Population

Population: refers to the number of people living in an area or a

particular place at a given time.
POPULATION TERMS
Demography- Deals with the statistics of the human population, their
size, development and structure.
Population distribution- It’s about how people are spread across the
geographical space.
Population density-Total number of people living in unit area
total population
- It is calculated as: unit area
Crude death rate- This is number of deaths per thousand population
Crude birth rate- This is the number of live births per thousand of
population in a given area.
Infant mortality rate- This is average number of deaths of children
under one year or who are in the first year of life per thousand live
births in a particular area per 1000 live births
Natural rate of increase- This is the difference between birth rate and
death rate. Births recorded-Deaths recorded.
Under population- This is when there are very few people to use the
resources of an area efficiently e.g. Canada, Australia etc.
Overpopulation- When there are too many people and a few resources
to sustain them e.g. Bangladesh
Optimum population- This is the number of people which when working
with all the availability of resources and technology locally available will
produce the highest percentage of economic returns. Optimum
population is highly theoretical and impractical.
Dependency- This is the number of people who are economically
inactive and these are between 0 and 14yrs and 65+ who need to be
supported by the economically active groups. Dependency is usually
¿
expressed as a ratio : 0−14+65+ 15−64 ¿ ×100
Economically active group- Includes those between 15 to 64 years who
support the dependency.
Maternal mortality- This is the number of mothers who die during child
birth.
Age sex pyramid- This is the distribution of population according to age
and sex.
Population changes- The growth or decline of the population due birth
rates, death rate and migration
Life expectancy- These are number of years one might be expected to
live at time when they are born

Reasons for recent rapid population growth (‘population explosion’):

-improved medical care – vaccinations, hospitals, doctors, new drugs and scientific
inventions
-improved sanitation and water supply
-improvements in food production (quality & quantity)
-Improved transport – moving food, doctors etc.
-decrease in child mortality
How each of the factors below can reduce population growth
Pensions:
People no longer need children to look after them in old age.
Equality for women:
(Women are able to get educated) so they focus on careers rather
than bringing up large families/women have a say in how many
children they have/women can choose to have abortions (or use
family planning)
Improved health care:
(Reduces infant mortality) so parents avoid to have several babies
in case some die/availability of abortion
Causes of rapid population growth
1.Early marriages
2.Lack of family planning methods
3.Cultural factors e.g. to have a male child
4.Need for labour in subsistence economy
5.Prestige of large families
6.Uncontrolled birth rate
7.Migration
Other population policies which governments have used to reduce
population growth rates
Use anti-natal policies; E.g. one child policy
Offering incentives for people who follow the policy/have less
children;
Specific example of an incentive – e.g. free education/health
care);
Set penalties for people who do not follow the policy/have too
many children;
Specific example of a penalty – e.g. fines, increased taxation;
Forced abortions/sterilization/legalise abortion;
Provide free family planning/contraception/make contraception
affordable
Propaganda/advertise/education about benefits of fewer
children/ of contraception;
Encourage later marriage
Reduce numbers of immigrants allowed into the country

