Unit 1 Changing populations

1. Population and economic development patterns - how population varies between places

Physical and human factors affecting population distribution at the global scale

Population distribution: Spatial pattern of where people live in the world

Physical factors: Climate, Relief, Fertile soil, access to water, raw materials, natural threat

Human factors: Transport links, government, war/conflict, employment opportunities

History of population distribution globally

• Modern humans Africa 200,000 years ago

• Migrated globally 100,000 years ago

• Remained less than 1 million people

• Farming increased growth to 170 million AD 1

• Industrial Revolution 1760 AD

• 1800 AD 1 billion people globally

Global patterns and classification of economic development:

• low-income countries

• middle-income countries and emerging economies

• high-income countries

Brandt Line/North-South Divide: 1980s Initial classification of Countries according to economic and human development by German chancellor Willy Brandt

Classification: Process of recognizing shared or similar features

Stratification: Arranging things into a system of layers/classes/categories

Low/Middle/High income country (LIC/MIC/HIC): Poor/mid/rich countries according to GNI

GNI: Gross national income

Emerging Economies: developing economies

NIC: Newly Industrialized country

BRICS: Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa (+Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, etc.)

CPE: Centrally planned economy, where government bodies make economic decisions regarding producing and distributing goods.

1st/2nd/3rd World:

MEDC/LEDC:

Core

Periphery:

Population distribution and economic development at the national scale, including voluntary internal migration, core-periphery patterns and megacity growth

Two detailed and contrasting examples of uneven population distribution

Synthesis, evaluation, and skills opportunities

The relative importance of different influences on where people live and spatial interactions between places at varying scales

2. Changing populations and places - processes of population change and their effect on people and places

Population change and demographic transition over time, including natural increase, fertility rate, life expectancy, population structure and dependency ratios

• Detailed examples of two or more contrasting countries

The consequences of megacity growth for individuals and societies

• One case study of a contemporary megacity experiencing rapid growth

The causes and consequences of forced migration and internal displacement

• Detailed examples of two or more forced movements, to include environmental and political push factors, and consequences for people and places

Synthesis, evaluation and skills opportunities

How the impacts of population change and spatial interactions between places can be categorized and represented graphically

3. Challenges and opportunities - population possibilities and power over the decision-making process

Global and regional/continental trends in family size, sex ratios, and ageing/greying

Policies associated with managing population change, focusing on:

• policies related to ageing societies

• pro-natalist or anti-natalist policies

• gender equality policies

• anti-trafficking policies

The demographic dividend and the ways in which population could be considered a resource when contemplating possible futures

• One case study of a country benefiting from a demographic dividend

Synthesis, evaluation and skills opportunities

How population change may affect the power balance between groups of people at local, national and international scales