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World Geography

Unit 3

Earth's Human Geography


What Is Population Distribution?
 The world’s population, or total number of people, is
spread unevenly over the Earth’s surface.
 Population distribution describes the way the
population is spread out.
 Demographers study the populations of the world to
figure out why population is distributed the way it is.
They examine such things as rates of birth, death, and
marriage, and why people choose to live in certain
areas.
Why Is Population Distribution
Uneven?
What affects where people will want to live?
Desirable Factors
• Areas along bodies of water form natural travel routes and provide

fresh water for drinking and farming.


• Plains and valleys with flat, fertile soil are good for growing food.
• Flat coastal areas are good for trading by ship.
• Areas with moderate climates and adequate rainfall
• Places rich in natural resources to build houses and make products
Undesirable Factors
• Areas with rugged mountains, hot deserts, and dry land with little

vegetation or water.
Continents: Populous and Not
Populous
Populous
 About 81 percent of the Earth’s people live in
Asia, Europe, and North America. Yet, these
continents account for only 53 percent of the
world’s land. Why? These continents have fertile
soil, plains, valleys, fresh water, rich natural
resources, and good climates.
Continents: Populous and Not
Populous
Not Populous
 Australia’s environment is mostly desert or dry grassland,
with few rivers and little rainfall.
 Africa is home to two of the world’s largest deserts, broad
bands of land that get little rain, and a vast rain forest
along the Equator.
 South America is also limited by landforms and climates,
where many regions have soaring mountains, vast dry
plains, and thick rain forests.
What Is Population Density?
 The average number of people who live in a
square mile is called population density.
 In a country or city with a high population
density, people are crowded together. Japan has
one of the highest population densities in the
world: Almost all of its people live on only 16
percent of the land.
 In a country or city with a low population
density, people are more spread apart. Canada
is bigger than the United States, but has a much
smaller population.
Studying Population Density
How do demographers measure population density?
 Divide the number of people living in a place by the

number of square miles of that place. Remember,


though, that the population density of an area is an
average, and that people are not spread evenly over the
land.
 Population density will usually be the highest on level

areas near bodies of water.


 Some people, however, do live in harsh areas and over

many generations have adapted ways of life to suit


these environments.
Population Growth Is Worldwide
 By comparing the birthrate to the death rate,
demographers can figure out population growth.
 During different historical periods, populations grew at
different rates:
 For centuries, the world population grew slowly—food
supplies were scarce and many thousands died of diseases.
 As a result, although the birthrate was high, so was the death
rate. The life expectancy was short. A hundred years ago in
the United States, people usually lived less than 50 years.
 World population has grown rapidly and has increased greatly
in modern times. WHY?
Reasons For Population Growth
Today
 Today, the birthrate has increased dramatically and the
death rate has slowed. The population in some
countries has grown very fast. People live longer than
ever. In the United States today, people usually live
more than 70 years.

 This is the result of two scientific developments:


 New farming methods have greatly increased the world’s
food supply (called the Green Revolution).
 Advancements in medicine and health have resulted in
people living longer lives.
The Challenges Of Population
Growth
The Earth’s resources must now be shared by six times as
many people than in earlier times. Many countries face very
serious problems, such as shortages of fresh water and energy.
The rapidly growing world population poses many challenges:
• Higher populations make it harder to find jobs.
• More schools are needed for the growing number of children.
• Decent housing is scarce and expensive.
• Public services like transportation seem inadequate.
• Forests are disappearing because people use the wood from trees for
building and for fuel. As a result, the supply of clean air decreases and
soil can be washed away.
World Population Growth, A.D.
1200–2000
Migration: The Movement Of
People
 When people move from one place to another, this is
called migration. Immigrants are people who leave one
country and move to another.
 Why do people move?
 Demographers use the “push-pull” theory to explain immigration.
 People migrate because certain things “push” them to leave. The
reasons may be economic (maybe people cannot buy land or find
work). Sometimes changes in government force people to leave.
 The hope for better living conditions “pulls” people to a country.
People might be pulled by many things, such as better economic
opportunities or a more desirable climate.
Irish and Vietnamese Immigrants
in the United States
The push-pull theory can explain the great Irish immigration in
the 1840s and 1850s and Vietnamese immigration in the 1970s.

Irish Vietnamese
In the 1840s, disease destroyed In 1975, North Vietnam finally
Event Ireland’s main crop—potatoes. defeated South Vietnam in a long
war.
People went hungry and starved. Also, Many South Vietnamese did not want
Push England ruled Ireland very harshly, to live under the communist
Factors leaving the Irish few opportunities. government now imposed upon them.

Pull Job opportunities in the United States The United States, their ally,
Factors welcomed them.
Other Kinds of Immigration
Sometimes, people are forced to migrate.

Colonization
Australia was colonized by the English. The English sent
convicts to serve their sentences in Australia.

War
When war broke out among three ethnic groups in Yugoslavia in
the mid-1990s, many refugees fled to escape being killed.

Helping families
Young men from Morocco and Turkey often go to Europe to find
work. For a few years, they work hard and save their money.
Then they return home.
The World Becomes More Urban
Migration also occurs within a country.
 One of the biggest challenges to today’s nations is
urbanization—the movement of people to cities from
rural areas and the growth of cities.
 In recent years, the population of major cities has
grown tremendously.
Example:
 Recently, in the United States, the population has
shifted from the northeastern states to the southern and
southwestern states.
Why?
 People may be searching for better job opportunities or
better climates. The growth of urban areas in southern
states has put a great stress on services.
Growing Cities, Growing Challenges
Examples of Growing Cities
 Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, and São Paulo,

Brazil, are examples of rapidly growing cities.


 Jakarta’s population more than doubled between 1978

and 2000.
 São Paulo is now the largest city in South America

and is rapidly developing.


Growing Cities, Growing Challenges
So, what’s the problem?
 The cities cannot keep up: They cannot provide housing,

jobs, schools, hospitals, and other services that people need.


 Life can be difficult: Overcrowding in schools and on

streets, and heavy pollution, among other things, can make


life uncomfortable.
So, why do people move?
 Most are seeking a better life for their families. They are

looking for jobs, decent houses, and good schools. Above


all, they want more opportunities for their children.
World
Urban
and
Rural
Populations
1800–
2000

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