Migration CHAPTER 3

Migration from where to where  Geographers study from where people migrate and to where they migrate why  They also study why they migrate  Migration-  Migration- a permanent move to a new location  Type of relocation diffusion (spread of a characteristic through the bodily movement of people)

continued  Emigration-  Emigration- migration from a location  I mmigration-  I mmigration- migration to a location  Net migration-  Net migration- the difference between the number of immigrants and the number of emigrants  If the number of immigrants is higher, net migration is positive—known as net in-migration  If the number of emigrants is higher, net migration is negative– net out-migration

Why Do People Migrate?  E. G. Ravenstein wrote 11 “laws” of migration in 19 th century  Serves as basis for modern migration study  “laws” concerned three areas of study  A] Why migrants move B] The distance they typically move C] The characteristics of migrants

 Certain laws of social science have been proposed to describe human migration.  The following was a standard list after Ravenstein's proposals during the time frame of 1834 to The laws are as follows:  Most migrants only go a short distance at one time.  Long distance migrations are for those who come from large cities.  Most migration is from rural areas to urban areas.

 Most international migrants consist of young males between the ages of 20 and 45.  Most migrations proceed in step-by-step processes.  Each migration flow produces at least one counterflow.  Females remain more migratory than the males within their country.  Migration increases in volume as industries develop and transportation improves.  Major causes of migration are for economic reasons.

Reasons for Migrating  Push factor-  Push factor- induces people to move out of their current location  Pull factor-  Pull factor- induces people to move into a new location  Both factors usually play a role  3 major kinds of push and pull factors 1. Economic 2. Cultural 3. Environmental

Lee’s Push Pull Theory

Economic Push and Pull Factors  Most common reason for migrating  Move to places that seem to have opportunity and out of places that have very little  US and Canada historically have had many immigrants come for opportunity  Relative attractiveness of a region can shift with economic change

Cultural Push and Pull Factors  Forced international migration is a cultural push factor– examples are slavery and political instability  Ethnic segregation and wars cause people to migrate  Refugees  Refugees - people who have been forced to migrate from their homes and cannot return for fear of prosecution due to their race, religion, nationality, or political opinion

continued  Refugees have no home unless another country agrees to take them in  2 largest refugee groups are Palestinians and Afghans  Palestinians left Israel after it was created in 1948 or after it expanded in 1967  2 largest groups of internal refugees are the Sudanese (civil war) and the Columbians (drug lords and guerrillas)  Political conditions can also be a pull factor Lure of freedom

Environmental Push and Pull Factors  Pushed out of hazardous regions– pulled into attractive ones  Attractive areas would include: mountains, beach, and warm climates  Too little or too much water is a major push factor floodplains  Drought and floodplains  An area subject to flooding during a specific number of years

Intervening Obstacles  Defnition  Def i nition environmental or cultural factor that hinders migration  Historically, primarily environmental  Hard to travel across inhospitable environments  Ocean, mountains, desert  Modern transportation has made this much easier  Government and politics are obstacles today  Need passports to cross borders

Distance of Migration  Ravenstein said:  most migrants only move a short distance and remain within the same country  Long-distance migrants to other countries head major economic centers

 2 types of internal migration 1. Interregional migration- 1. Interregional migration- movement from one region of a country to another 2. Intraregional migration- 2. Intraregional migration- movement within one region  Historically, interregional migration has been mostly rural to urban (but now environmentally attractive rural areas are becoming popular)  Intraregional is usually within urban areas – city to suburbs

Internal Migration  Definition  Definition.- permanent movement within the same country  Adheres to the idea of distance decay  The farther away a place is located, the less likely people will migrate there  Explains why there are more internal migrants than international migrants  Easier because there is less culture shock

International Migration  Definition  Definition.- permanent movement from one country to another  2 types 1. Voluntary migration- 1. Voluntary migration- migrant has chosen to move for economic improvement 2. Forced migration- 2. Forced migration- migrant has been compelled to move by cultural factors

Zelinsky’s Migration Transition  Definition  Definition.- change in the migration pattern in a society that results from industrialization, pop. growth, and other social and economic changes that also produce the demographic transition  International migration is primarily a function of stage 2 (people leave to go to stage 3 or 4 countries)  Internal migration is more important in stages 3 and 4 (cities to suburbs)

Characteristics of Migrants  Historically, males were more likely than females to migrant internationally  Because men worked more than women and left to find job opportunities  Since the 1990s, female migrants are on the rise (about ½ in the US)  Most long distance migrants are young adults seeking work –not children or elderly

 40% of US immigrants are between 25 and 39 (that demographic is only 23% of entire US population.)  Only 5% of immigrants are over 65  16% are under 15 – this number is on the rise

Global Migration Patterns  Asia, Latin America, and Africa have net-out migration  North America, Europe, and Oceania have net-in migration  3 biggest migration flows are form Asia to Europe, Asia to North America, Latin America to North America  Reflects the importance of migration from LDCs to MDCs  People want the prospect of better jobs and higher pay

 US has more than 35 million people born in other countries  More than half from Latin America  ¼ from Asia  12% of US population are immigrants  We have more immigrants than anybody  But, ¼ of Australian pop are immigrants  1/6 of Canadian

 ½ the population of the Middle East are immigrants  United Arab Emirates – 74%,  Kuwait- 68%  People from poorer areas of Middle East migrate to get jobs in Oil exporting industry

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