Human GeographyHuman Geography

• Focus on demography (study of Focus on demography (study of populations) and culture populations) and culture (beliefs and actions defining a (beliefs and actions defining a people’s way of life)people’s way of life)

People and Environment• Inhabitants adapt to their

surroundings• Yet can also alter the physical

landscape–cutting trees for farming/grazing–damming rivers/building

cities

Population Density• Average number of people in a

square mile/kilometer

• Way to figure if region can hold population

• Calculation: Total population of region/land area

• Pull out cell phone/calculator

Population Growth

• Drastic increase has occurred in last century–Effects - famine, disease, resource

depletion or increased productivity

–SOLUTIONS?

–Well, 1 student said it best “Stop having kids!”

Look at the Population Carefully

1750......790 million1800......980 million1850...1,260 million 1900...1,650 million 1950...2,555 million2000...6,080 million* in 50 years pop. doubled

Why?

Growth Rates

• Birthrate - # of births each year per 1,000 people

• Death rate - # of deaths each year per 1,000 people

• We will do complex calculations dealing with these

Immigrants/Emigrants

• Immigrant - people moving into country

• Emigrant - people moving out of country

“Zero Population Growth”

• Combined birthrate and immigration rate = combined death rate and emigration rate

• For you math students: br + immigration = dr + emigration

• “Stop having kids!”

Population Patterns

• People are moving to cities and surrounding suburbs from rural areas (countrysides)

• Urbanization - growth of city population

• Why are people

moving to the cities?

Why do we live where we live? 5 Things That Help Determine Where We Live

• Near coasts

• Near rivers

• Flat terrain

• Temperate climates

• Fertile soil

* What are our 3 BASIC NEEDS?

- FOOD, WATER, SHELTER

3 Areas of Greatest Population Density

Culture• Passed on through

generations

• Changes rather slowly

• Can be material (things people make by hand) or nonmaterial (religion, language, behavior)

Language

• Communication or how they pass on thoughts/ideas

• Those who speak the same language generally share customs

Religion

• Helps answer what is meaning of life–usually supports values of region

• Monotheism - belief in one god

• Polytheism - belief in more than one god

Social Organization

• Hierarchy of social classes or status (based on money, education, jobs, ancestry)

Characteristics of Country

• Defined territory

• Population

• Sovereignty - rule’s itself

• Government

Territory

• All land and water within its borders

Sovereignty

• Country that can rule and protect itself through its own policies

Government Structure• Gov. contain smaller units

(states, provinces, republics)–Unitary - central gov. makes

laws for everyone

–Federal - some power to CG, some to states

–Confederation - states keep sovereignty, CG limited

Government Control• 1. Authoritarian - leaders hold all

power–Dictatorship - power given to

person/small group

–Totalitarianism - gov. controls everything (politics, economy)

–Monarchy - rule through family

• 2. Democracy - people choose leaders to represent them

Economic Systems

• 1. Capitalism - people determine what/how much produced by buying–Gov. should have no part in

economy

2. Communism

• State makes all economic decisions –owns operates farms, factories,

business

–sets personal salary

3. Socialism

• Mixed economy - part state ran/ part capitalist - jointly making decisions–Wealth distributed more equally where

everyone entitled to certain services (“Welfare States”)

Now it is time for The Simpsons• This does have

educational value,

so do not get too

excited

• You need to use

the Government

Control slide for the

worksheet