What Topics Do I Need to Revise for the Exam?

Geography

Revision

Guide

The Exam:

How long is it?

• 1 hour 45 minutes

What topics do I need to revise for the exam?

• Rivers and Coasts
• Population and Settlement
• Natural Hazards

Do I need to answer every question in the exam?

• YES!

How much should I write?

• Look at the marks for each question given in brackets e.g. [6 marks] at the end of each question or part of question
• Write your answer in the space provided – use lines as a guide for length
• If you need extra paper – ask for some 

Exam command words

Study= look very carefully at the resource - this is not a question that you have to answer but an instruction that needs to be followed before you answer the following questions. It is known as the stem part of the question. E.g. Study diagram 1b and describe the land use type.

Complete= this might be filling in a table, finishing off a graph using data you have been given, choosing words from a list to fill in the missing gaps in a paragraph or circling the correct answer from a range of options. Make sure that you circle or tick the correct number of items!

Name= just give the name - there is no need to write anything else e.g. Name the Oceans marked on the map at A and B. Just write 'Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Ocean' (or whatever they are!) not 'The ocean named on the map at A is the Pacific Ocean and the ocean named on the map at B is the Atlantic Ocean' as this wastes time.

Label = this kind of question often asks you to add a name, description or explanation to a text-box on a photograph or diagram.

Describe= say what you see (without giving reasons) - are there any patterns or trends? If you are describing a graph, make sure that you include figures in your answer.

Describe the location = say where something is - try to include distance and direction from other places e.g. Describe the location of Southampton. Southampton is a city in Hampshire, on the south-coast ofEngland. It is 25km north-west of Portsmouth and 40 km north-east of Bournemouth.

Describe the distribution = say how something is spread out over space e.g. Describe the distribution of tropical storms. Tropical storms occur in warm oceans between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, for example in the Bay of Bengal, the Arafuna Sea the Arabian Sea and the Caribbean Sea.

Suggest the cause = give reasons for why something happened e.g. Suggest the cause of the earthquake in California. The Pacific Plate and North American Plate are moving past each other at a conservative margin.As they move, they snag and tension builds. A sudden movement sends out shock waves, which causes anearthquake.

Explain / Give reasons / Suggest reasons = give reasons for why something happens and include all the specific detail as to why they lead to it happening; useful words to use in an 'explain' question include: therefore, so, because, as a result of, consequently, this means that.

Give effects / Suggest impacts = this type of question asks you to look into the future and write about the consequences of something happening.

Use examples = you must use real-life examples to gain full marks! You have studied a wide variety of examples in lessons. You can use your own general knowledge too. Make sure you give specific detail and you include the name and location!

Identify evidence / Use map evidence= this means that you must include information taken from the resources that you have been provided with. Don't forget to interpret the evidence that you give! E.g. Use map evidence to suggest why the area is vulnerable to coastal flooding. The land is very flat and wet so ifthe sea broke through large areas would be flooded. I can tell that the land is flat because the only contour line shown on the map extract is at 10 metres. The land in squares 4126 and 4127 is 'Hempstead Marshes'.Great Moss Fen is in 4225 and 4226. Marshes and Fens are flat.

Compare = describe the similarities and differences between things - words that will force you into a comparison are 'whereas' and 'in comparison to' 'alternatively' and 'on the other hand'; words ending in '- er' are also useful (eg. taller, richer, stronger); words such as 'less than' and 'more than' are also useful.

Annotate= this means add labels to a diagram, photograph or map. Annotate questions will also ask you to do something else e.g. describe or explain. This additional command word tells you what type of statements to write in your annotations. When explaining, you will need to give detailed reasons. E.g. annotate the photograph to explain some of the possible impacts on the natural environment of a large scale tourist development in the area.

4-8 mark question levels:

Level 1: Basic

Knowledge of basic information

Simple understanding

Few links; limited detail; uses a limited range of specialist terms

Limited evidence of sentence structure

Frequent spelling, punctuation and grammatical errors

Level 2: Clear

Knowledge of accurate information

Clear understanding

Answers have some linkages; occasional detail/exemplar; uses some specialist terms where appropriate

Clear evidence of sentence structure

Some spelling, punctuation and grammatical errors

Level 3: Detailed

Knowledge of accurate information appropriately contextualised and/or at correct scale Detailed understanding, supported by relevant evidence and exemplars

Well organised, demonstrating detailed linkages and the interrelationships between factors Range of ideas in logical form; uses a range of specialist terms where appropriate

Well-structured response with effective use of sentences

Few spelling, punctuation and grammatical errors

Using examples you have studied, explain the challenges of overpopulation? (6)

D or below:

Overpopulation is when there are too many people in an area which present many challenges. Diseases are spread and there are not enough jobs for people.

