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[[Human]] [[society]] is controlled by a [[law]] which decrees that the population must vary directly in accordance with the land arts and inversely with a given [http://urantia.org/cgi-bin/webglimpse/mfs/usr/local/www/data/papers?link=http://mercy.urantia.org/papers/paper81.html&file=/usr/local/www/data/papers/paper81.html&line=171#mfs standard of living]. Throughout these early ages, even more than at present, the law of supply and demand as concerned men and land determined the estimated [[value]] of both. During the times of plentiful land--unoccupied territory--the need for men was great, and therefore the value of human life was much enhanced; hence the loss of life was more horrifying. During periods of land scarcity and associated overpopulation, human life became comparatively cheapened so that war, famine, and pestilence were regarded with less concern. When the land yield is reduced or the population is increased, the inevitable struggle is renewed; the very worst traits of human nature are brought to the surface. The improvement of the land yield, the extension of the mechanical arts, and the reduction of population all tend to foster the development of the better side of human nature.[http://urantia.org/cgi-bin/webglimpse/mfs/usr/local/www/data/papers?link=http://mercy.urantia.org/papers/paper68.html&file=/usr/local/www/data/papers/paper68.html&line=118#mfs]

[[Human]] [[society]] is controlled by a [[law]] which decrees that the population must vary directly in accordance with the land arts and inversely with a given [https://urantia.org/cgi-bin/webglimpse/mfs/usr/local/www/data/papers?link=https://mercy.urantia.org/papers/paper81.html&file=/usr/local/www/data/papers/paper81.html&line=171#mfs standard of living]. Throughout these early ages, even more than at present, the law of supply and demand as concerned men and land determined the estimated [[value]] of both. During the times of plentiful land--unoccupied territory--the need for men was great, and therefore the value of human life was much enhanced; hence the loss of life was more horrifying. During periods of land scarcity and associated overpopulation, human life became comparatively cheapened so that war, famine, and pestilence were regarded with less concern. When the land yield is reduced or the population is increased, the inevitable struggle is renewed; the very worst traits of human nature are brought to the surface. The improvement of the land yield, the extension of the mechanical arts, and the reduction of population all tend to foster the development of the better side of human nature.[https://urantia.org/cgi-bin/webglimpse/mfs/usr/local/www/data/papers?link=https://mercy.urantia.org/papers/paper68.html&file=/usr/local/www/data/papers/paper68.html&line=118#mfs]

==World population==

==World population==

According to papers published by the United States Census Bureau, the world population hit 6.5 billion (6,500,000,000) on February 25, 2006. The United Nations Population Fund designated October 12, 1999 as the approximate day on which world population reached 6 billion. This was about 12 years after world population reached 5 billion in 1987, and 6 years after world population reached 5.5 billion in 1993. However, the population of some countries, such as Nigeria, is not even known to the nearest million[http://www.mongabay.com/igapo/2005_world_city_populations/Nigeria.html] [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/country_profiles/1064557.stm]

According to papers published by the United States Census Bureau, the world population hit 6.5 billion (6,500,000,000) on February 25, 2006. The United Nations Population Fund designated October 12, 1999 as the approximate day on which world population reached 6 billion. This was about 12 years after world population reached 5 billion in 1987, and 6 years after world population reached 5.5 billion in 1993. However, the population of some countries, such as Nigeria, is not even known to the nearest million[https://www.mongabay.com/igapo/2005_world_city_populations/Nigeria.html] [https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/country_profiles/1064557.stm]

In 2007 the United Nations Population Division projected that the world's population will likely surpass 10 billion in 2055.[http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2007/pop952.doc.htm] The last 50 years have seen a rapid increase in population due to medical advances and substantial increase in agricultural productivity, particularly in the period 1960 to 1995 [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/4994590.stm] made by the [[Green Revolution]].[http://www.foodfirst.org/media/opeds/2000/4-greenrev.html]

In 2007 the United Nations Population Division projected that the world's population will likely surpass 10 billion in 2055.[https://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2007/pop952.doc.htm] The last 50 years have seen a rapid increase in population due to medical advances and substantial increase in agricultural productivity, particularly in the period 1960 to 1995 [https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/4994590.stm] made by the [[Green Revolution]].[https://www.foodfirst.org/media/opeds/2000/4-greenrev.html]

In the future, world population has been expected to reach a peak of growth, from there it will decline due to economic reasons, health concerns, land exhaustion and environmental hazards. There is around an 85% chance that the world's population will stop growing before the end of the century. There is a 60% probability that the world's population will not exceed 10 billion people before 2100, and around a 15% probability that the world's population at the end of the century will be lower than it is today. For different regions, the date and size of the peak population will vary considerably.[http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v412/n6846/full/412543a0.html]

