TOPIC

Directorate
of
Distance
Education
(DDE)

Program:

Population and Resources: Concept of Optimum Population,

Overpopulation and Underpopulation,
Population-Resource Region

P.G.

Subject:
Geography

Class:
Final

Paper:
VIII(vi)
(Pop. Geo.)

Prepared By: Dr. Kanhaiya Lal, Assistant Professor, DDE, K.U.K.

Lesson:
IX

1.1 Introduction
Population is the most important component of
population geography.

Directorate
of
Distance
Education
(DDE)

Program:

Present human species had common ancestor but it is

varied initial physical environment coupled with some
short of luck gave some human group higher pace of
development than others.

P.G.

Subject:
Geography

Class:
Final

These difference further multiplied with the passage of

time to make different human groups differently able in
understanding and utilisation of their environment.

Paper:
VIII(vi)
(Pop. Geo.)

Lesson:
IX

These different abilities with different human group to

understand and exploit their environment have
necessitated the need to compare human numbers with
respect to local physical environment which owes to
satisfy their needs now and also for the generations to
come.
In this parlance the concept of optimum population,
overpopulation or underpopulation and population
resource region come to fore.

Directorate
of
Distance
Education
(DDE)

Program:
P.G.

Subject:
Geography

Class:
Final

Paper:
VIII(vi)
(Pop. Geo.)

Lesson:
IX

2.1 Objectives
Conceptual understanding of optimum population,
overpopulation and underpopulation.

Directorate
of
Distance
Education
(DDE)

Program:

Discussing the problems and prospects associated with

them ,if any.
Giving an account of important population resource
regions of the world.

P.G.

Subject:
Geography

Class:
Final

Paper:
VIII(vi)
(Pop. Geo.)

Lesson:
IX

3.1 Understanding the Concept of Optimum

Population, Overpopulation and Underpopulation
Human has variety of needs and aspirations individually
and collectively which may change in terms of time and
space and as these are behaviorally perceived by them.
Some of these are basic to his survival and healthy
development of his different faculties while others nonbasic.
Fulfillment of any of his need and aspiration depends
upon exploitation of some resources which is unevenly
distributed around the world.

Directorate
of
Distance
Education
(DDE)

Program:
P.G.

Subject:
Geography

Class:
Final

Paper:
VIII(vi)
(Pop. Geo.)

Lesson:
IX

Size, distribution and population structure within a

country must be viewed in relation to its natural resources
and the techniques of production used by its population
(Leong and Morgan, 1982).

Directorate
of
Distance
Education
(DDE)

Program:

The concept of optimum population, overpopulation

and underpopulation are intimately related with the
resource base(concept is highly subjective and vary as
human acquires more and more knowledge base) and its
exploitation pattern.
Some resources are inherently attached, like air and
water, with humans while others are acquired through
various interactions and practices with them.

P.G.

Subject:
Geography

Class:
Final

Paper:
VIII(vi)
(Pop. Geo.)

Lesson:
IX

Thus it is our basic knowledge, whether in inherent

form or acquired form, to exploit any physical or biological
material for the satisfaction of our any need and aspiration
makes something resource and as knowledge base
expands so our resource base swells up.
Thus resource now may not be a resource in the past and
anything not a resource now will may become resource in
future.

Directorate
of
Distance
Education
(DDE)

Program:
P.G.

Subject:
Geography

Class:
Final

As new and new uses of same resource come forward its

importance multiplies. Further, not only the knowledge
but the place of availability and cost involved in its
exploitation also has the capacity to make a resource more
important.

Paper:
VIII(vi)
(Pop. Geo.)

Lesson:
IX

Now each and every resource in this nature is recyclable

in some way but some may take unusual very longer time
that practically their stocks are considered as limited.
In these connotations of knowledge base and amount of
something available in terms of time and space, it is said
that a region or also whole earth has only limited resources
to satisfy our needs.
After resource the second most important consideration
in our population and resource consideration is the
population themselves.

Each individual and each human group probably have

different capability and also attitude to use resources.

Directorate
of
Distance
Education
(DDE)

Program:
P.G.

Subject:
Geography

Class:
Final

Paper:
VIII(vi)
(Pop. Geo.)

Lesson:
IX

A saint need minimum exploitation of resources while a

materialistic person may aspire for many more times.
Thus ,firstly, the capacity to exploit different resource is
important; secondly, attitude towards them and finally, it
is human numbers since it multiply the human needs.
Further, the structure or composition of population is
also important as it is usually the adult which are actively
involved in resource utilisation.
As the proportion of different age and sex group
changes, the same human number may have markedly
changed pattern of needs aspirations as well as their
capacity to utilise resources.

Directorate
of
Distance
Education
(DDE)

Program:
P.G.

Subject:
Geography

Class:
Final

Paper:
VIII(vi)
(Pop. Geo.)

Lesson:
IX

Further, a large population but technologically poor may

not have that much capacity to bring stress on resources
than a small but technically very advance population.
Attitudes is also a matter of concern since
technologically advance population may not necessarily
have a materialistic and selfish outlook of life.
Unfortunately, technically advance world with about a
quarter of world population has put much stress on all
resources by consuming roughly more than three fourth of
all consumable resources in the world annually leaving
behind three fourth of world population dependent only
on less than a quarter of resources.

Directorate
of
Distance
Education
(DDE)

Program:
P.G.

Subject:
Geography

Class:
Final

Paper:
VIII(vi)
(Pop. Geo.)

Lesson:
IX

An important aspect in our consideration is the area of

our interest whether we considering different regions
separately, different nations separately or whole world
together.

Directorate
of
Distance
Education
(DDE)

Program:

Based on our consideration of different space the human

number; its technological capabilities; its attitude towards
resource exploitation; number, quantity and quality of
physical as well as biological resources, all changes.

P.G.

Subject:
Geography

Class:
Final

Next important point of consideration in this regard is

the concept of sustainability i.e. at least similar
opportunities should always remain with all human
generations to come as we are enjoying.

Paper:
VIII(vi)
(Pop. Geo.)

Lesson:
IX

In population-resource relation, we need to consider the

complex as well as dynamic linkages of capabilityopportunity-propensity matrix of different human groups
and their individual members separately, inhabiting
presently and also will inhabit in future in different
regions of the world.
Finally, optimum population is an economic concept
which believes in the maximisation of marginal output.

Directorate
of
Distance
Education
(DDE)

Program:
P.G.

Subject:
Geography

Class:
Final

It is the total number of human beings with any given

state of resource base so that output per man will be
maximum or is regarded as a state of equilibrium between
population and the resource available with them so that
every individual should enjoy highest possible life style.

Paper:
VIII(vi)
(Pop. Geo.)

Lesson:
IX

Addition of more and more people will not disturb this

state of equilibrium as long as new resources are keep
adding and per head output keeps its pace.
If resource base will become static and population
increases considerably or if population will remain nearly
stable but somehow our resource base erodes so that our
per head output will fall then equilibrium of populationresource become disturbed.

Directorate
of
Distance
Education
(DDE)

Program:
P.G.

Subject:
Geography

Class:
Final

If an equilibrium stage between population and

resource base has been established, then further higher
material gains are possible through the addition of better
technology only.

Paper:
VIII(vi)
(Pop. Geo.)

Lesson:
IX

Now suppose a stage of development in populationresource relationship when technology and resources are
there but due to lack of adequate hands they are not being
efficiently exploited for the betterment of the society. In
this stage of population development the living standard
of the population will be lower than the maximum
potential. This is the stage of underpopulation.
If population continued to expand slowly a time will
reach when total output keep increasing but per capita
output started diminishing or law of diminishing return
started working in the region. The stage of population
expansion beyond which the law of diminishing return
started working or marginal output started decreasing is
the stage of optimum population.

Directorate
of
Distance
Education
(DDE)

Program:
P.G.

Subject:
Geography

Class:
Final

Paper:
VIII(vi)
(Pop. Geo.)

Lesson:
IX

Beyond optimum population, if population further

expand then total output may increase but it will have
negative impact on their living standard as less and less
per head resource are available. This is the condition or
stage of overpopulation with respect to the resource base
of the region.
Here it must be noted that above all concepts have the
concept of sustainable development as inherent to them.

Directorate
of
Distance
Education
(DDE)

Program:
P.G.

Subject:
Geography

Class:
Final

These concepts can be represented graphically also as

given in the next slide.

Paper:
VIII(vi)
(Pop. Geo.)

Lesson:
IX

Underpopulation

Overpopulation

Total Population

GDP per Capita

GDP per Capita

Optimum Population

Directorate
of
Distance
Education
(DDE)

Program:
P3
P2
P1

P.G.

Subject:
Geography

Total Population

Positive slope of curve shows

condition of underpopulation;
zero slope shows optimum
population and negative slope
shows overpopulation.

As the level of technological

sophistication improves from
P1, P2, P3; same population can
move to higher growth
trajectories.

Source: Modified after Goodall (1987).

Source: Modified after Goodall (1987).

Class:
Final

Paper:
VIII(vi)
(Pop. Geo.)

Lesson:
IX

4.1 Problems of Underpopulation and Overpopulation

Due to variation in distribution of population, their

composition, technological attainments and resource base
and also a very complex pattern of globlisation, optimum
population in relation to resource base are rarely found.
Thus most of
regions either suffer from
underpopulation, like Brazil, Columbia, Peru, Zaire,
Asiatic Russia, etc. or overpopulation, like India, China,
Pakistan, Bangladesh, Malaysia, etc.
Both of these conditions have some characteristic
problems attached to them.

Directorate
of
Distance
Education
(DDE)

Program:
P.G.

Subject:
Geography

Class:
Final

Paper:
VIII(vi)
(Pop. Geo.)

Lesson:
IX

4.2 Problems of Underpopulation

4.2.1 Distribution of Population
Most of underpopulated regions of the world witness
highly uneven population distribution in favour of few
large urban cities.

As a result of it there exist marked differences in

resource exploitation and level of various kinds of
infrastructure and opportunities in few big urban centers
and countryside.
In such region large cities grow at the cost of smaller
cities and countryside.

Directorate
of
Distance
Education
(DDE)

Program:
P.G.

Subject:
Geography

Class:
Final

Paper:
VIII(vi)
(Pop. Geo.)

Lesson:
IX

Providing all modern facilities in small town and

countryside become a very costly affair where population
are limited and immigration may also not successful in
addressing this problem as most of them like to go to big
cities only.
4.2.2 Lopsided Resources and Industrial Development

In such regions resources are usually not fully utilised

and more attention was given to those resource
development which gives quick and easy profit.
Thus the state of agriculture is usually neglected in
preference to extraction of minerals where more hands,
less profit, slow growth is expected.

Directorate
of
Distance
Education
(DDE)

Program:
P.G.

Subject:
Geography

Class:
Final

Paper:
VIII(vi)
(Pop. Geo.)

Lesson:
IX

 Such

regions have not only shortage of labour but also of

skilled labour.

Directorate
of
Distance
Education

Their domestic market is small and export is highly

competitive and unreliable too.

Program:

All these
development.

Subject:
Geography

also

resulted

into

poor

industrial

4.2.3 Loneliness
Population residing in countryside are few and feel
marginalised as every aspect of development they receive
are filtered by few big cities with a considerable time lag
and so they have a sense of perpetual lonliness.

(DDE)
P.G.

Class:
Final

Paper:
VIII(vi)
(Pop. Geo.)

Lesson:
IX

4.2.4 Difficult Geo-environment

The historical reason why these areas remain
underpopulated will reveal in most of the cases that the
geo-environment of these areas are relatively difficult.

Directorate
of
Distance
Education
(DDE)

Program:
P.G.

Application of same level of inputs may give here

relatively lower output at least in the beginning.
As capitals with these regions are usually limited so
domestic investment become difficult. Foreign aid and
investment may have many undesirable conditionality
attached with them.

Subject:
Geography

Class:
Final

Paper:
VIII(vi)
(Pop. Geo.)

Lesson:
IX

4.3 Problems of Overpopulation

4.3.1 High Population Growth

Population with a large base expands very rapidly even if

growth rate are low.
Unfortunately most of these overpopulation areas also
have high growth rate of population.

Directorate
of
Distance
Education
(DDE)

Program:
P.G.

Subject:
Geography

Class:
Final

4.3.2 Poverty and Unemployment

Due to excessive pressure on resource base and often
limited development of these resources resulted into low
level of employment opportunities.

Paper:
VIII(vi)
(Pop. Geo.)

Lesson:
IX

So in such areas various forms of unemployment are

very common.
This has resulted into chronic poverty problems in these
regions. This has also resulted into other social problems
like high malnutrition, high child mortality, etc.
4.3.3 Low Capital Formation
Due to low earning and high dependent population in
such areas the rate of capital formation and thereby fresh
investment ,both are usually very low.
It restricts efficient resource utilisation and a vicious
circle of low development established in such areas.

Directorate
of
Distance
Education
(DDE)

Program:
P.G.

Subject:
Geography

Class:
Final

Paper:
VIII(vi)
(Pop. Geo.)

Lesson:
IX

4.3.4 Policy Related Confusion

In such areas policy related confusion also prevails as
which production method to adopt, should development
be inward oriented or outward oriented, agriculture
should be preferred over industry or not, etc.
Capital intensive production is cost cutting but at the
same time shrink employment opportunity.

Directorate
of
Distance
Education
(DDE)

Program:
P.G.

Subject:
Geography

Class:
Final

Labour intensive industries gives more jobs but cost of

production rises and competitiveness of product
decreases.

Paper:
VIII(vi)
(Pop. Geo.)

Lesson:
IX

Due to low purchasing power domestic market has

limited opportunities and export competitiveness requires
cutting edge technology.
Their resources are so limited that they always have
confusion that haw much share should be given to
agriculture or industry. As a result they have poor state of
usually both agriculture and industry.
4.3.5 Low Social Overhead Capital formation
Due to limited resource and very high population the
state of most of social overhead capital are poor and as a
result the quality of labour, working environment and
entrepreneur, all are usually of substandard level.

Directorate
of
Distance
Education
(DDE)

Program:
P.G.

Subject:
Geography

Class:
Final

Paper:
VIII(vi)
(Pop. Geo.)

Lesson:
IX

5.1 Population-Resource Regions

A complex relation exists among man, resource base and
technology.

Directorate
of
Distance
Education
(DDE)

Program:

In this connection whole world can be divided into

different population-resource regions which have some
advantages and disadvantages over others.
Ackerman (1970) grouped population-resource region
into five broad category which has been reproduced here
with certain modifications.

P.G.

Subject:
Geography

Class:
Final

Paper:
VIII(vi)
(Pop. Geo.)

Lesson:
IX

5.1.1 United States Type or Technology-Source Area of Low

Population-Potential/Resource Ratio
These areas are the most developed areas of the world
enjoying very high standard of living.
They witness rapid development in last one to two
hundred years as they received massive in-migration from
then technically very advance society. In fact at that time
most of them belong to Brazilian type.
Original inhabitants of these lands were low in
numbers, technically very backward and so they gave up
quickly against migrants.

Directorate
of
Distance
Education
(DDE)

Program:
P.G.

Subject:
Geography

Class:
Final

Paper:
VIII(vi)
(Pop. Geo.)

Lesson:
IX

These lands were full of pristine natural resources and

thus technological support gave them very high growth
and prosperity.
In contrast to their physical resources the population
pressure was very low and so there was always a good
scope for the application of higher and higher technology.
Slowly they mastered in technology and now the area
has so much technology and so many technical persons
that they often export them.
Their prosperity, wealth, technical knowhow, etc. gave
them unprecedented advantage in international arena to
deal things in their favour.

Directorate
of
Distance
Education
(DDE)

Program:
P.G.

Subject:
Geography

Class:
Final

Paper:
VIII(vi)
(Pop. Geo.)

Lesson:
IX

They use resource of not only of their own land but also
of other regions.
This unfortunate excessive materialistic attitude has
done much harm to the nature.
Probably they are at the zenith of development using
present technological knowhow and the gap between
them and the next group is so high that it seems difficult
that any new country will be added to this group in near
future, instead it is more possible that some of them may
slip down to lower group.
Examples are: United States of America, Canada,
Australia, New Zealand, Argentina and parts of Russia, etc.

