Lesson
7
What You Will Learn
To obtain and use information
about populations by reading life
expectancy maps
Reading Strategy
Create a flowchart like the one
below. Fill in each step you would
follow to read a life expectancy
map.
Terms to Know
life expectancy map
Interpreting a Life
Expectancy Map
Y
ou probably don’t give much thought to how long you can
expect to live. Life expectancy is the term we use to describe
how long the average person will live. For example, the average
person born in the United States in 2001 could expect to live for
77 years. That means that a person born in 2001 could expect to
live until the year 2078.
Where in the world you live can have a great deal to do with life
expectancy. For example, a person born in a country where there
is plenty to eat and good medical attention can expect to live
longer than a person born in the same year in a country where
food and doctors are in short supply. In general, life expectancy is
higher in industrialized countries.
Life Expectancy Tables and Graphs
Information about life expectancy can be presented in several
different forms. Look at Figure 4-10. It shows life expectancy in
selected countries in Africa south of the Sahara. Notice that the
highest average life expectancy is only 52 years. Compare this to
the average life expectancy for the United States.
Figure 4-10
Average Life Expectancy in Africa
Angola . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Chad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Gabon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Gambia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Kenya . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Namibia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Nigeria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Zimbabwe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Life expectancy information can also be shown on a bar graph.
Figure 4-11 is a bar graph with the same information as the table
above. Do you see how the graph makes it easier to find the country with the longest or shortest life expectancy?
Life Expectancy Maps
Information about the life expectancy of people in an entire
region is shown easily on a life expectancy map. A life expectancy map uses shading, colors, or patterns to indicate life expectancy. A legend tells you what the different shades or patterns on
the map represent.
138
LESSON 7 Interpreting a Life Expectancy Map
Average Life Expectancy in Selected Countries in
Africa South of the Sahara
Figure 4-11
Angola
Chad
Gabon
Gambia
Kenya
Namibia
Nigeria
Zimbabwe
47
48
52
45
49
46
52
0
10
20
30
Average life expectancy in years
40
40
50
60
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, International Data Base, 2000.
ing or patterns. First, you read the title of the map
to find out what area of the world is shown. Second, look at the legend to see what each shade or
pattern used on the map represents. Then you
read the information for particular countries and
draw conclusions about life in each country.
A map cannot show life expectancy as exactly
as a table or graph can. Instead, age groups are
used. For example, one age group might include
ages from 35 to 39, and so on.
You read a life expectancy map in exactly the
same way you read any other map that uses shad-
Using Your Skills
Using Graphics
Use Map 4-6: Life Expectancy in Africa South of the Sahara on the next
page to complete Figure 4-12.
Figure 4-12
Life Expectancy Table
Country
Life Expectancy in Years
Burkina Faso
145–491
Central African Republic
145–491
Congo
145–491
Ethiopia
145–491
Ghana
155–591
Côte d’Ivoire
145–491
Madagascar
150–541
Sudan
150–541
Zambia
135–441
LESSON 7 Interpreting a Life Expectancy Map
139
Using Your Skills
Practicing Map Skills
Use Map 4-6: Life Expectancy in Africa South of the Sahara to answer the
questions.
1.
What is the title of this map? Life Expectancy in Africa South of the Sahara
2.
Define life expectancy. Life expectancy is how long the average person can expect to live.
3.
What does this shading
on the map mean?
People in that country can expect to live between 35 and 44 years.
4.
How long can people in Mauritania expect to live? 50 to 54 years
5.
How long can people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo expect to
live? 45 to 49 years
Map 4-6
Life Expectancy in Africa South of the Sahara
N
W
E
S
Cape
Verde
Islands
Mauritania
Senegal
Gambia
GuineaGuinea
Bissau
Mali
Burkina
Faso
Niger
Djibouti
Sudan
Benin
Sierra Leone
Liberia
Eritrea
Chad
Nigeria
Togo
Cote
Ghana
D’Ivoire
Equatorial
Guinea
Sao Tome
and Principe
Cameroon
Central
African
Republic
Ethiopia
Democratic Republic Uganda
of the Congo
Kenya
Gabon Congo
Rwanda
Burundi
Tanzania
al
m
So
ia
Indian
Ocean
Malawi
Seychelles
Angola
qu
e
Zambia
bi
55-59 years
60-70 years
LESSON 7 Interpreting a Life Expectancy Map
ar
asc
Botswana
Lesotho
Swaziland
South
Africa
Source: Population Reference Bureau. 2000 World Population Data Sheet.
140
oz
Namibia
Ma
50-54 years
Zimbabwe
M
45-49 years
am
35-44 years
dag
Atlantic
Ocean
0
0
500
500
1,000 mi.
1,000 km