1. Global Population Processes and Pressures
Chapter 2
Global Population Processes and Pressures
The distribution of people
Population trends and characteristics
Population and Food

2. The Distribution of People
Bunge or Bogue? Generalized human continents

3. Leading Countries in World Population 2003
Down Up
Not in textbook

4. Population Trends and Characteristics
“Population totals in early human societies depended upon the success of the economic system and its adaptability to the environment.” p. 23
Subsistence economies: local food production systems, little interregional trade
The agricultural revolution – domestication of plants and animals (leisure, cities)
The Industrial Revolution (application of steam power; productivity change; urban development; migration; technological change in medicine
Figure 2.2: The recent explosion of population (last 400 years)

5. The Demographic Transition
Length of Stages – Highly Variable

6. Demographic Transition, Continued
Stage I: High birthrate required to maintain labor intensive subsistence activities, high deathrate related to high infant mortality.
Stage II: Rapid population growth, death rate falls with improved medical technology.
Stage III: Death rate falls slightly, but birthrates fall, with smaller families associated with industrial / urban economic activities.
Stage IV: Highly urbanized postindustrial economies characterized by strong levels of interregional trade
Figure 2.4, color plate following page 50. ? Are the labels on the map legend reversed?

7. Population and Food Population generally growing geometrically
Fastest growing regions typically have difficulties in providing sufficient food, due to traditional social and cultural heritage, technologically constrained economic practices, and physical environmental restrictions.
The most urbanized countries have agricultural regions that produce large surpluses of food, and generally correspond to Stage IV in the demographic cycle (exception: China)
Correlates of development in Table 2.5
Stresses in rural food supplies, pulling people to urban areas leading to hyperurbanization

8. Malthus Theory
Population is argued to grow geometrically unless checked (in Malthus’ time: starvation, war, disease)
Food production grows only arithmetically
Hence, an imbalance in which population threatens to outstrip food resources
Quote from Malthus
Limits of Malthus model: a debate for 200 years!

9. The Debate on Malthus Chamberlain Ross
Wagner – laying out the modern options
Questions raised in the text pp
about the limits to adaptation, technological change, and trade.