Urban Development

Brief description about Topic
Urbanization is the process through which towns and cities are formed. The topic deals with factors that have contributed to the growth and development of towns and cities and effects of urbanization.

Teaching Methods

• Brain storming
  
• Discovery
  
• Question and answer
  
• Discussion
  
• Photographic discussion
  
• Use of case study
  
• Field tours/field work.
  
• Group work
  
• Integrated approach
  
• Information technology
  

Teaching/Learning Materials

• Text books
  
• Atlas
  
• Photography
  
• Computer
  

Expected Learning Objectives

By the end of the lesson student should be able to.

• Locate New York on the map.
  
• Explain the factors that led to the growth of New York.
  
• Explain the functions of New York.
  
• Explain the problems facing the city of New York.
  
• Describe some solutions to New York’s problems
  
• Describe the types of industry in New York
  
• Compare New York with a port and a city in East Africa (Kampala and Mombasa).
  

 Job Mark related Life Skills

Skills to be developed

Study Skills

• Reading and interpreting source of information.
  
• Photograph interpretation – skills of photographic sketching and annotating, analysing and interpreting.
  
• Compare and contrast problems of development in the developed and developing world.
  
• Inquiry methods – goal oriented, planning, observation, recording, interviewing/ asking questions, questionnaire, and reporting / feed back and decision.
  
• Compute skills –use website to search for information.
  

Social skills

• Problem solving to provide remember to issues of development in developing and advanced countries.
  
• Team work / group work aim is to promote leadership, cooperation, coordination, harmony, summary sharing, communication/interact cordially, sense of belonging, creation of obligation and accountability, respecting one another improved listening skills and greater trust in each other.
  
• Attitude:  are ways one thinks and feel about something, attitude to be developed -------- awareness, appreciation, responsibility, conservation, preservation, moral character / desirable behavour, empathy for others, tolerance for individuals differences, adoption and flexible to change and development.
  
  
  
  NEW YORK CITY
  Site and location of New York
  Location refers to the description of the surroundings of a place, where its site means the actual ground occupied by a feature such as a town. The site gives greater detail of the place. New York is located alongthe eastern coast of North America, at 40^o 45'N, 73^o 57'W. It borders the Atlantic Ocean. New York is sited on several islands, of which the most important as far as the city is concerned is Manhattan Island. The other islands include Long Island and Staten Island.
  Growth of New York port and city
  New York, just like any other part of North America, received immigrants. Immigrants are people who come from another country to make a home in this new country. Those who leave their own country to go and live in another country are called emigrants. By the time the first immigrants arrived in New York there were only a million American Indians in the whole of North America. The first settlers were European and Dutch traders. This was in 1624. They named it New Amsterdam, but in 1664 it was colonized by the British and the renamed it New York. By the time America gained independence (1776), the population of New York was about 300,000 people, but the town was of little importance.
  Its growth started at the beginning of the nineteenth century. In 1825 the opening of the Erie Canal boosted its growth, because it created a cheaper route to the interior of North America. There was a dramatic growth of population from 60 000 in 1800 to 800 000 in 1861, then to 1 000 000 in 1880. The immigrants to New York created new cultures from their home countries. They comprised of Greeks, Jews, Haitians and Chinese among others. The population of New York in 2006, quoted by Wikipedia). According to this data it is ranked as the most populous city in the USA and 13th in the world.
  As a city, New York has greatly developed. It contains very many tall buildings and a very large population from all walks of life. Its growth it attributed to the investment of capital, which comes from many different sources including the government and the immigrant traders. Much has been invested in the building of skyscrapers, in transport facilities and the like. The presence of a large population also enabled the growth by offering both skilled they had used to build cities in their home countries. In addition plenty of water was available for use in industries and homes.
  New York has also developed as a city because it has flat relief, which makes the construction of roads and railways easier. The city was planned with the streets forming a grid pattern, allowing easy access to all parts of the city.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Factors that favoured the development of New York as a port
  New York has developed into a very large and busy port as the result of a variety of factors. Some of these factors are natural, while others have been a result of human efforts. Below we consider some of the important natural factors.
• The presence of a deep-water harbour. A harbour is an area of water along the coat where ships can anchor and unload safely. New York has a barbour with very deep channels, and so large ships, including oil tankers, can be safely accommodated. For Example, the channel on the eastern side of the Hudson river, which is 14 metres deep.
  

 New York’s situation allows it to function well as a port.

New York port experiences ice-free conditions throughout the year, therefore it is used by many transporters who would otherwise use the St. Lawrence Seaway during its months of freezing. It therefore handles more business during these months and indeed generally throughout the year.
Shelter from the Atlantic Ocean is another natural factor that favoured the development of New York port. This shelter is provided by islands like Long Island, which prevent strong winds from the Atlantic Ocean from reaching the port directly. They could otherwise have damaging effects on vessels in the port. New York has a low tidal range. The tidal range is the difference between the highest tide and lowest tides. The difference between high and low tides is less than 2 metres which does not create a problem for shipping activities.

Its locations on the North Atlantic trade route also give New York an advantage. This is because ships en route to Europe can easily call at New York, which facilitates trade with the developed countries of Europe. The location at the southern end of the Hudson-Mohawk gap is another added advantage, providing the easiest route through the Appalachians to the interior of the USA.

• The human factor that stands out in the development of New York is the presence of large hinterland. The port serves the Midwest of the USA, which is an area very rich in industry. The hinterland is the inland area served by a port. New York handles such as goods as petroleum, textiles, iron ore and other industrial raw materials, as well as grain.
  

The Hudson-Mohawk Gap

This is a gap in the Appalachain Mountains, existing where the Hudson river drains into the Atlantic Ocean. It is very important to transport because:

• It gives New York access to the Midwest of the USA, an area rich in industry and agriculture, through the Erie Canal.
  
• Since it doesn’t freeze in the winter, it serves Canada when the St. Lawrence Seaway it frozen.
  
• It provided for the construction of many roads and railways, because it is a low-lying area within the mountain barrier.
  

 The Hudson-Mohawk gap.

As noted earlier New York is the most important city in North America. This importance is attributed to the many functions that New York serves.

