Europe's Population

Page 1

Europe's Population

Europe's Demographic Crisis:

Graying Of The Core

Currently ca. 731 million -- "historic high" (U.S. 300 m)

EU pop. Is 495 million

Less younger people, more older people living longer: less people in the working class and an increase in taxes because there are less people paying

Annual natural increase: -.0.08 percent (global rate: ca. 1.4 percent)

Fertility: total fertility rate (TFR) = ca. 1.5

To "replace" TFR = ca. 2.1-2.2

World TFR = ca. 2.6

Sub-Saharan Africa TFR = ca. 5.6

US TFR = 2.1

Life expectancy:

Males = 74 years

Females = 81 years

Summary: Europe's Demographic Crisis

Among the lowest fertility in the world

Oldest population in the world: currently ca. 17% elderly

"Low fertility" and "greater longevity" together

Europe's Population Distribution

Trunk Europe/Dorsal/Blue Banana (central Europe to Mediterranean-most densely populated in Europe)

Med arc

Hellweg (loess belt)

Scandian Trench

Sctottish Lowland

Orestad (oresund bridge)

Paris Basin

Istanbul

Madrid

Europe's Population Overview

Earliest Beginnings

Greek

Romans

Fall of Rome

"Dark Ages"

Middle Ages- population recovery, "Great Clearing"

Calamitous 14th century: population crash

End of 15th century: population recovery

1750: populations "take off"

The rise of Rome: westward shift in the center of gravity

200 CE - 36 million

The city of Rome had 1 million people living in it

The "dark Ages"

Population decline, especially in Mediterranean lands

Cold winters

Population shifts to NW Europe north of the Alps around 800 CE

The Middle Ages

Demographic recovery between 800 and 1350; assault on wood-lands, introduction of three-field agricultural system, revival of trade

The Calamitous 14th century

Worsening climate ("little ice age")

Crop failures (abandonment)

Famine (weakened pop.)

Disease and plague

Plague (black death) 1347

Not the first occurrence in Europe

Struck Athens in 430 BC

Justinian plague (542-543 AC)

Black Death came 800 years later

Caused by bacterium (Yersinia pestis)

Hosted by oriental rat fleas carried on the back of Black Rats

3 types:

Bubonic: swelling of lymph nodes (darkens in throat and arm pits) fatal 75% of the time, spread by coughing, breathing it in. (1 week to live)

Pneumonic: Affects the lungs- cough up blood, fatal 80% to 90% of the time, spreads by flee or contact. (3-5 days)

Septicemic: Bleeding into skin: black skin, fatal 100%, spread by flee or contact. (1 day)

1/3 of Europe died in less than 10 years

1/2 of China (where it originated) died in less than 10 years

Came from Eurasian Steppes with Mongol armies; carried from besieged Black Sea port of Kaffa (Genoa); catapult bodies into town, travels abroad Genoese trading ships in 1347 to Constantinople and Italy on the rats.

Spread of the black death 1347-1351

Climatic conditions favored outbreak (low crop yields, weakened population)

Unleashed pandemic across Europe lasted until 1351

1/3 of Europe's population died

Black Death: changing society

Church affected - loss of prestige/authority

Land abandonment - shortage of labor, rise in wages

Stratified society - became more fluid

Population recovery - not until 1500

Fertility to 1750

Extremely high birth rates

Serial polygamy: beauty and the beast, woman wrote the story to prepare the young girls for what was in store for them. (12 to 13 year olds being married for child birthing processes to men as they got older)

Function of:

Early marriage

Lack of contraception

High death rates (compensation for)

Healthy children: a "gift" from god

Peasant life

Mental illness and physical handicaps

Leprosy: rampant and feared

Had to wear wool: unwashed woolens contributed to skin diseases

Intestinal disorders: no veggies

Cessation of bathing (3000)

Diet of bread (rye, wheat, barley) and porridge (barley)

Little protein (no potato yet)

Vegetables considered unhealthy

Heart healthy: low in fat and high in fiber, but drugged (common to use hallucinogens in bread-kept kids quiet)

Surpluses rare: malnutrition constant (Grimm's fairy tales)

The Epidemiological Transition

Decline in disease virulence

Better medical knowledge/technology

Improvements in living environment

Increased food supply (wheat from Us, potato)

Transport resolution (steam ships bring foods, ends local famine)

Decline in child neglect (kids are living longer)

Mass production of soap, cotton (cotton can be washed)

Improvement in urban environment (learn about bad water, cholera)

Population drops in Europe (War loses): 60 to 70 million dead

WWI:

8,388,448 dead

21,219,452 wounded

WWII:

20,394,000 military dead

24,650,000 military wounded

23,823,000 civilians dead

Nationalism

Pro-Natalism in Germany