1. Chapter 3
Population

2. 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.

3. Focus of Chapter Where? Why?
Geographers 1st study population problems by describing where people are found across Earth’s space.
= population distribution
2nd issue is the places where population is growing
Why?
3rd issue is why populations are growing at different rates in different places
4th issue = overpopulation?

4. Demography Definition: Census Vital Records
Study of the characteristics of human populations
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)
Vital Records
report:
Births, deaths, marriages, divorces, and certain infectious diseases
Collected at all levels
Other organizations
WHO, Immigration Bureau

5. 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
POP CLOCKS
If distributed evenly, the world’s population density would be 108 persons per square mile.
Greenland= .1 per square mile
Bangladesh= 2300 per square mile
World Population –
7 billion!!!
About 77 million per year since 1990
China and India = 38% of world pop

6. 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.
A country’s political and economic experiences and characteristics can shape the population as well.
Ex. Brazil’s high pop concentration along the coast dates back to the Portuguese control in the 16th and 17th centuries.
Another important factor is culture as expressed in religion, tradition, or historical experience
Example: Mecca/ Medina
Population clusters
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, low-lying areas with fertile soils
Asia most populated continent
2nd = Africa
3rd= Europe

7. Population Density

9. Continent # in millions Total %
Asia 4, %
Africa 1, %
Europe %
L. America %
+ Caribbean
N. America %
Oceania %
Sub-Saharan Africa is fastest growing population in the World!

10. 2011 Data

11. 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

13. East Asia 1/4th of world’s population 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
Distribution
Japan and South Korea
40% live in 3 larges Metro areas :
Tokyo, Osaka, Seoul
Only 3% land area

14. 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!

15. Southeast Asia 600 million people Mainly islands
-including Java million people
High Percentage of people live in rural areas along river valleys and deltas.
Southeast Asia

16. Europe 1/9th the world’s population Four dozen countries
Monaco to Russia
3/4th live in cities or metro areas
Less than 10 % farmers
Dense network of roads/ rail lines
Highest population near industry
Coalfields

17. 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 +

19. 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%

20. 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

21. 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

22. Cold and High Lands Cold Lands High 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

23. Population Density Definition:
A numerical measure of the relationship between the number of people and some other unit expressed as a ratio
Several ways to determine Population Density
Arithmetic (Crude)
Physiological/ Agricultural
Helps geographers describe distribution of people in comparison to available resources.

24. Arithmetic Density Definition
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
enables geographers to compare # of people trying to live on a given piece of land in different regions of the world
One dimensional
Tells us very little for about the variations in the relationship between people and land

25. 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.

26. 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

28. 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

29. Population Composition
Another way to explore population patterns of distribution
Looks at subgroups:
# of males/ females
# senior citizens/ children
# active in workforce/ not active
Addresses challenges
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