O-LevelGeographyPopulation and settlement2217/12 · May/June 2016 · Q125 Marks

(a) Study Fig. 1, which shows information about the birth and death rates of three countries in 2013. Country Birth rate (per 1000 of population) Death rate (per 1000 of population) Kuwait 20.9 2.1 South Africa 19.3 17.2 Vietnam 16.8 5.9 Fig. 1

(a)(i)What is meant by South Africa has a death rate of 17.2?[1]
(a)(ii)Using Fig. 1, identify the following: - the country with the lowest birth rate; - the country with the highest rate of natural population growth.[2]
(a)(iii)Give three reasons why death rates vary from country to country.[3]
(b)Study Figs. 2A and 2B, which show information about birth rates in Vietnam (an LEDC in South East Asia). [Figure 2A] The communist government of Vietnam is penalising couples who have more than two children. In the early 1960s it imposed a two-child limit for couples and there have been campaigns to promote contraception and abortion in the country since 1997. By 2000, the birth rate had been reduced considerably by the use of fines and confiscation of land. The original policy ended in 2003 but was revived in 2008 after an increase in the birth rate. Villagers in Thua Thien-Hue province are being fined for having more than two children under the government two-child policy. Catherine Pham Thi Thanh, 44, said that since 1996 she has been fined a total of 3800 kilograms of rice for having six children. This is a great loss for the family which makes an annual profit of only 700 kilograms of rice from their farm. [Figure 2B]
(b)(i)Using Fig. 2A only, describe the reduction in the birth rate of Vietnam between 1960 and 2015. Include statistics in your answer.[3]
(b)(ii)Suggest how government policies and other factors may have reduced Vietnam’s birth rate.[4]
(b)(iii)Explain why the governments of some MEDCs are now concerned that birth rates are too low in their countries.[5]
(c)For a named country you have studied, describe the problems caused by over-population. 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 2016). The mark or mark type is shown in brackets.

[1] 17.2 out of 1000 people die per year or in 2013/1.72% of the population died in 2013. NB: South Africa is not needed. Look for 17.2 as an exact figure.
[2] Vietnam; Kuwait; 2 @ 1 mark (2)
[3] Ideas such as (variations in amount/quality of): health care/hospital/clinics/medicines; number of people per doctor/availability of doctors; food supply/diet/famine/starvation; water supply/quality/drought; sanitation/hygiene; diseases or examples/AIDS or HIV; wars; vaccinations; education about healthcare/disease; care for the elderly/pensions, etc. 3 @ 1 mark (3)
[3] Steep reduction from 1960 to 2000; levels off after 2000 or Look at the four time periods on the graph and accept any two statements with appropriate dates. steep reduction – Period 1 gentle reduction – Period 2 steep decline – Period 3 levels off - Period 4 MAX 1 for at least 2 supporting statistics (e.g. 47 in 1960, 17 in 2000). Can accept a figure for the change with two supporting dates. NB: Reserve 1 mark for statistics. Do not need per 1000. Accept tolerance on statistics plus or minus 1 either way. We are not looking for candidates to describe the overall trend (1960-2015). However, statistics for these years would be fine. 3 @1 mark (3)
[4] Ideas such as: government restricted family size/number of children by the use of two-child limit; people fined/had land taken off them/lost income if they did not follow the policy; incentives such as education for two children only; contraception/abortions made available or made cheaper; campaigns for people to use contraception/abortions; people concentrating on careers; education of women; education about family planning; later marriages; improvement of infant healthcare/lower IMR; pensions; mechanisation of farms/less agricultural work/more emphasis on secondary and tertiary sector, etc. 4 @ 1 mark (4)
[5] Ideas such as: they have fallen below replacement level/population decline/death rates higher than birth rates; shortage of workers/shortage of working class/less economically active/no one to care for the elderly/people to exploit the resources; low level of production/businesses fail; difficult to defend country; ageing population/increase in elderly people/lots of old dependents; lack of innovation; closure of schools/nurseries; need to raise more taxes/fewer tax payers/burden on economically active; need to pay more pensions/provide more care homes/healthcare for the elderly; economic decline/reduces the economy; need to encourage migration, etc. 5 @ 1 mark or development (5)
[7] Levels marking Level 1 [1-3 marks] Statements including limited detail which describe the problems caused by over-population. Level 2 [4-6 marks] Uses named example. More developed statements which describe the problems caused by over-population. (NB Max 5 if no named or inappropriate example) Level 3 [7 marks] Uses named example. Comprehensive and accurate statements including some place-specific reference. Content guide: Answers are likely to refer to: not enough housing water and air pollution shortage of food and water high crime rates not enough health care and education lack of employment poverty, etc. Place-specific reference is likely to consist of: named parts of the chosen country/locational detail population data/statistics NB: Development is of the problem not the causes. The focus is on impacts within the country.