Population Geography

Population Geography is the study of spatial variations in distribution, density, composition, and
growth of human numbers on earth.

It is important because it links all other aspects of geography together.

Demography

Demography is the study of population characteristics.

It is significant because:

1. There are more people living today than any other time in history.
2. There’s been a population explosion since World War II.
II
3. There is an inverse relationship between population growth and resources,
resources i.e., there are too
many people in places without enough resources to support them and too few people in areas
with over abundant resources.

Thomas Malthus

Thomas Malthus,
Malthus was a British clergyman/economist.

He came up with the Malthusian Theory of Population Growth. The salient points of his theory were

1. Food production increased at an arithmetic ratio (1, 2, 3…) while population increased at an
exponential ratio (1, 2, 4, 8, …).
2. Population growth would outstrip food supply, and mass starvation would follow.
3. Man is incapable of controlling his own numbers, so natural calamities such as floods and
epidemics serve to control/reduce his numbers.

His theory was wrong in a number of ways:

1. He failed to foresee the agrarian revolution that would greatly increase food production.
2. Man has proven he is capable of controlling his numbers, such as in China with the one-child
per family policy.
3. The population has not grown as rapidly as he predicted.

Components of Population Change

Components of population change are births and deaths,

deaths immigrants and emigrants.
emigrants P (people) + B
(births) – D(deaths) + I(immigrants) – E(emigrants) = population.

Fertility and Mortality

Fertility is the number of live births in a defined population. It is calculated using two main indices:

• Crude Birth Rate (CBR): (The total number of live births/the total population) × 100
• Total Fertility Rate (TFR): (The total number of live births/women of childbearing age (15-49))
× 100

Mortality is the number of deaths in a defined population. It is calculated using two main indices:
 Population Geography
• Crude Death Rate (CDR): (The total number of deaths/the total population) × 100
• Infant Mortality Rate (IMR): (The number of infant deaths/the number of live births) × 100

Factors Affecting Fertility

1. Religion:
Religion most major religions favor family development so very religious populations usually
have a high fertility.
2. Social customs and taboos,
taboos with regards to contraception
3. Education:
Education There is an inverse relationship between education level and the number of
children.
children

Factors Affecting Mortality

1. Endogenetic processes: These refer to internal/bodily factors, such as disease.

disease
2. Exogenetic processes: These refer to external factors such as environment.
environment

Other indices to gauge components of population change are:

• Life Expectancy:
Expectanc y: This is the number of years a child can expect to live under current
conditions. It is also the average length of life of a defined population.
• The Natural Increase:
Increase It is calculated by the formula (CBR – CDR/ Total Population) × 100

Migration

Migration
Migratio n is the movement of people.

It is classified by such indices as:

• Distance traveled
• Reason fort ravel
• Period of time of travel
• Volume of migrants

Consequences of migration include:

• Increased understanding between people of different cultures

• Increased animosity between people of different cultures
• Changes in numbers of people at the destination and origin
• Creation of ghettoes in urban areas
• Inter--marriages
Inter

Ravenstein’s Laws of Migration

Ravenstein came up with his “laws” of migration in the 1880’s based on studies carried out in the
United Kingdom.

The laws are as follows:

1. The greatest body of migrants travel short distances.

 Population Geography
2. This produces currents directed toward great commercial centers.
3. Each current has a compensating counter-
counter- current in the opposite direction.
4. Both currents display similar characteristics.
5. Long-distance movements are directed towards greater commercial centers.
6. People in urban areas migrate less than people in rural areas.
7. Males migrate more over long distances and females migrate more over short distances.

Additions to these laws:

8. Most migrants are between 20-

20- 34 years of age.
9. People mainly move for economic reasons.
10. Urban housing development is inadequate for the influx of migrants so ghettoes/shanties are
formed.

Zipf’s Inverse Distance Law

The volume of migrants decreases with distance from the origin.

Stouffer’s Law of Intervening Distances

The number of migrants moving from one town (a) to another (b) is directly related to the opportunities
available at (b) but inversely proportional to the number of intervening opportunities between (a) and
(b).

Push-Pull Theory

Any migration is a result of push forces at the origin and pull forces at the destination.
destination Examples of
push forces are famine, war, and poverty. Examples of pull forces are availability of food, peace, and
wealth.

Gravity Model

This theory states that larger towns are more attractive to immigrants than smaller towns.

Consequences of Migration

These can be subdivided into three categories:

1. Demographic Consequences:
• The numbers and distribution of people within a region are changed.
• Intermarriages are created, leading to a new group of people.
2. Social Consequences:
• Migration brings different people together leading to conflict.
conflict
 Population Geography
• Migration can also create understanding between different groups.
• Rural-urban migration creates ghettoes in cities.
3. Economic Consequences:
• This depends on the “quality” of the migrants and the economic needs of the origin and
destination. Quality refers to skills, age, educational attainment, health, etc.
• In overpopulated areas, emigration is beneficial because it reduces the pressure on the
land.
• In underdeveloped areas, emigration may slow down development.
development

Sex Structure

The sex structure refers to the proportions of the 2 sexes in a defined population.

It is expressed as the number of males to every 100 females.

females

Male births usually exceed female births, but males die off more quickly in infancy, so by the time
children are one year old, there are more females than males.

The sex structure may be affected by the following:

• Where women are considered subordinate beings, they suffer a higher mortality rate and a
lower life expectancy.
expectancy
• Migration.
Migration There is usually a dominance of males in populations dominated by immigrants.
• In difficult environments there is usually an imbalance in favor of males.
males
• Select populations, such as military towns, may have an imbalance for either of the sexes.
• Urban areas in developing regions have more males.
males

Age Structure

There are three basic age structures:

1. Progressive (Brazilian) Type

2. Stationary (American) Type
3. Regressive (European) Type

Progressive Type

It has a wide base that quickly narrows upward to a point.

It indicates a large birth rate¸

rate but poor conditions mean people rapidly die off, hence the triangular
shape of the structure. The population is increasing.
increasing

Stationary Type

The shape of this structure is more “square.” All age groups are well represented.
 Population Geography
It indicates that the birth rate is moderate,
moderate and few people die off as they get older. The population is
stagnant.
stagnant

Regressive Type

The structure has a fairly wide top with a bulging middle and narrow base.

The birth rate is low,

low hence the low base, and there are more adults than children. The population is
decreasing.
decreasing

The Dependency Ratio

This is the ratio between the non-

non -working population (children and aged) and the workers (adults).

It is lowest in regression populations and highest in progressive populations.

It is calculated using the formula (children + aged)/adults) × 100

In developed countries, the DRs range from 50-70. In most developing countries the DRs are over 100.

The Old Age Index

This is the proportion of aged to adults.

adults

It is calculated using the formula ((aged)/(adults)) × 100

Theories of Population Change

These are theories to explain the patterns of population growth in different countries of the world.

1. Biological Theory:
Theory: This theory states that man is like any other living thing. He is incapable of
controlling his growth in numbers.
Theory This theory states that man is rational and uses his intellect to control his
2. Cultural Theory:
growth in numbers; the one-child policy in China
China.
na
3. Economic Theory:
Theory Based on Marxist-
Marxist- Leninist theories, it supposes that growth in population
is a result of a demand for labor.
labor