The Effects of Population Growth in Brazil

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The Effects of Population Growth in Brazil

The population of the world today is 6,112,911,145 and progressively growing. Unfortunately, that figure is expected to double by the year 2050. Four-fifths of this population resides in developing countries of the "South". Because of extreme levels of fertility, mortality, and new migration, these developing countries are accountable for most of the world population growth. There are many reasons that explain why the numbers are increasing, but the main reason is the way of life for many of the people inhabiting these regions. With the combination of an unmet demand for family planning and the desire for a large family, the world's Total Fertility Rate(TFI) is 3.1. This is significantly higher than the average population replacement TFI of 2.1.

The population explosion is forcing people to migrate away from the city and into the surrounding area, which is causing an urbanization of the rural areas. To support this spreading, roads and cities are being constructed where plant and animal rich ecosystems exist. One region of particular global concern is the Amazon Rainforest and the effect of the spreading population from the coastal areas of Brazil. Currently, Brazil has a population of 172,860,370 people. A majority of this population currently depends on the local rainforest to support human growth. It has been reported that at current deforestation rates, only scattered remnants of tropical rainforests will exits and a quarter of a the species on Earth will be extinct by the time today's preschoolers retire. However, because of the ever-growing need for development, the soil, the trees, and the wildlife of the Amazon Rainforest are suffering at the hands of a demanding...

... middle of paper ...

...vation Organization. "Brazil Launches Defense Program for Amazon Jungle".

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2. Jackson, Robert M., ed. Global Issues. 16th ed. Guilford: Dashkin/McGraw-Hill, 2000.

3. Rotnem, Thomas E. "Issues in Development: Population Growth and the "Greying

Syndrome". Class lecture. Political Science 2401: Global Issues. Southern Polytechnic

State University, Marietta. 23 August 2000.

4. Snarr, Michael and D. Neil Snarr, eds. Introducing Global Issues. Boulder: Lynne Rienner

Publishers Incorporated, 1998.

5. University of Oregon. "Amazon Deforestation and Global Environmental Phenomena." 20

November 2000. .

6. U.S. Census Bureau. "International Data Base". 10 May 2000. .

7. The Latin American Alliance. "Brazil - Country Profile". 11 November 2000. .

8. Amazon Interactive "Making a Living". 12 July 1998. .

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