(a) Explain the following terms: (i) Over-population; (ii) Migration (b) Describe any three factors which encourage the occurrence of each term in (a) above...

Answer Details

(a) Explanation of the terms

• (i) Over-population: a situation in which the number of people living in an area is greater than the available resources can adequately support. The population outstrips the resources (food, land, jobs, services), so the standard of living falls, and there is unemployment, poverty and pressure on facilities.
• (ii) Migration: the movement of people from one place (or country) to another with the intention of settling, temporarily or permanently. It involves leaving one area (out-migration/emigration) and entering another (in-migration/immigration), and may be internal (within a country) or international.

(b) Three factors encouraging each

Factors encouraging over-population

• High birth rate arising from early marriage, polygamy and the desire for large families.
• Falling death rate due to improved medical care, better sanitation and food supply, so more people survive.
• Heavy in-migration of people into an area in search of work and better living conditions, swelling numbers beyond available resources.
• Limited or declining resources (poor soils, few industries) so that even a modest population becomes too large for the area.

Factors encouraging migration

• Economic factors: search for employment, higher wages and better business opportunities pull people to towns and richer areas; poverty and joblessness push them away from poorer areas.
• Social factors: desire for better education, health care and social amenities, and family reunion.
• Political and environmental factors: wars, insecurity, persecution, drought, flooding or famine force people to move to safer, more productive areas.