Tuesday 1st October 2013

Today I was slushy once again so nothing much to report there. The southward equinox was on September 22nd and it is really apparent now the days are getting much longer than the nights. The sun is now up at 06:05 and sunset is at 19:25 and the days are getting longer every day. The best thing is I no longer have to use my head torch all the time and it now only comes out after dark.

Here are some interesting facts and figures to contemplate:-

• Recent summer population of Antarctica was – 4,490 people, with 955 of those at McMurdo.

• Current world population surpassed 7 billion in October 2011.

• The world’s population reached 1 billion for the first time in 1804. By 1927, it was 2 billion, and 3 billion by 1960. Since then, the world has added another 1 billion people around every 13 years.

• Estimated number of humans who have ever lived - 107 billion. Estimates suggest that about 40% of those who ever lived did not survive beyond their 1st year.

• The Han Chinese are the largest ethnic group on the planet being 19% of the current world population.

• The world’s most spoken language is Mandarin – 12.4 % of the world population speak Mandarin as their primary language.

• The global sex ratio is – 1.01 males to 1 females.

• Global life expectancy is 65 years for men and 69 for female.

• Global fertility rate is 2.52 children.