APHUG Unit 3 Vocab

The Neolithic Revolution (First Agricultural Revolution)

The development of agriculture (c. 6000 BCE) which led to the transition from a nomadic to a sedentary lifestyle.

Modern Medicine/Germ Theory

Specific microscopic organisms are the cause of specific diseases, leading to advanced medicinal research and the extension of life expectancy.

More-developed countries (MDCs)

Industrialized countries with high levels of healthcare, wealth, and education.

Less-developed countries (LDCs)

Poorer and less industrialized countries.

Subsistence farming

Growing only enough food for the farmer & family

Birth rate

The # of babies born each year / 1000 people

Infant Mortality Rate (IMR)

For every 1000 babies born, the # that die before the age of 1.

Life expectancy

The # of years an average person expect to live.

Percent urban

% of the population that lives in cities

Gender inequality

A measure of disparities between men and women.

Carrying capacity

The maximum population size that can be supported by the available resources without damaging the environment or using natural resources unsustainably.

Arithmetic density 

The total # of people per unit area of land

Agricultural density

the total # of farmers per unit of arable land

Arable

agricultural land

Ecumene

inhabitable land

Physiological density

The total # of people per unit of arable land

Demography

the statistical study of human populations

census

an official count of a country’s population

Crude Birth Rate (CBR)

the # of live births / 1,000 people in a population

Crude Death Rate (CDR)

the # of deaths / 1,000 people in a population

Natural Increase Rate (NIR)

a measurement of the speed at which a population grows

→ Does NOT include migration

Total Fertility Rate (TFR)

the average # of children a woman will give birth to in her lifetime

Replacement level / Zero population growth (ZPG)

population remains constant (NIR = 0, TFR = 2.1) 

Population pyramids 

Show the population structure/composition of a location.

Population pyramids are used to assess population growth and decline and to predict markets for goods and services.

Dependency ratio

The number of people in a dependent age group divided by the number of people in the working-age group multiplied by 100.

Sex ratio

The proportion of males to females in a population.

Neo-Malthusians

people who believe that action should be taken to slow population growth

Boserup’s Theory

Food supply is impacted directly by population growth. As population increase, humans will develop new technologies to also increase production of food supply.

Thomas Malthus/Malthusian Theory

an 18th century English demographer who warned that population growth (geometric) would exceed food supply (arithmetic)

Epidemiological Transition Model

Predictable stages in disease and life expectancy that countries experience as they develop, which corresponds with the DTM.

Demographic Transition Model

Model used by geographers to analyze and predict trends in population growth & decline, including patterns of births, deaths, and NIRs.

Critiques of the DTM

• Too Eurocentric: - is based on the past experiences of European countries, which may not be applicable to countries in other parts of the world.

• Overemphasis on CBR & CDR - fails to consider other important demographic changes, such as fertility rates & migration

Pro-natalist (expansive) policies

Government programs designed to increase fertility rate and accelerate population growth.

Anti-natalist (restrictive) policies

Government programs designed to decrease the fertility rate and slow population growth.