Population Pyramid Research Paper

Reading a population pyramid is relatively simple. In the examples below you will see a few different types of data that. The x-axis displays the number of people, and the y-axis is the age group that corresponds with the amount of people. You will also notice that there is a red and black side of the pyramid. Colors may differ with other graphs, but in this case males are in red and females are in black. Population pyramids can display some interesting and useful data. The graphs themselves can entice us to draw a possibility of why it looks the way it does. For example, a graph that has a noticeable difference between one cohort and another can mean there was a war, or a famine. Furthermore, I will be discussing why the graphs look the way …show more content…
First, if the graph creates a triangle then the population is expanding, but can also mean there is a short life expectancy. Second, “the box” is typically a developed nation. It will have a low infant mortality rate, long life expectancy, and a steady population growth. Finally, a “cup” shape displays a nation with low birth rate, long life expectancy, but a declining population, Japan is a good example of this. In the US the baby boomers are a part of the reason why the US population pyramid could be considered a “box” shape. Since then the US has come to a steady increase of population, while also having a long life expectancy. The US will continue to see a higher life expectancy due to its ever expanding healthcare industry. Turkey’s population pyramid tells a different story compared to the US. The graph shows a “triangle” shape on this graph. Generally this can mean a short life expectancy, but …show more content…
In my opinion, I think government and healthcare are the two biggest reasons population is affected. For example, Rwanda had major problems with its government; genocide was able to prosper under it. Looking at the US though, mass genocide would be next to impossible in its current state. Like I mentioned earlier the US also has ‘good’ healthcare, so people will have better access to treatment. This is why the US population pyramid can have this ‘box’ shape. That doesn’t mean we have our own problems though. We still have a high amount of deaths that comes from coronary heart disease just like Turkey does. The reason is because the US and Turkey both share a problem of smoking and fatty foods. The more advanced a nation becomes the more difficult the death problems are to treat. Even then it’s still up to the people to live a healthy lifestyle or not, but sometimes people are put in a position where they have no choice but to live with the situation they have been put in. In conclusion, population pyramids are good tools to show how specific events can affect the way a population grows and shrinks. Factors such as genocide or unhealthy practices in a population all play a role in what shape the pyramid will display. Developed nations such as the US will typically have the ‘box’ shape to indicate its improved population over other less developed