Demographic Indicators

How do Demographic Indicators Assist Geographer In Identifying Levels of Development for a Country or Region? Every time I hear about world news, it always tends to have to do with a country's wealth, health, and social status. But what really defines these countries as wealthier? What are the things that gives someone in America a better life than someone in Africa? These factors can range from some qualities like GDP, Urbanization, Life Expectancy, Per Capita Income, and Fertility Rates among other countries. These Indicators allow people to classify a country to one of three levels of development; less developed, newly industrialized, or more developed. The demographic indicators that geographers use are varied and encompass a variety
(CIA Fact Book)
Urban Population: Number of people that reside in cities. (World Health Organization)
Global Fertility Rates: The number of children a woman is expected to have in a lifetime. (University of Michigan, Global Exchange Program, Professor Ben Van Der Pluijm)
Life Expectancy: The number of years a male or female is expected to live. (CIA World Fact Book)
Physicians/1000 People: The number of physicians that a country has per 1000 people earthtrends.wri.org)
Freedom House Report on Freedom: A Published study ranking countries based on freedoms that people have in a country. (Freedom House, http://www.freedomhouse.org/report-types/freedom-world)
Less Developed Nations: Low/Little economic development and industrialization.
Recently Industrialized Countries: Medium/Mixed economic development and industrialization
More Developed Countries: High economic development and industrialization
Geographers use this data to help them assign countries to one of the three levels of
These social indicators are Global Fertility Rates, Life Expectancy, and the number of physicians per 1000 people.On the Global Fertility Rates map, it shows a large majority of Africa having a very high fertility rate at about 5 children per woman. This is because of the lack of birth control and other types of contraception. Consequently, this causes less jobs available for working people, then lowering Africa's level of development even more. This differs from the U.S. greatly whose fertility rat sits at less than 2 children per woman. This also connects to life expectancy and physicians per 1000 people. The life expectancy of people is based on the medical care available in a country. The U.S. has a life expectancy of 78 with 256 physicians per 1000 people. This shows, the more physicians per 1000 people, the higher the life expectancy. Thus giving the country a higher level of development and quality of