SS 11: Human Geography INTRODUCTION TO HUMAN GEOGRAPHY & POPULATION
Introduction to Human Geography
Geography is the systematic study of the spatial patterns of all phenomena on or near the earth s surface.
Human/Cultural Geography Human Geography is about why places are where they are, and why they are the way they are: Why people live or don t live in a place Why people move there or move away? What do people do there? What people are like there What they have in common with you, or how they are different.
5 Themes of Geography The five main themes of geography Location Place Region Movement Human-environment interaction
Location: where is a place Place: characteristics Absolute location: specific place on the globe (longitude/ latitude coordinates) Relative location: location compared to other places Human characteristics: population, language, customs, beliefs, economy, government Physical characteristics: landforms, ecosystems, climate
Movement Movement of people, goods, and ideas (within a region and form region to region) Human/Environment Interaction How humans interact with their environment
Region: a group of places with common characteristics Broad similarities: language/accent, topography Ties to surrounding areas: highways, railroads, lakes or rivers General perceptions: feelings and attitudes Regions can overlap depending on definition or perception For example: Mexico is geographically part of North America but culturally more a part of Latin America
Types of Regions: Formal region: official borders (province) Functional region: connected through transportation or some other function (subway system, newspaper distribution) Perceptual region: place that people believe exists as part of their cultural identity (sports fans) regions play a large role in Canada
Perceptual regions are informal and vary dependent on who is defining them
Environmental Realities Humans live where... there is rich soil that will support crop development there is plentiful fresh water the climate is mild Natural barriers to human settlement: water, mountain ranges, deserts, hostile environment Humans adapt to unwelcome geography with adaptations such as: clothes, irrigation, modes of travel, housing solutions
Geographers and space Geographers analyze information on regional, national, and global levels They look at space: Density: how many things are in one square unit of space Concentration: how closely are things related to one another in a space Pattern: how things are arranged in a space
Density How many things are in one square unit of space?
Concentration How closely are things related to one another in a space?
Pattern How are things arranged in a space?
Introduction to Population
Population Terms Population: a group of people living within a particular region or space with well-established boundaries (ex. Canada) Demography: the study and analysis of population numbers Note: geographers focus on space, demographers on time Census: a formal counting of people that records population numbers
Population Growth World Population 6000 BCE- 5 million 1 CE- 250 million 1810-1 billion 1960-3 billion 2010-6,840,507, 000 2014-7, 229, 435, 302 (saturday morning) 2050- UN estimates 9-10 billion
Population Density Concentration of people living in a geographic area To calculate: divide total number of people living in an area by the area they occupy # of people = population density area they occupy Example: 10,000 100 sq.km = 100 people per sq. km
Canadian Population Canadian population: 34.88 million California: 38.04 million, btw Population density = 3 people per sq. km Pop. density of BC = 4.2 people per sq. km Pop. density of Vancouver = 1,650 per sq. km Pop. density of Bangladesh = 1,188 per sq. km Pop. density of Hong Kong = 6,874 per sq. km Pop. density of China = 144.1 per sq. km Pop. density of India = 406 per sq. km Pop. density of Tokyo= 4,750 per sq. km Pop. density of Mumbai= 29,650 per sq. km
Population Data Geographers and demographers can portray population data in a variety of ways Note: each of the following methods can be used at almost any scale and it s important to know each of them The four types are: Density maps Topological maps Distribution maps Choropleth (shaded colours) maps
Density Maps
Topological Maps
Distribution Map
Choropleth Map
Other Graphs Line Graphs: Used to show changed rates of growth
Bar Graphs: Often used to illustrate time series for set places
Pie Chart: Use to measure parts out of a total percentage
Age Sex Pyramids Portrays gender and age. They are a good indicator of development Used to study the demographic characteristics of individual groups in an area Data should always be expressed as percentages of total population and not as absolute numbers
Next Class QUIZ on Post-War Canada PPTS: Peacekeeping Changing Society: Canada in the Post-War Canadian Identity If you have lost your paper copies of the PPTs, go to my website www.msbergmansclass.weebly.com Population part 2: population graphs & Canadian specifics/issues/concerns