REASONS FOR LOW LIFE EXPECTANCY/HIGH MORTALITY (Low income

Countries )
-high incidence of environmental disasters
-HIV/AIDS in Botswana and Zimbabwe in adolescence
-collapsed health care and infrastructure e.g. Zimbabwe major Govt
hospitals doctors on strike
 -high doctor to patient ratio
-inferior diets /periodic food shortages
-changing human migration leading to other marital affair leading e.g.
HIV /AIDS/STIs
-antibiotic resistance
-poverty
-new infections
REASONS FOR HIGH LIFE EXPECTANCY (HIGH INCOME COUNTRIES)
-high standards of living
-easy access to advanced health care facilities
-low doctor to patient ratios
-fewer environmental diseases
-better diets
-better care for aging population
-early retirement
FACTORS RESPONSIBLE FOR HIGH RATES OF HIV/AIDS
-poverty and social instability that result in prostitution
-high levels of other sexually transmitted infections
-sexual violence
-high mobility which is mainly linked to migratory labour systems
-ineffective leadership during critical periods in epidemic spread
COUNTRIES WITH HIGH LEVELS OF HIV/AIDS-BOTSWANA, ZIMBABWE,
SOUTH AFRICA, MOZAMBIQUE
CAUSES OF OVER POULATION
 High birth rates
 Migration into receiving area leading to increase in population
CONSEQUENCES/ RESULTS OF OVERPOPULATION
 pressure on energy supplies
 lack of work/Jobs
 inadequate food supplies
 poor access to education
 poor access to health care
 inadequate water supply/sanitation
 overuse of agricultural land/overgrazing/ disputes over agricultural
land/places to live
 deforestation/loss of natural vegetation
 lack of space for landfill
 traffic congestion
 high cost of land
 people lack enough natural resources/raw materials;
 lack of fuel/power e.g. electricity
 poverty
 starvation/famine
  high levels of disease/high death rates
 people live in squatter settlements
 atmospheric/water pollution causing health problems
Problems/consequences of under population
• shortage of workers
• low level of production
• resources under-used
• high taxes
• lack of government income
• small market for goods and services
• low value of exports
REASONS FOR HIGH NATURAL INCREASE
-a large percentage of the population is engaged in subsistence
farming where child labour is important
-limited access to contraceptives
-culture/tradition favours large families
 -religion
-high illiteracy levels
REASONS FOR HIGH BIRTH RATES (LICs ZIMBABWE)
-Children provide labour on family subsistence farms.
-Large families are seen as a sign of the husband’s virility
-Girls are expected to marry early thus extending their child bearing
years.
-Lack of birth control in remote areas.
-Some religions disapprove use of contraception.
-High infant mortality encourages large families to ensure that some
children survive.
POPULATION CHANGES
The demographic transition model
It’s a diagram drawn to show the changes that occur in a population.
The development happens in phases
Stage 1: High fluctuating
-High birth rate and death rate cancel each other out
-Low level of medical rate or knowledge results in high death rate and
birth rate.
-Population remains stable (zero growth). This is usually the case of
primitive societies e.g. DRC, Cameroon and parts of Mozambique.
Stage 2: Early Expanding
-Known as the transitional stage, High birth rate but a drop in death rate
-Better food supply and control of diseases but lack of birth control
Malawi, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Philippines etc.
-Traditional values are still important and also need children as labour
hence birth rate still high
-Most of the low income countries (LICs) remain in stage 2 while Middle
and High Income Countries have reached stage 3.
Stage 3: Late expanding
-Decline in birth rate and a further decline in death rate and population
growth continue at a slower pace.
-Growth rate drop, due to modern population control measures e.g.
free charge of family planning pills.
-New values emerge e.g. need for a car, good house, and change of
family planning.
-Further research and development in medicine keep death rate falling
at this stage e.g. South Korea, Singapore, Guinea, Brazil etc.
Stage 4: Low stationary
-Also called low fluctuating or post-industrial
-Sharp decline in growth e.g.=therefore more people dying than being
born e.g. UK, Germany, and Canada
Stage 5
-In a limited but increasing number of countries, mainly European, the
birth rate has fallen below death rate. In absence of net migration
inflows of these populations are declining. Examples of natural decrease
include Germany, Belarus, Bulgaria and Ukraine
Limitations of the demographic transition method
-Low Income Countries may fail to follow the pattern of change found in
HICs (High Income Countries) 30-50 years ago.
-Birth rates have failed to fall as rapidly as might be expected on some
Low Income Countries because of some social customs and beliefs.
Case study 1.1 Overpopulation in Lagos, Nigeria
PROBLEMS
Inadequate fresh water for drinking water/contaminated water
 Increased levels of pollution; air, water, noise, soil contamination.
 Irreversible loss of arable land and increases in desertification
 High infant and child mortality due to spreading of diseases
 Starvation, malnutrition or poor diet.
 Elevated crime rate due to lack of jobs
Case study 1.2 under population in Australia
Problems caused by under population:
Small workforce
More taxes
Ageing population
 natural resources under utilized
Less development and innovation
Solutions:
Give benefits to those with children (increasing with number)
Relaxing VISA rules to encourage immigration
More people move for job opportunities
A country with a high rate of natural population growth
CASE STUDY NIGER
Niger is a landlocked country in west Africa , named after the Niger river
which flows through south to west. Its climate is mainly hot and dry with
many desert areas.it is one of the poorest countries in the world. The
largest ethnic groups in Niger are Hausa and Dejerma Songhai, sedentary
farmers who live in the southern part of the country .the rest are nomadic
or semi nomadic livestock. Raising people Fulani, Tuareg, Kanuri, Arabs
and Toubou.
The population of Niger grew from 1.7 million in 1960 to almost 17
million in 2013 with almost half of the country under 15 years old. With
a high population of growth rate of 3.4% it is expected to reach 56
million by 2050 with the average of ust over seven births per woman,
Niger has one of the highest fertility rates in the world.
FAILING DEATH RATES IN NIGER
 Babies are inoculated against diseases and treated when ill
 Improved supply of clean water so less water borne diseases
 food and varied diet
  More clinics, hospitals with trained nurses and doctors
 Better education about health and hygiene

