Chapter 5 Section 1
World Geography
Population Geography
Pg. 87
Studying Population
 Study the relationships between populations
and the environment.
 Demography – the statistical study of
human populations.
 Use these numbers to forecast what the
population will be like in the future.
Population Density
 The average number of people living in an
area.
 Persons per square mile.
 You can tell how large a country is, or
discover what areas they live in.
Population Distribution
 About 90% of the world’s people live in the
Northern Hemisphere.
 Lowland areas are heavily populated.
 People tend to live in areas that are
favorable for settlement.
Population Change
 The number of people in an area are a result
of these 3 factors:
– Birthrate – number of birth per 1,000 in one
year.
– Death rate – number of deaths per 1,000 per
year.
– Migration – people moving from one place to
another.
Migration
 Geographers – study migration by analyzing
push factors and pull factors. Push factors
are what causes people to leave one place.
 Pull factors – attracts people to a location.
Natural Increase
 Rate of natural population growth. Number
of birth and deaths in a year.
 Highest rates of increase are found in Africa
and Southwest Asia.
 Lowest rates of increase are in Europe and
North America.
World Population Trends
 Number of people is increasing by 80
million per year.
 Some worry about overpopulation. This
exists when the number of people is too
large to be supported by available resources.
 No one knows for sure how many people
the world can support.
The Demographic Transition
 A model that shows how birthrates and
death rates dropped in many western
countries as they developed modern
economies.
 Most of the world’s richest and
technological advanced countries have had
their birthrates drop.
Future Populations
 Population projections are estimates of a
future population’s size, age, growth rate, or
other characteristics based on current data.
 All countries will face population-related
challenges. Ex: caring for growing number
of children or older people.