Geography case studies

192 named places and examples used in GCSE-ready geography lessons, grouped by topic. Each links to the lesson that teaches it. Your teacher will tell you which case studies your course uses.

All GCSE International GCSE KS3

Cities

BedZED, London, UK GCSE and International GCSE · A UK city case study: London
An eco-village in south London (2002) designed to use less energy and water.
BedZED, Sutton, London, UK KS3 · Changing UK cities: regeneration and sustainability
A sustainable development completed in 2002 with thick insulation, solar panels and a car club to cut energy use.
Bluewater, Kent, UK GCSE · UK cities: census, inequality and retail change
An out-of-town shopping centre (opened 1999), showing retail moving from the CBD to the edge of cities.
Curitiba, Brazil International GCSE · Geo 2026: Sustainable energy and Curitiba
Sustainable energy use in a city: bus rapid transit from 1974, about 52 m² of green space per resident, parks for flood control and recycling schemes such as the Green Exchange.
Dharavi, Mumbai, India GCSE and International GCSE · A city in an emerging country: Mumbai
One of the largest squatter settlements in Asia, near the city centre and full of small businesses such as recycling, pottery and leather work.
Dharavi, Mumbai, India KS3 · A region in Asia: Mumbai, India
One of Asia's largest informal settlements, home to hundreds of thousands of people, with thriving recycling, pottery and leather businesses.
Kibera (Nairobi) and Dharavi (Mumbai) KS3 · Kenya and Mumbai: similarities, differences and links
A similarity between the places: both have fast-growing cities with large informal settlements and busy informal economies.
London Docklands, UK GCSE and International GCSE · A UK city case study: London
Derelict docks regenerated by the London Docklands Development Corporation (1981 to 1998) into Canary Wharf, bringing jobs but also rising house prices.
London Docklands, UK KS3 · Changing UK cities: regeneration and sustainability
Regeneration: after the docks closed the area was rebuilt from the 1980s, including Canary Wharf, a major financial district.
London, UK GCSE and International GCSE · A UK city case study: London
A global city of about 8.8 million (2021 census) changed by deindustrialisation, regeneration, inequality and schemes such as the Congestion Charge and ULEZ.
London, UK GCSE and International GCSE · Making cities sustainable
An example of congestion charging: drivers pay to enter the busy centre, introduced in 2003, which reduces traffic.
Meadowhall, Sheffield, UK GCSE · UK cities: census, inequality and retail change
An out-of-town shopping centre (opened 1990), showing retail moving from the CBD to the edge of cities.
Mumbai, India GCSE and International GCSE · A city in an emerging country: Mumbai
A megacity and India's financial capital that grows through rural-urban migration, natural increase and investment, with huge inequality.
Mumbai, India GCSE and International GCSE · Rapid urban growth: challenges and solutions
Examples of solutions to rapid growth: top-down schemes such as the Mumbai Metro (2014) and plans to redevelop Dharavi, and bottom-up NGO work such as SPARC's community toilet blocks.
Mumbai, India KS3 · A region in Asia: Mumbai, India
India's financial capital and a megacity on the Arabian Sea that grew as a port, a finance and film centre and through rural-urban migration.
Nairobi, Kenya KS3 · A region in Africa: Kenya
A fast-growing capital and technology hub where M-Pesa launched in 2007, with large informal settlements such as Kibera.
Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, Stratford, London, UK KS3 · Changing UK cities: regeneration and sustainability
Land cleaned up and rebuilt for the 2012 Olympic Games, then turned into homes, parks, sports venues and a university and cultural quarter.
Stratford, London, UK GCSE and International GCSE · A UK city case study: London
An area regenerated for the 2012 Olympic Games with the Olympic Park, new homes and Westfield Stratford City.
Trafford Centre, Manchester, UK GCSE · UK cities: census, inequality and retail change
An out-of-town shopping centre (opened 1998), showing retail moving from the CBD to the edge of cities.

