Geography challenges of an urbanising world

Define urbanisation

Urbanisation is the process of towns and cities developing and becoming bigger as their population increases

Define developed countries

Countries with very high human development. This means modern industries, high levels of income and a high standard of living

Define developing countries

Countries with low human development, a poor country. This means poor quality of life, limited access to services and a low rate of industrialisation

Define emerging countries

Countries with high and medium human development. They are undergoing rapid economic growth, industrialisation, increasing investment, rising standard of living, but not yet meeting the standards of a developed country

Define megacity

An urban area with a population of over 10 million

Define a major city

A city with a population of at least 200,000 inhabitants

Define an informal economy

An unofficial economy where no records are kept. People working in this economy have no contracts or employment rights

Define a formal economy

An economy that is official, meets legal standards for accounts, taxes, workers pay and conditions

Define suburbanisation

A change in the nature of rural areas such that they start to resemble the suburbs

Define counter-urbanisation

The movement of people from urban area into rural areas; these may be people who originally made the move into a city

Define re-urbanisation

The use of initiatives to counter problems of inner city decline

Define the primary industry

Extraction of raw materials from land or sea

Define de-industrialisation

Deindustrialisation is the decline of manufacturing industries