The Study of Human Geography Chapter 3 Section 1

Where People Live In some areas the population density is very high while in other areas it is very low. Population Density- the average number of people in a square mile or a square kilometer What factors lead people to live where they live?

Possible Answers Land Deserts Mountains Bitter cold Extreme Heat Fertile Soil Plenty of water Good Climate to grow crops

People and Environments People adapt to their surroundings. But human activity has DRAMATICALLY altered the earth’s physical landscape. EXAMPLES: Cutting trees Grazing animals on wild land Plowing soils Damming rivers Population Density Can be measured two ways: -By a Regions Land Area Total # of people/ Total Square Miles -By Arable land (land that can be farmed) Total # of People/ Total Farmed Land Square Miles

Population Growth Patterns of Settlement: Comparing Growth Rates: The densest population of people is in four regions: East Asia, South Asia, Europe, and Eastern North America. Many people in these areas live in metropolitan areas- cities surrounded by suburbs. Urbanization- the growth of a cities population, happens everywhere Cities are growing twice as fast as rural areas- countryside towns Comparing Growth Rates: World population growth is uneven What effects population in a country? Different countries have a different balance b/w birthrates and death rates. Birthrate/Death Rate- The number of live births or deaths each year per 1000 people Immigrants- people who move into a country and emigrants- people who leave a country for another place *Birthrate/Immigration Rate= Death Rate/ Emigration Rate The Effects of Growth: What could be some effects of population growth? Famine, Disease, Depletion of Natural resources, Better Technology, Better Creativity

The Nature of Culture Population is also greatly effected by culture. As children grow up they become accustomed to skills, languages, eating customs, and cultural traits. Then they have children and pass everything on. Culture is both material and nonmaterial. Material Culture includes things that people make food, clothing, architecture, crafts, and technology Non-Material Culture includes religion, language, patterns of behavior, government systems, education systems, and attitudes toward men and women. Some place value on the good of the group while others place value on the good of the individual. Cultural Hearth- refers to a place where I important ideas begin and from which they spread to surrounding cultures. Give me some examples.

Cultural Landscapes Vary also from place to place. Rural south America is very different from rural China. Farming equipment is a lot smaller and less than here in America. Although many cultural landscapes are very similar in cities across the world.

Social Organizations Society often takes culture and divides us into many social organizations to help us work together to meet our basic needs. The smallest social organization is the family. Society ranks people and families according to status, based on what the culture deems important. I.E. Job, money, education, ancestry, etc.. In the past, a person was born into a social class and rarely could move up out of that social class. Today, people can move up or down in class by hard work or lack there of.

Women and Minorities In many cultures, social mobility is restricted and difficult. People who have trouble the most are women and minorities. Women in some cultures, are limited and kept out of the public eye. Minorities, such as Jews, Muslims, and Christians have all suffered in one way or another by majorities.

Cultural Convergence Modern transportation and communication increase the speed and frequency of cultural change. Cultural Convergence occurs when the skills, arts, ideas, habits, and institutions of one culture come in contact with those of another culture. Example: The Love of Mexican food in the US. Diffusion is the process of one culture element moving from one group or individual to another. Examples: When People move and when goods move

Cultural Divergence Cultural Divergence is the restriction of a culture from outside cultural influences. Some governments try to repress cultural contact and the spread of ideas to seek control. They control transportation, acess to newspapers, internet links, and radio and TV stations. Countries who have tried to control diffusion have had a very hard time.