Chapter 5. Chapter 5: Human Populations
What impact does our current world population have on the Earth...
Interactive Study Guide
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Guiding Question 5.5
What impact does our current world population have on the Earth and can it support us all?
Why You Should Care
The industrialized countries of the world now have the hindsight to realize that the road to development did not follow a very environmentally friendly course. It is difficult for developed countries to encourage ecologically responsible development in developing countries since developing countries have and use a disproportionate share of the world’s resources. There aren’t enough resources in the world to allow everyone on the planet to consume them at the current rates of developed countries, so understanding the interplay of culture, development, and population growth is crucial to eventually finding a sustainable high standard of living for everyone.
Question Test Your Vocabulary
Choose the correct term for each of the following definitions:
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| 8r5f+pUYUCy9YVoTP2ORz15k4C1Uqx5XzyEXc3DbNZPsS9AgmiOtKsic0QXPhtbVTGIPWH5pPp6nf4JBn+S2SiVxAcHQNOwIty+vwQ== | The movement of people into a given population. |
| dxh+j2c+cl9eIE9m/+kQHn8UA2KG8RCki08+RaEuKYrT/Pfjp6Ezchf2o+mCJLPKiT56as538J4u473ZiPP3Domg9mr7nL8vh3lw/g== | The movement of people out of a given population. |
| Eg/MT9Y8TaTr9aB917L2+ki5naTnH1uCfo8vu2IHBO3BgNwIbE4tN4BxsYG9TPqdu+uqODoKsjedpqYd5gZ5c9niTkNWqf0U03mwTQ== | More people living in an area than its natural and human resources can support. |
| vhDyYkET4uFNfhsZ4Tbve42xDsWRJa+snb5bDSuPDSiTHf3xqaXKWRmjqdyvwQKb3d0o74wWJOJKxZaZ9aG64SlrPXWhMQN9LgfMwA== | The systematic killing of a specific gender (male or female). |
| bNR3IgPgfLjCTUyL2oGZ42vH4ipSvGw+CAh4QPvGa91EqzbrkkkKf8IsUJUbsknwl8C3Y7iQIRYxT5hnh9Pgh2+8dgmuYgj84sBL8A== | The population size that an area can support for the long term; it depends on the resource availability and the rate of per capita resource use by the population. |
999
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Question Sequence
Question 5.1
+dM1bOXSwCOXZEmm47lgZTxjUFr/EU0a5iZGeKxwLw7QQPrKnGJlZd/YarWIk9i7Sf4QcarJtLd14dCSFbc4Q9FPSUfy3RUEhw79B3bTohhzxBbDCYTV9nnwwYOgq+tew2mRf5kN2m9trwY3ewz9w1r7VHwvfrOkr/oQLrQzoUbRQC91The hectares in the graph represent a composite of the amount of farm land, oil fields, industrial plants, mines, and so on that are needed to support one person or how many resources are produced per person. They don’t represent an actual plot of land.
Question 5.2
OEa2/kZEgRnoVVrLueExMzZTcMVNGPDpreDqjOZLZF6xJBaWWLE5K93Vo6noiVtxnb7piW5d640dEzUpzBS7xZ6xvYwvk1I7Fthg3efI6VuKDsrZrU8W0tZiBT1qiMlLDuC3vHHhYxaYxZncRgsIu/MOUoXcrcS9TkNF/+V6yZX4YjdcAsia has the highest population densities in the world as well; since the hectares in the graph are per person, this means that there are few resources available relative to the number of people.
Question 5.3
Latin America and the Caribbean and Africa are the only two regions where the resources produced per person exceed the resources used. In which region do resources used most exceed the resources produced? N9pYV5f+V5atKcYQ5YcLdj8fUUtnUl9sAV0fl9yZYvJQMu8K
999
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Question 5.4
V/jL8YPIBvTBByz5oUcYVAz4ztfe4iAubNztM5HNhPvkuM88QXpvZlDuulKAHl8rxbQ0PZ0EliYshSSX3ldaoMaVI+Y/NeI1SmcZbojQPwADjYTYAQuKeBNEgqSpUDDjAfhxjydmHhnugTFde537UZAESOS7rJYqGs6hwcr+TohXFkpOsDDG/6tu3cU/vSfBYrKZsbwymvLr4R8WuVZ+Nk8Vgc2QGk46DYsOkLt3QrhCukj2hQ08BrjAq0BVWiqxXUy2qYUCND8YpG6eCorAkyYdQN/u5qls84gAr4f+hfPJwna+MuYU0LnHtpdiwndL1nf0aFyzbRkLDv7JzZ9iiq106ZhsueHLRj5/q+/kO6RQg2+S3l6k3Qe+ACiTFyxzaFnOPS5KfHKUKs0lWxl4gB1azsZnR3XmEM+Mt0xRb2yRzpWGWm8tn4uUm8J2c+sPU/IRHJV/dHwEEWZcAnswers will vary.
Question 5.5
t+k/1pEQD0eUGn2Yp1oCLjQfMxKPixutySYqajl0Q/r7nW4E9rn2fNULOcEQAOWGy47vyFuZMChiOuWAnjGR+VVxLz4z6kJ3nUofn4EBm/Nr2SD89JYPPf0YDOqkE8IG3Mm95CrM9pU8VE9DzLnEP9/KsNYhlZdbzsIc99Q6Twmb0HTjs5IVeQJtvGKCeNhdYou have several strikes against you just for living in the United States because of all the resource-using services provided to everyone. Therefore, it’s nearly impossible to live in the United States or Canada and not exceed your biocapacity.
