Population & Migration is a core part of A-Level Geography. Revise the key concepts and common mistakes below, then lock them in with the free games.
Key concepts
Carrying CapacityMaximum population an environment can sustain; varies with technology and consumption; Malthusian limit debated.
Boserup vs MalthusBoserup: necessity drives technological innovation; Malthus: geometric population, arithmetic food, leading to crisis.
Demographic Transition ModelFive stages of birth/death rate change; UK at Stage 4, Niger Stage 2, Japan Stage 5 (post-transition).
Ecological FootprintGlobal hectares needed per capita; world average 2.7, USA 8.1, India 1.2; humanity consumes 1.75 Earths.
ZoonosesDiseases transmitted from animals to humans; 70% of new pandemics; Ebola, COVID-19 linked to wildlife encroachment.
Replacement FertilityTotal fertility rate of 2.1 needed to maintain population; below this means demographic decline; many HICs at 1.5.
Brundtland 1987'Our Common Future' defined sustainable development meeting present needs without compromising future generations.
Sustainable Development Goals17 UN goals adopted 2015 to be achieved by 2030; replaced MDGs; integrated economic, social, environmental dimensions.
Doughnut EconomicsKate Raworth's 2017 framework: social foundation inside, ecological ceiling outside; safe and just space between.
Just TransitionShifting to low-carbon economy while protecting workers in fossil fuel industries; emphasised by ILO and EU Green Deal.
Bhutan GNHGross National Happiness replacing GDP as policy metric; carbon-negative country; constitutional 60% forest cover.
Vauban FreiburgGerman eco-district built 1996-2006; car-light, passive houses, solar PV; model sustainable community.
MigrationPermanent change of residence across an administrative boundary.
Push FactorNegative force prompting migration from origin.
Common mistakes to avoid
Questions where students often pick the tempting wrong answer — make sure you know the right one:
What happens in Stage 2 of the Demographic Transition Model?✗ Birth rates rise rapidly because people want larger families. ✓ Death rates fall rapidly (due to better food, sanitation and medicine) while birth rates remain high, causing rapid population growth.
Why is an ageing population a challenge for HICs?✗ Because old people stop contributing anything to society. ✓ Rising dependency ratio means fewer workers support more pensioners through tax, increasing pressure on pensions, healthcare and social care services.
Why does deforestation increase flood risk?✗ Deforestation causes floods because trees normally hold water in their branches forever. ✓ Trees intercept rainfall, their roots increase infiltration and transpiration removes water — removing them increases surface runoff and reduces lag time, peaking river levels faster.
Does a falling birth rate immediately stop population growth?✗ Once fertility falls to replacement level, the population stops growing straight away. ✓ No — population momentum means a youthful age structure keeps growth going for decades, as large cohorts reach childbearing age even at lower fertility.
Was Malthus right that population always outruns food supply?✗ Malthusian famine checks have operated exactly as predicted. ✓ His prediction has not held so far — technology, the Green Revolution and trade raised food output faster than he foresaw, as Boserup argued, though resource limits remain debated.
Practise Population & Migration — free games
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