Human races The Sovereign of All Rus', the twelve-year-old Tsar Peter II, upon his accession to the throne, immediately, long before the official coronation, ordered his subjects that in letters and requests addressed to him, “the lowest slave” should be placed before the signature of the giver. No more and

Races Australian (Australoid) Asian-American (Mongoloid) Americanoid, American Arctic Armenoid Atlanto-Baltic Balkan-Caucasian White Sea-Baltic Bushmen Veddoid Grimaldian Far Eastern Eurasian

What birds never land on the ground? These tiny, butterfly-sized birds are called hummingbirds. Hummingbirds are most often found in North America, where they are called "flying birds". precious stone" This name is very suitable for these extraordinary birds, since

Human Origins. The most important stage in development geographic envelope The earth was the appearance of man. Bee humanity belongs to biological species Homo sapiens (reasonable man), part of the family of hominids, order of primates, class of mammals. Other members of the hominid family are the ancestors of modern humans and are known only in fossil form. The closest relatives of humans in the animal world are modern apes.
The order of primates, according to the most common point of view, includes three suborders - lemur-like (lemurs), tarsiers (tarsiers) and anthropoids, i.e. all higher and lower, monkeys and humans. The most ancient representatives of primates - lemurs and tarsiers - appeared as part of the fauna of the globe already in the first half of the Paleogene and spread widely across its surface. At the end of the Paleogene, monkeys began to appear on the continents of the Old World, and already in the Oligocene deposits the remains of higher narrow-nosed apes were found, from which the ancestors of modern humans, hominids, as well as the ancestors of modern apes, anthropomorphic apes, subsequently emerged.
On the continents of the New World, monkeys also appeared in the Paleogene, but there they were represented by a special branch of anthropoids - the lower broad-nosed monkeys. Narrow-nosed apes in general, and therefore great apes, are absent from both the fossil and modern fauna of America.
The fauna of Australia did not include not only all primates, but also almost all higher mammals.
Apes reached a particularly wide distribution and great diversity in the Miocene and Pliocene, and the area of ​​their settlement covered Europe, a significant part of Africa and western Asia up to Northern India. Obviously, most of them led an arboreal lifestyle, like all other primates, but it is possible that even then they appeared individual species monkeys living on earth.
At the beginning of the Quaternary period, apes were still very widespread, and the structure of some of them showed great similarities with humans and with modern anthropomorphic apes.
In open treeless spaces South Africa, apparently, lived upright bipedal monkeys, which were particularly similar to modern humans. These fossil African apes, which lived in herds, are grouped into the subfamily Australopithecus. Their essential features were upright walking, the presence of pelvic bones, hips and the structure of teeth, very much reminiscent of human ones. Australopithecines can be considered the ancestors of hominids, and therefore humans modern look.
The transition of certain groups of great apes from tree image life to a terrestrial existence and bipedal walking contributed to the release of the forelimbs and the expansion of their functions, i.e., the appearance of hands and the transition to upright walking, as well as the herd lifestyle of our ancestors, which created the possibility of collective protection and mutual support. In the process of struggle for existence, Australopithecus appeared the beginnings of labor activity, which in turn led to the development and improvement of the entire organism of our ancestors.
It was labor, as was proven by F. Engels in his famous work “The Role of Labor in the Process of Transformation of Ape into Man,” that was the main driving force of evolution from ape to man. In the process of work and close communication of our ancestors with each other, the most important means of communication appeared - speech, with the development of which the brain and consciousness improved.
The transition of human ancestors to the making of tools, that is, to conscious labor activity, contributes to the transformation of the primitive herd of apes into human society, the development of which occurs in the future not only according to biological laws, but also according to new, social laws.
The appearance of the first hominids - the most ancient people or ape-people (proto- or archanthropes) - should be attributed to the very beginning of the Pleistocene (or the very end of the Neogene, according to other classifications). Finds of bone remains on the island of Java (Pithecanthropus), in Northern China (Sinanthropus), near Heidelberg in Germany (Heidelberg man), etc. relate to different stages of development of Archanthropus and indicate their very wide distribution across the continents of the Old World from the river basin Yellow River to the islands of the Malay Archipelago and from Western Europe to South Africa.
In many structural features, the earliest people were still very close to anthropomorphic apes, but at the same time they were much closer to modern humans than their ancestors, the australopithecines. There is evidence that the earliest people used fire, although they did not know how to make it.
The next stage of human evolution was the ancient people (paleoanthropes), or, as they were originally called, Neanderthals (named after the Neanderthal Valley near Dusseldorf, where the bone remains of human ancestors of this stage of development were first found).
Neanderthals lived between 200-300 thousand years and 40-50 thousand years BC, i.e. in the first half of the Pleistocene (Lower Paleolithic era). They were widely distributed throughout Eurasia and Africa. Their bone remains were found on the territory of the Federal Republic of Germany and the German Democratic Republic, in the Crimea, on the island of Java, in Palestine, in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bLake. Victoria in Africa.
