Development of population geography from antropogeography to spatial-analitical approach
Authors: Spasovski Milena , Santic Danica 
Published: February 2014

Population geography is a subdiscipline of Human geography and studies the
distribution, concentration and density of population over the terestrial
surface, as well as differences in population size, changes and
characteristics, like structures, migrations, activity etc, among some places
present compared to others. Population geography has had a perscientific
stage as long as human history. First modern scientific treatis of population
in geography was the F. Ratzels book Antropogeography in 1882. During the
first half of the XX century, French geographer Vidal de la Blanche gave a
capital importance of population studies in his work Principes de Geographie
Humaine. In interwar years, various aspects of population were studied. After
The Second World War started the renovating movement of geography and new
tendencies appear in human geography and, consequently in population
geography. Attempts were made to define population geography as a separate
sub-discipline. The world wide trend of treating population geography as
separate discipline was expressed by publishing monographs, bibliographies
and textbooks. The most significant authors who worked on defining population
geography were French geographers P. George (1951, 1959), Beaujen-Garnier
(1965, 1966); North-american geographers: G. Trewarta (1953, 1969), W. Bunge
(1962), J. Clance (1965, 1971), W. Zelinski (1966); in Great Britain: J.I.
Clarke (1965); in USSR: Ju.G. Sauskin i D.N. Anucin (1950), V.V. Poksisevskij
(1966), D.I. Valentej (1973); in Poland V. Ormotski (1931), L. Kosinski
(1967) A. Jagelski (1980). Those authors and their works had the significant
influence on the development of population science in the world and also in
Serbia. Although the development of population geography was different in
different countries and scientific research centers, we can clearly defined
four stages. First stage lasted untill 1960s and was characterised by works
of G.Trewarta, H. Doerres Ju.G. Sauskin, D.N. Anucin, J. Beaujeu-Gariner. G.
Trewarta argued that the population is the point of reference from which all
other elements are observed and from which all derive significance and
meaning. This view was adopted and shared by authors dealing with population
items, explicitly or implicitly. Second stage lasted from 1960s till 1970s
and the most significant authors dealing with population problems were W.
Zelinsky, W. Bunge; H.Bobek, W. Hartke, K.Ruppert, F.Schaffer; D.I. Valentej,
K.Korcak. This phase was characterized by the application of quantitative
methods and efforts for understanding the spatial structure of the
population. Many scientists see this development phase as a particularly
prosperous period, because it carried more intensive relations of geography
and demography through the introduction of statistical, mathematical and
demographic methods and techniques in studies of population geography. Third
phase lasted from 1970s to 1980s, and was characterized by close relations
between population geography and formal demography. Development and
application of GIS and computer data, have made population studies more
complex and applicable in practice, through population policy and population
projections. The most significant authors in this period were L. Kosinski, A.
Jagelski, H?gerstrand. And at last, fourth stage started in 1980s and in many
countries lastes untill present days. In population geography appeared new
tendencies associated with the critique of positivism, the establishment of
humanistic approaches and modifications of general geographic concepts. In
this period, spatial analysis and quantitative scientific methods were
reaffirmed, and because of that some population studies were redefined in
spatial demography, a time dimension advocated in historical demography. In
this context, we emphasize the work of D. Plane and P. Rogerson. Population
geography is viewed differently from one country to another. Its definition
differs from too narrow to overly broad. But two research areas were of
particular interest to geographers - population distribution and migration.
Both items acquired an international dimension. Recently, eminent population
geographers exchanged various view points in an attempt to provoke new
thinking on subject and define the answers of new fields research in
population geography. Population geography in the XXI Century is no longer a
field comprised of spatial applications of fertility, mortality and migration
only. Contemporary population geography is theoretically sophisticated,
integrating spatial analysis, GIS and geo-referenced data. Future progress in
the field of population geography will derive from more research at the
intersections of population processes and societal issues and concerns. Major
themes of future empirical researches in population geography should be:
global population growth, studies of migration, transnationalism, human
security issues, population-health-environment nexus, human-environment
sustainability, economic development and poverty issues.