more wildfires, dust storms, vegetation dies, desertification Human – water shortages, famine, reduced crop yield, emigration, death of livestock

Solutions

Giant shelter break called the Green Wall Population control Alternatives to firewood – solar cookers Improved farming techniques to reduce grazing

Hurricane Katrina – Natural HazardsBackground

23rd August 2005, most deadly hurricane for over 75 years – 80 mph Formed south east of Bahamas, 12th tropical storm of season

Formation

Local thunderstorms off coast of Africa draw heat energy and moisture from warm ocean water Warm, moist air rises and cools forming tall cumulonimbus storm clouds Spin of Earth causes air in storms to spiral clockwise around area of low pressure System is a tropical depression

Impacts

1,300 deaths Ran out of food, water, medicine People homeless and crime levels rose $75 billion worth of damages Many left unemployed Huge areas flooded

Response

Government declared state of emergency Hurricane warning on the radio Schools closed, shelters opened, evacuation orders and police on standby. Still lots of rebuilding needed and lots of rubble – surprising for an MEDC

Brazil – Subsistence farmingBackground

Supports 300-500 million people worldwide Brazil in particular has 200 million people Confined to the humid tropics 68% of amazon rainforest is in Brazil Vegetation can take 30 years to recover

Process

1. Stone axes and matches clear forest 2. Fallen trees are dried and then burnt (slash and burn) - weeds removed and fertiliser used3. Manioc is planted along with pumpkins and beans. 4. Once forest is cleared, nutrient cycle is broken. Leaching 5. Now they must move – cycle continues

Sri Lanka – commercial farmingBackground

19kg is carried a day by workers 2p is earned for every £1.70 bag of tea Very poor working conditions and long hours Very hot climate and land is uneven 20 million population

Inputs

Physical – high temperature, little rain, uneven relief Human – few workers, poor transport Capital – pesticides, weed killers

Processes

Weeding Spraying Planting

Outputs

Tea Profits Crop Waste

Dafur – Food shortagesBackground

Sudan is the largest African country River Nile provides water but there is no rainfall (250 mm) Civil war in 2003 leaves many starving

Causes

Physical - Rainfall decline, flooding, degradation Social – 3% population growth, AIDS, illiteracy 65% Agriculture – low fertiliser use, unpredictable food production, falling crop yield Economic – dependant on farming, dependant on imports, high military spending, limit access to

market

Consequences

Livestock deaths Crop failures Illness Death Conflict Loss of education Loss of income

Plumpy Nut in Niger – Food AidBackground

LEDC, landlocked country in West Africa One of the world’s poorest countries Hot and dry climate Increased population by 12 million in 50 years Highest fertility rate – 7.1 births per women 2.9% growth rate

Plumpy nut advantages

Prevents malnutrition, Tastes nice Children can feed themselves Rich in vitamins Cheap

Impacts

Children are being treated at home Children are happier and their appetite improves Can focus on education instead of starvation Parents can work and earn money as they have time instead of finding food for children

Pakistan – Siting industry (secondary) Background

182 million people First steel factories built in 1973 Took 12 years to be completed 20 plants were built at Pipri in 1973

Why they choose Karachi

Close to Arabian Sea – easy for imports and exports Surrounded by N5 nation highway – good communication links Lots of housing for workers to live in Jinnah airport nearby for international imports and exports Engineering industry to the east for buying and selling

Why they choose Pipri

Flat and cheap, unused land USSR provided economic assistance Plenty of skilled workers who had low wages Connected to main railway

Cambridge Science Park – High tech industry

Background

1.6 million square ft of buildings Home to roughly 66 companies Established by Trinity College in 1970

Choice of location

Companies – 66 on site e.g Worldpay, provides multi-currency internet 1 card payment systems

Amenities – Landscaped and has facilities e.g health and fitness centre Infrastructure – used to be farmland, space for car parks and expansion Location – on rural-urban fringe, easily accessible on M11, not far from

Stanstead Airport

Machu Picchu Inca Trail - Tourism

Background

Machu Picchu lies in Peruvian Andes, Peru 700,000 tourists every years - plans to go to 2 million Roughly 2,500 a day

Causes

Human – jobs, interest in geographical factors, adventurous, Local Quechua culture Physical – beautiful Andean mountain scenery, Inca nature trail, Spanish colonial buildings

Advantages

Social & cultural – cross cultural links, tourist education Economic – Hotels, airports, Orient express in Puno, more jobs, $600 million a year Environment – more respected, cable car system to reduce soil erosion

Disadvantages

Social & cultural – litter, crime, racial tension Economic – raised prices from $17 to $50, still poor country, pressure on infrastructure, dependant on one

industry, GDP only $2000, dilution of Quechua culture Environment – Soil erosion so removal of vegetation and rain washes it away, landslides, human waste impacting

beauty

Sizewell – Nuclear Power

Background

Located near Suffolk, in the village of Sizewell Near North Sea Sizewell A is being shut down but a new one is being built

Factors influencing site

Close to North sea so seawater can be used for cooling Close to the coast so uranium can be imported and waste exported Away form major population centres who fear nuclear power impacts,

Ipswich is closest town – Not in my back yard Nearby rail links and road links where waste can be transported to

Sellafield (a different nuclear site) Flat ground with plenty of extra land for expansion Connection to national grid

Qatar – energy and water shortages - NIC

Background

In 1940, 11,000 people No water or energy and life expectancy was short. Oil was discovered and rapid urbanisation occurred

Present

Now there is 1.7 million people and 16% economic growth Only have 2 days of potable water reserves and vulnerable to

terrorism 90% of Qatar food is imported 1% of land is cultivated 180mW of solar energy is being used

Useful Linkshttps://greenfieldgeography.wikispaces.com/Geography+IGCSE

https://quizlet.com/class/1507128/  - all glossaries

https://quizlet.com/75763672/geography-glossary-population-flash-cards/ https://quizlet.com/74293097/geography-settlement-glossary-flash-cards/ https://quizlet.com/76292237/geography-glossary-plate-tectonics-flash-cards/  https://quizlet.com/75559180/geography-rivers-glossary-flash-cards/  https://quizlet.com/76301282/geography-glossary-marine-processes-part-2-flash-cards/  https://quizlet.com/75560832/geography-glossary-weather-climate-and-natural-vegetation-flash-cards/  https://quizlet.com/75564804/geography-glossary-weathering-flash-cards/  https://quizlet.com/75562534/geography-glossary-agriculture-systems-flash-cards/   https://quizlet.com/76297705/geography-glossary-industrial-systems-flash-cards/ https://quizlet.com/75563774/geography-glossary-tourism-flash-cards/ 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/geography/