Human Geography

Chapter 5

Studying Populations

- Demography

- Statistical study of human populations

- Population Density – an average

- Expressed as persons/mi² orpersons/km²

- As an average, it does not reflect where populations are clustered

Studying Populations

- Population Distribution – where people are clustered, settled

-- About 90% in Northern Hemisphere

--Four areas of great population clusters

---East Asia

---South Asia

---Europe

---Eastern North America

4 World’s Great Population

Clusters

Studying Populations

- Population Distribution, cont.

--Favorable – mild climates, fertile soils, fresh water

--Unfavorable – deserts, rugged mountains, polar regions

Studying Populations- Population Change

- - Birthrate: Births/1000 people

- - Death rate: Deaths/1000 people

- - Migration

- -- Emigration/Immigration- --- Push/Pull Factors

- ---Economic motivation #1 reason

- -- Refugees- ---Flee political unrest and war

Studying Populations- Natural Increase

- - Birthrate – Death rate; expressed as a percentage, e.g. 3% increase

- - Rule of 72

- - Developed v. Developing countries

- --- <1% v. 3% or more

World Population Trends

A. D. 1300 mil.

1600600 mil.

18501.2 bil.

19302 billion

19754 billion

2000 – 6 billion

Demographic Transition

Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3

0

10

20

30

40

per

1000/

year

Death rate

Birthrate

World Population Trends- Population Projections

- The farther onto the future a projection is made, the less reliable it is.

Cultural Geography- Studying Culture

- - Culture Traits – activities and behaviors (shaped by values)

- - Culture Regions – area in which people have many shared culture traits

- -- ethnic group – human population with shared culture or ancestry

- -- Intl. borders sometimes divide culture groups

- -- Culture groups may include several countries

Culture

Language

Religion Values Ethics

Level of Technology

Culture Change- Migration, war, and trade

- Acculturation- Individual or group adopts some traits

of another culture- -- Immigrants

- Assimilation- Immigrant group adopts all features of

dominant culture

Culture Change- Innovation – New ideas that a culture

accepts (home-grown)

- Diffusion – Idea or innovation spreads

- - Expansion – innovation spreads within culture

- - Relocation – migration takes/brings new idea to new culture

- - Hierarchical – from greater size/influence to lesser

Culture Change- Globalization

- Picture on p.97

- OPTIC

Globalization v. Traditionalism

- Globalization – The process in which connections around the world increase and cultures become more alike

- Most globalized cultural traits have their origins in the United States

Globalization v. Traditionalism

- Traditionalism – Following longtime practices and opposing many modern technologies and ideas

- Contributes to cultural divergence

- Increasing religious fundamentalism is reaction to globalization (radical Islam, Hinduism, etc.)

Geography and History

- Using the text on p. 99, answer the following writing prompt:

To what extent is geography and history interrelated?

Language- Main means of communication

- Generations pass on skills, customs, traditions, rituals, celebrations

- Cultural diffusion- - accelerated within language

- - acts as barrier to outside culture

- Spatial characteristics

- English: lingua franca of global commerce

Religion- Binds societies together and gives

meaning to life

- Three main types

- - Ethnic

- -- Japan: Shinto

- -- Judaism

- - Animist – Usually polytheistic

- -- Usually practiced by tribal or “primitive” peoples

Religion- Three main types, cont.

- Universalizing – Usually monotheistic

- -- Christianity, Islam

- -- spread by missionaries

- -- ultimate goal – world domination

Religion- Mapping the diffusion of Buddhism

- Using the text at the top of p. 106 to map the spread of Buddhism throughout Eastern and Southeastern Asia