POPULATION

 Population refers to the number of people in a place at a given time.

POULATION DATA COLLECTION

 Population data of a given area is collected through various ways.
 There are three main methods/ sources of population data.

1. POPULATION CENSUS
 This is the door to door population count in a given area conducted at a specific
time.
 Enumerators are people who do the counting of people during a census.
 A questionnaire (set of questions directed to the head of the household) is used in a
population census.
 The country is divide into enumeration units with about 500 people with one
enumerator operating in it.
 The questionnaire has 8 sections with 3 major areas of inquiry which are:
a) Demographic/ population characteristics e.g. mortality, age, sex, migration etc.
b) Housing characteristics e.g. type and location.
c) Service provision e.g. water, education, health etc.
Advantages of a census

 Information is collected from almost every corner of a country.

 Information is reliable/ accurate.
 It captures a wide range of population characteristics e.g. sex, age, fertility,
employment, service provision etc.
 Reasonable planning can be based on such information e.g. in education,
employment, health etc.
 It also creates employment for enumerators.
Disadvantages of a Census

 Very expensive to conduct.

 People may feel uncomfortable revealing their personal details.
 It is time consuming.
 It is done after a long period of time usually after 10 years.
 It is less reliable in areas with high levels of illiteracy.
Problems in conducting a census

 Some areas are not reached or inaccessible and information may not be collected.
 There may be language barriers when asking for information.
 People may give false information.
 Some people may not be around at the time of counting.

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  Enumerators might face hostility and lack of cooperation.
 There might be over counting and undercounting.

2. REGISTRATION OF VITAL STATISTICS

 These include birth certificates, death certificates etc.
Advantages

 The information is usually accurate.

 Detailed information is obtained.
Disadvantages

 It is less reliable in developing countries because of poor computerisation.

 Some births and deaths may not be recorded for cultural reasons.

3. SAMPLE SURVEY
 This is an organised data collection exercise which cover a given percentage of a
population.
 It is normally done in between censuses to take note of the changes in the
population.
Advantages

 It is cheap.
 It saves time.
 Less labour is required.
Disadvantages

 Information may not be accurate representation of the whole population.

 There might be falsehoods due to insecurity.

POPULATION TERMS
1. BIRTH RATE

 This is the number of live births in a year per thousand of the population
Total number of live births in year X 1000
Total population
2. DEATH RATE

 This is the total number of deaths per thousand people in a year.

Total number of deaths in year X 1000
Total population

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3. NATURAL INCREASE

 This is the positive change in the number of people if birth rate is greater than death
rate.
Birth Rate - Death Rate
4. NATURAL POPULATION GROWTH

 This is the difference between birth rate and death rate.

 It can be positive or negative.
Birth Rate - Death Rate
5. POPULATION GROWTH RATE

 It is any natural change in population resulting from the natural rate of increase and
net migration.
(Birth rate – Death rate) + (immigrants – emigrants), that is,
Natural Increase + net migration
6. DEPENDENCY RATIO

 This is the proportion of the economically active group (15-64yrs) to the

economically inactive group (0-14 years and 65 years +)
 It can be obtained as a percentage:
Economically inactive X 100
Economically active

 It can also be obtained as a ratio:

Economically active : Economically inactive
7. INFANT MORTALITY RATE

 This is the total number of deaths of children below one year old per thousand live
births in a year.
Total number of infants below one year old X 1000
Total number of live births
8. FERTILITY RATE

 It is the number of children per woman in the child bearing age.

9. FERTILITY

 This is the actual reproductive performance of women in the childbearing age.

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10. LIFE EXPECTANCY

 It is the average number of years a person is expected to live.

REASONS FOR THE RAPID INCREASE IN THE WORLD’S POPULATION

 Improved medical care such as vaccinations, hospitals, doctors, new drugs and
scientific inventions that allow more people to survive.
 Improved sanitation and water supply causing less people to die from diseases.
 Improvements in the quality and quantity of food resulting to improved immunity.
 There is improved transport to move food and doctors therefore less people will lose
their lives.
 There is decrease in infant mortality causing more children to survive to adulthood.

FACTORS THAT CAUSE CHANGE IN POPULATION SIZE

1. BIRTH RATE
FACTORS THAT INCREASE BIRTH RATE

 Children are regarded as assets to help with the family chores e.g. farming, weeding
etc.
 Some religions e.g. Catholics have an anti-abortion stance hence many accidental
pregnancies become unwanted children.
 Children are regarded as a sign of virility/ manhood hence many are born in order to
have a higher social standing.
 Absence and ignorance in the use of family planning programmes e.g.
contraceptives.
 Many babies are born with the hope that some may survive into adulthood.
 Low educational levels and lack of educational facilities resulting in high school drop-
outs and hence early marriages resulting in large family.
 The desire for a male heir also encourages many babies to be born in the search for a
boy child.
 Children are also taken as an insurance policy against old age.
 The low social status of women in society thus making them not have a say in
matters concerning number of children in the family.
 Polygamous marriages which reduce the number of births.
FACTORS THAT REDUCE BIRTH RATE

 Mechanisation has reduced the need of many children to help with the family chores
e.g. farming, weeding etc.
 Legalisation of abortion stance hence avoiding unwanted children.
 The desire for material possessions has reduced the need of having a lot of children.
 Presence and knowledge in the use of family planning programmes e.g.
contraceptives.

