Changing Populations

Changing Populations

1. 1. Factors affecting population distribution at the global scale

   • POPULATION DISTRIBUTION: the pattern of where people live
   • MIGRANT LABORERS: unskilled workers who move systematically from one region to another, offering their service on a temporary basis.
   • CIRCULAR MIGRATION: when a worker moves repeatedly b/w home and host areas
   • Global Population Distribution
     • Globally
       • 75% of pop. live w/i 1000 km of sea
       • <10% live in the S. Hemisphere
       • 85% live b/w latitudes 68˚N & 20˚N
     • Disadvantage Areas
       • Deserts (too dry)
       • Mts. (too steep)
       • High Latitudes (too cold)
       • Rainforest (too infertile)
     • Exceptions
       • S.E. ASIA: monsoonal climate (hot, wet/dry seasons)
     • Favored Locations
       • Fertile valley (ex. Nile valley)
       • Regular water supply
       • not too extreme climates
       • w/ good communications

2. 2. Global Patterns and Classification of Economic Development

   • Continuum of development
   • GLOBAL level
   • NATIONAL level
     • China
     • South Africa

3. 3. Population Change & Demographic Transition over Time

   • Total Fertility rate (TFR)
     • Status of women: low gender-related development index (GDI)
     • Level of education and marital ambition
     • Religion
     • The need for children (replacement births/agricultural societies)
     • Economic Prosperity (high distribution of wealth = low fertility rates)
     • Location of residence
     • Health of mother
   • Country's Dependency Ratio: # of dependents (<15 and >64) / # of the economically active (16-64)
     • Developing world = high proportion of youth
     • Developed world = high proportion of elderly
   • Pro-Natalist (ex. One child policy/family planning) vs. Anti-Natalists Policies (tax for childlessness)

4. 4. Challenges and Opportunities

   • Demographic Dividend
   • Pro/Con of Megacity Growth
   • Forced Migration: "The movement of refugees and internally displaced people as well as people displaced by natural/environmental/chemical/nuclear/ famine disasters"
     • Population Policies for:
       • Anti-trafficking
       • Refugees and Migrants
       • LGBTI People and Religious Minorities
       • People w/ Disabilities
       • The Criminal Justice Response
       • Stateless People
   • Malthusianiusm
     • Neo-Malthusianism: there is a limit to human population size. Earth's resources can only support a finite population.
     • Anti-Malthusianism: no limit to the human population size (optimistic group of demographers)

Images and files in the map