Geography - UK urban landscapes

Where is population density the highest?

Cites

What is a conurbation

A place where major cities have merged to form continuous urban areas - eg. Merseyside, which include Liverpool, Knowsley and St Helen’s

Give some examples of rural areas in the UK

Scottish Highlands, South West England

Do Urban or rural areas have higher economic activity

Urban

Do Urban or rural areas have more job opportunities

Urban

What is the main employment of people in cities

Tertiary sector (retail, finance) Quaternary sector (law) manufacturing (electronics, food and drink

What makes some rural areas unattractive places to live in

Altitude = steep slopes, high exposure to wind, rain etc, generally inaccessible

What makes some rural areas attractive places to live in (physical factors)

Lowlands = fertile soils, good transport due to rivers and coasts, mild weather

Why are cities attractive places to live

More jobs, which are often high paid

What is the main employment of people in rural areas

Primary industry - fishing, farming, forestry, mining

What may rural areas have that cities don’t (hint: summer)

Seasonal tourism industry. For example, seasonal cafes and hotels in the Lake district

What is a commuter settlement/dormitory town

An area that’s main function is a space for its inhabitants to sleep, but in the day they commute to cities for work. It may lack various facilities.

What do urban populations look like? (description + image attached

Small - midsized young dependant
Huge number of 18 - 35 year olds
Decreasing from 35 - 65
Tiny elderly dependants

Explain urban population

Many young economically active citizens (including national and international migrants), who move there looking for work (bc of big tertiary and quaternary sector), or university. Size then decreases, as people often move away if they start a family, to a more rural/suburban area - also leads to less young dependents. Few elderly people as they often retire in more peaceful rural areas

What do rural populations look like

Midsized young dependants
Few young adults
Increasing into middle age
Lots of elderly dependants

Explain rural population

There is a mid-sized number of children and middle aged people, as many move to rural areas to start a family. Few young adults, as they mostly move to large cities in search of work (there is mostly a primary sector in rural areas). Many elderly people, seeking the peace and quiet in their retirement

What is the multiplier effect

People move to urban areas for work, and spend money there, which creates more jobs. This effect leads to the city expanding

Why do some rural areas in the UK have high levels of poverty

Isolated and inaccessible
Few employment opportunities
Depopulation -> loss of services (eg. shops)
Loss of the manufacturing industry + primary sector

What is the UK government doing to reduce wealth differences between rural and urban areas

Enterprise zones and transport infrastructure

What is the EU doing to reduce wealth differences between rural and urban areas

Regional developement

What are enterprise zones and what do they aim to do

Areas which the government ‘brands’ to encourage companies to locate there. They receive multiple benefits - including reduced taxes, simpler planning rules, improved infrastructure (e.g. superfast broadband) They aim to bring new jobs, improving the economy of poorer areas

How many enterprise zones has the Government created in the UK

55

Give an example of an enterprise zone, and how it has helped that area

The Dorset Green enterprise zone has two high tech companies, hopes to attract 55 businesses, and has created 2000 jobs

What is transport infrastructure and what does it aim to do

Building roads and railways to make rural areas more accessible, making companies more likely to invest and locate there

Give an example of transport infrastructure

HS2 - high speed, low carbon railway line connecting London, Birmingham, Leeds, and Manchester

What is the ERDF and what does it aim to do

European regional development fund - Promote growth in rural areas by investing in small high tech companies, providing training to improve local people’s skills, funding infrastructure (e.g. high speed broadband).

Give an example of ERDF

EU funded high speed broadband in Cornwall to attract digital businesses , creating skilled jobs in the area, and attracting young graduates

What is CAP

The Common Agricultural Policy - EU initiative to make sure that all farmers can earn a living. Includes training + assistance for young farmers

What is national migration

Migration for one part of a country to another part of the same country

What is international migration

Migration from one country to another

What is rural-urban migration

Migration from a rural area to a city

What is counter urbanisation

Migration from a city to a rural area

What percentage of the UK’s population growth is due to migration compared to natural increase

50/50

Between ____ and _____ more people left than moved to the UK

1970, 1982

Where do people leaving the UK mostly move to

Australia, USA, France, and Spain

How does migration affect the distribution in the UK

People move to the cities for work -> younger pop.
Wealthy, middle aged people move to rural areas for a better quality of life
Retirees move to coastal areas of the UK -> older pop.