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  High educational levels and presence of educational facilities resulting in low school
drop-outs and hence less early marriages.
 The provision of insurance policies and pensions has made it unnecessary to have
many children as a form of insurance against old age.
 The high social status of women in society thus making them to have a say in matters
concerning number of children in the family.
 Monogamous marriages which reduce the number of births.

2. DEATH RATE
FACTORS THAT INCREASE DEATH RATE

 Lack of medicinal facilities which cause people to die from treatable diseases.
 The inability to forecast natural hazards e.g. floods and poor hazard preparedness
causes many deaths.
 Presence of poor diet which results to many deaths due to malnutrition.
 Presence of pandemic diseases like AIDS which is incurable.
 Presence of wars kill a lot of people.
 Poor sanitation will result to life threatening diseases e.g. cholera which will kill a lot
of people.
 Poor transport networks to transport medicines and food supplies to disaster-
stricken areas so people will die before getting aid.
FACTORS THAT DECREASE DEATH RATE

 Presence of medicinal facilities which save people’s lives from treatable diseases.
 The ability to forecast natural hazards e.g. floods and advanced hazard preparedness
reduce deaths.
 Presence of improved diet which will make people live longer.
 Presence of peace will allow people to live longer.
 Improved sanitation will reduce the risk of life threatening diseases such as cholera.
 Improved transport networks to transport medicines and food supplies to disaster-
stricken areas so people will quickly get aid and saved from death.

3. MIGRATION
 This is the movement of people from one area to another on a more or less
permanent basis.
TYPES OF MIGRATION
a) Voluntary Migration - occurs when people migrate by choice making their own
decisions e.g. the movement of British doctors to the U.S.A
b) Involuntary/ Forced Migration - occurs when people have no choice but are
compelled to move from one area to another -this is a compulsory movement e.g.
war in Iraq.

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 c) International / External Migration -occurs when people move across national
borders e.g. from Zimbabwe to South Africa.
d) Internal Migration -occurs when people move within the same country.

TYPES OF INTERNAL MIGRATION

a) Rural to urban
 This occurs when people move from the rural areas to the urban areas
causes

 Unemployment in rural areas will make people migrate in search of employment in

urban areas.
 People also move to seek better health facilities in urban areas.
 Rural people will also move to urban areas in search of better educational facilities.
 Civil wars also make people to seek refuge in urban areas.
 Drought in the rural also causes people to move to urban areas to earn a living.
 Pressure of population on land causing people to find source of income.

b) Rural –Rural
 Occurs when people move from one rural area to another.
Causes

 Looking for areas with high rainfall to practise farming.

 Seeking for fertile soils which improve agricultural yields.
 Looking for arable land.
 Looking for better pastures for livestock.
 Natural disasters will force people to move from affected rural areas to safer rural
areas.

c) Urban-Rural
 Occurs when people move from the urban areas to the rural areas.
Causes

 Congestion in the urban areas.

 Urban areas are dirty, noisy and stressful.
 Lack of accommodation will cause people to move to rural areas where there is free
accommodation.
 Retired people also seek for a peaceful environment in rural areas.
 Looking for land for agriculture in rural areas.
 Some people will move to rural areas due to retrenchment from work.

d) Urban-urban (Inter-urban)
 Occurs when people move from one urban area to another.

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 Causes

 Looking for better job opportunities.

 Transfer of employment that causes one to relocate.
 Decentralization and relocation of industries.

MIGRATION BALANCE
 It is the difference between the number of immigrants and those of emigrants.
NET MIGRATION LOSS/ NEGATIVE NET MIGRTION

 This occurs when emigrants are more than immigrants.

 This causes a decrease in population.
NET MIGRATION GAIN/ POSITIVE NET MIGRATION

 This occurs when immigrants are more than emigrants.

 This causes an increase in population.

FACTORS THAT AFFECT MIGRATION

 Migration is a result of pull and push factors
PULL FACTORS

 These are the reasons that attract a person to come and settle in an area:
a) Favourable climatic conditions and fertile soils, which attract farmers.
b) Better educational facilities.
c) Presence of improved medical facilities.
d) More reliable sources of food.
e) Presence of employment opportunities.
f) Presence of peace, religious and political toleration.
g) Re-union with friends and families.
PUSH FACTORS

 These are the reasons that repel or force people to move out of an area:
a) Outbreak of war, which forces people to find refuge in another place.
b) Poor employment prospects.
c) Occurrence of natural disasters e.g. volcanic eruptions, floods, force people to seek
safety in other areas.
d) Religious and political persecution force people to move to peaceful areas.
e) Resettlement of people by government.
f) Crop failure due to drought forces people to search for productive areas.
g) Poor health facilities force people to move to look for advanced health facilities.

