With reference to one MEDC and one LEDC which you have studied, explain why life expectancy is higher in the MEDC (7 Mark)
The UK, which is in Western Europe, is an MEDC. The average life expectancy in the UK is 77 years. Burkina Faso is in Central Africa and is an LEDC. The life expectancy there is 48 years. Firstly the infant mortality rate in Burkina Faso is 170 per 1000. This means out of every 1000 babies born, 170 of them are likely to die. This proves that there is a problem in Burkina Faso because in the UK the Infant mortality rate is only 6 per 1000. This clearly shows how the healthcare in Burkina Faso is poor and so they are more likely to die younger. Another factor is the Average calorie intake per day. In Burkina faso it is 2387 calories, whereas in the UK it is 3317 calories. Burkina Faso’s figure is lower than what is needed to live. This shows how more people are starving and dieing younger. Similarly, the amount of the population that is malnourished in Burkina Faso is 30%, whereas in the UK it is 2%. This illustrates a growing problem of food in Burkina Faso. The lack of available food will mean more people are dieing and many more young people are struggling to survive.
The number of years for the UK’s population to double is 433 years, in contrast to Burkina Faso who’s population is said to double in 23 years! This will cause large problems with resources and may start off a large phase of famine and disease. This will keep the Life expectancy low. The access to healthcare in Burkina Faso is less than 50% this clearly indicates a problem in health with many people and the majority of the population not being able to have healthcare. This will keep the life expectancy low, compared to the UK which has 100% access to healthcare for everyone. With an average income of only $230 per person, Burkina faso is likely to have problems of poverty and lack of food and clean water. This means most families are likely to die young because no money will eventually be the cause of deaths, against the UK, with an average income of £18,000.
These factors clearly show that Burkina faso has a very low life expectancy, many people are dieing as a result of these poor living standards. Whereas the UK has a high life expectancy because the overall quality of life is better.
The Central Business District is small but very accessible. This means that everyone within a short, or far radius to the CBD, can easily access the area using roads or railways. The CBD of Swansea, South Wales, has 450 shops. A large amount of shoppers arrive each day because it is the regional centre for the whole of southwest Wales because it is home to large markets, department stores and special shops. The main features of a CBD include large shopping centres, for example in Swansea; The Quadrant Centre is the main shopping centre, which also has a large car park. Most CBD’s were ports for trade in the last few centuries; Swansea was trading port at the mouth of the river Tawe before the Industrial Revolution. After the industrial revolution, CBD’s saw a rise in demand for housing in the area. Many of the houses that were built were terraced with little or no front or back garden. This is seen in Swansea where in St Thomas, Swansea, two bedroom terraced houses were cramped into small areas around the CBD.
Today in most CBD’s the old terraced houses have been converted into flats, which offer better living conditions. In Swansea, between the river and the CBD there is a development where there is a mixture of shops, entertainment cinema and homes. Another key characteristic of a CBD is the high land values. Most people cannot afford the land and so only big business or shops can afford the rent. This means that there are a large number of known brand shops in the CBD. The CBD is usually the central point for transport, with the highest use of public transport. This provides anyone that works in the CBD with easy access from anywhere around the town, this has lead to more people moving to country homes because there is enough transport for them to commute to the CBD to work.
The CBD is also home to the important buildings such as the town hall or cathedral, but there will be very little space. Some big buildings want to be inside the CBD but they cannot afford the land and so they locate outside of the CBD or at the edge of the CBD. The CBD also has the most offices and businesses because it is where most people can access. If the offices were located elsewhere, it would be hard to find people to work there and so it is rational to locate businesses in the CBD.
Name an area of the UK which you have studied describe and explain why it has a low population density.
The Scottish Highlands is the area of north and North West Scotland. The area is of high altitude in most areas and very mountainous. It covers the areas of Ullapool, Fort William, Loch Ness and Torridon. Because the area is in a remote area, it lacks any major market areas and places of interest. This means that less people are likely to come here to seek long term residence as there are no job opportunities. There are no motorways for several miles and communications to places of high altitude are poor. There is also a lack of good transport links as there is no airport or major railway station nearby. This means there are no commuters and hardly any tourists in the area as there is no way to travel around. Early settlers would have no settled here as farming is difficult in the rough terrain. This meant that there are no certain villages in the area.
The area has a tundra like environment. It has very harsh cold winters and not very warm summers. The high land means it is cold all the time. This discourages tourists and people seeking a home. The higher the altitude the more rainfall there is. The Highlands experiences a lot of rainfall throughout the year. Overall, the physical features of the land have made the area unpopular and hard to live on.
