Population

Population

1. Population Density

   • The average number of people per square kilometer.
     • Shows whether an area is sparsely or densley populated.
     • Population density = total population ÷ total land area in km²
   • The majority of places with high population density are in the northern hemisphere.
     • Economic development has no effect on population.
     • Factors encouraging settlement
       • Climate
       • Fertile land (eg. Bangladesh Delta)
       • Good supplies of natural resources
     • Factors discouraging settlement
       • Extreme climates
       • Mountain areas or highlands
       • Dense vegetation
     • Social factors affecting population
       • Availability of jobs
       • Wages
       • Political factors
         • Civil war (eg. Refugees)
   • Determined by environmental factors which make an area more or less attractive to settlers than by economic development.

2. Population Growth

   • Population pyramids
     • Compare different age groups.
     • Natural selection: birth rate - death rate
       • Population will decline if death rate is greater than birth rate.
       • Population will increase if death rate is less than birth rate.
   • Influenced by births, death and migration.
     • Measured in number of live births/deaths per 1,000 of the population per year
       • MEDCs- low population growth rate.
       • LEDC- high population growth rate.

3. Managing population change

   • Causes of population growth in LEDCs
     • Little education about contraception.
     • Children can work.
     • Help care for siblings.
     • High rates of infant mortality.
     • Traditionally/culturally important for large family.
     • LEDCs youthful population problems
       • Healthcare (eg. vaccines).
       • Education costs.
       • More pressure on health services when they have children.

4. Case Study: China's One Child Policy

   • 1950: Rate of population change was 1.9% per year
   • Established in 1979. One child per couple.
     • Benefits
       • Education access.
       • Healthcare and childcare help offered.
     • Problems
       • Resisted in rural areas where it was tradition to have large families.
       • Harder to control in rural areas.
     • Impacts
       • The birth rate has fallen.
       • Rate of population growth now 0.7%
       • Families wanted boys to inherit, so many girls were aborted. 2000, reported that 90% abortions were girls.
       • Gender balance distorted.
     • Long-term Implications
       • Policy is now relaxed.
         • Couples can now apply for second child if first child is a girl.
       • Now have a falling birth rate - leads to a rise in the relative number of elderly people.
       • Fewer people at working age so there is a possibly future ageing population.

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