human geography notes

Population Pyramids

A special type of graph that shows the structure of a country's population, divided into age and gender groups.

Dependency Load

The proportion of the population that is not in the workforce, including people 14 and under and 65 and over.

Workforce

The proportion of both males and females aged 15 to 64 years old who are in the workforce.

Expansive Population Pyramid

A population pyramid with a big base, a small proportion of elderly, and a fast-growing population.

Near Stationary Population Pyramid

A population pyramid with a narrow base, similar numbers in each age category, and a steady population.

Constrictive Population Pyramid

A population pyramid with a narrow base, a large proportion of elderly, and a shrinking population.

Scattered Population Pattern

An irregular pattern with few settlements and low population density, common in remote regions.

Linear Population Pattern

Settlements that develop in a line along a river, railway, or major highway.

Clustered Population Pattern

Settlements that develop in clusters, with some distance separating the clusters, often associated with resource development.

Peripheral Population Pattern

Settlements that develop around the edge of a landform, such as along an ocean coast or around the shores of a lake.

Dispersed Population Pattern

A fairly regular pattern of medium to high density, common in flatter regions with good farmland.

Population Distribution

Refers to where people live, with more than 90% of Canadians living in southern Canada within 600km of the U.S. border.

Population Density

Refers to the number of people who live in a certain area, varying from province to province in Canada.

Urban Land Use Classification

The classification of urban land use into 6 major uses:residential, transportation, institutional, open and green space, industrial, and commercial.

Residential Land Use

Broken into three categories:low density housing, medium density housing, and high density housing.

Transportation Land Use

Includes roads, airports, parking lots, public transportation, and railways.

Institutional Land Use

Land occupied by public facilities, community, educational, governmental, healthcare, and religious sites.

Industrial Land Use

Land use for manufacturing, assembly plants, processing, warehousing, or storage.

Commercial Land Use

Land use for retail, service, or office use.

Open and Green Space Land Use

Land set aside for recreation and conservation efforts, such as parks, playing fields, forests, or undeveloped land.

Zoning

A zoning bylaw that controls the use of land in a community, specifying how land may be used, where buildings can be located, and the types of buildings permitted.

Urban Sprawl

The spread of urban communities into a surrounding area, providing more land for development but causing destruction of natural spaces, increased pollution, and traffic congestion.

Urbanisation

The process by which rural areas close to existing cities become urban, going through stages of hamlet, village, town, and city.

Hamlet

A small rural settlement with few goods and services, relying on surrounding areas for employment and resources.

Village

A larger rural settlement with a greater variety of goods and services, still relying on surrounding areas for most employment and resources.

Town

A small urban settlement with industry, business, and public services, where most goods and services can be found within the town itself.

City

A larger urban settlement with all necessary goods and services, supporting pro sports teams, hospitals, colleges/universities, and attracting migration for work.

Census Metropolitan Area (CMA)

An urban area including all villages, towns, and smaller cities near a major urban centre, with no rural area between them.

Greenbelt

A permanently protected area of green space, farmland, forests, wetlands, and watersheds in Southern Ontario, Canada, surrounding a significant portion of the Golden Horseshoe.