Scottish National 5 (Nat 5) Geography Syllabus

What is natural increase and how is the rate of natural increase calculated?

Natural increase is the growth in population from more births than deaths. $$\text{Natural increase rate (\%)} = \frac{\text{Birth rate} - \text{Death rate}}{10}$$ (since rates are per 1000, dividing the difference by 10 gives a percentage).

What is a population pyramid and what does a wide base versus a narrow base indicate?

A population pyramid is a bar graph showing the age and sex structure of a population. A wide base indicates a high birth rate (young population, typical of an LEDC); a narrow base indicates a low/falling birth rate and an ageing population (typical of an MEDC).

Give two push factors and two pull factors that drive rural-to-urban migration in an LEDC.

Push factors: lack of jobs, poor services/schools, drought or crop failure, low wages. Pull factors: more job opportunities, better healthcare and education, higher wages, perceived better quality of life in the city.

Define life expectancy and give one reason it is higher in MEDCs than LEDCs.

Life expectancy is the average number of years a person is expected to live. It is higher in MEDCs due to better healthcare, clean water and sanitation, balanced diet/food security, and safer working conditions.

What is the typical land use of the Central Business District (CBD) of a UK city, and give two of its characteristics?

The CBD is the commercial centre with shops, offices and services. Characteristics: high land values, tall buildings, high accessibility (transport routes converge), high pedestrian counts, and few residents.

In the Burgess concentric zone model of a UK city, what land use typically lies in the inner city zone surrounding the CBD?

The inner city (zone of transition) traditionally contained older terraced housing and former industry. Many areas have undergone redevelopment/regeneration into high-density flats, retail and brownfield housing schemes.

Identify two characteristics of housing typically found in the rural-urban fringe / outer suburbs of a UK city.

Modern detached/semi-detached housing, low housing density, gardens and green space, planned cul-de-sac layouts, lower land values than the centre, and good access to ring roads/motorways.

What is a shanty town (squatter settlement) in an LEDC city, and name two problems faced by residents?

A shanty town is an area of informal, self-built housing on the edge of an LEDC city. Problems include lack of clean water and sanitation, no legal land ownership, disease, overcrowding, and lack of electricity or services.

State two strategies used to improve shanty towns in LEDC cities.

Self-help (site and service) schemes where residents are given materials/land to upgrade homes; provision of clean water, sewerage and electricity; building low-cost housing; and improving roads, schools and clinics.

Give two characteristics of a remote rural Scottish landscape (e.g. the Highlands) compared with an accessible rural area near a city.

Remote rural: sparse population, ageing population due to out-migration of young people, limited services, primary jobs (farming, forestry, fishing), poor transport links. Accessible rural: commuter villages, growing population, more services and faster transport to the city.

Identify two changes in modern UK farming and one impact each.

Mechanisation increases output but causes rural job losses; use of fertilisers/pesticides raises yields but pollutes rivers (eutrophication); removal of hedgerows enlarges fields but reduces wildlife habitats; diversification (e.g. camping, farm shops) adds income.

What is the enhanced greenhouse effect and name two greenhouse gases responsible for it?

The enhanced greenhouse effect is the additional warming of the atmosphere caused by human activity increasing greenhouse gases that trap outgoing heat. Key gases: carbon dioxide ($\ce{CO2}$), methane ($\ce{CH4}$), nitrous oxide and CFCs.

State two human (anthropogenic) causes of climate change.

Burning fossil fuels (coal, oil, gas) for energy and transport releasing $\ce{CO2}$; deforestation reducing carbon uptake; livestock farming and rice paddies releasing methane; industrial and landfill emissions.

Give two physical (natural) causes of climate change.

Variations in solar output (sunspot activity), volcanic eruptions ejecting ash and aerosols, changes in the Earth's orbit (Milankovitch cycles), and natural fluctuations in ocean currents.

List two local-scale and two global-scale strategies for managing climate change.

Local: recycling, cycling/public transport, home insulation, switching off appliances. Global: international agreements (e.g. Paris Agreement) to cut emissions, investment in renewable energy, carbon trading, and reducing deforestation.

