Chapter 2 - Population and Health

Agricultural Density

The ratio of the number of farmers to the amount of arable land.

Demography

The scientific study of popular characteristics.

China and India

Will heavily influence future prospects for global overpopulation; thus, they both have created different family-planning programs. India has allowed birth control and abortions. India has also very controversial camps that were established in 1971 to perform sterilizations to make people incapable of reproduction in exchange for food or money. China created a "One Child Policy" where a couple needs a permit to have a child in exchange for financial subsidies, maternity leave, better housing, and more land if they agree to this policy. In addition, China allows free contraceptives, birth control, abortions, and sterilizations.

Population Pyramid

A country's distinctive population structure that can be displayed on a bar graph; it normally shows the percentage of the total population in five-year age groups, with the youngest group at the bottom and oldest group at the top. Separated by gender and age.

Pandemic

A disease that occurs over a wide geographic area and affects a very high proportion of the population.

Census

A periodic and official count of a country's population.

Demographic Transition

A process of change in a society's population from high crude birth rate and death rates and low rate of natural increase to a condition of low crude birth and death rates, low rate of increase, and a higher total population. The process consists of four stages, and every country is in one of them: 1. Low Growth — Very high birth and death rates produce virtually no long term increase; all countries started out in this stage; no country is in stage one. 2. High Growth — Rapidly declining death rates and very high birth rates produce very high natural increase. The UK and America entered Stage 2 after the Industrial Revolution in 1750. Africa, Asia, and Latin America did not enter Stage 2 until 1950 when the Medical Revolution hit. 3. Decreasing Growth — Birth rates rapidly decline, death rates continue to decline, and natural increase rates begin to moderate. A country moves into this stage when CBR drops sharply. CBR is still greater than CDR so population still grows. In Stage 3 more people work in cities, offices, shops, and factories than countrysides or farms. Farmers would consider having large families because they have the room and chores for them to do, but urban homes are small and cannot accommodate large families. Birth control is very available in Stage 3 countries. Europe and North America moved from Stage 2 to Stage 3 during the first half of the twentieth century. Asia and Latin America moved from Stage 2 to Stage 3 during the second half of the twentieth century. 4. Low Growth — Very low birth and death rates produce virtually no long-term natural increase and a possible decrease. A country reaches Stage 4 when CBR declines to the point where it equals the CDR and NIR that is approaching zero. Women in Stage 4 societies enter the labor force rather than remain at home as full-time homemakers. Birth control is very available in Stage 4 countries. Concerned with overpopulation, lack of resources, global warming. Countries include Germany, Austria, France, Japan, and Denmark. - Denmark: Instead of having a population pyramid, Denmark has a single column which indicated the percentages of young and elderly people that are nearly the same age.

Sex Ratio

The number of males per 100 females in the population. Developed countries have more females than males because on average women live seven years longer than men. However, in Asian countries there are normally more men than women because female fetuses are being aborted because men are favored.

Physiological Density

The number of people supported by a unit arable land. Ex: Egypt — not a very dense country, but they are concentrated on the delta of the Nile River, but the rest of it is desert

Dependency Ratio

The number of people who are too young or too old to work, compared to the number of people in their productive years. Most people 0-14 years or 65 and over are usually considered dependents.

Natural Increase Rate (NIR)

The percentage by which a population grows in a year. It is computed by subtracting CDR from CBR, after first converting the two measures from numbers per 1,000 to percentages (numbers per 100). Thus, if the CBR is 20 and the CDR is 5 (both per 1,000), the the NIR is 1.5%, or 15 per 1,000. By saying that it is a natural increase rate it is excluding migration.

Doubling Time

The period of time required for a quantity to double in size or value.

Ecumene

The portion of the Earth's surface occupied by permanent human settlement.

Epidemiological Transition

Focuses on distinctive health threats in each stage of the demographic transition (CDC). 1. Pestilence and Famine — There is a high CDR. Includes "natural checks" on the growth of the human population in Stage 1. Includes accidents, animal attacks, Black Plague. 2. Receding Pandemics — Rapidly declining CDR. 3. Degenerative Diseases — 4. Delayed Degenerative Diseases —

LDCs

Less Developed Countries

Malthus Critics

Many critics argue that his beliefs are not realistic because they are based on the belief that the world's supply of resources is fixed rather than expanding. Many believe we will be able to find a way to replace resources that have run out or do not exist anymore (Neo-Malthusians argue that you cannot replace water). Others say that large populations will produce more food. They also argue that poverty is due to a lack of economic development not overpopulation.Others argue that the resources can be shared equally.

Total Fertility Rate (TFR)

Measures the number of births in a society or the average number of children a woman will have throughout her childbearing years (15-49).

MDCs

More Developed Countries

LDCs vs. MDCs

More developed countries have lower rates of natural increase, crude birth, and total fertility, whereas developing countries have higher rates of natural increase, crude birth, and total fertility. With these differentiating rates, cultural impacts occur when certain groups of people have more children than other groups (ex: Latinos are having more children than White Americans—cultural influence of Latinos)

Declining Birth Rates

1. Through Education and Health Care — Wealthy community has more money to spend on education and health-care programs, women choose professions over stay at home mother. 2. Through Contraception — Family planning, birth control, demand for contraceptives is greater than the supply, most affective way to decline birth rate.

