Question

exploration and economic development: tutorial
16 of 47
save
part a
look at the change in population in europe from 1300 to 1400, during the black death epidemic. use a
calculator to determine the percentage that the population declined between those two centuries. to get
the answer, you need to subtract the population between the two centuries. then, divide this difference in
the population with the population in the year 1300. finally, multiply by 100 to get the decline in
percentage.
next, by using the same formula noted above, calculate the percentage that the population dropped in the
americas from 1500 to 1600, during the columbian exchange era. which region of the world experienced
a greater population decline? based on this fact, what can you infer about the spread of disease because
of global trade in europe compared to the americas?

Explanation:

Step1: Calculate population decline in Europe

Population in 1300: \(70\)
Population in 1400: \(52\)
Difference: \(70 - 52=18\)
Percentage decline: \(\frac{18}{70}\times100\approx25.71\%\)

Step2: Calculate population decline in Americas

Population in 1500: \(42\)
Population in 1600: \(13\)
Difference: \(42 - 13 = 29\)
Percentage decline: \(\frac{29}{42}\times100\approx69.05\%\)

Step3: Compare and infer

Since \(69.05\%>25.71\%\), Americas had a greater decline.
This implies that the spread of disease due to global trade (Columbian Exchange) was more devastating in Americas than the Black - Death in Europe.

Answer:

The percentage decline in Europe is approximately \(25.71\%\) and in Americas is approximately \(69.05\%\). Americas experienced a greater population decline. This suggests that the spread of disease because of global trade (Columbian Exchange) was more severe in Americas compared to the spread of Black - Death (a local - to - regional disease spread in Europe at that time).