Introduction to Geography
Chapter 5: Population, Population
Increase and Migration
Population
► Population
geography
 Distribution of humankind
 Internal population dynamics
►Birth
rates & death rates
► Emigration
► Immigration
► Demography
 Specific group
characteristics
Distribution and Density
► Population
 6.8 billion (2010)
► Major
concentrations
 East Asia
 South Asia
 Europe from
Atlantic to
Ural mountains
► Secondary
concentrations
 Southeast Asia
 Eastern U.S. & Canada
Cartogram of World Population
Population Density
► Arithmetic
density
 Number of people per unit of land
► Physiological
density
 Density of population per unit
cropland
► Carrying
capacity
 Theoretical maximum number of
people a piece of land can support, given:
► Physical qualities of the land
► Social, technological, & economic
systems of society
Factors Influencing Population
Distribution
► Climate
 Low density: hot, cold, dry
 High density: warm
midlatitudes
► Topography
and soils
 Flat areas = easier cultivation
 Accessibility to water
 Fertile soils
► History
 Domestication of plants & animals
 Demarcation of cultural & political territories
World Population Growth
► Crude
birth rate
► Crude death rate
► Natural increase
► Natural decrease
► Total fertility
rate
► Replacement
rate
Projections
►Projection:
future prediction, assuming current
trends continue
►Zero population growth
►Doubling time
Rates of Annual Population Increase
Population
Pyramids
► Population
pyramids
 Age & gender of
population
► Dependency
ratio
 Proportion of
population of
working age
►Ages
15-64
Median Ages of National
Populations
Demographic Transition Model
►
Stage 1 (pre-transition)
 Crude birth/death rate high
 Little growth
►
Stage 2 (early expanding)
 Lower death rates
 Infant mortality rate
 Natural increase high
►
Stage 3 (late expanding)
 Indicative of richer developed
countries
 Higher standards of living/
education
►
Stage 4 (post-transition)
 Crude birth/death rate low
 Stable
►
Stage 5 (declining?)
Crude Death Rates
Total Fertility Rates (1950)
Total Fertility Rates (2010)
Fertility Transition
► Decline
in fertility rates in rich
countries, 1800s
► Trends in poor countries today
 Much faster decline than in today’s rich
countries
 Not necessarily associated with better
living conditions
► Reasons




for decline
Government programs/policies
Availability of contraceptives
Status of women
Diffusion of changing attitudes toward
fertility
Epidemiological Transition
► Epidemiology:
Study of incidence, distribution, &
control of disease
► Control of infectious diseases caused by pathogens
► Infectious diseases still present in poor countries
1.
2.
3.
4.
Pneumonia
Diarrheal disease
HIV/AIDS
Tuberculosis
► Degenerative
diseases
leading cause of death
in rich countries
 Heart disease
 Obesity
 Tobacco use
HIV/AIDS, Ages 15-49, 2007
Overpopulation?
► Malthusian
theory
 Pessimistic perspective
 Thomas Malthus
► Population
grows faster
than food supply
► Preventive checks
► Positive checks
► Cornucopians
 Optimistic perspective
 Jean Antoine Condorcet
► Improvements
in production
► Lower birth rates with education & prosperity
Demographic Patterns
►Normal
sex ratio: 105 boys to 100 girls at birth
►Current
sex ratio at birth: 107 boys to 100 girls
 Higher child mortality among boys, so about even by
adulthood
 Cultural preference for males
 New technology
► Ultrasound
► Amniocentesis
Demographic Patterns
► Rich
countries: over 60 population = 20% of population
 Sustaining growth
 Equitably distributing wealth
►Facilities for elderly
► Medical research on
degenerative
diseases
► Pension plans
► Total
fertility rates
below replacement level
► Poor countries also
aging
 Nutrition
 Care of elderly
 Pensions
Migration
► Push
factor
 Drive away people
► Pull
factor
 Attract people
► Undocumented
immigrants
► Chain migration
Migration of Peoples
► Origin
ago)
of humanity in Africa (150,000-200,000 years
 Asia: 56,000-73,000 years ago
 Europe: 39,000-51,000 years ago
 Americas? ~50,000 years ago
► Races
 Genetically 99%
the same
 Racism: Belief
in superiority of
one race over
another
Prehistoric Human
Migrations
Migration of Peoples
► Europe
to Americas
► African diaspora
► Europe to Asia &
Oceania
► Europe to Russia
► Europe to Australia &
New Zealand
► Europe to
Africa
► Indian
► Chinese
Migration Today
2010 = 214 million living outside
country of birth
► Young, ambitious, hardworking
► Contrasting socioeconomic
characteristics
►
 Poor, uneducated, unskilled
versus
 Highly educated & skilled
► For
rich countries
 Population aging, declining
 Need for
► Labor
► Contributions
to pension funds
Migration Today
► Refugees
 No protection until twentieth century
 Geneva Convention (1951) definition
► Outside
home country
► Fear of persecution for religious, political, nationality, social group
 Asylum: safety in host country
 Estimated 10 million (2009) + 22 million “of concern”
► Internally
displaced
persons: Within
country of origin
► Economic
refugees
International Migration
► Concerns
 In addition to legal immigrants,
unknown numbers of
undocumented migrants
 Immigrants in peak
childbearing years
 Concentrated in a few places in
the host country
 Slow assimilation to new
country
 “Compassion fatigue”
 Possible competition for jobs
► Force
of population growth in
poor countries
► Workers’ remittances
International Migration
► To
Europe
 19.5 million non-Europeans in EU (3.9% of EU population)
 Problems
► Addition of Asians and
► Many migrants Muslim
► Employment
Africans in population
 Curtailment of asylum
 Increased illegal immigration
 Definition of citizenship
► Of
Asians
 5 million work abroad
 Remittances important
 Guest workers in oil-rich
countries
 Restricted immigration to Japan
Migration to the US & Canada
► United
States
 Largest migration flow over last 150
years
 12.5% of U.S. population foreign-born
 Legal restrictions
► Few
legal restrictions until late 19th
century
► Canada
 20% of population foreign-born
 60% of immigrants from Asia
 90% in metropolitan areas
New Controversies
► Brain
Drain
 Lack of appropriate jobs for
educated youth
 Desire for political freedom
 Foreign graduate education
Additional costs for public
services?
► Importing poverty?
► Local costs of immigration
► “Melting pot” or “cultural
mosaic”?
►
End of Chapter 5