Introduction to Population OBJECTIVE: STUDENTS WILL ANALYZE MAJOR POPULATION STATISTICS IN ORDER TO PREDICT THE ABILITY OF THE FIVE MAJOR POPULATION CONCENTRATIONS TO SUSTAIN THOSE NUMBERS FOR YEARS TO COME.
World Population Distribution & Climate Zones Fig. 2-2: World population is unevenly distributed across the earth’s surface. Climate is one factor that affects population density.
World Population Density
Climate Zones (simplified)
Ecumene the portion of the earth with permanent human settlement Using the provided maps, draw where the ecumene is located in modern times
Ecumene, 5000 B.C.
Ecumene, A.D. 1
Ecumene, A.D.1500
Ecumene, A.D.1900
How has the Ecumene Expanded? Expansion of human habitation into historically sparsely populated regions Dry Lands Wet lands Cold Lands High Lands
Dry Land 20 percent of the Earth’s land surface are not suitable for farming Northern Hemisphere – between 15 and 50 degree North Latitude Southern Hemisphere – between 20 and 50 degree south latitude
Living in Dry Land Major Factors: construction of irrigation systems Increasing demand for natural resources found in dry land areas (i.e. oil) Technological advances in climate control
Arithmetic Population Density Fig. 2-4: Arithmetic population density is the number of people per total land area. The highest densities are found in parts of Asia and Europe.
Arithmetic Density The total amount of people divided by total land area Also known as population density What are the limitations of Arithmetic Density?
Physiological Density Fig. 2-5: Physiological density is the number of people per arable land area. This is a good measure of the relation between population and agricultural resources in a society.
Physiological Density Total number of people divided by the arable land of the country The higher the physiological density the greater the pressure that people place on the land to produce food. Where is it the hardest to get a meal?
Measures of Population Density
Distribution of World Population Population concentrations The five largest population clusters South Asia East Asia Southeast Asia Europe North America