Population Geography

To have a full understanding of population Geography, it is rewarding to analyse approaches/

perspectives of studies of population. Three broad areas emerge namely Population Studies,
Population Geography and Demography. There is need to be clear as to the
domain/realm/sphere/field of study of each of these areas
Population Studies
Sometimes referred to as Social Demography- a discipline which analyses the relationship
between economic, social, cultural and biological processes influencing population
is a broad Social Science discipline concerned with the study of human population in relation
to their size, composition, geographical distribution the changes which occur in these
variables in space (spatial) over time(temporal) and factors associated with these changes e.g
Social-urbanization, Economic- development- social, economic,, cultural,.
The discipline emphasizes the empirical investigation of population processes, including the
conceptualisation and measurement of the processes and the study of their determinants and
consequences. The discipline is also concerned with the broader nature of social and
economic change and with the impact of demographic change o the natural environment
( Impact = Populatiox Technology x Affluence i.e. I= PTA) Population Studies concepts have
an important bearing on and role to play in understanding social change. Indeed population is
an essential component of many activities ; social and market research, physical and
environmental use, planning, administration and in particular population centred development
planning.
Can we then say Population studies is a superordinate terma
Population Geography
The study of ways in which spatial variations in the distribution, composition, migration and
growth of population as related to the nature of places. A concern with the spatial and
temporal variation of phenomena (the geographer’s lenses) has been the geographer’s distinct
contribution to population studies. The implication is that Population Geography is but a
subset of Population Studies. It is enriching and revealing to look at Population Geography
and Population Studies in light of Demography.
Demography
A branch of Sociology tat studies the characteristics of human populations, human ecology.
Its concern/interst lies with the patterns of births, deaths, marriages per se ( for its on sake;by
itself; for itself; in isolation) neglecting the influence of migration and spatial variations in
general.
-also defined as the study of population dynamics (changing aspects,,undercurrents) or even
population in its totality, concerning itself with population density, distribution,, migration,
growth patterns,, their influencing factors, recognizes variations in population structure,
composition and to predict population growth(project/forecast te population growth trends
and patterns i.e population change trajectory and their effects on national economies’ e.g
unemployment, planning,(education, health, transport, and other services).
 Geography should stress/ emphasize the interpretation, analysis and geographical
representation of such population data( dot maps, choropleth maps, isopleth maps, flow line
graphs, bar graphs, age –sex pyramids)
Population Composition/ Structure
Refers to those aspects of ppn which may be measured & for which data may be obtained
from censuses e.g.
Are indices such as age structure, sex composition, marital status, employment, occupation,
family & household sizes, nationality, religion, language,, ethnic composition
-varies b/w regions, countries & communities
-importatnt to go beyond numbers because population composition has implications on the
economy and society
Pn Sex ratio:proportion of males and females in a ppn
-is of interest because it has a bearing on socio-economic planning; gender roles in a popn
-varies regionally for a variety of reasons –social,biological e.g migration, wars, diseases
How does this statistic vary and what are the implications of its variation?
Age Structure
-the proportion of a ppn falling within certain age groups
-is important demographic factor as it has repercussions on the whole ppn
-is affected by fertility and mortality rates
-the major divisions are usually youths (0-14), adults (15-64) and the aged(65+).
Each of these broad bands are typically sub-divided into 5-yr bands /cohorts
-each category has certain attributes /characteristics which distinguishes it from the others in
terms of productivity , reproduction, employment, impact on the economy e.g planning-
dependency oad and dependency ratio come into play
-typically reflects on the demographic history of a country & this is usually reflected in the
age –sex pyramids for different populations.
Characterise each of these age groups and reflect on their variations between regions of the
world and the implication of those identified variations e.g developing vs developed
countries.
Generally, youths and the aged are a burden to both the economy and society( Your reaction
to this claim?)
Identify any differences in the population structures of developed and developing
countries & how and why do these differences in the ppn structure occur?
Age- Sex Pyramids ( What are they & how are they constructed, what story do they tell
you about a population)
-show age and sex details of a ppn
-vertical axis – graduated in yrs or grps of yrs from zero (0) upwards
The most normal vertical scale is the 5-yr interval called cohort(s)
-are valuable in showing the different Nos of males and females @ different ages i.e sex
ratioas well as the overall composition of the ppn;
Reflect not only long-term trends in fertility & mortality, but also short-term effects e.g of
wars, migration, diseases/epidemics/ pandemics
-both the shape & irregularities in age-sex pyramids can tell us a great deal about a ppn
-types of age-sex pyramids and their explanation? Compare and contrast pyramids for
contrasting regions/countries

Is the study of ppn important/necessary?-enabling planning;quite cental to the study of

Human Geography- man’s effects on the environment- the numbers & densities of humans ,
the most important developmental resources if not the ultimate resource, the need to manage
human population- population policies & their effectiveness
World population
What is the world ppn size?
Identify world ppn clusters
Population distribution
Where do peole live & how even is their distribution? Why do variations occur in their
relative distribution? (Reasons for ppn dsrtbn)
How closely packed do people live & ith what esults
Is there any relationship b/w ppn dstbn & the degree of injustice in society?

No geographic phenomenon is constantly found / regularly experienced/ evenly spread Why?

