Practice 1.2 Changing populations and places with authentic IB Geography exam questions for both SL and HL students. This question bank mirrors Paper 1, 2, 3 structure, covering key topics like physical geography, human geography, and geospatial analysis. Get instant solutions, detailed explanations, and build exam confidence with questions in the style of IB examiners.
Paper
Level
Question 1
SL & HLPaper 2
1.[1]
Define mega city.
2.[2]
Identify two problems associated with rapid mega city growth.
3.[10]
“The rapid growth of megacities bring more harm than good”. To what extent do you agree with the statement?
Question 2
SL & HLPaper 2
1.[2]
Define the term replacement-level fertility.
2.[2]
State two reasons why some countries have persistently high infant mortality rates despite economic growth.
3.[6]
Discuss three strategies that governments can use to address the challenges of a declining working-age population.
4.[2]
The infographic shows statistics regarding South Sudan’s refugee crisis.
Source: United Nations Refugee Agency and International Organisation for Migration
Describe the two most common nationalities of individuals arriving in South Sudan based on the infographic.
5.[2]
Using the age and sex breakdown, outline one challenge South Sudan might face in meeting the needs of the newly arrived population.
6.[6]
To what extent do the patterns of population inflow into South Sudan reflect the impacts of forced migration?
Question 3
SL & HLPaper 2
1.[2]
Explain two reasons why urbanization rates have increased more rapidly in some continents than in others.
2.[2]
Describe a social and an economic impact of rapid population growth in less developed countries.
3.[6]
Outline two challenges that cities may face as a result of increasing ethnic and cultural diversity.
4.[2]
The infographic shows The Countries Losing their Population the Fastest between 2022 and 2023
Source: United Nations Population Division
Identify two European countries from the infographic that experienced a population decrease between 2022 and 2023, and state their percentage decreases.
5.[2]
Using the infographic, describe how population change in Europe compares to that in Africa between 2022 and 2023.
6.[6]
Explain two possible causes of rapid population decline in some countries, and discuss one potential impact of this decline on a country.
Question 4
SL & HLPaper 1
The diagram shows the relationship between the number of leisure facilities and the population density in various urban areas.
1.[4]
Suggest two possible reasons why urban areas with higher population densities have more leisure facilities.
2.[3]
Identify and explain one outlier in the diagram where an urban area does not follow the general trend.
3.[2]
Describe the general relationship shown by the diagram.
4.[6]
Discuss the impact of the distribution of leisure facilities on the quality of life in urban areas.
Question 5
SL & HLPaper 2
1.[2]
Outline one limitation of the Demographic Transition Model when applied to low-income countries today.
2.[2]
Define the term internally displaced person (IDP) and explain how it differs from a refugee.
3.[6]
Explain how migration can lead to changes in the age and sex structure of the origin country.
4.[2]
The infographic shows The Facts on the Global Refugee Crisis.
Source: New Internationalist
State two reasons why most refugees are hosted in developing countries, according to the infographic.
5.[2]
Using evidence from the infographic, outline one way that global responses to refugee displacement are unequal.
6.[6]
To what extent do economic capacity and geopolitical interests shape the global distribution and treatment of refugees?
Question 6
SL & HLPaper 2
1.[2]
Define migration.
2.[2]
Outline two rural push factors.
3.[2]
Define voluntary migration.
Question 7
SL & HLPaper 1
The following description provides detailed information about the prevalence of obesity and undernourishment in different world regions from 2020 to 2050. This data is typically presented in a line graph format, with the y-axis representing the percentage of the population affected (ranging from 0% to 50%), and the x-axis representing the years from 2020 to 2050.
Four regions are represented in the data:
-
North America: Shows a significant increase in obesity from about 35% of the population in 2020 to 45% in 2050. Undernourishment remains very low, close to 0% throughout the period.
-
Sub-Saharan Africa: Exhibits a decrease in undernourishment from about 20% in 2020 to 10% in 2050. Simultaneously, there's a slight increase in obesity from approximately 5% to 10% over the same period.
-
South Asia: Demonstrates a significant decrease in undernourishment from about 15% in 2020 to 5% in 2050. Obesity rates remain relatively stable at around 5% throughout the period.
-
Europe: Shows a moderate increase in obesity from about 20% in 2020 to 30% in 2050. Undernourishment remains very low, close to 0% throughout the period.
These trends illustrate the changing patterns of nutrition challenges across different regions, highlighting the complex nature of global food security and health issues.
1.[4]
Describe the trends in obesity and undernourishment from 2020 to 2050 for each of the regions shown in the diagram.
2.[6]
Explain two possible reasons for the significant increase in obesity in North America.
3.[10]
Discuss the potential challenges that Sub-Saharan Africa might face in addressing both undernourishment and the rising trend in obesity by 2050.
4.[10]
Evaluate the effectiveness of one policy intervention that could help reduce undernourishment in South Asia.
Question 8
SL & HLPaper 2
1.[1]
Define the term forced migration.
2.[1]
Identify one example of a forced migration movement.
3.[2]
Suggest two consequences of forced migration for the host country.
4.[6]
Explain three possible pull factors that attract people to urban areas.
5.[2]
The infographic shows the Then and Now of Urban Population Worldwide
Source: United Nations Population Division
State two continents that experienced the largest increase in the share of their population living in urban areas between 1950 and 2020, according to the infographic.
6.[2]
State two continents that had more than half of their population living in urban areas in 2020, according to the infographic.
7.[6]
Using evidence from the infographic, explain two reasons why urban populations might have increased in many continents since 1950.
Question 9
HLPaper 2
The graph shows a demographic transition model.
1.[2]
Explain why birth rates decline in stage 3 of the demographic transition model.
2.[2]
Describe what happens in stage 4 of the demographic transition model.
3.[1]
Identify one characteristic of a country in stage 5 of the demographic transition model.
4.[2]
Compare the population growth rates in stage 1 and stage 4 of the demographic transition model.
Question 10
SL & HLPaper 2
1.[10]
Examine the role of technology in shaping modern urban environments.