2. DEMOGRAPHY
STATIC
Characteristics of population at any given time
DISTRIBUTION:
UNIT 4
STRUCTURE
BIOLOGICAL STRUCTURE: age
or sex
ECONOMIC SITUATION
DYNAMIC
Population´s evolution over time
NATURAL MOVEMENTS MIGRATORY MOVEMENTS
3. The Earth is inhabited by over 7.3 billion human beings.
However, they are inequalities in population distribution
over the Earth´s surface, because different FACTORS:
PHYSICAL AND HUMAN.
4. FACTORS THAT AFFECT POPULATION DISTRIBUTION
PHYSICAL FACTORS
› Climate. A suitable temperature favours human
settlement. For example, areas with very cold (polar regions) or
very high temps (equatorial forest or driest areas: hot deserts) are
almost unpopulated.
› Topography. Although there are people living in villages located
in mountainous areas, with difficult access, people prefer to settle
in low-lying areas near the coast and in river
valleys.
› Soil. The fertility of the soil, which favours the
developed of agriculture, has been an important factor.
› Water. In areas where water is scare, such as in deserts, the
population is usually low.
It means that people tend lo live in temperate climates, areas of low
altitude and places near water with fertile soil.
6. HUMAN FACTORS
These are consequences of human actions which attract people to a territory or
cause them to leave it.
› Political. Decisions made by governments can influence demographic
behavior. Ex: policies encouraging or penalizing births, regulating
migration or causing citizens to go into exile.
› Economic. People usually settle where there is employment, industry
and services, such as cities. For example: welfare state (Spain): a lot of
public services and quality of life
› Technological. Technological advances allow people to alter natural
physical factors. For example, agriculture can be developed in previosly
arid areas thanks to hydraulic technologies.
Example of an anti-natalist policy: China and its one-
child policy (until 2015). ¿Why? To reduce population
growth, using propaganda posters and penalizing
couples who had more than one child.
7. › POPULATION DENSITY
To analyse the number of people concentrated in an area and
compare population sizes, we need to calculate the population
density. This indicator allows us to make comparisons between
territories or countries of different sizes.
To calculate it, we use the following formula:
› Very low population density: below 10 inhabitants/km2
› Low population density: 10-50 inhabitants/km2
› Moderate population density: 50-100 inhabitants/km2
› High population density: over 100 inhabitants/km2
› For example:
Size of Africa = 30.310 Km2
Total population = 1.186.000 of total population
Population density of Africa = 39, 13 inhabitants/km2
8. TOTAL POPULATION: Number of people that live
in a particular place.
› https://www.saberespractico.com/demografia/paises-por-
poblacion-2017/
POPULATION DENSITY: Describes the
relationship that exists between the surface area of
a place and its population.
› https://www.indexmundi.com/g/r.aspx?v=21000&l=es
› https://www.saberespractico.com/curiosidades/paises-por-
densidad-de-poblacion/
› http://www.expansion.com/economia/2017/02/24/58b01455ca4741
e56f8b458f.html
9. On a political map of the world you have to
stick in your notebook:
› Write the name of the ten most populated
countries of the world (red color).
› Write the name of the ten most densely
populated countries or places of the world (blue
color).
10.
11. THE DISPROPORTION BETWEEN GROWTH AND RESOURCES.
› In many poor countries, where the population is growing very fast, people go hungry
and development is restricted.
› These places are the starting point of migration.
THE AGEING POPULATION.
› In developed countries, such as Spain, we can talk about an elderly population. It
means not only that we have to pay pensions, healthcare and specialist care, but also
the productive capacity of society suffers, because if there are fewer births, there are
fewer workers.
› In many countries with this situation, governments are putting pro-natalist policies into
practice.
INEQUALITIES IN DEVELOPMENT
› The differences between the developed countries (richest countries) and developing
or underdeveloped countries (poorest countries) are measured by the UN uses the
Human Development Index (HDI) or INDICE DE DESARROLLO HUMANO (IDH)
12. GDP AND PERCAPITA INCOME
Gross domestic product (GDP). In Spanish language, PIB o Producto Interior Bruto. The value
(in money terms) of all of a country´s production of goods and services.
Per capita income (renta percápita). If the relationship between GPD and the number of
inhabitants is calculated, the per capita income is calculated.
In developed countries, these indicators are very high, whereas in developing countries are very
low.
ECONOMY AND TECHNOLOGY
In developed countries: great level of technological development, tertiary sector the most
important economic sector and a large-scales trade.
In developing countries: agriculture is the primary activity and they do not have advanced
technology.
EDUCATION AND HEALTHCARE
In developed countries: governments guarantees social benefits, such as public education,
health coverage and pensions. However, many inhabitants of developing countries do not have
access to these services. Sometimes, non-governmental organisations provide these services.
SOCIAL INEQUALITIES
In developed countries, the distribution of wealth is relatively equitable. Most of the population
enjoys a level of purchasing power. On the other hand, there is very unequal distribution of
wealth in developing countries, with a rich minority and a large number of poor people.
