Chapter 5: Review Questions

153

Question 1

1. Which of the following is the closest estimate of the global population in 2012?

  1. 6 billion

  2. 7 billion

  3. 8 billion

  4. 9 billion

Question 2

2. For the past several centuries, the global population has shown a J-shaped pattern of increase. Does this type of increase continue in the global population?

  1. Yes, J-shaped population growth continues.

  2. No, the global population is now stable.

  3. No, the rate of population growth (%) is declining.

  4. No, the size of the global population is decreasing.

Question 3

3. The age structure of the United States suggests that its population is stable, yet it continues growing. Which of the following best explains continued population growth in the country?

  1. A relatively young population combined with immigration

  2. High immigration rates

  3. Population momentum due to the relative youth of the population

  4. A total fertility rate above replacement level

Question 4

4. Which of the following regions is growing the most rapidly?

  1. North Africa

  2. Latin America

  3. North America

  4. Sub-Saharan Africa

Question 5

5. Which one of the following factors is not included in the United Nations’ Human Development Index, or HDI?

  1. Health

  2. Emotional well-being

  3. Education

  4. Economic productivity

Question 6

6. Which of the following potentially contribute to the environmental impact of a population?

  1. Population size

  2. The types of technologies used in the population

  3. The level of resource consumption

  4. All of the above

Question 7

7. How, in general, does economic opportunity influence immigration patterns?

  1. Levels of economic opportunity are unrelated to immigration patterns.

  2. Immigrants generally move from areas of lower economic opportunity to areas of higher economic opportunity.

  3. Economic opportunity influenced immigration historically but no longer does.

  4. Immigrants generally move from areas of higher economic development to avoid higher taxes.

Question 8

8. What is the present global trend in total fertility rate?

  1. The global total fertility rate has already decreased below replacement level.

  2. The global total fertility rate has stabilized.

  3. The global total fertility rate continues to increase.

  4. The global total fertility rate is decreasing.

Question 9

9. How are death rates and birthrates related during demographic transition?

  1. Declines in birthrates follow declines in death rates.

  2. Declines in death rates follow declines in birthrates.

  3. Increased death rates stimulate decreased birthrates.

  4. Death rates and birthrates are unrelated to demographic transition.

Question 10

10. How does higher human development appear to affect fertility rates in populations?

  1. Higher human development appears to encourage higher fertility.

  2. Higher human development does not appear to affect fertility rates.

  3. Higher human development levels are associated with lower fertility rates.

  4. Higher development levels are associated with lower fertility rates on some continents but not others.

Critical Analysis

Question 1

1. The doubling time of a population can be estimated by dividing 70 years by a population’s annual growth rate percentage. What are the estimated doubling times for the populations of Lesotho, with an annual growth rate of 0.3% in 2010; the United States, with an annual growth rate of 1%; and Yemen, with an annual growth rate of 2.7%?

Question 2

2. The per capita ecological footprints of individuals in the United States and Canada are very similar. However, the total ecological footprint of Canadians has not yet exceeded Canada’s capacity to produce resources, whereas the total of the U.S. population has exceeded the country’s productive capacity. How does this difference affect the way you view the impacts of the two populations?

Question 3

3. How much variation is there in ecological footprints among countries with Human Development Index scores of 0.8 (the UN’s approximate threshold for “very high” development) or higher (see Figure 5.13, page 138)? What are some of the implications of this variation?

Question 4

4. Immigration, both legal and illegal, is a significant issue in countries around the world, particularly those that receive large numbers of immigrants. What policies on immigration would you institute, if you had the power to do so? Explain how your policies would benefit the countries receiving immigrants, as well as the home countries of migrants.

Question 5

5. The Icelandic economist Thorvaldur Gylfason has suggested that investing in education has been key to Iceland’s achieving a high level of human development. Can you imagine a population living in the midst of natural resources as rich as those available in Iceland, but with a much lower level of human development? Elaborate on your answer.