GEOGRAPHY

3.1 Population Distribution

1650: 500 million people
1950: 2.5 billion people
2011: 7 billion
2024: 8.1 billion
2050: 9.7 billion
2080: 10.4 billion

• Population growth occurs almost exclusively in the Global South.

• Africa will double its population to 2.5 billion by 2050 [2100: 4.5 billion].

• Europe's population will shrink: from 750 million to 650 million by 2100.

Example: Australia

• People are unevenly distributed across the Earth.

• Factors: Climate, altitude, jobs, infrastructure [transport].

• Northern Hemisphere is more densely populated [90% of the world population].

• Most people live below 500m above sea level.

The World as a Village

2023
If the world were a village with only 100 inhabitants, it would consist of:

59 from Asia, 18 from Africa, 9 from Europe, 8 from Latin America, 5 from North America, and 1 from Oceania.

25 would be children under 15 years old.

10 people would be older than 65.

On average, women would have 2.2 children.

2050
In 2050, 122 people would live in the village:

67 from Asia, 31 from Africa, 9 from Europe, 9 from Latin America, 5 from North America, and 1 from Oceania.

3.2 Population Density

Informs about how thinly or densely an area is populated [inhabitants/km²].

Example Austria:
Population: 9,100,000 inhabitants, Area: 83,884 km², Population Density: 108 inhabitants/km².

Population by Continents
1] Asia: 4.7 billion inhabitants, 59%
2] Africa: 1.5 billion, 18.5%
3] Europe: 745 million, 9%
4] Latin America & Caribbean: 659 million, 8%
5] North America: 383 million, 5%
6] Australia & Oceania: 45 million, 0.5%

Population by Countries [2023]
1] India: 1.43 billion
2] China: 1.41 billion
3] USA: 330 million
4] Indonesia: 279 million
5] Pakistan: 241 million
6] Nigeria: 224 million

Ecumene

• Areas inhabited or used by humans.

Anoecumene

• Uninhabited and unused areas of the Earth.

Semi-Ecumene

• Transitional areas [e.g., alpine pastures].

3.3 Megacities

Megacities: Cities with more than 10 million inhabitants [more than Austria's population!].

• Tokyo, New York, Sao Paulo, Lagos, Moscow, etc.

• Most megacities are in Asia.

• Urban Agglomeration: City including suburbs and densely populated surrounding areas [Tokyo-Yokohama: 40 million inhabitants].

• Increased Urbanization.

• Urbanization: Proportion of the population living in cities compared to the total population.

• Suburbanization: Spread of cities into rural areas.

Top Megacities
1] Tokyo, Japan, Asia: 39 million
2] Jakarta, Indonesia, Asia: 35 million
3] Delhi, India, Asia: 32 million
4] Manila, Philippines, Asia: 24 million
5] Sao Paulo, Brazil, South America: 22 million

Push and Pull Factors

• Push Factors: Cause migration from rural areas.

• Pull Factors: Hope for a better life in the city.

• Slums and Marginal Settlements.

3.5 Population Pyramid [Age Pyramid]

Graphical representation of the age structure of a society.

Basic Forms

• Pyramid

• Bell

• Urn

Growing Population

• High birth rate

• High death rate

• Typical for developing countries

Stagnating Population

• Moderate, decreasing birth rate

• Moderate, decreasing death rate

• Typical for emerging countries

Shrinking Population

• Low birth rate

• Low death rate

• Typical for industrialized countries

Societal Problems

• Urn: Aging population and lack of offspring.

• Pyramid: Large number of children, low life expectancy.

Who will pay the pensions?
Education for young people becomes unaffordable!

Graphical representation of the age structure of a society.

Basic Forms

• Pyramid

• Bell

3.6 Population Growth

• unplanned births

• the desire for more than two children per couple (as a possible retirement provision)

• young age structure (almost 90 percent of all young people live in developing countries)

• AA POPULATION DOMINO

• Chinese propaganda poster

  CHINA

• 1949 founding of the People’s Republic of China (Mao Zedong)

• 1979 - 2015: One - child policy

• 2015: Two - child policy

• 2021: three-child policy

• > problems: aging and gender ratio (male surplus)

3.7 Migration

Migration = Movement

• Immigration: In-migration

• Emigration: Out-migration

• International Migration: Migration across national borders.

• Internal Migration: Migration within national borders.

Migration Balance
Increase or decrease in the population of an area due to migration movements.

Migration Factors

• Push Factors: Poverty, unemployment, war, persecution, poor medical care, etc.

• Pull Factors: Jobs, peace, stability, better medical care, etc.

• Intervening Factors: Conditions that make migration harder or easier [border controls, transport costs, etc.].

Migration Patterns

• Labor Migration

• Flight [Rural-urban migration]

Consequences

• Multiculturalism

• Integration

• Interculturalism

• Assimilation

The number of forcibly displaced people worldwide continues to rise. In May 2024, 120 million people were forcibly displaced – more than the combined population of Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and the Netherlands.

3.8 Immigration Country USA

Hispanics/Latinos: Immigrants from Latin America ['Spanglish'].

• Often enter illegally and without work permits.

• USA as a Melting Pot.

• Strong segregation of residential areas.

The American Dream

• Dream and reality diverge.

• 5-class society [Upper, Upper-Middle, Middle, Lower-Middle, Lower Class].

• Working Poor.

Mega: Brain Drain

• Emigration of highly qualified professionals and executives.

Migration as an Economic Factor

• Brain Drain: Emigration of highly skilled workers [scientists, engineers, IT experts].

• Care Drain: A specific form of Brain Drain affecting medical personnel [nurses, doctors].

• Brain Gain: Talent immigration [destination countries].