Chapter 3
Population
Introduction

Late 1700’s Thomas
Malthus warns of the
growing population in
Great Britain.


He issued warnings of
massive famine and
widespread suffering.
Although it did not take
hold in England, his
predictions would follow
suit in the growing world.
Focus of Chapter

Where?

Geographers 1st study
population problems by
describing where
people are found
across Earth’s space.

Why?

3rd issue is why
populations are
growing at different
rates in different
places

4th issue =
overpopulation?
• = population distribution

2nd issue is the places
where population is
growing
Demography

Definition:



Study of the characteristics of human
populations
Vital Records

• Births, deaths, marriages, divorces,
and certain infectious diseases
• Collected at all levels
Census

Definition: straightforward count of the
number of people in a country, region,
or city.
• Not usually simple


The #’s are important, they determine
government funding
Limitations
• Expensive, labor
• Undercounts
•
Many protest that not all of the population is counted
– homeless
• India- biometric census

Most nations repeat every 10 years
• U.S. since 1790
•
1985- quinquennial (5 years)
report:

Other organizations
• WHO, Immigration Bureau
Key Issue 1:Where is the
world’s population distributed?

Important because:



More people are alive!
World’s population is
increasing at a faster
rate
Almost all the population
growth is located in
LDC’s

If distributed evenly, the
world’s population density
would be 108 persons per
square mile.



World Population –




POP CLOCKS
Greenland= .1 per square mile
Bangladesh= 2300 per square
mile
7 billion!!!
About 77 million per year
since 1990
China and India = 38% of
world pop
Population Distribution

Degree of accessibility, topography,
soil fertility, climate and weather,
water availability and quality, and type
and availability are some factors that
shape population distribution.




Ex. Brazil’s high pop concentration
along the coast dates back to the
Portuguese control in the 16th and 17th
centuries.




Example: Mecca/ Medina
Population clusters

A country’s political and economic
experiences and characteristics can
shape the population as well.

Another important factor is culture as
expressed in religion, tradition, or
historical experience
All world’s inhabitants live on 10% of land
Most live near edge of landmasses, near
water
90% live North of the equator
Most of world’s pop lives in temperate, lowlying areas with fertile soils
Asia most populated continent


2nd = Africa
3rd= Europe
Population Density
Continent
# in millions
Total %
Asia
 Africa
 Europe
 L. America
4,216
1,051
740
596
60%
15%
11%
8.5%
346
37
5%
.05%

+ Caribbean
N. America
 Oceania

Sub-Saharan Africa is fastest growing
population in the World!

2011 Data
Population Concentrations

2/3rds of the world’s
population clustered in four
regions!





East Asia
South Asia
SE Asia
Europe
All four regions have:
-
-
-
An ocean or river nearby
Low-lying areas
Fertile soil and average
climate
In the Northern Hemisphere
- Between 10 degrees and 55
degrees North
East Asia

1/4th of world’s population

Distribution


Region includes:






Border to Pacific Ocean
Eastern China
Japan
Korean Pensinsula
Taiwan
5/6ths live in People’s
Republic of China

Clustered near Pacific Ocean
and fertile valleys
Japan and South Korea
• 40% live in 3 larges Metro
areas :
• Tokyo, Osaka, Seoul
• Only 3% land area
South Asia

1/4th world’s population

Region includes:

India
• Contains 3/4th of South Asia Pop.




Pakistan
Bangladesh
Sri Lanka
Largest concentration of people
in 1,500 mile corridor from
Lahore, Pakistan to the Bay of
Bengal


Indus/ Ganges River plains
Also coastline
•Most are farmers, live in
rural
areas
•Region contains 18 urban
areas
•Only 1/4th urban population
•Two physical barriers:
• Himalayas
• Taklimakan Desert confine
the growing population.
•There is more pressure on
the land in this region due to
high densities!

