GELO 3 Worksheet

NuFS 139: GELO 3 Worksheet - Interpreting Population Pyramids Population Pyramids Study the pyramids below, for countries used in the following problems and/or discussed in the video World in the Balance . What might you guess about each country’s population over time from the shape of its pyramid?

Problem 1: a. Examine the population pyramids of the two most populous countries in the world, China and India. From the shape of the population pyramids, predict which country is growing faster and explain why. To check your hypothesis, see the population projection for 2040 for these countries on page 4. India will be growing faster because it has a large base on the chart, indicating high birth rates. b. Study the table below and the corresponding country’s pyramid. Why is the percentage of individuals under the age of 15 a good indicator of future population growth? Table 1. Percent of Population aged 0-14 by country 1960 2015 China 40% 17% India 40% 29% Japan 30% 13% Kenya 46% 42% Kuwait 36% 22% United States 31% 19% The age of 15 is a good indicator because it shows how many children lived to the primary reproductive age range of 15-19 years old. Therefore, they are more likely to contribute to population growth. Problem 2: For Kenya,the percentage of women of childbearing age will increase between 2000 and 2025.The values are shown below. 48% of women were of child-bearing age in 2000 58% of women will beof child-bearing age in 2025 NuFS 139: GELO 3 Worksheet - Interpreting Population Pyramids 2

Problem 4: The population pyramid of Kuwait, an oil-rich country in the Middle East, has an unusual shape. a. Describe the age- and sex-structure of the population of Kuwait. Kuwait is more male oriented and has a higher number of males in the age range of 25- 44, in which there is a dent in this age range. Birth rates within children stayed around the same. b. Give a likely explanation (as suggested in lecture) for the unusual shape of this population pyramid. Males may more likely be wanted for leaders for oil companies. Furthermore, waves of immigration for workers around this age are prominent. c. Is the Kuwaiti population growing, stable or decreasing? Kuwait’s population is slowly growing. Problem 5: Resource use. Is it the size of the population or how manyresources the people consume that matters? Th e chart below shows current and projected energy use in quadrillion BTUs by country or region, and population for 2016 and projected population for 2040. Table 3. Energy Use and Populations 2016 Projections for 2040 Energy Use (BTUs x10 15 ) Population (millions) Energy Use (BTUs x10 15 ) Population (millions) US 98.7 323 105.7 380 China 134.1 1,373 190.1 1,364 India 29.1 1,266 62.3 1,571 Japan 20.9 126 21.5 114 Africa 23.8 1,218 44 2,063 a. Consider the projections for energy use and population projections in 2040. What can you say about population growth and energy needs? What factors must one consider besides population? As populations grow, energy and resources are increasingly used. As populations settle, there is more technology developments. Factors include green technology, home structures, sunlight throughout the day, and transportation services. NuFS 139: GELO 3 Worksheet - Interpreting Population Pyramids 4