• It serves as a financial centre, since it has the world’s largest stock exchange in Wall Street, as well as auction rooms, numerous financial houses, banks and commercial agencies.
  
• It is the world’s second largest port, after Rotterdam. It handles more than half of the USA’s imports and exports.
  
• It is a residential centre accommodating a huge population. As well as residential estates, there are slum areas where the many poorer people of the city reside.
  
• It is a political centre, housing the headquarters of world organization such as the United Nation Organization (UNO) and the World Bank.
  
• It is a cultural centre with  many museums, art galleries and libraries.
  
• It is also an industrial centre, with both light and heavy industries.
  
  
  Problems facing New York
  
  New York as an urban centre faces big problems, just like many other cities in the world. Many of the problems arise in because of the large population found in the city.
  
• There is a shortage of adequate and decent accommodation. Many people migrate to New York in the hope of enjoying the facilities in an urban centre, but find they do not have enough money and so end up living in very poor housing.
  
• The port of New York, and the city as a whole, experience fog. Fog is very thick mist. It is a serious problem, because when it occurs road traffic finds it hard to move owing to the poor visibility, and likewise ships find it difficult to move safety.
  

• The fact that New York is made up of islands means that it is surrounded with water. The problem with this is that there is a lack of space for expansion of the city.
  
• Pollution is another problem facing New York City. It happens because New York has many industries and cars disposing of waste products, especially gases into the air but also liquids into the water. Pollution means making the environment dangerously impure.
  
• Congestion: New York is overpopulated and therefore experiences congestion in terms of housing as well as from traffic. There are very bad traffic jams during rush hours, from 7.00 am to 10.00 am and from 4.00 to 5.00 pm. The port, too, experiences congestion, with too many ships wanting to use the facilities.
  
• The city also faces the problem of slums. A slum is a part of the city with poor living conditions, such as inadequate housing poor hygiene and many other problems. These slums are mainly found in Halrem and the Bronx.
  

• The crime rate is quite high. This is partly because of the high number of unemployed people living in New York. Serious crimes like murder, robbery and violence take place in some areas.
  
• Unemployment is common in New York. So many people migrate there with the hope of finding jobs that not all of the can be successful. Therefore many people in the city are unemployed.
  
• Commuting from one place to another presents a problem, because many people live far away from their work places. This involves a considerable loss of time each day. It can be difficult to commute from one inland to another.
  
• Waste disposal is also a problem facing the city of New York. Owing to the large population and the many industries, masses of waste accumulates and causes a problem of contamination to the environment, as well as being difficult to dispose of.
  
  Some solutions to the problems facing New York
  Several steps have been taken in order to overcome these problems and make life in New York more comfortable.
  
• For accommodation improvement, some of the slum area cleared and replaced with housing estates. These are better organized and provide housing facilities at a cheaper rate to accommodate low-income earners.
  
• The problem of space has been handled by expanding vertically. This involves the construction of very tall building called skyscrapers. A building can have more than 100 floors.
  

• Pollution and poor waste disposal is checked by instituting laws requiring industries to treat their waste is now effectively handled by government programs like waste recycling.
  
• Congestion at the port has been reduced by the use of containerization. Here loading and offloading takes only a short time, so ships are not subject to long delays. Using this method goods are packed in vary large standard containers that are loaded or offloaded complete, instead of handling one item at a time, which would take much longer.
  
• The high crime rate is tackled by the reinforcement of police and intelligence organizations.
  
• Unemployment is still a problem, but efforts are being made to increase employment opportunities through the construction of more industries.
  
• These has been an increase in the number of bridges, subways and underground tunnels to help ease commuting from one island to another.
  

Industrial development in New York
New York is the largest industrial centre in the USA and has both light and heavy industries. The light industries include textiles, food processing, printing and publishing. Most of the textile industries are found in Manhattan. They are normally small and employ few people. Other light industries are located in the suburbs and on Long Island. A suburb is an in the outer area of town or city where people live.
Heavy industries are located in Jersey City and Lewark; they include oil refineries, chemical works, engineering and shipbuilding.

Factors favouring the development of industries in New York

• Availability of power. Both hydro-electric power and thermal power from imported petroleum products are used to run machines and facilitate other industries operations.
  
• New York provides a thriving market, because not only is it densely populated, but it also has access by sea to the densely populated European nations. This allows production to continue, since normally the level of output is determined by demand.
  
• Another important factor for industry is the availability of water. The city has an abundant supply of water, since it is situated on the coast. Water is used both as a raw material and as a coolant in the various industries in New York.
  
• The heavy population density provides an abundance of labour, which is also very necessary to industrial development. Plenty of people mean both skilled and unskilled labour is available to industry, thereby promoting high production levels.
  
• The capital for industry has been provided by the immigrant traders and by the government, making it easier to set up many industries and to put in place industrial activities.
  
• Raw materials are readily available. Some of them, like agricultural raw materials and crude oil for refineries, have to be imported, but they are made available in sufficient quantities to sustain the industrial functions.
  
• The good transport facilities in New York, consisting of road, railways and airports, have encouraged the development of industry, because raw materials and finished goods are both easily taken to where they are needed.
  

 

Development of a River Basin

Introduction:

The Tennessee valley Authority (TVA) is an example of a multi-purpose scheme. A multi–purpose scheme or project is a scheme that under takes more than one purpose. For example generation Hydro Electric Power (HEP), flood control, fishing, navigation, etc.

The Tennessee valley, located in North America, is occupied by the Tennessee River. It is a tributary of the Ohio River, itself a tributary of the Mississippi river. The people living in this area are faced with a number of problems which include poverty, unemployment, soil erosion, soil exhaustion, low productivity, diseases such as malaria, etc. However, the Tennessee Valley Authority was established in 1933 and it was charged with the supervision and coordination of all the projects that were to solve the above problems.

Main content and concepts to emphasise:

• Location and position of the Tennessee valley
  
• Condition of the Tennessee valley before the TVA was established
  
• The Aims of the TVA
  
• Activities / steps taken to achieve the aims the TVA to develop the river basin
  
• The contribution of the TVA to the development of the area.
  

