Human Geography 4ePlaces and Regions in Global ContextAuthors: Paul L. Knox & Sallie A. MarstonPowerPoint Author: Keith M. Bell

Chapter 3: Geographies of Population

Main Points• Population geographers depend on a wide array of data sources to

assess the geography of populations.• Population geographers are largely concerned with the same sorts of

questions that other population experts study, but they also investigate “the why of where.”

• Two of the most important factors that make up population dynamics are birth and death.

• A third crucial force in population change is the movement of populations.

• U.N. Millennium Summit in 2000: How can the global economy provide the world’s growing population with enough food and safe drinking water, and a sustainable environment, so that all the world’s people have the basic necessities for enjoying happy, healthy, and satisfying lives?

Censuses and Vital RecordsAt the simple level, a census is a straightforward count of the number of people in a country, region, or city.

Vital records report births, deaths, marriages, divorces, and the incidence of certain infectious diseases.

Vital records on the web

Population Distribution

As this map shows, the world’s population is not uniformly distributed across the globe. (2004)

Population Distribution in Egypt

Egypt’s population distribution is closely linked to the proximity of water. In the north, the population clusters along the Mediterranean and in the interior, along the banks of the

Nile River. (2004)

Population Density and Composition

Crude density, also called arithmetic density, is the total number of people divided by the total land area.

Health-care Density

Another measure of population density is reflected in this map, which shows the number of physicians per people in the total population.

Types of Population Pyramids

Rapid population growth (2000)Slow population growth

(2000)

Zero population growth (2000)

GIS Marketing ApplicationsGIS Marketing Applications

• Georeferencing: linking demographic data to particular locations• Aids in the successful location of businesses• Pertinent demographic data includes income level, education level, home value, age, and number of household residents

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Baby Boom and Aging

Elderly people in the United States

U.S. baby boom crude birth rate

Pyramid PropertiesDemographers will divide the total population into three age cohorts, sometimes further dividing those cohorts by sex.

• The youth cohort consists of those members of the population who are less than 15 years of age.• The middle cohort consists of those members of the population aged 15 to 64.• The old-age cohort consists of those members of the population aged 65 and older.

Population Pyramids: Tucson

Population pyramids of Tucson census tracts, 2000

World Crude Birth Rates

Crude birth rates and crude death rates are often indicators of the levels of economic development in individual countries.

Compare, for instance, Australia, a core country, which offers a stark contrast to statistics for Ethiopia, a very poor

underdeveloped peripheral country.

World Crude Death Rate

The global pattern of crude death rates varies from crude birth rates. (2004)

World Rates of Natural Increase

Rates of natural increase are highest in sub-Saharan Africa, the Near East, and parts of Asia, as well as parts of South and Central

America. (2004)

World Infant Mortality Rates

The geography of poverty underlies the patterns shown in this map and allows us to analyze the linkages between population variables and social

conditions. (2004)

HIV/AIDS Global Impact

Demographic Transition Theory

The transition from a stable population based on high birth and death rates to one based on low birth and death rates progresses in clearly

defined stages.

World Trends

The graph is an illustration of the impact of affluence on reproductive choices.

Global Voluntary Migration

The map illustrates very complex flows of people across borders who have migrated by choice. (1999)

Refugee-sending Countries

War is certainly the most compelling factor in forcing refugee migration. Shown are the sending countries, those whose internal situations propelled

people to leave.

Kurdish and Lebanese Diaspora

The most significant diasporic populations of Middle East and North Africa during modern times are the Palestinians, Lebanese, and

Kurdish peoples.

Internal Displacement

This map provides an indication of the geographical extent and numbers of people displaced from their livelihoods and homes but still living within

their own countries.

Changing Demographic Center of the U.S.

Knowing where the demographic center of a country’s population is located at given times allows us to track that population’s movement, growth,

distribution, and concentration. (1790-2000)

Trail of Tears

The Indian Removal Act of 1830

Famine MigrantsToday forced eco-migration – population movement caused by the degradation of land and essential natural resources – has created a new category of migrants and refugees.

Population Policies and Programs

World population projection by region

World Population

This map provides a sense of how much the populations of various countries are expected to change by the year 2020.

Millennium Development GoalsGoals and Targets

Goal 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hungerGoal 2: Achieve universal primary educationGoal 3: Promote gender equality and empower

womenGoal 4: Reduce child mortalityGoal 5: Improve maternal healthGoal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseasesGoal 7: Ensure environmental sustainability*Goal 8: Develop a Global Partnership for

Development*

* The selection of indicators for Goals 7 and 8 is subject to further refinement.