Variations in UK Population
- Populations vary over time and from place to place
- Populations can vary by:
- Total numbers (rising and falling over time)
- Population Structure
- Increasing in some places, whilst decreasing or remaining stable in other places
What is ‘place’?
- Places (like areas and locations) are parts of geographical space, where physical and human elements of a given society coexist
- A place is shaped and constantly transformed by:
- The physical nature of the place
- What its residents do for a living
- Connections:
- Internal - people, employment, housing, services
- External - government policies, globalisation
- An important aspect of place is how individuals and groups of people perceive, engage with and form attachments to it
The UK’s uneven population growth
- Characteristics of the UK population:
- A total population of 67.8 million (July 2023)
- The population has grown by over 11 million people in the last 50 years
- It has grown unevenly:
- London and the south-east have seen a rapid population growth rate
- Between 2004-14, the population of the UK increased by 4.3 million people, with eight out of the ten local authorities experiencing the most growth were located in London
- The north-east of England has been growing at a much slower rate
- The UK has an ageing population as life expectancy has increased and death rates have fallen due to better medical care
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The UK’s population growth
The Factors Driving Population Growth Within Areas of the UK
London and the south-east | The north-east of England |
Rapid population growth over the last 20 years (29.5% increase), due to:
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Slower population growth over the last 20 years (1.7% increase), due to:
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Exam Tip
For this unit on Diverse Places, you will have studied your own two contrasting places. These revision notes will focus on two contrasting places, Liverpool and Lerwick (in Shetland). You could use these notes as additional case studies, alongside your own, in your exam answers.
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The location of Liverpool and Lerwick