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Global Population Patterns and Trends: A Geographer's Insight

Explore the distribution, growth, and challenges of world populations, including key demographic data and factors influencing population concentrations across continents.

alexandra-mcfadden
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Global Population Patterns and Trends: A Geographer's Insight

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  1. Chapter 3 Population

  2. Introduction • Late 1700’s Thomas Malthus warns of the growing population in Great Britain. • He issued warnings of massive famine and widespread suffering. • Although it did not take hold in England, his predictions would follow suit in the growing world.

  3. Focus of Chapter • Where? • Geographers 1st study population problems by describing where people are found across Earth’s space. • = population distribution • 2nd issue is the places where population is growing • Why? • 3rd issue is why populations are growing at different rates in different places • 4th issue = overpopulation?

  4. Demography • Definition: • Study of the characteristics of human populations • Census • Definition: straightforward count of the number of people in a country, region, or city. • Not usually simple • The #’s are important, they determine government funding • Limitations • Expensive, labor • Undercounts • Many protest that not all of the population is counted – homeless • India- biometric census • Most nations repeat every 10 years • U.S. since 1790 • 1985- quinquennial (5 years) • Vital Records • report: • Births, deaths, marriages, divorces, and certain infectious diseases • Collected at all levels • Other organizations • WHO, Immigration Bureau

  5. Key Issue 1:Where is the world’s population distributed? • Important because: • More people are alive! • World’s population is increasing at a faster rate • Almost all the population growth is located in LDC’s • POP CLOCKS • If distributed evenly, the world’s population density would be 108 persons per square mile. • Greenland= .1 per square mile • Bangladesh= 2300 per square mile • World Population – • 7 billion!!! • About 77 million per year since 1990 • China and India = 38% of world pop

  6. Population Distribution • Degree of accessibility, topography, soil fertility, climate and weather, water availability and quality, and type and availability are some factors that shape population distribution. • A country’s political and economic experiences and characteristics can shape the population as well. • Ex. Brazil’s high pop concentration along the coast dates back to the Portuguese control in the 16th and 17th centuries. • Another important factor is culture as expressed in religion, tradition, or historical experience • Example: Mecca/ Medina • Population clusters • All world’s inhabitants live on 10% of land • Most live near edge of landmasses, near water • 90% live North of the equator • Most of world’s pop lives in temperate, low-lying areas with fertile soils • Asia most populated continent • 2nd = Africa • 3rd= Europe

  7. Population Density

  8. Continent # in millions Total % • Asia 4,216 60% • Africa 1,051 15% • Europe 740 11% • L. America 596 8.5% + Caribbean • N. America 346 5% • Oceania 37 .05% Sub-Saharan Africa is fastest growing population in the World!

  9. 2011 Data

  10. Population Concentrations • 2/3rds of the world’s population clustered in four regions! • East Asia • South Asia • SE Asia • Europe • All four regions have: • An ocean or river nearby • Low-lying areas • Fertile soil and average climate • In the Northern Hemisphere • Between 10 degrees and 55 degrees North

  11. East Asia • 1/4th of world’s population • Region includes: • Border to Pacific Ocean • Eastern China • Japan • Korean Pensinsula • Taiwan • 5/6ths live in People’s Republic of China • Clustered near Pacific Ocean and fertile valleys • Distribution • Japan and South Korea • 40% live in 3 larges Metro areas : • Tokyo, Osaka, Seoul • Only 3% land area

  12. South Asia • Most are farmers, live in rural areas • Region contains 18 urban areas • Only 1/4th urban population • Two physical barriers: • Himalayas • Taklimakan Desert confine the growing population. • There is more pressure on the land in this region due to high densities! • 1/4th world’s population • Region includes: • India • Contains 3/4th of South Asia Pop. • Pakistan • Bangladesh • Sri Lanka • Largest concentration of people in 1,500 mile corridor from Lahore, Pakistan to the Bay of Bengal • Indus/ Ganges River plains • Also coastline

  13. Southeast Asia • 600 million people • Mainly islands -including Java - 100 million people • High Percentage of people live in rural areas along river valleys and deltas.

