Why Do People Migrate Within A Country? In the past, people migrated in the U.S. from more densely populated areas to frontier areas where they could buy land Now, most people migrate to a new region for a better job -many also in the U.S. move for non-economic reasons Why Do People Migrate Within A Country Why Do People Migrate Within A Country? Migrations Between Regions Within the U.S. The most famous example of large-scale internal migration is the settlement of the American West 1790first U.S. census -the population center of the U.S. was located in Chesapeake Bay, east of Baltimore Why Do People Migrate Within A Country? During the Colonial Period, most colonists stayed along the coast -they relied on shipping links to export materials and receive product Why Do People Migrate Within A Country? By 1830, the population center was in West Virginia -people were settling into the valleys east of the Appalachian Mountains Why Do People Migrate Within A Country? By 1850s, canals allowed more interactions between east and Midwest Erie Canal allowed Great Lakes to connect with New York Why Do People Migrate Within A Country? During the mid-1800s, many also settled in California By 1890, the population center was in Indiana Why Do People Migrate Within A Country? During the early 1800s, the population center moved westward about 7 miles per year From 1880 to 1950, the population center moved an average of 3 miles per year to the west Many new immigrants who came to the U.S. during this time settled on the East coast -this offset western migration Also, many migrants began to settle on the Great Plains -Dakota Territory grew from 14,000 in 1870 to 135,000 in 1880 to 539,000 by 1890 Why Do People Migrate Within A Country? U.S. Population Density, 1890 Why Do People Migrate Within A Country? Four New Developments Which Allowed Agriculture to Expand Into the Great Plains: 1.Barbed wire replaced wood fences 2.Steel plow could cut through thick sod 3.Windmills to pump water 4.Well-drilling equipment developed Railroad expansion also encouraged more western settlement These innovations also allowed more people to move into the Great Plains area Why Do People Migrate Within A Country? From 1950 to 1980, U.S. center of population moved westward an average of 6 miles per year -there were many more people living in the West 1980population center jumped the Mississippi River During the 1980s and 1990s, 2 million new citizens moved into the South -for job opportunities -center of population is now moving in a southwest direction -since 1960, there are 5% more jobs each year in the South -compared to 2% more for the rest of the country Why Do People Migrate Within A Country? Many are also moving to the South for the warmer climate Why Do People Migrate Within A Country? Migrations Between Regions in Other Countries: Russia Why Do People Migrate Within A Country? Soviet government built factories near the raw materials rather than near the population centers There were not enough people in these areas, so migration was stimulated Soviets wanted to develop the far north region of Siberia, which contained 45% of the Soviet land area but only 2% of its people Why Do People Migrate Within A Country? At first, they forced migration Later, switched policy and provided incentives to encourage migration -higher wages, more paid holidays, earlier retirement Why Do People Migrate Within A Country? Despite these incentives, people were reluctant to migrate to Siberia because of the regions harsh climate and remoteness Since the fall of the USSR, the Russian government no longer dictates optimal locations for factories The USSR also sent many Russian advisors into the other Republics, to manage and work at the factories Since the fall of the USSR, many of these Soviet Russians have been discriminated against and forced to move back to Russia Why Do People Migrate Within A Country? Brazilmost Brazilians live in coastal cities Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro are two of the worlds top 10 populated cities 1 dot = 100,000 people Why Do People Migrate Within A Country? To stimulate movement to utilize Brazils interior areas, the government built a new capital city (Brasilia) in 1960 At first, very few people moved to Brasilia Recently, the government has attracted factories, which in turn has attracted people to the city in search of jobs Why Do People Migrate Within A Country? Indonesiasince 1969, this government has paid to resettle over 5 million people -from Java to less populated island Why Do People Migrate Within A Country? Families were given 5 acres of land, materials to build a house, seeds and pesticides, and some food This movement has slowed as less arable land is available Indiarestricts migration to the state of Assam Done to protect Asamese by limiting outsiders from taking jobs or purchasing land in the region Why Do People Migrate Within A Country? Migration Within One Region: Intraregional migrationmoving within the same region Since 1800, most common intraregional migration has been rural to urban -1800less than 5% lived in urban areas -2006about 50% live in urban areas Why Do People Migrate Within A Country? In the U.S.: 5% in urban areas in % in urban areas by 1920 Today, about 75% live in urban areas -this is similar in other MDCs Worldwide, about 20 million people migrate from rural to urban areas each year Why Do People Migrate Within A Country? In Sao Paulo, Brazil, about 300,000 people migrate from rural to urban each year -not enough housing is available -must live in squatter towns outside of the city -pushed from rural areas by declining agriculture Why Do People Migrate Within A Country? Migration from Urban to Suburban: In developed countries, most intraregional migration is now from central cities to suburbs Twice as many Americans migrate from central cities to suburbs each year than migrate into central cities Populations in most central cities have declined in north America and Western Europe -suburb population is rising sharply Why Do People Migrate Within A Country? Reasons Why People Are Moving to Suburbs: Usually not for economic opportunities, but for suburban lifestyle Detached house rather than apartment Private yard Garage/driveway makes it easier to store vehicles Schools tend to be more modern Lower crime rates Why Do People Migrate Within A Country? Migration From Metropolitan to non-Metropolitan Areas Counterurbanizationnet migration from urban to rural areas In late 1990s, more people moved into rural areas than emigrated out of them Most counterurbanization represents migration from cities and suburbs to small rural communities -no definite boundary between suburbs and countryside -most also move to rural areas for change in lifestyle Why Do People Migrate Within A Country? Because of modern communication and transportation systems, no location in an MDC is truly isolated Many migrants into rural areas are retired people 1970smany American factories have moved to rural areas because of lower business costs Polaris These companies are being undersold by (mostly) Asian companies Result is that American factories have had to eliminate jobs and move to more rural (less labor organized) areas Why Do People Migrate Within A Country? Agricultural conditions in the U.S. have also worsened -lower prices for farm products have caused many rural bankruptcies -this hurts the rural economy because farmers have often borrowed much money and can no longer repay loans -also causes higher unemployment rate in these areas -many of these people must move to find economic opportunity The future of migration patterns in MDCs is unpredictablewhere will people move next?