Population Pyramids

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Population Pyramids

• A Scaffolded Analysis

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What is a population pyramid?

• A diagrammatic representation of the age and sex
  composition of a population.
• Allows you to analyze trends in birth and death
  rates, fertility rates, infant mortality rates,
  as well as in similarities and differences in
  gender.
• Helps to make predictions about future growth or
  decline.
• Can give insight to the status of a particular
  country (core, periphery, semi-periphery).
• Is really two bar graphs, one male and one
  female, back to back.

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What is a population pyramid? ...
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What is a population pyramid? ...
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Analyzing population pyramids

• By only the shape of the population pyramid, you
  can make predictions about a countrys future
  growth
• There are five general shapes to look for
• Unstable
• Expanding
• Stable
• Stationary
• Declining

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Unstable Population

• High birth rates
• High death rates
• Brings a countries medical system or political
  system into question
• lack of contraceptives
• lack of medical treatment
• Consider Infant Mortality Rate
• War?

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Expanding Population

• High birth rates
• Death rates a bit lower
• Suggests a decent medical system
• Expect the countrys population to increase
  rapidly
• Lots of young people, not many elderly people
• Medical improving, nutrition improving, standard
  of life improving

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Stable Population

• Slow growth
• Low birth rate
• Low death rate
• Birth rate gt Death rate
• Suggests a good medical system availability of
  contraceptives and medical treatment
• Incomes increasing, standard of living
  increasing, children are becoming more of an
  expense

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Stationary / Diminishing Population

• All age groups similar
• Birth rates low
• Death rates low
• Less and less babies
• No growth
• Birth rate death rate

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Declining Population

• No country has reached this stage yet, therefore
  this pyramid represents a prediction of future
  trends
• Low birth rate
• Low death rate
• Death rate gt Birth rate

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Canadas Population Pyramid
What can we decipher about Canadas population
from this pyramid? Which of the five
classifications might we give to Canada?
How did our population pyramid reach this shape?
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Analyzing Pyramids
Afghanistan 2009

• classification?
• death rate?
• birth rate?
• life expectancy?
• predicted growth?
• periphery, semi-periphery or core?

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Analyzing Pyramids
United Kingdom 2009

• classification?
• birth rate?
• death rate?
• life expectancy?
• infant mortality?
• predicted growth?
• periphery, semi-periphery or core?

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Analyzing Pyramids
Brazil 2009

• classification?
• birth rate?
• death rate?
• life expectancy?
• infant mortality?
• predicted growth?
• periphery, semi-periphery or core?

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Your turn...