Coasts

Durdle Door, Dorset, UK International GCSE · Geo 2026: Coasts introduction, waves and key words
A limestone arch on the Jurassic Coast in Dorset, given as an example of a famous coastline.
Durdle Door, Dorset, UK KS3 · Coastal processes and landforms
An example of an arch formed as erosion widens a crack in a headland into a cave and then an arch.
Easington gas terminal, Holderness, UK GCSE and International GCSE · Coasts: human activity, recession and flood risk
An example of coastal industry that needs protecting, so defences are built.
Holderness coast, East Yorkshire, UK GCSE and International GCSE · Coasts: human activity, recession and flood risk
Coastal recession: it retreats about 2 metres a year on average because of its soft boulder clay cliffs, destroying homes and land.
Holderness coast, East Yorkshire, UK GCSE and International GCSE · Coasts: people, defences and Holderness
One of the fastest-eroding coastlines in Europe, with soft boulder clay cliffs that slump easily under powerful North Sea waves.
Holderness coast, East Yorkshire, UK KS3 · Managing coasts: Holderness and beyond
Soft boulder clay cliffs make it one of the fastest-eroding coastlines in Europe, and villages have been lost to the sea.
Indian Ocean tsunami, 2004 International GCSE · Coasts and people: conflict and flooding
An example of a tsunami, a giant wave caused by an undersea earthquake, as a cause of coastal flooding.
Lulworth Cove, Dorset, UK GCSE and International GCSE · Coasts: weathering, mass movement and geology
A concordant coast where the sea broke through hard limestone and scooped out the softer rock behind.
Mappleton, Holderness, UK GCSE and International GCSE · Coasts: people, defences and Holderness
Rock armour and two rock groynes built in 1991 protected the village, but erosion increased to the south.
Mappleton, Holderness, UK KS3 · Managing coasts: Holderness and beyond
Rock groynes and rock armour built in 1991 protected the village, but beaches further south were starved of sand and eroded faster.
North Sea storm surge, 1953 (eastern England and the Netherlands) GCSE and International GCSE · Coasts: human activity, recession and flood risk
A storm surge that killed 307 people in eastern England and over 1,800 in the Netherlands.
Old Harry Rocks, Dorset, UK International GCSE · Geo 2026: Erosional coastal landforms
A chalk stack at the end of the chalk headland near Swanage.
Old Harry Rocks, Dorset, UK KS3 · Coastal processes and landforms
Old Harry is a chalk stack and Old Harry's Wife is a stump, showing the end of the headland erosion sequence.
Spurn Head, East Yorkshire, UK GCSE and International GCSE · Coasts: people, defences and Holderness
A spit built by sediment carried south by longshore drift.
Spurn Head, East Yorkshire, UK KS3 · Coastal processes and landforms
An example of a spit, formed where the coast changes direction and sand is deposited.
Swanage Bay and Old Harry Rocks, Dorset, UK GCSE and International GCSE · Coasts: weathering, mass movement and geology
A discordant coast where soft rock has eroded into a bay and hard chalk is left as a headland.
Swanage coast, Dorset, UK International GCSE · Geo 2026: Erosional coastal landforms
Differential erosion on a discordant coast: soft clays and sands form Studland Bay and Swanage Bay, while hard chalk and limestone form Ballard Point and Durlston Head.
Étretat, Normandy, France International GCSE · Geo 2026: Coasts introduction, waves and key words
Famous chalk cliffs with arches and a tall stack, given as an example of a famous coastline.

Development

Bengaluru and Hyderabad, India GCSE · India: development case study (1)
Centres of the IT and call-centre services India is famous for.
Bihar, India GCSE · India: development case study (1)
A poorer, more rural peripheral region with fewer jobs, so many people migrate to the core.
Delhi, India GCSE · India: development case study (2)
An example of a negative impact of rapid development: severe air pollution and smog.
India GCSE · India: development case study (1)
An emerging country, the world's most populous since 2023, with uneven development and growing manufacturing and services since the 1991 reforms.
India GCSE · India: development case study (2)
Rapid development has raised incomes and grown the middle class, but widened inequality and caused severe pollution, shaped by trade, aid, investment, geopolitics and technology.
Kashmir GCSE · India: development case study (2)
A long-running dispute between India and Pakistan, used as an example of geopolitics affecting India's development.
Maharashtra, Delhi and Karnataka, India GCSE · India: development case study (1)
Richer core regions with more industry and services that attract investment and migrants, so they grow faster.
UK (regional inequality) GCSE and International GCSE · Uneven development: patterns and consequences
London and the south east are generally wealthier than many parts of the north, Wales and Northern Ireland, as coal, steel and shipbuilding declined.

