Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
or Megalopolis regions. With nearly 7 million inhabitants, the five boroughs of New
York made up the leading city in the US. Chicago ranked second with just under
4 million. Only southern California's city of Los Angeles began to compete with
these leaders. No city in the South had yet reached this level of population.
5.1.2.
America in 1970
Population
7,100,000
0
50
0 km
3,550,000
710,000
Source: US Census Bureau
Designed and made by JM Zaninetti, University of Orleans, CEDETE Institute
Figure 5.5.
US population by county in 1970
The population of conterminous states increased by 64% between 1930 and 1970
to eventually exceed 200 million. This represented an average growth rate of 1.25%
per year (see Figure 5.5). Various measures indicated a concentration of populations.
The growth of metropolitan areas with one million or more inhabitants was the main
indicator, but considering the population as a whole, a measure of concentration
such as the Gini Index provided another index. The Gini Index increased from 0.37
in 1930 to 0.40 in 1970, reflecting an increasingly concentrated settlement.
After the Second World War, the concept of metropolitan areas (Metropolitan
Statistical Area (MSA)) was gradually developed in order to understand the reality
of the changing characteristics of urban settlement. It was not until the census of