Explain how a tropical storm (hurricane) forms.

It forms over warm ocean water above $27\,^{\circ}\text{C}$. Warm moist air rises rapidly, cools and condenses releasing latent heat that powers the storm. Low pressure draws in more air, and the Earth's rotation (Coriolis effect) makes the system spin around a calm central eye.

Name two features of an earthquake: the focus and the epicentre.

The focus is the point underground where the earthquake originates (where rocks fracture). The epicentre is the point on the Earth's surface directly above the focus, usually where damage is greatest.

State two short-term (immediate) responses and two long-term responses to a major earthquake.

Short-term: search and rescue, emergency medical aid, temporary shelter, food/water and aid distribution. Long-term: rebuild with earthquake-resistant buildings, improve warning systems, run preparedness drills, and repair infrastructure/economy.

Give two methods used to predict, protect against or prepare for environmental hazards.

Prediction: monitoring (seismometers, satellites) and warning systems. Protection: hazard-resistant building design and sea/flood defences. Preparation: emergency drills, evacuation plans, education, and stockpiling supplies.

What is globalisation?

Globalisation is the process by which the world's countries are becoming increasingly interconnected through trade, communication, transport, finance and the movement of people, goods, ideas and money.

What is a Transnational Corporation (TNC / MNC) and give one advantage and one disadvantage for an LEDC host country?

A TNC is a company that operates in more than one country. Advantage: creates jobs, brings investment and skills. Disadvantage: profits go back to the home country, low wages/poor conditions, and possible environmental damage.

Explain the difference between the developed (MEDC) and developing (LEDC) world in terms of what they typically trade.

LEDCs often export low-value primary products (raw materials, crops) and import expensive manufactured goods. MEDCs export high-value manufactured goods and services, leading to a trade imbalance that disadvantages LEDCs.

What is Fairtrade and how does it help producers in LEDCs?

Fairtrade is a scheme that guarantees producers a fair, stable minimum price for their goods plus a social premium. It helps farmers earn a reliable income, invest in their communities, and improve working conditions.

What is the balance of trade, and what do a trade surplus and a trade deficit mean?

Balance of trade is the difference between a country's export and import values. $$\text{Balance of trade} = \text{Exports} - \text{Imports}$$ A surplus means exports exceed imports; a deficit means imports exceed exports.

Name two infectious (communicable) diseases more common in LEDCs and one named disease of affluence common in MEDCs.

LEDC infectious diseases: malaria, cholera, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS. MEDC disease of affluence: heart (cardiovascular) disease, obesity-related diabetes, or cancers linked to lifestyle.

Describe the transmission and two methods of controlling malaria.

Malaria is spread by the bite of a female Anopheles mosquito carrying the Plasmodium parasite. Control: insecticide-treated bed nets, draining stagnant water (breeding sites), spraying insecticides, and anti-malarial drugs/vaccines.

State two social and two economic impacts of a major disease (such as HIV/AIDS or malaria) on an LEDC.

Social: many orphaned children, fewer doctors/teachers, strain on healthcare. Economic: a sick workforce reduces productivity and farm output, lost taxes, and money diverted to treatment rather than development.

Identify two primary (first-hand) and two secondary (second-hand) data sources used in geographical fieldwork.

Primary: questionnaires/surveys, field sketches, measuring river velocity, pedestrian/traffic counts, environmental quality surveys. Secondary: census data, OS maps, weather records, textbooks, and internet/government statistics.

Describe a suitable fieldwork technique for measuring river velocity and explain how to make the data reliable.

Time a float (e.g. an orange or dog biscuit) over a measured distance and calculate $$\text{velocity} = \frac{\text{distance}}{\text{time}}$$. Reliability is improved by repeating the measurement several times at each site and taking an average.

When interpreting geographical data, what is the difference between the mean, median and mode, and when is a line graph more suitable than a bar graph?

Mean is the average (sum divided by number of values); median is the middle value when ordered; mode is the most frequent value. A line graph suits continuous data showing change over time (e.g. temperature); a bar graph suits separate categories (e.g. rainfall totals by month).