Unit 2 Population & Migration

Population Distribution

The pattern of where people live across the world, showing areas that are densely or sparsely populated.

Population Density

The number of people living per unit of area, typically expressed per square kilometer or square mile.

Arithmetic Population Density

The total population of a region divided by the total land area; the simplest way to measure population density.

Physiological Population Density

The number of people per unit of arable land, giving a better idea of how much land supports the population.

Agricultural Population Density

The number of farmers per unit of arable land, indicating the labor required to farm an area.

Carrying Capacity

The maximum population an area can sustain without damaging the environment or exhausting resources.

Age-Sex Composition Graph

A visual representation showing the distribution of a population by age and sex, often a population pyramid.

Population Pyramid

A bar graph showing the distribution of a population by age groups and sex, used to study population trends over time.

Total Fertility Rate (TFR)

The average number of children a woman is expected to have in her lifetime, used to estimate population growth.

Infant Mortality Rate (IMR)

The number of infants who die before their first birthday per 1,000 live births, an indicator of health care quality.

Rate of Natural Increase (RNI)

The difference between the birth rate and death rate, expressed as a percentage, indicating natural population growth.

Dependency Ratio

The ratio of dependent individuals (under age 15 or over age 64) to the working-age population (ages 15-64).

Population Doubling Time

The number of years it takes for a population to double in size at a constant rate of growth.

Demographic Transition Model (DTM)

A model describing the stages of population growth a country undergoes as it develops through five stages.

Epidemiological Transition Model

A model identifying the distinct causes of death at each demographic transition stage, shifting from infectious to chronic diseases.

Malthusian Theory

The theory by Thomas Malthus suggesting that population growth will outpace food production, causing widespread famine.

Antinatalist Policies

Policies that discourage or limit population growth, including family planning or child number restrictions.

Pronatalist Policies

Policies that encourage population growth through incentives like tax breaks and subsidized childcare.

Migration

The movement of people from one place to another, including internal (within a country) and international migration.

Voluntary Migration

Migration where people choose to move for reasons like economic opportunities or family reunification.

Push Factor

Factors that drive people to leave a place, such as poverty, war, or natural disasters.

Pull Factor

Factors that attract people to a new location, such as better economic opportunities or political stability.

Intervening Obstacle

Any factor that complicates migration, such as geographical barriers or political issues.

Intervening Opportunity

A situation that arises during migration, prompting migrants to stop at a new location offering better opportunities.

Step Migration

Migration occurring in stages, moving from smaller to larger places, such as rural to urban areas.

Rural-to-Urban Migration

The movement of people from rural areas to urban centers, often for better job prospects and living standards.

Ravenstein's Laws of Migration

Theories explaining migration patterns, including the tendency of migrants to travel short distances and cause counterflows.

Forced Migration

Migration occurring due to coercion, such as war, persecution, or natural disasters.

Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs)

Individuals forced to flee their homes but remain within their own country's borders.

Refugee

A person fleeing their country due to persecution, war, or violence seeking safety in another country.

Asylum

Protection offered to individuals in a foreign country due to a well-founded fear of persecution in their home country.

Internal Migration

The movement of individuals within the same country, commonly from rural to urban areas.

Transnational Migration

Migration across national borders while maintaining connections to the home country, such as sending remittances.

Chain Migration

a phenomenon where one immigrant's sponsorship of relatives leads to a chain-like effect, with those relatives then sponsoring their own relatives, and so on

Guest Workers

Migrants allowed temporary residence to work in specific jobs, often to address labor shortages.

Transhumance

Seasonal migration of livestock between different grazing areas, typically involving herders in mountainous terrain.