Teaching methods:

• Brain storming
  
• Discovery
  
• Illustration
  
• Discussion
  
• Question
  
• Explanation
  
• Case study
  

   Teaching / learning material:   

• Text books
  
• Atlas
  

Expected learning objectives:

By the end of the topic learners should be able to:

• Locate the Tennessee valley
  
• State the aims for the establishment of the Tennessee valley Authority
  
• Explain the problems that existed before the setting –up this project
  
• Explain the steps taken to solve these problems
  
• Describe the results of the project.
  

Job related life skills

• Personal attributes: - Appreciation, behave appropriately, punctuality, reliability, self confidence, seek advice, show tenacity and motivation, be self critical and imaginative.
• Communication: - ability to read, write, listen, and speak in appropriate ways for different audiences. Know and apply general and specialised vocabulary.
• Team work: - Interdependance, ability to cooperate and share tasks with colleagues.
• Problem solving: - goal focused, seek out relevant information, identify constraints, evaluate alternatives, Analysing and interpreting, and make decisions/ choices.

 

A Case of Multi-purpose River Utilisation

Background of the Tennessee River Valley

This area was destroyed by the first settlers and became an area of abject poverty. The settlers carried out activities that led to a severe economic situation. They cut down trees indiscriminately on the slopes of the hills, in an effort to create room for settlements and farming. They practiced poor farming methods such as over cultivation and monocropping . They also grew cotton season after season. The population increased unsustainably; the area became very poor as far as human occupation was concerned, because there was famine, no jobs and almost bare rock.

Consequently, the activities undertaken by the farmers themselves resulted into problems, such as the occurrence of severe soil erosion on the mountain slopes that had been cleared of forests. To the extent that the farm lands remained almost bare rock.

Soil erosion refers to the removal of top soil, by water, air, wind or human activity. Once the top soil has been removed, land ceases to be productive as far as agriculture is concerned. The normal soil make-up consists of three layers, which can be observed in any area where excavation of the soil is taking place. The arrangement of these layers is called the soil profile.

For productive agricultural activities, Horizon A (top soil) is the most important layer, because it contains essential nutrients for the crops and it supports the plant root system. When the soils in the Tennessee valley were exposed, the top soil was lost and the soil lost its agricultural value to the extent that it could not support the population any longer. The lost top soil was deposited into the river and its tributaries. The river channels filled up with silt from the slopes and became shallow, resulting in flooding that destroyed towns, lives and farmland.

The above situation led to unemployment and poverty. The over cultivated and eroded soils could not support meaningful agriculture any longer. The farmers became unemployed and the region experienced great poverty.

The stagnant water following the floods also posed a danger by encouraging the breeding of mosquitoes and snails. The result was a high incidence of malaria and bilharzias. The river channels could not be used for navigation, because they were too shallow and yet there was no effective road network, so the region became inaccessible.

There was no electricity, because the dams had been silted up and the water was flooding and could not be used to generate electric power.

ACTIVITIES OF THE TVA PROJECT

The first step was the construction of dams. Nine dams were built Tennessee river (900 miles long) and 23 on its tributaries. The biggest dam of them all is the Kentucky dam. Behind each of the dams a huge artificial lake / reservoir formed, thus increasing the depth of the water.

The project also embarked on afforestation and reforestation to correct or heal the gullied hill slopes. Each year some two million trees were planted; they were intended to have their roots hold the soil together and at the same time reduce the direct effect of raindrops on the soil. The open gullies were filled with brushwood barriers so that they would trap soil and fill the gullies. Reforestation is the planting of forests in an area where they once existed before, whereas afforestation is the planting of forests where they did not exist before.     

Better farming methods were introduced to help improve the final output of the farmlands. Such farming methods included contour ploughing, terracing and strip farming on the hill slopes; crop diversification and crop rotation were introduced in order to help in the maintenance of soil fertility. Research was also carried out on the land and on agriculture in general, and farmers were freely advised on how to overcome the problems they were facing.

Demonstration farms were purposely set up to give the farmers hands-on experience of the better methods that has been introduced. The farmers were encouraged and persuaded to adopt such methods.

The new dams constructed generated enough power to encourage the growth of industries, which manufactured chemicals, farm machinery and electrical apparatus, and established fisheries.

ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE TENNESSEE VALLEY

The project was a great success, as we shall see below. All the activities that were undertaken paid off very well. It is a reflection of the fact that with good planning and careful resource management, environmental disasters caused by humans can be overcome.

The dams that were constructed served many purposes for the good of region. As noted earlier, each dam had a huge water reservoir behind it and these reservoirs stored water during the periods when the rains were heavy. This greatly helped in controlling flooding, and at the same time released the water controllably during the dry season for irrigation purposes, so that even during droughts the farmers did not suffer.

The reservoirs help in the generation of hydro-electric power, which is used both domestically and in industry. The great majority of people in the Tennessee valley obtain their power from the Tennessee river Valley Authority. This is because a steady water supply to the tributaries is maintained both during the rainy season and during droughts.

The dams have turned the Tennessee into a navigable waterway, because of the artificial lakes along it. Barges can now travel upriver one thousand kilometers, as far as Knoxville. A barge is a large, low boat on a waterway. Barges have provided a cheap alternative to road or rail for carrying heavy goods like coal, chemicals or mineral ores. Efforts to improve navigation along the Tennessee have also seen the construction of navigation locks the volume of freight carried along the waterway has increased.

The dams generate enough power to attract many industries to be set up in the area. The industries set up include aluminium manufacture, fertilizer production and paper making. The fertilizers supplied to farmers cheaply, which has led to further improvements in agriculture. The industries have offered employment to many people, resulting in many people leaving agriculture and therefore allowing farms to expand and subsequently be mechanized.

Malaria has been eradicated, because reservoirs had varying water levels and the mosquito larvae could not survive there. This was reinforced by the fact that floods had been eliminated too.

Tourism has developed, because many people visit the region for its attractive scenery, provided by the careful landscaping of the shores of reservoirs, the forests on the slopes and the planned parks. On the lakes, tourists come to swim, fish and sail.

Industrial development in the Tennessee Valley

The Tennessee Valley benefited from a boom of industrial development as a result of the many power-generating dams set up; however, in this book it is aluminum manufacturing that will be discussed.

