Population Geography and Factors Influencing Growth

Vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts, demographic measures, illnesses, pandemics, and social or economic factors influencing world population growth.

Population

Number of people living in a particular place.

Birth rate

Number of live births per 1 000 people per year.

Death rate

Number of deaths per 1000 people per year.

Population growth rate

Rate at which a population increases or decreases; a measure of how quickly population size changes.

Infant mortality rate

Number of babies who die before age one per 1000 live births.

Life expectancy

Average number of years a person is expected to live.

Natural increase

Population change caused by births and deaths, calculated as birth rate minus death rate, without including migration.

HIV/AIDS

A virus that attacks the immune system where untreated infection can lead to serious illness, increasing deaths and reducing life expectancy.

Tuberculosis (TB)

An infectious disease that commonly affects the lungs, which can increase illness and deaths especially where treatment is limited or unavailable.

Malaria

A disease transmitted by infected mosquitoes that can cause serious illness and death, especially in areas with limited healthcare and malaria invention.

Diarrhoea

Condition involving frequent loose or watery stools, severe cases of which can cause dangerous dehydration and contribute to child deaths where clean water, sanitation, and hygiene are lacking.

Pandemic

A disease outbreak that spreads across countries or continents and affects many people.

Spanish flu

A pandemic that occurred mainly in 1918-1919 and caused very large numbers of deaths worldwide at a time when medical technology and communication were more limited.

COVID-19

A global pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, first identified in late 2019, occurring during an era of modern laboratories, vaccines, digital communication, and global health systems.

Economic status

The financial standing of communities that affects health; higher-income communities typically have better access to healthcare, food, water, and sanitation, while lower-income communities face greater health risks.

Conflict and wars

Events causing deaths, injuries, displacement, food shortages, destruction of healthcare facilities, increased disease, and changed settlement patterns through migration.

Scientific developments

Innovations such as vaccines, medicines, sanitation systems, refrigeration, and improved agricultural methods that helped populations grow by improving understanding of disease.

China's former one-child policy

A well-known example of a government policy introduced to slow population growth.