AP Human Geography: Unit 2A Terminology

Carrying Capacity

The number of people a given area's natural resources can support

Stationary Population Level

The population reached when growth has leveled off; projections suggest the will occur globally after 2050

Arithmetic Population Density

A measure of total population relative to land size; formula = population divided by land area in km2

Physiological Population Density

The number of people in a country per unit of arable land; formula = population divided by arable land in km2;

Agricultural Population Density

The number of farmers in a country per unit of arable land; formula = population of farmers divided by arable land in km2

Malthusian Theory

A late 18th century theory put forth by Thomas Malthus which suggests food production will not keep pace with population leading to calamities (positive checks) which will temporarily reduce populations; Malthus advocated for preventative checks like abstinence and delayed marriage to avoid calamities; main criticism is failure to predict innovations in food production

Natural Increase (of Population)

Births + Immigration - Deaths + Emigration = Natural Increase

Crude Birth Rate

Number of live births per year per thousand people in population

Crude Death Rate

Number of deaths per year per thousand people in population

Total Fertility Rate

The average number of children born to a woman of childbearing age (15 to 44); TFR of 2.1 = 0 Population Growth Rate

Population Growth Rate

The rate at which a population grows in a year expressed as a percentage; can be negative

Population Doubling Time

The years it takes for a country's population to double; Formula = 70 divided by % growth rate

Median Age

The age that divides a population into two numerically equal groups; that is, half the people are younger than this age and half are older. It is a single index that summarizes the age distribution of a population.

Net Migration Rate

The difference between the number of persons entering and leaving a country during the year per 1,000 persons. An excess of persons entering the country is referred to as net immigration; an excess of persons leaving the country as net emigration.

Urbanization

The percentage of the total population living in urban areas, as defined by the country.

Sex Ratio

The number of males for each female.

Mother's Mean Age at First Birth

The mean (average) age of mothers at the birth of their first child.

Infant Mortality Rate

The number of deaths of infants under one year old in a given year per 1,000 live births in the same year.

Life Expectancy at Birth

The average number of years to be lived by a group of people born in the same year, if mortality at each age remains constant in the future.

Contraceptive Prevalence Rate

The percent of women of reproductive age (15-49) who are married or in union and are using, or whose sexual partner is using, a method of contraception according to the date of the most recent available data. The contraceptive prevalence rate is an indicator of health services, development, and women's empowerment.

Drinking Water, Improved

The use of any of the following sources: piped water into dwelling, yard, or plot; public tap or standpipe; tubewell or borehole; protected dug well; protected spring; or rainwater collection.

Physicians Density

The number of medical doctors (physicians), including generalist and specialist medical practitioners, per 1,000 of the population. The World Health Organization estimates that fewer than 2.3 health workers per 1,000 would be insufficient to achieve coverage of primary healthcare needs.

Hospital Bed Density

The number of hospital beds per 1,000 people; it serves as a general measure of inpatient service availability.

Improved Sanitation

The use of any of the following facilities: flush or pour-flush to a piped sewer system, septic tank or pit latrine; ventilated improved pit (VIP) latrine; pit latrine with slab; or a composting toilet.

School Life Expectancy

The total number of years of schooling (primary to tertiary) that a child can expect to receive

Read GDP Per Capita

The sum value of all goods and services produced in the country valued at prices prevailing in the United States in the year noted divided by the country's population. This is the measure most economists prefer when looking at per-capita welfare and when comparing living conditions or use of resources across countries.

Share of Labor Force in Agriculture

Share of people of working age who were engaged in any activity to produce goods or provide services for pay or profit in the agriculture sector

Pronatalist Population Policies

Governmental policies which seek to promote population growth

Antinatalist Population Policies

Governmental policies which seek to discourage population growth

Demographic Transition Model

A model which establishes 4 stages of population growth by plotting birth and death rates; suggests countries move through stages as they develop

Epidemiological Transition Model

A model which establishes changing causes in a country's death rates through time; ties in with Demographic Transition Model

Child Marriage

The prevalence of child marriage in a country. Most girls who marry early drop out of school and often have early, high-risk pregnancies. Child brides are also at risk of abuse, exploitation, and separation from relatives and friends.

Child Mortality Rate

Deaths of children between 1 and 5 per 1,000 births in a given population

Infectious Disease

Invasion of organisms like viruses, bacteria, parasites, or fungi which multiply in the body and cause disease; e.g. influenza, COVID-19

Chronic Disease

Maladies more typical of old age; e.g. heart disease, cancer, stroke

Genetic Disease

Diseases passed down through DNA

Sporadic

When a disease occurs infrequently and irregularly

Endemic

When a disease maintains a constant presence in a population within a geographic area

Epidemic

When there is an increase, often sudden, in the number of cases of a disease above what is normally expected in that population in that area.

Pandemic

When an epidemic has spread over several countries or continents, usually affecting a large number of people.

Vectored Disease

A disease spread by a vector; vectors are living organisms that can transmit infectious pathogens between humans, or from animals to humans.

Non-vectored Disease

A disease spread from human to human without a vector; e.g. Influenza, HIV/AIDS, COVID-19

Population Composition

The proportions of age groups and gender groups in a country

Population Pyramid

A graphic method for representing population composition; used to assess population growth and decline & markets for services

Dependency Ratio

The ratio of the number of dependents (0 to 14 and 65+) to the total working-age population (15-64) in a country or region; a higher number indicates a greater burden on the working-age population