Urbanisation
The process by which an increasing proportion of a country's population moves from rural areas to urban (city) areas.
What is a biome
A large geographic region defined by its climate, vegetation and animal life such as a rainforest, desert or grassland.
3 measures of human wellbeing
Economic, social and environmental.
On a bar graph, what does the Y-axis typically show and what does the X-axis show?
The Y-axis (vertical) shows the variable being measured (e.g. life expectancy). The X-axis (horizontal) shows the categories being compared (e.g. countries).
What does SDG stand for and how many are there?
Sustainable Development Goals. There are 17.
What is an SEZ and which country has used it to drive urbanisation?
A designated area that receives special government incentives (such as lower taxes) to attract foreign businesses. China used SEZs to drive rapid coastal urbanisation from the 1980s.
Temperature and rainfall / precipitation.
Human Development Index. It measures life expectancy, education (mean and expected years of schooling), and GNI per capita (income).
If a scatter plot shows that as GNI per capita increases, life expectancy also increases, what type of relationship does this show?
A positive correlation.
What does SDG stand for and how many are there?
Using the biome's resources in a way that meets current needs without preventing future generations from meeting their own needs.
What is the Hukou system and how does it create inequality within Chinese cities?
China's household registration system that ties access to public services (schools, hospitals, welfare) to your place of birth. Rural migrants who move to cities cannot access these services, creating a "floating population" of approximately 290 million people denied full urban rights.
What is the difference between subsistence farming and commercial farming?
Subsistence farming produces food only for the farmer's family. Commercial farming produces food for sale and profit.
What is the Gini coefficient and what does a score above 0.4 suggest?
A measure of income inequality ranging from 0 (perfect equality) to 1 (maximum inequality). A score above 0.4 is considered a danger level associated with social unrest and significant inequality.
A student says: "Australia has no serious wellbeing problems because it ranks 2nd on the HDI." Identify TWO weaknesses in this statement using evidence.
1. Does not consider indigenous perspectives
2. Does not consider regional/urban differences
Name THREE countries that rank in the bottom 10 on the Human Development Index.
Any three of: Niger, South Sudan, Chad, Central African Republic, Mali, Burkina Faso, Sierra Leone, Mozambique, Eritrea, Guinea-Bissau.
Explain what an Urban Heat Island is and identify TWO causes.
A phenomenon where urban areas are measurably warmer than surrounding rural areas, typically by 2 to 5 degrees Celsius. Causes include: dark impervious surfaces absorbing more heat, loss of vegetation removing evaporative cooling, waste heat from vehicles and industry, and building canyons trapping heat.
What does it mean for a biome to be used "sustainably"?
Using the biome's resources in a way that meets current needs without preventing future generations from meeting their own needs.
Explain the "cycle of disadvantage" and identify ONE point where it can be broken.
A self-reinforcing pattern where low income leads to poor nutrition and health, which limits educational achievement, which restricts employment opportunities, which returns the next generation to poverty. It can be broken through universal education, universal healthcare, microfinance programs, or social safety nets.
What are the two forms of measurement for coordinates and which way do they go?
Latitude (Left to right)
Longitude (Top to bottom)
Name the TWO axes on a graph, explain what each shows, and give an example of what you would put on each axis if you were graphing GNI per capita against life expectancy.
The X-axis is horizontal and shows the independent variable; in this case GNI per capita in US dollars. The Y-axis is vertical and shows the dependent variable; in this case life expectancy in years.
Urbanisation in China has created economic growth but also deepened inequality." Agree or disagree and why- give evidence
China's urbanisation lifted hundreds of millions out of poverty and drove GDP growth. However, it also produced a Gini coefficient of 0.47 (above the 0.4 danger level), a coastal versus inland wealth divide where Shanghai earns up to three times more than inland provinces, and denied 290 million floating population migrants access to healthcare, education and pensions through the Hukou system. The statement is accurate: growth and inequality have developed simultaneously.
How does deforestation of the Amazon rainforest threatens global food security. Use geographic evidence in your answer.
Deforestation removes vegetation that regulates rainfall patterns, destroys soil structure, and releases stored carbon. The Amazon influences precipitation across South America. Losing it threatens agricultural productivity across the continent and contributes to climate change, which disrupts food production globally.
Compare the standard of living in 2 countries and give 2 reasons
(Examples may vary)EXAMPLE: Norway: HDI 0.961, life expectancy 83.2, GNI $82,500. Nigeria: HDI 0.548, life expectancy 54.7, GNI $5,200. Reasons include: governance and oil management (Norway invested oil revenues into a $1.7 trillion sovereign wealth fund; Nigeria lost revenues to corruption); and colonial history (Nigeria was a British colony whose borders grouped 250+ ethnic groups, creating instability, while Norway developed its own institutions independently).
A country has an HDI of 0.72 and a Gini coefficient of 0.52. Another country has an HDI of 0.65 and a Gini coefficient of 0.28. Which country would you rather live in and why? Use geographic reasoning.
There is no single correct an
The second country is more equal despite lower average development; high inequality in the first country means the HDI average conceals deep poverty for many; the Gini of 0.52 is well above the danger threshold of 0.4. A geographer would look at both average development AND distribution.
Name THREE of the world's major biomes and for each one, give its location, its key climate characteristic, and ONE food it produces.
Examples:
Tropical rainforest: Amazon Basin, Southeast Asia, Congo; hot and wet year-round; produces cacao, bananas, coffee.
Grassland/savanna: Sub-Saharan Africa, central Australia; seasonal rainfall with a dry season; produces beef, sorghum, maize.
Temperate grassland: North American Great Plains, Argentine Pampas; moderate rainfall, cold winters; produces wheat, corn, soybeans.