Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
Making connections
In each stage of the demographic transition model (see the previous section), natural increase is
closely related to other demographic variables, each of which can be mapped and analyzed, and thus
reveal a broader appreciation of the geography of the human condition. The following sections offer
maps and brief discussions of three variables that illustrate the possibilities.
Wealth (Gross National Income [GNI] per capita)
A map of global wealth reveals that the world's most affluent countries are found in North America,
Western Europe, and selected “outlying” places such as Japan, Australia, and New Zealand (illus-
trated in Figure 11-6). At the other extreme are numerous countries in Africa and Asia. If the overall
pattern of rich countries and poor countries on this map looks vaguely familiar, it ought to. As sug-
gested earlier and confirmed here, you can see an inverse relationship between natural increase and
wealth. That is, countries that have a high rate of natural increase generally have low average wealth,
and vice versa. And again, the most significant implication is this: The highest rates of natural in-
crease are occurring in countries that have the least financial means to see to the needs of their rapidly
expanding populations.
Percent of population under 15 years of age
Figure 11-7 — a world map showing percent of population under 15 years of age (by country) — re-
veals a familiar pattern. The highest category on the map pertains to countries in which more than 40
percent of the population is in that age category. And basically, those countries are found in Africa,
plus Central America and Southern Asia. The lowest rates, in contrast, tend to be found in North
America, Europe, and East Asia, plus Australia and New Zealand. Thus, the highest percentages of
young people tend to be found in countries that have rapidly expanding populations and the least fin-
ancial wherewithal that can be brought to bear on the education, health, and nourishment of the next
generation.
Infant mortality
Infant mortality is a sensitive indicator of public health and education. Figure 11-8 shows the highest
rates of infant mortality are occurring in countries that have the highest rates of natural increase,
which also tend to be poor. That lack of wealth is largely responsible for the poor states of health care
and sanitation that produce high rates of infant death. Co-occurrence of high rates of infant mortality
with high rates of people under 15 years of age suggests a societal preference for high birth rates to
