In this unit, we will study how humans react to both natural and man-made changes on Earth's surface. There is no greater way to study human geography than through data collection on populations. There are many different questions we could ask about a population that will explain how they and why they live their lives the way that they do.There are basic questions, like "how many people are there?", "Is there an equal amount of males and females?", and "How old are they?"
Eventually, the questions we ask about a population will become more detailed. How many schools are there? What kind of houses of worship are there? How does this specific area generate income (make money)? How old is the labor force? These questions can be answered by studying the country's population growth, or the total percentage of births and deaths over a period of one year in addition to the number of people immigrating to and emigrating from that country during the same time period.
Aside from the total size, the most important demographic characteristic of a population is its age and gender structure, or the proportion of people at each age divided between males and females. The age-gender structure determines potential for future growth of specific age groups, as well as the total population. For these reasons, the age structure has significant government policy implications. A population of young people needs a sufficient number of schools and, later, enough jobs to accommodate them. Countries with a large proportion of older people must develop retirement systems and medical facilities to serve them. Therefore, as a population ages, needs change from childcare and schools to jobs, housing, and medical care.
Population Pyramids
The age-gender structure of a country can be studied through population pyramids. The overall shape of the pyramid indicates the potential for future growth. The four representations of population age-gender structure provide an overall example of what a pyramid for different levels of population growth would look like --rapid growth, slow growth, zero growth, and negative growth. The horizontal bars show the percentage (or in some cases the actual numbers) of males and females in each age group.
Rapid Growth |
Slow Growth |
Zero Population Growth |