III. Migration

For thousands of years, people have migrated to new places Migration – the movement of people from one place to another Scientists believe that more than 50,000 years ago, a group of early humans migrated from Africa to Asia

Over many years, their descendants spread slowly across Asia and Europe Some crossed from Asia to the Americas.

A. Forms of Migration People often migrate within a country In modern times, this internal migration has largely been movement to cities from the countryside People generally migrate to cities to find jobs

People also move from one country to another Emigrate – refers to people migrating out of their home country Immigrate –to migrate into a new country

Moving to a new country can lead to big changes in a person’s life For example, people moving to a new country may have to learn new languages and customs Mass migration can also affect a region’s government, economy, and environment

B. Reasons for Migration People who migrate are often looking for a better life They may move to escape poverty, lack of jobs, or a harsh climate

In some countries, war or other conflicts force people to migrate

All of these reasons are known as push factors Push Factors –causes of migration that push people to leave their home country

Other reasons for migration are known as pull factors Pull Factors – the things that attract people to a new country An example of a pull factor is a good supply of jobs

People generally migrate because they choose to do so. For example, millions of Europeans chose to migrate to the United States during the 1800s and early 1900s Many of these people were Irish, fleeing a shortage of food in their country

However, history is full of involuntary migrations For the most part, these involved the forced migration of enslaved people In the late 1400s, European slave traders began buying and selling captured African people. Many of these people were shipped to the Americas against their will. As many as 10 million enslaved Africans were forced to migrate to the Americas