The World's population tripled in the 20th century. There are more than 6.5 billion people in the world today. Approximately 2/3 of them are Asians occupying less than 1/3 of the land. North America inhabits only about 5% of the world's population. Chart 1 displays the Geographic breakdown of the population. Tokyo, Japan is the number one most populated city followed by Mexico City, Mexico. The top 10 most populated cities in the world can be viewed via link and the top ten most populated cities in America can be viewed via link 2. With the influx of population many cities are thriving off rising and upcoming hi-tech industries more so than the traditional industry. Allegany County Maryland has a long history of being a prime location for traditional industries. Being located in the Mid-Atlantic region allows easy access to almost a third of the nation's population. The growing population not only has impact on industry growth but also use of resources and land. There has been an increase in the demand and use for renewable water to more than six-fold. The growth of the population along with industrialization and urbanization both will have serious consequences for the demand of water and the environment. While many people are feeling the effects of population growth, scarce water and land, limited resources, and industrial changes, some tribes however have been able to maintain ecological equilibrium with their environment for years with little technology and engaging in agriculture labor. The society of the Sahariya Tribe resides in the Gwalior District in north Msdhya Pradesh. Many tribes like this one are made up of long lines of families and extended family. They have been surviving with their traditional indutries, customs, and culture. They have weak infrastucture areas and are not well connected with roads or bridges. 66% of water withdrawal is used for irrigation in order to help with the ongoing agriculture crisis and increase food security. The other 34% is broken down in 20% for industry, 10% for households, and 4% evaporated from resevoirs. Places like the Skagit Valley in northeast Washington which has some of the best soil in the land. The land is very high in organic matter content. It also has a cool, wet climate. With more than one out of every six people lacking access to safe drinking water it is not shocking to know that nearly 1.8 million people die from diarrheal diseases everyday and nearly 3900 children die everyday from water bourne diseases. The distribution of Earth's water is displayed in figure 1.
Figure 1
Link 1
Top 10 Most Populated Cities in the World
Link 2
Chart 1
| GEOGRAPHIC REGION | POPULATION | PERCENT
OF WORLD |
|---|
| Asia | 3,518,000,000 | 56.4% |
|---|
| Africa | 839,000,000 | 13.5% |
|---|
Europe (including nations that
were part of the Soviet Union) | 803,000,000 | 12.9% |
|---|
| Latin America and Caribbean | 539,000,000 | 8.7% |
|---|
| North America (U.S. and Canada) | 320,000,000 | 5.1% |
|---|
| Near East | 179,000,000 | 2.9% |
|---|
| Oceania (Pacific Islands) | 32,000,000 | .5% |
|---|
| Source: Global Population Profile: 2002, U.S. Census Bureau 2004 |
References:
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