GHY Intro Notes – Population Patterns and Demographics (Pages 1-3)

  • World population = approximately 8.1 Billion people

  • India only recently passed China in being the most populous country

  • Dot maps are maps that use dots to indicate data; can skew data by misleading the location if dots start to overlap

  • 10,000 years ago was the agricultural revolution, which made population growth more stable due to ease of life

  • Spatial/Time patterns – Factors that influence human engagement

  • Chapter 1 Notes

  • Geography is: landscapes, weather, cultures, oceans/water, countries, climate warming, plate tectonics, mountain ranges, climates, environments, maps

  • @ August 19, 2025 11:46 AM

  • GHY Intro 1

Page 2

  • Population timeline:

    • 1900: 1 Billion

    • 1959: 3 Billion

    • 1999: 6 Billion

    • 2000: 6.1 Billion

    • 2011: 7 Billion

    • 2020: 7.6 Billion

    • 2022: 8 Billion

  • Important words – Patterns and Processes

  • Geography is the study of spatial patterns and processes on the Earth’s surface

  • Regional Geography – Analysis of spatial organization and relationships (Patterns & Processes) based on a classification system of spatial realms or “regions”

  • Causes for stunted human growth:

    • Food insecurity/famine

    • Lack of medicine/sanitation

    • Lack of global connection/movement

    • Diseases

    • War

  • In 2050, the projected population will be 9.6 Billion

  • In 2084, human population is projected to peak at 10.3 Billion

  • While human population is still growing, it is slowing down

  • Growth Rate – The percentage of population change per year

  • Carrying Capacity – The max amount of people the earth can support reasonably

Page 3

  • Why are we still growing in population if growth rates are decreasing?

  • Life expectancy

  • While growth rate is decreasing, population is still increasing, semi cancelling out the decrease

  • Large population base (More people having babies than ever before, though fewer babies per household)

  • Demographic Momentum

  • Fertility rate – The number of kids per female

  • Population decline – Death rate is higher than birth rate

  • Most population growth (90%) is in less developed countries (LDC, developing) compared to more developed countries (MDC, developed)

  • This is due to:

    • Lack of female education (Gender gap)

    • No healthcare

    • Infant mortality

    • Lack of access to birth control

    • Different cultures

    • Different workforces (LDCs are mainly agrarian)