Ch. 2 Key Issue 1

Ch. 2 Key Issue 1

Where is the World’s Population Distributed?

Critical Issues in Population Geography• More people are alive today than at

any other time in human history• The world’s population increased at a

faster rate during the second half of the twentieth century than ever before.

• Virtually all population growth today occurs in less developed countries (LDCs), a.k.a. the economic “periphery”

• Are we outgrowing our food supply?

Population distributions

• Description of locations where people live on Earth’s surface.

• Dot maps are best• 1/3 of population lives in China and

India

Where Is the World’s Population Distributed?• Population concentrations–Two-thirds of the world’s

population are in four regions (Eurasia, 4 billion/7 billion):• East Asia (Yellow/Yangtze)• South Asia (Indus/Ganges)• Europe (coal fields, Industrial

Revolution)• Southeast Asia

North American Cluster

• Clustered on the East coast- why?–Bosnywash Megalolpolis

• Compare: –NY: 5309 ppl/sq. mi–Mumbai, India: 76,820– Jakarta, Indonesia: 27,137

http://mapmaker.education.nationalgeographic.com/?ar_a=1&b=1&f=129&bbox=147.51848%2C-64.01450%2C120.79973%2C64.01450&ls=000000010000&t=1

Population Distribution

Figure 2-2

Describe where population is by answering questions:Where are the clusters? What is the distribution?Why are they located there?

Compare the two maps. How do they tell the same story w/o same info?

How do we get population statistics?

• Census- population count• Informed estimates rather than accurate

counts• Importance of counting?– More tax revenue– Better representation of minorities or

disadvantaged groups

The Ecumene

• The ecumene describes the areas of human habitation.

• Examining changes to the ecumene reveals some types of areas where humans do not live in large numbers

• Populations used to cluster close to agricultural areas- where they could grow food

–People generally avoid:• Dry lands• Wet lands• Cold lands• High landsCan we think of any places under these categories?

Sparsely populated regions

Population Density–Arithmetic density- answers the

“where?”• Where are people living on a piece of land?

–Physiological density (food security)–Agricultural density (development)–Physio. and Ag. answer the “why?”• Why aren’t people evenly distributed across the

land?

Comparing Densities

• High Physiological means arable land must feed more people (Egypt); possible importing of food from other countries and/or hunger problems

• Low Agricultural means there are less farmers = more developed, better farming due to better technologies/techniques (US)

Gender and population• Social (what society says), not biological (what

science says), difference• Gender roles are tied to economic activity

–Pre-agriculture- even responsibilities–Plow agriculture gave men land rights–Industrialization kept women at home