Population Dynamics: Birth and Death Rates

Study Notes

Birth rate: The number of babies born per 1,000 people in a country each year.
Death rate: The number of deaths per 1,000 people in a country each year.
Infant mortality rate: The number of babies who die before their first birthday per 1,000 births.
Examples of infant mortality rates:
- Ghana: 50 per 1,000 births
- Mozambique: 89 per 1,000 births
- South Africa: 55 per 1,000 births
- Brazil: 24 per 1,000 births
- France: 4 per 1,000 births
- Japan: 3 per 1,000 births

Life expectancy: The average number of years a person in a population is expected to live.
Average life expectancy in 2012: 62 years.
Examples of life expectancy:
- Ghana: 61 years
- Mozambique: 52 years
- South Africa: 49 years
- Brazil: 73 years
- France: 81 years
- Japan: 84 years

Disease: Diseases such as malaria, HIV, TB, and cholera contribute significantly to death rates.
- Infant mortality rates are often high in areas where diseases like diarrhea are prevalent.
- An epidemic is a rapid spread of a disease within a local area.
- A pandemic is a global spread of a disease affecting multiple countries.

Some rural communities have large families to support agricultural work.
In areas without government pensions, people may have many children to provide care in their old age.
Certain religious beliefs may restrict access to family planning methods.
Cultural norms in some communities allow leaders and wealthy men to have multiple wives and children.

Approximately 160 million people died due to wars and conflict between 1900 and 2000.
Wars can lead to a reduction in birth rates.
Conflict can disrupt farming and lead to food shortages.
People may relocate to cities or leave their country due to warfare.

Governments may implement policies to influence population growth.
In the 1960s, the South African government encouraged white families to have more children.
The Chinese government introduced a one-child policy in 1979 for certain areas within China.

South Africa has designated approximately 17% of its coastline as protected areas.
Marine environments face various threats, including fishing, pollution, coastal development, and tourism.
The first marine protected area in South Africa was established near Tsitsikamma in 1964.
South Africa now has 21 marine protected areas.
Fishing restrictions are enforced within many reserves.
International regulations are in place to prevent unsustainable fishing practices.
Fishing quotas are set to limit the amount of fish harvested.

Eco-tourism involves responsible travel to natural areas that minimizes environmental impact.
Eco-tourism aims to protect natural beauty, biodiversity, historical sites, and cultural heritage.
Common activities include:
- Game viewing
- Horse riding
- Bird watching
- Scuba diving and snorkeling
- Hiking
- Whale watching
- Mountain biking
- Visiting historical sites
- Rock climbing

Dams serve as water storage reservoirs.
Water is treated to make it safe for drinking.
Clean water is stored and distributed through pipelines to settlements.
Dams play a crucial role in regulating water supply for settlements, farms, industries, and river flow.
Water can be transferred from one dam to another.