12/19/13

Your homework over the break is to complete Assignment 30 and 31. Assignment 31 is already up on Quest. In addition, here is some interesting reading material if you are so inclined:

One With Nineveh: Politics, Consumption, and the Human Future - Paul and Anne Ehrlich (Introduction and Chapter 1)

Assignment 30 Applying Understanding of Human Population Dynamics

Questions 1-3 are based upon the following situation.

You are a demographer for the United Nations and have been assigned to analyze the country of Florin. Florin is a small, mountainous country in Eastern Europe. About 20 to 30 percent of the land is available for farming. The major crops are wheat, barley, and grapes. Much of the barley and grapes is used to make beers and wines for export. The majority of citizens work in the vineyards and fields of a few wealthy landowners and subsistence farm on small plots of land where they live. The majority of the citizens are below the poverty level. The country’s main religion is Catholicism. They believe in large, extended families and children are heavily involved in the labor force. The citizens have limited, minimal health care available to them. Although officially a democracy, the government of Florin is more totalitarian with a weak president and the ruling body made up primarily of the wealthy landowners. In an effort to improve the standard of living for the Florinese people, the government has asked for help from the United Nations. Florin has a small but growing population of about 100 million people. The following demographic data are available for Florin:

Percent of Total Population
Age (Years)	Male	Female
0-4	9	9
5-9	8	7
10-14	7	6
15-19	5	5
20-24	4	4
25-29	3.5	3.7
30-34	3	3.1
35-39	2	2.4
40-44	2.2	1.9
45-49	1.8	1.8
50-54	1	1
55-59	0.9	0.8
60-64	0.7	0.7
65-69	0.5	0.6
70-74	0.2	0.3
75+	0.1	0.2

1. Identify and describe the type of population growth that Florin is experiencing. Support your conclusions.

2. What kinds of (population related) outcomes might Florin face in the coming years?

3. Identify and describe the recommendations that you might give to help the Florinese people. What policies (ex. population, social, economic) should the government try to institute, bearing in mind the country’s religious, economic, and social structure?

4. Congratulations! You are in charge of the world. Identify and describe the three most important features of your population policy. Make sure that you explain why these policies are in place as well.