Chapter 4

Fundamentals of Population:

Location, Distribution, and Density

Key Issues in Population Geography

• Population distribution

Key Issues in Population Geography

• Population growth and change

Key Issues in Population Geography

• Migration

The Shifting Center of the United States Population, 1790 - 1990

U.S. Interregional MigrationAnnual Average in 1000s (1990s)

Intra-regional

migration in Boston

1970-1998

Refugees and forced migration

Rwandan Refugees

Trail of Tears

Key Issues in Population Geography

• Population

policies

China’s One Child Policy

Arithmetic vs.

Physiologic Population Density(the number of people

per unit area of agriculturally productive

land)

• Egypt has an arithmetic density of 182/sq. mi.• Egypt’s physiologic density is 9064/sq mi.

Major Population Concentrations

South Asian and East Asian distributions reflect agricultural populations

Major Population

Concentrations

Europeandistributionsreflect the

orientation of coal fields

Major Population Concentrations• North

American distributions reflect the agglomeration surrounding industrial areas

Other Major Population

Concentrations

Java, Mekong Delta

Other Major Population Concentrations

• Nigeria

• Nile River and Delta

Other Major Population Concentrations

• South America Periphery

Other Major Population Concentrations

• Australia Periphery

Technology and carrying capacity

• Improvements in technology can increase the carrying capacity of a region.

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