Question
Short-Answer Questions
Let’s shift our focus from China to the United States. Although not the most populous nation, the United States is demographically exceptional in other ways. Answer the following Thought Questions about population growth in the United States. To help find specific facts, you may want to consult the Central Intelligence Agency World Factbook or another reputable website.
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 bXKXYo01DvaRcIHqihMTbZVtWSlzdGuV+7CglchDEp7Ggt+zyCRJgVV0dBcbL1nfK7IbeyY10DKHe5g+FTK7UzJ9CLqYjlN9aW7pAB7vpAnw5WaxfhDzU/P4c0EaDm59qexjY1BYGxd2CKW4Iev38Cc0GJwQGLDl4uI06el4izkhQg17+iKuX4QHMf53/4646h+qss1WsSRnymlVFRe4j/2QApCNy5CYQpJdCbUOXosQXplmYJh1rd5RiDesxiDtToTTYm2pOOxW+/bIxrLWLG9M99dBgo49H5NQUc+gXytFR/b4uapdz5KS0qS0DmGUEtBGyx9j7RZMuAHEHLiLIoQKjDL6lMxH1Bw7nbj8rpYH8h3FbY5ioRNOUJoFC3A7Aol2Q44ZQQjrfq4VoUNnt8Eo7JkE7KqBpLXIvvYM2FE6Hz/81iD/CLXlRs9tkTx6 V/I0npwfpWEchb/qD3Uf0qdTTaT8s9nJVrzHAGnLiUYhrudejmFO6v+CKaAtzGxP2Xja30P+KwL7AyeL5HhiFIyhKUuBX4MNsyimwdvU38HM4YqrFviPP6gAxXmi1atHfLcTmWxGMHnHxH8ctcW9VAXiOVoDUqlb0n/uFJWqLhpBmqM9HMEQMCL5hbFdKikf8tphQJQ/3/UtJ9DnoC1ssRLJ5KJB+DYhT8A6sQ==1) This is an open-ended question, so your answer may vary, but the best answers will incorporate some of the language you have learned about to describe population growth and age structure in populations.
Some facts about the United States that shed light on its TFR:
- The US has higher rates of teen pregnancy than most of the developed countries of Europe.
- The United States is more religious than the countries of Europe, and studies show that the more religious a country is, the higher its TFR will be.
2) There are many approaches to take with this question. The United States has gone through the transition in that birth rate has lowered to approach death rate, but there are many things one could point to as indicating that the standard of living has not improved to the same level as other developed countries.
3) You do not need to supply exact dates in your answer, only a general idea of the historic periods and events that would lead us through the transition and logical justification for your answer. The general consensus is that the United States was in demographic transition for most of its early history up until WWII, roughly 1800 to 1940. In 1800, 9 out of 10 people in the United States lived in rural areas, 80% of jobs related to agriculture, and total fertility rates were around 7 children. The TFR was so high because the country was so rural that a large family meant enough workers to keep a farm operation going. Significant technological advances in the mid- to late 1800s, such as the steam and internal combustion engines, mechanized farming and greatly reduced the labor force required to produce food. With fewer farming jobs, people began moving to cities, where wages were higher, but so were housing and living costs, making large families a liability. Birth rates in the United States decreased for most of the 1800s, but the total fertility rate really dropped between 1900 and 1940, at first because of a dramatic increase in the use of farm machinery, and later because of the Great Depression. Fertility rates increased temporarily during the post-WWII baby boom, when the standards of living and urbanization also increased. Now, less than 2% of jobs in the country are related to agriculture and the majority of people live in urban areas, and fertility rates have declined, although not as much as in many of the developed countries of Europe.
Some facts about the United States that shed light on its TFR:
- The US has higher rates of teen pregnancy than most of the developed countries of Europe.
- The United States is more religious than the countries of Europe, and studies show that the more religious a country is, the higher its TFR will be.
2) There are many approaches to take with this question. The United States has gone through the transition in that birth rate has lowered to approach death rate, but there are many things one could point to as indicating that the standard of living has not improved to the same level as other developed countries.
3) You do not need to supply exact dates in your answer, only a general idea of the historic periods and events that would lead us through the transition and logical justification for your answer. The general consensus is that the United States was in demographic transition for most of its early history up until WWII, roughly 1800 to 1940. In 1800, 9 out of 10 people in the United States lived in rural areas, 80% of jobs related to agriculture, and total fertility rates were around 7 children. The TFR was so high because the country was so rural that a large family meant enough workers to keep a farm operation going. Significant technological advances in the mid- to late 1800s, such as the steam and internal combustion engines, mechanized farming and greatly reduced the labor force required to produce food. With fewer farming jobs, people began moving to cities, where wages were higher, but so were housing and living costs, making large families a liability. Birth rates in the United States decreased for most of the 1800s, but the total fertility rate really dropped between 1900 and 1940, at first because of a dramatic increase in the use of farm machinery, and later because of the Great Depression. Fertility rates increased temporarily during the post-WWII baby boom, when the standards of living and urbanization also increased. Now, less than 2% of jobs in the country are related to agriculture and the majority of people live in urban areas, and fertility rates have declined, although not as much as in many of the developed countries of Europe.