Southeast
Asia


600 million people
Mainly islands
-including Java
- 100 million people
High Percentage of people live in rural
areas along river valleys and deltas.
Europe

1/9th the world’s population

Four dozen countries


3/4th live in cities or metro
areas



Monaco to Russia
Less than 10 % farmers
Dense network of roads/ rail
lines
Highest population near
industry

Coalfields
Other Population Clusters

Western Hemisphere




Northeastern U.S. +
Southeastern Canada
2% of world’s population
Mainly urban
West Africa


South-facing Atlantic coast
½ of population concentration in
Nigeria
• Africa’s most pop. Nation

Work in agriculture
• 5 urban areas with 2 million +
• 11 urban areas with 1 million +
Sparsely Populated Regions

Ecumene


portion of the earth’s surface
occupied by permanent
settlement
Areas once considered too
harsh to live has diminished
and ecumene increased


7,000 years ago population
clustered in River Valleys
500 years ago North America
outside of ecumene

Ecumene today

3/4ths world population lives on
only 5% of earth’s surface
• Oceans 71%
Dry Lands

20% of earth’s surface too
dry for farming

Largest desert region:
• North Africa to Southwest and
Central Asia
• Sahara, Arabian, Thar, Takla
Makan, and Gobi

Not enough water to sustain
a population/ crops BUT:



Adaption = camels
Irrigation systems
Natural resources
• oil
Wetlands

Located primarily near equator


Between 20 degrees North and
South latitude
Rainfall averages more than 50
inches per year

Most receive 90 inches +

Combination of heat and rain
rapidly depletes soil of nutrients

Seasonally rainfall = more
agriculture
Cold and High Lands

Cold Lands




Near North and South poles
Massive ice coverage
Less precipitation but
snow/ice piles up over time
Unsuitable for crops/
humans/ animals

High Lands



High elevations
Usually steep, snow-covered
Example: Switzerland
• ½ of land above sea level
• Only 5% live there

Exceptions:
• Latin America
• Mexico City
• Africa
Population Density

Definition:


Several ways to determine
Population Density



A numerical measure of the
relationship between the number
of people and some other unit
expressed as a ratio
Arithmetic (Crude)
Physiological/ Agricultural
Helps geographers describe
distribution of people in
comparison to available
resources.
Arithmetic Density

Definition



enables geographers to
compare # of people
trying to live on a given
piece of land in different
regions of the world

One dimensional
Total # of objects in an area
Total # of people divided by
total land area
• Example: United States
• 310 million people / 3.7 million
square miles =
• 84 people per square mile
• Example: Bangladesh = 1,127
ppsm

used to compare conditions
in different countries

Tells us very little for about
the variations in the
relationship between people
and land
Problems with Arithmetic Density

Arithmetic Density does not
always accurately portray
population distribution.

Example: Egypt had a
population of 73.3 million
in 2004, and an arithmetic
density of 190 per square
mile. However, 98% of the
population lives on only
3% of the land making the
density meaningless.
Physiological Density

Definition:

# of people per area of arable of
land in a region
• Example: United States
• Physio density of 175 ppsm of
arable land
• Example: Egypt
• Physio density of 2,296 ppsm

the higher the physio density,
the greater the pressure that
people may place on the land
to produce enough food

insight to the relationship
between size of population
and availability of resources
in a region
Agricultural Density

Definition:



ratio of farmers to the amount of
arable land
Measures economic differences
MDC’s/ Core nations have
LOW agricultural density
because of technology.

Putting Agricultural and
Physiological densities
together allows you to look at
the relationship between
population and resources

Example: Netherlands vs.
Bangladesh
• Both have high physiological
densities
• Dutch have low agricultural density
• What does this mean?
• both put pressure on land but
Dutch utlizes less famers
Population Composition

Another way to explore population
patterns of distribution

Addresses challenges




Looks at subgroups:



# of males/ females
# senior citizens/ children
# active in workforce/ not active
Baby booms
Aging population
Women of childbearing age

Understanding population
composition not only tells us about
future demographics of regions
but also is useful for the present

Geodemographic analysis

Definition: assessing the location and
composition of particular populations