Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
lands. Each of these examples demonstrates that food pro-
duction is not confi ned spatially, as Malthus assumed.
Malthus assumed the growth of food production was
linear, but food production has grown exponentially as the
acreage under cultivation expands, mechanization of agri-
cultural production diffuses, improved strains of seed are
developed, and more fertilizers are used. In the twenty-
fi rst century, bioengineering continues to bring new
hybrids, genetically modifi ed organisms, and countless
herbicides and pesticides that enabled exponential growth
in food production.
Nonetheless, Malthus's ideas continue to attract fol-
lowers. Neo-Malthusian scholars continue to share Mal-
thus's concerns, even if they do not agree with every detail
of his argument, and continue to be alarmed at the con-
tinuing rise in the world's population. Neo-Malthusians
point out that human suffering is now occurring on a scale
unimagined even by Malthus. Although many demogra-
phers predict the world population will stabilize later in
the twenty-fi rst century, neo-Malthusians argue that over-
population is a real problem that must be addressed now.
GREENLAND
0.7
Arctic Circle
0.6
FINLAND
0.0
NORWAY
ICELAND
0.2
RUSSIA
- 0.5
60
°
60
°
ESTONIA
LITHUANIA
SWEDEN
-0.3
LATVIA
BELARUS
- 0.4
UKRAINE
DENMARK
0.0
0.0
- 0.4
- 0.2
UNITED KINGDOM
NETH.
0.1
GERMANY
- 0.3
0.3
POLAND
0.0
1.0
IRELAND
ATLANTI
C
MOLDOVA
CZ. REP.
- 0.2
BELG.
- 0.1
SLVK.
AUST.
0.1
- 0.6
KAZAKHSTAN
0.7
HUNG.
SWITZ.
- 0.2
- 0.2
0.1
-0.3
0.0
ROM.
- 0.2
MONGOLIA
1.5
- 0.2
FRANCE
0.4
SLOV.
SERB.
OCEAN
0.0
0.2
CRO.
BOS.
KOS.
- 0.5
GEORGIA
ARMENIA
KYRGYZSTAN
- 0.5 BULGARIA
ITALY
- 0.1
1.1
1.2
0.1
N.
KOREA
MONT.
0.3
1.7
PORTUGAL
SPAIN
0.2
UZBEKISTAN
0.6
MACE.
0.4
1.0
40
°
40
°
- 0.2
GREECE
- 0.1
TURKMENISTAN
2.0
0.5
JAPAN
TURKEY
1.2
CYPRUS
LEBANON
TAJIKISTAN
1.3
0.2
ALB.
SYRIA
CHINA
0.5
- 0.3
AZERBAIJAN
TUNISIA
S.
KOREA
0.5
2.0
.9
IRAQ
2.4
AFGHANISTAN
2.0
PAKISTAN
1.8
IRAN
1.3
1.2
2.4
PACIFIC
MOROCCO
1.4
BHUTAN
JORDAN
ISRAEL
1.4
2.0
NEPAL
ALGERIA
1.2
KUWAIT
1.5
1.2
LIBYA
2.1
1.2
BAHRAIN
WESTERN
SAHARA
EGYPT
2.0
1.3
QATAR
BANGLADESH
TAIWAN
Tropic of Cancer
1.4
2.3
U.A.E.
1.7
MYANMAR
(BURMA)
0.2
SAUDI
ARABIA
1.6
OMAN
1.8
20
°
INDIA
1.4
2.1
MAURITANIA
2.4
LAOS
1.1
MALI
3.1
NIGER
3.6
2.0
ERITREA
2.5
2.7
VIETNAM
1.1
SUDAN
THAILAND
0.6
OCEAN
CHAD
2.4
SEN
E
GAL
GAMBIA
2.7
GUINEA-BISSAU
GUINEA
SIERRA LEONE
LIBERIA
PHILIPPINES
YEMEN
2.5
2.8
BURKINA
FASO
CAMBODIA
2.0
3.1
1.7
DJIBOUTI
1.7
3.0
2.7
NIGERIA
2.0
SRI LANKA
IVORY
COAST
2.1
2.7
CENTRAL
AFRICAN REP.
2.2
SOUTH
SUDAN
ETHIOPIA
3.2
SOMALIA
1.2
2.7
1.9
BRUNEI
2.8
CAMEROON
2.1
2.5
1.5
INDIAN
TOGO
BENIN
MALAYSIA
1.6
GHANA
2.8
UGANDA
3.6
CONGO
2.9
KENYA
2.5
Equator
0
°
GABON
2.2
SINGAPORE
0.4
RWANDA
EQUATORIAL
GUINEA
2.6
2.7
PAPUA
NEW
GUINEA
2.0
THE
CONGO
2.7
OCEAN
3.1
BURUNDI
INDONESIA
1.2
SOLOMON ISLANDS
2.4
TANZANIA
2.1
COMOROS
2.7
ATLANTI
C
EAST TIMOR
2.0
ANGOLA
2.0
ZAMBIA
3.2
MALAWI
MOÇAMBIQUE
FIJI
2.8
VANUATU
1.4
1.5
MADAGASCAR
MAURITIUS
0.7
ZIMBABWE
1.8
20
°
20
°
3.0
20
°
20
°
20
°
NAMIBIA
0.9
NEW
CALEDONIA
1.1
2.7
BOTSWANA
1.2
RÉUNION
Tropic of Capricorn
AUSTRALIA
0.6
OCEAN
SWAZILAND
1.2
SOUTH
AFRICA
LESOTHO
0.2
1.2
NEW
ZEALAND
40
°
40
°
40
°
0.7
0
°
20
°
40
°
60
°
100
°
120
°
140
°
160
°
60
°
60
°
60
°
60
°
SOUTHERN
OCEAN
Antarctic Circle
