Key Issue #4: Why Do People Migrate Within a Country?

• Internal Migrationo 2 types: interregional & intraregionalo Less disruptive than international

• Interregional Migration (between regions)o In past, for farmland (settling of frontier)o Today, economic push & pull factors (jobs)oMigration Between Regions of U.S.

① Changing Center of Populationo 1790 – near Baltimore (on Atlantic coast)o Appalachians & Native Americans as intervening obstacleso Need for shipping links to Europe (coast & navigable rivers)

Key Issue #4: Why Do People Migrate Within a Country?

o Migration Between Regions of U.S.② Early Settlement of Interior

o 1830 – center of pop near Moorefield, WV (VA at the time)o People attracted by large amounts of cheap lando Transportation – 1816 – 1840 canals (1825 Erie Canal – NYC to Great Lakes

& St. Lawrence River)o 1880 – center near Cincinnati, OHo CA Gold Rush in 1849o Interior (Great Plains) considered bad for farming (Zebulon Pike) – but

now is one of richest farming regions in world

③ Settlement of Great Plainso Agriculture improvements – barbed wire, steel plow, windmills, well

drilling (water pumping)o Transportation – RR’s , 1869 Transcontinental RR, RR land grants from

gov’t then sold to farmers/rancherso 1980 – pop center W of MS River for 1st time (in MO)o 2000 – pop center in south-central Missourio Population center has moved steadily West, then South & West

Key Issue #4: Why Do People Migrate Within a Country?

o Migration Between Regions of U.S.④ Recent Growth of the South

o Pop center moved south beginning in 1920s (sharp in 50s)o Net-in migration to Southo Reasons:

• Job opportunities• Sun Belt (climate, outdoor recreation)• Decline of Rust Belt manufacturing• Business moving south (right-to-work, tax incentives, lower land &

labor costs, etc.)o Avg. income lower in South (improving – much lower in mid and early

1900’s)o African Americans have an opposite trend – South to North (Great

Migration) for jobs & leaving discrimination in Southo Slowing interregional migration in U.S.

• Even job prospects in all regions• Expansion & contraction of service sector at similar rates across the

U.S.

Key Issue #4: Why Do People Migrate Within a Country?

o Migration Between Regions of Other Countries① Russia (pop. clustered in west near Europe)

o In USSR (Soviet Union), built factories near raw materials – had to relocate people (forced then incentive-based)

o Russian Far East (Siberia) filled with minerals & resourceso Few migrated because of harsh climate & distanceo Fall of USSR ended migration policies

② Brazilo Clustered along Atlantic coast in big citieso Tropical interior (Amazon Rain Forest)o Moved capital to Brasilia (600 miles in-land) in 1960

③ Indonesiao Since 1969 – gov’t paid for migration of 5 mil from Java to other

islands (Java contains 2/3 of pop)o People received land, housing materials, seed, & foodo Much of land unsuitable to farm & disturbed indigenous people

Key Issue #4: Why Do People Migrate Within a Country?

oMigration Between Regions of Other Countries④ Europe

o Highest in-migration in highest per capita income areaso Italy – poorer South (Mezzogiorno) move to industrial North

for jobs (better farming also in Po River valley)o UK – movement from North (where Industrial Rev began –

declining industry) to South (near London)o Advantage to be close to center of Europe (EU)

⑤ Indiao Gov’t requires permits to migrate or visit state of Assam in NE

India (protect ethnic identity of Assamese)o Assam also close to neighboring country of Bangladesh

Key Issue #4: Why Do People Migrate Within a Country?

• Intraregional Migration (within 1 region)o Since 1800, most common intraregional is rural to urbano 1800 – 5% of world in cities, now at 50%① Rural to Urban Migration

o Began in 1800’s in Europe & N. America (Industrial Rev.)o Now ¾ urban in most developed countries (has stabilized –

very little new urbanization)o Rapid urbanization in LDC’so Worldwide – 20 mil per year rural to urban (mostly in LDC’s)o Move for economic reasons (jobs, leaving farms)o Ex. of Sao Paulo (Brazil) – 300,000 per year but many must

live in squatter settlements (favelas) that lack electricity, running water, sanitation, healthcare, education, paved streets, fire/police, etc.

Key Issue #4: Why Do People Migrate Within a Country?

• Intraregional Migration (within 1 region)② Urban to Suburban

o 2x Americans move from urban to suburbs vs. suburbs to urban per year (similar in other MDC’s)

o Usually not related to employmento Reasons: suburban lifestyle, detached house vs. apartment, private yard,

more space, safety, garage/driveway for free parking, better schools, easy transportation back to cities, suburban sprawl (rapid growth on former farmland)

③ Metropolitan to Non-Metropolitan Areaso New trend of counter-urbanization – rapid expansion of suburbs,

movement back to small town/rural lifestyle (slower pace, raise veggies/animals, factories in small towns), modern communication & transportation (lack of isolation in MDC’s – TV, Internet, satellite, ATM/EBT, mail

o Retirees seeking easy living or access to outdoor leisureo In France – attracted by beaches/climate in south & moving homeo Counter-urbanization has stalled in U.S. – economy struggling