IB ESS Exam Review Topics 1-8
demographics - correct answer ✔✔statistical data relating to the population and particular groups within
it.
doubling time - correct answer ✔✔The number of years needed to double a population, assuming a
constant rate of natural increase.
crude death rate - correct answer ✔✔The number of deaths per year per 1,000 people.
crude birth rate - correct answer ✔✔The number of live births per year per 1,000 people.
fertility rate - correct answer ✔✔the average number of children a woman of childbearing years would
have in her lifetime, if she had children at the current rate for her country
natural incease - correct answer ✔✔crude birth rate - crude death rate / 10 (ignore migration)
population density - correct answer ✔✔A measurement of the number of persons per unit land area.
Human Development Index (HDI) - correct answer ✔✔Indicator of level of development for each
country, constructed by United Nations, combining income, literacy, education, and life expectancy
LEDC - correct answer ✔✔Less economically developed country: a country with low to moderate
industrialization and low to moderate average GNP per capita.
MEDC - correct answer ✔✔More economically developed country: a highly industrialized country with
high average GNP per capita.
,life expectancy - correct answer ✔✔The average number of years an individual can be expected to live,
given current social, economic, and medical conditions. Life expectancy at birth is the average number of
years a newborn infant can expect to live.
demography - correct answer ✔✔The scientific study of population characteristics.
Malthusian Theory - correct answer ✔✔Malthus' theory that population increase would outpace
increases in the means of subsistence
Boserup's Theory - correct answer ✔✔Strongly disagreed with Malthus. Thought that if people were
threatened by malnutrition they would have more drive to provide
overpopulation - correct answer ✔✔The number of people in an area exceeds the capacity of the
environment to support life at a decent standard of living.
high infant mortality (reasons for large families) - correct answer ✔✔The percentage of children who die
before their first birthday within a particular area or country.
One of the main factors leading to large families - have more children as some will die, but 50% will
survive = large population growth
security in old age (reasons for large families) - correct answer ✔✔the tradition in the family is that the
children look after the parents/grandparents - therefore, more children = more care
children as an economic asset (reasons for large families) - correct answer ✔✔especially in agricultural
societies - children are needed to work on the farms
status of women (reasons for large families) - correct answer ✔✔in many societies, women still have a
lower social position, and the belief is that they should stay home and look after children
lack of contraceptives (reasons for large families) - correct answer ✔✔in MEDCs, these are the prime
reason for reduced birth rates
,however, in may LEDCs, people are too poor to buy them, or they are not available
provide education (ways to reduce family sizes) - correct answer ✔✔basic literacy in adults and children
has been shown to reduce birth rates
improve health (ways to reduce family sizes) - correct answer ✔✔by preventing spread of diseases,
increased hygiene, improved nutrition, simple medicines and vaccinations - all these will reduce child
mortality = reduction in birth rate
increase availability of contraceptives (ways to reduce family sizes) - correct answer ✔✔to allow for
family planning
enhanced income (ways to reduce family sizes) - correct answer ✔✔e.g. microlending may provide
opportunities for families to provide for themselves, and possibly even create small businesses
population pyramids - correct answer ✔✔Visual representations of the age and sex composition of a
population whereby the percentage of each age group (generally five-year increments) is represented by
a horizontal bar the length of which represents its relationship to the total population. The males in each
age group are represented to the left of the center line of each horizontal bar; the females in each age
group are represented to the right of the center line
demographic transition model (DTM) - correct answer ✔✔The process of change in a society's
population from a condition of high crude birth and death rates and low rate of natural increase to a
condition of low crude birth and death rates, low rate of natural increase, and a higher total population.
Stage 1 - DMT - correct answer ✔✔high stationary - high birth rate and high death rate in an LEDC
Stage 2 - DMT - correct answer ✔✔early expanding - high birth rate but decreasing death rate due to
improved economy, food supply and health - large population increase in an LEDC
Stage 3 - DMT - correct answer ✔✔late expanding - death rate is still falling, birth rate is also starting to
fall as access to contraceptives and family planning increases - still a large population increase in an LEDC
, Stage 4 - DMT - correct answer ✔✔low stationary - low birth rate and low death rate, this is in an MEDC -
means population growth slows or even reaches 0
Stage 5 - DMT - correct answer ✔✔declining - fertility rate is dropping even further and death rate is low
- average number of children is less than 2, and so population size is decreasing - only in some MEDCs
(such as in Europe)
greying of Europe - correct answer ✔✔population growth of Europe is falling, and its population is
ageing
natural capital - correct answer ✔✔A term sometimes used by economists for natural resources that, if
appropriately managed, can produce a "natural income" of goods and services. The natural capital of a
forest might provide a continuing natural income of timber, game, water and recreation.
natural income - correct answer ✔✔Renewable resources such as plants, animals, and soil provided by
the earth's natural capital.
maximum sustainable yield - correct answer ✔✔the maximum rate at which a renewable resource can
be exploited without impairing its ability to be renewed or replenished
renewable natural capital - correct answer ✔✔Natural resources that have a sustainable yield or harvest
equal to or less than their natural productivity; for example, food crops, timber.
non-renewable natural capital - correct answer ✔✔Natural resources that cannot be replenished within
a timescale of the same order as that at which they are taken from the environment and used; for
example, fossil fuels.
replenishable natural capital - correct answer ✔✔Non-living natural resources that depend on the
energy of the Sun for their replenishment; i.e. groundwater.
exploitation - correct answer ✔✔use or utilization, especially for profit - often has negative inference