GCSE GCSE Geography 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the 'poverty trap' in development geography?
- A geographic location prone to flooding
- A cycle where poverty prevents development, making it difficult for people to escape deprivation (Correct answer)
- An economic theory about trade
- A type of natural disaster
Correct answer: A cycle where poverty prevents development, making it difficult for people to escape deprivation
The poverty trap describes a self-reinforcing cycle: lack of education → low income → poor health → low productivity → continued poverty. Without external intervention or investment, countries/communities struggle to break this cycle.
Question 2: What is sustainable development?
- Rapid economic growth at any cost
- Development that meets present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs (Correct answer)
- Stopping all development
- Building only in rural areas
Correct answer: Development that meets present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs
Sustainable development (Brundtland definition, 1987) balances economic growth, social equity, and environmental protection so current needs are met without depleting resources that future generations will need.
Question 3: What is the difference between a refugee and an economic migrant?
- They are the same
- A refugee flees persecution or conflict; an economic migrant moves for better economic opportunities (Correct answer)
- Economic migrants flee war
- Refugees choose to move for work
Correct answer: A refugee flees persecution or conflict; an economic migrant moves for better economic opportunities
A refugee is a person forced to flee their country due to war, persecution, or natural disaster and cannot return safely. An economic migrant moves voluntarily to improve their living standards or find work.
Question 4: What causes acid rain?
- Too much rainfall in winter
- Sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides from burning fossil fuels dissolving in rainwater to form weak acids (Correct answer)
- Volcanic eruptions only
- High altitude rainfall
Correct answer: Sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides from burning fossil fuels dissolving in rainwater to form weak acids
Acid rain is caused by sulphur dioxide (SO₂) and nitrogen oxides (NOₓ) released by burning fossil fuels and industrial processes. These gases dissolve in atmospheric water to form sulphuric and nitric acids, which fall as acid rain.
Question 5: What is the 'multiplier effect' in geography?
- When an earthquake causes a tsunami
- When initial investment or jobs in an area attract further investment and create additional economic activity (Correct answer)
- When a city grows physically
- When pollution spreads beyond its source
Correct answer: When initial investment or jobs in an area attract further investment and create additional economic activity
The multiplier effect occurs when new economic activity (e.g., a factory opening) creates jobs, which increases local spending, which supports more businesses and jobs, multiplying the original economic benefit.
Question 6: What is a floodplain and why does it flood?
- High ground next to a river
- The flat land on either side of a river that is formed by deposition and floods when the river overflows its banks (Correct answer)
- A man-made reservoir
- The deep channel of a river
Correct answer: The flat land on either side of a river that is formed by deposition and floods when the river overflows its banks
A floodplain is the flat land adjacent to a river, formed over time by the deposition of sediment during floods. It floods when the river's discharge exceeds its channel capacity and water spills out over the banks.
GCSE GCSE Geography 2
What is the 'poverty trap' in development geography?