Human Population Review

What event in the mid-1700s significantly changed human population growth?

The cultural revolution

Which combination of factors creates the highest population growth?

High birth rate + low death rate

What is a population’s fertility rate?

The average number of children a woman has in her lifetime

Stage 1

Pre-industrial

Stage 2

Transitional

Stage 3

Industrial

Stage 4

Post-industrial

Why has the human population grown so rapidly recently?

Lower death rates due to better medicine, sanitation, food, and technology

Why do we look at the base of the population pyramid?

It shows the number of children who represent future population growth

How can technology affect human impact on the environment?

It can reduce impact (clean energy, efficient tech) or increase impact (pollution, resource use)

Compare India and Japan’s populations.

India is young and growing rapidly; Japan is aging and shrinking

Pronatalists

Pronatalists: Encourage having children

• Examples: tax incentives, pro-family policies, cultural/religious support for large families

Antinatalists

Antinatalists: Discourage having children

• Examples: one-child policies, environmental concerns, belief that life includes suffering

Explain what is happening in each chart

A: Growing population

B: Stable population

C: Decreasing population

How can you tell if a country is developed from a population pyramid?

Narrow base, more rectangular shape, long life expectancy, low birth & death rates.

How can you tell if a country is developing from a population pyramid?

Very wide base, steep pyramid shape, high birth rate, shorter life expectancy.

What does a wide base on a population pyramid mean?

High birth rate, high TFR, developing country, low women workforce.

What does a narrow base on a population pyramid mean?

Low birth rate, low TFR, developed country, more women in workforce.

How can you tell if women are active in the workforce using a population pyramid?

Low birth rates → narrow base → women delay childbirth to work.

How can you tell if a country is wealthy or poor from a population chart?

• Wealthy: Narrow base, long bars at older ages (long life expectancy).

• Poor: Wide base, early narrowing, few older adults.

How does education level appear on a population pyramid?

• Educated: Lower fertility → narrow base.

• Uneducated: High fertility → very wide base.

How do you identify high TFR (Total Fertility Rate)?

Very wide base (lots of children).

How do you identify low TFR?

Narrow base (few children).

How can you tell if a country has good healthcare?

Lots of older adults, wide top, low death rates.

How can you tell if a country has poor healthcare?

Few older adults, sharp narrowing at the top, higher death rates.

What does a steep pyramid shape tell you overall?

Developing, high birth rate, high TFR, low education, poor healthcare.

What does a rectangular or barrel-shaped pyramid tell you?

Developed, low birth rate, low TFR, high education, strong healthcare.