Chapter Two Population 1

Populations Of the world: Of the US: Of Washington: Of Seattle: 7,441,752,857 Of the US: 323,188,686 Of Washington: 7,288,000 Of Seattle: 704,352 (metro 3.7 mil) Of Auburn: 77,472

Where is the World’s Population Distributed? Key Issue 1: Where is the World’s Population Distributed? MORE DEVELOPED COUNTRIES versus LESS DEVELOPED COUNTRIES * OVERPOPULATION 1. More people are alive at this time than any other time in history 2. World’s population increasing at faster rate 3. Virtually all global population growth concentrated in LDC’s 3

Population – Key Terms Geodemography (population geography) – division of human geography concerned with spatial variations in distribution, composition, growth, and movements of population Demography – study of human populations Overpopulation – notion that there resources of a particular area are not great enough to support the population Carrying Capacity – ability of the land to sustain a certain number of people Ecumene – habitable land – area where humans can live Rate – simply record the frequency of occurrence of an event during a given time frame for a designated population Cohort – measures refer data to a population group unified by a specified common characteristic Population Explosion – crisis where population growth takes place in an area ill-prepared to handle growing numbers of people Demographic Momentum – continued increase as a result of a large segment of the population being young 4 4

World Population Cartogram Title: Population cartogram. Caption: Countries are displayed by size of population rather than land area. Countries named on the cartogram have at least 50 million inhabitants. Fig. 2-1: This cartogram displays countries by the size of their population rather than their land area. (Only countries with 50 million or more people are named.) 5

World Population Distribution Almost 90% of all people live in northern hemisphere 10% in southern hemisphere More than half of all people live on 5% of the land, and almost 90% of all people live on 20% of land Urban areas increasingly growing, leaving rural areas and clustering in cities and towns Most people live near sea level Higher the altitude, the fewer the inhabitants Most arable land at low altitudes (close to rivers/oceans) About 2/3 of world population concentrated within 300 miles of an ocean People living inland tend to settle in river valleys 1. North of the equator 2. 3. Temperature, length of growing season, slope and erosion problems, and oxygen reductions limit habitability of higher elevations 4. Figure is likely to double by 2025 – currently twice the world’s average population density 6

World Population Distribution and Density East Asia - 1/4 of world population here South Asia Europe - population is concentrated in cities Southeast Asia - 4th most populated region in the world - Indonesia most populated country in the region East Asia Countries are mainly China, South and North Korea, Japan, and Taiwan Population over 1.5 billion people – favorable climate for food growth and transportation routes Dominated by subsistence agricultural and rural economies China Over 50 cities with more than 1 million people Population concentrated near Pacific Coast and fertile river valleys (Huang and Yangtze) 2/3 of population still lives in rural areas (Japan and Korea has ¾ in urban areas) Much of western part sparsely inhabited – desert and mountains South Asia Countries include India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh Population growth still outpacing policies to reduce growth Much of population along the Indus and Ganges River valleys Physical barriers (Himalaya Mountains in the north and desert west of Indus River Valley) confine region Southeast Asia Countries include Vietnam, Indonesia, and Thailand Largest being Indonesia Mostly rural Western and Central Europe Mostly urbanized Dense population follows the coal-fields, reflecting the historical importance of industrialization to population growth Northeastern United States and Canada Areas along Atlantic Ocean from Massachusetts to Washington D.C. and Toronto, Ottawa, and Montreal in Canada Megalopolis – huge urban agglomerations Similarities Among Four Regions * Most people located near ocean or river with easy access to ocean *Low-lying areas with fertile soil and temperate climate ** 2/3 of world’s population is clustered into these 4 regions! ** Almost 1/2 of world’s population in East Asia and South Asia!! 7 7

World Population Distribution and Density Make observations about areas of high density and low density

You Don’t Say!!

Ecumene The ecumene, or the portion of the earth with permanent human settlement, has expanded to cover most of the world’s land area. * People tend not to live in areas too wet, too cold, too dry, or too high Figure: 02-03 Title: Ecumene. Caption: The portion of Earth occupied by permanent human settlement–the ecumene–has expanded from the Middle East and East Asia to encompass most of the world's land area. 10

World Population Distribution & Climate Zones Sparsely Populated Regions - Too dry - Too wet - Too cold - Too high Too Dry Desert regions (Largest is from North Africa to Southwest and Central Asia) Generally lack sufficient water to grow crops that could feed large population Areas too dry for farming cover approximately 20% of Earth’s land surface Too Wet Too much precipitation – located near equator between 20˚ north and south latitude Interiors of South America, Central Africa, and Southeast Asia Combination of rain and heat deplete nutrients from the soil Too Cold Land near the North and South poles Covered with ice or ground permanently frozen (permafrost) – receive less precipitation Too High High elevations – steep, snow covered, and sparsely settled Some exceptions – Mexico City, Mexico Fig. 2-2: World population is unevenly distributed across the earth’s surface. Climate is one factor that affects population density. 11 11

