Part Theme

Topic 3 Population structure and control A 1

Sample question
(a) Study Fig. 1.

Fig. 1
(i) What is a census? (1)
(ii) State two pieces of useful information a government can gain from a census. (2)
(iii) Give three reasons why many LEDCs do not carry out a census.  (3)

(b) Study Fig. 2.

LEDC MEDC

Age Age
85+ 85+
80–84 80–84
75–79 75–79
70–74 70–74
65–69 65–69
60–64 60–64
55–59 55–59
50–54 50–54
45–49 45–49
40–44 40–44
35–39 35–39
30–34 30–34
25–29 25–29
20–24 20–24
15–19 15–19
10–14 10–14
5–9 5–9
0–4 0–4
9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Males Females Males Females
% of total population % of total population

Fig. 2
(i) Describe three differences between the MEDC population pyramid and the LEDC population pyramid. (3)
(ii) Suggest why the MEDC pyramid has a different shape.  (4)
(iii) Explain the ways in which a government can increase the size of its population. (5)

(c) For a country you have studied, describe the policies used by the government to reduce rates of population growth. (7)
 (Total 25)

Cambridge IGCSE Geography     Part A Theme 1 Population and Settlement © Cambridge University Press 2010