Aluminium manufacturing
This industry smelts bauxite to obtain aluminum. Bauxite is mined near Chattanooga and smelted at Alcoa, which is the largest aluminum rolling mill in the world. Aluminum is used in the manufacture of various metallic utensils such as saucepans, but more importantly in aircraft manufacture and other transport applications.

Activity 1
What are the other industries found in the Tennessee Valley?  

 

A COMPARISON WITH UGANDA

Land Reclamation in Kibimba
Kibimba Irrigation Scheme is located in the eastern region of Uganda, at latitude 0º32’N and longitude 33º51’E, in Bugiri district. Kibimba Irrigation Scheme was not degraded land, but it was land that was producing much less than it ought to have produced.

Land reclamation refers to the making of once useless land fir for use. This could be by irrigation, by eradicating pests, or any other suitable way. As for Uganda, we shall look at land reclamation through irrigation.

Kibimba Irrigation Scheme

This was an area occupied by big swamps, almost unused in spite of having fertile soil, cheap labour and access to markets from the dense population in the area, as well s accessibility through the Jinja Tororo highway, which cuts through the area. It also has good access to water. 

At this place, an irrigation scheme was started as a joint venture between the Ugandan government and the people of China. It started with the construction of a small dam, fed by the small kibimba river. The size of the irrigation scheme is approximately 1400 acres, which are annually planted with rice. This scheme was privatized later on and is now run by Tilda Ltd, a foreign company.

In terms of acreage, the kibimba rice scheme is very small in comparison with the area operated by TVA. However, it also has given some good results for the people of Uganda and for Uganda as a country. The rice serves as food for many people in the country and has reduced the amount of food imported into Uganda.

It has also provided employment for many people. The scheme employs both skilled and unskilled workers. Unskilled people do the planting, weeding and any other jobs which don’t require technical skills.

Foreign exchange has been brought in because some of the rice is exported to neighboring countries. Tax revenue goes to the government and is used to develop other areas in the country.
The scheme has resulted in an improvement in rice growing on the whole, because it carries out research and gives advice to the small-scale rice farmers, eventually leading to an improvement in output quality and quantity.    

Activity 1

Consider one of the following places that is nearest to you: the kigezi highlands, Mount Elgon slopes and the slopes of the Ruwenzori ranges. These areas include the following districts: Kabale, Rukungir, Kisoro, Mbale, Sironko, Manafwa, Kapchorwa, Bundibugyo, Kasese and Kabarole. Carry out this activity:

1. Observe carefully the form of soil erosion taking place.
   
2. List the causes of this soil erosion. 
   
3. Explain how the people or the government has tried to overcome the problem of soil erosion in this area.
   

Revision exercise

1. Define the following:       
   
1. Terracing
   
2. Crop diversification
   
3. Contour ploughing 
   
4. Crop rotation 
   
2. What is meant by gulley erosion?
   
3. What are the other types of soil erosion?
   
4. Considering what has been done by the TVA, how could Uganda increase her power supply?
   
5. What is meant by silting of a river?
   

          
    

ACTIVITY 2

1. (a) What is a multi- purpose scheme or project?
   

(b) Give examples of the multi-purpose schemes in Africa?

2. (a) Name any FOUR states under the Tennessee Valley Authority (T.V.A)
   

(b) Name any FOUR rivers draining the area under the Tennessee valley   Authority.

© Outline FIVE activities carried out in the establishment T. V.A.

(d) Name THREE important industries found in the Tennessee valley.

ACTIVITY 3  

Study the map of the Tennessee valley above and answer the questions that follow:

(a) Name the;

(i)Rivers marked

A –
                                            
B –

(ii) Dam marked  

C –

D –

(iii) States marked  

1 -

2 –
      
(iv) Towns  marked 

3 –

4 -

(b) Describe the factors that led to the establishment of the Tennessee valley multi–purpose scheme.

(c)  Explain the contribution of the Tennessee valley multi- purpose scheme to the development of any ONE state named in (a) (iii) above.

(d) Outline the problems that have resulted from the establishment of the Tennessee valley multi–purpose scheme.

ACTIVITY 4

• What is soil erosion?
  
• State the major types of soil erosion.
  
• Suggest FOUR ways in which soil erosion can be controlled.
  
• Define the following terms;
  
• Soil profile
  
• Soil conservation
  
• Soil catena.
  

ACTIVITY 5

1. Learners take part in the planting of trees exercise around the school compound.

Population of East Africa

POPULATION OF EAST AFRICA

Introduction

This unit addresses the concepts of population, factors that influence population density, population distribution and how they affect the environment of East Africa.

Main Content and Concepts to emphasise

Meaning of population concepts in the following terms;

• Population

• Population size

• Population census

• Population distribution

• Population density

• Under population

• Over population

• Optimum population

• Population pyramid.

-  Map of East Africa showing population distribution.
- Factors influencing population distribution e.g. physical and human factors.  

- Case study: - Highland areas, Lake Victoria region, urban areas and arid areas.

- The positive and negative effects of population distribution on the environment .
-Solutions to the problems that affect the environment.

Learning Objectives

By the end of the topic students should be able to;

1. Define the concepts related to population.
   
   
2. State the importance of collecting information and data on human population.
   
   
3. Study and interpret the population statistical data.
   
   
4. Develop skills of how to collect and interpret data.
   
   
5. Identify the problems associated with certain patterns of population distribution.
   
   
6. Suggest possible solutions to the problems brought about by the different population patterns.
   
   

Teaching and Learning materials:    

1. Text books
2. Statistics
   
3. Graphs
   
4. Diagrams
   
5. Photographs 
   
6. Case studies
                                         

Job related life skills

By the end of this topic, learners are expected to have acquired the following Job Mart related Skills:

1. Personal attributes – self confidence, time management, creativity/imaginative, recording skills, enthusiasm, imagination, seek advice and self awareness.
   
2. Communication – observation & listening skills, reporting in writing, ability to read and know how to apply general and specialised vocabulary.
   
3. Team work – task oriented leadership skills, group work and decision making.
   
4. Problem solving - information seeking, environmental protection & conservation, seeking for information (research).
   
5. Application of number – ability to work with and present numerical data and using appropriate intermediate calculations (as they try to find out/calculate the population sizes of different areas, birth rates, death rates, fertility rate, infant mortality rate, population growth rate and or try to compare population sizes of various places and years).
   
