Over the past 50 years, developed countries experienced slowing urbanization while emerging and developing countries underwent rapid urbanization. Globally, more people now live in urban rather than rural areas, as shown by satellite images of the lit-up world at night. Urbanization increased in emerging and developing nations due to factors like industrialization, rural to urban migration, and economic development.

1. What were the trends in
urbanisation over the past 50 years
in the developed, emerging and
developing countries?

2. What does the world at night show?

3. Globally where do more people
live – rural or urban areas?

4. Globally where do more people
live – rural or urban areas?

5. Globally where do more people
live – rural or urban areas?

6. Developed, emerging and developing countries
• Developed country: a country with a very high
human development
• Emerging country: a country with high and medium
human develpment
• Developing country: a country with a low human
development
• Human Development Index: a measurement of life
expectancy, access to education and gross national
income per person.

7. Developed, emerging and developing countries

8. • Interactive guide here
• Watch what the different types of cites do at different times

9. What were the trends in urbanisation over the
past 50 years in different parts of the world?
• Urbanisation: the increase in the number of people
living in towns and cities compared to the number
of people living in the countryside.
• Watch this video to see how the world’s population
in urban areas has grown

10. Your turn
• Turn to p154 and
complete the
table based on
what is
happening in the
different
categories of
countries around
the world.

11. • Scan p120

13. • Rate of change
• Growth rate
• Industrialisation
• Suburbanisation
• Rural to urban migration
• Global shift
• Economic development
• Land tenure change