Neanderthals made tools not only from stone, but also from bone, knew how to make fire artificially, lived in caves, and obtained food by gathering and hunting. The time of greatest flowering of Neanderthals coincides with the time of maximum glaciation, so the climate of most of the inhabited territory was harsh; the animal world included a mammoth, a woolly rhinoceros, a cave bear and other large animals, the fight against which was difficult and dangerous.
In the process of work and mutual communication, articulate speech developed, which in turn contributed to the rapid improvement of the brain. “First, work, and then, along with it, articulate speech were the two most important stimuli, under the influence of which the monkey’s brain gradually turned into the human brain...” The development of the brain and brain activity entailed the improvement of methods of obtaining food and protection from enemies, as well as changes and improvement of the entire organism ancient man. Neanderthals were replaced by modern humans. After the name of the village of Cro-Magnon (Massif Central of France), where the main finds of fossil people were discovered modern type, they are often called Cro-Magnons. Currently, the term “neoanthrope” has become widespread.
The first finds of modern human bone remains date back to the beginning of the 19th century. on the territory of Western Europe. These remains, discovered in deposits of the end of the Ice Age (Pleistocene) on the border between the Lower and Upper Paleolithic, indicate the high development of the Cro-Magnons, significant differences in their structure from the paleoanthropes and almost complete similarity with modern people. It should be noted that people of the neoanthropic stage, who lived in different regions of the globe, had quite clearly defined racial differences.
The ancestral home of man. Polycentrism and monocentrism. Currently, most anthropologists recognize that humanity belongs to one biological species and its origin from one species of animal ancestors.
There is also no controversy about the fact that man could only appear on the continents of the Old World.
Neither America nor Australia, which did not have the closest relatives and ancestors of humans in their animal world, could be the ancestral home of humanity. Also excluded is the north of Eurasia, which was covered with continental ice during the very period during which the formation of modern humans took place. Consequently, the areas of human origin could only be in the southern half of Eurasia or Africa.
However, there is still no consensus on. the question of whether this entire territory was the arena of the emergence of man through the gradual evolution of all the groups settled over it, or whether man arose from any one group of paleoanthropes, within a limited area.
The first theory, the theory of polycentrism, is popular in the West and is also supported by some Soviet anthropologists. The majority of Soviet researchers are among the supporters of monocentrism, that is, the theory of the emergence of man within one limited area. The location of this area is still controversial. Much evidence suggests that it was located in the southern half of Africa. However, there are also suggestions in favor of Central and South Asia.
Human races. Within the single biological species to which all humanity belongs, there are pronounced physical differences.
People inhabiting different regions of the globe differ from each other in the color of their skin, hair and eyes, in the structural features of the skull, soft parts of the face and many other physical characteristics that are inherited and called racial characteristics. Historically established groups of people, united by a common origin, expressed in common hereditary characteristics of body structure, are called human races.
The formation of racial differences occurred in the early stages of human formation and development under the influence of various natural conditions and the isolation of large groups of people from each other. Start of addition modern races belongs to the Upper Paleolithic. Findings of bone remains of modern humans in sediments of that time in different regions of the globe indicate the existence of pronounced physical differences among them.
During the development of human society, large groups of people spread throughout the globe and adapted to natural conditions. Currently, racial characteristics have lost their adaptive significance and are preserved only as hereditary characteristics. It is customary to distinguish three main, so-called large races: Mongoloid, Caucasoid and Equatorial, or Negro-Australoid.
Characteristic features of the Mongoloid race are yellowish skin color (that’s why they used to say “yellow” race), black straight, coarse hair, prominent cheekbones, and slightly slanted eyes. The upper eyelid of many Mongoloids extends beyond the lower, forming a special fold (epicanthus) that protects the eyes from strong wind and dust. This trait developed among the Mongoloids because this race was formed in the desert and steppe regions of Asia with a dry climate, strong winds and dusty air.
Most representatives of the Caucasian (“white”) race have whitish skin. But among peoples living in more warm countries, the skin can be dark. The hair is light, dark and even black, straight or wavy, the nose is straight, the face is narrow.
A characteristic feature of people of the equatorial race is dark (sometimes almost black) skin color. On this basis, this race was previously called “black”. The dark color of the skin depends on the content of a special coloring substance - melanin, which weakens the effect of sunlight (especially ultraviolet) rays on the human body. The equatorial race formed in the hottest regions of the globe, located close to the equator. In addition to dark skin, representatives of the equatorial race are characterized by black wavy or curly hair, a wide nose, and thick lips.