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CONSEQUENCES / EFFECTS OF MIGRATION
1. SENDING / SOURCE AREA
ADVANTAGES

 Reduces the pressure on jobs and other resources e.g. land.

 New skills and ideas are brought back to the country of origin thus leading to
economic development.
 Money and goods are sent back to the country of origin.
 Cultural enrichment e.g. new food, dance.
DISADVANTAGES

 Low economic growth occurs as it is mostly the able-bodied that migrate.

 Crop yields are reduced as the elderly and children are left to farm the land.
 Depopulation occurs.
 Marriages can be destroyed as the males are away for a long period thus causing
promiscuity and the spread of diseases.
 People who receive the money and goods develop a dependency syndrome.
 Deculturisation as the migrants come back with new controversial ideas.
 Dereliction of built infrastructure e.g. youth halls.
 A low standard of life for those left which will then lead to high crime levels and
social evils e.g. prostitution.

2. RECEIVING / DESTINATION AREA

ADVANTAGES

 Increased manpower especially in the menial and poorly paid areas e.g. toilet
cleaning.
 Immigrants bring with them new foods, culture and skills.
 cheaper labour that is not unionised from the migrant workers.
 The government benefits from taxes paid by legal immigrants.
 There is expanded market base for the local businesses.
DISADVANTAGES

 There may be overcrowding leading to the spread of diseases.

 Shortage of housing causing the creation of squatter settlements.
 Increased pressure on jobs leads to racial tension as locals fail to secure jobs e.g.
xenophobia in South Africa.
 Migrant workers repatriate most of their earnings to their countries.
 An influx of migrants leads to the occurrence of prostitution and crime as
employment is hard to find.
 There is an increased pressure on services e.g. health, education, transport etc.
 There may cultural distortion as foreigners bring in controversial cultures.

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CASE STUDY: AN INTERNATIONAL MIGRATION
MEXICO TO USA
 There is a 2000 km border between USA and Mexico.
 Over 1 million Mexicans migrate to the USA every year so they constitute up to
29.5% of all foreigners in USA.
 Most of the Mexicans moving to the USA are coming from Santa Inez going to cities
like Los Angeles in California which is near the border between Mexico and the USA.

Push factors

 Mexico has poor medical facilities as reflected by high patient to doctor ratio of 1800
people per doctor so many patients are left unattended resulting to high death rate
hence people move out of Mexico to look for improved medical facilities.
 There is high percentage of unemployed people in Mexico ranging around 40%. Most
of the people are employed in low paid jobs resulting to a low GNP per capita of
US$3 750. This consequently causes a high national average poverty level of 37%.
 There are poor educational prospects with very low adult literacy rate of 55%, so
Mexicans emigrate to the USA in search of improved educational facilities.
 There is low life expectancy of around 72 years due to poor medical facilities and
diet so people migrate to the USA.

Pull factors

 The USA has excellent medical facilities as indicated by a low patient to doctor ratio
of 400 people per doctor and the hospitals are well equipped with sufficient drugs.
 There is high rate of employment rate and most of the jobs such as medical jobs are
well paid resulting to a high GNP per capita of $24,750. There are also low paid jobs
for the unskilled people who work in farms or services like cleaning or in shops.
 There are also good educational prospects with adult literacy rate of 99%.
 There is high life expectancy of around 76 years due to improved medical facilities
and diet so people are lured to the USA.

Effects on USA

 Illegal migration costs the USA millions of dollars for border patrols and erection of
border fences with searchlights.
 Some of the immigrants have large families which need education and healthcare.
This is a burden on the USA government as they need to cater for the population
which is not planned for.
 Most migrants live in the poorest slum conditions where there is overcrowding and
poor sanitation which led to the increasing incidences of TB which further strained
the USA health system
 Mexican migrants benefit the USA economy by working for low wages and long
hours in the jobs which Americans don’t want to do such as working on farms or

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 shops and cleaning. The Mexicans also pay taxes to the government which helps to
pay for services such as education and health and support the country.

Effects on Mexico

 Mexico is having a shortage of the economically active population since they are the
ones who emigrate leaving the young and old who are not productive in farms and
industries. This further lowers down the food security and GNP of Mexico. The loss
of qualified workers could slow down economic development in industries, health
and education since there are no innovative people.
 Since it is mostly men who leave the country, women have troubles in finding the
marriage partners and men migrating also means women have to go to work which
is against the tradition.
 Legal and illegal immigrants together send $6 billion a year back to Mexico which can
go through taxes hence increasing the government revenue to be used for economic
development. This repatriation of money is also assisting the Mexican families in
food security, education and health since they receive money from their relatives in
the diaspora.

PROBLEMS OF HIGH POPULATION GROWTH

 Shortage of land for resettlement leading to the growth of squatter settlements.
 It may also lead to high employment rate since there will be absence of enough jobs
for the growing population.
 Lack of enough health facilities to cater for the growing population.
 Absence of enough educational facilities for the growing population.
 Lack of enough food to feed the growing population.
 High population growth might also lead to lack of enough energy supply for the
growing population.
 The growing population might lead to land degradation.

