POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES, QUEZON CITY

Written Report:

Cultural Geography

Presented by:

Alvarado, Mark Kevin B.

Gomez, Jay Bea A.

Orioke, Lorene A.

Tagotongan, John Mark B.

BTLED-HE CM 1-1

Presented to:

Dr. Joel Ferrer

November 20, 2024

The study of the relationship between culture and place. In broad terms, cultural geography

examines the cultural values, practices, discursive and material expressions and artefacts of people,

the cultural diversity and plurality of society, and how cultures are distributed over space, how

places and identities are produced, how people make sense of places and build senses of place, and

how people produce and communicate knowledge and meaning. Cultural geography has long been

a core component of the discipline of geography, though how it has been conceived, its conceptual

tools, and the approach to empirical research has changed quite markedly over time.

In the late 19th century, cultural geography sought to compare and contrast different cultures

around the world and their relationship to natural environments. This approach has its roots in the

anthropogeography of Friedrich Ratzel and, in common with anthropology, it aimed to understand

cultural practices, social organizations, and indigenous knowledges, but gave emphasis to people’s

connections with and use of place and nature (see landschaft). This form of cultural geography

was adopted, extended, and promoted in North American geography in the early 20th century,

especially through the Berkeley School and Carl Sauer. They were particularly interested in how

people adapted to environments, but more particularly how people shaped the landscape through

agriculture, engineering, and building, and how the landscape was reflective of the people who

produced it.

Principles Governing Human Population

We know more about the human population and how it has grown than we know about the

population of any other species thanks to demography, which is the scientific study of human

populations. Demography encompasses the size, distribution, and structure of populations.

well, such as ethnicity or education. Demography also encompasses population processes that

change population size and structure, including births, deaths, and migration. Demography is

considered to be at the crossroads of several disciplines, including sociology, economics,

epidemiology, anthropology, and history. Besides studying current populations, demographers

reconstruct past population characteristics, such as estimating the world population size 10,000

years ago. Demographers also make predictions about populations in the future, such as how many

people will live in cities in 2050. In addition, many demographers study relationships between

population characteristics and other factors, such as economic, social, or cultural factors.

Populations are dynamic entities. Populations consist all of the species living within a specific

area, and populations fluctuate based on a number of factors: seasonal and yearly changes in the

environment, natural disasters such as forest fires and volcanic eruptions, and competition for

resources between and within species. The statistical study of population dynamics, demography,

uses a series of mathematical tools to investigate how populations respond to changes in their

biotic and abiotic environments. Many of these tools were originally designed to study human

populations. For example, life tables, which detail the life expectancy of individuals within a

population, were initially developed by life insurance companies to set insurance rates. In fact,

while the term “demographics” is commonly used when discussing humans, all living populations

can be studied using this approach.

The total fertility Rate

In a specific year is defined as the total number of children that would be born to each woman if

she were to live to the end of her child-bearing years and give birth to children in alignment with
the prevailing age-specific fertility rates. It is calculated by totaling the age-specific fertility rates

as defined over five-year intervals. Assuming no net migration and unchanged mortality, a total

fertility rate of 2.1 children per woman ensures a broadly stable population. Together with

mortality and migration, fertility is an element of population growth, reflecting both the causes

and effects of economic and social developments. The reasons for the dramatic decline in birth

rates during the past few decades include postponed family formation and childbearing and a

decrease in desired family sizes. This indicator is measured in children per woman.

Migration Patterns and Growth Rates

Migration can be described as the movement of people from one physical location to another, due

to different social, economic, political and even natural causes. Such movements can be of local,

national or even cross international levels and are classified as types like internal migration,

international migrants, seasonal movers (for work, agriculture etc), and forced movers because of

conflict, persecution, disasters and the like. Coercive factors – poverty or political instability and

attractive factors – better employment opportunities or safety label these movements. It is for this

reason that analyzing migration is tremendously important in order to deal with these questions

and phenomena with which people confront the world – from urbanization to cultural interchange

to distribution of resources.

Factors that cause Migration Patterns

• Economic Factors

- People that live in rural areas move to urban areas because of the better opportunities

and higher standard of living.

- People are forced to move in an area where they are safe because some of the

environmental changes might harm humans and other species.

• Conflicts and Instability

- It might lead to forced migration because of the conflict and instability of an area.