Economic activity

China (industrialisation) International GCSE · Geo 2026: Why employment structures change
Manufacturing grew rapidly from the 1980s, creating hundreds of millions of jobs but also pollution and inequality between coastal cities and rural areas.
China (manufacturing growth) International GCSE · Economic change, impacts and population theories
Rapid manufacturing growth from the 1980s created hundreds of millions of jobs but also severe pollution and inequality.
Dharavi, Mumbai, India International GCSE · Geo 2026: The informal economy and Mumbai
One of the world's largest slums (about 2.1 km², 700,000 to 1 million people) with street vendors, waste pickers and leather, pottery and textile workshops.
Dubai, UAE International GCSE · Geo 2026: Job sectors and the Clark-Fisher model
An example of a tertiary economy built on tourism, trade and finance.
Dubai, UAE International GCSE · Geo 2026: Why employment structures change
An example of globalisation reducing primary jobs, as goods are imported instead of produced locally.
Dubai, UAE KS3 · The Middle East up close: the United Arab Emirates
Diversified beyond oil into trade (Jebel Ali Port), aviation (Emirates) and tourism and property (Burj Khalifa, Palm Jumeirah).
London and the south east, UK GCSE · UK challenges: people, resources and the economy
The UK's two-speed economy: London and the south east have grown faster than many other regions.
Mumbai and Dharavi, India International GCSE · Geo 2026: Writing strong exam answers
Used to model a developed exam point: rural migrants without formal qualifications end up as street vendors or waste pickers in places such as Dharavi.
Mumbai, India International GCSE · Geo 2026: The informal economy and Mumbai
India's largest city has a huge informal economy, with an estimated up to 68% of people working in the informal sector.
Nigeria International GCSE · Geo 2026: Job sectors and the Clark-Fisher model
Foreign investment such as Shell helps build the secondary sector in LICs and emerging economies.
Nissan, Sunderland, UK International GCSE · Geo 2026: Economic activity key words
An example of the multiplier effect: parts suppliers located close to the car factory, creating jobs well beyond the factory gates.
Nissan, Sunderland, UK International GCSE · Geo 2026: Location of economic activity and Nissan, Sunderland
A Japanese car factory opened in 1986 on a flat former airfield, chosen for skilled workers, ports, the A1 and A19 and government support, creating about 6,000 jobs and a multiplier effect.
Nissan, Sunderland, UK International GCSE · Geo 2026: Why employment structures change
An example of government policy shaping employment: the UK government supported Nissan in Sunderland.
Nissan, Sunderland, UK International GCSE · Geo 2026: Writing strong exam answers
Used to model a developed exam point: Nissan chose Sunderland because shipyards and coal mines had closed, leaving a ready, experienced workforce.
North of England and the Midlands (Northern Powerhouse) GCSE · UK challenges: people, resources and the economy
An option for closing the gap: investment in transport and skills through the Northern Powerhouse plan, launched in 2014.
Shenzhen, China International GCSE · Economic sectors and their location
An example of government policy changing employment: a Special Economic Zone from 1980 that attracted foreign factories.
UK (deindustrialisation) International GCSE · Geo 2026: Why employment structures change
Manufacturing and mining declined from the 1960s, bringing unemployment and a negative multiplier in former coalfields, but growth in services, finance and research.
UK (deindustrialisation) KS3 · Economic activity: primary to quaternary
Huge coal, steel, shipbuilding and textile industries closed in the late 1900s, and most UK jobs are now in services.
UK (employment change) International GCSE · Geo 2026: Job sectors and the Clark-Fisher model
Followed the Clark-Fisher path from farming to factories and coal, and now most people work in services.
UK (industrial decline) International GCSE · Economic change, impacts and population theories
Coal mining, steelmaking and shipbuilding declined from the 1960s, causing unemployment, derelict land and a negative multiplier, while services grew.
United Arab Emirates KS3 · The Middle East up close: the United Arab Emirates
A federation of seven emirates (formed 1971) that changed from pearling and fishing towns to an oil economy after oil was found off Abu Dhabi in 1958.

