Observing this visualization produced by NASA the phrase “light at the end of the tunnel” acquires a new meaning when we consider that the usual flow of migrants typically goes from darker areas to those were light abounds. Whether the flow is from rural to urbanized areas or from the developing world to richer countries, the patterns of migration seem to follow the light.
The real reasons that force the masses of migrants to try their luck elsewhere may be better understood by studying the interactive tool from Yahoo! News about Minimum Wages Worldwide (via matthewgood.org), or the more comprehensive visualization from The Gapminder World with the Income per capita.
In any case the over-used stereotype of the migrant arriving to the big city just to be blinded by the bright lights of all its commercial bonanza may be more than a well rehearsed scene.
4 responses so far ↓
1 seanmcdonald.ca // Feb 11, 2007 at 11:42 pm
[...] The image below was provided by NASA and displays the most urbanized, not most populated, areas of the world. Global Culture has an interesting post up stating, rightfully so, that migration tends to follow the light…. whether from rural to urban areas or 3rd world nations to 2nd or 3rd world nations. World Changing has a great and well contributed section of its website (and book and blog) discussing urban cities and their future. [...]
2 Global Culture » global population density // Feb 20, 2007 at 2:34 am
[...] If the post a brighter future revealed the possible destinations for the masses of migrants moving around the planet, this image from Natural Resources Conservation Service within the United States Department of Agriculture may tell us where they come from. A global population density map represents the number of people per square kilometer around the globe. While the map confirms what we’ve known for a while about India and China, it highlights some other countries that we don’t hear too often such as Bangladesh and Indonesia. [...]
3 Global population density at // world citizen // Feb 20, 2007 at 8:33 am
[...] [From the global culture blog] If the post a brighter future revealed the possible destinations for the masses of migrants moving around the planet, this image from [...]
4 Global Culture » the economist on cities (part 1) // May 13, 2007 at 10:53 pm
[...] The strange allure of the slums: if walking is controlling a fall, slums are controlled chaos meant to mobilize people out of their unproductive existence in rural areas. The formula was hardly planned, but has powered the massive migrations from rural to urban and given hope to millions, even if only a few will succeed. In slums of hope I wrote about them as places where humanity takes precedence over the riches of the material world. Also, check the strong correlation between urbanization and preferred destinations for migrants in a brighter future. [...]
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