IBEnvironmental Systems & Societies (ESS)DPHLExam Questions8. Human Populations & Urban Systems8.1 Human Populations

Syllabus Edition

First teaching 2024

First exams 2026

Human Populations (DP IB Environmental Systems & Societies (ESS): HL): Exam Questions

1 hour23 questions
Easy
Medium
Hard
13 marks

Outline the meaning of the term Crude Birth Rate (CBR).

Do not give the formula for calculating CBR as your answer.

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2
Sme Calculator2 marks

A country has a CBR of 37 births per 1 000 individuals and a CDR of 14 deaths per 1 000 individuals.

Using the formula provided below, calculate the Natural Increase Rate (annual growth rate) of this country.

N I R equals fraction numerator open parentheses C B R minus C D R close parentheses over denominator 10 end fraction

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31 mark

The figure below shows a simple version of a model used to study human populations.

demographic-transition

State the name of this model.

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41 mark

State the name of the particular type of graph shown in the figure below.

population-pyramid-niger
population-pyramid---japan

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53 marks

Outline the meaning of the term dependency ratio.

Do not give the formula for calculating dependency ratio as your answer.

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6
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A country has a total population of 500,000 people. There are:

  • 100,000 children under the age of 15

  • 350,000 people between the ages of 15 and 64

  • 50,000 people aged 65 or older

Using the formula provided below, calculate the dependency ratio for this country.

\text{Dependency Ratio} = \frac{\text{(Population under 15)} + \text{(Population 65 and over)}}{\text{Population aged 15-64}} \times 100

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72 marks

Define the term population momentum.

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82 marks

Define the term environmental migration.

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91 mark

State one environmental issue that can increase migration pressure in coastal areas.

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14 marks

Outline why birth rates are still high in many LEDCs.

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23 marks

Suggest three issues resulting from human population increase.

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3a1 mark

The figures below show the population of the world in 2017 and one prediction of the world population in 2050.

screenshot-2023-09-01-at-15-11-03
screenshot-2023-09-01-at-15-11-21

What was the percentage of females aged 25–29 in the world in 2017?

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3b2 marks

Describe the predicted percentage changes in the world population in people aged from 0 to 49 and those aged 50 and over.

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44 marks

The figure below shows information about birth rates and death rates in Mexico (an LEDC) between 1900 and 2060 (estimated from 2024 onwards).

population-change-mexico

Suggest reasons to explain why the population growth rate in Mexico is predicted to decrease between the present day and 2060.

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54 marks

The figure below shows a simple version of the Demographic Transition Model.

demographic-transition

Using information from the figure, explain why the rate of population growth changes as a country moves from Stage 1 to Stage 4.

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62 marks

Explain why population momentum occurs.

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73 marks

Contrast the population structures of a Stage 2 and Stage 4 country in the Demographic Transition Model (DTM).

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82 marks

Explain how environmental stress caused by rapidly expanding populations relates to biocapacity.

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93 marks

Outline the limitations of using dependency ratios to measure economic pressure on populations.

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103 marks

Outline three impacts of environmental migration on destination areas.

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17 marks

Fertility and crude birth rate are two demographic variables that can be used to assess human population growth.

Explain the strengths and weaknesses of these variables as indicators of growth in human populations.

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29 marks

Discuss how national and international development policies can reduce human population growth.

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37 marks

Environmental migration occurs when people are forced to move due to environmental changes and degradation.

Explain the causes and impacts of environmental migration.

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49 marks

Discuss how the doughnut economics model demonstrates how population growth can lead to environmental stress.

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