HHG | 5.1 | Intro to Population Issues

Carrying Capacity

The largest number of people that the environment of a particular area can sustainably support.

overpopulation

the condition of having too many people and not enough resources to sustain them 

Neo-Malthusian

overpopulated

Cornucopian

not overpopulated

Pro-Natalist

policies that encourage people to have children

Anti-Natalist

policies intended to reduce the number of children born in a population.

doubling time

the number of years it takes a country’s population to double

Cornucopain theory

The set of beliefs that, either through human invention or the redistribution of resources, the world is not at risk for overpopulation.

Malthusian theory

The belief that the world’s food supply increased arithmetically, while the world’s population increased geometrically, eventually leading to over population.

Natural Increase Rate (NIR)

The rate of population growth for a place, expressed as a rate ( growth for every thousand people) or percentage.

crude birth rate

The number of births in a population, for every 100 people.

crude death rate

The number of deaths in a population, for every 1000 people

Neo-Malthusian theory

A revival of Thomas Malthus’ ideas in the 1960s and the 60s suggested the world was at risk for overpopulation and advocated ZPG.

Total Fertility Rate (TFR)

The average number of children a woman in a population is expected to have.

Zero population Growth (ZPG)

A decline of the total fertility rate to the point where the natural increase rate equals zero.