Impact on Ecosystems

• Resource Redistribution

- The movement of species in one pattern to another can also transfer nutrients from

one ecosystem to the other. For instance, salmon transport nutrients from the sea to

the freshwater river during spawning creating value to both aquatic and the terrestrial

life forms. Such pressure from migration andraphy or excessive grazing harms the

habitats of stopover sites.

• Biodiversity

- Benefits such as the provision of new interactions among species are clearly linked to

the conservation of migratory species. They also become vectors for the spread of

diseases or import invasive species or diseases in a new geographical range.

• Habitat Dependence and Climate Change

- Habitats used by migratory species may consist of several parts which the animals

require at different times of the year. In adaptation, variations in one environment, they

may be caused by human activities such as urbanization or climate change, can lead to

disruptions of migration patterns therefore causing population decline. Climate change

may affect phenology, timing of species events which may lead to mal adapting of

species with their environments.

- This is because, with high rate of increase, population leads to congested population

beyond the ecosystem’s capacity. The consequence of this is; Resource depletion,

competition for territory leading to habitat destruction.

• Predation and Herbivory

- By growing prowess, it is most important to understand that prey-specialist rates can

grow a predator population size. On the other hand, whenever vulnerable growth rates

exceed the prey populations, it causes trophic cascades. While fast growth among the

herbivores may help in managing the vegetation the end result is likely to be

overgrazing and soil erosion.

• Ecosystem Resilience

- Stable economic growth rates provide organisation with an ability to respond to the

changes that occur in an environment, for instance climatic changes or human

interference. The carried examples of uncontrolled growth such as algae whereby

excessive nutrients are provided result in health risks such as formation of dead zones

in water systems.

Migration patterns and Growth Rates before, during, and after COVID-19

In the past, migration was primarily driven by urbanization and globalization, with people moving

from rural to urban areas in search of better economic opportunities and higher living standards.

As a result of the gathering of numerous individuals, they became hubs of growth and civilization.

However, new social, economic, and environmental issues like resource scarcity, pollution, and

species extinction were also brought about by the fast rate of urbanization. Deforestation, increased

resource use, and a negative decline in the number of residents were all caused by the rapid
population growth that was particularly disastrous for urban communities. Although the

availability of infrastructure and other service providers fueled economic concerns during this

time, the expansion of cities came at the expense of the environment.

Changes in the migration rate occurred with the onset of the pandemic period. Containment

measures such as lock down, restriction in travels and closure of borders that came with the

shutdown of the globe led to curtailment of movement of work force and economic migrants. This

slowed down gave a temporary relief to the environment as activities such as emissions and

pollution lowered during body lockdowns. Also, densely populated places became critical during

the pandemic, making some people to move to the rural areas or other places with no crowded

populace. Climate change related migration also continued during the pandemic by disasters such

as hurricanes, floods, and wildfires displacing people from risky regions. But these movements

were constrained, so that the total level of migration during the crisis remained limited. After the

pandemic, there are presumptions again of new trends of migration emerging due to recovery from

the economic crisis. It can be predicted that urbanisation will start its growth once again as people

tend to move back to get employed and avail services. However, new opportunities can target

workers can appear distant, popularized by the COVID-19 pandemic, workers might opt to migrate

to suburban or rural areas in the long run. Global disasters such as the pandemic indicate aspects

of meanings whereby heath crises revolve migration; change carriers, economic conditions, or the

need to modify residential settings.

Growth Rates
Population Age Structure

According to the 2020 Census of Population and Housing (2020 CPH), the population of

the Philippines was 109,035,343. 108,667,043 individuals within the household population

accounted for 99.7% of the entire total.

In 2020, there were a total of 108.67 million households, with 55.02 million being occupied

by men (50.6%) and 53.65 million by women (49.4%). Out of the people aged below 15,

33.4 million individuals (30.7%) were considered as young dependents. On the other hand,

69.40 million individuals (63.9%) were within the working-age range of 15 to 64 and

economically active, with the remaining 5.86 million (5.4%) classified as old dependents

aged 65 and above. In 2015, 32.0 percent of households consisted of individuals aged 0 to

14, while 63.3 percent were individuals aged 15 to 64 and 4.8 percent were individuals

aged 65 and older.

Additionally, in the 0-54 age bracket, there was a higher percentage of men (88.8%)

compared to women (86.6%). On the other hand, the percentage of women (13.4%) was
 higher than that of men (11.2%) in the 55 and above age bracket. In the year 2015, the same

trend was observed as well.

