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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 [[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 [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]]

==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[http://www.mongabay.com/igapo/2005_world_city_populations/Nigeria.html] [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/country_profiles/1064557.stm]