Paper 2: The UK’s Evolving Human Landscape
KO 5/9
Urban cores have a younger population
1. There is a higher proportion of younger people living in cities such as
London, Bristol and Manchester. A high proportion of the people are of
working age or are ‘economically active’.
2. There is a higher proportion of older people in rural areas such as Northern
Ireland and Scotland. Younger people leave rural areas to find better
opportunities in urban areas, whereas, older people retire and eventually leave
urban areas to move to rural areas for a more peaceful life.
Some rural areas in the UK have high levels of poverty.
1. Isolated rural areas of the periphery (edge) of the UK e.g. north Wales and
North West Scotland, which are relatively in accessible. There are few
employment opportunities because they are difficult to farm and have few
natural resources. Young people have to leave to find jobs elsewhere –
depopulation leads to loss of services e.g. shops and doctors surgeries. Loss of
manufacturing e.g. in the north east of England caused high unemployment.
Population density is highest in urban cores
1. Population density is highest in cities like London, Glasgow and Birmingham. It is also
high around major cities, or where cities have developed into conurbations-towns that have
merged to form continuous urban areas.
2. Upland areas such as northern Scotland and central Wales are mainly rural. Rural areas
are sparsely populated. Other rural areas include the south west and the north of England
and Northern Ireland.
Urban cores have more economic activity
1. 60% of jobs are found in the urban core. The main employment opportunities are in the
tertiary sector e.g. retail and finance, and in manufacturing e.g. electronics and food and
drink. Lots of people live in cities because there are more jobs available.
