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Sub-Saharan Africa: Population Patterns. Rapid Population Growth. Sub-Saharan Africa is home to both the highest birthrate and death rate in the world. It also has the highest infant mortality rate, and shortest life expectancy.
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Rapid Population Growth • Sub-Saharan Africa is home to both the highest birthrate and death rate in the world. • It also has the highest infant mortality rate, and shortest life expectancy. • Much of this can be contributed to the proliferation of AIDS in the region, and poor nutrition / malnourishment. • In 2012 it was estimated that around 910 Million people lived in Sub-Saharan Africa. • Your book written in 2005 has the population at 673 million. • Comparing these numbers demonstrates the vast growth in the region. • The current growth rate in the region is 2.3% • It is estimated that by 2050 nearly 1.5 billion people will live in the region
AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) • In 2005, nearly 70% of the estimated 36 million people in the world carrying HIV, lived in sub-Saharan Africa. • During this time, a child born in Zimbabwe was more likely to die of AIDS than any other cause. • Overall life expectancy in the area dropped from 65 years to 39 years because of the disease. • At the end of 2000 about 17 million Africans had already dies of AIDS-related diseases. • However, with continued push to educate people of the region about the causes and effects of AIDS has reduced the spread of the disease in the area. • In 2005 an estimate 5.4% of the population had the disease, in 2012 it was down to 4.6%.
Population Density and Distribution • Despite it large overall population, Sub-Saharan Africa has relatively few people for its land mass. • However, the distribution of population is very uneven throughout the region. • Rwanda – 718 people per square mile • Namibia – 6 people per square mile • This difference in population density is due to the harshness of land / survivability in many of the regions areas. • Most people tend to settle around places with easy access to water, fertile soil, and mild climates • The most dense population centers are the coastal belt of West Africa along the Gulf of Guinea, and along the eastern coast of southern Africa (Page 488).
A Diverse Population • Sub-Saharan Africa is home to some 3,000 ethnic groups. • Africa as a whole contains more ethnic group than any other continent. • Urbanization – movement of people form rural areas to cities • From 1950 to 2005 the urban population in the region grew from 35 million to 270 million people. • This growth has continued: • 2005 – 33.9% of total population live in urban areas • 2012 – 36.8% of total population live in urban areas