Unit 4: Population & Migration

Demography

The Scientific study of how birth rates/death rates, and migration patterns affect the size and geographical distribution of the population

• Statistics about people

• A scientific way to measure the population of people

List the 3 most populated countries of the world

1) India

2) China

3) USA

List the 3 most populated cities of the United States

1) New York City

2) Los Angeles

3) Chicago

Fertility

The average number of children the average woman births from a particular social group within their lifetime | Measurement based upon cultural normalcy

• Global Fertility Average = 2.9 children

• Cultural average based upon cultural norms 

Fecundity

Biological calculation of the number of children women are physically capable of birthing within their lifetime

• Record: Mrs. Feodor Vassilyev (1701-1782) = 69 children

• Biological calculation

Longevity

Calculated average age of death/years of life taken from societies of the historical past

• Example:  Longevity of Americans who died in 2024

  • male: 76.6 years

  • female: 81.1 years

• Based upon historical records → NOT A PREDICTION

• Excluded from this is infant mortality

• The number of people who have died in that year 

• PAST TENSE

Life Expectancy

Scientific prediction of human lifespan based upon year of birth, geography, gender, race, etc.

• Example: Life Expectancy of Americans born in 2007 =

  • male: 86.8 years

  • female: 99.2 years

• This is a prediction based on when people are born

• Cultural measure 

• FUTURE TENSE 

Birth Rates

Number of births / total population x 1000

• Global Birth Rate = 20.7%

• U.S. Birth Rate = 14.1%

• Highest = Niger (52.9%)

• In a calendar year, how many people were born that year divided by the people that already lived in that area/ territory, times 1000 = Birth rate

Mortality Rates

Number of deaths / total population x 1000

• Global Mortality Rate = 13.4%

• U.S. Mortality Rate = 11.9%

• Highest = Niger (24.2%)

• Death Rates

Net Population Growth Rates

Annual Birth Rates – Annual Mortality Rates | * Does not include Net Migration Rates

• UN & World Health Organization standards…

  • Increases up to 4.4% are considered “acceptable”

  • Increases of 4.5% - 10.5% are considered “alarming”

  • Increases over 10.6% are considered “dangerous”

• Want the birth rate to be higher than the death rate, and want both numbers to be close to each other.

Migration

Relocation of people from one geographical area to another

• Relocation of people - can be forced or voluntary 

Immigration

Movement of people into a new location

• Moving into a new location

• Coming into

Emigration

Displacement of people out of a location

• Moving out of a new location

• Coming out of

Transitional Migration

Temporary residents

• Work permits, student visas, green cards, etc.

• Residents who stay in the U.S. for a limited time then return home

Chinese Exclusion Act (1882)

Banned people of Asian ancestry from entering the country

National Origins Act (1924)

Quotas restricted who was permitted entrance

• Ellis Island – British, Irish, Germans, Italians

• No admittance for people from Asia or Latin America

• Extended and reinforced the Chinese Exclusion Act to block all people from Asia or Latin America

• Established a quota system 

1965 Immigration Act

Ended quota restrictions = immediate influx of Asian & Hispanic migrants

• These groups of people did not have any legal restrictions – these people really did not want to come since they didn’t want them over there in the first place

• But they came here if their current living condition was worse or for the “American Dream”

Global Population: statistics, trends, and patterns –

- Thomas Malthus

-

“Neo-Malthusian” theories of population

Urbanization (causes and process of development)

Suburbanization (causes and process of development)

City

Population threshold of at least 10,000 residents

• Just population changes to 10k 

• A concentration of people who don’t provide for their own food supply

• This was only possible after the Agricultural Revolution

Megacity

Population threshold of at least 1 million residents

• Just population changes to 1M

Metropolis

1 central city surrounded by smaller edge cities and suburbs

• Columbus | New York City

• 1 major city that has its own outskirts, other cities

Megalopolis

Geographic regions consisting of at least 2 metropolitan areas within ~ 100 mile distances

• World’s Largest Megalopolis…

  • “New England Megalopolis” = Boston metro area - D.C. metro area

  • Only 2% of U.S. landmass

  • Contains over 50 million people (= 16-17% of entire American pop.)

• A region (can transcend multiple states)

Boom Towns

Cities with rapid population explosions

• Any small city whose population skyrockets in a limited amount of time

• Temporary place to stay, boom town → ghost towns 

Cosmopolites

Students, intellectuals, musicians, artists, “yuppies” = Young Urban Professionals

• Socioeconomically Advantaged = wealthy

• Socioeconomically Disadvantaged = poor

  • bottom of the social hierarchy in terms of status, wealth, education, work skills, etc.

• Ethnic Immigrants – subcultural assimilation

• College students 

White flight

Migration of wealthy, white populations leaving the decaying cities, while poorer minority groups were left behind

Baby Boom

• Post WWII American population explosion (1946- 1964) 

• Hardships & uncertainties of the Great Depression & War years caused a delay in couples getting married and starting families

• End of war + strong economy = national need for new housing

Urban Renewal

• Economically revitalizing impoverished urban areas

• Restoring run-down, crime-infested sectors of a city

• City investment projects attract affluent residents and businesses (and their money) back into the city

Gentrification

• Displacement of the poor who are forced to relocate as a result of urban renewal

• Through restoration & new construction, revitalized areas carried higher expenses

• The poor residents of the area can not afford the new rent prices and migrate to and overcrowd other run-down areas of the city

Snow birds

Form of transitional migration, typically of people over age 50, who live in northern regions during the spring/summer and live in southern regions for the winter

• Temporary not permanent 

Louisiana Purchase

Nearly doubled the country’s land mass

• Louis & Clark Expedition inspired explorers to travel west

• Huge land development – France owned it before us

Manifest Destiny

9th-century cultural belief that the United States is destined to expand its territory across the entire North American continent

• Led to territorial expansion polices (“sea-to-sea”)

• Justified actions to conquer and remove indigenous peoples

• Not a policy, but a philosophy/idea/mindset that this land is our land for us to take, regardless of who is here  —> but people were living here before their arrival 

Homestead Act of 1862

160 acres of government-owned land in the west, freely given to any American citizen willing to farm the land

• Giving land away so that native Americans won’t reoccupy it again

Transcontinental Railroad

• Fast travel of people & material from East Coast cities to the West

• Settlers passed through the interior on way to the west coast

• The Great Plains remain the most sparsely populated region of the U.S.

• Connected the East Coast to the West Coast with speed which led to fewer travel stops. 

• This caused boom towns to become ghost towns was the reduced need for pit stops during cross-country travel.

The Great Migration (1910-1970)

Mass migration of over 8 million African Americans from the rural south to the urban north

• Current trend = urban north to the urban south - Atlanta, Charlotte, New Orleans, Jacksonville

• Reversal is going from the urban north to the urban south 

“The Rust Belt” (causes and process of development) –

“The Sunbelt” (causes and process of development) –