O-LevelGeographyPopulation and settlement2217/13 · May/June 2013 · Q125 Marks

(a) Study Fig. 1, which shows the population density of areas around the world. [Figure 1]

(a)(i)What is meant by a low population density?[1]
(a)(ii)Name an area shown on Fig. 1 with a low population density; A that also has an arid (very dry) climate, B that is also in the Southern Hemisphere.[2]
(a)(iii)Suggest three reasons why the area marked X on Fig. 1 has a high population density.[3]
(a)(iv)Overpopulation occurs when there are too many people for the available resources. Describe four different problems which overpopulation may cause in a country.[4]
(b)(i)Give three different reasons why the area shown in Photograph A has a low population density.[3]
(b)(ii)Suggest why some people live in areas of low population density, such as the one shown in Photograph A.[5]
(c)For a named country which you have studied, describe the distribution of its population and draw a labelled sketch map to show this distribution. Name of country .[7]

This question uses a diagram from the original paper, which isn't shown here. Open the full paper from the past papers archive to see it.

Mark scheme

Marking points from the official mark scheme (May/June 2013). The mark or mark type is shown in brackets.

[1] (a)(i) An area where few people live in a large area/per square kilometre/lower than 50 per square km/a big area with few people;
[2] (a)(ii) A: Sahara Desert, North Africa, Sudan, The Sahel, any North African country/Middle Eastern country; etc. B: Amazon Rainforest, Andes, Atacama Desert, Australia, Chile; etc.
[3] (a)(iii) Ideas such as: it is an area of temperate, moderate or gentle climate/temperatures are not too hot or cold; there are good water supplies/sufficient rainfall; food can be grown/farming is good; many parts are easily accessible/good infrastructure; there are many resources (or examples); there is lots of employment/lots of factories (or examples); etc. low/flat land; etc.
[4] (a)(iv) Ideas such as: pressure on energy supplies (or example); lack of work; inadequate food supplies; poor access to education/not enough...; poor access to health care/not enough...; overcrowded housing/not enough housing; inadequate water supply/sanitation; overuse of agricultural land/overgrazing; deforestation/loss of natural vegetation; lack of space for landfill; traffic congestion; high cost of land; specified pollution problem e.g. air or water pollution (max 2); etc.
[3] (b)(i) Ideas such as: mountains/high/steep land/difficult to build on steep slopes; communications are difficult/roads hard to build on steep slopes/poor infrastructure; cold climate/snow/long winters; few areas of farmland/hard to produce food; isolated/long way from services; lack of industry/work/employment/jobs; risk of landslides etc.
[5] (b)(ii) Ideas such as: there are some habitable areas in valleys; especially those areas on valley floors (dev); some farmers live there; grazing animals in steep slopes/cultivating valley land (dev); some people work in tourist industry; particularly winter sports/skiing; some people like tranquillity/quiet; lack of air/noise/visual/water pollution (dev); (max 1) mining; beautiful scenery/natural beauty; no traffic congestion; people have always lived there; etc.
[7] (c) Level 3 (7 marks) Uses named example. Comprehensive and accurate statements including a labelled sketch map. Answers are likely to refer to factors such as: inland; mountainous; coastal; river valleys; uneven/unevenly spread.