How does migration affect age structure of the UK as a whole

Younger population as migrants move here for work (20-30)
Migrants affect the birth rate as many are of child bearing age -> immigrants = 13% of UK pop. but account for 27% of babies born

The primary sector has shrunk to ____% of the workforce

2%

What has caused the shrink of the primary sector (generically)

Industrialisation, the growth of the secondary and tertiary sectors

What are the 4 main areas of the primary sector

Fishing, farming, forestry, mining

What has caused the decline in agriculture in the UK

Cheaper to import some types of food from abroad, even if they can be grown in the UK ->
Has become highly mechanised -> less jobs for people because a machine can do it more efficiently
Small family farms taken over by agribusiness -> latest technology being used -> less jobs for people

Evidence for the decline of agriculture in the UK

UK produces less than 60% of its own food

What has caused the decline in fishing in the UK

Over fishing causing depletion in fish in UK waters
Mechanisation -> large trawling nets can catch hundreds of fish quickly
International rules on the amount of fish that can be caught in a day

Evidence for the decline in fishing in the UK

Majority of fish caught in only 3 scottish ports

What has caused the decline in mining and quarrying in the UK

Cheaper to import coal
Collapse of industries like iron and steel production = less coal needed
Modern electricity stations powered by natural gas not coal
Burning coal is poor for air quality and for the environment

Evidence for the decline in mining and quarrying in the UK

There are only 5 working deep mines and 7 working surface level mines in the UK today

Has there been a decline in forestry?

No - it has always employed few people. The main employer is the Forestry commission

What has caused a decline in the secondary sector

Cheap land and labour in other places, often with less rules and regs
Fast, cheap, efficient transport + communication networks allows goods to be imported
Transnational corporations make goods more cheaply and efficiently than small companies
Automation has made less jobs for humans

The tertiary sector now accounts for __ of jobs

2/3

The rise in the tertiary sector can be attributed to ___

development

Why is the tertiary sector growing

Country is able to afford more and better services eg. schools
People are earning more money -> more disposable income
Technology makes more jobs and services e.g. website designers
People living longer -> older population -> specialist care homes and saga holidays + charities caring for the elderly

What is another term for the quaternary sector

The Knowledge Economy

Why is the quaternary sector growing

University degrees and training are becoming more accessible -> more people are able to go into fields like law

What are some examples of jobs in the quaternary sector

Law
Insurance
IT
Film and media

The quaternary sector is foot____

Loose - means that people are not tied to a certain location, they can live and work anywhere

In the past, the North east of England was dominated by ______ and some ______ in rural areas

Coal mining; farming

Give one example of a town in the north east which was heavily dominated by coal mining

Easington

Why has the primary industry declined in the north east

Foreign competition - cheaper exports of coal from overseas
Depletion of resources meant that mines had to be dug deeper, which was expensive

In 1900, over ____ of the world’s ____ were built in the north east

½; ships

Give an example of a town in the north east which was dominated by ship building

Teeside

Why has the secondary industry declined in the North East

Foreign competition - countries like China, Japan, and South Korea, were able to build ships cheaper

What factory has located in the north east

Nissan (a Japanese company that makes cars)

Why have Nissan located in Sunderland

UK gov offered them grants and incentives
It meant that they were able to sell cars to other countries in the EU without paying tariffs

How has the tertiary sector increased in the north east and is it enough to make up for the loss of jobs?

Some government departments have relocated to the area, creating jobs in the tertiary sector, but it is not enough to make up for the jobs that were lost

Unemployment in areas of the UK which used to rely on manufacturing is typically higher/lower than the UK as a whole

Higher

What physical factors make the South East a good location for farming

Milder climate than the north, longer growing season, fertile soils

What human factors make the South East a good location for farming

Large market for produce

What types of manufacturing industries are growing in the South East

Oil refineries, electronics and engineering, car manufacturing

Why is the South East a good location for secondary industries

Developed network of railways and motorways leading to major cities
Proximity to London
4 major airports (Gatwick, heathrow, luton, stanstead) nearby = good access to other countries
Near to the channel tunnel = able to export goods to Europe

In the south east, the tertiary and quaternary sectors are ______

Growing

Why is the tertiary and quaternary sector growing in the south east

Wealthiest region of the UK = large market for services
Large pool of skilled and educated people (especially as educated migrants move here for work)
Region is home to many Universities like Oxford
Close to London

In the South East, unemployment is higher/lower than the average of the rest of the UK

lower

What is FDI

Foreign direct investments - FDi is composed of the flows of money which businesses in one country direct towards another in order to become involved in

FDI - How can companies invest (what can they invest in physically and non-physically) and give examples

