Demography

IN 1999 THE EARTH'S POPULATION SURPASSED SIX BILLION PEOPLE. It took all of human history to reach the first billion in the 1800s, but approximately 200 years to hit six billion.

As the Earth gets more and more crowded, studying population issues such as the distribution of our natural resources and our collective impact on the environment will be crucial.

Demography, the study of human populations, is also increasingly important in both the business and political sectors. Everything from urban planning to the marketing of a new products uses population information.

This month we explore the field of demography.

• American Demographics - find out how marketers use information about populations to target consumers
• Population Reference Bureau - this organization studies population issues and publishes an online journal
• Population.com - lists the population of 200 countries
• Statistics Canada - our national agency that takes the national census and interprets the data
  Also at Statistics Canada:
  • Teaching Activities - insightful and entertaining ways to educate students on the use of national statistics
• World Bank Group - as part of their Development Data they have valuable information and maps
• United Nations Statistics Division - economic and social findings relating to the Earth's population
• Your Nation - a visual representation of how countries compare and rank on such important issues as literacy, mortality, and GDP
• More internet resources at the CCGE Resource Directory - Demography