PROBLEMS OF LOW POPULATION GROWTH/ POPULATION DECLINE

 The country will have few consumers for certain commodities and services.
 This may result to shortage of labour to ensure economic development causing the
country to depend on migrant labour which is expensive.
 There might be underutilisation of resources since there will be less people to fully
utilise the available resources.
 This may lead to remoteness and underdevelopment.
 There is reduction in the country’s competition in science and technology since it
requires new ideas especially from the young generation.

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CASE STUDY: A COUNTRY WITH HIGH RATE OF NATURAL POPULATION
GROWTH
KENYA
 Kenya is a country in East Africa which has a high population growth. Between 1969
and 2009 the country’s population increased more than threefold from 10.9 million
to 38.6 million.

CAUSES

 There was high number of births per woman/ fertility rate as indicated by an average
of 4.6 children per woman in 2009. This was very high compared to the global
average of 2.4 children per woman. The high birth rate was caused by shortage of
and failure to use contraceptives which resulted to unplanned pregnancies. In Kenya
children are also regarded as a source of labour which causes more births.
 The falling death rates particularly in infant mortality contributed to high population
growth. In 2012, the Population Reference Bureau estimated that the infant
mortality in Kenya had fallen to 47 per 1000 which is far less than 67 per 1000, an
average for Africa as a whole. The falling death rate was caused by the
improvements in medical facilities especially infant vaccinations against the killer
diseases which allowed more children to survive to adulthood.
 A steady and significant increase in the life expectancy also contributed to high rate
of population growth in Kenya. In 2012 the life expectancy was 62 years which is
higher compared to 58 for Africa as a whole. This increase in life expectancy was
caused by improvements in diet and the provision enough medical drugs which
allowed people to live longer.

PROBLEMS

 Rapid population growth in Kenya projected at 65.9 million in 2030 will put pressure
on the resources particularly food, water, housing, education and health. A survey in
Kenya has shown that less than half of births are attended by a doctor, nurse or
midwife indicating a high patient to doctor ratio and a strain on the health system of
Kenya.
 High rate of population growth in Kenya has resulted to a high youth dependency
ratio. Kenya has over 40% of the population under the age of 15. This means that
more money is needed for their food, education and health provision. There is also
need to create teaching and nursing jobs which will strain the government.
 This has also caused a lower amount of land per capita available to farmers and their
children. This is a major issue as 70% of the country’s population live in rural areas
and they rely on agriculture so reduced land size will lower agricultural produce
hence causing food insecurity. The young people who used to rely on land will
migrate to urban areas causing urban sprawl.

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CASE STUDY: A COUNTRY WITH LOW RATE OF NATURAL POPULATION
GROWTH (POPULATION DECLINE)
COUNTRY: RUSSIA
 Russia is a country to the eastern part of Europe experiencing a population decline.

CAUSES

 Natural decrease in Russia contributed to a low rate of population growth. In 2012,

Russia’s birth rate was 13 per 1000 while its death rate was 14 per 1000 giving a
negative of natural change of -1 per 1000
 Low birth rates have also contributed to Russia’s population decline. The low birth
rates were mainly caused by the high costs of raising children where both parents
had to work to raise children. These low birth rates were also caused by high
educational standards of women in Russia which allowed them to pursue their
careers rather than being mere child bearing machines. The use of contraception
with 80% of married women aged 15-49 using various methods of contraception
have also contributed to population decline.
 Low population growth was also due to high death rate particularly for Russian men.
In 2012 men’s life expectancy was only 63 years compared to 75 for women. This
low life expectancy for men has been attributed to high intakes of alcohol, high
incidences of smoking and high prevalence of HIV and AIDS which resulted to 10.7
million more women than men.

PROBLEMS

 Population decline has caused depopulation in Russia. The greatest impact was in
rural areas with 8500 villages said to have been abandoned since 2000. This has
caused a reduction in agricultural output. The cold northern regions of Russia have
experienced the highest level of depopulation. This means that there were
inadequate people to fully utilise the available resources for economic development.
 There has been a shocking drop in the population of Russia. In 2012 Russia’s
population stood at 143 million from 149 million in 1991. Such a drop resulted to a
low population density of 8 people per km2 making Russia one of the most sparsely
populated countries in the world. This consequently led to shortage of labour to
ensure economic development causing the country to depend on migrant labour
which is expensive.

CASE STUDY: MANAGING RAPID POPULATION GROWTH

CHINA’S ONE CHILD POLICY
 China is an Asian which ones experienced the largest population in the world of 1.3
billion in 2008.

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  This high population growth was due to high birth rate of 48 per 1000 which caused
China to have inadequate food, water and energy supplies for the growing
population.

STRATEGIES USED IN CONDUCTING THE ONE CHILD POLICY.

