Global Change is a core part of IB Geography. Revise the key concepts and common mistakes below, then lock them in with the free games.
AnthropoceneCrutzen and Stoermer 2000 term for human-dominated epoch; AWG proposed 1950s Great Acceleration as start; IUGS rejected formal designation 2024.
Planetary boundariesRockstrom et al 2009 framework; nine boundaries including biosphere integrity and biogeochemical flows; six transgressed by 2023 update.
Globalisation indicesKOF Index measures economic, social and political dimensions; AT Kearney index; global trade-to-GDP rose from 25% in 1970 to 60% in 2008.
GlocalisationRoland Robertson 1995 term; global processes adapted locally; McDonald's Maharaja Mac in India a textbook example.
Global commonsAtmosphere, high seas, outer space and Antarctica; managed via UNFCCC, UNCLOS, Outer Space Treaty 1967 and Antarctic Treaty.
Hyper-connectivitySubmarine fibre-optic cables carry 99% of internet traffic; 552 active cables totalling 1.4 million km as of 2023.
Demographic Transition Model (DTM)Five-stage model describing the shift from high birth and death rates to low rates as countries develop.
Crude birth rate (CBR)Number of live births per 1,000 population per year.
Crude death rate (CDR)Number of deaths per 1,000 population per year.
Natural increase rateDifference between CBR and CDR, expressed as a percentage.
Total fertility rate (TFR)Average number of children born to a woman over her lifetime; replacement level ~2.1.
Stage 5Post-industrial stage in which birth rates fall below death rates and populations decline.
Push factorsNegative conditions encouraging people to leave an origin: conflict, poverty, environmental degradation.
Pull factorsPositive conditions attracting people to a destination: jobs, schools, safety.
Questions where students often pick the tempting wrong answer — make sure you know the right one: