APHUG Unit 2 Flashcards
Population Distribution
The pattern of people scattered over an area.
Population Density
The number of people within a given area.
World Population Facts
- world’s current population: estimated at 7 billion (World Bank)
- China (1.3 billion) and India (1.2 billion) together comprise about 1/3 of the global population
- major population concentrations: East Asia, Northeast America, South Asia, Western Europe
- 60 % of the world’s population lives within 60 miles of the ocean
- high population areas have high soil fertility, and tend to have mild climates
- world is becoming more urban: about 50% population reside in urban areas
Human Factors
Culture, economics, history, politics.
Physical Factors
Climate, landforms, water bodies.
Ecumene
The habitable parts of the world e.g. along fertile rivers, plains.
Population Density
Measure of total population relative to land size.
Arithmetic Population Density
Measure of the number of people within a given area divided by the total land area.
Physiologic Population Density
Measure of the number of people per arable (farmable) land.
Agricultural Population Density
Measure of the number of farmers per arable land.
Political
More laws, cities greater power/influence.
Economic
More jobs, higher tax base, increase in poverty.
Social
More education, more health care, greater diversity (language/culture), more crime.
Environment
Deforestation, less space/room, pollution, natural resource depletion.
Carrying Capacity
The number of people an area can sustain without critically straining its resources.
Population Pyramid
Provides a visual representation of a population in terms of age and sex as well as a good indication of the dependency ratio within a country and is used to assess population growth and decline and to predict markets for goods/services in general:
* LDCs tend to have pyramids predicting rapid growth.
* MDCs tend to be stable or even declining.
Four Different Shapes Represent Growth
- Rapid growth: distinguished by a wide base.
- Stable/slow growth: characterized by a rectangular shape.
- Declining/negative growth: the base is smaller than previous cohorts.
- Disrupted growth: significant gaps in the pyramid, usually as a result of war, strict population policies, or other drastic events.
Total Fertility Rate (TFR)
The average number of children a woman will have during her childbearing years (15-49).
Birth Rate
Number of live births in a single year for every 1000 people (in a population) .
Replacement Fertility Level
2.1 (slightly higher than 2.0 to account for infant/childhood mortality/childless women).
Mortality (death) rate
Number of deaths in a single year for every 1000 people (in a population).