Because environmental factors are locational variables Ppn dstrn is generally related to
physical, economic, cultural, social factors
Pple by choice or necessity live where the environment offers a foothold.
Ppn dstrbn is a reflection a function 0f environmental advantages. The environment is a
locational variable hence the uneven dstrbn across the globe/continents/countries /etc
Physical factors
-regarded as fundamental causes of the variable dstrbn of ppn( think of environmental
determinism, possiblism, probablism )
-come first in affecting/influencing man’s choice of of location e.g 2/3 of the world ppn lives
directly on farming (how about if we add those living indirectly on agriculture)
(Continentality vs insularity, low lying areas vs mountainous areas, Climate, mineral
deposits, Edaphic facrors i,e soils)
-where there is economic promise, man overcomes hindrances by paying costs to overcome
environmental hardships
Non-pyhsical factors
- Seem to be or are secondary locational factors only becoming important as ppn grows
& becomes technologically more powerful(Refer to Hans Carol hand out on Stages
of Technology & their impact on the physical environment: a basic problem in
Cultural Geography )

How valid is the claim that physical factors are of some help in understanding the dstrbn
of sparsely populated parts of the world but are of little help with densely populated areas.
Implicit in the statement –ppn density relates to types of economic activities so that high
ppn densities coincide with areas of high productivity per unit area.
Think about/ Consider:
a)primitive subsistence economies – hunter gatheres & crop growing, Eskimos, Bushman/
Khoisan, PygmiesLapps, Masai, Fulani,Red Indians, Zagros
b) intensive subsistence economies in rice farmers in eastern Asia
c) Commercial Ranching and grain production – wstn America e.g the Cotton belt, Prairies of
Canada. The Downs of Australia, the Murray Darling Basin of Australia ,the Pampas of
Argentina, the Maize Triangle of Hungary and South Africa, the Steppes of Russia.
d)Industry and Intensive farming-Europe, parts of the former USSR, eastern USA- the dairy
belt, the beef belt, the corn belt- urbanization ,industrialization, urban development, growth
and expansion, Growth Points or are they points without growth
Concepts Ppn Density & Pressure
-entails the degreed of compaction in a ppn;
- te degree of proximity b/w ppl;
-the closeness of ppl living in a given area;
i.e. how thinly or thickly spread is butter/margarine on bread
- the spatial reflection b/w ppl’s asserts (advantages offered by the envmnt )
-ppn density studies can centre on purely spatial aspects – ecumen (habitable)vs non-
ecumen(inhabitable) (60% of the earth is ecumen and the remainder isn’t but this subsumes
that technology remains static which it isn’t)So ecumen areas adre densely populate whereas
non-ecumen areas are sparsely populated.
 Problem: How do you delineate/ delimit/ draw a line between the two/ one from the other, so
this is a threadbare, it’s qualitative
Quantitative methods single out 3 divisions of ppn density viz :
Areas of very dense ppn (over 100 ppl/km2) - we recognize regions of high living standards –
England, Germany, the Low countries , N.E USA( the NE Seaboard);
we recognize regions of low living standards-India, Pakistsan, Bangladesh, SE Asia
Areas of moderate density(25- 100 ppl/km2) - we recognize regions of high living standards –
France, SE Australia,SE Canada, mid-wes USA;
we recognize regions of low living standards-Zimbabwe, Turkey,Ghana, Eucador
Areas of low density( less than25 ppl/km2
we recognize regions of high living standards –Nordic/ Scandinavian countries,Wsn Canada,
Australia & New Zealand
we recognize regions of low living standards-Central Brazil, N. Afrcia, New Guinea,
Patagonia
The method has its own weaknesses e.g there are areas that are intermediate in both ppn
density and living standards e.g the Middle East & East Indies. Also due to rapid ppn
growth,some countries are passing from from low to high ppn density & from poor to reach
status e.g S>E Brazil and Nigeria are fairly richer thatn most LDCs. Slso Italy, Spain,
Portugal and Ireland are less developed than other developed countries
Generally,small countries have higher national densities e. Singapore(a city state), Hong
Kong, Gibraltar have high ppn densities, Macoa is 12 km2 and has a population of 250 000
giving it a ppn density of 15625-17000 pp/km2 Larger countries have smaller ppn densities
eg, the former USSR 10 pp/km2
Excluding tinny countries,the most densely popuatedc ountries are Bangladesh-over 500
pp/km2 ; Holland/ the Netherlands over 400 ppl/km2 the United Kngdom 229ppl/km2

Measurement of density
Desnsity is an expression of the ratio b/w ppn and a given unit size/area(How thickly/thinly
ppl re in space).
-is assed differently;
Crude density – Total Ppn/Area( including mountains, lakes water, ice sheets)
Nutritional density- Total Ppn/Cultivated or habitable area
Room density-No. of ppll/Rooms in anan area
Ocupational density-Total ppn of a cerain sections of ppn /Total area e.g Agricultural
workers/Total area ; Manufacturing workers /Total area
Ppn density is an index which is used to measure the extent of pressure (P) in a given area
Refer to Choropleth Maps, Dot maps
Population Pressure is a measure of the degree of impact of ppn on the evnmt
-relates ppn size to & desity
To natural resources
Population Pressure Index= (Ppn2-Ppn1)/A where Ppn1 ppn capable of being sustained by
resources @ time 1; Ppn2 ppn actual ppn in an area @ time
- has glaring weaknesses- how to estmate PPn1 is problematic
Most geographes us qualitative terms viz:
Overppn – there is excess ppn over actual or potential resources, hence low incomes,
unemployment, low levels of energy use, low levels of ecation . low levels of health
Optimum ppn- a balance exists b/w ppn & resources hence there will be maximum
productivity/utilisation of resources
Underppn-too few ppl for available resources
These terms should be approacghed with caution for they disregard such factors as in life as
culture, race,technology,expetations in life, aesthetic values, national resources definition. At
any rate/ In any case which resources are actual and which ones are potential?
In LDCS, food is the prime factor, Advanced countries, space is of prime concern ()
Condominiums/ . Also resources vary tremendously
The relationship b/w GDP and Ppn density and b/w ppn density & living standards can be
used to define the existence or lack thereof overppn, optimum ppn and underppn
Some theories of Ppn change/growth