Climate Zones (simplified) Title: Population distribution. Caption: Bottom: Compare to the distribution of global climates, modified from a map developed by Vladimir Köppen. Figure 1-14 is more detailed version of this map. Relate the sparsely populated regions to the various climate zones 12

World Population Density Title: Population distribution. Caption: Top: People are not distributed uniformly across Earth's surface. ** Exception to sparsely populated regions occurs in South America!! 13

How has population density changed over time? - Relationship between number of inhabitants and the area they occupy Photo is from Jakarta, Indonesia How has population density changed over time? 14

Three Primary Ways To Measure Population Density Arithmetic Density (crude density) Total number of people divided by total land area Total number of objects in an area Compare conditions in different countries – info easy to obtain Enables geographers to compare the number of people trying to live on a given piece of land in different regions of the world Physiological Density Total number of people supported by a unit area of arable land Higher the physiological density, the greater the pressure that people may place on the land to produce enough food Comparing physiological and arithmetic densities helps geographers understand the capacity of the land to yield enough food for the needs of the people Agricultural Density Ratio of the number of farmers to the amount of arable land This density measure helps account for economic differences MDCs have lower agricultural densities because of technology and finance Arithmetic Density Highest population densities found in Asia, Europe, and Central America – lowest in North and South America and Australia Examples – U.S. has arithmetic density of 31 persons per square kilometer, Bangladesh has 1,050 per square kilometer, India 350, Canada 3, and Australia 3 Physiological Density More meaningful to study because looking at land suitable for agriculture Provides insights into the relationship between the size of a population and the availability of resources in a region Examples – U.S. has physiological density of 172 persons per square kilometer, Egypt 2,580 – crops grown on hectare of land in Egypt must feed far more people than in U.S. Agricultural Density MDCs allow for fewer people to farm extensive land areas and feed many people – which frees up most of the MDC population to work in secondary and tertiary occupations Geographers examine a country’s physiological and agricultural densities together Example – Netherlands and Bangladesh have similar physiological densities, but Netherlands has much lower agricultural density – both put heavy pressure on the land, but Dutch use more efficient agricultural practices Example – Netherlands has much higher physiological density than India, but a much lower agricultural density – Dutch have extremely limited arable land to meet the needs of their population 15 15

Arithmetic Population Density Title: Arithmetic density. Caption: Arithmetic, or population, density is the total number of people divided by the total land area. The highest population densities are found in Asia, Europe, and Central America, whereas the lowest are in North and South America and Australia. Fig. 2-5: Geographers rely on the arithmetic density to compare conditions in different countries because the two pieces of information–total population and total land area–are easy to obtain. The highest arithmetic densities are found in Asia, Europe, and Central America. The lowest are in North and South America and South Pacific. 16

Physiological Density Title: Physiological density. Caption: Physiological density is the number of people per unit area of arable land, which is land suitable for agriculture. Physiological density is a better measure than arithmetic density of the relationship between population and the availability of resources in a society. Fig. 2-6: Physiological density provides insights into the relationship between the size of a population and the availability of resources in a region. The relatively large physiological densities of Egypt and the Netherlands demonstrates that crops grown on a hectare of land in these two countries must feed far more people than in the United States or Canada, which have much lower physiological densities. The highest physiological densities are found in Asia, sub-Saharan Africa, and South America. The lowest are in North America, Europe, and South Pacific. 17

Agricultural Density Fig. 2-7: The highest agricultural densities are found in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. The lowest are in North America, Europe, and South Pacific.

Explain how population distribution and density impact the environment and natural resources (e.g. carrying capacity)

Physiological Population Density Luxor, Egypt Egypt’s arable lands are along the Nile River Valley. Moving away from the river a few blocks, the land becomes sandy and wind-sculpted. 20

Agricultural Density Ratio of the # of farmers to the amount of arable land Which picture represents a HIGH agricultural density? 21

Measures of Population Density Caption: Measures of Density in Selected Countries, Expressed as Population per Square Kilometer. Identify some distinguishing characteristics between the different types of densities 22

Population Distribution Make connections using the concept of Distribution * Discuss how population distribution and density influence political, economic, and social processes * Discuss how population distribution and density affect the need for infrastructure (e.g. housing) and urban services (e.g. sanitation) 23