GEOGRAPHERS USE THE TERM POPULATION TO MEAN THE TOTAL NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN A SPECIFIC AREA. BY LATE 2011 THERE WILL BE 7 BILLION PEOPLE LIVING IN THE WORLD. The Geography of population

Over the last 200 years the number has jumped by 5 billion. What has led to such a rapid population growth?

The Geography of population The most important factors are increase in food production, technology in medicine, and improvement in sanitation. Geographers measure population by how many people have been born and how many people have died.

The Geography of population To figure out statistics such as the rate of natural increase you must subtract the death rate from the birth rate. In countries such as Africa, Asia, and South America the rate of natural increase is very high. Why? Remember farming is a major part of life in these continents.

The Geography of population The expanding population creates serious challenges such as basic needs being fulfilled such as clean water, food, and housing. The increased population is putting pressure on the limited amount of resources. What resources does this put pressure on?

The Geography of population People are not equally distributed through the world, people chose to live in a place by climate, elevation, and resources. 70% of the earth surface is water and 35-40% of land in the world is either too hot or too cold.

The Geography of population Today, about half the population in the world lives in urban areas, this was caused by the Industrial Revolution and jobs in the cities. This has changed because 200 years ago most people farmed for a living and lived in rural areas such as farmland or towns.

The Geography of population Demographers study population trends and the characteristics of human population. They use population density to figure out how heavily populated an area is, this is figuring out population density.