Directorate
of
Distance
Education
(DDE)

Program:
P.G.

Subject:
Geography

Class:
Final

Paper:
VIII(vi)
(Pop. Geo.)

Lesson:
IX

5.1.2 European Type or Technology-Source Area of high

Population-Potential/Resource Ratio
This is the source area of massive out-migration to new
lands which developed into United States type latter.
Here again technology is very advance but high
population and limited physical resources has created
high population pressure.

Directorate
of
Distance
Education
(DDE)

Program:
P.G.

Subject:
Geography

Class:
Final

High living standard is maintained by constant

technological upgradation, resource conservation and
recycling ,one of the best output practices along with
export of technology, technical knowhow and export of
finished goods.

Paper:
VIII(vi)
(Pop. Geo.)

Lesson:
IX

So their prosperity relies on a combination of advance

technology, efficient resource utilization and conservation
and on international trade and services.
Examples are: The most of countries of Western,
Southern and Eastern Europe and Soviet Central Asian
republics belongs to this group.
5.1.3 Brazilian Type or Technology-Deficient Area of low
Population-Potential/Resource Ratio
This is practically a transition stage were the pressure of
population to physical resources is low and so these areas
have high promises.

Directorate
of
Distance
Education
(DDE)

Program:
P.G.

Subject:
Geography

Class:
Final

Paper:
VIII(vi)
(Pop. Geo.)

Lesson:
IX

They have ample physical resources but their

technologies are poor and so their prosperity are average.
If they receive or develop good technology, sufficient
social overhead capital, etc. then their resource
exploitation efficiency will expand and it will bring them
to a trajectory of higher prosperity like of European type.
If only population expand and not technology and
quality of population, then such region may slip to the
inferior category of China type.
Examples are: Cover most Brazilian plateau, Bolivia,
Venezuela, Paraguay, interior Argentina, Central
American Republics, Cuba, north Australian territory, etc.

Directorate
of
Distance
Education
(DDE)

Program:
P.G.

Subject:
Geography

Class:
Final

Paper:
VIII(vi)
(Pop. Geo.)

Lesson:
IX

5.1.4 China or Egyptian Type or Technology-Deficient Area

of high Population-Potential/Resource Ratio
This is the least promising of all categories.

Directorate
of
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Education
(DDE)

Program:

State of technology is poor and excessive population has

caused very high stress on physical resources.
So, industrialisation is low, agriculture which is the
mainstay of economy is in dilapidated condition and high
population is expanding at higher rate.
Many social evils like poverty, unemployment,
malnutrition, illiteracy, etc. are very common.

P.G.

Subject:
Geography

Class:
Final

Paper:
VIII(vi)
(Pop. Geo.)

Lesson:
IX

Probably rapid population growth is the biggest single

problem here which if controlled then only this region has
chance of moving towards European type of prosperity.
Examples are: Egypt, Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Albania,
Greece, Haiti, Guatemala, China, India, Pakistan, Sri
Lanka, Afghanistan, etc.
5.1.5 Arctic-Desert Type or Technology-Deficient Area with
few Food Producing Resources
This is the land of the future with many unexplored
resources due to the lack of technological maturity.
Either uninhabited or a very few people reside there.

Directorate
of
Distance
Education
(DDE)

Program:
P.G.

Subject:
Geography

Class:
Final

Paper:
VIII(vi)
(Pop. Geo.)

Lesson:
IX

So technological advancement may invite more human

intervention in these areas of hostile geo-environmental
conditions in future.
Examples are: Covers the Antarctica, northern part of
North America and Eurasia, the Amazon basin, the Sahara
desert, deserts of Central Australia, Chile, Patagonia, etc.
6.1 Summary

Directorate
of
Distance
Education
(DDE)

Program:
P.G.

Subject:
Geography

Class:
Final

Human knowledge, which makes something resource,

in combination with human numbers, their composition
and their attitudes, decide the way resource are created
and exploited. So in the complex population-resource
relation human is at the centre of the theme.

Paper:
VIII(vi)
(Pop. Geo.)

Lesson:
IX