 The one child policy was introduced in 1979 which means that all couples were
encouraged to have one child.
 Better housing was given to those with one child so as to incentivise other couples to
have one child.
 Those with one child were also given better child care and cash bonuses as a way to
motivate others to have a single child.
 Quality education was given to the first child and those with one child were given
rice allowances.
 Women giving birth to the first child were given longer maternity leave so as to
encourage other couples to have one child.
 There were also forced abortion and sterilisation so as to avoid the birth of
unwanted babies.
 Couples who had more than one child wouldn’t get any benefits and were heavily
fined to discourage them from having many children.

EXEMPTIONS

 In rural areas, couples were allowed to have a second child if the first one was a girl
or had physical disabilities. This was because more children were needed to work in
the farms.
 If one of the parents had disabilities, then couples were allowed to have a second
child so as to have children to look after the parents.

EFFECTIVENESS
Positive

 The policy has prevented up to 400 million births. The fertility rate dropped from 5.7
in 1970 to around 1.5 in 2011.
 By reducing birth rate China also reduced the problems of overpopulation so there
was less pressure on housing, energy, education, water and food.
Negative

 There were more elderly people to be taken care of by very few young people. This
high old dependency led to more old peoples’ homes to be created like the Beijing
Old Peoples’ Home which drained the government revenue.
 Since the Shanghai residents were ageing rapidly with over 22% above 60 years, it
was a financial burden to the government to cater for their food and health.
 Due to this high old dependent population, China won’t have enough workers in
future so they will have more expenses in importing labour.

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  The girl child was abandoned since some couples giving birth to a girl child will
abandon her in anticipation of having a boy child. This caused uneven gender
balance.

OVERPOPULATION
 This occurs when the population exceeds the available resources.
 This leads to a general deterioration in the living standards e.g. congestion
overcrowding.

CAUSES
 High birth rate that causes an increase in population as compared to the available
resources.
 Large amounts of immigrants who will strain the available the available resource.
 Frequent droughts that cause shortages of food for the available population.
 Lack of money or technology to develop the available resources that will make them
too few to sustain the available population.
 The exhaustion of soils that causes low production which cannot sustain the
available population.
 Civil wars might destroy the resources making them insufficient for the available
population.

PROBLEMS CREATED BY OVERPOPULATION

 Unemployment and underemployment are very high as there are fewer compared to
the available population resulting to poverty.
 Shortage of land for agriculture resulting to low crop yields and shortage of land for
human settlement resulting to squatter settlements.
 There is a strain on the social services e.g. health, education.
 High emigration of skilled labour as people will be looking for greener pastures.
 High land degradation such as erosion and deforestation.
 High ethnic clashes as people fight for resources.
 High rates of land, air and water pollution.

UNDERPOPULATION
 This occurs when there are more resources than the available population.
 This leads to a general improvement in the living standards.

CAUSES
 Low birth rate that results to few people as compared to the available resources.
 Mechanization leading to overproduction resulting to more resources than the
population present.
 Presence of many minerals causing the people to fail to utilize them to maximum
efficiency.
 High death rate that causes low population as compared to the available resources.
 Presence of money and technology to exploit the available resources.

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POSITIVE EFFECTS OF UNDERPOPULATION
 High GDP (Gross Domestic Product) resulting from overproduction.
 There will be low imports and more exports because of a lot of surplus.
 Presence of employment opportunities.
 Availability of surplus food.
 There will be high life expectancy.
 Low infant mortality.

PROBLEMS OF UNDERPOPULATION
 Shortage of labour as there are fewer people to fully exploit the available resources.
 Some industries might close due to lack of labour force leading to a decline in the
economy.
 Remoteness and underdevelopment of some areas.
 There will be underutilization of resources.
 More taxes may be charged since there are few workers.

OPTIMUM POPULATION
 It is the state of balance or equilibrium between the population and the resources

POPULATION CARRYING CAPACITY

 It is the maximum number of people in a given area that can be supported by the
available resources at a certain level of development

CASE STUDY: A COUNTRY THAT IS UNDER POPULATED

COUNTRY: AUSTRALIA

 With a total population of only 21.6 million people, a country size of 7.69 million km2
and a population distribution of 3.1 people per km2, Australia is the 7th most under
populated country in the world.

CAUSES

 Australia has a low birth rate which leads to a low population density of only 2.6
people per km2 which implies that there is a lot of land which is unutilised. The low
birth is mainly attributed to presence and high usage of contraceptives which avoids
unplanned for pregnancies. The low birth rate has also been due to the improved
social status of women so they will be able to pursue their careers rather than to be
mere child bearing machines.
 Due to low birth rate Australia has a very small population of only 21.7 million and a
labour force of only 11.6 million yet it has vast resources like iron ore, coal, copper,

15
 natural gas, uranium which makes the limited population unable to fully utilise these
resources.
 Australia has abundant potential for solar and wind power which appears to be
underutilised and exceeds the country’s needs so most of the surpluses are exported
especially coal from New Castle and Iron from Iron Knob.
CONSEQUENCES

