CHAPTER ONE

GEOGRAPHY OF POPULATION AND SETTLEMENT

1.1 What is Population Geography?

Before answering this question, it is better to think about the meaning of “population” itself as
the term has a wide range of meanings in different fields of study. For example to Biologists, the
term population refers to organisms (plants and animals) of the same species living in the same
area of the same time. In statistics, “population” refers to the group from which a sample is
drawn. In population geography, the term “population” refers to human population.

As to Clarke (1977) population geography is concerned with demonstrating how spatial

variations in distribution, composition, and growth are related to the spatial variations in
the nature of places. Thus, population geography is concerned with area variations in
population and their relation with physical, cultural and economic phenomena. Like
demography, population geography is largely depends on statistical data with qualitative
approach, therefore, it explains and clear the complex interrelationships between physical
and human environments. The explanation and analysis of these interrelationships is the
real substance of population geography.

Zelinsky (1966:5) defined population Geography as “the science that deals with the ways in
which the geographic character of places is formed by, and in turn reacts upon a set of
population phenomena that vary within it through both space and time as they follow their
own behavioral laws, interacting one another and with numerous non-demographic
phenomena”. The population geographer studies the spatial aspects of population in the context
of the aggregate nature of places: the description of the location of population numbers and
characteristics and the geographic analysis of population phenomena (the interrelationships
among areal differences in population with those in all or other elements within the geographic
study area).

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1.2. Concepts of Population Studies

Population study as a discipline is known as demography. It is concerned with the size,

composition, and distribution of populations, their patterns of change over time through births,
deaths and migration; and the determinants and consequences of the changes.

It was in the middle of the 17th century that population studies emerged as a discipline in
England. When the study of population was emerging as a discipline, W. Thompson in his book
entitled ‘population problems’ described population studies as being concerned with the
following questions related to three broad areas of study:

1. What are the changes that are taking place in the size of the population, and how are these
changes brought about? What is the significance of these changes from the stand point of
human welfare?
2. Where people found and what are the changes taking place in their distribution in
communities and in areas.
3. What kind of people are found in any given population group and how do those in one group
differ from those in the other?
These three questions indicate that the study of population is concerned with its size, its structure
and characteristics, its distribution and the changes taking place in it over a period of time. It is
also implied in this description that the subject matter of population studies includes the study of
fertility mortality and social mobility- components of change in the size, structure characteristics
and distribution of population.

 What is the importance of population studies?

Population studies yield knowledge important for planning, particularly by governments, in

fields such as health, education, housing, social security, employment and environmental
conservation. Such studies also provide information needed to formulate national population
policies, which seek to modify demographic trends in order to achieve economic and social
objectives.

Basically, in population studies we try to understand concepts about human population that is
dynamic nature of human population such as size, growth, structure and components of change,
distribution. Human population shows a considerable change in size, growth and pattern of

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distribution. If we look at globally, world population 200 years back is about 1 billion, but now
days it is about 7 billion so what are the implications.

 National development planning: rapid population growth has an implication on economic

growth of a country. If the rate at which population growth is not go with the rate at which
economic development, that implies that there are more demand for social services such as
education, health, employment, housing etc. so these requires development planning.
 Heavy pressure on land: on average in Ethiopia for e.g. one farmer has a bout less than 0.5
hector, but on average rural women have 5.4 children, so there is more fragmentation of land that
affects output. There will be cultivation land which leads to deforestation, and hence soil erosion
and affects productivity.
 Environmental problem: - demand for land leads to deforestation which affects the natural
process of environment that brings desertification and hence contribute for global warming.

1.3. Sources of Population Data

The data required for the study of population are obtained mainly through three sources:
population census, registration of vital events (births, deaths, marriages and divorces) and sample
surveys. Each source of population data has its own advantages and disadvantages and should
not be viewed as being mutually exclusive. The three methods complement each other and help
to enrich the data collected through the other sources. None of them alone can adequately
provide a comprehensive set of demographic data. Thus, the method to be adopted at any given
time would be determined by the use to which the data, once collected are put. This is because,
what the data would be used for would determine the appropriate data collection method to
adopt.

1.3.1. Population census

The most fundamental source of data for the study of population is the population census. The
word “census” is derived from the Latin word censure, meaning to value or tax. Actually, in
ancient times, inventories of population were prepared in order to identify persons who could be
taxed, recruited for military service or forced to work. Such limited motives restricted the scope
of a census instead of covering the entire population, only heads of families, farmers, merchants,
landlords, men in the age group suitable for military service, able-bodied men, etc, were
enumerated. As it was usually not in the interest of the individuals to be counted or to supply
correct information, the pre-modern enumeration were often incomplete and incorrect.

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In such a census, women and children were seldom included. The modern census, on the other
hand, aims at enumerating each person.

In its modern concept, a population census has been defined as “the total process of collecting,
compiling evaluating, analyzing and publishing demographic, economic and social data
pertaining at specified time, to all persons in a country or in a well-defined part of a country,”
(Bhende and Kanitkar, 2003:29).

The modern concept of a population census took shape in the 17 th and 18th centuries. This
concept involves a complete enumeration of the entire population and the collection of
information about some important characteristics of each person at regular intervals with a view
to obtaining knowledge about the trends in population growth and its structure and
characteristics. After the Second World War, the importance of population data was realized to a
greater extent, and the United Nations began to assist several developing countries in various
ways in conducting census operations. As a result, the operations became more scientific, and
several developing countries established permanent organization for the purpose of census.