6. Information Skills – ability to identify needs, observe and collect evidence and present findings appropriately using graphs, sketch maps, pictures and reports.
   
   

   Population Density

   Population density describes the number of people per square kilometer of land area.

   It is calculated as;
         PD                       =          POPULATION (P)
                                                   AREA (A)

   ACTIVITY 1: - Warm up / Brain Storming
   
   Ask learners to brainstorm on the following terms;
7. Population
   
8. Population census
   
9. Population distribution
   
10. Population density
    
11. Under population
    
12. Over population
    
13. Birth rate
    
14. Growth rate
    
15. Death rate
    

TABLE 1B: POPULATION DENSITY OF EAST AFRICAN COUNTRIES

Country	Total area (km2)	Total Population 2008	Population density
Uganda	244,400	31,367,972	.......................
Kenya	585,000	37,958,838	.......................
Tanzania	943,000	40,212,612	.......................
Total	1772,400	......................	.......................

Source: Population Reference Bureau (2006)
ACTIVITY 2:

In groups of 5 – 8, study the Table 1B above and answer the following questions

• Which of East African country has the;
  
• Largest population.
  
• Least population.
  

• Calculate the population size of East Africa.
  

• How is high population an advantage to any one country of East Africa.
  

• What are disadvantages of high population size to any one country of east Africa?
  

• To which extent may low population be of advantage to your country?
  

ACTIVITY 3

Given the formula:

            Population Density     =         Total Population
                                                                        Area

• Use the Table 1B above to calculate the population density of
  
• Uganda
  
• Kenya
  
• Tanzania
  

• Which of the three countries has the
  
• Lowest population density?
  
• Highest population density?
  

• What could be the major cause of the differences in the population densities?
  

ACTIVITY 4

Study the sketch map below showing the population distribution of East Africa and answer the following questions

  

This would also be considered a group task

• Using the sketch map provided above, which areas of East Africa are:
  
• Densely populated
  
• Sparsely populated
  

• Why do you think that these areas are;
  
• Densely populated?
  
• Sparsely populated?
  

• What challenges do the people living in those areas mentioned in question (b) above face?
  

• Suppose a population officer, suggest ways in which you would overcome those challenges
  

ACTIVITY 5

Study Table 2 below showing population figures in Uganda between 1990 –2001 and answer the questions below.

YEAR	POPULATION (000)
-1991	16.000
1992 - 1993	16.500
1994 - 1995	17,000
1996 - 1997	18,000
1998 - 1999	19,500
2000 - 2001	23,000

 (i) Draw a line graph to show the above information.

 (ii) Describe the trend of population growth in Uganda between 1990  to 2001.

 (iii) State the causes for an increase in population between 1990 –2001

Birth Rate

Birth rate: this indicates the number of births per one thousand people in a given area,
    
I.e.       =          Number of birth X 1000
                       Total population                   

ACTIVITY 6: - Field Study

The learners may be organised into groups of 5-8 and ask them to visit 3 neighbouring homesteads (families) of their choice near their school, to find out the following;

1. How many family members are there in each homestead?
   
2. What is the size of the homestead?
   
3. What is the occupation of the family head?
   
4. How many biological children (offspring) are there in each homesteads?
   
5. What are the age groups of these children? (i.e. 0 – 4, 5 – 10 and above years)?
   
6. How many non-biological children are there in each homestead?
   
7. Do you use family planning methods?
   
8. If YES, what are its effects?
   
9. If NO, why?
   
10. About how many girls in your family give birth after marriage?
    
11.  On average, how many girls give birth before their 19th birth day?
    
12. What is the importance of a large family?
    
13. Why do you think a large family may not be good?
    

NOTE:
Ensure that learners take notes of their findings, and each group should have a chairman to take up the leadership role and a secretary who would be recording the findings.
Each group in a form of guided discussion with the teacher would make a presentation to their classmates.

 

Fertility rate

         It refers to the average number of children a woman can bear in the production period normally between 15 – 45 years of age.
       

I.e     Total number of children born                        X 1000
        Total number of women in reproduction age  

TABLE 4:  FERTILITY RATE IN EAST AFRICA

COUNTRY	FERTILITY RATE
Uganda	7
Kenya	5
Tanzania	6

Source: Human Institution Report (2007/2008)

This means that on average 5 – 7 children per woman are born.

Death Rate

1. What is death rate?
2. What causes a high death rate?
   
3. On average how many people die in your home area in a month?
   
4. How can death rate be controlled in East Africa?
   

This is the number of people that die in a year per thousand of total population.

      Number of death   X 1000
      Total population

The death rate in East Africa has been minimised through the fight against the killer diseases in children.

This has been realised through the program of immunisation.

The death rate (crude death rate) is generally high in East Africa. It ranges between 10-15.

This means that there are about 10-15 people who die from a sample of 1000 people.

Infant Mortality Rate

Infant mortality rate refers to death of children under the age of one year per 1000 births. It is measured as follows:  

IMR =Number of death of children under one year x  1000
                                    Live birth per year                                               

In East Africa infant mortality has been controlled through the programme of immunisation.

ACTIVITY 8
Ask learners to visit a nearby hospital or, you would invite a resource person (medical personnel) to your class to make a presentation about the following

• What is infant mortality?
  

• What are the causes of infant mortality? – emphasise the six killer diseases for infants
  

• What measures have been taken to control infant mortality in your home area?
  

• What is antenatal care and why is it important for expecting mothers?
  

• What is immunisation and why is it important?
  

• How would we encourage the community to respond to it? 
  

• Suppose a medical officer, how would you advise the community about the importance of child health care?
  

Note:
Ensure that learners note down the pertinent issues raised by the resource person, and freely interact with him/her in form of question and answer.

CAUSES OF INFANT DEATHS

• Infectious diseases for example pneumonia, tetanus and polio.
  

• Domestic violence.
  

• Infanticide; the deliberate killing of infants is extremely difficult to document.
  

Population Growth

Population Growth rate refers to the rate at which population changes by increasing in size.

