Unit 2: Population and Migration Vocabulary

Vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts, models, and definitions from Unit 2: Population and Migration.

Demography

The study of statistics such as births, deaths, income, or the incidence of disease, which illustrate the changing structure of human populations.

Migration

The movement of people, animals, or populations from one location, country, or habitat to settle in another, often in search of better living conditions, resources, or employment.

Life Expectancy

The average period that a person may expect to live, or the average number of years a person born in a specific year is projected to live based on current mortality rates.

Literacy Rate

The percentage of people in a specific area, aged 15 and older, who can read and write with understanding.

Fertility Rate

The average number of children a woman will give birth to during her lifetime if she passes through her childbearing years conforming to age-specific fertility rates.

Population Density

A measurement of the number of people living in a specific unit of area, calculated by dividing total population by total land area ($\text{Population} \div \text{Area}$).

Demographic Transition Model

A theoretical framework that illustrates how a country's population dynamics shift from high birth and death rates to low birth and death rates as it transitions from a pre-industrial to an industrialized economic system.

Doubling Time

The amount of time required for a given quantity to double in size or value when growing at a constant exponential rate.

Pull Factor

A positive reason or condition that attracts people to move to a new location.

Push Factor

A negative condition or circumstance that forces or motivates people to leave their current home, region, or country.

Internal Migration

The permanent or long-term movement of people from one region to another within the borders of the same country.

External Migration

Moving from one country, region, or place to live permanently in another, which involves crossing an international boundary or border.

Voluntary Migration

The permanent or semi-permanent movement of individuals from one region, country, or location to another of their own free will and choice.

Involuntary Migration

Movement of people without their consent, caused by force, fear, or external pressure.

J Curve

An economic or political model where a variable initially drops or deteriorates following a specific action or event, but eventually rebounds sharply to a level higher than the starting point.

Rate of Natural Increase

The birth rate minus the death rate of a population ($\text{Crude Birth Rate (CBR)} - \text{Crude Death Rate (CDR)}$), which measures how fast a population grows or shrinks naturally while excluding migration.

Industrial Revolution

A period of rapid economic and social change beginning in the late 1800s that marked the transition from hand production methods to machines.

Agricultural Revolution

A period of technological improvement and increased crop productivity that occurred during the 18th and early 19th centuries in Europe, or the historic transition from hunting and gathering to settled farming (Neolithic Revolution).

Population Pyramid

A graphical illustration that shows the distribution of various age groups and genders in a specific population (usually a country or region).

Developing Countries

Sovereign states with a less developed industrial base and a lower Human Development Index (HDI) relative to other countries, which are in the process of industrialization and building their economies.

Developed Countries

Sovereign states that have a highly developed economy, advanced technological infrastructure, and a high Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita compared to other nations.