558 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 196 2 



Table 3. — Estimates of world fopulation hy regions, 1650-1960 



Source of estimates 

 and date 



Estimated population in millions 



World 



Africa 



Northern 

 America » 



Latin 

 America ^ 



Asia (ex- 



cludins 



U.S.S.R.)' 



Europe 



and 



Asiatic 



U.S.S.R. 



Oceania 



Area of 

 European 

 settle- 

 ment ^ 



Willcox's 

 estimates; 

 1650._. 

 1750__. 

 1800_.- 

 1850... 

 1900__. 

 Carr- 



Saunders' 



estimates: 



1650.__ 



1750___ 



1800.- 



1850-__ 



1900._- 



United 



Nations 



estimates: 



1920___ 



1930... 



1940.-_ 



1950... 



1960... 



470 



694 



919 



1,091 



1,571 



545 



728 



906 



1, 171 



1,608 



1,810 

 2,013 

 2,246 

 2,495 

 2,972 



100 

 100 

 100 

 100 

 141 



100 

 95 

 90 

 95 



120 



140 

 155 

 172 

 200 

 244 



1 



1 



6 



26 



81 



1 



1 



6 



26 



81 



117 

 135 

 146 

 107 

 200 



7 

 10 

 23 

 33 

 63 



12 

 11 

 19 

 33 

 63 



91 

 109 

 131 

 163 

 207 



257 

 437 

 595 

 656 



857 



327 

 475 

 597 

 741 

 915 



966 

 1,072 

 1,212 

 1, 376 

 1, 665 



103 

 144 

 193 

 274 

 423 



103 

 144 

 192 



274 

 423 



487 

 532 

 573 

 576 

 641 



9 

 10 

 11 

 13 

 16 



113 

 157 

 224 

 335 

 573 



118 

 158 

 219 

 335 

 573 



704 



861 



919 



1,064 



» United States. Canada, Alaska. St. Pierre, and Miquelon. 

 b Central and South America and Caribbean Islands. 



" Estimates for Asia and Europe in Willcox's and Carr-Saimders' series have been adjusted so as to include 

 the population of the Asiatic U.S.S.R. with that of Europe, 

 d Includes northern America. Latin America, Europe, and the Asiatic U.S.S.R. and Oceania. 



Source: Reference No. 14 at end of article. 



The development of the scientific method and tlie application of this 

 new knowledge to technology stimulated the Industrial and Vital 

 Eevolutions which so greatly changed man's way of life throughout 

 the Western world. The Industrial Revolution brought the transi- 

 tion from agrarian to industrial societies — a transition which is begin- 

 ning only now for large areas of Africa, Asia, and Latin America. 

 The Vital Revolution brought the Western industrial nations through 

 the demographic transition : from high birth and death rates to low 

 birth and death rates. 



More facts and learned estimates concerning world population are 

 available for this period since census-taking began during the I7th 

 century. The first censuses were conducted in 1655 by the French 

 and British in their Canadian colonies. Iceland took a count in 1703, 



