Population and Settlement Geography

Vocabulary flashcards covering core definitions in population geography, settlement patterns, density categories, and factors influencing where people settle.

Doubling time

The amount of time it takes for a population to double in size.

Birth rate

The number of live births per one thousand people in a certain area each year.

Migration

People moving from one place to another.

Demographic

Population statistics for a certain area, including characteristics such as age, sex, income, and education.

Death rate

The number of deaths per one thousand people in a certain area each year.

Population

The total number of people living in a specific area.

Settlement

A place where people create a community to live, work, and play, and where they build homes and buildings such as a village, town, or city.

Urban settlement

A settlement where people live in an urban centre, often referred to as a city.

Rural settlement

A settlement where people live away from an urban centre, often referred to as the countryside.

Population density

The average number of people living in one square mile of land.

Sparse population density

A population density that has $14$ or fewer people per square mile (e.g., Canada, Australia, Greenland).

Moderate population density

A population density that has $15 - 149$ people per square mile (e.g., Sweden, USA, Finland, China, South Africa).

Dense population density

A population density that has $150$ or more people per square mile (e.g., Monaco, Singapore, India, South Korea).

Linear settlement

A settlement where buildings are arranged in a line, often along major roads.

Scattered settlements

A settlement where people live far apart because living conditions make it hard to support groups of people in one area.

Clustered settlements

A settlement where buildings are very close together, with many people living in one area.

Settlement factors

Something that influences where people choose to live.

Political factors

The government, laws, and safety conditions of a country that affect settlement; people may move when their home country becomes unsafe or because of policies such as a one-child policy.

Economic factors

Jobs, money, and natural resources that help people earn a living; people choose to settle in places where they can find jobs and earn money.

Natural disasters

Dangerous events caused by nature; people often avoid settling in areas where they happen frequently because their homes can be damaged.

Agriculture

Farming, including growing crops and raising animals for food; good farmland attracts settlement because it yields better crops and ensures access to lots of food.

Water

A critical resource that affects settlement because people need it to drink, farmers need it for crops, and factories need it to create items for people.

Historical events

Past occurrences that influence where people settle, as people often prefer living where their ancestors lived or where it has historically been easier to settle.