UK in the 21st Century - Key Terms

• Population density

  A measure of the number of people who live within a given area
• Land use

  The classification of land according to what activities take place on it or how humans occupy it e.g. urban, agricultural
• Relief map

  Shows the shape of the land
• Housing shortage

  A deficiency or lack in the number of houses needed to accommodate the population
• Prevailing wind

  Wind from the most common direction in any given place
• Relief rainfall

  Rainfall that occurs when clouds rise up over mountains
• Rain shadow


  The leeward side (the side sheltered or away from the wind) of mountains where there is little rain (Eastern UK)
• Water stress


  When the demand for water uses up a high proportion of the rainfall
• Population pyramid


  A graph showing population structure including the breakdown of age and sex within a population
• Population structure

  The number of people within each age group
• Demographic Transition Model


  A model that shows the changes a population is likely to go through over time
• Life expectancy

  The average age to which people can expect to live
• Employment sectors

  Different types of industry that employ people
• Primary industry

  Primary industry
• Secondary industry

  Jobs which include manufacturing raw materials (turning them into new products), mainly in factories.
• Tertiary industry

  TJobs which include providing a service to people.ertiary industry
• Quaternary industry


  Jobs based on high level information and research.
• Economic Hub


  The main point for the economy of a country or region
• Growth corridors

  The extensions of economic hubs which stretch out across a country