Ecosystems

Amazon rainforest, Brazil GCSE and International GCSE · Tropical rainforests: threats and management
Deforestation driven mainly by cattle ranching, plus soya, logging, mining, roads and dams, managed through Brazil's Forest Code, monitoring, ecotourism and certification.
Amazon rainforest, South America KS3 · People and environments: the Amazon rainforest
The largest tropical rainforest (about 60% in Brazil), being cleared mainly for cattle ranching, with effects on species, climate, soils and Indigenous peoples.
Antarctica KS3 · Hot deserts and polar regions
An ice-covered continent and the largest desert, where minus 89.2 degrees C was recorded in 1983, kept for peace and science by the Antarctic Treaty (1959).
Arctic KS3 · Hot deserts and polar regions
A frozen ocean surrounded by land, home to Indigenous peoples such as the Inuit and to polar bears.
Burkina Faso International GCSE · Responding to desertification and climate change
Stone lines along contours slow runoff so water soaks in: a cheap, low-tech response to desertification.
Dartmoor, UK GCSE · UK ecosystems: land and sea
An example of moorland: open upland with heather, grasses and peat bogs.
Dorset heaths, UK GCSE · UK ecosystems: land and sea
An example of heath: lowland with sandy, acidic soils, heather and gorse.
Great Barrier Reef, Australia International GCSE · Coastal ecosystems
The world's largest coral reef system, off Queensland, used as a named coastal ecosystem threatened by coral bleaching and pollution.
Great Barrier Reef, Australia KS3 · Oceans: the blue planet
The world's largest coral reef system, off Queensland, Australia.
Kenya International GCSE · Responding to desertification and climate change
Sand dams in seasonal rivers store water in the sand: a low-tech water technology for dry areas.
Madagascar GCSE and International GCSE · Global ecosystems and the biosphere
The rosy periwinkle from Madagascar is used to make medicines that treat leukaemia, showing the biosphere provides medicines.
New Forest, Hampshire, UK GCSE · Deciduous woodlands: threats and the New Forest
A named woodland, a National Park since 2005, managed by balancing commoners' grazing, timber, conservation and visitors.
Norfolk Broads, UK GCSE · UK ecosystems: land and sea
An example of a wetland, home to many birds.
Sahara KS3 · Hot deserts and polar regions
The largest hot desert, one of the examples of hot deserts found near the Tropics.
Sahel, Africa International GCSE · Fragile environments under threat
A well-known example of desertification, on the semi-arid edge south of the Sahara.
Sahel, Africa International GCSE · Responding to desertification and climate change
The African Union's Great Green Wall (launched 2007) plants trees across the Sahel in response to desertification.
Sahel, Africa KS3 · Hot deserts and polar regions
An example of desertification on the edge of a desert through drought, overgrazing and removing trees.

