ap hug - population and migration

demography

the study of population characteristics

birth rate

the number of births per 1,000 people in the population

ecumene

the term for habitable land, which includes land with adequate water sources, relatively flat terrain, and available human food sources

underpopulation

the surplus of necessary resources to meet the needs of the population of a defined area

overpopulation

the lack of necessary resources to meet the needs of the population of a defined area

carrying capacity

the ability of the land to sustain a certain number of people

environmental degradation

the harming of the environment, which occurs when more and more humans inhabit a specific area and place a strain on the environmental resources

arithmetic density

divides the entire population of a country by the total land area to come up with a population density for the country as a whole

physiologic density

a more accurate way to measure a country’s population density by only taking into account land that is used by humans

Thomas Malthus

British reverend who concluded that population was growing at a faster rate than productivity in the late 1700s; coined the term overpopulation

linear growth

growth that occurs evenly across each unit over time

exponential growth

growth as a percentage of the total population

neo-malthusian

those who are critical of the demographic transition model

demographic transition model

an indicator of what will happen to a society’s or country’s population based on three primary factors: the birth rate, the death rate, and the total population

usually has four stages: hunting and gathering societies, agricultural societies, industrial societies, and tertiary societies

sometimes a fifth stage is included, which involves quaternary activities

s-curve

reflects what occurs starting in stage 2 of the demographic transition model, when total population begins to increase; population growth eventually stabilizes in stage 4, thus creating an S-shaped curve

zero population growth

a phenomenon of tertiary societies (stage 4 of the demographic transition model) in which the birth rate equals the death rate

sex ratio

the number of males compared to females in a population

population pyramid

a tool that demographers and geographers use to chart populations on a graph that breaks down the population based on both gender and age; this can then be analyzed in terms of the demographic transition model to determine in which stage a society is grouped

population pyramids are sometimes called age/sex structures

age distribution

individual brackets that demonstrate age groupings in population pyramids

population projection

uses demographic data to determine future population and is analyzed with population pyramids

dependency ratio

a rate that states that those who are aged 0-14 and over 65 depend on the workforce for support

demographic momentum

a continued population increase as a result of a large segment of the population being young, which typically occurs in stage 2 countries

negative growth

a process that occurs when the natural increase rate falls below two and the country (typically stage 4) begins to lose population

demographic equation

an equation that determines the population growth rate for the world by subtracting the global deaths from the global births

infant mortality rate

the number of babies that die within their first year of life

natality rate

another term for birth rate

doubling time

the number of years it takes a country to double its population

sustainability

the saving of resources for future generations to allow them to live at the same or higher standard of living than the population today

j-curve

reflects exponential growth of a country’s population; this typically occurs in ideal environments

disease diffusion

the spread of disease

migration

the movement of people

immigrants

people who move into a region or country

emigrants

people who leave a region or country

net migration

the number of immigrants minus the number of emigrants

push factor

a negative perception about a location that induces a person to move away from that location

pull factor

a positive perception about a location that induces a person to move there

refugees

people who are forced to flee their homeland for reasons such as fear of persecution or death, and who seek some type of asylum in another country

voluntary migration

a migration in which people choose to move

place utility

when communities offer incentives for people to move to their areas

internal migration

the movement of people within the same country or area

Ravenstein’s laws of migration

ten statements related to migration trends that E.G. Ravenstein developed in 1885

some of the migration laws are still valid in the present day, while others have become outdates

human capital model

developed by Larry Sjaastad in 1962

states that people seek to improve their incomes over the course of their lives; therefore, people weigh the costs against the benefits of migrating

William A.V. Clark contributed to the explanation in 1986, including the addition of considering psychological and economic costs and benefits

life course theory

developed in the 1960s

states that people make major decisions early on in life (e.g., college, employment, marriage, having children) that may then dictate migration preferences and opportunities in the future

Intercontinental migration

the movement of people across an ocean or continent

distance decay

the lessening of a phenomenon as the distance from the hearth or node increases

acculturation

the transfer of cultures in which the influence of a person’s native culture in a new country is not as strong as it was in his or her original country

chain migration

a movement of people that is voluntary in nature and functions to reunite families and cultures

interregional migration

the movement of people between countries

intraregional migration

the movement of people within the same region

cyclic migration

the seasonal migration of people, often associated with agricultural seasons

transhumance

the seasonal movement of livestock

intervening obstacle

an event that forces individuals to halt their migration plans due to some negative factor, which can range from cultural to physical

intervening opportunity

an event that causes a migrant to stop and decide to stay at a location along his or her journey after encountering favorable economic opportunities or environmental amenities

forced migration

the movement of people against their will, often because of political or environmental factors

transmigration

the removal of people from one place and their relocation somewhere else within a country

census

a detailed counting of the population