← Geography syllabus

ScotlandGeography

Human Environments

6 dot points across 6 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

How do we measure how developed a country is, and why is no single indicator enough?

Indicators of development - social, economic and composite measures such as GNP, birth and death rates and literacy - the difference between developed and developing countries, and why a range of indicators gives a more reliable picture than one alone.
An SQA National 5 Geography answer on development indicators, covering social, economic and composite measures such as GNP, birth and death rates and literacy, the difference between developed and developing countries, and why a range of indicators is more reliable than any single one.
9 min answer →

How is population data gathered, and how do the Demographic Transition Model and population pyramids show how a country's population changes?

How population data is gathered by census and the problems of collecting it in developed and developing countries; the Demographic Transition Model; and the use of population pyramids to show and explain a country's age and sex structure.
An SQA National 5 Geography answer on population, covering how population data is gathered by census, the problems of collecting it in developed and developing countries, the Demographic Transition Model, and how population pyramids show a country's age and sex structure.
10 min answer →

How and why has farming changed in a developed country, and what are the impacts?

The changes in rural land use and farming in a developed country - mechanisation, diversification, organic farming, GM crops and the growth of larger farms - and the impacts of these changes on the landscape, the environment and people.
An SQA National 5 Geography answer on rural change in a developed country, covering changes in farming such as mechanisation, diversification, organic farming, GM crops and larger farms, and their impacts on the landscape, environment and people, with a UK example.
9 min answer →

How have modern developments like the Green Revolution and appropriate technology changed farming in a developing country?

The impact of modern agricultural developments in a developing country - the Green Revolution, GM crops, irrigation, biofuels and appropriate (intermediate) technology - on the landscape, farming and people.
An SQA National 5 Geography answer on rural change in a developing country, covering the impact of the Green Revolution, GM crops, irrigation, biofuels and appropriate technology on the landscape, farming and people, with a developing-world example.
9 min answer →

How is a city in the developed world laid out, what problems does it face, and how are they managed?

The land use zones of a city in the developed world; recent urban changes and the problems of housing, traffic and the city centre; and the management strategies used to deal with them.
An SQA National 5 Geography answer on cities in the developed world, covering urban land use zones, recent changes, the problems of housing, traffic and the city centre, and the management strategies used to deal with them, with a UK city example.
10 min answer →

Why do cities in the developing world grow so fast, what problems do shanty towns create, and how are they managed?

The causes of rapid urban growth in a city in the developing world; the problems of shanty towns and rapid growth; and the strategies, including self-help schemes and site-and-service schemes, used to manage them.
An SQA National 5 Geography answer on cities in the developing world, covering the causes of rapid urban growth, the problems of shanty towns, and management strategies such as self-help and site-and-service schemes, with a developing-world city example.
10 min answer →