Human Geography Week 4

Week 4

Demography

The study of human populations:

• population size

• population composition

  • Processes that influence both of the above

Population Distribution

Where people are located and in what numbers

Factors affecting distribution include:

• physical (temperature, water, relief, soil quality

• cultural (continuation of ancient civilizations)

• economic, political, and social (war, poor economy, discrimination)

Dimensions used to measure are

• Density, concentration, and pattern

Population analysis is dependent on Census Data

Census

Routine counting of individuals and collection of demographic data

• LDCs typically don’t have the infrastructure to carry out routine, organized censuses

• UN created a Standardized census protocol

Three Areas of Historic Concentration

South-Central Asia

• Clustered along key rivers and coasts

• Bulk of population lives rurally

East Asia

• Concentrated on West coast of China and along rivers

Europe

• More urban, especially in Northern and Western Europe

Population Density

Measures of population over an area

• Represents a historical pattern of agriculture

Factors Affecting Population Growth/Decline

Fertility, Mortality, Migration

Global Demographic Equation

P1 = P0 + B - D

• P1 = Population at beginning of time period 1

• P0 = Population at the beginning of time period 0 (before period 1)

• B = Births between time period 0 and 1

• D = Deaths in between time period 0 and 1

Sub-global Demographic Equation

P1 = P0 + B - D + I - E

I = Number of migrants into the area between time periods 0 and 1

E = Number of migrants out of the area between times 0 and 1

Measuring Fertility

Two Methods

• Crude Birth Rate (CBR)

  • # of Live Births in a given period per 1000 people

  • Simplest measure of fertility

• Total Fertility Rate (TFR)

  • Average number of children a woman will have, assuming she has children at the prevailing age-specific rates

Replacement Level

Between 2.1 - 2.5 children per couple replaces a population adequately

Factors affecting Fertility

Biological

• affected by age, nutrition, diet

Economic

• Cost-benefit decision

Cultural

• Marriage age and rates affects birth rates

• Contraceptive use

• Views on abortion

Variations in Fertility

Correlations between fertility and economic development

• LDCs have higher fertility rates

  • Women less educated can’t enter the work force

  • Religious stigma keeps women at home

• MDCs have lower fertility rates

  • Industrialization leads to lower fertility rates

  • Educated women are less likely to have kids

• Internal spatial differences

  • Urban (low fertility) vs Rural (high fertility) differences

Measuring Mortality

CDR (Crude Death Rate) = Total deaths in a given period per 1000 people

• Less variable: affected by well-being and age

Infant Mortality

Good Indicator of social well-being

• Death of infants <1 year old per 1000 live births / year

Life Expectancy

Average number of years one is expected to live

• Good measure of well being

Factors affecting Life Expectancy

• Food availability

• Nutrition quality

• Sanitation quality Health care availability and quality

• Disease

• Conflict/War

Variations in Mortality

CDR can never be 0

Easier to explain with fewer cultural variations

• World CDR patterns less variable than CBR

• Reflects Age Structure more than Socio-economic status (Sweden has a higher CDR than Bangladesh, older population base)

Variations in Life Expectancy

Reflects Socio-economic status

• Varies between and within countries

Affected by access to resources