Demographics and Resources of Europe
Birth Rate in Europe: Europe has the lowest birth rate among all continents, at only 14%. This means 14 children are born per year for every 1000 inhabitants.
Causes: Use of contraceptive methods, integration of women in the workforce, and materialistic views.
Mortality in Europe: The mortality rate in Europe is 10%, meaning 10 people die per year per 1000 inhabitants.
Causes: Degenerative diseases (cancer), chronic diseases (diabetes), cardiac issues, and accidents.
Vegetative Growth in Europe: Europe’s natural population growth is the lowest of all continents, at only 4% (four people per year per 1,000 population). This is a result of successive stages of demographic change.
Fertility: The number of children born per 1,000 women of reproductive age (15 to 44). An average of 2.1 children per woman is needed to maintain the world’s population. The U.S., Japan, and the European Community are currently below this replacement level. Germany’s situation is particularly serious, with an average of 1.3 children per fertile woman.
Infant Mortality: Calculated by dividing the number of child deaths under one year by the number of live births in that year. The European average is 9.4%, while the Soviet Union has a higher rate of 23.5%.
Life Expectancy: The number of years a person is expected to live, typically from birth. In the European Community, life expectancy is 71.6 years for men and 78.2 for women, which is well above the global average (58.3 for men and 61.1 for women).
Fishery Resources
European fisheries are concentrated in the North Sea, Grand Banks, and near Iceland and Greenland. Ships often have onboard factories for processing raw materials. The main species are herring and mackerel in coastal areas, and hake and cod at sea. Oyster farming is also significant on the coast of western France. Industrial development has caused pollution, compromising fishery resources. This has led to European fishing fleets often operating in the Argentine Sea.
Forest Resources
Forests are mainly located in mountainous terrain, serving several functions:
- Protects soil from erosion
- Purifies the atmosphere, mitigating pollution from industrial centers
- Provides raw materials for furniture, wood pulp, and cellulose industries, though imports are necessary.
Mineral Resources
Key mineral resources include iron (France, Germany, and the UK), bauxite (France), and zinc and lead (Ireland, Germany, and the UK).
Energy Resources
Western and central European countries have high energy consumption due to industrial development and high living standards. Fuel production includes:
- Coal: Germany, United Kingdom, France, and Belgium
- Oil: UK, Germany, Netherlands, and France
- Natural Gas: United Kingdom, Netherlands, Ireland, Belgium, and France
- Uranium: France