Population Geography

Course Main Objective

The main objective of course is to: Study the demographic concepts (Demography) and explain their spatial and time characteristics; deal with the philosophic background of all demographic and geographic standards of populations and use them as development index being an introduction to the sustainable development and further draw out all what is consistent and connected within their interrelated elements whether historically or ecologically or quantitatively.

Course Learning Outcomes

• 1. Knowledge and Comprehension
• 1.1 Explain population geography and its most important fields of study and how to get and process demographic data.
• 2. Skills
• 2.1 Differentiate among the different characteristics of population according to their composition (age- sex- education- economic…etc.,).
• 2.2 Use computer technology and statistical, GIS and remote sensing programs in distribution and characteristics of population and their problems nationally, regionally and worldly.  
• 3. Values
• 3.1 Appreciate teamwork and community responsibility in studying issues of population and development.

Course Content:

- Essence of population geography and its importance and difference the demography and its relation to other disciplines.
- Types and sources of population information and its problems (census- vital statistics).
- Types and sources of population information and its problems (population register – sample survey- other sources).
- Some basic demographic concepts and history of population growth.
- Population distribution in the world and the Arab World.
- The natural and human factors affecting population distribution.
- Methods used in population distribution study
- Age and sex composition of population.
- Social characteristics of population (composition according to nationality- marriage composition- education composition).
- Economic characteristics of population (economic composition- aid- unemployment...) and its impact on sustainable development.
- Rate of population growth and natural increase and theory of demographic transition.
- Mortality: rate, reasons, geographic variation and the affecting factors.
- Population migrations: the types, motives and affecting factors.
- Population and development and some theories concerning relation between population and resources (Malthus's Theory of Population- the Optimum Theory of Population...).
- Population policies and their role in increasing the sustainable development rates.

Textbook (s)

- Al-Khareef, Rashoud. M. (2020). Population: Concepts, Methods, Applications. AlMoayyad, Riyadh. (electronic edition).
- Clark, John. (1984). Population Geography. Trans. Muhammad Shawky Mekki. Dar AlMareekh for Publishing, Riyadh.
- Al-Saadi, Abbas.F. (1980). Studies on Population Geography. Manchaat almaref, Alexandria.
- Abou Aiyana, Fathy.M. population Geography. Dar Almarefa, Alexandria.

Course ID: GEOG 310