Fertility Rate during Pandemic (COVID-19)

Regions with higher population numbers had the most live births in terms of both where they

occurred and the mother's usual residence. 56.5 percent of all live births occurred in Luzon, 18.7

percent in Visayas, and 24.8 percent in Mindanao. CALABARZON had the largest number of

births, accounting for 14.1% of all births in the different regions. Next came National Capital

Region (NCR) with an 11.8% share, followed by Central Luzon with an 11.7% share. The highest

number of live births by mothers' usual residence were concentrated in the same areas, accounting

for 37.6 percent or approximately two out of five babies born in 2022.
Mortality Rate in the Philippines during Pandemic (COVID-19)

In the year 2022, there were 679,766 deaths recorded in the Philippines, marking a 22.7 percent

decline from the 879,429 deaths reported in 2021. This is the same as a crude mortality rate1 of

6.1, or six fatalities per 1,000 individuals in 2022. This is equivalent to an average of 1,862

fatalities every day, amounting to 78 deaths per hour or roughly 1 death per minute.

The registered death toll fluctuated significantly between 2013 and 2022, with notable declines

noted in 2017, 2020, and 2022. There was a 27.7 percent growth over the span of ten years, rising

from 532,176 in 2013 to 679,766 in 2022.

Demographic Transitions

This world population is that one entity that moves in response to the diffused package of social,

economic, and technological factors. Among the significant understandings concerning these

population dynamics is the "demographic transition," one of the widest-accepted theories in

demography that explains the historical pattern of population growth and change throughout the

world. This essay will look at the stages of demographic transition that influence and how these

transitions have important consequences for societies.

patterns of birth and death rates:

Stage 1: High Stationary

By this stage, the level of birth rates is extremely high, as is the death rate. This results in slow

growth due to the two factors mentioned. Societies at this stage are predominantly preindustrial

societies with no healthcare, sanitation, and food security. The death rates are largely due to

widespread diseases, malnutrition, and infant mortality. Examples of societies at this stage include

most of the pre-18th century civilizations.

Stage 2: Early Expanding

With social change, better public health, better sanitation, and improved food supply all

contributing to significant declines in mortality. But births continue to be high, at least for a while,

and a period of population explosion is the result. It often is referred to as a "population boom,"

and it is common to many less developed countries today. One just needs better health care, better

nutrition, and advances in hygiene to help in this reduction in mortality.

Stage 3: Late Expanding

Birth rates are more likely to fall during this stage mainly due to access to contraceptives, education

and economic opportunities for women, urbanization, and a change in social norms. The number

of children wanted decreases as societies modernize and ideally want fewer children, so the

population grows relatively slowly. Transition is most often triggered by a desire for fewer

children, education spending, and a changed status of women in society. Many countries in South

America, Asia, and parts of Africa are at this transitional stage today.
Stage 4: Low Stationary

Low birth rates characterize the final stage of the demographic transition, and death rates stabilize

at relatively low levels. Population growth may stabilize or even begin to decline as a more

balanced population structure is reached. This describes most developed countries; examples

would include the United States, Canada, and the nations in Western Europe. Low birth rates in

the stage are often due to factors like delayed marriage, increased education and career aspirations

of women, and the high cost of raising children in developed economies.

Demographic transition is not a one-way process, it is triggered off by the complex

interaction of various factors:

Better Medical Care and Sanitation: Perhaps the most contributory reduction in mortality rates is

the reduced infant and child mortality. Medicine, hygiene, and public health infrastructures turn

better in making this change.

Economic Development: Increased urbanization, industrialization, and education are responsible

for changes in social values, family structures, and status of women. Societies moving toward

industrialization are normally smaller and their women more actively involved within the labor

force.

Access to Contraception: The use of contraception gives the possibility of greater discretion in the

family size and when one should give birth. Contraception thus helps couples make choices

regarding their family size and birth timing which lowers birth rates.

Changes in social and cultural norms: Greater goodwill toward reduced family size, education, and

the role of women help contribute toward fertility decline. Educated societies, in particular-

urbanized ones tend to change traditional ways of thinking about family size and about the role of
women and, therefore, prefer families smaller than those characteristic of more pre-industrial-type

societies.

The demographic transition has far-reaching consequences and spells out through many

aspects of society:

The Age Structure: The demographic transition also changes age structure as at the higher stages

of demographic transition, older populations are achieved. Such an increasing proportion of the

aged population further strains the social security system, healthcare sector, and labor market

The economic growth is increased by an increment in the population, but this issue also creates

labor market and social security problems. An increasing population is able to boost economic

growth because it increases the number of people who are able to contribute to the economy. The

problem arises when the population declines or ages.