 Australia is experiencing shortage of labour force and is relying on imported

labour which is very expensive for the country. This has made Australia to have a
positive net migration of over 6 per 1000 and is being ranked the 14 th highest in
the world.
 Australia is enjoying positive balance of payment since it exports large quantities
of surpluses especially coal from New Castle, iron from Iron Knob, gold, meat,
wheat, machinery and transport equipment. Australia’s exports were worthy
over US$200 billion in 2010 and a high GDP per person of US$41 300 in 2010. All
this money is used to ensure high quality of service in education, health etc
 There is also high employment rate in Australia as indicated by 75% of people
being employed in the service sector. This ensures a high standard of living since
most people will have more disposable income to buy food, fund the education
and health bills for their families.
 The health standards of Australia are extremely good as indicated by a low infant
mortality rate of 0.46%. This allows people to live longer.
 Educational standards in Australia are very high since 99% Australians are literate
and education is available for 21 years of a person’s life.

CASE STUDY: A COUNTRY THAT IS OVER POPULATED

COUNTRY: BANGLADESH

 Bangladesh is in the south of Asia. Almost the whole of Bangladesh is made up of

the Ganges delta and the wide flood plains of the Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers.
 Bangladesh is the world’s 8th most overpopulated country. It has around 1,300
people per km2.

CAUSES

 The country is frequented by floods from Brahmaputra river caused by cyclones

approaching from the Bay of Bengal. These floods destroy the crops, farming land
and other natural resources so there will be fewer resources than the available
population.
 Bangladesh has few natural resources and relies on farming which constitutes
45% labour force. The farming is mainly subsistence which can’t ensure food
security for the available population. Bangladesh lacks metallic minerals like iron
ore which are the basis of the manufacturing industry so industries normally rely
on imports hence it’s not profitable. Therefore, these industries will not be able to
produce enough to sustain the available population.

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  There is high birth rate in Bangladesh which causes over population. This is mainly
because of the Muslims who make up to 85% of the population in Bangladesh yet
they do not use contraception due to religious beliefs. This causes high birth rate
of nearly 23 per 1000 thus leading Bangladesh to have far more people than the
resources.

CONSEQUENCES
 There is high unemployment rate in Bangladesh. 40% of Bangladesh’s
population are underemployed and most of them receive low wages. This
causes them to have low disposable income to fund education, health and food
bills so they live in poverty. This further causes social ills such as prostitution
and theft.
 There are also not enough schools and hospitals for the big population and the
general access to health care is poor which causes a high infant mortality rate
of about 5.07%.
 Due to pressure on land, there is also over cultivation on the flood plains of
Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers. This has caused siltation of these rivers. The
land degradation has also been worsened by widespread deforestation on the
foothills of Himalayas as people will be looking for firewood. This is causing
other environmental problems such global warming and soil erosion.
 The capital city Dakar is heavily congested with traffic that also causes air
pollution. Dakar also has overcrowded housing that often lack basic amenities
such as energy and water. This causes the city susceptible to diseases such as
TB and cholera.

CASE STUDY: HIV/ AIDS IN BOTSWANA

Impacts

 About 5 800 people in Botswana died from HIV/AIDS in 2010 which reduced
the working population in Botswana. Due to the absence of enough people to
produce for the economy, there was poverty that caused some vulnerable
young women to become prostitutes that increased the spread of the virus.
 There are now many AIDS orphans in Botswana and not enough care workers
and funds to provide help for all in need as indicated by 13% of orphans who
had not received any form help.
 There was particular shortage of skilled labour in the workforce for example in
the health sector. Botswana had to import doctors from other countries that
was very expensive for the country.
 HIV/AIDS caused severe reductions in the wealth of individual families as adults
became too ill to work yet medical and funeral expenses had to be paid.

Measures adopted to prevent further spread of HIV

 Between the years 1987 and 1997 Botswana implemented the National Policy
on AIDS whereby information and education about AIDS prevention was

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 distributed. This was meant to reduce new infections and stigmatisation of
those infected.
 The motto ABC (Abstain, Be faithful, Condomise) was used to raise awareness
on HIV prevention. Condoms have been distributed for free and their use is
increasing and about 10 500 condom dispensers were installed as a way to
prevent further spread of HIV.
 From the year 2002, antiretroviral drugs were given to the pregnant women to
reduce the mother to child transmissions. About 170 000 people were given
treatment by 2010 hence several lives were saved.
 Botswana also carries out routine testing for HIV virus and has awareness
campaigns to promote the use and effectiveness of antiretroviral treatments.
The testing was meant to make people know their status and thereby behave
responsibly to avoid spread of HIV.

THE DEMOGRAPHIC TRANSITION MODEL (D.T.M.)

 This is a simplified graph of how population patterns change over time due to
changes in birth rate and death rate.

STAGE 1: HIGH STATIONARY/ FLACTUATING

 Both birth and death rate fluctuate at a high level.

 This gives a low population growth and low natural increase.

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STAGE 2: EARLY EXPANDING
 Birth rate is still very high but death rate begins to fall rapidly thus giving a rapid
population growth and a larger natural increase.
 Countries at this stage include Zimbabwe, Zambia, Mozambique etc.