Land and buildings -> they can locate a factory or office there (eg. Nissan car assembly plant in Sunderland)
Companies buy shares in another, or buy the whole of an already existing business through privatisation (eg. MTR Hong Kong firm owns a 30% share of SouthWest Trains)

Why has FDI increased in the UK

Located in the EU = no added taxes or tariffs when trading when trading with Europe
London is global centre for finance
Skilled workforce, especially in cities like London with many universities
UK government has offered grants and incentives which encourage potential investors

primarysecondaytertiaryquaternaryplace

Describe the pros of FDI

Creates jobs as businesses expand
Capital investment allows companies to do large scale projects e.g. building new nuclear power stations
Increases tax revenue, which allows the government to create new services

Describe the cons of FDI

Increased foreign ownership of UK companies creates instability in the UK economy as overseas problems can easily affect these businesses
Profits from companies are going abroad to investors so are not benefitting the UK economy

Define globalisation

The process of the world becoming more connected, politically, economically, culturally, and socially, leading to the growth trade and investments

Why is globalisation increasing

Transport improvements like railways and air freights
Technology improvements like high speed broadband and the internet

Describe the positive effects of globalisation on the UK

Attracts FDI -> creates jobs
Many goods we buy are created by TNCs -> More choice for consumers
Allows the UK workforce to become more flexible eg. part time working, self employment etc

Describe the negative effects of globalisation on the UK

Many of the goods we buy come from overseas companies and TNCs -> money is going to other countries rather than the UK
TNCs often chose to locate factories in countries with cheaper labour -> loss of jobs in the UK
Workers have to retrain due to rapid decline in the primary and secondary sectors

Define privatisation

Change of state owned assets to the private sector

Give some examples of industries that have been privatised in the UK

Steel, transport, computers, airports, docks, petrol, electricity, water

How do the aims of private companies differ from services offered by the government

Private companies only aim to make a profit, while governments also want to somewhat appease their population

What positive impacts is privatisation having on the UK

Increase in FDI
Increases competition -> cheaper prices for consumers and greater efficiency in production

What negative impacts is privatisation having on the UK

Increased competition = reduced profits for companies
Increased foreign ownership of UK companies = profits going abroad
Increased efficiency needed -> loss of jobs in the UK

What is free trade

Trade which does no have any added taxes tariffs, or quotas - reducing export and import restrictions and making it easier for countries to trade

Positives impacts of free trade on the UK

EU provides larger market for goods = more profit for sellers
Goods being imported and exported have no tariffs
People can live and work in all countries in the EU freely, meaning that it is a good place fro TNCs to set up as there is a large pool of workers
Removal of border controls and security checks makes transport cheaper and easier

Negative impacts of free trade on the UK

It costs taxpayers money to be in the EU
Inefficient farmers are protected and helped, rather than forced to move with the times
Benefits of global trade are lost as countries concentrate trade within their bloc

What are TNCs

Companies that operate in more than one country

Why are TNCs so successful? Why are they growing?

They use cheap labour
They spread industrial risks (operating in different countries means that production does not have to stop if there is a problem in one)
They take advantage of incentives offered by governments eg. grants
They are able to sell inside trade barriers like the EU

Positive impacts of TNCs on the UK

Creates jobs
Capital investment allows companies to do large scale projects e.g. building new nuclear power stations
Increases tax revenue, which allows the government to create new services
New technologies and innovation

Negative impacts of TNC on the UK

Insecurity for UK economy as it is affected by overseas problems
Drive out local businesses, it is difficult for them to compete with TNCs
TNCs produce mostly in cheaper countries, like China, not the UK, leading to a decrease in jobs

Site definition

The land a settlement is built on and its physical qualities eg. steep/gentle relief, fertility of soil etc

Situation Definition

The location of a settlement in relation to the area around it eg. near a river or another settlement

Connectivity definition

How easy it is to travel and connect with other places. Can be on a regional, national or international scale

Site of London

On the river Thames - shallowest part before it enters the sea. Flat marshland

Situation of london

Developed around the bridging point where London bridge is today. Linked to other major cities by road and rail. Near the sea so close to mainland Europe

How well is London connected to the rest of the south east

Orbital M25 motorway
Radial network -> major A roads leading to cities like Leeds and Bristol converge off it like spoke of a wheel
Radial network of railways around it

How well is London connected to the rest of the country

Motorways and railways going to major UK cities
Urban core areas well connected, while rural periphery areas are largely inaccessible