Population Geography I The Where and Why of Population Density Distribution Demographics (Characteristics) Dynamics
Cultural Hearths of Civilization
5000 BC
Year 1
1500
1900
World Population
World Population Cartogram
Population by continents
Density of World Population
Blackout of 2003
Select Population Densities (people/mi 2 ) Lower 48 states 94.7 NJ 1134 Lincoln Co., NV 0.4 Manhattan 66,834 Wisconsin 98.8 Eau Claire Co. 146 Florence Co Milwaukee Co. 3885
Population Densities (people/mi 2 ) Canada 8 Russia 22 United States 80 Holland 1002 Bangladesh 2261 Egypt 173 people/mi 2 3% of area inhabited Nile River 6000 people/mi 2
High density in Bangladesh
Distribution: Why do we live where we live?
Population Distribution in North America
Trans-Siberian railroads in eastern Russia Omsk
Demography: Population characteristics Ascribed characteristics Achieved characteristics
Characteristics Ascribed –Gender –Race –Age Achieved –Education –Income –Occupation –Employment –Etc.
Census: Count of population and its characteristics
Dynamics Rate of Natural Increase (RNI) Births - Deaths = RNI
National population Births - Deaths + Immigration (in) -Emigration (out) = Population growth
Population increase and decrease
World Birth Rate (births per 1,000 population)
Doubling Time Number of years it will take for population to double, at current rate United States: 117 years Nicaragua: 21 years
World Death Rate (deaths per 1,000 population)
Epidemics (AIDS)
Infant mortality rate (deaths of infants <1 year old) Lack of maternal health care or child nutrition
Philadelphia Infant Mortality Red area high than at least 28 “Third World” countries, including: Jamaica Cuba Costa Rica Malaysia Panama Sri Lanka South Korea Taiwan Uruguay Argentina Chile
Life Expectancy at Birth
AGE DYNAMICS
Dependents are under 15 & over 65 How many are supported by group Problems? Dependency Ratio
Low birth and death rates in Core Low population growth (except immigration) Steadily older population “Graying of the Core”
Comparison of U.S. eras
Baby Bust ( ) Baby Boom ( )
Baby Boom impacts yet to come Strain on Social Security Growing health care costs Challenge to youth identity (Gen. X)
Population Pyramid tracks age-sex groups (cohorts)
U.S. (slow growth)
Tanzania, Africa (rapid growth)
Denmark (zero growth)
Germany (effect of wars)
Japan (effect of war)
China (One-child policy)
Canada,
Russia,
Arabian Peninsula, 1980s Labor sending : Labor receiving
Sun City (Arizona) retirement community
Eau Claire County 5.7%6.3%
Grafton Co., N.H. (1970) Two years before Dartmouth went co-ed
Different neighborhoods of Tucson
Demographic Transition Move from high birth and death rates to low birth and death rates Took centuries of development for Core to make transition More difficult for Periphery to make transition without its own capital, skills, education
Demographic Transition
Stages of Demographic Transition 1. Pre-Industrial Equilibrium (high birth/death rates) 2. Early Industrialization (better sanitation) 3. Developed industrialization (better health care) 4. Post-Industrial Equilibrium (low birth/death rates) 1234
Demographic Transition in Denmark Core (low birth/death rates)
Demographic Transition in Chile Semi-periphery
Demographic Transition in Cape Verde, Africa Periphery (high birth/death rates)
POPULATION GROWTH
Population growth in Periphery: Cause or symptom of poverty and environmental degradation?
Fertility Rate (# children per woman of childbearing age)
Not confirmed in reality Malthus Theory of “Overpopulation”
Ehrlich Theory of “Population Bomb” Population growth would deplete resources –Can be true on local/national level Treats population as cause
Core responsibility for Periphery growth Core consumes far more resources Demands cheap, unskilled young labor Population growth is a symptom of poverty
Why parents in Periphery have kids Better chance for one kid to survive Bring in the crops and income Help parents in old age Women often lack power to not have kids
Women’s empowerment: Contraception Rates
Policies to lower birth rate Voluntary –Availability of birth control –Incentives for small families Forced –One-child policy (China) –Coercive “population control” Social –Empowerment of women –Better health care and education –End to child labor –Social security