Within the large races there are branches, and within them there are the so-called small races.
Some of the Mongoloids moved through northeast Asia to America 25-30 thousand years ago, forming the American branch, which in a number of physical characteristics is close to the Caucasoid race.
Within the Asian branch of the Mongoloid race, a number of small races are in turn distinguished: northern Mongoloids, eastern Mongoloids, etc.
The large equatorial race in the process of its formation was divided into two branches - Oceanian and African. Within each branch, races are distinguished: in the Oceanian - Australian, Veddoid, Melanesian, etc.; in African - Negro, Bushman-Hotentot and Negrillian.
The large Caucasoid race is also divided into two branches - northern and southern.
In the process of the development of human society and its settlement across continents, the geographical isolation of individual groups of people gradually disappeared, and communication between races increased. As a result of this, a process of mixing of races occurred, the consequence of which are transitional and mixed anthropological types.
In modern racial classifications, mixed forms of ancient origin are distinguished, then mixed forms formed in the Middle Ages and modern times.
The first category of transitional and mixed races was formed in the early stages of human history mainly as a result of contacts between the great races. This category includes, for example, the Dravidian race, formed as a result of contacts between Caucasians and Australoids, the Ethiopian race - in the area of ​​​​contacts between Negroids and Caucasians, etc.
In the Middle Ages, some anthropological types of Asia (for example, Central Asian, South Siberian), African (Sudanese), etc. were formed.
TO mixed types Modern times include the mestizo population, formed as a result of the settlement of Caucasians across the continents of the Western Hemisphere. These mixed types include the mestizos and mulattoes of North and South America, the “colored” population of South Africa and some others.
At present, not all peoples can be completely classified by their physical type into any one large race. Within the same people one can find representatives of different races and anthropological types, and some physical types can only be classified with great difficulty into one race or another.
Equality of races and critique of racism. Detailed study of features physical structure of man in general and the structural features of representatives of various human races is confirmed by the fact that all humanity belongs to one biological species and its emergence in one center. In terms of the basic, most significant features of body structure, all human races are very close to each other and equally significantly differ from their original form - the anthropomorphic monkey. Similar features characteristic of all representatives of the species Homo sapiens are, firstly, those that ensure upright posture - the length of the foot in relation to the length of the thigh, the structure of the foot, the structure of the muscles of the legs, etc. Further, the category of similar features includes the structure hands, larynx and brain. All of the listed signs of body structure are associated with social labor activity people and are the most significant characteristics of man, distinguishing him from his ape-like ancestor and monkeys.
In addition, all human races are similar to each other in many other, less significant characteristics. All this indicates the same level of development of all races, their biological equivalence and equal adaptability to work.
The differences that exist between races (color of skin, hair and eyes, hair shape, height, structure of the skull and soft parts of the face, etc.) are secondary, insignificant characteristics of a person and are not included in the category of characteristics that distinguish a person from monkey. Therefore, belonging to one or another race cannot be considered as evidence of a more or less high level of development, greater or lesser proximity to the ape-like ancestor of man. It has also been established that all races have features similar to monkeys and that these features are distributed more or less evenly among all races. All these data serve as a refutation of pseudoscientific theories about the inequality of races and the superiority of some races over others, propagated by some representatives of bourgeois science. In an effort to justify the imperialist policy of oppressing some peoples by others, reactionary bourgeois scientists preach the biological superiority of the “superior” (Caucasian) race over the “lower” (Mongoloid and Equatorial). Proclaiming the thesis about the “inferiority” of the equatorial and Mongoloid races, about the inability of the peoples belonging to these races for independent comprehensive development, they point to the supposedly greater biological proximity of these races to monkeys, and also claim that different races originated from different ancestors. It is characteristic that at present there are almost no supporters of racism among bourgeois anthropologists.
Soviet science takes the view that all human races are equally capable of progress and the inequality in the level of development that exists to this day various peoples is caused by the uneven development of human society and does not in the least degree depend on the racial affiliation of a particular people. The backwardness of many peoples of Asia and Africa is explained by their difficult colonial past.
Language. Racial characteristics, although they are a consequence of social history, in modern society have only a secondary, auxiliary significance.
The most important distinctive feature Compared to animals, language is the main means of communication between people. “Having been brought to life by the needs of people’s communication in the process of work, language arises and develops together with thinking, penetrating into all aspects of the activities of human society.”