A country with a low rate of population growth (or population

decline)
CASE STUDY RUSSIA
 The population of Russia in 2013 was 143 million in 1991 the
population was at its highest but it has decreased mainly because of
a higher death rate than the birth rate. Despite some recent
increases in the birth rate, the population is predicted to continue
to decrease throughout the rest of the century .alcohol related
deaths in Russia are very high .levels of HIV/AIDS, heart diseases
and tuberculosis are high and male life expectancy is relatively low
at 64 years. Russia women who are highly educated do avoid large
numbers of children. Immigration into Russia is low and many
emigrates are moving away from Russia particularly to Western
Europe to look for a better life style.
WHY POPULATION IS DECLINING IN RUSSIA
-People marry at 18 or above and women are educated and delay
having families so that they can follow a career.
-High costs of living make children expensive to bring up.
-Couples prefer material possessions such as a car, house and going for
holidays.
-Birth control and contraceptive pills in particular are available and
accessible
-Government discourages large families to save costs of building more
schools.
-education about adverse effects of large families
-mechanization of agriculture which reduced child labour
-compulsory schooling
-pension scheme put in place
The population is low because some is lost through migration.
Population control policies
Pro and Anti Natalist Birth Policies
 Anti-natalist policy: A policy that attempts to reduce birth rates.
 China - One Child Policy
After China were invaded and occupied by Japan in the World
War II, they wanted to strengthen their military so that it never
happened again. To do this they encouraged citizens to have
more children, because a population potentially meant a
stronger army. This bigger policy would have been fine if
China had the resources and technology to match. However,
they did not and coupled with the crippling policies of the
Cultural Revolution, mass famines ensued. It is estimated that
up to 30 million died during the 1960's and 1970's. This was
not a sustainable policy, so the Chinese government was
forced to introduce an anti-natalist policy. The policy China
decided to introduce was extremely strict and probably not
possible in a non-communist country.
  The government stated that from 1979 all couples were only
allowed to have one child.
 They also increased the marriageable age of men to 22.
 To get married and to have a child, citizens had to apply to the
government.
 If you applied by these rules you were entitled to free
education, healthcare, housing and given a job.
 If you did not follow the rules, then benefits would be removed
and females who were found to be pregnant were given forced
abortions and even sterilised.
To enforce the policy
 the government relied on community enforcement. Often
elderly residents who were trusted within the community were
asked to inform, elderly female informants were nicknamed
'granny police'.

There were a number of exceptions to the rules

 if you had twins or triplets this was fine,
  if your first child had a physical or mental disability you could
have a second,
 Families in rural areas (farming areas) were often allowed a
second, ethnic minorities were allowed a second and often
couples who bribed officials could have a second.
SUCCESS
 The policy has been relatively successful,birth rates have
fallen from a peak of 44 in the 1950's down to just 12. China's
population is also expected to peak in the next 20 years and
then slowly start to decrease. Because of its success there
have been further relaxations including:

 PROBLEMS
 The strict enforcement of the policy led to a problem of female
infanticide. This is the killing of female babies, because
couples favoured male children. Males ensured the family
name was maintained and were able to work manual jobs,
 whereas females would be lost after marriage (females
normally went to live with their husband’s family).
 China is still overpopulated, there are over 1.3 billion
Chinese
 There is a male female imbalance in the population
 People are demanding greater freedom and choice
 China will slowly get an ageing population.
 There are large numbers of abandoned children
MIGRATION
is the movement of people from one area to another for a
specific period of time
TYPES OF MIGRATION
INTERNAL MIGRATION
 Rural to rural
 Urban to rural
 Rural to urban
 Urban to urban
 EXTERNAL MIGRATION
 International migration
Migration classification
 Voluntary- migrants willingly migrating due to tourism
 Forced migration (involuntary) migrants move due to compulsion
/little choice to move e.g. due to wars, droughts, fear of persecution
e.g. refugees
Factors affecting migration
Factors are divided into two groups:
 1. Push factors- these are responsible for driving people away from
an area.
 2. Pull factors- these are responsible for attracting people to an area

Push factors Journey factors/barriers Pull Factors

Unemployment Money may run out for Employment
travelling
Drought/famine Food security
Poor communication Home sickness Entertainment
system
Natural disasters Language difficulties Fertile soil
e.g. earthquakes and
floods
War Other attractions on the Good communication
way
Diseases and pests Poor transportation Social status
/carelessness
Lack of entertainment Illegal Availability of clean
water
Poor education Cost of journey Better housing
Family breakdown Retirement to a warmer
climate
Overcrowding Lack of awareness of
opportunities
Witchcraft Racial or political
problems e.g.
xenophobia in SA
Unfavourable political
persecution
 Reasons for international migration
-Seeking for better working conditions e.g. teachers and doctors
from Zimbabwe to UK and Botswana, S.A.in 2008/2019
-Seeking employment e.g. Botswana.
-Setting up business in areas of cheap labour e.g. Industrialists in
Europe and America coming in Africa.
-Pushed by hunger and or war, religious persecution.
 -Shopping for better and cheaper commodities e.g. from Zimbabwe
to South Africa, Botswana, Mozambique etc…
 Effects of migration
-The movement of people from one area to another has both
negative and positive effects in both the receiving area and area
origin.

