GEOGRAPHY AND POPULATION

WHAT IS GEOGRAPHY? Study of everything on earth, from rocks and rainfall to people and places. Why study geography? To understand how people’s activities affect the earth and how the world is changing.

What is Physical Geography? The study of the world’s physical features – its landforms, bodies of water, climates, soils, and plants.

Human Geography the study of the world’s people, communities, and landscapes; past and present.

HUMAN SYSTEMS - Population Human geographers look at where people live and why. They ask why some parts of the world have more people than others, and why some places have almost no people at all. Discussion: Why do people live in some places and not in others?

Population Distribution Why is the world’s population so unevenly distributed? Answer: people tend to live in areas that are favourable for settlement and avoid areas that are not. Favourable = mild climates, fertile soils, and adequate supply of freshwater. For the same reason, polar regions, deserts, and rugged mountains usually have few people. Choose a country in pairs

Population change Geographers use statistics to study how populations are changing. The number of people in any place is the result of 3 factors: Birthrate Death-rate Migration Read p. 90.

Migration - What kinds of factors cause migration? PUSH FACTORS Lack of jobs Droughts Floods Political unrest Wars persecution PULL FACTORS Good jobs Warm climates Lack of persecution Physical geography