Similarity of language is the most important condition for the formation of tribes, nationalities, nations, i.e. those ethnic communities into which the modern population of the Earth is divided.
Based on their common origin from one language, the main modern languages ​​are grouped into groups, and related groups are grouped into linguistic families. At the same time, the linguistic kinship of peoples does not reveal an organic connection with the division of humanity into races, although in some cases there is a coincidence of the distribution areas of certain racial types and certain language families and groups.
Due to the fact that language has enormous comprehensive significance in the formation of ethnic communities, the basis modern classification of the peoples of the world in Soviet enthography, linguistic, i.e. linguistic, affiliation is based and all peoples are united into families and groups corresponding language families and groups.
The most common are 10 languages ​​of the world, spoken by almost 60% of all humanity: Chinese (690 million people), English (270 million people), Russian (150 million people), Spanish (150 million people). ), Hindi and Urdu (150-180 million people), Japanese (95 million people), German (90 million people), Arabic (85 million people), Portuguese (85 million people) , French (60 million people).
Number, distribution and density of population. According to data at the beginning of 1965, approximately 3,200 million people live on the globe. Throughout human history, not only the population size has changed, but also the rate of its growth.
According to available scientific data, at the beginning of the Neolithic (10-15 thousand years ago) only a few million people lived on the globe and the population increased very slowly. By the beginning of our era, the population of the Earth was approximately 200 million people, in 1000 - 300 million people.
As the productive forces grew and the dependence of human society on nature decreased, the rate of population growth increased more and more. In 1500, the world population was already about 500 million people, in 1800 - more than 900 million, and by the beginning of the 20th century. - more than 1600 million people. Over the past century and a half, the rate of population growth, despite devastating wars, has been particularly rapid. To date, compared to 1900, the world population has doubled. Recently, the world's population has been increasing by an average of 60 million per year.
The rapid increase in population growth rates is associated with the development of productive forces, economic and cultural progress, first of all, in European countries, and then in other parts of the world. The development of healthcare and the fight against epidemics has led to a sharp reduction in mortality, first in European countries, and in recent decades in developing countries in Asia and Africa. While high birth rates remain, especially characteristic of countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America, the rate of population growth is continuously increasing, and, according to calculations by the UN demographic service, the world population by 2000 should exceed 6 billion people.
English reactionary economist Malthus ( early XIX c.) argued that the population of the world tends to grow faster than the means of subsistence, and that this must inevitably lead to an absolute overpopulation of the world. Some modern bourgeois followers of Malthus are trying to prove that rapid population growth, supposedly obeying only biological laws, is the main cause plight workers, especially in economically backward countries, and will inevitably lead to a shortage of means of consumption to provide for the population of the whole world. By this, by the way, they seek to justify imperialist wars, which reduce population growth. However, the classics of Marxism-Leninism proved that population growth does not depend on the laws of nature, but on the laws of social development. Under the conditions of an advanced socialist system, the level of development of the productive forces is so high that the growth of social production outpaces the growth of population and must fully ensure the high standard of living of the people.
The distribution of the population around the globe is extremely uneven. Over 85% live in the eastern hemisphere, with Eurasia accounting for more than 2,400 million people, i.e. 77% of the total population of the globe, Africa - more than 260 million people, Australia and Oceania - 17 million people. About 420 million people live on both American continents.
With an average population density of inhabited continents of 24 people per 1 sq. km average density in foreign Europe per 1 sq. km - 86, in Asia (without Russia) - 67, in Russia - 10, in America - 10, Africa - 9, Australia and Oceania - about 2 people per 1 sq. km. km.
About 10% of the land is completely devoid of permanent population. Such territories include Antarctica, the polar islands of America and Asia, and some desert areas Central Asia and Africa.
The distribution of the population within the inhabited land also has great differences, depending on the interaction of a number of factors: natural conditions and associated types of economic activity of people, the age of settlement of a particular territory and the level social development people within a given country.
In fertile lowlands, in the ancient centers of agricultural culture, on the coasts of seas and oceans, where important trade routes pass, or in areas with the most highly developed industry, the population density is sometimes tens of times higher than the average population density of the inhabited land, reaching 500, 600 and even 1000 people per 1 sq. km. On the other hand, areas that have only recently begun to be settled or are economically backward are unfavorable in their natural features for development - tundras, dry steppes and deserts, taiga or tropical forests have a low population density, barely reaching 1 person per 1 sq. km, or even less.

