AP Human Geography Unit 2: Population and Migration Vocabulary

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering the core population and migration concepts required for Unit 2 of AP Human Geography.

Agricultural Density

The ratio of the number of farmers to the total amount of arable land.

Anti-Natalist (restrictive) Policies

Government policies designed to discourage births and slow population growth.

Arable Land

Land that is suitable and capable of being cultivated to grow crops.

Arithmetic Population Density

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

Baby Boom

A temporary marked increase in the birth rate, especially following World War II.

Census

A complete enumeration and official count of a population, recording demographic details.

China’s “One-Child” Policy

An anti-natalist program established in 1979 limiting couples to a single child.

Chronic Diseases

Non-communicable, long-term illnesses such as cancer and cardiovascular diseases prevalent in older populations.

Crude Birth Rate

The annual number of live births per 1,000 individuals alive in a society.

Crude Death Rate

The annual number of deaths per 1,000 individuals alive in a society.

Demographics

Statistical characteristics of human populations, including age, gender, race, and socioeconomic status.

Demographic Transition Model

A theoretical model illustrating population growth through stages characterized by changing birth and death rates.

Dependency Ratio

The ratio of non-working individuals (under 15 and over 65) to the productive labor force.

Developed Country (MDC)

A sovereign country with a highly developed economy, high income, and advanced technological infrastructure.

Developing Country (LDC)

A nation in early economic development, typically with lower standards of living and industrialization.

Doubling Time (“Rule of 70”)

The projected years needed to double a population, estimated by dividing 70 by the annual growth rate.

Ecumene (physical factor)

The portion of Earth's land surface permanently inhabited by human settlement.

Epidemiological Transition Model

A model showing distinctive primary health threats and mortality causes across development stages.

Expansive (Pro-Natalist ) Population Policies

Government initiatives designed to stimulate fertility and increase overall population growth.

Exponential Growth Theory (J-Curve)

Rapid, compounding population acceleration over time that graphically resembles a letter J.

“Graying” Population

A demographic trend marked by a rising median age and expanding elderly proportion.

Infant Mortality Rates

The annual number of deaths of infants under one year old per 1,000 live births.

Life Expectancy

The average number of years a newborn infant can expect to live under prevailing mortality conditions.

Malthusian Theory

The premise that population grows exponentially while food production grows arithmetically, causing inevitable catastrophe.

Medical Revolution

Medical advancements originating in developed nations that diffused to developing areas, sharply lowering mortality.

Neo-Malthusians

Theorists warning that population growth will deplete essential non-renewable resources beyond simply food.

Overpopulation (Carrying Capacity)

A circumstance where the population exceeds the maximum capacity an ecosystem can sustainably support.

Physiological Density

The total number of people supported by a unit area of arable land.

Population Density

A measurement of human population concentration per specified unit of land area.

Population Distribution (physical and human factors)

The spatial arrangement of people across Earth influenced by geography, climate, and socioeconomic opportunities.

Population Pyramids (Age Distribution)

A bar graph visualizing the demographic composition of a population broken down by age cohorts and gender.

Rate of Natural Increase

The annual percentage growth of a population, determined by Crude Birth Rate minus Crude Death Rate divided by 10.

Sex Ratio (Gender Imbalance)

The numerical proportion of males to females in a given population cohort.

Total Fertility Rate

The average number of children a woman will bear during her childbearing years.

Zero Population Growth (ZPG)

A demographic equilibrium where birth and death rates balance, resulting in zero population change.

Asylum

Legal protection and sanctuary granted by a sovereign state to a foreign national escaping persecution.

Amnesty

An official government pardon granting lawful permanent residency to foreign individuals residing unlawfully.

Brain Drain

The large-scale emigration of highly educated, skilled, and professional individuals from their homeland.

Chain Migration

Migration to a specific locale driven by previous family members or countrymen already established there.

Distance Decay

The geographic principle that interaction and movement between two locations decreases as physical distance expands.

Emigrate vs. immigrate

Emigrate means to permanently exit a home country; immigrate means to enter and settle into a new country.

Forced Migration

Involuntary permanent movement compelled by environmental disasters, political conflict, or persecution.

Gravity Model of Migration

A mathematical model stating migration between two locations is proportional to population size and inversely related to distance.

Guest Workers

Foreign laborers permitted temporary legal residency to fulfill domestic economic labor shortages.

Immigration Waves to U.S.

Distinct historical periods of mass migration to the United States: 18th & 19th Century, Early 20th Century, and Late 20 & Early 21st Century.

Internally Displaced Peoples (IDPs)

Individuals forced to flee their residences due to violence or hardship who stay within their home country's borders.

Intraregional Migration (Rural-Urban Migration)

Permanent movement within a single region, typically transitioning from rural agricultural zones to urban centers.

Interregional Migration

Permanent relocation from one major domestic region of a nation to another.

International Migration

The permanent relocation of people across national boundaries from one sovereign state to another.

Intervening Opportunity

A favorable economic, environmental, or cultural feature that persuades a migrant to settle before reaching an original destination.

Mobility

The generalized capacity and freedom of human beings to move between geographic locations.

Net-In Migration

A demographic state where the number of immigrants exceeds the number of emigrants entering a territory.

Net-Out Migration

A demographic state where the number of emigrants departing an area exceeds the incoming immigrants.

Push Factors

Adverse economic, political, or environmental conditions inducing people to emigrate from their current home.

Pull Factors

Favorable conditions and perceived opportunities attracting individuals to migrate to a new settlement.

Quotas

Statutory legal caps regulating the maximum number of immigrants allowed into a country annually.

Ravenstein’s Migration Laws

Theoretical principles proposed by E.G. Ravenstein summarizing general patterns regarding migrant distance, reasons, and characteristics.

Refugees

Individuals compelled to leave their native country due to well-founded fears of persecution, war, or armed conflict.

Remittances

Financial earnings transferred by migrant laborers back to relatives in their country of origin.

Seasonal Movement

Cyclical, recurring human movement dictated by agricultural planting seasons or climatic fluctuations.

Step Migration

A gradual migration process toward an ultimate long-distance destination accomplished through a series of shorter stages.

Suburbanization

The demographic transition of population outwards from central cities into surrounding lower-density residential communities.

Voluntary Migration

Permanent relocation made by an individual's personal choice, typically pursuing improved economic or life opportunities.

Undocumented Immigrants

Individuals who enter or reside in a foreign country without valid government authorization or legal visas.