The National Geography Standards
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Human beings are unevenly distributed across Earth's surface. Understanding why people live where they do, and why they move from place to place, is one of the most interesting aspects of geography. In addition, geographers seek to understand spatial variation in the social, cultural, and lifestyle characteristics of human populations. |
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Near Samana, Dominican Republic - A young boy taking a break from his work on a coconut plantation in the Dominican Republic typifies the age characteristics of the developing countries of the world where children and youth may constitute half of the population. The total fertility rate in the Domincan republic is 3.2 children, as compared with 1.3 children in Germany. |
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Near Raqqa, Syria - An elder Arab sheik in traditional dress is honored during a desert festival in Syria. Few Syrians carry on the traditional Bedouin lifestyle but extended families continue to convene in the desert to celebrate ancient traditions. |
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"Costa Rica: Population Density" - The human population is unevenly distributed across the surface of Earth. In Costa Rica, the capital city seems to exercise an important influence on the distribution of people. This is a choropleth map on which population density in 1990 is shown according to administrative divisions. Source: Central Intelligence Agency, 801769 (R00024). |
A Sample Question from the National Geography Challenge 1996 (Grades 7-9) which illustrates . . .
STANDARD 9 -- EARTH'S HUMAN POPULATIONS
Which of the following river valleys is associated with one of the world's largest concentrations of population?