Energy

Chambamontera, Peru International GCSE · Geo 2026: Saving energy: people, governments, the UAE, Qatar and Nepal
A run-of-the-river micro-hydro scheme in a remote Andes village, built with Practical Action for about US$51,000, replacing kerosene lamps and cutting wood burning.
Chernobyl (1986) International GCSE · Geo 2026: Energy sources and a balanced energy mix
An example of a rare but devastating nuclear power accident.
China International GCSE · Geo 2026: Global energy use and fuelwood
Has the largest total energy use because of about 1.4 billion people, rapid urbanisation and being the largest manufacturing nation, though use per person is lower than the USA's.
China (energy management) GCSE and International GCSE · Energy: demand, impacts and sustainable management
An emerging country that uses the most energy and still burns a lot of coal, but has the most wind and solar capacity and built the Three Gorges Dam.
China (energy management) International GCSE · Geo 2026: Sustainable energy and Curitiba
The emerging-country energy case study: the world's largest energy user, mostly coal, but also the largest investor in solar and wind.
Ethiopia International GCSE · Geo 2026: Global energy use and fuelwood
Most of its energy comes from biomass (around 90% by one estimate), showing reliance on fuelwood.
Fukushima, Japan (2011) International GCSE · Geo 2026: Energy sources and a balanced energy mix
An example of a rare but devastating nuclear power accident.
Iceland International GCSE · Geo 2026: Energy sources and a balanced energy mix
An example of a place where geothermal energy works, since it is only possible in certain places.
India International GCSE · Geo 2026: Energy demand, supply and security
An example of an energy gap: rising demand for energy that supply struggles to keep up with.
Nepal International GCSE · Geo 2026: Global energy use and fuelwood
Low energy use per person, with many rural families relying on nearby forests for fuelwood.
Nepal International GCSE · Geo 2026: Saving energy: people, governments, the UAE, Qatar and Nepal
Micro hydropower on steep rivers brings electricity to remote villages beyond the national grid, though many customers switch when the grid arrives.
Niger International GCSE · Geo 2026: Energy demand, supply and security
Has mined uranium for decades, mostly through foreign firms such as Orano, and exports it rather than using it for its own power.
North Sea offshore wind farms, UK KS3 · Energy: powering the UK
Some of the world's largest offshore wind farms, built at sea where winds are stronger and steadier and fewer people object.
Norway GCSE and International GCSE · Energy: sources and the energy mix
Shows how the energy mix depends on resources: Norway uses its mountains and rain for HEP.
Olkaria, Great Rift Valley, Kenya KS3 · A region in Africa: Kenya
Heat in the volcanic Rift Valley is used for geothermal electricity at Olkaria, a large source of Kenya's electricity.
Qatar International GCSE · Geo 2026: Global energy use and fuelwood
High energy use per person but not high in total.
Qatar International GCSE · Geo 2026: Saving energy: people, governments, the UAE, Qatar and Nepal
A rich, gas-based economy diversifying with the Al Kharsaah solar plant (800 MWp, opened October 2022), which can supply about 10% of peak electricity demand.
Ratcliffe-on-Soar, Nottinghamshire, UK KS3 · Energy: powering the UK
The UK's last coal power station, which closed in September 2024.
Three Gorges Dam, China KS3 · Asia: China and India
On the Yangtze, the world's largest hydroelectric power station.
UAE International GCSE · Geo 2026: Global energy use and fuelwood
A hot, rich country that uses a lot of energy for air conditioning.
UAE International GCSE · Geo 2026: Saving energy: people, governments, the UAE, Qatar and Nepal
Government action to save energy: large solar power projects, green building rules, efficient air conditioning, metro systems and long-term strategies to cut emissions.
UK (North Sea oil and gas) International GCSE · The energy gap and energy security
Shows how the energy gap grows when domestic supplies run down, as with North Sea oil and gas.
UK (energy management) GCSE and International GCSE · Energy: demand, impacts and sustainable management
Sustainable energy management in a developed country: the Climate Change Act (2008), net zero by 2050, large offshore wind farms and coal power phased out.
UK (energy management) International GCSE · Geo 2026: Sustainable energy and Curitiba
The developed-country energy case study: Climate Change Act 2008, net zero by 2050, offshore wind and coal power phased out.
UK (energy mix) GCSE and International GCSE · Energy: sources and the energy mix
Coal power has been phased out (the last coal power station closed in 2024), so electricity now comes mostly from gas, wind, nuclear, biomass and solar.
UK (energy mix) International GCSE · Geo 2026: Energy sources and a balanced energy mix
An example of a balanced energy mix: offshore wind has grown and coal power has been phased out, while gas and nuclear are still used.
UK (energy mix) KS3 · Energy: powering the UK
The UK's electricity has shifted from coal to renewables, which made 52.1% in 2025, led by wind.
UK (fuelwood) International GCSE · Geo 2026: Global energy use and fuelwood
Only a tiny share of energy comes from wood (under 2% by one estimate), in contrast to developing countries.
UK (wind power) KS3 · Using natural resources: water, food and energy
The UK has greatly increased electricity from wind power, including large offshore wind farms.