  14. Europe • 1/9th the world’s population • Four dozen countries • Monaco to Russia • 3/4th live in cities or metro areas • Less than 10 % farmers • Dense network of roads/ rail lines • Highest population near industry • Coalfields

  15. Other Population Clusters • Western Hemisphere • Northeastern U.S. + Southeastern Canada • 2% of world’s population • Mainly urban • West Africa • South-facing Atlantic coast • ½ of population concentration in Nigeria • Africa’s most pop. Nation • Work in agriculture • 5 urban areas with 2 million + • 11 urban areas with 1 million +

  16. Sparsely Populated Regions • Ecumene • portion of the earth’s surface occupied by permanent settlement • Areas once considered too harsh to live has diminished and ecumene increased • 7,000 years ago population clustered in River Valleys • 500 years ago North America outside of ecumene • Ecumene today • 3/4ths world population lives on only 5% of earth’s surface • Oceans 71%

  17. Dry Lands • 20% of earth’s surface too dry for farming • Largest desert region: • North Africa to Southwest and Central Asia • Sahara, Arabian, Thar, Takla Makan, and Gobi • Not enough water to sustain a population/ crops BUT: • Adaption = camels • Irrigation systems • Natural resources • oil

  18. Wetlands • Located primarily near equator • Between 20 degrees North and South latitude • Rainfall averages more than 50 inches per year • Most receive 90 inches + • Combination of heat and rain rapidly depletes soil of nutrients • Seasonally rainfall = more agriculture

  19. Cold and High Lands • Cold Lands • Near North and South poles • Massive ice coverage • Less precipitation but snow/ice piles up over time • Unsuitable for crops/ humans/ animals • High Lands • High elevations • Usually steep, snow-covered • Example: Switzerland • ½ of land above sea level • Only 5% live there • Exceptions: • Latin America • Mexico City • Africa

  20. Population Density • Definition: • A numerical measure of the relationship between the number of people and some other unit expressed as a ratio • Several ways to determine Population Density • Arithmetic (Crude) • Physiological/ Agricultural • Helps geographers describe distribution of people in comparison to available resources.

  21. Arithmetic Density • Definition • Total # of objects in an area • Total # of people divided by total land area • Example: United States • 310 million people / 3.7 million square miles = • 84 people per square mile • Example: Bangladesh = 1,127 ppsm • used to compare conditions in different countries • enables geographers to compare # of people trying to live on a given piece of land in different regions of the world • One dimensional • Tells us very little for about the variations in the relationship between people and land

  22. Problems with Arithmetic Density • Arithmetic Density does not always accurately portray population distribution. • Example: Egypt had a population of 73.3 million in 2004, and an arithmetic density of 190 per square mile. However, 98% of the population lives on only 3% of the land making the density meaningless.

  23. Physiological Density • Definition: • # of people per area of arable of land in a region • Example: United States • Physio density of 175 ppsm of arable land • Example: Egypt • Physio density of 2,296 ppsm • the higher the physio density, the greater the pressure that people may place on the land to produce enough food • insight to the relationship between size of population and availability of resources in a region

  24. Agricultural Density • Definition: • ratio of farmers to the amount of arable land • Measures economic differences • MDC’s/ Core nations have LOW agricultural density because of technology. • Putting Agricultural and Physiological densities together allows you to look at the relationship between population and resources • Example: Netherlands vs. Bangladesh • Both have high physiological densities • Dutch have low agricultural density • What does this mean? • both put pressure on land but Dutch utlizes less famers

  25. Population Composition • Another way to explore population patterns of distribution • Looks at subgroups: • # of males/ females • # senior citizens/ children • # active in workforce/ not active • Addresses challenges • Baby booms • Aging population • Women of childbearing age • Understanding population composition not only tells us about future demographics of regions but also is useful for the present • Geodemographic analysis • Definition: assessing the location and composition of particular populations

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