There are two types of techniques to conduct census.

A. Dejure: This technique is the counting of people according to the permanent place of
location or residence.
 Advantages
 It gives permanent picture of a community.
 It provides more realistic and useful statistics.
 Disadvantages
 Some persons may be omitted from the count. A household member who is temporarily
away from home may be missed from being counted unless the enumerator makes sure
that nobody is missing.
 Some may be counted twice.
 Information collected regarding persons away from home is often incomplete or
incorrect.

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B. Defacto: This technique of conducting census refers to counting persons where they are
present at the time of the census period.
 Advantages
 There is less chance for the omission of persons from the count.
 Disadvantages
 Difficult to obtain information regarding persons in transit. These are persons who are,
for example travelling and have left their area of permanent residence but haven’t
reached the area of destination during the census day.
 It provides incorrect picture of the population in a community.
 Vital statistics are usually distorted (in areas with high migration).

 Essential Features of Population Census

Modern population census has the following important features:

a) Individual enumeration: this requires that each individual should be enumerated separately
and the characteristics there of are separately recorded.

b) Universality within a defined territory: A census strives for completeness of coverage within
a defined territory. It should, therefore, include every person present or residing within its
scope, depending upon the type of population count required.

c) Simultaneity: In principle each person should be enumerated as nearly as possible, in respect

of the same well-defined point of time and the data collected should refer to a well-defined
reference period.

d) Defined periodicity: Census should be taken at regular intervals in order to provide

comparable information in a fixed sequence.

 Uses of Population Census

Population census is the primary source of basic national population data required for
administration purposes and economic and social planning and research. It provides information
on trends in population growth changes in the age and sex structure of the population, the trends
of mortality and fertility, migration, urbanization, etc. Census provides data of the changes in the
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nation’s occupational composition, its levels of literacy and educational attainments, its level of
living and other cultural characteristics, such as religions and languages. It is also useful in
providing a base for drawing up samples for different types of surveys. With the help of age and
sex distributions obtained from the census, birth and death rates can be computed, which is a
very big advantage for those countries where registered data on births and deaths are inadequate.

Census data are also used for constructing life-tables and for analyzing economic development.
They are basic for estimates of future trends in population growth, and are useful for national,
local, public and private planning. An estimate of future population and its age-sex structure
helps in estimating future school-age population and related requirements food, housing and
health services. The census data are also used for demarcation of constituencies and the
allocation of representation in a democratic set-up. The number of voters can be estimated with
the help of census data. Thus, census is a very useful source of knowledge and information for
overall development endeavor of a nation or the globe at large.

1.3.2. Vital Registration System

The registration of vital events is another source of population data. A person’s entry into the
world (by birth) and his departure from it (by death) are vital events. During the span of life from
birth to death, a change may take place in an individual’s civil condition, that is, he/she may get
married or divorced, or may be adopted. Such events involving changes in the civil status of a
person are also considered vital events.

In any society, births, deaths, marriages and divorces occur continuously. Hence, such events are
continuously record. This recording or registration of vital events is known as vital registration
system. The registered events are compiled and the resulting statistics are known as vital
statistics. Vital registration system is therefore, can be defined as “the continuous, permanent,
compulsory recording compilation, analysis, presentation and dissemination of statistics
pertaining to the occurrence and characteristics of births, deaths, marriages, divorces, legal
separations, adoptions, legitimating and recognitions in accordance with the legal requirements
in each country.

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Along with vital events other information is also recorded. In the case of birth, information, such
as date of birth, sex of the baby, age of the mother and her previous children, the order of birth,
residence of the mother, etc. In the case of death, date of occurrence, age and sex of the
deceased, place of occurrence, cause of death, etc is recoded. On the basis of the statistics of
births and deaths in a given area during a calendar year, the natural change in the population can
be measured.

Vital statistics records are useful because they provide monthly or quarterly summary counts of
vital events on a time schedule for administrative and other needs; facilitate detailed annual
tabulations of different vital events for scientific analysis of the interrelationship between
demographic, economic and social factors needed for planning, operating and evaluating public
health program, etc.

1.3.3. Sample Surveys

Sample survey is another method widely used to collect demographic data. In sample surveys,
information is collected from a sample of the population which is representation of the whole
and from which accessions are drawn by the use of scientific methods. Surveys are used to
supplement data provided by census and registration of vital clients or to substitute for such data
when census and vital registration data are absent or deficient in content or quality.

The collection of data through sample surveys has several advantages. With the help of well
trained interviewers and carefully prepared questionnaires, it allows depth study, hence increased
the quality of the data. Despite these advantages; however sample surveys can never take the
place either of a census or of vital registration.

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SUMMARY

Population geography is concerned with demonstrating how spatial variations in distribution,

composition and growth are related to spatial differences in a given area. It is mainly the study of
spatial aspects of population; the description, of location of population numbers and
characteristics and the geographic analysis of population phenomena.

Population data obtained from three major sources a) population census which is the total
process of collecting, compiling, evaluating, analyzing and publishing demographic, economic
and social data pertaining at specified time to all persons in country, b) vital registration is the
continuous registration of vital events such as births deaths, divorce, marriage, etc. and c) in
sample surveys information is collected from a sample of the population which is representation
of the whole population.