It is calculated as;

Birth rate – Death rate divide by 1000 X 100.

Birth rate should always be higher than death rate in order for population to increase.

Population growth rate (PGR) = Birth rate – Death rate X 100
                                                                          1000   

For example, assessing the birth rate of Tanzania to be 48% per annum and its death rate 12% per annum, calculate the population growth rate?

PGR     =          48 – 12    X 100   =       3.6%
                           1000            

Factors which lead to High Population Growth Rate in East Africa

• Early marriages.
  

• High fertility rates.
  

• Polygamy.
  

• Low levels of education.
  

• Lack of family planning facilities.
  

• Excessive birth rates over death rate.
  

• Declining death rate due to improved medical facilities.
  

• Rural – urban population.
  

• Value the parents attach to their children.
  

• Level of income.
  

Census

Questions

1. What is a census?
   
2. Have you ever participated in a census?
   
3. If so, what questions were you asked?
   
4. What is the importance of carrying out a population census?
   
5. What are the attitudes of people towards census exercises?
   

A Census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official counting of a particular population.

 10. POPULATION CENSUS
This is the counting of people in a given area.

WHY IT IS CARRIED OUT (IMPORTANCE)

• To establish the number of people in the country in terms of Age, Sex distribution, level of education, standards of living.
  
• To enable the government distribute the resources according to the prevailing population in the area. That is, government plans on how to adequately allocate the resources.
  
• To find out the relationship between the prevailing population and their conditions of living for example housing facilities, levels of income, levels of employment.
  
• To help the government design a sound policy on population; in terms of birth rates, migration and distribution of resources.
  

WHAT TO CONSIDER

• Age
  
• Sex
  
• Level of education
  
• Occupation
  
• Standards of living
  
• Mode of transport
  
• Etc.
  

11. LIFE EXPECTANCY
Life expectancy is the average age at which people die. Life expectancy is very low in the developing countries and high in the developed countries.

• Optimum population.Optimum population refers to a situation where the number of people is in balance with the available resources. This means that;  
  

• Optimum conditions can only be maintained if the exploitation of new resources and development of employment opportunities keeps in pace with the increasing rate of population.
  
• The size, distribution and structure of the population within a country must be viewed in relation to its natural resources.
  
• If the country’s resources are not adequately supporting its population, then people are likely to be poor, dependant and hungry. A higher rate of unemployment is also an indicator.
  

Where a country has gone beyond the optimum population level, there is likely to be a  problem of over population.

Over Population

Over population refers to a situation where a country’s resources are not adequate to provide the necessary means of survival to its people. The resources are over utilised in order for the people to survive.

Population migration

In East Africa people are always moving from time to time. This affects the nature of the population distribution. There are a number of factors why people migrate. These include; 

• Economic reasons
• Political   reasons
• Cultural   reasons
• Social  reasons

Migration can be for a short time and for a long time. It can be internal and external or international.   

Reasons for migration

• Unemployed people move from the rural to the urban centres in search for employment opportunities.
• Cultivators migrate in search for good land for farming (agriculture) purpose.
• Traders move in search for trade opportunities.
• In northern Uganda people are frequently moving because of political instabilities etc.   

Natural Resources

NATURAL RESOURCES IN BRITISH COLUMBIA

INTRODUCTION :

This unit deals with the study of Natural Resources, case study British Columbia in North –America. Natural resources are useful to man in very many ways after they have been exploited. The basic needs are shelter, food and clothing. The major natural resources of the world are found in their natural form, which include forests, lakes, rivers, minerals, climate, relief, and life.

This unit will help you understand the natural resources have contributes to economic development of British Columbia. You will be able to compare the extent to which natural resources in their own region have been exploited for development in relation to those found in British Columbia. In this unit you learn about how fishing and forestry have contributed to development and compare with the natural resources utilisation on East Africa.

You will also learn about various methods and strategies how these natural resources have been effectively exploited. You will be able to appreciate that some countries have succeeded/developed or failed to develop in many fundamental ways simply because they have been able or unable to process and add value to their natural resources.

Job related life skills

1. Communication: ability to read, write,listen and speak using appropriate language.
   
2. Team work: ability to cooperate and share tasks with colleagues.
   
3. Personal attributes : creativity, enthusiasm, reflective thinking, self awareness
   
4. Information skills : ability to identify information needs,observe and collect evidence and present findings appropriately
   
5. Problem solving - information seeking, Practical experiment, environmental protection & conservation, seeking for information (research),discussion making
   
   
   FISHING IN BRITISH COLOMBIA
   Fishing is the second leaching activity in British Columbia. This provides 60% of fish in Canada. This fishing industry depends on the direct exploration of natural resource hence a primary sector.
   
   British Columbia is a province with endowed areas of great concentrate of fish, these include;
6. Pelagic fish: Which live and breed close to the surface of the sea like Tuna and Mackerel.
   
   
7. Dermal Sal fish: Which line is close to the bottom of the sea such as cod, halibut and hadlock.
   
   
8. Anachroman: Which live in the ocean but breed from fresh waters like salmon.
   
   
9.  Crustaceous fish: Such as, lobsters, shrumps, crabs, oysters and prawns.

The major fishing grounds of British Columbia, along the coast where deep fishing is practical other fishing grounds include Lakes/ Rivers and man made ponds

• Fishing in British Colombia is a better alternative apart from forestry since the souls are infertile for agriculture and the climatic conditions are too harsh, limiting the population on the coastal areas.
  
• Improved technology is another factor. This is reflected in developed fish methods which include; the use of drifters, trenkers,etc and also improved preservation methods use of refrigerators and canning. In addition to the cool climate in the region offers natural preservation.
  
• Presence of skilled manpower that provide specialized work in the different areas e.g. fishing, preserving and canning.
  
• Presence of capital for the development of the sector. This is mostly needed in purchasing of up to date fishing gear.
  
• Presence of market for fish. Most of the natives depend on fish for proteins. There is ready market at home and abroad especially U.S.A and North America.
  

 Factors favouring fishing in British Columbia

• The presence of the water bodies both fresh (the lakes, rivers and ponds) and the salty ocean waters (marine fishing), this leads to a variety of fish in the area.
  
