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Unit 4: Human population - trends and issues

6 dot points, in syllabus order. Each dot point has a focused answer, with exam-style questions and worked answers where available.

Why do people migrate, what types of movement occur, and how does migration reshape population in both source and destination places?

migration as a component of population change, including internal and international migration, the push and pull factors that drive it, and its impacts on source and destination places

Migration as a component of population change: internal versus international migration, push and pull factors, forced migration and refugees, and the impacts on source and destination places, using Australia and Syria as case studies.

6 min read →

What causes population to grow or shrink, and how do birth rates, death rates and migration drive change over time?

the components of population change including births, deaths and migration, the demographic transition model, and the factors influencing fertility and mortality

Population dynamics: how births, deaths and migration drive change, the factors affecting fertility and mortality, and the demographic transition model, with global examples.

6 min read →

Why are the world's cities growing so rapidly, what challenges do megacities create, and how can they be managed?

the causes and characteristics of urbanisation and megacity growth as a population issue, the challenges this creates, and the responses to managing rapidly growing cities

Urbanisation and megacities: why cities grow so fast, the characteristics of megacities, the challenges of rapid urban growth such as informal settlements, and the responses, using Lagos and Mumbai as case studies.

6 min read →

Where do people live on Earth, and what physical and human factors explain this uneven distribution?

the spatial distribution and density of the world's population, and the physical and human factors that explain why population is distributed unevenly

World population distribution and density: where people live, the difference between distribution and density, and the physical and human factors that produce an uneven pattern, with global and Australian examples.

6 min read →

What challenges does an ageing population create for a country, and how can they be managed?

the causes, consequences and responses to population ageing in a selected country with an ageing population

Population ageing: its causes, the economic and social challenges of a rising dependency ratio, and the responses, using Japan and Australia as case studies of ageing populations.

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What challenges does rapid population growth create for a country, and how can they be managed?

the causes, consequences and responses to rapid population growth in a selected country with a growing population

Rapid population growth: its causes, the social, economic and environmental challenges it creates, and the responses, using India and Niger as case studies of countries with growing populations.

6 min read →