Population

WEEK 5

POPULATION

Population is the total number of people living in a particular area or country at a given time.

TYPES OF POPULATION

1. Total Population – all the people living in a country.
2. Urban Population – people living in towns and cities.
3. Rural Population – people living in villages and countryside.

POPULATION CENSUS

A population census is the official counting of people in a country at a specific time.

Importance of Population Census

1. Helps the government plan for schools, hospitals, and roads.
2. Helps in the distribution of resources.
3. Used for political representation.
4. Helps to know the population growth rate.
5. It determines the level of unemployment
6. Used to forecast future economic needs
7. Used to determine population density
8. Helps in the provision of social amenities
9. It reveals the level of manpower
10. Helps to know the number of immigrants.

Problems of Population Census in West Africa

1. High level of Illiteracy
2. Inadequate funds
3. Poor transportation
4. Inaccessibility of some areas
5. Dishonesty of people
6. Political interference
7. Lack of trained personnel
8. Lack of communication facilities

POPULATION DYNAMICS

Population dynamics refers to the changes in population size and structure over time.

Factors Affecting Population size and growth

1. Birth rate – number of births per year.
2. Death rate – number of deaths per year.
3. Migration – movement of people from one place to another.

BIRTH RATE

Birth rate is the number of babies born in a country per year.

Factors Affecting Birth Rate

1. Early marriage
2. Cultural and religious beliefs
3. Level of education
4. Availability of family planning
5. Economic conditions
6. Improved medical services

DEATH RATE

Death rate is the number of people who die in a country per year.

Factors Affecting Death Rate

1. Quality of healthcare
2. Nutrition and food supply
3. Sanitation and clean water
4. Diseases
5. Wars and natural disasters

MIGRATION

Migration is the movement of people from one place to another.

Types of Migration

1. Emigration: - movement out of a country
2. Immigration: – movement into another country.

Forms of migration

1. Rural-urban migration
2. Rural-rural migration
3. Urban-rural migration
4. Urban-urban migration
5. International migration
6. Seasonal migration

Reasons for Migration

1. Search for jobs
2. Education
3. Marriage
4. Better living conditions
5. Wars and insecurity
6. Natural disasters
7. Differences in social amenities

POPULATION GROWTH

Population growth is the increase in population over time.

Causes of Rapid Population Growth in West Africa

1. High birth rate
2. Low death rate
3. Poor use of family planning
4. Cultural beliefs

POPULATION CONTROL

Population control refers to methods used to reduce or manage population growth.

Methods of Population Control

1. Family planning
2. Education
3. Late marriage
4. Use of contraceptives
5. Government policies

TYPES OF POPULATION

1. Over population
2. Under population
3. Optimum population

OVERPOPULATION

Overpopulation occurs when the number of people in a country is more than the available resources needed to support them.

Causes of Overpopulation

1. High birth rate
2. Early marriage
3. Lack of family planning
4. Cultural and religious beliefs
5. Improved medical care leading to low death rate

Advantages of Overpopulation

1. Large labour force
2. Large market for goods and services
3. Increased manpower for development

Disadvantages of Overpopulation

1. Unemployment
2. Shortage of food
3. Poor housing conditions
4. Pressure on social amenities
5. Increase in crime and poverty

Control of Overpopulation

1. Family planning
2. Education of the people
3. Late marriage
4. Use of contraceptives
5. Government population policies

UNDERPOPULATION

Underpopulation occurs when the population of a country is too small to fully use available resources.

Causes of Underpopulation

1. Low birth rate
2. High death rate
3. Emigration of young people
4. War and natural disasters
5. Poor healthcare

Advantages of Underpopulation

1. Less pressure on resources
2. High standard of living
3. Less unemployment

Disadvantages of Underpopulation

1. Shortage of labour
2. Small market size
3. Slow economic development
4. Under-utilisation of resources

Control of Underpopulation

1. Encouraging immigration
2. Improving healthcare
3. Encouraging large families
4. Providing incentives for childbirth

OPTIMUM POPULATION

Optimum population is the best population size that can fully use a country’s resources to give the highest standard of living.

Advantages of Optimum Population

1. Balanced use of resources
2. Low unemployment
3. High standard of living
4. Rapid economic development

Disadvantages of Optimum Population

1. Difficult to maintain
2. Changes in resources can affect it

Control of Optimum Population

1. Proper population planning
2. Balanced birth control measures
3. Good economic planning