Internal migration for most people is less disruptive than international migration. Two main types of internal migration are interregional (between regions of a country) and intraregional (within a region).
In the past, people migrated from one region of a country to another in search of better farmland. Lack of farmland pushed many people from the more densely settled regions of the country and lured them to the frontier, where land was abundant. Today, the principal type of interregional migration is from rural areas to urban areas. Most jobs, especially in services, are clustered in urban areas
Key Issue 2: Where Do People Migrate Within Countries?
Interregional Migration: United States The expansion of the United States to the western reaches of North America allowed for large-scale internal migration. Through mass interregional migration, the interior of the continent was settled and developed.
The U.S. Census Bureau computes the population center of the United States every census. The population center is the average location of everyone in the country, the “center of population gravity.” Over the past 200 years, the center has reliably shifted westward, although the rate of this shift has fluctuated over time.
1790: Hugging the Coast Settlement was concentrated along the Atlantic Coast, as colonists depended on shipping links with Europe to receive provisions and to export raw materials. The Appalachian Mountains also presented a barrier to westward movement.
1800–1840: Crossing the Appalachians Transportation improvements, notably the construction of canals (especially the Erie Canal), encouraged westward settlement. The forested river valleys between the Appalachians and the Mississippi River provided cheap land for enterprising migrants.
1850–1890: Rushing to the Gold The population center drifted further west during the mid to late nineteenth century. The Gold Rush of the late 1840s pulled people past western frontiers that were not heavily occupied. In fact, explorers such as Zebulon Pike thought of the Great Plains as unfit for agricultural activity, leading many in the United States to conceptualize the region as the Great American Desert.
1900-1940: Filling in the Great Plains Emigration from Europe to the United States offset most of the migration from the East Coast to the U.S. West, preventing a major westward shift of the population center. The Great Plains region was also beginning to pull more migrants, as advances in agricultural technology enabled people to cultivate the landscape.
1950-2010: Moving South The population center not only resumed its westward movement, but shifted southward as well, as Americans moved to the South for job opportunities and warmer climes. Interregional migration has diminished considerably, as regional differences in employment opportunities have narrowed.
Interregional Migration in Other Large Countries Long-distance interregional migration has played an important role in opening new regions for development in countries with large amounts of land area, such as China, Canada, Russia, and Brazil.
Interregional Migration: China The predominant flow of interregional migration is from rural to urban areas, where job prospects are higher. More than 150 million people have emigrated from rural areas in the interior of the China. Most migrate to the East Coast where factory jobs are plentiful. In recent years, China has lifted restrictions on migration.
Interregional Migration: Brazil While the Brazilian East Coast is more heavily populated than its densely forested interior areas, development of the interior region (along with the movement of the capital to Brasília) over the past half century has altered historic migration patterns. The coastal areas now have net outmigration, whereas the interior areas have net in-migration.
Interregional Migration: Canada Mirroring migration patterns in the United States, population expanded westward in Canada over the past 200 years. Alberta has had the largest in-migration, while Quebec has had the most net out-migration.
Interregional Migration: Russia The population of Russia is highly clustered in the western (European) portion of the country. The Soviet Union encouraged and forced people to move to the sparsely populated eastern portion of Russia to work in the factories located near the raw materials. In recent years there has been a net in-migration to the western portion of the Russia.
Intraregional Migration Intraregional migration is a more frequently observed phenomenon than interregional or international migration. Most intraregional migration occurs from rural to urban areas in developing countries, while migrants are moving from cities to suburbs in developed countries.
From Rural to Urban Areas Beginning with the Industrial Revolution in the 1800s, migration patterns in Europe and North America saw people move from rural to urban areas. Developing countries are starting to see similar trends, with agricultural job opportunities disappearing and factory and service prospects in urban areas growing.
From Urban to Suburban Areas The majority of intraregional migration in developed countries is from cities to surrounding areas, or suburbs. The population of city-based urban populations in developed countries has decreased since the mid-twentieth century, while suburban areas have grown rapidly. Amenities such as private yards and garages have pulled people to the suburban lifestyle; however, this lifestyle is only possible with access to reliable transportation, such as a car or train. This transportation allows access to jobs, shopping, and recreational facilities.
From Urban to Rural Areas The late twentieth century saw the development of a new migration trend: counterurbanization. Counterurbanization is the net migration from urban to rural areas, a trend resulting, in part, from the rapid growth of suburbs. Rocky Mountain states such as Colorado and Utah have specifically experienced counterurbanization in the United States. The development of communication and transportation systems have economically and socially connected once isolated areas, allowing for this trend to take place.
3.2 Key Terms
Counterurbanization Net migration from urban to rural areas in developed countries.
Interregional migration Permanent movement from one region of a country to another.
Intraregional migration Permanent movement within one region of a country.