Where in the world do people live and why? Key Issue #1 Where in the world do people live and why?

Population Cartogram

Two-thirds of world’s population is located in 4 regions: 1. East Asia – ¼ of world’s population (eastern China, islands of Japan, Korean peninsula and island of Taiwan) 2. South Asia – ¼ of world’s population (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka) 3. Southeast Asia – Indonesia 4. Western Europe – Germany, Belgium, capital cities London and Paris What similarities do they share in common? Low-lying areas, fertile soil, temperate climate – most live near oceans or rivers

Is there a connection between population and climate zones?

Sparsely Populated Regions Ecumene = portion of Earth’s surface occupied by permanent human settlement Why would these regions by sparsely populated? Dry Lands Wet Lands Cold Lands High Lands Lack sufficient water to grow crops Receive very high levels of precipitation Covered with ice – ground is permanently frozen Highest mountains are steep and snow covered

Demography= study of population Population density = measure of total population relative to land size; assumes an even distribution of population over land Arithmetic population density Physiologic population density - Total # of people divided by total land area Emphasizes general comparisons among countries (compares # of people trying to live on a given piece of land in different regions of the world) Answers the “where” of geography - Can be very misleading Relates total population of country/region to area of arable land it contains (# of people per unit area of agriculturally productive land) Helps geographers understand the capacity of land to yield enough food for the needs of the people) Answers the “why”

Agricultural Density Ratio of the number of farmers to the amount of arable land Accounts for economic differences Why would MDCs have lover agricultural densities?

Population Distribution Definition = descriptions of locations on earth’s surface where individuals or groups (depending on scale) live People are not distributed evenly across world or within a country One-third of world lives in China and India Often use dot maps

World Population Distribution & Density Historically people congregate where they can grow food in recent years – advances in technology and transportation have begun to change this pattern

Why is complete, up-to-date population data crucial in any city, state, or country?

Reliability of Population Data Complaints about 2000 US Census Much federal government funding depends on population data If population of disadvantaged group is undercounted, translates into loss of money for city governments that rely on federal funding to pay for social services

Reliability of Population Data Being undercounted also translates into less government representation Number of congressional seats allotted to each state is based on census count Some estimates claim that the 2000 census undercounted US population by over 3.3 million people

Reliability of Population Data Data on population growth rates, food availability, health conditions, and incomes are often informed estimates rather than actual counts UN, World Bank, Population Reference Bureau