The totality of people who live on the entire planet Earth is called population, or, more simply, the population of the globe. Population is the object of study of many sciences, among which special emphasis is placed on demography (a word of Greek origin that means “description of a people”), a science that studies the processes of formation of the composition and size of the population, as well as the characteristics of its distribution.

Introduction

At the moment, there is no universal opinion regarding the time of the appearance of man on Earth. However, many demographers believe that human ancestors appeared about two million years ago, and evolved humans about forty thousand years ago. According to the "statutes" modern science, the first people still appeared in Africa. From here, the world's population settled across all continents, excluding Antarctica.

Occupying certain territories, certain groups of people for a long time under the influence of natural and climatic conditions changed, forming their own traditions, appearance, temperament, character and other traits. Thus, the main groups of people - races - appeared on the planet. There are four races in total: Caucasoid, Mongoloid, Australoid and Negroid. According to some scientists, it would be worth uniting Australoids and Negroids into a common equatorial race.

Caucasians

The Caucasoid race was formed by the indigenous peoples of the Middle East, Europe, and North Africa. In ancient times, the European race populated Central and South Asia, and later Australia and America. Caucasians differ predominantly light color skin, soft straight or slightly wavy hair, a narrow nose and thin lips. This race makes up half of the world's population. The Caucasoid race includes all Slavs.

Mongoloids

The Mongoloid race formed over vast Asian spaces and settled in South and North America, on the islands Pacific Ocean. This includes almost 40% of the world's population. Anthropometric characteristics of this race include the following external features: yellowish skin tone, straight black hair, wide nose, narrow eyes, flat face.

Negroids

The Negroid race was formed by the equatorial African peoples. This race is distinguished by dark skin color, black curly hair, dark brown eyes, thick lips and a wide nose. There is underdeveloped hair on the body.

Australoids

Unlike Negroids, the Australoid race is distinguished by light eye color and wavy hair. This race consists of the indigenous Australian peoples and the island aborigines. If we consider the population of the globe in general, we can see that it is not widespread and is practically in danger of extinction.

Mixing

After the resettlement of representatives of various races outside the indigenous areas, mixed and transitional races appeared. Scientists have long proven the equality of all races. Nikolai Miklouho-Maclay, who devoted his life to the study of the peoples of the tropical islands of the Pacific Ocean, made a significant contribution to the development of the theory of racial equality. In 1870-1883 he lived among the Papuans in New Guinea. Naturally, the cultural development of the Papuans differed significantly from European standards.

The wild natives lived under Stone Age conditions. As a result of studying their life, Nikolai came to the conclusion that these peoples are capable of the same mental development, arts and learning, like any member of the world's population. The backwardness of these peoples is explained primarily by the significant remoteness of their habitats from the centers of civilization.

