Pearson Edexcel GCSE Geography A (1GA0) · Spec 8.1 and 8.2
UK challenges: people, resources and the economy
Read the notes, then try the questions. Each one is marked the moment you press Check, and shows the right answer and why.
Key ideas
- Net migration is the number arriving to live in the UK minus the number leaving. It can be negative.
- A greenfield site has never been built on. A brownfield site has. Greenfield building can start sooner and cost less because there is no demolition or decontamination, but it can destroy habitats and farmland.
- The UK has a north-south divide: average incomes are generally higher in the South.
- Strategies to reduce regional differences include HS2 and the Northern Powerhouse.
- Development is sustainable if it meets the needs of the present without reducing what future generations can have.
Key terms
- Net migration
- People arriving to live in the UK minus people leaving.
- Greenfield
- Land that has never been built on.
- Brownfield
- Land that has been built on before.
- Sustainable
- Meeting present needs without reducing what future generations can have.
- North-south divide
- The gap in wealth and opportunity between northern and southern England.
Common mistakes
- Defining net migration as only the people who arrive. It is arrivals minus leavers.
- Saying 'cheaper' for greenfield sites. Say why: no demolition or clearing.
- Writing about one option only on the 12-mark question. Discuss means both sides.
Exam tip
The 12-mark Discuss question (plus 4 SPaG) is on Paper 3. Weigh both sides and reach a supported judgement, using course knowledge as well as data from several figures.
Free practice questions
6 questions, 9 marks. Answer, then press Check. The marking guide explains how the marks are worked out. Nothing is saved.
- Question 1 · Multiple choice[1 mark]
Which statement defines net migration?
- Question 2 · Multiple choice[1 mark]
Which is a benefit of building new homes on a greenfield site rather than a brownfield site?
- Question 3 · Multiple choice[1 mark]
Which statement about threats to UK woodland is correct?
- Question 4 · Multiple choice[1 mark]
Which statement best describes the north-south divide in the UK?
- Question 5 · Fill the gaps[2 marks]
A development is sustainable if it meets the needs of the ___ without reducing what ___ generations can have.
Word bank: present · future · past
- Question 6 · True or false[3 marks]
Decide whether each statement about reducing regional differences is true or false.
1. HS2 is a high-speed rail project.
2. The Northern Powerhouse is a strategy to reduce regional differences.
3. Promoting tourism in the North is the main way the north-south divide is solved.