Population and Culture

The Study of Human Geography World Geography The Study of Human Geography Guiding Questions Why is population density unevenly distributed around the world? What are some possible effects of population growth? What are some of the elements of culture? How do cultures change?

1 Where People Live? DEFINE POPULATION

1 Where People Live 7 billion people live on the earth, and in some areas the population density is very high. population density: average number of people who live in a square mile or square kilometer. Only a small portion of the earth’s surface is suitable for human habitation. Natural obstacles greatly restrict where people can live. More than 2/3rds of the earth is covered by water 1/2 of the land is almost unlivable because of harsh deserts, rugged mountains, and bitterly cold climates.

Connecticut Population Density CT POPULATION DENSITY Let’s take a look at Old Saybrook Let’s compare Old Saybrook’s population density to another town in CT

Let’s take a look at the current world population… Real Time Population What country has the highest world population? Where does America fall in population rankings?

Human Activity People must live where Human activities include: soil is fertile water is plentiful climate is mild enough to grow crops. People have adapted to different environments BUT human activity has altered the earth’s physical landscape. WHAT HUMAN ACTIVITY HAS CHANGED THE EARTHS LANDSCAPE? Human activities include: cutting and planting trees grazing animals on wild grasses plowing soils for farming damming rivers for irrigation Pollution THESE ARE EXAMPLES OF…

1 Population Growth The world’s population has grown dramatically in recent centuries. Modern technology improved medical care increased food production BOTH have enabled people to live much longer, but it poses a special problem for poorer countries.

TWO THEORIES THEORY A: THEORY B: Some predict population growth will bring famine, disease, and resource depletion. THEORY B: Others predict that levels of technology and creativity will increase with population.

Reasons for differences in birthrate Different countries have different balances between the birthrate number of live births per 1,000 people per year, and the death rate. Population is affected by the number of immigrants (people coming into a country) and emigrants (people leaving a country). Many people live in metropolitan areas, and the process of growth of city populations, or urbanization, is going on throughout the world. This is an example of which of the 5 Themes?

Cultural Elements Culture is reflected in different elements… 1 Cultural Elements Culture is reflected in different elements… Religion Language Traditions/Holidays Food Interests/Hobbies Government Economics Values/Attitudes/Etiquette Arts & Literature A culture hearth- place where important ideas begin and spread to surrounding cultures. Every culture has a way of organizing its society, and most have social classes that rank people in order of status. In many cultures, social mobility is restricted, and limits are often imposed upon women and ethnic or religious minorities.

1 Cultural Change Cultures are changed by both internal and external influences. Many changes result from the invention of new items or new ways of doing things. Cultural convergence when the skills, arts, ideas, habits, and institutions of one culture come into contact with those of another culture. Diffusion is the process by which a cultural element is transmitted from one group to another.

Cultural divergence, or restriction from outside influences, occurs when cultural contact is limited. North Korea is one such example.