Hazards

Andes, South America International GCSE · Hazardous environments: where and why
A destructive margin where the oceanic Nazca plate subducts beneath the South American plate, causing explosive volcanoes and strong earthquakes.
Andes, South America KS3 · Plate boundaries, earthquakes and volcanoes
An example of a destructive boundary where oceanic crust sinks under continental crust, causing explosive volcanoes and strong earthquakes.
California, USA (drought 2012 to 2016) GCSE · Drought: causes, impacts and responses
A drought in a developed country: rivers and reservoirs fell, wildfires increased and in 2015 the state ordered a 25% cut in water use.
Ethiopia (drought 2015 to 2016) GCSE · Drought: causes, impacts and responses
A drought in a developing country linked to a strong El Nino, when more than 10 million people needed food aid.
Eyjafjallajokull, Iceland (2010) KS3 · Plate boundaries, earthquakes and volcanoes
Ash from this volcano stopped many flights across Europe for days in 2010.
Hawaii, USA International GCSE · Hazardous environments: where and why
An example of a hotspot, where a plume of magma rises in the middle of a plate.
Himalayas International GCSE · Hazardous environments: where and why
A collision margin where two continental plates push together forming fold mountains, with earthquakes.
Himalayas KS3 · Plate boundaries, earthquakes and volcanoes
An example of a collision boundary where two continental plates fold up into mountains.
Hurricane Katrina, USA (2005) GCSE and International GCSE · Tropical cyclones: impacts and responses
A cyclone in a developed country: the storm surge broke the levees, about 80% of New Orleans flooded and more than 1,800 people died, with a slow government response.
Hurricane Katrina, USA (2005) KS3 · Tropical storms
Flooded much of New Orleans when flood defences (levees) failed.
Iceland and Kenya KS3 · Living with tectonic hazards
Examples of using underground heat for geothermal electricity, one reason people live near tectonic hazards.
Japan International GCSE · Managing earthquakes
Shows earthquake preparation: an early warning system using seismometers and yearly drills on Disaster Prevention Day (1 September).
Japan KS3 · Living with tectonic hazards
Shows preparation for earthquakes: many people practise drills, including on Disaster Prevention Day (1 September).
Japan KS3 · Plate boundaries, earthquakes and volcanoes
Lies on destructive plate boundaries, so earthquakes and volcanoes are common; an undersea earthquake caused a tsunami in 2011.
Japan earthquake and tsunami, March 2011 International GCSE · Managing earthquakes
A magnitude 9.0 earthquake and tsunami that showed even well-prepared countries can be overwhelmed.
Mauna Loa, Hawaii, USA International GCSE · Earth's structure, volcanoes and earthquakes
An example of a shield volcano with runny basalt lava and gentle eruptions, at a hotspot.
Mid-Atlantic Ridge and Iceland International GCSE · Hazardous environments: where and why
A constructive margin where plates move apart and magma rises, giving gentler eruptions.
Mid-Atlantic Ridge and Iceland KS3 · Plate boundaries, earthquakes and volcanoes
An example of a constructive boundary where plates move apart and magma rises, with gentle volcanoes.
Mount St Helens, USA International GCSE · Earth's structure, volcanoes and earthquakes
An example of an explosive composite volcano at a destructive margin, which erupted violently in 1980.
Nepal earthquake, 25 April 2015 KS3 · Living with tectonic hazards
A magnitude 7.8 earthquake where the Indian plate pushes into the Eurasian plate, killing about 9,000 people, with landslides and an avalanche on Everest as secondary effects.
Nepal earthquake, April 2015 International GCSE · Hazards: vulnerability and impacts
A magnitude 7.8 earthquake that killed nearly 9,000 people, collapsed buildings in Kathmandu and triggered landslides and an avalanche at Everest base camp.
Pacific Ring of Fire International GCSE · Hazardous environments: where and why
Shows that earthquakes and volcanoes occur mostly along plate boundaries, especially around the Pacific.
Pacific Ring of Fire KS3 · Plate boundaries, earthquakes and volcanoes
A ring of volcanoes and earthquake zones around the Pacific Ocean.
Sahel, Africa GCSE · Drought: causes, impacts and responses
A place on the edge of a desert that gets little rain when the equatorial rain belt moves less far than usual.
San Andreas Fault, California, USA International GCSE · Hazardous environments: where and why
A conservative margin where plates slide past each other, causing earthquakes but no volcanoes.
San Andreas Fault, California, USA KS3 · Plate boundaries, earthquakes and volcanoes
An example of a conservative boundary: plates slide past each other, causing earthquakes but no volcanoes.
Soufriere Hills, Montserrat International GCSE · Hazards: vulnerability and impacts
A volcano erupting from 1995: pyroclastic flows killed 19 people in 1997, Plymouth was buried and more than half of the population left.
Typhoon Haiyan, Philippines (2013) GCSE and International GCSE · Tropical cyclones: impacts and responses
A cyclone in an emerging country: a huge storm surge flooded Tacloban, more than 6,000 people died and international aid arrived.
Typhoon Haiyan, Philippines (2013) KS3 · Tropical storms
More than 6,000 people died, many from the storm surge.