 Area of origin/source area

Gains/Advantages Losses/Disadvantages
Unemployment is Economic active group migrate thus reducing
reduced productivity leading to lower yields, hunger
and lower income.
Rate and pressure on Disruption of marriages
other resources
e.g. food, land houses
are reduced.
Reduced land Imbalance of age sex ratio
degradation
Results in investment Prostitution leading to spread of sexually
in farming by way of transmitted diseases and HIV/AIDS
certified seed,
chemicals, machinery
and tools from the
working relatives
Reduces birth Leads to underutilisation of services such as
rates ,fertility and the schools, clinics and hospitals
workforce bulge in
source area
Increases resources Reduces the market for local businesses
through remittances leading to their decline
from working relatives

Receiving area
Gains/Advantages Losses/Disadvantages
Gains young skilled labourers Pollution rise, traffic congestion
High skilled professors, doctors Lowering of living standards could
nurses, teachers etc… create pressure on job market and
resources
Cultural exchange Language differences
Raising professional standards Spreading of diseases e.g. cholera
-further economic development Zimbabwe-South Africa
e.g. movement of mine and farm
workers into South Africa has
sustained production
Imbalance of age sex ratio could also
create social problems like extra
marital relationships hence the
spread of STIs
Overcrowding of houses and
transport.
Positive effects of large scale international migration
 -new skills brought to the country
 -filling in skill shortages in the receiving countries
 -some professions are encouraged in receiving countries
 -increasing cultural diversity can enrich receiving communities
 -remittances are a major source of income in some countries i: e
countries of origin
 -an influx of young migrates can reduce the rate of ageing
population
 -some migrants have an opportunity to learn a new language
 -return migrants bring new skills
 -working generating income tax
Negative effects of large scale international
 -resentment from locals e.g. xenophobia in S.A
 -loss of young adult workers from places of origin
 -cultural divide in receiving area
  - ageing population remaining in places of origin and agriculture
suffers
 -migrants returning on a temporary or permanent basis question
traditional values of place of origin causing divisions in the
community
 -racial and ethnic tensions
 -in receiving country large population have negative impacts on
environment
 -pressure/strain on services if many people are involved
 -some migrants are exploited by unscrupulous employers
Case study. Migration from USA to Mexico
Push factors from Mexico (Santa Ines) (2010)
 Poor medical facilities - 1800 per doctor
 Low paid jobs - GDP per capita $14,406
 Adult literacy rates 55% - poor education prospects
 Life expectancy 72 years
  40% Unemployed
 Unhappy life – poor standard of living
 Shortage of food
 Poor farming conditions /drought
 National average poverty level of 37 percent
Pull Factors – Reasons Mexicans are attracted to the USA (2010)
 Excellent medical facilities - 400 per doctor
 Well paid jobs - GDP per capita $46,860
 Adult literacy rates 99% - good education prospects
 Life expectancy 76 years
 Many jobs available for low paid workers such as Mexicans
 Better housing
 Family links
 Bright lights

Effects on USA
 Illegal migration costs the USA millions of dollars for border patrols
and prisons
 Mexicans are seen as a drain on the USA economy
 Migrant workers keep wages low which affects Americans
 They cause problems in cities due cultural and racial issues
 Mexican migrants benefit the US economy by working for low
wages
 Mexican culture has enriched the US border states with food,
language and music
 The incidents of TB has been increasing greatly due to the increased
migration

Effects on Mexico (Santa Ines)

 The Mexican countryside has a shortage of economically active
people
 Many men emigrate leaving a majority of women
 Women may have trouble finding marriage partners
 Young people tend to migrate leaving the old and the very young
 Legal and illegal immigrants together send some $6 billion a year
back to Mexico
 Certain villages such as Santa Ines have lost 2/3 of its
inhabitants

POPULATION PYRAMID FOR LOW INCOME COUNTRY

It has broad base meaning that there is high birth rates and a thin apex
meaning low life expectancy for many people.