GCSE Case Studies (updated June 2004)

Below is a list of the case studies that you may have studied during your GCSE course. You will not have studied all of them and do not need to have studied all of them.

Some case studies are very small and will have limited use in your exam, while others - such as Bangladesh in the Hazards theme or Shenzhen in the Economic Systems theme - can provide you with lots of quality information for use in more than one answer. These larger case studies should be learnt particularly well! However, do not limit your learning to those case studies which may seem to be able to cover a number of categories.

You can download the template for the case study sheets here.

THEME 1 - Physical Systems and Environment

  • The landforms and geomorphic process of chalk (and clay) landscape.
  • Tropical rainforest - The links between climate, soil, vegetation and human activity
  • The Sahel - a region under threat
  • Global climate change - Global warming
  • UK, Amazon and Monsoon climates - a comparison
  • A comparison of the climates of London, Moscow and Mumbai

THEME 2 - Natural Hazards

Hazard MEDC / EU LEDC
Volcano Mount St Helens, (1980) / Mt Etna (dealing with lava flows) Nevado del Ruiz (1985)
Earthquake Kobe, Japan (1995) Maharashtra state, central India
Tropical Storms Hurricane Andrew (1992) Bangladesh cyclone (1991)
River flooding Los Angeles / Lynmouth Bangladesh
Drought Australia / Colorado Basin Sahel

THEME 3 - Economic Systems and Development

EU MEDC LEDC
Setubal - changing region / changing economic activity

Lille - Changing region / transport developments / contrasting region

NE England incl. Teeside - Changing region / factory location / transport developments / contrasting region

South Wales - Changing region / factory location / transport developments / contrasting region

North and South Italy - Contrasting regions

 Great Lakes / "Rust Belt" region - Changing economic activity

California and Sun Belt - Changing economic activity

 

 The Pearl River Delta - Improving quality of life / changing economic activity / changing region

Aga Khan Rural Development Scheme - Overseas aid / economic development

Zimbabwe - Resource development (tourism)

Serengeti - Resource development (tourism)

 

THEME 4 - Population and Settlement

  Population

  • Population distribution in Brazil and the USA.
  • The demographic transition model for a number of countries, including China.
  • Population pyramids for a number of countries.
  • Population decline in Aliano in southern Italy.
  • Reducing population growth in China and elsewhere.
  • Migration: Turks into Germany (EU); Mexicans into USA (MEDC)

  Settlement

  • Site and situation of Wooler in the Northumberland Cheviots and London.
  • The market area of Watford (based on your 4th year coursework).
  • Land use within settlements: Leicester
  • Changing rural settlements in the UK (Woodbury, Wilmington, Thurston)
  • Growth and change in LEDC cities: Mumbai, Sao Paulo or Nairobi.
  • Rural-urban migration and the growth of favelas (shanty towns) in Rio De Janeiro.
  • Urban renewal in Glasgow