C-B answer:

Overpopulation is when there are too many people in an area and there is not enough resources for them. Overpopulation can put pressure on healthcare and water systems and people struggle to find jobs. In china the population was growing so quickly that the government had to introduce a one child policy to the country to slow the growth down.

A-A* Answer:

Overpopulation is when there are too many people in comparison to space and resources to support a satisfactory quality of life. When people move from rural to urban areas in search of work and a better life, there may not be housing available for them and in many developing countries this is a common feature. As a result of this movement, resources, such as food, shelter and water become increasingly stretched, as well as healthcare and sanitation provisions. Diseases are easily spread and essential amenities like water systems become polluted. In the long run, infant mortality rates and the death rate increase as people become exposed to the terrors of overpopulated areas. An example of an overpopulated area can be seen in China, where a One Child policy was initiated in the late 1970s due to concerns related to their rising population and in the hope to slow down the population growth. In theory this worked with a reduction in the birth rate from 33 per 1000 to 16 per 1000, however it caused long-term socio-economic issues. China has become unbalanced with 110 males to every 100 female, causing men issues with finding a wife. Also, due to a reduced birth rate, China will have to deal with the dependency issues associated with an ageing population in the future.

Useful web links:

Virtual Learning -

Revision sites:

Population and Settlement

Terms / Definition
Birth Rate / The amount of babies born per 1000 of the population per year
Death Rate / The amount of deaths per 1000 of the population per year
Natural Increase/Decrease / The difference between the birth and death rates
Immigrants / People moving into a country
Emigrants / People moving out of a country
Migration / Movement of people into and out of an area or country
Positive Migration / More immigrants than emigrants = increase population size
Negative Migration / Less immigrants than emigrants = decrease population size
Refugees / Are people who've been forced to leave their country due to things like war, persecution or a natural disaster
Pro-natalist policies / A population policy that tries to encourage births to increase the population size
Anti-natlalist policies / A population policy that tries to reduce the birth rate and therefore reduce population growth
Population Decline / Death rate is greater than the birth rate
Population Increase / Death rate is less than the birth rate
Demographic Transition Model / A model showing population growth over time at different stages of development. There are five different stages that countries go through.
Population Structure / Is how many people there are of each age group in the population and how many there are of each sex. Population structure is show using a population pyramid.
Youthful Population / When there is a very high percentage of people under the age of 15
Ageing Population / When a country has a large number of people over the age of 65
Overpopulation / Where there are too many people and not enough resources to support a satisfactory quality of life - high population density
Urbanisation / Population shift from rural to urban areas - common in LEDCs
Counter urbanisation / People move from urban areas to rural areas, usually occurs in MEDCs
Push Factors / The negative things about a person's place of origin that make them want to leave
Pull Factors / The positive things about a person's destination that attract them to the destination.
CBD- Central Business District / The commercial centre of the city with shops and offices
The Suburbs / These are housing areas found towards the edge of the city
The Inner City / The part found around the CBD - it has a mix of poorer quality housing and older industrial buildings
The Rural-Urban Fringe / The part right at the edge of a city where there are both urban land uses e.g. factories and rural land uses e.g. farming
Sustainable / Doing things in a way that lets the people living now have the things they need but without stopping people in the future meeting their needs too.
Carbon-neutral homes / Building that generate as much energy as they use e.g. by using solar panels to produce energy.
Brownfield site / Area that has been built on previously
Greenfield site / Green space that has not been built on before
High Order Goods / These are goods that are only brought occasionally and are usually more expensive. Usually called comparison goods as you compare before you buy.
Low Order Goods / These are goods that are bought frequently and are usually quite cheap e.g. milk, bread. These are known as convenience goods.
Threshold Population / The minimum population needed to support a shop
Sphere of Influence / The area that people come from to visit a shop or an area. Convenience goods have a small sphere of influence.
Range / Distance people will travel for a particular good or service

Population numbers change over time, influenced by births, deaths and migration into or out of an area. Global population levels, having grown slowly for most of human history, are now rising.

