Chapter 3 Population

Introduction Late 1700’s Thomas Malthus warns of the growing population in Great Britain. He issued warnings of massive famine and widespread suffering. Although it did not take hold in England, his predictions would follow suit in the growing world.

Focus of Chapter Where? Geographers 1 st study population problems by describing where people are found across Earth’s space. = population distribution 2 nd issue is the places where population is growing Why? 3 rd issue is why populations are growing at different rates in different places 4 th issue = overpopulation?

Demography Definition: Study of the characteristics of human populations Censuses Definition: straightforward count of the number of people in a country, region, or city. Not usually simple The #’s are important, they determine government funding Limitations Expensive, labor Undercounts Many protest that not all of the population is counted – homeless India- biometric census Most nations repeat every 10 years U.S. since quinquennial (5 years) Vital Records report: Births, deaths, marriages, divorces, and certain infectious diseases Collected at all levels Other organizations WHO, Immigration Bureau

Key Issue 1:Where is the world’s population distributed? Important because: More people are alive! World’s population is increasing at a faster rate Almost all the population growth is located in LDC’s POP CLOCKS If distributed evenly, the world’s population density would be 108 persons per square mile. Greenland=.1 per square mile Bangladesh= 2300 per square mile World Population – 7 billion!!! About 77 million per year since 1990 China and India = 38% of world pop

Population Distribution Degree of accessibility, topography, soil fertility, climate and weather, water availability and quality, and type and availability are some factors that shape population distribution. A country’s political and economic experiences and characteristics can shape the population as well. Ex. Brazil’s high pop concentration along the coast dates back to the Portuguese control in the 16 th and 17 th centuries. Another important factor is culture as expressed in religion, tradition, or historical experience Example: Mecca/ Medina Population clusters All world’s inhabitants live on 10% of land Most live near edge of landmasses, near water 90% live North of the equator Most of world’s pop lives in temperate, low- lying areas with fertile soils Asia most populated continent 2 nd = Africa 3 rd = Europe

Continent# in millionsTotal % Asia4,21660% Africa1,05115% Europe74011% L. America5968.5% + Caribbean N. America3465% Oceania37.05% Sub-Saharan Africa is fastest growing population in the World!

2011 Data

Population Concentrations 2/3rds of the world’s population clustered in four regions! East Asia South Asia SE Asia Europe All four regions have: - An ocean or river nearby - Low-lying areas - Fertile soil and average climate - In the Northern Hemisphere -Between 10 degrees and 55 degrees North

East Asia 1/4 th of world’s population Region includes: Border to Pacific Ocean Eastern China Japan Korean Pensinsula Taiwan 5/6 ths live in People’s Republic of China Clustered near Pacific Ocean Distribution Japan and South Korea 40% live in 3 larges Metro areas : Tokyo, Osaka, Seoul Only 3% land area

South Asia 1/4 th world’s population Region includes: India Contains 3/4 th of South Asia Pop. Pakistan Bangladesh Sri Lanka Largest concentration of people in 1,500 mile corridor from Lahore, Pakistan to the Bay of Bengal Indus/ Ganges River plains Also coastline Most are farmers, live in rural areas Region contains 18 urban areas Only 1/4 th urban population Two physical barriers: Himalayas Taklimakan Desert confine the growing population. There is more pressure on the land in this region due to high densities!

Southeast Asia 600 million people Mainly islands -including Java (4 th most populous) million people High Percentage of people live in rural areas along river valleys and deltas.

Europe 1/9 th the world’s population Four dozen countries Monaco to Russia 3/4 th live in cities or metro areas Less than 10 % farmers Dense network of roads/ rail lines Highest population near industry Coalfields

Other Population Clusters Western Hemisphere Northeastern U.S. + Southeastern Canada 2% of world’s population Mainly urban West Africa South-facing Atlantic coast ½ of population concentration in Nigeria Africa’s most pop. Nation Work in agriculture 5 urban areas

Sparsely Populated Regions Ecumene portion of the earth’s surface occupied by permanent settlement Areas once considered too harsh to live has diminished and ecumene increased 7,000 years ago population clustered in River Valleys 500 years ago North America outside of ecumene Ecumene today 3/4 ths world population lives on only 5% of earth’s surface Oceans 71%

Dry Lands 20% of earth’s surface too dry for farming Largest desert region: North Africa to Southwest and Central Asia Sahara, Arabian, Thar, Takla Makan, and Gobi Not enough water to sustain a population/ crops BUT: Adaption = camels Irrigation systems Natural resources oil

Wetlands Located primarily near equator Between 20 degrees North and South latitude Rainfall averages more than 50 inches per year Most receive 90 inches + Combination of heat and rain rapidly depletes soil of nutrients Seasonally rainfall = more agriculture

Cold and High Lands Cold Lands Near North and South poles Massive ice coverage Less precipitation but snow/ice piles up over time Unsuitable for crops/ humans/ animals High Lands High elevations Usually steep, snow-covered Example: Switzerland ½ of land above sea level Only 5% live there Exceptions: Latin America Mexico City Africa

Population Density Definition: A numerical measure of the relationship between the number of people and some other unit expressed as a ratio Several ways to determine Population Density Arithmetic (Crude) Physiological/ Agricultural Helps geographers describe distribution of people in comparison to available resources.

Arithmetic Density Definition Total # of objects in an area Total # of people divided by total land area Example: United States 310 million people / 3.7 million square miles = 84 people per square mile Example: Bangladesh = 1,127 ppsm used to compare conditions in different countries enables geographers to compare # of people trying to live on a given piece of land in different regions of the world One dimensional Tells us very little for about the variations in the relationship between people and land

Problems with Arithmetic Density Arithmetic Density does not always accurately portray population distribution. Example: Egypt had a population of 73.3 million in 2004, and an arithmetic density of 190 per square mile. However, 98% of the population lives on only 3% of the land making the density meaningless.

Physiological Density Definition: # of people per area of arable of land in a region Example: United States Physio density of 175 ppsm of arable land Example: Egypt Physio density of 2,296 ppsm the higher the physio density, the greater the pressure that people may place on the land to produce enough food insight to the relationship between size of population and availability of resources in a region

Agricultural Density Definition: ratio of farmers to the amount of arable land Measures economic differences MDC’s/ Core nations have LOW agricultural density because of technology. Putting Agricultural and Physiological densities together allows you to look at the relationship between population and resources Example: Netherlands vs. Bangladesh Both have high physiological densities Dutch have low agricultural density What does this mean? both put pressure on land but Dutch utlizes less famers

Population Composition Another way to explore population patterns of distribution Looks at subgroups: # of males/ females # senior citizens/ children # active in workforce/ not active Addresses challenges Baby booms Aging population Women of childbearing age Understanding population composition not only tells us about future demographics of regions but also is useful for the present Geodemographic analysis Definition: assessing the location and composition of particular populations