Analysis

According to some assumptions, for approximately fifteen thousand years the world population was only three million people. The beginning of our era was marked by a powerful increase in population - the planet's population amounted to 250 million people. According to history ancient world, even in ancient times, tribal alliances formed the first peoples who began to inhabit the slave states of Eurasia and Africa. Today the planet is inhabited by approximately two thousand different peoples. The Chinese are recognized as the largest people - their number is over one billion. At the same time, there are nations with a population of less than a hundred representatives. You don’t have to go far - in Ukraine, for example, there is one such people called Krymchaks.

The world population density increases every year. The rate of human growth accelerated with the advent of the second millennium AD. If during the first millennium the population was 25 million people, then the second millennium increased sharply to 6 billion people. Such drastic changes are explained by the fact that man has learned to produce required amount food, use medicine to overcome many diseases and create Better conditions for accommodation. All these factors, coupled with the introduction of new, more humane laws, led to an increase in life expectancy, a decrease in infant mortality and, accordingly, population growth.

The population has grown at a particularly rapid pace since the 50s. last century. Over the past half century, a so-called demographic explosion has occurred. Surprisingly, it only took humanity forty years to double its numbers. It is noteworthy that such rapid population growth is due to an increase in the number of inhabitants in the countries of Africa, Asia and Latin America. Living conditions in these countries have improved, and this has allowed them to support the national tradition of maintaining large families.

The majority of the world's population is made up of a cavalcade of the world's 20 largest nations, numbering more than 50 million. First of all, these include the Chinese, Americans, Brazilians, Bengalis, Russians, Japanese, Turks, Vietnamese, Iranians, French, British, Italians.

What is the world population now?

At the beginning of 2018, the population of our planet exceeds 7.3 billion, but it is distributed unevenly due to various natural, climatic and historical factors.

Most people live in southeast and southern Asia, as well as central and western Europe. These areas make up about 70 percent of the world's total population. How much population, then, are there for two large states - China and India? These giants include about one third of all earthlings. There is only one territory on Earth that has not had and does not have a permanent population - Antarctica. Extremely severe natural conditions do not give people the opportunity to occupy these lands, therefore only employees of research stations are temporarily in Antarctica.

Forecasts

According to the UN forecast, by 2050 the world's population could reach 9.7 billion, and by 2100 it is expected to exceed 11 billion. The population has only begun to grow at this rate in the last few decades, so it is impossible to rely on any historical examples of this in forecasting possible consequences such an increase.

In other words, even if the 11 billion assumption is true, the current level of knowledge will not allow us to say now what precedents humanity may expect in the future.

Formulation of the problem

The problem, in principle, is not the size of the Earth's population itself, but what the number of consumers will be, the scale and nature of consumption of resources from non-renewable sources.

According to David Satterthwaite, most of the demographic growth over the next two decades will occur in countries with average or low income levels.

At first glance, an increase in the number of residents in megacities, even by several billion, should not have serious consequences if we consider the problem on a global scale. History shows that this is due to the fact that urban residents living in low- and middle-income countries are more diverse low level consumption.

Residents of more prosperous countries pollute to a much greater extent. environment, if you compare their lifestyle with the life of residents of poor countries.

According to scientists, if you look at the lifestyle of an individual person, the difference between the poor and rich categories of the population will be even more significant.

As we look to the future, we must be careful not to jump to conclusions. Only time will tell how critical population growth will be for our planet.

Throughout most of human history, the world's population has grown very slowly. Acceleration occurred during the period of modern history and especially in the 20th century. The world population is about 6.1 billion people. The annual increase is approximately 85 million people or 1.4%. Almost 90% of it comes from developing countries. The population of Africa and Muslim countries of Asia is growing at a particularly high rate. According to forecasts, the world population in 2050 will reach 9.3 billion people, of which 58% will live in Asia, 22 in Africa and only 7% in Europe, including Russia. In terms of number of inhabitants, the largest will be (million people): India - 1535, China - 1523, Pakistan - 380, USA - 350 and Nigeria - 340.

