POPULATION

1. Chapter 2: POPULATION

2. Basic Facts: • Over 7 Billion people—More than ever • World pop increased at a faster rate in the 2nd half of the 20th Century than any other time • Virtually all global pop growth is concentrated in LDCs (Less Developed Countries) • Typical family in MDCs contains fewer people than in the past • Demography – scientific study of population characteristics • Overpopulation – includes the relationship between the # of people and available resources

3. Where is the World’s Pop Distributed? • Basic Overview: • 2/3 of people located in four regions: 1. East Asia 2. South Asia 3. Southeast Asia 4. Europe • Similarities in four regions: 1. Most live near an ocean or river w/ ocean access * 2/3 of world live within 300 miles of ocean * 4/5 within 500 miles 2. Pop clusters occupy generally low-lying areas w/ fertile soil and temperate climate 3. With exception of Southeast Asia—all regions located in N Hemisphere (between 10° and 55° N)

4. Cartogram

5. East Asia: Eastern China, Japan, Korean peninsula, and Taiwan • Nearly ¼ of the World’s pop • 5/6 of region live in China—clustered near Pacific Ocean and fertile valleys extending inland (more than ½ in rural areas) • In Japan, South Korean, & North Korea—40% live in 3 large areas • Tokyo, Japan • Osaka, Japan • Seoul, South Korea * ¾ live in urban areas

6. East Asia

7. South Asia:India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka • Nearly ¼ of the World’s pop • India contains more than ¾ of region’s pop • Much of the pop located along the plains of the Indus and Ganges Rivers (see map) • Only ¼ of the regions pop are in urban areas

8. Southeast Asia:Includes island countries Indonesia, the Philippines, & Papa New Guinea • Island of Java (Indonesia) has over 100 million people • Indonesia consists of 13,677 islands—4th largest pop • High % work in rural areas • Three Asian regions make up more than ½ of World pop

9. Europe: 48 Countries (Including Euro portion of Russia) • World’s 3rd largest pop cluster—1/9 of world’s pop • ¾ of inhabitants live in urban areas • Highest pops near coalfields in England, Germany, and Belgium • Europeans import many food and resources (colonialization)

10. U.S./Canada Cluster:Northeastern U.S. and Southeastern Canada • Extends along Atlantic Coast from Boston to Newport News, Virginia  Westward along the Great Lakes to Chicago • 2% of world pop • Less than 2% farmers

11. West Africa Cluster:Along the south-facing Atlantic Coast • ½ of this pop in Nigeria (most pop in Africa) • 2% of world’s pop

12. Populated Regions • Ecumene – portion of the Earth’s surface occupied by permanent human settlement • Has increased over time (possibilism) • ¾ of world’s pop live on only 5% of land • Rest is of Earth’s surface is oceans (71%) and less intensely inhabited land

13. Dry Lands (20% of land area) • Deserts lack water supply necessary to support a large pop • Irrigation systems can support small pops • Other resources may be present (oil)

14. Wet Lands (Generally near the Equator) • Combo of rain and heat rapidly depletes nutrients from the soil • In seasonably wet lands, such as Southeast Asia, enough food can be grown for a large pop

15. Cold Lands (Mainly near North and South Poles) • Perpetually covered in ice—ground is permanently frozen (permafrost) • Some polar areas receive less precipitation than Central Asian Deserts • Very little life (human, animal, or plant)

16. High Lands • Highest mountains are steep, snow covered, and sparsely populated • Exceptions: Latin America and Africa

17. Population Density (* Chapter 1) • Arithmetic Density – total # of objects in an area • U.S. – 84/sq mile; Bangladesh – 2,919/sq mile; Australia/Canada – 3/sq mile • Answers “Where?”-number of people living on a given piece of land • Physiological Density - # of people supported by a unit area of arable land • U.S. – 452/sq mile; Egypt – 5,947/sq mile (95% live in Nile River Valley and Delta) • Higher the physiological density—greater the pressure that people place on the land to produce food • Agricultural Density – ratio of # of farmers to the amount of arable land • U.S. – 1.6 farmers/sq kilometer; Egypt – 251 farmers/sq kilometer • MDCs have lower Ag Densities—technology and finance allow a few people to farm extensive land areas • Allows geographers to explore relationship between pop and resources in a country

18. Key Issue 2: Where has the World’s Pop Increased??? • Natural Increase (NIR) - % by which a pop grows in a year • Computed by subtracting CDR from CBR—after 1st converting the measures from # per 1,000 to %s • Crude Birth rate (CBR) – total # of live births in a year for every 1,000 people alive in that society • Crude Death rate (CRD) – total # of deaths in a year for every 1,000 people alive in that society • World NIR in early 21st Century has been 1.2% • As the base grows, a 1% change can produce large swings in pop Ex. 1% of 1 billion (past) vs. 1% of 7 billion (present)

19. Doubling Time Doubling Time # of years needed to double a pop > World rate of 1.2% per year = 54 years IF this stays constant • More than 95% of natural increase is clustered in LDCs • NIR exceeds 2.0% in most countries of sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East—negative in Europe! • Most of the world’s additional people live in countries least able to maintain them

20. Fertility • Total Fertility Rate (TFR) – average # of children a woman will have in her child-bearing years (roughly 15-40) • Another way to measure # of births in a society • Attempts to predict future—assumes girls will have same # of children as current child-bearing women • TFR of the world is 2.6 (varies between LDCs and MDCs) • TFR exceeds 6.0 in many Sub-Saharan countries; less than 1.9 in many European countries

21. Mortality • Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) – annual # of deaths of infants under 1 year of age, compared with total # of live births • Expressed in per 1,000 • Highest rates in LDCs—lowest in MDCs • IMR approaches 100 in Sub-Saharan Africa (10% of babies in the region die before their 1st birthday) • Generally, reflects a country’s healthcare system

22. Mortality • Life Expectancy – average # of years a newborn infant can expect to live at current mortality levels • More favorable in MDCs than LDCs • Around 80 in W Europe—around 50 in Sub-Saharan Africa

23. Overview: MDC: LDC: Lower: average life expectancy Higher: rates of natural increase, crude birth, total fertility rates, and infant mortality • Lower: rates of natural increase, crude birth, total fertility, and infant mortality • Higher: average life expectancy How do we explain MDCs having a higher crude death rate overall? Denmark (MDC) having a higher CDR than Cape Verde (LDC)?