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The world's population will be 9 bn¹ in 2070 and 8.4 bn by 2100.

North America (the US and Canada) and Latin America are only two regions in the world with a population still growing² in 2 l 00: from 3 l 4 m today to 454 m in North America and from 5 l 5 m to 934 m in Latin America.

Despite disease, war and hunger, the population of Africa will grow from 784 m today to 1.6 bn in 2050, and 1.8 bn by 2100, although after that it will begin to decline.

The China region (China and Hong Kong together with five smaller neighbouring nations) will see its population shrink from 1.4 bn to 1.25 bn by 2100. Because of its education programme, by 2020, China will have more well-educated people than Europe and North America combined³.

India will overtake China as the world's most populous nation by 2020.

Europe — including Turkey and the former Soviet Union west of the Urals⁴ — will see its population fall⁵ from 813 m now to 607 m in 2100: from l 3% of the world's population to just 7%. Eastern (восточные) countries such as Russia have already seen⁶ their population fall.

In 1950, there were thought to be three times as many Europeans as⁷ Africans. By 2100, the proportion will be reversed⁸.

(From:The Guardian, 2001)

Примечания

¹ bn = billion — миллиард (США)(10⁹)

² still growing — зд. которое все еще будет расти

³ combined — зд. вместе взятые

⁴ the former Soviet Union west of the Urals — имеется в виду бывшая территория Советского Союза к западу от Уральских гор

⁵ Europe... will see its population fall — зд. В Европе будет наблюдаться уменьшение населения

⁶ have already seen — уже столкнулись с

Здесь употреблено время Present Perfect, с которым вы познакомитесь в уроке 16.

⁷ there were thought to be three times as many Europeans as... — считалось, что европейцев втрое больше, чем...

⁸ the proportion will be reversed — соотношение будет обратным (т.е. африканцев будет втрое больше, чем европейцев)