Population

Australia International GCSE · Migration: causes, impacts and management
Managing migration: a points-based system for skilled migrants based on age, skills, qualifications and English, plus family and humanitarian programmes.

Resources

Beckton desalination plant, London, UK GCSE and International GCSE · Water: technology, attitudes and sustainable management
Shows desalination: reliable but energy-hungry and expensive.
Kielder Water, Northumberland, UK GCSE and International GCSE · Water: technology, attitudes and sustainable management
A reservoir opened in 1982 that can transfer water to rivers in north-east England.
Middle East and North Africa GCSE and International GCSE · Water: supply, demand and problems
An example of a water deficit, where demand is greater than supply.
South-North Water Transfer Project, China GCSE and International GCSE · Water: technology, attitudes and sustainable management
Moves water from the wetter south to the drier north, including Beijing, increasing supply but displacing people at great cost.
South-east England, UK GCSE and International GCSE · Water: supply, demand and problems
Under water stress: lower rainfall than the north and west, a large and growing population, and summer demand peaks.
UK (resource distribution) GCSE · Natural resources: types, use and distribution
Shows uneven resource distribution: fertile farmland in the south and east (such as East Anglia), North Sea oil and gas, historic coalfields and rainfall in the north and west.
UK (water management) GCSE and International GCSE · Water: technology, attitudes and sustainable management
Sustainable water management in a developed country: water meters, leak repairs, hosepipe bans and Kielder Water.

Rivers

High Force, River Tees, UK GCSE and International GCSE · Rivers: processes and the long profile
A waterfall formed where hard dolerite (part of the Whin Sill) lies on top of softer rocks.
High Force, River Tees, UK KS3 · River processes, landforms and flooding
An example of a waterfall, formed where soft rock below hard rock erodes faster, making an overhang that collapses.
Jubilee River, Thames, UK KS3 · Managing river floods
A flood relief channel opened in 2002 that carries floodwater from the Thames around Maidenhead, Windsor and Eton.
Pickering, North Yorkshire, UK KS3 · Managing river floods
Natural flood management: leaky dams made of logs in small streams in the 'Slowing the Flow' project.
River Tees, UK GCSE and International GCSE · Rivers: processes and the long profile
A named river from Cross Fell in the Pennines to the North Sea at Teesside, with large meanders, a wide floodplain and an estuary in its lower course.
Thames Barrier, London, UK GCSE · UK challenges: landscapes and climate change
In operation since 1982, it protects London from tidal surges.

