Population Geography and Demographics

These flashcards cover key vocabulary related to population geography and demographics, including essential terms and concepts for understanding human populations.

Demographics

The study of human population distribution and migration.

Ecumene

The inhabited or habitable areas of the earth.

Densely Populated Areas

Regions where people live in clusters, typically near natural resources or estuarine areas.

Sparsely Populated Regions

Areas with few residents, often including deserts, cold lands, rainforests, and highlands.

Arithmetic Density

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

Physiological Density

The number of people per unit area of arable land.

Agricultural Density

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

Natural Increase Rate (NIR)

The percentage growth or decline in the population of a country per year, not including net migration.

Crude Birth Rate (CBR)

The total number of live births in a country per 1000 population per year.

Crude Death Rate (CDR)

The total number of deaths in a country per 1000 population per year.

Total Fertility Rate (TFR)

The average number of children a woman would have during her childbearing years.

Infant Mortality Rate (IMR)

The number of infant deaths per 1000 live births per year.

Life Expectancy

The average number of years a newborn infant is expected to live.

Youth Dependency Ratio

The ratio of individuals younger than 15 compared to the working-age population.

Old Age Dependency Ratio

The ratio of people aged over 64 relative to the working-age population.

Epidemiologic Transition Model (ETM)

A model that describes the changes in population and mortality patterns as a country develops.

Population Pyramid

A graphical representation of the age and gender distribution of a population.

Malthusian Theory

The theory proposing that population growth will outpace food production, leading to widespread famine.

Neo-Malthusians

Critics of Malthusian theory who argue that the consequences of overpopulation can lead to social and environmental issues.

Pro-Natalist Policies

Government policies that encourage higher birth rates.

Anti-Natalist Policies

Government policies aimed at controlling or reducing birth rates.

World Systems Theory

A theory that categorizes countries into core, periphery, and semi-periphery based on their economic and political relationships.