O-LevelGeographyPopulation and settlement2217/13 · Oct/Nov 2013 · Q125 Marks

Study Fig. 1, which shows information about the birth and death rates of Zambia (LEDC) and Italy (MEDC) in 2011. Country Birth rate (per 1000 of population) Death rate (per 1000 of population) Zambia 44.1 16.6 Italy 9.2 9.8 [Figure 1]

(a)(i)What evidence in Fig. 1 suggests that Italy had a natural population decrease in 2011?[1]
(a)(ii)Calculate the natural population growth rate of Zambia. You must show your calculations. Natural population growth rate = ........................ per 1000[2]
(a)(iii)Give three reasons why there are high death rates in LEDCs such as Zambia.[3]
(a)(iv)Explain why there are low birth rates in MEDCs such as Italy.[4]
(b)Study Fig. 2, which shows a population pyramid for Zambia (an LEDC in Africa). [Figure 2]
(b)(i)Suggest three ways in which the population pyramid for an MEDC is likely to be different from the population pyramid for Zambia (LEDC).[3]
(b)(ii)Describe the likely problems for an LEDC of having many young dependents.[5]
(c)For a named example of a country you have studied, describe the policy or policies used by the government to reduce birth rates. 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 (Oct/Nov 2013). The mark or mark type is shown in brackets.

[1] (a) (i) Death rate is higher than birth rate/Birth rate is lower than Death rate/Death rate is 9.8 but birth rate is 9.2
[2] (a) (ii) 44.1 – 16.6 (1 mark) = 27.5 (per 1000) (1 mark) 2 @ 1 mark
[3] (a) (iii) Ideas such as: Short life expectancy; Poor treatment of diseases/lack of medicines/lack of vaccinations; Lack of health care facilities/hospitals/clinics; Lack of investment in doctors/nurses; High levels of named example of disease e.g. Typhoid/AIDS; Lack of investment in care homes/services for elderly; No pensions; Poor diet/food supply/starvation/malnutrition/hunger; Poor water supply; Sanitation/hygiene/drought; War/civil war; Not educated about disease/hygiene; etc. 3 @ 1 mark
[4] (a) (iv) Ideas such as: Small family size; Availability/people can afford contraception/family planning; Knowledge of contraception/family planning; Emancipation of women; Women are more career minded/busy with jobs; High cost of children; Abortion (availability of or legality of abortion) The desire for material possessions; Late marriages; Low infant mortality rate/most children survive; Availability of pensions; Have children later in life (so have fewer of them); etc. NB: reverse ideas for LEDC's are acceptable e.g. no need for children to work on farm. 4 @ 1 mark
[3] (b) (i) Ideas such as MEDC pyramid is likely to: have narrower base/less young people/less 0–4/less babies; be less pyramid shaped/more evenly spread across ages/more straight sided; have wider top/apex/larger top/more old people/large amount of grey; have wider middle section/bigger middle section/more working age; etc. NB Could refer to MEDC or Zambia but account must be comparative. 3 @ 1 mark
[5] (b) (ii) Ideas such as: High dependency ratio; So people have to work harder to look after large Families (dev)/so there are more children to support (dev)/costs more to look after children (dev); Many children not educated/cost of providing education/cannot afford education/need more schools to be built (dev)lack of nursery places (dev); Therefore literacy remains low/low skills levels or examples (dev); Cost of providing food/cannot afford food/lack of food/need to provide more food; Therefore starvation/malnutrition (dev); Lack of/cost of/difficulty of providing water; Stress or pressure on the working population; Money has to be spent on their healthcare needs/can't afford to treat them; If money spent on young the country can't afford to spend on other things or named examples; Less chance of women being able to work; Overcrowded housing; Children abandoned/more street children/children involved in crimes or examples; 5@1 mark or development
[L1] (c) Levels marking: Statements including limited detail describing policies to reduce numbers of young dependents. (1-3 marks)
[L2] Uses named example. More developed statements describing policies to reduce numbers of young dependents. (4-6 marks) (NB: MAX 5 marks if no named example)
[L3] Uses named example (e.g. China). Comprehensive and accurate statements describing policies to reduce numbers of young dependents, including some place specific reference. (7 marks)
Candidates could refer to ideas such as: Contraception Government incentives Government sanctions etc.
NB: the question is asking for a description of the policy not impacts of the policy.