Other

Africa KS3 · Africa: countries, regions and cities
A continent of 54 countries whose environments change from rainforest at the Equator to savanna, the Sahel and hot deserts such as the Sahara.
Antarctica KS3 · Climate change from the Ice Age to today
Ice cores from Antarctica contain bubbles of ancient air, showing past temperatures and carbon dioxide levels.
Castle Rock and the Royal Mile, Edinburgh, UK GCSE · Glaciated uplands: processes and landforms
An example of a crag and tail: a hard rock crag that protected a gentle tail of softer material behind it.
China KS3 · Asia: China and India
Most people live in the lower, wetter, fertile east, while the west is high and dry (Tibetan Plateau and Gobi Desert).
Costa Rica International GCSE · Global tourism: impacts and sustainability
An example of ecotourism: it has protected large areas as national parks and reserves.
Dartmoor, UK GCSE · The UK's physical landscapes
Forms high ground because it is made of granite, a hard igneous rock very resistant to erosion.
Dartmoor, UK KS3 · Rocks and the rock cycle
An example of granite, an igneous rock with large crystals from magma that cooled slowly underground.
Galapagos Islands International GCSE · Global tourism: impacts and sustainability
Sustainable tourism: visitors pay an entry fee and must visit protected areas with licensed guides.
Giant's Causeway, Northern Ireland, UK KS3 · Rocks and the rock cycle
An example of basalt, an igneous rock with small crystals from lava that cooled quickly at the surface.
Greenland and Africa KS3 · Thematic maps and map projections
On a Mercator map Greenland looks about as big as Africa, yet Africa is about 14 times larger, showing how projections distort area.
Helvellyn, Lake District, UK GCSE · Glaciated uplands: people and the Lake District
Shows glacial landforms: corries, a tarn (Red Tarn) and the arete of Striding Edge.
Helvellyn, Lake District, UK KS3 · Glaciers and glacial landscapes
Striding Edge is an arete and Red Tarn sits in a corrie, showing glacial erosion landforms.
India KS3 · Asia: China and India
Capital New Delhi, with the Ganges and the Thar Desert; it overtook China as the world's most populous country in 2023.
Kenya KS3 · A region in Africa: Kenya
A regional study of an East African country on the Equator, with the Great Rift Valley, tea and cut flower exports, safari tourism and droughts in the north.
Kenya KS3 · Kenya and Mumbai: similarities, differences and links
Compared with Mumbai: a whole country with large rural areas, an economy depending on farming (tea, flowers) and tourism, and two rainy seasons.
Lake District and London, UK KS3 · Weather, climate and the UK
The Lake District is much wetter than London because moist south-westerly air is forced over its mountains (relief rainfall), while London lies in the drier east.
Lake District, UK GCSE · Glaciated uplands: people and the Lake District
A glaciated upland with U-shaped valleys and ribbon lakes such as Windermere, a National Park since 1951, where honeypots such as Keswick suffer traffic and footpath erosion.
Maldives and Bangladesh International GCSE · Impacts of desertification, deforestation and climate change
Low-lying islands and deltas threatened by rising sea levels from climate change.
Mariana Trench, Pacific Ocean KS3 · Oceans: the blue planet
Its Challenger Deep is the deepest known point in the ocean, nearly 11,000 m deep.
Matterhorn, Alps KS3 · Glaciers and glacial landscapes
An example of a pyramidal peak, where three or more corries meet.
Middle East KS3 · Russia and the Middle East
Mostly hot desert holding around half of the world's proven oil reserves, where scarce water leads many Gulf states to use desalination.
Mumbai, India KS3 · Kenya and Mumbai: similarities, differences and links
Compared with Kenya: a single megacity with a mainly service economy (finance, film, trade) and one main monsoon season.
Nant Ffrancon, Snowdonia, UK KS3 · Glaciers and glacial landscapes
An example of a U-shaped valley (glacial trough).
Peak District, UK GCSE · UK challenges: landscapes and climate change
The UK's first National Park (1951), one of 15 that balance conservation with development.
River Thames, London, UK GCSE · Climate change effects and the UK's climate
During the Little Ice Age the Thames sometimes froze and frost fairs were held on the ice, the last in 1814.
River Thames, London, UK KS3 · Climate change from the Ice Age to today
During the Little Ice Age the Thames sometimes froze and frost fairs were held on it.
Russia KS3 · Russia and the Middle East
The world's largest country, where most people live in the milder west while Siberia has tundra and permafrost; a major oil and gas exporter.
Sahara desert GCSE · Global atmospheric circulation
Very dry because it lies close to 30° north, where sinking air creates high pressure and little rain.
South America and Africa KS3 · Geological time and plate tectonics
Evidence for continental drift: their coastlines fit like a jigsaw and the same fossils and rock types are found on both.
Thames Barrier, London, UK KS3 · Responding to climate change: mitigation and adaptation
An example of adaptation to climate change: a flood defence that protects London from tidal surges.
Thirlmere, Lake District, UK GCSE · Glaciated uplands: people and the Lake District
A U-shaped valley dammed to supply water to Manchester, flooding villages and farmland.
UK (Climate Change Act) KS3 · Responding to climate change: mitigation and adaptation
Mitigation targets: the Climate Change Act (2008) set legally binding targets, changed in 2019 to net zero by 2050.
Uganda Railway, Mombasa, Kenya KS3 · Kenya and Mumbai: similarities, differences and links
A historical link: between 1896 and 1901 workers from British India built the railway from Mombasa, and many stayed.
United Kingdom KS3 · The UK: countries, cities and landscapes
Four countries with about 69.5 million people (ONS, mid-2025), upland in the north and west on hard old rock and lowland in the south and east on softer rock.
Venice, Italy International GCSE · Global tourism: impacts and sustainability
A developed-country example: it has started charging day visitors on busy days to reduce overcrowding.
White Cliffs of Dover, UK KS3 · Rocks and the rock cycle
An example of chalk, a sedimentary rock.
Windermere, Lake District, UK KS3 · Glaciers and glacial landscapes
An example of a ribbon lake in a U-shaped valley.