STAGE 3: LATE EXPANDING STAGE

 Death rate continues to fall and birth rate begins to fall rapidly thus giving a small
population growth.
 Countries at this stage include China, Brazil etc.
STAGE 4: LOW STATIONARY STAGE
 Both death rate and birth rate fluctuating at a low level thus giving a steady/
constant population growth.
 Countries at this stage include the UK, Germany and Switzerland.
STAGE 5

 This a stage which was added by later demographers.

 In this stage, birth rate is lower than death rate so the population starts to decline.
POPULATION STRUCTURE

 Population structure is the composition of a population according to age and sex.

 Population structure is best illustrated by the population pyramid.
POPULATION PYRAMID

 It is a diagram used to show population structure of a given country or area.

 The population pyramid has males to the left side and females to the right side
 The population pyramid is broadly divided into 3 age sections:
a) Young dependents (0-14 years)
 These are represented by the base of the pyramid.

b) Economically active
 These are represented by the middle of the pyramid.

c) Old dependents (65 years and above)

 These are represented by the top of the pyramid.

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FEATURES SHOWN ON A LEDC PYRAMID

PYRAMID PART PYRAMID SHAPE POPULATION REASONS

STRUCTURE
Base Wide/ broad There is large number of There is high birth
young dependents. rate
Middle Narrow There are less -Few people survive
economically active to adulthood.
people. -High emigration to
developed
countries in search
of greener
pastures.
Top Narrow There are few old There is high death
dependents. rate/ low life
expectancy/ few
people survive to
old age.

FEATURES SHOWN ON A MEDC PYRAMID

PYRAMID PART PYRAMID SHAPE POPULATION REASONS

STRUCTURE
Base Narrow There are few young There is low birth
dependents. rate.
Middle Wide There is a high -More people
number of survive to
economically active adulthood.
people. -There is high
number of
immigrants from
developing
countries.
Top Wide There is a high There is high life
number of old expectancy/ more
dependents. people survive to
old age.

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PROBLEMS OF HIGH NUMBER OF YOUNG DEPENDENTS
 More money is needed for their food provision.
 Many resources are required to provide for the young people’s education.
 Money is also needed for the health care of the young.
 More resources are channeled towards entertaining the youth.
 There is need of teaching and nursing jobs which will actually strain the government.

PROBLEMS OF HIGH NUMBER OF OLD DEPENDENTS

 More money is needed for their food provision.
 Money is also needed for the health care of the old.
 More resources are channeled towards establishment of old people’s homes.
 There is need for creation of nursing jobs which will actually strain the government.
 Resources are also needed for the general housing of the old.

CASE STUDY: A COUNTRY WITH HIGH DEPENDENT POPULATION

COUNTRY: JAPAN’S AGEING POPULATION

 Japan is an island country in East Asia located in the North West Pacific Ocean.
PROBLEMS OF JAPAN’S AGEING POPULATION

 The high number of old people in Japan has caused a shortage of recruits for
the armed forces and this has weakened Japan’s ability to defend herself in
times of attack.
 The ageing population in Japan has also resulted in shortage of labour force to
develop the economy especially the innovative workers. This has caused
Japan’s high tech electronic industries to stagnate. As a result electronic
companies like Sony had to increase their rates of pay to attract foreign
workers which is expensive. These high wages were also reducing foreign
investments in Japan since investors find it unprofitable to locate where
labour is expensive. The shortage of workers also reduced the tax revenue.
 The local authorities are also forking out a lot of money to build nursing care
homes for about 420 000 elderly Japanese people who need specialist care.
This is because the elderly are prone to degenerative diseases like cancer,
heart diseases, dementia which need specialist care.
 Japan is also having a challenge of the need to renovate buildings since the
elderly need homes without stairs or with provision for wheelchairs. This is
further draining the government revenue.

STRATEGIES USED BY JAPAN TO COPE WITH AGEING POPULATION

 In 1994 Japan adopted a policy to encourage more births by offering

incentives to those with more children. One of the incentives was encouraging
men to spend more time at home to share child rearing and household duties.

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  To ensure more workers in the economy, workers were also allowed to
continue working even after reaching pensionable age and about 36% of
Japanese over 65 years were still working in 1999. To complement this, the
rate at which a person could receive state pension was raised to 65 from 60.
This working population was also to pay more taxes to ensure more revenue
to the government.
 To have more skilled workers in the economy, Japan accepted an increasing
number of skilled immigrants in key manufacturing industries and many of
whom were coming from South Korea and Philippine.

POPULATION DENSITY AND DISTRIBUTION

POPULATION DISTRIBUTION
 It is the way in which people are spread over an area.
 It can be sparse or dense.

