Final answer:
The rapid growth of the world human population over the last 100 years is primarily due to advancements in public health, such as sanitation and medical innovations like antibiotics and vaccines, as well as improved agricultural practices and human migration.
Step-by-step explanation:
The world's human population has experienced rapid growth over the last 100 years due to several key factors. One primary factor contributing to this growth has been significant advancements in public health, including improvements in sanitation, the introduction of antibiotics and vaccines, and access to clean drinking water. These advancements have substantially reduced death rates and the impact of infectious diseases that once drastically limited population growth.
Another factor is the Agricultural and Industrial Revolutions, which have increased our capacity to produce food and goods, supporting larger populations. Technological advances in agriculture, such as mechanization, pesticides, and fertilizers, all driven by the exploitation of fossil fuels, have allowed us to greatly expand food production. At the same time, urbanization has supported technology that furthers growth.
Furthermore, human migration has allowed for the colonization of nearly all habitable land on Earth, expanding the space available for population growth. In recent decades, the use of contraception and family planning has influenced population growth rates as well, although this effect has varied globally. Despite these factors contributing to population growth, there is ongoing debate regarding the sustainability of this growth and concerns over environmental damage and resource depletion.