003 - National Scale
Geographic Knowledge and Understanding
Population distribution and economic development at the national scale, including voluntary internal migration, core-periphery patterns, and megacity growth.
Concepts
Core places exert power over the periphery which can encourage the process of migration and megacity growth.
Aims
To have knowledge of where the population is distributed in both China and the USA.
To have knowledge of the movement of people within China and the USA.
To have knowledge of what the core and periphery is and how this can impact megacity growth.
Case Study or Detailed Examples
Two detailed and contrasting examples of uneven population distribution.
Key Terminology
Core
Periphery
Megacity
Define the keywords above by using the useful links below:
Useful Links
Activity One - Define
In the key terminology you were asked to define what the core and periphery of a country or region is but what does that really mean?
Write down a list of five countries that you would classify as part of the core.
State five countries that you would classify are part of the global periphery.
Explain your answers to the first two questions. What makes them part of the core or periphery?
Now consider what factors make a place in a country a core area. Write down those factors.
Describe and explain what a peripheral area could be like in a country.
Using the slideshare, describe Rostow's Model of Development.
Activity Two - Case Study - China
The skill of drawing a simple sketch map is an important one to learn in Geography as in the exam you could be asked to draw. Drawing is an Assessment Objective Four - Skills. A sketch map should always cover at least half a page and it should include some 'added value' such as desire lines or annotations. You would then need to refer to it in the body of your writing for the extended response questions. But what does a good sketch map look like? This particular syllabus point really lends itself the drawing of a map.
Draw a map of China.
Add on to it the usual conventions that a map has.
Mark on the megacities that are listed in the textbox below.
Shade in the areas which have the greatest concentration of people - population distribution.
Mark on the main physical characteristics e.g. mountain ranges and major rivers.
Mark on the map where you believe the core and peripheral regions are.
Annotate why the core is classified as the core.
Add on desire lines to show internal migration.
Add annotations to explain the reasons why people are migrating.
Megacities in China
Shanghai
Guangzhou
Beijing
Shenzhen
Wuhan
Chengdu
Chongqing
Tianjin
Hangzhou
Xi'an
Changzhou
Shantou
Nanjing
Jinan
Harbin
Activity Three - Case Study - USA
Now you have learnt how to draw a sketch map, how to add 'value' to it and add desire lines for China, you are now going to do the same for the USA. The syllabus asks you to investigate two countries that have different levels of development so that you can analyse the similarities and differences between them. So draw a sketch map of the USA and add the following things on to it using the information in the 'Useful Resources' box:
Draw a map of the USA.
Add on to it the usual conventions that a map has.
Mark on the megacities that are listed in the textbox below.
Shade in the areas which have the greatest concentration of people - population distribution.
Mark on the main physical characteristics e.g. mountain ranges and major rivers.
Mark on the map where you believe the core and peripheral regions are.
Annotate why the core is classified as the core.
Add on desire lines to show internal migration.
Add annotations to explain the reasons why people are migrating.
Megacities in the USA
Los Angeles
New York
