Geography Study Materials and Hand-outs

Stages of Demographic Transition Model The changes in population growth rates and the effect on population can be shown on the Demographic Transition Model (Population Cycle): This can be divided into four stages:      Stage 1 - High Fluctuating           Birth Rate and Death rate are both high. Population growth is slow and fluctuating.           The birth Rate is high as a result of:, Lack of family planning High Infant Mortality Rate: putting babies in the 'bank' Need for workers in agriculture Religious beliefs Children as economic assets           The death Rate is high because of:           High levels of disease           Famine           Lack of clean water and sanitation           Lack of health care           War           Competition for food from predators such as rats           Lack of education          Example:  Typical of Britain in the 18th century and the Least Economically Developed Countries           (LEDCs) today. Stage

  Definition of Demographic Transitional Model The Demographic transition model (DTM) is a model used to represent the process of explaining the transformation of countries from high birth rates and high death rates to low birth rates and low death rates as part of the economic development of a country from a pre-industrial to an industrialized economy . It is based on an interpretation begun in 1929 by the American demographer Warren Thompson   of prior observed changes, or transitions, in birth and death rates in industrialized societies over the past two hundred years. Diagram which includes stage five Most developed countries are beyond stage three of the model; the majority of developing countries are in stage 2 or stage 3. The model was based on the changes seen in Europe so these countries follow the DTM relatively well. Many developing countries have moved into stage 3. The major exceptions are some poor countries, mainly in sub-Saharan Africa and some Middle Eastern count