Arithmetic Population Density
The population of a country or region expressed as an average per unit area.
*the figure is derived by dividing the population of the areal unit by the number of square kilometers or miles that make up that unit.
Ex: The U.S. has a population density of 81 per square mile- allows a general contrasts between two countries.
Physiological Density
The number of people per unit area of agriculturally productive land.
Ex: The population of a country to the area of arable land it contains.
Dot Distribution Maps
Maps where one dot represents a certain number of a phenomena, such as population.
Ex: Looking at dot maps, the color is darking in areas with higher population (India, parts of the U.S., China, ect.)
Population Distribution
Descriptions of locations on the Earth’s surface where individuals or groups live.
Ex: Where people are located. Dot maps are used to represent this.
Megalopolis
Designate large coalescing supercities that are forming in diverse parts of the world.
Ex: Refers to Boston - Washington’s metropolitan corridor on the northeastern seaboard of the U.S.
Census
A periodic and official count of a county’s population.
E.x: The United States does their census every 10 years. You answer a few questions and tell how many people are living per house hold.
Doubling Time
The time required for population to double in size. Every growth rate has a doubling time.
E.x. If you invest $100 at 10%, it would take about 7 years to double to $200, another 7 years to become $400, and another 7 to become $800 ect. When the growth rate is 10%, the doubling time is about 7 years.
Natural Increase Rate
Population growth measured as the excess of live births over deaths. This is not affected by immigrant or emigrant moments.
E.x: If a country wanted to increase their population, their goal would be to have more births than deaths.
Crude Birth Rate
The number of live births yearly per thousand people in a population.
E.x: Comes out as a ratio.
Crude Death Rate
The number of deaths yearly per thousand people in a population.
E.x: Comes out as a ratio.
Demographic Transition
Multistage model based on Western Europe’s experiences, of changes in population growth exhibited by countries undergoing industrialization.
E.x: High birth rates and death rates, followed by plunging death rates, producing net population gain.
Stationary Population Level
The level at which a national population level ceases to grow: stays the same.
E.x: a country’s birth rates and death rates stay the same. The total population numbers stay the same.
Population Composition
Structure of a population in terms of age, sex and other properties such as martial status and education.
E.x: the structure of the population (number of males, females, ages ect).
Population Pyramids
Visual representation of of the age and sex composition of population whereby the percentage of each age group is represented.
E.x: In class, population pyramids were used to compare different countries, look at population, and show population increases and decreases.
Expansive Population Policies
Government policies that encourage large families and raise the rate of population growth.
E.x: A country such as Russia puts in place expansive policies to increase their total population.
Eugenic Population Policies
Government policies that designed to favor one racial sector over the other.
E.x: The Holocaust is an example Eugenic policies. The Nazi government segregated and singles out the Jews and minorities within their country.
Restrictive Population Policies
Government population policies designed to reduce the rate of natural population increase.
E.x: India is taking restrictive policies into effect in order to decrease their population.
Cyclic Movement
Movement that has a closed rout and is repeated annually.
E.x: Nomadic Migration
Periodic Movement
Movement that involves temporary, recurrent location.
E.x: College attendance
Activity Space
The Space within which daily activity occurs.
E.x: School and my house are examples of my activity space.
Nomadism
Movement along a definite set of places- often cyclic movement.
E.x: People going up up in the mountains to herd sheep and then coming back.
Migrant Labor
A type of periodic movement involving millions of workers in the US to cross international borders in search of employment.
E.x: Workers from Mexico come to the US for agricultural work during the season and then go back when it is over.
Transhumance
A seasonal periodic movement of livestock between highland and lowland pastures.
E.x: Farmers herd cattle up into the mountains and then back down.
International/Internal Migration
International: migrating out of the country
Internal: staying in the countries borders.
