According to the United Nations, the population of our planet reached 7 billion people in 2011. What areas of the world have the most people? What measures, if any, are in place to control the population? Why is Europe’s population shrinking, while the rest of the world is growing? This eye-opening encyclopedia answers questions like these by examining significant issues and topics relating to the population and exploring profiles of the most populated countries and cities of the world.

More than 100 alphabetically arranged entries focus on such topics as census, demography, megacity, overpopulation, and urban sprawl. Author Fred M. Shelley, an accomplished academic in the field of environmental sustainability, reveals the steps taken by major cities such as Rio de Janeiro, Paris, Tokyo, Beijing, Mexico City, Seoul, Manila, and New Delhi in handling their population, and what is being done in China and other countries to prevent overcrowding. The text includes a discussion of how factors like migration patterns, war, and disease impact population change. This comprehensive encyclopedia also includes primary document excerpts from court cases, legislation, and political speeches relating to population issues.

Features

• Provides interesting facts and figures through informative sidebars
• Reveals the populations of major countries and cities of the world to illustrate where people reside most and least
• Features maps, charts, and graphs to support visual learning and to compare and contrast factors affecting birth rates, deaths, and overall population profiles
• Contains excerpts from documents such as legislation and speeches relating to population and critical issues
• Examines the implications of China's one-child policy on controlling the population