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Human Geogrpahy 2
Human Geography (Gt-Ss2) (GEO 106)
Colorado Mountain College
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Ch. 2 Population
Key Issue 1: Where is the world’s Population Distributed?
Demography- the scientific study of population characteristics. Overpopulation- the status of not just the total number of people on Earth, but also the relationship between the number of people and the availability of resources.
Nearly two-thirds of the world’s population live in 4 main regions:
-East Asia –One-fifth of world pop—Five-sixths live in China alone -South Asia—One-fifth of world pop—Three-fourths live in India -Southeast Asia—approx. one-twelfth of world pop -Europe—One-ninth of world pop
All of the above mentioned population clusters are located w/in 500 miles of ocean coasts
Ecumene- portion of Earth’s surface permanently occupied by humans. Approximately three-fourths of world population lives on less than 5% of Earth’s surface. Generally inhospitable lands are: -Dry Lands too dry for farming cover 20% of land surface. -Wet Lands too wet for habitation are generally near the equator. -Cold Lands too frigid to support civilization. -High Lands too steep, cold, snow-covered for habitation. Arithmetic density- total number of people divided by total land area. Physiological density- total number of people divided by total arable land area. Agricultural density- total number of farmers divided by total arable land area.
Key Issue 2: Where has the world’s population increased?
Crude birth rate- (CBR) total number of live births per every 1000 people per year. Crude death rate- (CDR) total number of deaths per every 1000 people per year. Natural increase rate- (NIR) % by which a population grows in a year (excluding migration). Doubling time- the number of years needed to double a population (assuming constant NIR) Total Fertility Rate- (TFR) the average number of births a woman will have in her lifetime. Infant Mortality Rate- (IMR) the annual number of deaths of infants under 1 year old compared to number of live births. Life expectancy- the average number of years a newborn can expect to live at current mortality levels. Agricultural revolution- domestication of animals. Industrial revolution- a conjunction of major improvements in technology that transformed the process of manufactured goods. Medical revolution- the diffusion of med tech from MDC’s to the LDC’s. Zero population growth- (ZPG) occurs when TFR = 2. (again excluding immigration)
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The NIR was 1 % during the first decade of the 21st century, hit its all-time high of 2. % in 1963, slowly fell throughout the latter part of the century, and has declined sharply during the past decade. Although the NIR is lower now than in the 1960’s, the number of people being added to the population is still larger because there is a larger base number to multiply the percentage with. Virtually 100% of the natural increase is located in LDC’s, primarily sub-Saharan Africa. The TFR has dropped dramatically in MDC’s, normally hovering around 2, and has exceeded 6 in some African countries. Just as the NIR, TFR, CBR, and CDR, the IMR is also highest in LDC’s, again primarily in Sub-Saharan Africa. Only life expectancy and doubling time are higher in MDC’s.
Key Issue 3: Why is population increasing at different rates in different countries?
Demographic Transition- a geographic model that divides a country’s development into 4 stages based on its population growth patterns. It has been attempted to have been drawn and explained below: Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3 Stage 4
Low growth High growth Decreasing growth Low growth
STAGE 1: Fluctuating high death and birth rates produce little growth STAGE 2: Death rate plummets as a country enters the ag and industrial revolutions, causing plentiful food supplies and enhanced hygiene are dispersed to the masses. Birth rate stays relatively constant, therefore the NIR skyrockets. STAGE 3: The death rate continues to fall, not as dramatically as in stage 2 though. The birth rate also falls as more families decide to have fewer children for economic and social reasons. As a result, the NIR begins to taper off and fall. STAGE 4: ZPG is obtained through both the improved standards of living as a result of development and also because of social customs. *STAGE 5: Some argue that a stage 5 may exist and that some W. European countries and perhaps the U. will or have already entered. It is effectively the same as stage 1, except the birth and death rates are extremely low, but NIR fluctuates around 0.
Natural Increase
Birth
Death
Human Geogrpahy 2
Course: Human Geography (Gt-Ss2) (GEO 106)
University: Colorado Mountain College