• The good climatic conditions created by the ocean currents (the warm North pacific current and the cold Alaska current). These lead to the upwelling of cold water a long the coast thus bringing plankton food for the fish to the surface thus extracting the fish in great members.
  
• Good harbors - The North American coast around the British Columbia is an identified coastline, which offers the province safe sheltered harbors for good landing grounds, for development of ports and fish landing sites.
  
• The waters are deep enough along the coast making deep-water fishing possible.
  

METHODS OF FISHING
 

Purse-seining method

It’s practiced deep waters, involves use of two boats, large and small nets supported by weights and floats. The net is connected on a small boat, which pulls it around a shoal of fish. The fish is then pulled into the big boats and transported to the shore.

Trawling method

This is mainly used in catching the demersal fish and it involves dragging a cone bag made of nets ( a trawl) over a sea bed. The trawl is attached to the boat, which drags it on the shore through the water to catch the bottom or dermesal fish.

Drifters (or Gill) net method

The holes of the net are big enough to allow the fish enter in their effort to treat, they are caught by the gill

Trapping

These are commonly used for the crustaceous fish species e.g. lobsters, crabs. A trap box is set with baits inside. It is fastened on the boat with a rope then in the sea and want for catch.

PRESERVATION METHODS

Canning mainly used for the fish, which is to be exported.



Salting is a method that dehydrates the fish hence preserving it. It also protects fish from bacterial attacks. Salted fish is usually for export.

Refrigeration and refrigerated trucks used on fish to be consumed fresh.


Smoking is another traditional method that is usually used and it is facilitated by presence of wood. It’s mainly for home market.

PROBLEMS FACING FISHING IN BRITISH COLUMBIA

• Over fishing: There is a danger of wiping out some of the species due to indiscriminant fishing. This is mainly affecting the salmon fish, usually caught when migrating for breeding.
  
  
• Pollution of the coastal water from the industrial areas.
  
  
• Construction of dams across the rivers and the floating logs abstract the movement of fish when migrating to their breeding grounds.
  
  
• Limited home market due to low population.
  
  
• Shortage of labour due to the small population and the fact that most people are encouraged in the forestry industry.
  
  
• There is competition from other fish-producing region, like Japan.
  
  
• Price fluctuation of fish.

SOLUTIONS TO FISHING PROBLEMS IN BRITISH COLUMBIA

Over fishing

-Establish laws against over fish

-Ban fishing in the breeding season.

Pollution

-Treatment of the waste before dumping.

Obstruction from dams

-Numbers of dams along the rivers are being reduced.

Obstruction from logs

–Some rivers not used to transport logs.

-Carry out research to acquire a wider market.

-Set up factories that use fish as a raw material.

VEGETATION (Forests)

This unit deals with vegetation (forests) as one of the main natural resources of British Columbia covering 56% of its total area.

A natural resource is a feature or condition that is provided by nature, which can be utilized to satisfy human needs.

A resource is anything that enables us to produce and obtain our needs. The basic needs are food, shelter and clothing.

The major resources of the world are found in their natural form, they include forests, lakes, rivers, minerals, climate, relief, and life etc. Resources can be renewable/non-exhaustible such as minerals.

The economy of British Columbia: Resources from Natural Vegetation

The economy of British Columbia is based on the province’s great natural resources, primarily its vast forests, which cover 56 percent of its total area; conifers from these forests are converted into timber, newsprint, plywood, pulp and paper products. These make lumbering an important activity followed by tourism, fishing, mining and power generation. Other sectors such as agriculture and manufacturing are of secondary importance

The most popular tree species include

• The Douglas fir
• The Balsam fir
• The red cedar
• The spruce
• The western Hemlock oak.

British Columbia’s vegetation is dominated by forests, which are mainly of coniferous type. These are well adapted to their climatic conditions for example;

• They grow in pure stand since few species can survive the harsh climatic conditions.
• Their leaves are thin and needle shaped with hard skin so that they drop off the snow easily in winters.
• The branches are downward facing making the tree cone-shaped all for quick snow slide off.
• The fruit peel is very hard to protect the seed from freezing before maturity.
• The trees grow up very fast a factor facilitating easy forestations and re-forestation.
• They have softwood tree species.

Their timber however, is less durable compared to that of deciduous and tropical forests (durability) decreases with increasing hatituclinal extent, thus less expensive.

Lumbering is a very important economic activity in British Columbia, with very many wood products. It has led to many related sub-sectors for example industries like the paper, timber, pulp, wood; plywood etc. about 40% of Canada’s exports consists of wood products. The main wood product-manufacturing centre is part Alberni on Vancouver Island.

Factors favouring the development of forestry in British Columbia

• There are many good commercial types of trees, which grow in pure stands.
• There is heavy rainfall all year round allowing the forests to grow.
• The barren rocky Mountains do not favour other types of land use.
• The climate of warm summers and mild winters is favorable for the growth of coniferous forests.
• The steep mountain slopes have thin soils which can best be used for forestry.
• The fiords make transpiration of logs easy.
• The government policy, carefully conserves the forests.
• Sawmills or factories are available at the coast to process out the wood or timber etc.

The process of lumbering

Lumbering is done in stages. Namely;

Felling: It is the cutting down of trees done by men called fallers. They work in pairs and wear brightly coloured helmets to help them check each others position before a tree is cut down.

Bucking: It is the cutting of logs into shorter pieces that are 12-15 meters long. This is because the trees are usually very tall.

Yarding/Dragging: A machine known as mobile steel spur with long cables is used by the choker men to drag the logs into a safer place and load them on trucks.

Loading: This is the process whereby the logs are loaded on to trucks.

Barging: This is the process by which logs from far away are brought to the booming ground (central place where logs are collected) by boats called self dumping barges. These are flat bottom boats pulled by a tug (small boats)

To unload the logs, the valves are open on one side of the barge, water rusles up the tanks on the side then the boat tilts over and spills the logs into the water. After the water is drained the barges rises itself again.

A Booming ground: It is a central place where the logs are sorted out according to size, quality and species. Port Alberni has a large booming ground. The Douglas fur logs go to the plywood factory, western Hemlock and Balsam fur to the sawmills.

