Where Are the World’s People Distributed? Chapter 2 Key Issue 1 Where Are the World’s People Distributed?

Big Question Where are most of the world’s population clustered and what tools and ideas do geographers use to measure and understand this distribution?

Key Terms Overpopulation Census Ecumene Density Arithmetic Density Physiological Density Agricultural Density

Introducing Population and Health Geographers study population problems by first understanding where people are distributed across the planet and different rates of growth in different locations. The study of population geography is important for 3 reasons: More people are alive than ever in history Most of all global population growth is concentrated in developing countries Population increased at a faster rate in the late 1900s than ever before but has slowed some in the 2000s

Introducing Population and Health The relationship between the population and Earth’s resources is a critical topic and concerns of overpopulation are a real issue This occurs when the number of people exceeds the capacity of the planet to support life at a decent standard of living Some claim this is already happening globally and locally it is happening in some areas but not others

Introducing Population and Health To understand the threat of overpopulation, geographers must know how many people are in an area This is done by a census (done every 10 years in the U.S.)

Introducing Population and Health Although the census is vital for governments, it is inaccurate and controversial in some ways Nonparticipation – some people such as homeless and immigrants may not participate for fear of punishment Sampling – using small samples of people and multiplying the data to account for those that don’t participate

Distribution of the World’s People Humans are not distributed uniformly across Earth To understand this, we must look at concentration and distribution, and where population is clustered and where it is sparse To show the inconsistency of the population, geographers divided the planet into 7 regions, each containing around 1 billion people These types of maps help geographers understand where the most resources are needed to sustain life

Population Concentration 4 out of the 7 regions are relatively small and very densely populated The regions are all relatively low-lying areas with fertile soil and temperate climates Most of the population in these regions lie near the ocean, sea, or a river that has access to the ocean These four regions are similar but have differences in patterns of occupancy of the land

Population Concentration East Asia ¼ of world’s pop. Eastern China, Taiwan, Japan, and Korea Most live in fertile valleys for farming Japan and South Korea are highly urbanized

Population Concentration South Asia ¼ of world’s population India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka Most live in a strip of land between Lahore, Pakistan, through India and Bangladesh to the Bay of Bengal Most of the pop. are farmers clustered near the Ganges or Indus Rivers

Population Concentration Europe 51 countries, mostly living in cities (78%) Less than 5% are farmers Highest concentration is near rivers, coal fields, and major historic capitals of London, Paris, Rome, and Berlin

Population Concentration Southeast Asia About 10% of world’s pop., mostly on islands in the Indian and Pacific (Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines) Also includes southeastern tip of Asia, known as Indochina (southern China, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand) High concentration of farmers

Population Concentration Other Clusters Humans avoid some physical environments Some are too dry, too wet, too cold, or too mountainous to settle in Dry Lands – too dry for farming. Some live there by raising animals (camels). Dry lands contain valuable natural resources such as petroleum and salt Wet Lands – Mostly tropical near equator. Combination of rain and heat depletes nutrients from soil, making farming impossible

Population Concentration Cold Lands – Near North and South poles. Usually covered with ice or permafrost (permanently frozen ground). No farming, few animals, very few humans High Lands – most mountain areas are too steep, covered in snow, and are sparsely populated. Some farming is possible at high altitude on mountain plateaus or in valleys

Population Concentration This has diminished over time as more people have been competing for Earth’s resources The portion of Earth’s surface occupied by permanent human settlement is known as ecumene

Population Density Density – the frequency with which people occur in a space The measures of density help geographers describe the distribution of people in comparison to available resources. There are three basic measures of density: arithmetic, physiological, and agricultural Arithmetic Density – Total number of people in area divided by total land area. Describes “where” people live but does not explain why people are not uniformly distributed across the Earth’s surface (ex. India or Netherlands)

Population Density Physiological Density – The number of people supported by an area of arable (farmable) land. This helps geographers understand the capacity of the land to yield enough food for the needs of the people (ex. Egypt or Iceland) Agricultural Density – Ratio of the number of farmers to the amount of arable land. Helps account for economic and technological differences. Developed countries have lower agricultural density (ex. Netherlands vs. Egypt)

Big Question & Key Terms Where are most of the world’s population clustered and what tools and ideas do geographers use to measure and understand this distribution? Overpopulation Census Ecumene Density Arithmetic Density Physiological Density Agricultural Density