Chapter 1 - Changing Populations Section 1 1. Physical and human factors affecting population distribution at the global scale. Physical Factors Human Factors Extreme climates - desert, mountain regions, rainforests e.t.c Transportation links Fertile soil, flat land, rivers Job prospects Ports, trade links Government stability/war - The global population has had an exponential growth from 1950 onwards. Populations in developed countries started to decrease around the 2000’s which doesn’t match the pattern of increasing population. The lowest point was in 1750, which was a population of about 500 million people. The maximum population is predicted to be 8.5 billion in 2050. 2. Global patterns and classification of economic development: a. Low-income countries b. Middle-income countries c. High-income countries Global patterns of economic development: - Generally, high income countries are found in Europe and Northern America, middle income countries in South America and central/eastern Asia, and low income countries in Africa. There is a saying that says “Rich North, Poor South”. - If a country is low, middle or high income is classified by the GNI Chapter 1 - Changing Populations Section 1 Gross National Income (GNI): The dollar value of a country’s final income in a year, divided by its population. Examples of high/middle/low income countries: a. Low income: Niger b. Middle income: China c. High income: Germany 2. Population distribution and economic development at the national scale, including voluntary migration, core-periphery patterns and megacity growth. Core: Economic center of the country, more affluent and dynamic. Growth rates are faster, education standards are higher and generally more income per person. Periphery: Characterized by lower household incomes, lower employment rates and low levels of inward investment. China: 1. Very densely populated on the east with 94% of the population living there. a. There is flat land, the west is where the Himalayas are situated. b. The biggest river in China (Yangtze) runs along the east side. i. Fertile soil, transport, access to water. c. Biggest transport trade link is on the east coast, allowing for connection to the whole world. i. Industries are located there, more labor, more people live there. 2. People migrate for a better quality of life, humans have taken advantage of the geological factors such as flat land and trade link opportunities to create industries and attract more people. a. Also attracts people from other countries (globalization), multinational companies locate there. Chapter 1 - Changing Populations Section 1 Core-periphery patterns: ● Core: East coast. Big industrial cities like Beijing and Shanghai. This is proven by statistics that show migration rates highest towards the east direction. The same can be deduced from population density maps that show the most densely populated areas are towards the east. ● Periphery: The west side of the country. Geographical features like the presence of the Himalayas makes the area uninhabitable. The fact that so many people move away from there shows the low living standards, as so many people want to leave. In conclusion core patterns are towards the east with proof from density maps and migration patterns. Periphery patterns are towards the west for the opposite reasons. Chapter 1 - Changing Populations Section 1 Ethiopia: One of the most underdeveloped countries in the world, with one of the highest poverty levels. Has a population of 105 million people, with 3.5 living in the conurbation of Addis Ababa. Population density is the highest in the central-western part of the country around capital Addis Ababa and in the highlands because: - Coffee and sesame regions offer labor for industrial purposes of farming and exporting these goods. - Lakes which can provide hydroelectricity, water supply and fertile soil. - An annual rainfall of up to 2,250mm, good for farming and for the sesame and coffee industry. - In the capital, there is more medical care, education, electricity and water supplies in contrast to rural areas. The south-eastern and northern part of the country is sparsely populated because: - Very drought prone, with less than 250mm of annual rainfall. People can’t farm, there is no water supply. - No big cities, lack of labor/employment, people have no money or education. - No regions with raw materials for food or labor. Chapter 1 - Changing Populations Section 1 The population is unevenly distributed as the most dense area is in a specific region. This has been created due to the lack of physical factors of drought, lack of rainfall, no water bodies such as lakes, and no raw materials like coffee beans in half of the country. The living conditions aren’t good enough therefore everyone who can, moves to the region which provides a better quality of life (central-western region of the country). The total rural population has dropped since 1980, from 90-78. Reasons for internal migration in Ethiopia: 1. Rural - urban: Labor, fertile soil (regions with sesame + coffee), lakes (access to water and transport), more rainfall (no drought), education, improved housing and transport links and away from poverty and lack of farmland 2. Rural - Rural Traditional lines of marriage and adaptation mechanism and survival strategy to poor agricultural and living conditions Resettlement scheme: - The government wanted to resettle 2.2 million people from chronically food insecure highlands. They provided people with a plot of land, start-up supplies, and 8 month food rations. Results: - High levels of dissatisfaction, people weren’t even given a day's notice and were not allowed to make decisions. They couldn’t take anything from their households. - People that didn’t agree were threatened and imprisoned and the people that did, found themselves in dire conditions with inadequate water supply and increased health risks. - People would rather walk a month to go back home than stay in the resettlement camps.
