1. Characteristics of Human Populations
Population Geography
Characteristics of Human Populations

2. Human populations around the world differ by densities, distributions, ethnicities, languages, religions, and other factors. Imagine traveling to China and then to Northern Canada. How might the populations vary in these areas?

3. How do Geographers Compare Populations?
Birth and Death Rates
Age Distribution
Male/Female Distribution
Life Expectancy
Infant Mortality
Urban/Rural

4. Gross Domestic Product
Ethnicity
Language
Religion
Level of Education

5. Birth and Death Rates
Birth Rates -Number of live births per thousand each year
Death Rates-Number of deaths per thousand each year
Developing countries have high death rates and birth rates. Why?

6. Birth and Death Rates
Birth rates are higher in developing countries for the following reasons:
No birth control
Religious restrictions
Economic factors
The role of women in society

7. Birth and Death Rates
Death rates are higher in developing countries for the following reasons:
No access to medical care
Poor nutrition

8. Growth Rates Subtract Birth Rate – Death Rate= Growth Rate
The higher it is the more a countries population will increase
It can be negative-population will go down

10. Age Distribution
Age distribution refers to the number of young people compared to older people in a given population.

11. Age Distribution
Developed countries, such as the United States, Canada, and most of Europe have an aging population. This happens when people are having fewer children and living longer. This translates to a shortage of laborers.

14. Could lead to social unrest….
What can we determine about issues facing the following countries from the pyramids?
They will need more schools and jobs in the future. What if they don’t?
Could lead to social unrest….
Will the population increase or decrease?

15. What about this country?
Large population over 40
What resources will the country needs as population ages?
Will the population increase or decrease?

16. Interpret this Population Pyramid…

17. Male/Female Distribution
This is self explanatory. Some areas have an imbalanced male/female distribution. A good example is when settlers first came to Jamestown. For many years the colony had more males than females.

18. Life Expectancy
Life expectancy is how long a person will live. Life expectancy is longer in developed countries, mainly due to better medical care. Statistically, women live longer than men.

20. Infant Mortality
Infant mortality is the number of babies that die in the first year of life. This number is usually per every 1,000 people in a population.

21. Infant Mortality
Infant mortality is very high in developing countries. For instance, some African countries have an infant mortality rate that is over 10%.
Why?
No prenatal care, no vaccinations, lack of access to good food, clean water

23. Urban/Rural Ratio
The urban/rural ratio is the number of people who live in the countryside versus the city. Countries like Japan, Singapore, and Korea have many more people who live in large cities than the countryside.

24. Urban/Rural Ratio
Over the last 100 years people have been migrating to large cities in the United States. Our population is becoming more urban.

26. Gross Domestic Product
GDP is the total of all goods and services produced in a country in one year. Developing countries and poor populations have a low GDP.

28. Education
The level of education differs between populations. Developing countries normally have poor education systems or children do not have the opportunity to go to school.
Education can be measured by the Literacy Rate (%, no standard way to measure)

29. What issues might a country face with a low literacy rate?
Afghanistan 28%
Papua-New Guinea 60%
US/Canada 99%

31. Migration People moving from one location to another
Why do people migrate?
Push-pull factors
Push-leaving a country to escape something (war, drought, persecution)
Pull-leaving a country to find something better (economic opportunities, climate)

32. Economic Conditions –
Migrants will often risk their lives in hopes of economic opportunities that will enable them to send money home (remittances) to their family members who remain behind.

33. Economic Opportunities
In late 1800s and early 1900s, Chinese migrated throughout Southeast Asia to work in trade, commerce, and finance.

34. Refugees
A person who flees across an international boundary because of a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion.

35. The Sudan –
Fighting in the Darfur region of the Sudan has generated thousands of refugees. In eastern Chad, the Iridimi refugee camp is home to almost 15,000 refugees from the Darfur province, including the women in this photo.

36. Political Geography
State-Political term for independent unit that occupies a specific territory; “country”
Has a government and economy
A state-part of a federal unit

37. Nation-Group of people with a common culture living in a territory (May not be independent)
Nation-State-Nation and state that occupy the same territory
Stateless Nation- Kurds, Palestinians

38. Nation-Group of people with a common culture living in a territory (May not be independent)
Nation-State-Nation and state that occupy the same territory
Stateless Nation- Kurds, Palestinians

39. Types of Government
Democracy-Citizens hold political power (directly or through representative) ex. USA
Monarchy-Ruling family hold political power (may or may not share power with citizens) ex. United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia

40. Dictatorship- One person, or group hold complete political power (ex
Dictatorship- One person, or group hold complete political power (ex. North Korea, Turkmenistan)
Communism-Gov’t and Economic system. All political power and economic power held by one group
(ex. China, Vietnam, Cuba)

41. Types of Economic Systems
Traditional Economy-Barter; no $
Subsistence-
Command Economy-Production of goods and services determined by gov’t
Market Economy-P of G&S determined by demand from consumers
Mixed Economy-mix of command and market economy

42. Types of Resources
Renewable
Nonrenewable
Inexhaustible

43. Measuring Economic Development