Internal Migration

Lesson 5

Internal Migration

A movement between regions within the same country and over relatively short distances

Does not alter the total population of a country but will change population density and population distribution patterns within the country

Types of internal migration

Rural to urban

Urban to rural

Inter-urban

Intra-urban

Rural to rural

transmigration

Urban to Rural Migration ( Counter-urbanisation)

People moving from the city or town to the countryside

Frequently occurs with elderly people as they see cities as unattractive

Upon retirement , many elderly couples move out to rural areas to enjoy a slower pace of living in the countryside

E.g. UK’s southeast where families move out from London into semi rural home counties

Push Factors (reasons for the movement away from cities)

- higher rates of congestion and pollution

- high land values making it harder for people to find affordable housing

- higher crime rates

Pull Factors (reasons for movements to the countryside)

- perceived better quality of life

- believed to be a safer and more pleasant environment for children to grow up in less pollution and more open space

- lower land-values and more affordable housing

- more businesses locating on greenfield sites to make the most of room for expansion and the more pleasant environment.

Inter-urban Migration

People move from one town or city to another

Common reason: › due to changing work opportunities force

people to relocate

Intra-urban migration People moving within the same urban

area or city

Common reasons:

› Increased transport result in high levels of residential mobility

› E.g. post world war II, people moved to the edge of cities (suburbanisation)

Rural to rural migration People moving from one area of the

countryside to another

Common in agricultural communities where there is a need to change farming location.

E.g. Sheep shearers migrating between ranches in USA and Australia ; nomadic pastoralist, Northern Africa.

Transmigration in IndonesiaTransmigration is one method that a number of governments have used to try and solve population problems.

Indonesia is a vast archipelago of 13000 islands stretching over 5000km

Population – 205 million (4th most populous country in the world)

Background 60% of Indonesia’s population live

on Java itself- making the population density very high- especially in Jakarta.

The government needed to stop Jakarta’s urban growth.

People migrate to Jakarta in large numbers to find work.

The Transmigration Programme

The Government introduced a transmigration policy.

aims - to move people from the core area (Java/Jakarta) to the periphery to new farming areas set up by the government.

1930s – the first large-scale movement from parts of Java to Lampung province, South Sumatra.

Over 200,000 transmigrants were resettle

After 2nd world war ( 1949-1970) 450 000 resettle

1970s-1980 – 900 000 people being relocate

The migrants are given:› free transport, › free land ( 2 hectares of arable land) › housing and › Public facilities: schools, clinics› other assistance such as food and› fertiliser for the first 12 months.

Even though many have migrated the scheme has not been entirely successful.

Source Area Destination Area

Java South Sumatra

Bali Sulawesi

Madura Kalimantan

Lombok Irian Jaya

Impact of Transmigration on Population Structures in Indonesia

Impacts on Source (Java)

Thousands of young families left Java

the rate of rural-urban migration in Java meant Jakarta (the capital) continued to grow

Population growth was slowed down, not reversed

Impacts on destination

Indigenous populations were displaced

The population structure was changed as the ethnicity of the periphery changed