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Unit 7: Population Geography
Basic concepts of population: distribution, density, growth rate, interpreting population pyramids. Historical
patterns in population growth: the J curve and the S curve. Demographic transition: will it predict future
patterns of population growth? Factors which affect population growth in the developing world: the Cycle of
Doom. Gender roles and world population growth.
Unit 8: Migration
Migration as an enduring theme of human history: migrations in ancient times, the historical past, and the
present. Migration at a variety of scales: local, regional, and international. Types of migrations. Patterns of
migration: step migration, chain migration, channeled migration. Role of distance decay and information flow
in migration patterns. Barriers to migration; inducements to migration. How is the decision to migrate made?
Push and pull factors, voluntary and involuntary migration. Rules of migration: who, what, when, and why.
Unit 9: Urban Geography
What is a city?: functions and purposes. Land value and urban growth in the United States. Systems of cities
and central place theory: threshold and range. World patterns in urban growth: links between economic
development and urbanization. World urban morphology: diversity in the United States, Europe, South
America, Africa, and Asia. The primate city vs. rank size rule. Social areas in North American cities.
Unit 10: Human Impact on the Environment
Interaction of human systems and physical systems. Ways humans adapt to, modify, and use the
environment. Issues of pollution, resource use and management in the developed and developing world.
Perceptions of natural hazards at a variety of scales. Cultural reactions to hazards: planning for disaster in
Japan vs. So. California. Variations in world patterns of technology and consequent effects on environment.
Global solutions to global problems: climate change, ozone depletion, land degradation.