Population distribution, density & growth
Meet population dynamics — where people live, how densely they are packed, and how and why the number of people changes. In this AS lesson we separate two ideas that sound alike, population distribution (the pattern of where people live) and population density (the number of people per square kilometre), and we calculate density for ourselves using Namibia's own figures. We list the physical and human factors that decide where people settle, then define every term of population change: birth rate, death rate, mortality, fertility rate, natural increase, replacement level and migration, and we calculate the rate of natural increase as (birth rate − death rate) ÷ 10. We learn to read a population pyramid, walk step by step through the five stages of the Demographic Transition Model and its link to development and life expectancy, and finish with the recent rapid rise in world population — its causes and its problems — grounded throughout in Namibia and the wider SADC region.
By the end you should be able to (NSSCAS Geography (AS) 3.1a):
- distinguish between population distribution and density
- describe factors influencing population density and distribution
- define the main components influencing population growth with reference to birth rate, death rate, fertility rate, mortality rate natural increase, replacement level and migration
- evaluate and appreciate the link between population and development changes in demographic indices over time (e.g. life expectancy)
- describe and explain the recent rapid increase in the world's population
- discuss the problem associated with recent rapid increase in the world's population
Mr Robert and Mike talk through the whole topic — with the figure and working drawn live.