The world's population is distributed extremely unevenly: about 70% of all people live on 7% of the earth's land area. Along with this, about half of all inhabited land has an average population density of less than 5 people per 1 km2. Areas completely undeveloped by people occupy 15% of the land. There are 4 areas of high population density on the globe: South and East Asia, Western Europe and eastern part North America. The distribution of the population is strongly influenced by the natural conditions of the territory, employment in agriculture, attraction to transport and trade routes. For example, more than half of the population is concentrated in a 200-kilometer strip along the coasts of seas and oceans, and almost 30% in a 50-kilometer strip. The average population density of the Earth is 40 people per km2. This average hides very large differences between regions and countries.

Currently, the population is distributed across countries and parts of the world very unevenly: Asia - 3786 million people, Africa - 822, America - 829, Europe - 700, Australia and Oceania - 30. The largest (more than 100 million people) countries in the world in 2000. were: China - 1285, India - 1027, USA - 281, Indonesia - 228, Brazil - 175, Pakistan - 156, Russia - 145, Bangladesh - 131, Japan - 128, Nigeria - 127, Mexico - 104. Among the largest (more 50 million people) the Philippines stood out - 83, Germany - 82, Vietnam - 80, Egypt - 69, Iran - 68, Turkey - 67, Ethiopia - 66, Thailand - 62, Great Britain - 59, France - 59, Italy - 58.

People are not the same in appearance, skin color, hair, eyes, skull shape, face shape. These external characteristics that distinguish one group of people from another are called racial characteristics. Groups of people with similar racial characteristics are called human races. There are three main human races: Caucasian, Mongoloid and Equatorial. The majority of the peoples of Eurasia belong to the Caucasian race. Many Europeans moved to other continents centuries ago. Caucasians inhabit most of North America, South America, and Australia. Many peoples of Asia belong to the Mongoloid race, as well as the Indians, the indigenous inhabitants of America. The main areas of settlement of the peoples of the equatorial race are Africa, Australia, the islands of New Guinea and Madagascar. Blacks belonging to this race - descendants of slaves taken from Africa - live in North and South America.

As a result of communication between peoples of different races, mixed races appeared. There are 3–4 thousand peoples, or ethnic groups, in the world. Ethnic groups are established stable communities of people. The classification of peoples (ethnic groups) is usually carried out according to their numbers. The vast majority of peoples are small in number. There are 310 peoples in the world numbering more than 1 million people, but they make up 96% of the total population of the Earth. Among all nations, the 18 largest stand out, numbering more than 50 million each, which account for about 60% of the Earth's population. More than 100 million people consist of only 7 nations: Chinese (over 1 billion), Hindustani, US Americans, Bengalis, Russians, Brazilians and Japanese.

Nowadays, population distribution is increasingly determined by urban geography. When assessing the urban population, it must be taken into account that there is no single concept of “city” for all countries. For example, in Denmark, Sweden, Finland, a city is considered a settlement with a population of more than 200 people, in Canada, Australia - over 1000, in Germany, France - over 2000, in the USA - over 2500, in India - over 5000, in Switzerland - over 10,000, and in Japan - over 30,000.

Urbanization (from the Latin city) is the growth of cities and the increase in the share of the urban population, as well as the emergence of increasingly complex networks and systems of cities. Modern urbanization has three common features that are characteristic of most countries in the world. The first feature is the rapid growth of the urban population. The second feature is the concentration of population and economy mainly in large cities. Among large cities, it is customary to especially highlight “millionaire” cities (with a population of more than 1 million inhabitants). The third feature is the “sprawling” of cities, the expansion of their territory, the formation of urban agglomerations - territorial groupings of urban and rural settlements. The largest urban agglomerations in the world have developed around Mexico City, Tokyo, Sao Paulo and New York; each of them is home to 16–20 million people. In Russia, the largest agglomeration is Moscow (13.5 million people). According to the level of urbanization, all countries of the world can be divided into three large groups: highly urbanized (Kuwait, UK, Sweden, Australia, Japan, USA, Russia, etc.), that is, with a share of the urban population of more than 50%, moderately urbanized (20–50%) and weakly urbanized (less than 20%). The pace of urbanization largely depends on its level. In most economically developed countries that have reached a high level of urbanization, the share of the urban population has recently been growing relatively slowly or even decreasing. In developing countries in Asia and Africa, where the level of urbanization is much lower, urbanization continues to expand and the urban population increases rapidly. This phenomenon, scientifically called the urban explosion, has become one of the most important factors in the socio-economic development of the entire developing world.

