Core 1 • Section 1
Population and Economic Development Patterns
Where people live, why population is unevenly distributed, and how those patterns connect with economic development at global and national scales.
How population varies between places
Population distribution
Physical and human factors affecting population distribution at the global scale, including two detailed and contrasting examples.
Population distribution describes where people live; population density measures how many people occupy a given area. Separate physical influences—relief, climate, water, soils and natural resources—from human influences such as employment, transport, political stability, historical settlement and services.
Global patterns of economic development
Low-, middle- and high-income countries, emerging economies and the limitations of simple classifications.
Use more than one measure. GNI per capita indicates economic output, while the Human Development Index adds health and education. Look for spatial clusters, exceptions and change through time.
Population & development at the national scale
Voluntary internal migration, core–periphery patterns and megacity growth.
National averages hide strong internal contrasts. People often move towards economic cores because jobs, universities, infrastructure and services are concentrated there. This can reinforce core–periphery patterns.
Map enquiry
- Describe the main concentrations and sparsely populated areas.
- Suggest physical and human factors explaining the pattern.
- Identify a likely core and periphery.
- Explain how internal migration could alter the pattern.