Themes of Human Geography
Population Patterns
1.List factors that influence population growth and distribution and define keypopulation terminology.
2. I can analyze the challenges that population growth poses for the planet.
One is the birthrate. This is the numberof live births per thousand people inthe population.
Another way to study population is tolook at the fertility rate. The fertility rateshows the average number of childrena woman would have in her lifetime.
The mortality rate, also called thedeath rate, is the number of deaths perthousand people in the population.
Geographers also look at infantmortality rates. The infant mortalityrate shows the number of deathsamong infants under the age of oneper thousand live births.
To understand population growth, geographers use several different statistics:
Rate of Natural Increase – the rateat which a population is growing orshrinking. It is the differencebetween the birth rate and themortality rate.
Population Pyramid – a graphicdevice that shows sex and agedistribution of a population.
Life Expectancy – Average lifespan
Population Density – calculated by population PER area (sq. mile)
Literacy – ability to read and write, to be literate (shows level of education)
GDP (Gross Domestic Product) – value of domestic product within a country (How muchmoney the people or the country is making)
Standard of Living (like Quality of Life) – determined from literacy rate, lifeexpectancy, and GDP
There are 7 billion people in the world, and they are not spread out equallyacross the land. Factors, such as climate, altitude, and access to water,influence where people choose to live.
Almost two-thirds of the world’s population lives inthe zone between 20 and 60 North Latitude. Thelands in this zone have the best climate andvegetation for humans to live.
To understand how heavily populated an area is,geographers use a figure called population density.This is the average number of people who live in ameasurable area such as square mile.
Analyze the Political Cartoon
Centers of Population
Migration is the movement ofpeople from one location toanother. Push-Pull Factors – arereasons for migration. Push factors arethings like famine, political oppression,Civil war. Pull factors are things likejobs, freedom, and education.
The general world trend ofmovement is from rural areas intourban areas (cities). Thismovement to cities is known asurbanization.
Today, almost half of the world’spopulation lives in cities. Cities arenot just areas with largepopulations—they are also centersof business and culture.
An urban area develops around central city and it’sbusiness district. The built-up area around the centralcity may include suburbs.
Suburbs are political units touching the central city ortouching other suburbs that touch the city. Smallercities or towns with open land between them and thecentral city are called exurbs.
The cities suburbs and exurbs link togethereconomically to form a functional area called aMetropolitan Area. When several Metropolitan areasgrow together a Megalopolis is formed.
Push & Pull FactorsWorksheet
Many cities are found in places that allow goodtransportation, such as on a river, lake, or coast.Others are found in places with easy access tonatural resources.
Urban geographers also study land use in cities andthe activities that take place in cities.
Basic land use patterns found in all cities areresidential, industrial, and commercial.
The commercial core of a city is called the centralbusiness district, or CBD. Business offices andstores are found in this part of the city.
Generally, the farther you get from the CBD, thelower the value of land. In these less expensiveareas are industrial activities, residential areas, andretail areas.
Major cities will have several forms of mass transitand other transportation systems.
3. Identify the factors that define a culture.
4. I can describe the different types of religion
Culture and Lifestyles
Culture is the knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors shared by a group ofpeople. A group that shares a common language, a sense of identity, and itsculture is called a society.
How are these two classrooms different?
Factors of Culture:
Food & ShelterEducationReligion
LanguageRelationshipsOrganization
Language is one of the mostimportant aspects of culturebecause it allows peoplewithin a culture tocommunicate. Languagehelps establish culturalidentity.
Versions of a languageare called dialects. Adialect reflects changesin speech patternsrelated to class, region,or other culturalchanges.
![MMj02347640000[1]](data/images/img69.gif)
Monotheistic – a belief in one god
Polytheistic – a belief in many gods
Animistic – a belief in the divine forces ofnature
Religion is the belief in a supernatural power orpowers that are viewed as creators andmaintainers of the universe.
Religion Check
Judaism is the oldest monotheistic religion.Followers are called Jews. It has a longtradition of faith and culture tied tightlytogether.
Christianity evolved from the teachings ofJudaism. It too is monotheistic. Christianityis based on the teachings of Jesus Christ.
Islam is based on the teachings of theProphet Muhammad. Its followers areknown as Muslims. Islam is a monotheisticreligion.
The world’s oldest religion is Hinduism. It isusually considered to be polytheistic.Hinduism’s rigid caste system shapes manyaspects of Hindus’ lives and culture.
An offshoot of Hinduism is Buddhism. Itdeveloped about 563 B.C. in India. Itsfounder, Siddhartha Gautama, is called theBuddha, or Enlightened One.
Cultures and Societies are always in theprocess of changing. Change happens morequickly in some. It can come about throughinnovation or the spread of ideas or behaviorsfrom one culture to another.
Taking existing technology andresources and creatingsomething new to meet a need iscalled Innovation.
The spread of ideas, inventions,or patterns of behavior is calleddiffusion.
A cultural hearth is a site ofinnovation from which basicideas, materials, and technologydiffuse to many cultures.
Acculturation / Convergenceoccurs when a society changesbecause it adopts an innovation.
“Where’s Matt” Video ClipsDiffusion vs Convergence
Major Changes in Society andCulture Throughout History
Cultures change over time. Nomadseventually settled in river valleys andbegan to grow crops. The change isknown as the Agricultural Revolution.
Surplus of food set the stage for therise of cities. With more food available,there was less need for everyone in asettlement to farm. People were able todevelop other ways to live.
Cultural diffusion has increased rapidlyduring the last 250 years. Somecountries began to industrialize usingpower driven machines (IndustrialRevolution). Quick new productionmethods changed these countrieseconomies (known as the EconomicRevolution).
Map of world culture areasMap of world culture areas
5
1
2
3
4
1.Tigris/Euphrates
2. Indus River
3. Ganges River
4. Huang He
5. Nile River
CulturalHearths
Mesoamerica-Mesoamerica-
not “rivercivilizations”not “rivercivilizations”
Coke CanAnthropology Analysis