Problems facing lumbering in British Columbia and their solutions

Winter freezing: Rivers are frozen from December to February making the saw mills produce at an under capacity because the logs cannot be moved to the mills fro processing. This is further worsened by the long distances from the forests to the sawmills, which are mainly at the coast.

To over come this, lumbering is practiced in phases. The system of log high and low  was started. The areas of high altitude are logged in summer (log high) when there is no snow while those at low altitude can be logged in winter where the roads are opened by snow ploughs.

Summer fires: These are mainly caused by the holiday makers who go camping in the interior of the forests.

To over come this, fire guards from established control towers serve the purpose. Air patrols by helicopters is also another solution. Water stations are also distributed in the forests such that the patrolling crews get access to water when putting out fire.

Deforestation: This has reduced the tree species some of them are now disappearing away (becoming extinct).

The solutions to this includes re-forestation and afforestation. The harsh climatic conditions,threaten these activities since the replanted trees have to take long periods to mature because of the dormancy in growth during the winter season.

Topography: This makes transportation of logs difficult especially in the interior of the forest where the roads are sometimes slippery.

High gear vehicles are used.

Over exploitation of the accessible areas: Systematic and selective felling of trees is carried out.

Diseases and fungal: Infection attacks the trees because of the acidic rain and extreme coldness. Spraying is done using helicopters.

Labour shortage is a common problem since the permanent workers in the forests are few. The wages for these workers are often revised to attract them.

Accidents: Snakebites and other harmful jungle animals sometimes do harm the workers.

Use of chemicals to chase them, heavy equipment like burgers, gumboots and helmets as well as working in pairs are among the solutions.

Thickness of the forest: This makes penetration into the interior where good quality trees may be found difficult.

The solution to this is to encourage spacing during afforestation and re-afforestation. There is also need to construct more roads and railway lines from the booming grounds to the central collecting points are also from the latter to the interior of the forest.

Long jams: which occur in the rivers when the logs get stuck during floatation. These are sorted out using a boom scouter. Etc

STUDENT’S EXERCISE

1. Where is British Columbia located?

2.Compare the size of British Columbia and that of East Africa

3.What do you understand by the term “Natural Resource.”

4. (a) Mention five Natural Resources that are found in both British Columbia
         and  East Africa.

    (b) Draw a sketch map of British Columbia showing the distribution of forests.

5. Give three major natural resources of British Columbia.

6. Name the type of forest found in British Columbia.

7. Describe the characteristics of the forests named in (6) above

8. (a) Give the major tree species found in the temperate forests?

   (b) What are tropical forests?

   (c) How do tropical forests differ from those found in British Columbia?

9. Give five factors, which have favoured the growth of forests in British Columbia.

10. Mention five benefits of the forestry industry to the people of British Columbia

11.What are the problems facing the forestry industry in British Columbia?

12.How has the government of British Columbia solved the problems mentioned above?

Learners’ activities

Activity one

1. Provide learners with seeds to be planted and guide them how to do it.
   
2. Divides the class into groups of ten depending on the size of the class.
   
3. Ask each group to open up a nursery bed and do the following;
   

• Plant the seeds
  
• Water and weed the seedlings
  
• Transplant the seedlings to the main field.
  

4. Sell the excess seedlings to the community around the school.
   
5. Learners should find out how the seedlings were planted and how the trees have benefited the school and the community.
   
6. Explain why tree planting should be taken as a paramount activity by the government in your country.
   

Activity two

Photograh interpretation.

1. Name the type of photograph above.
   
2. State the type of forest in the photograph.
   
3. Of what importance is the type of forest identified in (ii) above?
   
4. If you were a district forest officer, how would you conserve or protect the forest cover in your area?
   
5. Outline the direct benefits people get from forests around them.
   
6. Explain reasons why forest cover is reducing in Uganda.
   
7. Visit a forest in your neighborhood and write a short story about the problems facing the people in charge.
   
8. Suggest any ONE area in East Africa where this photograph would have been taken.
   

 Activity three

1. What is fishing?
   
2. Name the fishing grounds in your area.
   
3. Name the major types of fish caught in your area.
   
4. Name the methods used to catch fish in your area.
   
5. Identify the preservation methods used in your area.
   
6. What are the problems faced when carrying out fishing in your area?
   
7. If you a fisheries officer at the district, how would you improve on fishing in your area.
   

Activity four

Use a photograph showing fishing at the landing site                              

Study the photograph above and answer the questions that follow:

1. Name the;
   
2. activity taking place in the photograph,
   
3. Vegetation types shown in the back ground of the photograph.
   
4. Describe the;
   
5. factors  which have favoured the activity named in (a) (i) above,
   
6. method  being used to carry out the activity shown in the photograph.
   

  (c) Outline the advantages of using the method described in (b) (i) above.

  (d)  Of what economic value is fishing to the people living in this area?

Activity five

Field study at the landing site

Students are provided with questionnaires with sample questions such as:-

1. What is the location of the landing site? ( in terms of the villages, parish, sub-county). Draw a sketch map of the area.
   
2.  Find out the historical background e.g. the owner of the land, people who started fishing in the area, further development which took place before the government took over.
   
3. Factors that have led to the establishment of the landing site.(physical and human)
   
4. Identify the different species of fish at the landing site.
   
5. What methods of fishing are being used in this area?
   
6. Find out other activities carried out at the landing site.
   
7. Of what influence is fishing to the surrounding area and the country?
   
8. Mention the problems facing the landing site.
   
9. Suggest solutions to the problems mentioned in (viii) above.
   
10. What are the future prospects of fishing in this area?

Activity six

Field work

1. Visit a nearby market and make use of the following field work techniques to collect geographical information:-
   
2. Observation
   
3. Recording
   
4. Interviewing
   
5. Sampling
   
6. Measurement (pacing)
   
7. Questionnaire
   
8. Sketching
   
9. Map orientation
   

Explain how the skill of map orientation benefited you when locating the area of study.

As a young geographer, what did you find out as the most important factors that affect the growth and development of the market?

Given a chance to own business in the studied market, how would you help in over coming problems which affect the development of markets?

Reporting field work information is very important to researchers, with the help of illustrations, show how reporting geographical information can be done