Population pyramids-show the structure of a population by comparing relative numbers of people in different age groups. Population structures differ markedly between LEDCs and MEDCs.

Demographic Transition Model

Countries go through five stages of population growth; these are shown by the Demographic Transition Model. The DTM shows population change over time and marked differences between LEDCs and MEDCs.

Population growth is linked to how developed a county is:

-As countries become more developed, birth and death rates change, affecting population growth. For example, as a country develops and improves its healthcare services, the death rate reduces, especially infant mortality. This increase the population.

-So as countries become more developed the population changes and the country moves through the stages of the DTM.

-LEDCs are in the earlier stages of the DTM and MEDCs are in the later stages of the DTM.

Reasons for high birth and death rates in developing countries / Reasons for low birth and death rates in developed countries
-Work on land/farms – hard work and many deaths
-Care for family when ill/old
-High infant mortality due to disease
-Children regarded as insurance - children go to city to earn money and can care for elderly
-Religious beliefs against birth control – spread of HIV and lots of births (women die In child birth)
-Tradition of having large families – believed to give status. / -Excellent standard of living
-Don’t need lots of children to work
-Children survive so don’t have to have more
-Excellent healthcare
-Excellent family planning – access to variety and can have children when they are wanted
-Children live free from disease
-Want to spend money on other things – leisure activities
-Pensions – reduce dependency
-Want careers
-Better education

Variations in Population Size

People are unevenly distributed around the world. The difference in distribution is measured by comparing population density – the number of people per square kilometre.

People live in different areas due to various factors such as the following:

Population Management

Some governments step into manage their population to stop them passing the tipping point that leads to overpopulation.

When a population is experiencing population increase, usually extremes such as overpopulation, Anti-natalist policies are used. Thisa policy installed by the government to slow the population growth by attempting to limit the number of births.

For example: China’s ‘One Child Policy’

When a population is experiencing population decline, Pro-natalist policies are used. This isa policy installed by the government to encourage the bearing of children to increase the birth rate.

For example: Singapore’s ‘Graduates Mother Scheme’ and ‘Have Three or More’.

Migration

Is the movement of people. Migration can be voluntary, forced, permanent or temporary.

When people move into an area, this is called Immigration.

When people exit an area, its called Emigration.

People can move to different countries – this is known as International Migration. It might be across the world, or just a few miles across a border. For example: Mexico to USA.

People can move between different regions within countries. This is known as Internal Migration.

Rural to Urban Migration: is the movement of people from rural areas such as the countryside to urban areas such as cities like London. Also known as Urbanisation.

Urban to Rural Migration: is the movement of people from urban areas to rural areas. Also known as Counter-Urbanisation.

Land-Use

The ways that land is used are broadly the same in all towns and cities. The land use, for example, consists of areas for houses, businesses, leisure and transport. Areas with the same types of land used are called zones.

Burgess Model- Aka Concentric Zone Model

This model is based on the idea that land values are highest in the centre of a town/city. This leads to high-rise, high-density buildings being found near the Central Business District (CBD), with low-density, sparse developments on the edge of the town/city.

Another urban model is the Hoyt Model. This is based on the circles on the Burgess model, but adds sectors of similar land uses concentrated in parts of the city. Some zones e.g. factories/industry zone, radiate out from the CBD.

Sustainable Cities

Many people are working towards trying to make cities more Sustainable. A sustainable city offers a good quality of life to current residents but doesn’t reduce the opportunities for future residents to enjoy.

Key features of a sustainable city:

-Resources and services in the city are accessible to all

-Public transport is seen as a viable alternative to cars, is safe and reliable.

-Walking and cycling is better for health and safer.

-Areas of open space are safe, accessible and enjoyable

-Renewable resources are used where possible

-Waste is seen as a resource – recycling when possible

-New homes are energy efficient and affordable

-Community links are strong – work together

-Cultural and social amenities are accessible to all

-Inward investment

LEDC Example: Curitiba, Brazil

Capital city of the Parana state in Brazil with nearly two million people living there. There have been many changes since 1968:

-Parks were created and retained – green spaces beside the river and acts as floodplain.

-Green spaces being dedicated to different ethnic/immigrant groups – stop conflict