Population Geography
Extended Outline

I. Introduction
A. Demography
The study of human population dynamics

B. Population Geography
The study of population from a geographic perspective (ecology, space, distribution).

Is the world overpopulated?
How do you know when a place is overcrowded?
What places in the world are overpopulated?
If everyone in the world was standing in a 3’ x 3’ square, how much of the earth’s surface would be covered?
Population Concepts
? Population Density or persons per square mi (distance)
? Absolute Density
? Physiological density
? How do adaptive strategies skew the value of physiological density as a measure?
Population Density
Population Density -East
Where are all the people?
?Europe and Asia account for almost 3/4ths of the human population
?North Americans make up only 7.3%
?China and India each have nearly 20% of the world’s population at around 1 billion a piece.
?The US has how many people?
Patterns of Natality
n Birthrate is a common measure = number of live births per 1000 total population.
n Can be misleading…because…?
n Total Fertility Rate is more recently gaining favor as a measure natality.
n What is TFR?
Birth Rate – West
n What state is of interest?
Birth Rate East
TFR-West
n figure
TFR-East
figure
Death Rate
n No figure available, but is the rate of deaths per 1000 persons per year.
n Not as interesting as the birth rate map. Why?
n Where in the US would death rates be highest?
n Of what value is this measure.
n See demographic transition model..
Population Growth Rate - West
Population Growth Rate – East
Zero Population Growth
n ZPG refers to the level at which a population only has enough children to maintain current population levels.
n 2.1 children per couple. Why?
n Where?
Population Explosion
n Malthusian Disaster
• War
• Famine
• Disease
n J-Curves
• What did Malthus not forsee?
n Birth control, Green Revolution
Malthusian Check-War
Aids-West
Aids-East
Malthus Didn’t Foresee Contraception
Youth and Old Age-West
Youth and Old Age-US
Youth and Old Age-East
Population Pyramids
Gender Geography
n Gendered spaces
n Status of women is key to development
n Sex ratio
Standard of Living
n This is the real statistic.
n Many ways of measuring standard of living.
n PQLI and HDI are indexes that combine a several other indices including….?
n GNP, IMR, Literacy, Life Expectancy, etc.
Infant Mortality Rate-West
Infant Mortality Rate-East
III. Diffusion in Population Geography
A. Migration
B. Diffusion of Fertility Control
C. Disease Diffusion
Diffusion of Aids?
IV. Population Ecology
? Population Ecology
Preadaptation
Sustainability
B. Environmental Influences
C. Environmental Perception and Population Distribution
D. Population Density and Environmental Alteration
Environment and Population
Environment and Population
Disease and Settlement
? Cultural Integration and Population Patterns
There are many factors affecting the development of population regions
? Cultural Factors
Religion, language, personal space, etc.
B. Political Factors
C. Economic Factors
? Gender and Geodemography
Religion and Population
Where in the United States does religion affect population?
What other religious factors affect population?
Is religion overrated as a factor?
What religious practices might affect sex ratio?
Consider Catholicism, Islam, Buddhism Protestantism, Mormonism, Hinduism
Rice, Vegetarianism and Protein Deficiency
Language and Birthrates
Politics
n Many political decisions can affect the number of children families have.
n Primogeniture
Politics: Chinese Population Program
n Who is in the picture? Who is not?
n Implications?
Borders and Population
n Religion?
Sex Ratios-West
Sex Ratios: US
n Note the pattern.
n What states have excess women?
n What states have excess men?
n Why?
• Economics
• Ethnicity
• Public health care.
Sex Ratio-East
Economic Factors
n Economic factors are probably the most powerful agents for change.
n The economic value of children may be the most important factor shaping families choice of family size.
n What types of value do children create?
n Where?
n See Focus box p. 68.
Children provide…
n Labor
n Social Security
n Dowries, bride prices, etc.
n Prestige (economic?)

n Where do children not fulfill these roles?
Demographic Transition Model
Demographic Transition
n Keys:
• Sanitation and medical technology are key in reducing death rate.
• Cultural and economic change are key to reducing birth rates, which is why BR comes down so slowly.
• LDC’s got technological help, but have been hindered economically.
Onset of Sustained Fertility Decline
Migration
n Population regions are also created by patterns of migration.
n Push and pull factors
n Government resettlement programs
n War, political instability, etc.
n Where in the US are people migrating to/from? Why?

Bride Migration-India
VI. The Settlement Landscape
A. Farm Villages
B. Isolated Farmstead
C. Semiclustered Rural Settlement

Consider the factors that play into the choice of settlement patterns

Where can we find these various types in the United States?
Rural Settlement Landscapes
Irregular Clustered Village- Faeroe Islands
Irregular Clustered Village-Tibet
Street Village- Yakutia
Mayan Checkerboard Farm Village
Isolated Farmstead-Iceland