In the future, world population has been expected to reach a peak of growth, from there it will decline due to economic reasons, health concerns, land exhaustion and environmental hazards. There is around an 85% chance that the world's population will stop growing before the end of the century. There is a 60% probability that the world's population will not exceed 10 billion people before 2100, and around a 15% probability that the world's population at the end of the century will be lower than it is today. For different regions, the date and size of the peak population will vary considerably.[https://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v412/n6846/full/412543a0.html]

==Population control==

==Population control==

At the societal level, declining fertility is almost an inevitable result of growing secular education of women. However, the exercise of moderate to high levels of fertility control does not necessarily imply low fertility rates. Even among societies that exercise substantial fertility control, societies with an equal ''ability'' to exercise fertility control (to determine how many children to have and when to bear them) may display widely different ''levels'' of fertility (numbers of children borne) associated with individual and cultural preferences for the number of children or size of families.

At the societal level, declining fertility is almost an inevitable result of growing secular education of women. However, the exercise of moderate to high levels of fertility control does not necessarily imply low fertility rates. Even among societies that exercise substantial fertility control, societies with an equal ''ability'' to exercise fertility control (to determine how many children to have and when to bear them) may display widely different ''levels'' of fertility (numbers of children borne) associated with individual and cultural preferences for the number of children or size of families.

In contrast to ''fertility control'', which is mainly an individual-level decision, governments may attempt to exercise ''population control'' by increasing access to means of contraception or by other population policies and programs.[http://www.popcouncil.org/pdfs/wp/173.pdf]. The idea of "population control" as a governmental or societal-level regulation of population growth does not require "fertility control" in the sense that it has been defined above, since a state can affect the growth of a society's population even if that society practices little fertility control. It's also important to embrace policies favoring population ''increase'' as an aspect of population control, and not to assume that states want to control population only by limiting its growth. To stimulate population growth, governments may support not only [[immigration]] but also pronatalist policies such as tax benefits, financial awards, paid work leaves, and childcare to encourage the bearing of additional children. Such policies have been pursued in recent years in France and Sweden, for example. With the same goal of increasing population growth, on occasion governments have sought to limit the use of abortion or modern means of birth control. An example was [[Nicolae Ceauşescu|Romania's]] 1966 ban on access to contraception and abortion on demand.

In contrast to ''fertility control'', which is mainly an individual-level decision, governments may attempt to exercise ''population control'' by increasing access to means of contraception or by other population policies and programs.[https://www.popcouncil.org/pdfs/wp/173.pdf]. The idea of "population control" as a governmental or societal-level regulation of population growth does not require "fertility control" in the sense that it has been defined above, since a state can affect the growth of a society's population even if that society practices little fertility control. It's also important to embrace policies favoring population ''increase'' as an aspect of population control, and not to assume that states want to control population only by limiting its growth. To stimulate population growth, governments may support not only [[immigration]] but also pronatalist policies such as tax benefits, financial awards, paid work leaves, and childcare to encourage the bearing of additional children. Such policies have been pursued in recent years in France and Sweden, for example. With the same goal of increasing population growth, on occasion governments have sought to limit the use of abortion or modern means of birth control. An example was [[Nicolae Ceauşescu|Romania's]] 1966 ban on access to contraception and abortion on demand.

In [[ecology]], population control is on occasions considered to be done solely by predators, [[disease]]s, parasites, and environmental factors. In a constant environment, population control is regulated by the availability of food, water, and safety. The maximum number of a species or individuals that can be supported in a certain area is called the [[carrying capacity]]. At many times human effects on animal and plant populations are also considered.[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hunting#Wildlife_management] Migrations of animals may be seen as a natural way of population control, for the food on land is more abundant on some seasons. The area of the migrations' start is left to reproduce the food supply for large mass of animals next time around.  

In [[ecology]], population control is on occasions considered to be done solely by predators, [[disease]]s, parasites, and environmental factors. In a constant environment, population control is regulated by the availability of food, water, and safety. The maximum number of a species or individuals that can be supported in a certain area is called the [[carrying capacity]]. At many times human effects on animal and plant populations are also considered.[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hunting#Wildlife_management] Migrations of animals may be seen as a natural way of population control, for the food on land is more abundant on some seasons. The area of the migrations' start is left to reproduce the food supply for large mass of animals next time around.  

India is another example where the government has taken measures to reduce the country’s population. Concerns that the rapidly growing population would adversely affect economic growth and living standards caused India to implement an official family planning program in the late 1950s and early 1960s; it was the first country in the world to do so.