Rural settlement is characterized by two main forms: group (village) and scattered (farmer). The village form predominates in Russia, foreign Europe, China, Japan, and the vast majority of developing countries. The farming form of settlement is most common in the USA, Canada, and Australia.

Population growth depends on the nature of its reproduction. Reproduction (natural movement) of the population, a set of processes of fertility, mortality and natural increase that ensure the continuous renewal and change of human generations. In the most simplified form, we can talk about two types of population reproduction

The first type of population reproduction is characterized by relatively low rates of fertility, mortality and natural increase. It is widespread economically developed countries North America, Europe, Russia, Australia. Moreover, in some countries of foreign Europe (Germany, Denmark, Belgium, Hungary, etc.) the natural population growth is so low that there is even a natural population decline.

The second type of population reproduction is characterized by high and very high birth rates and natural increase. It is typical for developing countries, where after gaining independence the mortality rate dropped quite sharply and the birth rate remained very much the same. high level. This phenomenon of rapid population growth in countries of the second type of reproduction has occurred since the mid-20th century. received in the literature the figurative name of the demographic explosion.

Population migrations, which are divided into external and internal, have a great impact on the distribution of the population, as well as on its size and composition. External migrations of the population arose in ancient times, continued in the Middle Ages, during the modern and modern history. Until the middle of the 20th century. The main focus of emigration was Europe, the second was Asia. The centers of immigration were primarily the USA, Canada, Latin America, and Australia. After the Second World War, the geography of external migration changed markedly. Intercontinental migration has decreased and intracontinental migration has increased, especially in Europe, where there are now 12–13 million foreign workers. In the second half of the 20th century. a new form of external migration has spread, called brain drain. Its essence lies in luring foreign scientists, engineers, doctors and other highly qualified specialists. “Brain drain” has a particularly negative impact on developing countries, where the stratum of the intelligentsia is small. In the late 80s and early 90s, due to the economic and political crisis, the “brain drain” from Russia and other CIS countries intensified. Internal (intrastate) population migrations are of several types. This is the movement of the population from rural areas to the city, colonization and development of new lands, etc.

Population distribution- distribution of population across the Earth. It largely depends on natural conditions. And since such conditions are not the same on the planet, the population is distributed extremely unevenly. In addition, the history of settlement of the territory and the level of economic development, etc. are of great importance.

In view of this, not all areas of the globe are favorable for human life. Thus, only 7% of the land area is home to 70% of the world's population, and 37% of the territory is not inhabited at all.

Population density- the number of people living per 1 km2. This is the main indicator of the distribution of people on the planet. The most densely populated areas of ancient agriculture are the Nile Valley, the Great Chinese Plain, the Indo-Gangetic Lowland, etc. There are favorable natural conditions here, so the population density exceeds 300 people per 1 km2. At the same time, in polar and tropical deserts, where the climate is extremely harsh and conditions for farming are limited, the population density is less than 1 person per 1 km2. The most populated part of the world is Europe, the smallest is Australia.

Human races- a group of people who have certain common external characteristics. External characteristics that distinguish one group of people from another are called racial characteristics. These include different colors of skin, hair, eyes, head shape, etc.

Racial characteristics are not random and were formed a long time ago as a result of human settlement of various geographical zones Earth. Thus, over time, residents of hot regions of the globe developed devices that protected the body from overheating by the sun's rays. They have dark skin, thick and curly hair, thick lips and wide open nostrils. All these are signs of representatives of the Negroid (equatorial) race.

Residents of cold countries belong to the Caucasian race. They have fair skin, soft hair different color. A narrow nose limits inhalation of cold air. These adaptations gave them a better chance of surviving and spreading throughout Europe, over a large area of ​​which the climate is characterized by significant cloudiness and relatively less heat.

Representatives of the Mongoloid race have yellowish skin color and black straight hair. They have a narrow eye shape, since they have long lived in open spaces with strong winds and dust storms.

With the growth of the Earth's population, peoples of different races communicated more and more closely with each other. Therefore, mixed races appeared.