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Year 7

The population of the UK

I can explain where people live in the UK and how topography influences population distribution.

icon-background-square
New
New
Year 7

The population of the UK

I can explain where people live in the UK and how topography influences population distribution.

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These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. The UK has a population of around 67 million people.
  2. The population of the UK is unevely distributed with around 10 million people living in and around London.
  3. The population distribution of the UK is affected by the topography, with fewer people living in mountainous areas.

Keywords

  • Relief - the height and shape of land surfaces

  • Population density - the number of people living in a defined area, e.g. 300 people per square kilometre

  • Population distribution - describes how the people in that population are spread out across the area

Common misconception

Population density is the same across the UK.

Population density varies widely due to factors like topography and urbanisation.


To help you plan your year 7 geography lesson on: The population of the UK, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Get pupils to move around the room to demostrate migration.
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This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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6 Questions

Q1.
What are the four countries that make up the UK?
England, Ireland, Wales, Scotland
Correct answer: England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland
Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Ireland
Q2.
What does population density refer to?
amount of available resources
number of buildings per square mile
Correct answer: number of people living per unit of area
Q3.
Which factor would most likely lead to a sparse population?
rich, fertile soil
Correct answer: harsh climate
good access to water resources
availability of jobs and services
Q4.
What type of area is likely to have a high population density?
desert regions
mountainous areas
Correct answer: cities with good transport links, jobs, housing, health care
rural areas with poor transportation
Q5.
Why might an area with fertile soil have a high population density?
Correct answer: fertile soil allows for abundant farming, attracting people
fertile soil is difficult to build on, so fewer people live there
fertile soil leads to dry conditions, making it less hospitable
fertile soil is only found in remote regions
Q6.
Which country has the highest population within the UK?
Correct answer: England
Scotland
Wales

6 Questions

Q1.
What is the approximate population of the UK?
55 million
65 million
Correct answer: 68 million
75 million
Q2.
Why is London the most populous city in the UK?
it is the oldest city in the UK
Correct answer: it attracts people for jobs, education and lifestyle opportunities
Correct answer: it is a major global and economic hub
it is the only city in the UK with an airport
Q3.
Relief...
Correct answer: refers to the height and shape of land surfaces
Correct answer: helps geographers describe features like mountains and valleys
Correct answer: can affect where people choose to live in the UK
is about the cultural activities and festivals in the UK
Q4.
Match the two parts of the statements about population density
Correct Answer:areas with mountains,tend to have low population densities
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tend to have low population densities

Correct Answer:areas with low-lying flat land,can often have higher population densities
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can often have higher population densities

Correct Answer:the Highlands of Scotland,are sparsely populated
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are sparsely populated

Correct Answer:cities like London,are densely populated
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are densely populated

Q5.
Why is population density higher in cities like London?
Correct answer: cities have better access to resources and jobs
rural areas offer more economic opportunities
cities are located in harsher climates
cities have lower living costs than rural areas
Q6.
The people of the UK
are evenly distributed through England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales
Correct answer: are unevenly distributed with more people living in cities like London
Correct answer: are unevenly distributed with fewer people living in remote areas
are evenly distributed across all cities