POPULATION DENSITY
 This is the total number of people per unit area (per square kilometre). It can be high
or low.
 It is calculated as follows:

Total population

Total area (Km2)

FACTORS THAT AFFECT POPULATION DISTRIBUTION

1. PHYSICAL FACTORS
a) CLIMATE
 Areas that receive low rainfall and very high rainfall are usually sparsely populated
because they don’t support agriculture and people will get very low yields.
 Places with moderate rainfall are usually densely populated because they support
agriculture and people get higher yields.
 Areas with very low and very high temperatures are sparsely populated because
such temperatures are not conducive for human habitation and are not good for
crop cultivation.
 Areas with moderate temperatures are usually densely populated because they are
comfortable for human habitation and they are good for crop cultivation.
b) RELIEF
 Mountainous areas are usually sparsely populated because they are so cold and
steep that agriculture is extremely difficult and it’s also hard to establish
settlements.
 Areas with gentle slopes and relatively flat areas are usually densely populated
because they are well-drained, easy to cultivate and to construct roads and
buildings.

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 c) SOILS
 Areas with fertile arable soils are usually densely populated because they are good
for farming and produce higher yields which can support a larger population.
 Places with infertile, rocky and swampy soils are sparsely populated because they
are not fit for productive farming.
d) VEGETATION
 Areas with dense vegetation cover e.g. the Congo Basin are sparsely populated
because it’s difficult to clear land for settlement and farming in such areas.
 Places with sparse vegetation cover e.g. the open grasslands of the savanna are
densely populated because it’s easier to clear land for farming and settlement.
e) WATER SUPPLY
 Areas with permanent and reliable sources of water e.g. the Nile valley are densely
populated because they can provide water for irrigation, transport and domestic
purposes.
 Places with unreliable and scarce sources of water e.g. Kalahari are sparsely
populated because they can’t support agriculture.

2. HUMAN AND ECONOMIC FACTORS

a) TRANSPORT AND COMMUNICATION
 Areas with good transport and communication e.g. railways, roads and improved
telecom networks are usually densely populated because these are needed to
transport goods and also for easy communication.
 Places with poor transport and communication are usually sparsely populated
because this causes difficulties in transporting goods and also difficulties in
communication.
b) ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES
 Areas with many industries e.g. the Rand in South Africa are usually densely
populated because they have high employment opportunities.
 Areas with few or no industries e.g. Gwayi communal areas in Zimbabwe are sparsely
populated because there are low employment prospects.
c) POLITICAL
 Areas with peace and political stability are densely populated because they are
conducive for human habitation.
 Areas with wars, religious and political persecution are usually sparsely populated
because they are not conducive for human habitation.

CASE STUDY: POPULATION DISTRIBUTION AND DENSITY

COUNTRY: BOTSWANA

 Botswana is a country to the southern part of Africa

A DENSELY POPULATED AREA: EAST OF BOTSWANA.

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  Most of the people in Botswana live in the east of the country with most
areas having 20 people per km2.
 This is because of the presence of railway lines, tarred roads which allows the
area to be accessible so it attracts a lot of people.
 The area is also densely populated because of nearness to the South African
border which makes it easier to trade with South Africa so most industries
locate there and they will in turn attract more people who would want to
work in those industries. Electricity is also produced in the east and most
towns there are connected to the transmission line making industry viable.
 The eastern Botswana also receives an annual rainfall of over 400mm so it’s
quite suitable for agriculture to ensure food security.
 The areas around the capital city Gaborone and around the second largest
city Francistown are the most densely populated. This is because of
employment in shops, offices, industries and abattoirs such as at Lobatse.
 This high population density is also around the diamond mining towns such as
Orapa where there are high employment prospects.

A SPARSELY POPULATED AREA: NORTH, CENTRE AND WEST OF BOTSWANA.

 There is low population density of less than one person per km 2 in the north,
centre and west of Botswana especially in the Kalahari Desert.
 The Kalahari Desert, which mainly covers the north, central and western
parts of Botswana, is sparsely populated because it receives low annual
rainfall of less than 400mm. The rainfall is unreliable and evaporates quickly.
Due to low rainfall and high temperatures, the area is unsuitable for
agriculture and uncomfortable for human habitation so it is sparsely
populated.
 The soils are sandy, easily mobile and contain little plant nutrients hence it is
unsuitable for farming so the area is used for game reserves and national
parks.
 Other areas that are sparsely populated include Okavango Delta and Chobe
district. This is because the Okavango Delta is too wet and swampy making
farming and human habitation difficult. The Chobe district, which is to the
north of Botswana, has many wild animals and is infested with tsetse flies
that transmit sleeping sickness to humans and livestock.

POPULATION AND DISEASES

Research and write notes being guided by the following objectives.

OBJECTIVES
1. Describe diseases associated with developing countries (at least one water borne,
vector borne and nutritional diseases).
N.B. Refer to the causes, symptoms/ effects of the diseases and the measures to prevent
or cure it.

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2. Describe diseases associated with developed countries (mainly life style diseases e.g.
obesity, cancer, high blood pressure).
N.B. Refer to the causes, symptoms/ effects of the diseases and the measures to prevent
or cure it.

3. Explain the reasons for variations in the diseases experienced in the developing and
developed countries.
4. Explain the social and economic effects of diseases.

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