Demography and Population Geography Vocabulary

Vocabulary flashcards covering fundamental population geography and demography terms from the transcript.

Age structure

The distribution of a population among different age groups.

Agricultural density

The number of farmers per unit of arable (farmable) land.

Androcentrism

The tendency to view the world primarily from a male-centered perspective.

Anthropocene

A proposed geological epoch in which human activities have become a major force shaping Earth’s environment.

Arable land

Land that is suitable for growing crops.

Arithmetic (crude) density

The total number of people divided by the total land area.

Baby Boomer

A person born during the large increase in births following World War II, generally 1946–1964 in the United States.

Carrying capacity

The largest population that an environment can sustainably support with available resources.

Child mortality

The death rate among children, generally referring to deaths of children under age five.

Crude birth rate (CBR)

The number of live births per 1,000 people in a population per year.

Crude death rate (CDR) / mortality rate

The number of deaths per 1,000 people in a population per year.

Demographic equation

A formula showing that population change results from births, deaths, immigration, and emigration: $\text{Population change} = (\text{births} - \text{deaths}) + (\text{immigration} - \text{emigration})$.

Demography

The statistical study of human populations, especially their size, distribution, composition, and changes.

Dependency ratio

The ratio of dependents (young and elderly people) to the working-age population.

Developed (industrialized) country

A country with a highly industrialized economy, relatively high income, and generally high levels of infrastructure and human well-being.

Developing (industrializing) country

A country undergoing economic and industrial development, generally with lower average income and levels of infrastructure than highly industrialized countries.

Doubling time

The amount of time required for a population to double in size at its current growth rate.

Ecumene

The portion of Earth's surface that is permanently inhabited by humans.

Elderly dependence ratio

The ratio of elderly people to the working-age population.

Eurasia

The combined landmass of Europe and Asia.

Gender roles

Socially constructed expectations about behaviors and responsibilities associated with gender.

Generation X

The generation generally born after the Baby Boomers, commonly defined in the United States as people born about 1965–1980.

Generation Y (Millennials)

The generation generally following Generation X, commonly defined as people born about 1981–1996.

Generation Z

The generation generally following Millennials, commonly beginning around 1997 and extending into the early 2010s.

Generations

Groups of people born during a particular period who often share historical, social, and cultural experiences.

High birth rates

Relatively large numbers of births per 1,000 people per year, commonly associated with earlier stages of demographic transition.

Human well-being

The overall quality of life of a population, including factors such as health, education, income, and access to resources.

Infant mortality rate (IMR)

The number of deaths of infants under age one per 1,000 live births in a year.

Infanticide

The deliberate killing of an infant.

Low birth rate

A relatively small number of births per 1,000 people per year.

Mean center of population

The geographic point representing the average location of a population, weighted by where people live.

Megacity

A metropolitan area with a population of 10 million or more.

Metacity

An extremely large urban area with 20 million or more people.

Physiological density

The number of people per unit of arable land.

Population clusters

Areas where people are concentrated in relatively high numbers.

Population composition

The characteristics of a population, such as age, sex, ethnicity, income, and other demographic characteristics.

Population density

The number of people living within a given unit of land area.

Population distribution

The spatial arrangement of people across Earth's surface.

Population pyramid

A graph showing the age and sex composition of a population.

Rate of natural increase (RNI)

The percentage by which a population grows or declines annually from births and deaths alone, excluding migration.

Replacement-level fertility

The total fertility rate at which a population replaces itself from one generation to the next, approximately 2.1 children per woman in many developed countries.

Rule of 70

A method for estimating population doubling time: $70 \div \text{annual growth rate (\%)} = \text{doubling time}$.

Sex ratio

The number of males per 100 females in a population.

Snow belt

A region, particularly in the northern United States, known for cold weather and substantial snowfall; in population geography, it contrasts with warmer regions that have attracted population growth.

Total fertility rate (TFR)

The average number of children a woman is expected to have during her reproductive years.

Transitional birth rate

A declining birth rate associated with the transition from high fertility to lower fertility as a country develops.

Youth dependency ratio

The ratio of children and adolescents to the working-age population.

Zero population growth (ZPG)

A situation in which a population has no overall growth because births and deaths, along with migration when considered, balance each other.