Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
Yugoslavia. But undoubtedly the most terrible case of them all, and the worst chapter of colonial his-
tory, is the Trans-Atlantic slave trade.
Beginning in the 1400s and continuing for nearly four centuries, untold millions of Africans were
kidnapped and forcibly shipped off to the Caribbean islands, South America, and North America,
probably in that order in terms of numbers of enslaved people. The impact is, of course, clearly seen
today in the demographics of receiving areas, and perhaps in Africa as well. Much of the raiding that
fed the Atlantic trade occurred in the latitudinal Middle Belt that lies between the underside of West
Africa and the Saharan fringe. Demographers of the African scene have long regarded this area as
underpopulated, and several explain that observation as an enduring legacy of the slave trade.
Choosing to Migrate
In a majority of cases nowadays, people migrate because they choose to do so. The decision to mi-
grate varies from simple to complex. Sometimes the key element is a push factor. This is a char-
acteristic of a region that causes dissatisfaction among residents and encourages them to emigrate.
The most common push factors are war, political unrest, famine, persecution, dislike of the physic-
al environment, and economic hardship. Push factors have been responsible for some of the greatest
migrations in history. Emigration from Ireland due to the potato famine is a case in point. Another
— and perhaps the greatest migration in recorded history — is the relocation of Muslims and Hindus
within the Indian subcontinent after its partition into India and Pakistan.
In other instances the decisive element in the decision to migrate is a pull factor . This is a character-
istic of an area that exerts an attractive force that draws people from other regions. Being the opposite
of push factors, pull factors include peace and harmony, lack of persecution, a pleasant environment,
and economic opportunity. Many times, of course, both push factors and pull factors play a role in
decision-making.
While push and pull factors encourage migration, potential barriers to migration have the opposite
effect. These deterrents may include
Physical barriers such as oceans, mountain, and deserts
Economic barriers such as the costs of migration and of establishing a new home
Cultural barriers that involve the sobering prospect of leaving a familiar religious, lin-
guistic, and relational environment for an unfamiliar one
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