Cambridge International A-Level Geography – Population Questions with Correct Answers

Natural increase Correct Answer The difference between the number of births and the number of deaths in a given region. Carrying capacity Correct Answer The largest population that the resources of a given environment can support. Population momentum Correct Answer The tendency for population growth to continue beyond the time that replacement level fertility has been achieved because of a relatively high concentration of people in the childbearing years. This situation is due to past high fertility rates that result in a large number of young people. Crude birth rate Correct Answer The number of births per thousand population in a given year. It is only a very broad indicator as it does not take into account the age and sex distribution of the population. (generally referred to as the 'birth rate') Fertility rate Correct Answer The number of live births per 1000 women aged 15-49 years in a given year. Total fertility rate Correct Answer The average number of children that would be born alive to a woman (or group of women) during her lifetime, if she were to pass through her childbearing years conforming to the age-specifi c fertility rates of a given year. Replacement level fertility Correct Answer The level at which each generation has just enough children to replace themselves in the population. Although the level varies for different populations, a total fertility rate of 2.12 children is usually considered Crude death rate Correct Answer The number of deaths per thousand population in a given year. Again only a broad indicator, as it is heavily influenced by the age structure of the population. (generally referred to as the 'death rate') Infant mortality rate Correct Answer The number of deaths of infants under one year of age per thousand live births in a given year. Life expectancy (at birth) Correct Answer The average number of years a person may expect to live when born, assuming past trends continue.