Case Study technique: Exam 1 June 2008

• Quality of writing

• Specific place and details

• Example answer

• Key case studies for each unit in Exam 1

Quality of writing

• clear structure and use of geographical words

• allow approximately 10 minutes to answer a case study question

• 4 paragraph structure:

1. Name and locate

2. Describe event/features/scheme/changes/location

3. Explain positive effects/advantages/groups of people = winners

4. Explain negative effects/disadvantages/groups of people = losers

Specific place and details

• Urban area (town/city e.g. Rio de Janeiro in Brazil)

• Rural area (countryside/village e.g. Leire in Leicestershire)

• MEDC (More Economically Developed Country = rich e.g. UK)

• LEDC (Less Economically Developed Country = poor e.g. Jamaica)

• Place = village/town/city

• Sketch map or diagram (e.g. location factor map for LG in Newport or the vegetation layers in the Amazon rainforest in Brazil)

• Try to remember at least 4 facts/figures statements. Ideally one for each of the paragraphs in the 4 paragraph case study answer

4 paragraph case study example answer

Jamaica is an LEDC island located in the Caribbean Sea.

Most of Jamaica’s exports are primary goods. The main export is aluminium ore, this accounts for 46% of its exports. This is called primary product dependency. Jamaica imports mainly secondary goods including computers.

The advantages of Jamaica’s trade pattern include the high global demand for coffee partly because of the rise of the ‘coffee culture’ in the UK with companies such as Whittards. Also the popularity of tourism is good trade for Jamaica because the foreign currency brought in by wealthy tourists boosts the economy and increases the profits of Jamaican tourist companies including Sandals with its all-inclusive resorts in places like Ocho Rios.

Primary product dependency is a trade disadvantage because these goods have low value on the world market so making little profit for Jamaica. This could be made worse if the world price falls of coffee or aluminium consequently threatening the economy and increasing Jamaica’s trade deficit (the value of imports is greater than exports). Another trade barrier could have been colonialism because Britain historically exploited Jamaica’s sugar plantations rather than developing different industries and leading to a wealthier Jamaica.

Climate, Environment and People key case studies

Weather

• Low pressure weather event = Hurricane Mitch in Central America 1998

• High pressure weather event = Drought in Western Europe 2003

Climate

• Temperate maritime climate = UK

• Monsoon climate = India

Ecosystems

• Tropical rainforest = Amazon in Brazil

• Coral reef = Great Barrier Reef in Australia

People and Place key case studies

Urban areas (towns and cities)

• MEDC/Planning issue/scheme/redevelopment = London Docklands

• LEDC/Pattern of housing/planning issue/redevelopment = Rio de Janeiro in Brazil = Rocinha (shanty town) and Barra (edge city)

Rural areas (countryside and villages)

• urban-rural migration(counter-urbanisation) = Leire in Leicestershire

• rural-urban migration = Story of Carlos migrating to Mexico City

Services

• service changes/distribution (pattern) = Shopping in Southampton

International

• country to country migration = Mexicans migrating to USA

People, Work and Development key case studies

Work

• Secondary industry/economic activity/industrial location = Lucky Goldstar in Newport, South Wales

• Tertiary industry/economic activity/industrial location = Tourism in Jamaica

• Tertiary industry (MEDC) = Tourism in Lake District National Park

Development

• Country that trades with other countries/pattern of trade/imports and exports = Jamaica (LEDC)

• Country that receives aid from other countries/bi-lateral aid/multi-lateral aid/Non Governmental Organisations(NGOs) = Jamaica

• Large scale aid scheme = Three Gorges Dam (China)

•Small scale aid scheme = Biogas used to power a school (Tanzania)