Population, Culture, and Natural Resources

Grade 6Chapters 3-5

1. Where do People Live?

• What is Population Distribution? Population: people living in a region, especially

the total number of people in an area Population distribution – describes the way

population is spread out over the world Demographers – scientists who studies human

population including their size, growth, density, distribution, and rates of births, marriages, and deaths.

Why is Population Distribution Uneven?

• People are choosy and want, generally, to live in places that have good weather and many natural resources.

• Most major civilizations of world history began near major bodies of water. The water was good not only for drinking and bathing, but also for transportation. Being near water also makes growing crops easier.

Continents Populous and Not Populous

• 81% of the world’s population lives in Asia, Europe and North America, though those areas cover only 53% of the Earth’s land. This is because these areas have good climates, fresh water and natural resources.

• Most people try to avoid living in deserts, mountain regions, or places that are unbearably cold.

What is population density?

• Population density – average number of people who live in a square mile.

• Japan has a high population density. Canada has low population

Studying Population Density

• Divide the number of people living in a place by the number of square miles in that place.

• Some people are able to live in challenging environments. The Inuit and Sami people livein frozen Arctic regions. Herders live in desert regions of Africa and Asia. They learn to adapt to their environment.

II. Growing Population

• Population Growth is Worldwide– World population has grown rapidly. It has more

than doubled since 1960.

Population Birthrate and Death Rate

• Birthrate – the number of live births each year per 1,000 people.

• Death rate – the number of deaths each year per 1,000 people.

• Life expectancy – average number of years that people live.

Reasons for Growth Today

• Today, the birthrate has increased and the death rate has slowed.

• New farming methods have increased life expectancy because food is more readily available. – Scientists developed new varieties of food and new

ways to protect crops from insects– Scientists are also able to grow crops without soil, a

method called hydroponics – The changes above are referred to as the Green

Revolution.– Advances in vaccines, medicine, and surgery

The challenges of Population Growth

• In Asia and Africa, food supplies are not currently able to keep up with the growing population.

• In many countries, jobs are hard to come by because of growing population.

• South Asia faces the largest problem (India, China, in particular). ¼ of the world’s population lives there. ¼ of the world’s poor people also livethere.

• Population growth also affects the environment. More people means more resources used and more pollution.

III. Why People MigrateA. Migration: Movement of People

• Migration – the movement of people from one country or region to another in order to make a new home.

• Immigrant – a person who moves to a new country in order to settle there.

• Push-pull theory – a theory of migration that says people migrate because certain things in their lives “push” them to leave, and certain things in a new place “pull” them.– a. Examples of “pushes” could be difficulty in finding work, religious

persecution or problems within a country’s government.– b. Examples of “pulls” could be opportunities for better lives

elsewhere. – Ex Irish immigration in late 1800s and Vietnamese during Vietnam war

The World Becomes More Urban

• Sometimes people migrate within their own country, usually looking for better work. In recent years, people have migrated from the Northeast to the South and Southwest.

• Urbanization – the movement of people to cities and the growth of cities.

Growing Cities, Growing Challenges

• Rural areas – an area with low population density such as a village or the countryside.

• Urban areas – an area with a high population density; a city or town.– a. Jakarta, Indonesia and Sao Paulo, Brazil, are

examples of cities where the population hasgrown fast. • Jobs, schools, hospitals and other services that people

need are often hard to come by.

I. What is Culture

• A. Culture: A Total Way of Life 1. Culture – way of life of a group of people who share similar beliefs and customs. a. Language, clothing, music, food, entertainment, occupations, behavior and beliefs B. Elements of Culture 1. Cultural Traits – A particular group’s individual skills, customs and ways of doing things. a. A group’s religious or spiritual beliefs, government, and ideas about what is right andwrong are all part of culture (values).

C. People and Their Land

• 1.Geographers study how landforms, climate, vegetation and resources affect culture.

• 2. Geographers are also interested in how people affect their environment.– a. Technology – tools and the skills people need to use them;

the practical use of scientific skills, especially in industry.• .) Geographers analyze the technology within a culture to see how

advanced they are.

• 3. Cultural landscape – a landscape that has been changed by human beings and reflects (or shows something about) their culture.

D. The Development of Culture

• 1. Cultures go through 4 stages:– invention of tools, – discovery of fire, – growth of agriculture – farming and raising

livestock– writing

Early Technology

• . Early on, people were hunters/gatherers, so they made simple tools to help them survive.

The Start of Agriculture

• Agricultural Revolution – when societies began relying on farming for most of their food.– This led to birthrates rising and death rates declining– This also led to the growth of cities and societies.

• 1. Once people stopped wandering and began living together in cities, they could begin sharing ideas and eventually, creating a system of writing.

• 2.) When a culture creates a system of writing, it is considered civilized.