Epidemiology

A branch of medical science concerned with the incidence, distribution, and control of diseases that are prevalent among a population at a special time and are produced by some special causes not generally present in the affected locality.

Thomas Malthus

English economist, An Essay on the Principle of Population, was the first to argue that the world's population increase was far outrunning the development of food supplies. Population increased geometrically, but the food supply increased arithmetically. Starvation is inevitable, unless people have moral restraint (do not have sex). He also said that civil wars, diseases, disasters would balance out the population and food supply.

Sparsely Populated Regions

Humans avoid clustering in certain physical environments because they consider them too harsh for human settlement. 1. Dry Lands — Cannot farm, cannot have livestock except for ones adapted to it, but these lands contain rich oil preserves Ex: Sahara Desert 2. Wet Lands — Combination of rain and heat rapidly depletes nutrients from the soil and hinders agriculture. Ex: Rainforest 3. Cold Lands — Permafrost (permanently frozen land) are unsuitable for planting crops, taking care of animals, and living conditions. Ex: Canada, Siberia, Antartica 4. High Lands — Agriculture is more difficult at high mountains and are often snow covered. Ex: Colorado

Industrial Revolution

In 1750 the stages in countries began to switch from low growth to high growth. It began in the UK in the late eighteenth century and diffused to the European continent and North America during the nineteenth century. It included major improvements in manufacturing goods, technologies and delivering them to market. It is when Europe and North America entered stage 2 of the demographic transition.

Overpopulation

Occurs when the number of people exceeds the capacity of the environment to support life at a decent standard of living.

Infant Mortality Rate (IMR)

The annual number of deaths of infants under one year of age, compared with total live births. Its is expressed as the annual number of deaths among infants among infants per 1000 births rather than a percentage. This is important because it tell how developed a country is, if they have a high IMR they are an LDC and if it is low they are an MDC.

Life Expectancy

The average number of years people of a given age are expected to live, according to a mortality table based on factors such as gender, age, heredity, and health characteristics.

Mortality

The death rate; the number of deaths per thousand people.

Crude Death Rate (CDR)

The total number of deaths in a year for every 1,000 people alive in the society. The CDR is expressed as the annual number of deaths per 1,000 population, includes numerous variables.

Crude Birth Rate (CBR)

The total number of live births in every year for every 1,000 people alive in the society. A CBR of 20 means that for every 1,000 people in a country, 20 babies are born over a one year period.

Arithmetic Density

The total number of objects in an area, the measuring system most often used by geographers, refers to the total number of people divided by totally land area.

Medical Revolution

This movement in 1950 pushed the developing countries into Stage 2 (Africa, Asia, and Latin America). It was when medical technology (vaccines, sterilizing instruments, education, medical instruments, cleanliness, pure water, mosquito nets) invented in Europe and North America has diffused into developing countries. Improved medical practices eliminate or decrease traditional causes of death and CDR.

Neo-Malthusians

Those looking back at Malthus' theories and considering them. Looking most commonly at India, China, and Pakistan. They believe its not just regarding food, but resources as well (energy, water). In addition, medical technologies take a long time to reach developing countries.

Clusters

Two-thirds of the world's inhabitants are clustered into four regions which generally occupy areas that are low-lying, have fertile soil, have temperate climates, and /or are near an ocean or river. 1. East Asia — Includes 25% of the world's population, borders the Pacific Ocean and has fertile river valleys that extern inland, made up of Eastern China, the islands of Japan, the Korean peninsula, and the island of Taiwan, most people are farmers. 2. South Asia — Includes 25% of the world's population, made up of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and the island of Sri Lanka, the largest concentration of people within South Asia are found along the plains of the Indus and Ganges rivers, most people are farmers. *East and South Asia are separated geographically and culturally by the Himalayan Mountains* 3. Europe — Includes four dozen countries, 75% of its people are living in cities, unlike Asia, so they must trade for farming goods, most people live near major rivers, coalfields, and historic capital cities. 4. Southeast Asia — 600 million people live in this region mostly on a series of islands that lie between the Indian and Pacific Oceans, made up of Indonesia, Java, Philippines, most people are farmers (rice.)

Possible Demographic Transition, Stage 5: Decline

Very low CBR, increasing CDR, very low NIR. Large population of elderly people which means they won't have any workers, large social security funds, dependency ratio will be through the roof. Innovation, research, and creativity would decrease immensely. Most likely Japan in the future. Ex: Japan — There will be a dramatic shift in population in Japan by 2050. They discourage immigration because they want Japanese people and Japanese cultures, their CBR is very low, few workers, women must choose 1. marry, raise children and remain at home or 2. remain single and work.

Zero Population Growth (ZPG)

When a country's CBR declines to the point where it equals the CDR and NIR that is approaching zero, usually happens in Stage 4.