India is another example where the government has taken measures to reduce the country’s population. Concerns that the rapidly growing population would adversely affect economic growth and living standards caused India to implement an official family planning program in the late 1950s and early 1960s; it was the first country in the world to do so.

==External links==

==External links==

* [http://www.unfpa.org UNFPA, The United Nations Population Fund]  

* [https://www.unfpa.org UNFPA, The United Nations Population Fund]  

* [http://www.un.org/esa/population/unpop.htm United Nations Population Division]

* [https://www.un.org/esa/population/unpop.htm United Nations Population Division]

* [http://www.cicred.org/Eng/Publications/IndexPublications.htm CICRED homepage] a platform for interaction between research centres and international organizations, such as the United Nations Population Division, [[UNFPA]], [[WHO]] and [[FAO]].

* [https://www.cicred.org/Eng/Publications/IndexPublications.htm CICRED homepage] a platform for interaction between research centres and international organizations, such as the United Nations Population Division, [[UNFPA]], [[WHO]] and [[FAO]].

* [http://www.census.gov/ipc/www/popclockworld.html Current World Population]

* [https://www.census.gov/ipc/www/popclockworld.html Current World Population]

* [http://www.necsp.org NECSP HomePage]

* [https://www.necsp.org NECSP HomePage]

* [http://www.overpopulation.info Overpopulation]

* [https://www.overpopulation.info Overpopulation]

* [http://www.phishare.org Population and Health InfoShare]. Retrieved February 13, 2005.

* [https://www.phishare.org Population and Health InfoShare]. Retrieved February 13, 2005.

* [http://populationinthenews.com/ Population in the news homepage]

* [https://populationinthenews.com/ Population in the news homepage]

* [http://www.optimumpopulation.org Optimum Population Trust]

* [https://www.optimumpopulation.org Optimum Population Trust]

* [http://www.prb.org Population Reference Bureau] (2005). Retrieved February 13, 2005.

* [https://www.prb.org Population Reference Bureau] (2005). Retrieved February 13, 2005.

* [http://www.populationworld.com/ Population World: Population of World]. Retrieved February 13, 2004.

* [https://www.populationworld.com/ Population World: Population of World]. Retrieved February 13, 2004.

* [http://www.populationdata.net PopulationData.net - Information and maps about populations around the world]. Retrieved March 4, 2005. PopulationData.net (2005).

* [https://www.populationdata.net PopulationData.net - Information and maps about populations around the world]. Retrieved March 4, 2005. PopulationData.net (2005).

* [http://www.sieds.it/index_en.htm SIEDS, Italian Society of Economics Demography and Statistics]

* [https://www.sieds.it/index_en.htm SIEDS, Italian Society of Economics Demography and Statistics]

* [http://www.mercatornet.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=69 Underpopulation? MercatorNet]

* [https://www.mercatornet.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=69 Underpopulation? MercatorNet]

* [[United Nations]] (2004). [http://www.un.org/esa/population/ Population Division], Department of Economic and Social Affairs. Retrieved February 13, 2004.

* [[United Nations]] (2004). [https://www.un.org/esa/population/ Population Division], Department of Economic and Social Affairs. Retrieved February 13, 2004.

* [http://www.unece.org/pau United Nations Economic Commission for Europe - Official Web Site]

* [https://www.unece.org/pau United Nations Economic Commission for Europe - Official Web Site]

* [[United States Census Bureau]] (2005). [http://www.census.gov/cgi-bin/ipc/idbrank.pl Census Bureau - Countries Ranked by Population]. Retrieved February 13, 2005.

* [[United States Census Bureau]] (2005). [https://www.census.gov/cgi-bin/ipc/idbrank.pl Census Bureau - Countries Ranked by Population]. Retrieved February 13, 2005.

* [http://www.counttheworld.com/?counter=pop_world World Population Counter, and separate regions.]

* [https://www.counttheworld.com/?counter=pop_world World Population Counter, and separate regions.]

* [http://www.worldpopclock.com WorldPopClock.com]. (French)

* [https://www.worldpopclock.com WorldPopClock.com]. (French)

* [http://www.populationsdumonde.com Populations du monde]. (French)

* [https://www.populationsdumonde.com Populations du monde]. (French)

* [http://stats.oecd.org/wbos/Index.aspx?QueryId=254 OECD population data]

* [https://stats.oecd.org/wbos/Index.aspx?QueryId=254 OECD population data]

[[Category: Biology]]

[[Category: Biology]]

[[Category: Ecology]]

[[Category: Ecology]]

[[Category: Geography]]

[[Category: Geography]]