Population/ Resources Flash Cards (GEO)

Finite

Limited; resources are not infinite, so population growth has limits.

Scarcer

Becoming less available; resources per capita drop as population rises.

Fertility rate

Average number of children per woman; key measure of population growth.

Vertical farming

Growing crops in stacked layers or tall buildings to save land.

GMO

Genetically Modified Organism; altered genes to boost yield or resistance.

Carrying Capacity

The maximum population an area can sustain with its resources and technology.

Development

Economic, social, and political progress that raises living standards.

Life Expectancy

Average years a person lives; key development indicator.

Infant mortality rate

Deaths of babies under 1 per 1,000 live births; shows development level.

Dependency ratio

Ratio of dependents (under 15, over 64) to working-age people (15–64).

Pro-Natalist

Policies encouraging births to grow population.

Anti-Natalist

Policies discouraging births to limit population.

Brain drain

Skilled or educated people emigrate from their country, leaving it short of human capital.

Demography

The study of population — its size, structure, and change (births, deaths, migration).

Incentives

Rewards (money, benefits) used by governments to encourage pro-natalist or anti-natalist behavior, or to attract migrants.

Shanty settlements

Illegal, self-built housing with poor services; common in rapid urbanization.

Migration

Movement of people between places.

Emigration

Leaving a country (out-migration).

Immigration

Entering a country (in-migration).

Remittances

Money migrants send home; boosts home economy.

Assimilation

Migrants adopt the culture of the new country.

Underemployment

Working below skill level or fewer hours than wanted.

Chain Migration

Migrants follow family or community to a new place.

Circular migration

Repeated movement between home and destination.

Internal Migration

Movement within a country (e.g., rural to urban).

Effluents

Liquid waste discharged into water or land; causes pollution.

Pervasive

Spread widely; affects large areas.

Exhaustible

Can be depleted; non-renewable resources.

Arable

Farming land suitable for crops.

Fracking

Hydraulic fracturing; extracting oil/gas from shale with high-pressure fluids.

Potable

Safe to drink; clean water supply.

Natural Resources

Materials from nature used for economic gain (minerals, water, forests, fossil fuels).