Resource Consumption: Population growth forces natural resources. Declining populations bring

anxiety about labor shortages and stagnation in the economy. Another relevant factor that acts as

a balancing one for population growth in sustainable development is resource consumption.

Social and Political Change: Demographic Transitions Such transitions can spur far-reaching

effects on long-term social and political structure and cultural values. Changes in demographic

structure are associated with change in political power, social institutions, and cultural values.

Environmental Factors

The entire natural world is shaped by and touches an influence on every function of nature, from

bacteria to humans. It is simply a network of interactions between environmental factors.

plague us on the way to becoming more sustainable and the interdependence of our home planet.

Definition of Environmental Factors:

All of these are physical, chemical, or biological inputs within an environment that affect the

people there and their relationships. All this-from the air we breathe to the water we drink-is part

of that set of globally affecting climate patterns that determine our weather and the soils that feed

our crops. None of them is an independent entity; all interact with each other in some intricate way.

For example, a shift in climatic conditions leads to the increased decline of fresh water that

eventually affects plant growth and also contributes to an adjustment of animal populations, thus

offering evidence for the complex web of interdependence that keeps our environment in check.

Key Classifications of Environmental Factors:

Environmental factors, being many and diverse, can be classified into three major categories as

follows:

Abiotic Factors These are the non-living factors of the environment; these include climate,

geology, water, and air. Climate addresses temperature, precipitation, humidity, wind patterns, and

solar radiation; all these form the basic elements that greatly affect ecosystems. Geology also

involves soil types, rock formations, and topography in ways that greatly influence the places

where plants and animals can be found. All life is vulnerable to changes in available supplies of

water, the chemical quality of the water, the pattern of flow, air composition, air quality, and

atmospheric pressure which influences not only human health but also the general functions of

ecosystems.
Biotic factors include all living organisms within the environment, such as plants and animals as

well as microorganisms. The type of vegetation, density, and distribution mainly affect ecological

structure and function by providing habitat and food for animals. Animals' diversity of species,

population size, and interactions control dynamics in food webs as well as stability within an

ecosystem. Microorganisms, including bacteria, fungi, and viruses, have key functions in nutrient

cycles, decomposition, and regulation of disease.

Anthropogenic factors, these factors result from the human actions with high influences to the

environment. The emission of pollutants by industries, automobiles, and agriculture results in huge

contamination of air, water, and soil that affect health to humans and ecosystems. The rising global

temperatures, extreme weather patterns, and changes within the ecosystem are all impacts of

climate change resulting from the emission of greenhouse gases. This is a result of habitat loss,

biodiversity loss, and erosion of soils due to clearing forests for agriculture, urbanization, and

logging. Human-induced fragmentation and degradation result in habitat loss that threatens many

species with extinction

Impacts on Ecosystems and Human Societies:

Environmental factors determine ecosystems' structural, functional, and resilience characteristics.

They control species diversity, population dynamics, and energy flux together with nutrient

transport through an ecosystem. Human societies' health and well-being are affected directly by

environmental conditions. Direct health impacts arise from pollution, infectious disease, and

climatic hazards. Agriculture, diverse industries, and tourism require abundant clean water, fertile

land, and natural resources, thus making them pillars for economic development. Environmental
conditions can also exacerbate social inequalities because vulnerable groups are sometimes

subjected to higher environmental risks and burdens of pollution.

Challenges to Sustainability

Interconnected environmental factors challenge sustainability in all possible ways: humanly-

ignited climate change is the most critical; it also affects sea levels, frequency of extreme weather

events, and breakdown of ecosystems and human societies. The loss of biodiversity, again driven

by habitat destruction, pollution, and climate change, undermines ecosystem services and human

well-being. Environmental, especially air, water, and soil pollution threatens human health,

ecosystems, and economic activities.

Mainly because of the extraction activities going beyond the capacity, resource depletion threatens

their future availability and sustainability.

Conclusion

It is by the compounds forming the complex and intricate web that create our world. If understood

in their diversity, the impact such factors make in the ecosystems and human societies and the

challenge they pose for sustaining sustainability will be one of much importance in making this

world a much more sustainable one. It is when the dependence on our planet, along with the need

for stewardship, begin to form a healthier and more equitable world for all.
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