Human Geography
Chapter 5
Studying Populations
- Demography
- Statistical study of human populations
- Population Density – an average
- Expressed as persons/mi² orpersons/km²
- As an average, it does not reflect where populations are clustered
Studying Populations
- Population Distribution – where people are clustered, settled
-- About 90% in Northern Hemisphere
--Four areas of great population clusters
---East Asia
---South Asia
---Europe
---Eastern North America
4 World’s Great Population
Clusters
Studying Populations
- Population Distribution, cont.
--Favorable – mild climates, fertile soils, fresh water
--Unfavorable – deserts, rugged mountains, polar regions
Studying Populations- Population Change
- - Birthrate: Births/1000 people
- - Death rate: Deaths/1000 people
- - Migration
- -- Emigration/Immigration- --- Push/Pull Factors
- ---Economic motivation #1 reason
- -- Refugees- ---Flee political unrest and war
Studying Populations- Natural Increase
- - Birthrate – Death rate; expressed as a percentage, e.g. 3% increase
- - Rule of 72
- - Developed v. Developing countries
- --- <1% v. 3% or more
World Population Trends
A. D. 1300 mil.
1600600 mil.
18501.2 bil.
19302 billion
19754 billion
2000 – 6 billion
Demographic Transition
Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3
0
10
20
30
40
per
1000/
year
Death rate
Birthrate
World Population Trends- Population Projections
- The farther onto the future a projection is made, the less reliable it is.
Cultural Geography- Studying Culture
- - Culture Traits – activities and behaviors (shaped by values)
- - Culture Regions – area in which people have many shared culture traits
- -- ethnic group – human population with shared culture or ancestry
- -- Intl. borders sometimes divide culture groups
- -- Culture groups may include several countries
Culture
Language
Religion Values Ethics
Level of Technology
Culture Change- Migration, war, and trade
- Acculturation- Individual or group adopts some traits
of another culture- -- Immigrants
- Assimilation- Immigrant group adopts all features of
dominant culture
Culture Change- Innovation – New ideas that a culture
accepts (home-grown)
- Diffusion – Idea or innovation spreads
- - Expansion – innovation spreads within culture
- - Relocation – migration takes/brings new idea to new culture
- - Hierarchical – from greater size/influence to lesser
Culture Change- Globalization
- Picture on p.97
- OPTIC
Globalization v. Traditionalism
- Globalization – The process in which connections around the world increase and cultures become more alike
- Most globalized cultural traits have their origins in the United States
Globalization v. Traditionalism
- Traditionalism – Following longtime practices and opposing many modern technologies and ideas
- Contributes to cultural divergence
- Increasing religious fundamentalism is reaction to globalization (radical Islam, Hinduism, etc.)
Geography and History
- Using the text on p. 99, answer the following writing prompt:
To what extent is geography and history interrelated?
Language- Main means of communication
- Generations pass on skills, customs, traditions, rituals, celebrations
- Cultural diffusion- - accelerated within language
- - acts as barrier to outside culture
- Spatial characteristics
- English: lingua franca of global commerce
Religion- Binds societies together and gives
meaning to life
- Three main types
- - Ethnic
- -- Japan: Shinto
- -- Judaism
- - Animist – Usually polytheistic
- -- Usually practiced by tribal or “primitive” peoples
Religion- Three main types, cont.
- Universalizing – Usually monotheistic
- -- Christianity, Islam
- -- spread by missionaries
- -- ultimate goal – world domination
Religion- Mapping the diffusion of Buddhism
- Using the text at the top of p. 106 to map the spread of Buddhism throughout Eastern and Southeastern Asia