Population Geography

Migration

Vocabulary
Migration - A permanent move to a

new location

Immigration - Migration from a

location

Emigration - Migration to a location

Questions
Why do people migrate? How have social, economic,

political, and environmental factors influenced migration?

Push and Pull Factors

People decide to migrate because

of push and pull factors. A push factor induces people to leave a location. A pull factor induces people to move to a new location.

Push Factor - Overpopulation

People often leave areas that are

heavily populated.

Push Factor - Religious Persecution

When people cannot worship as

they wish they migrate. The pilgrims that landed at Plymouth were fleeing religious persecution.

Push Factor - Lack of Jobs

The vast majority of people

migrating from Latin America, Africa, and Asia are migrating because there are no jobs.

Net migration rates: Countries in blue have a positive migration rate and countries in blue have a negative.

Push Factor - Agricultural Decline

Agricultural decline means a

person cannot grow as much food on the same amount of land as they once could. Over time land becomes less fertile and people have to move.

Push Factor - Conflict

People flee from wars. These

people are known as refugees. There are many refugee camps in Africa due to a long history of civil war in many countries.

Push Factor - Political Persecution

Political persecution means that

people are punished when they disagree with the government. This happens most in dictatorships or communist countries. People have migrated from China and Cuba because of political persecution.

Push Factor - Natural Hazards

Droughts
Floods

Tsunamis
Earthquakes Volcanoes

Push Factor - Limits on Freedom

Communist countries often limit

personal freedom. People cannot listen to certain music, watch certain television shows, or even say things bad about the government.

Push Factor - Environmental Degradation

Deforestation
Desertification - An expansion of

arid conditions into non-arid regions. This is a problem in the Sahel, a region near the Sahara Desert in North Africa.

Click here to see desertification video from youtube.

Pull Factors
Religious Freedom
Economic Opportunity

Land Availability
Political Freedom Ethnic and Family Ties Arable Land

Impact of Immigration
Language
Religion and Religious Freedom

Customs/Traditions
Cultural Landscape