Human Geography Unit 2

Dispersed

Random patterns describe populations that are distributed without apparent or logic

Population Distribution

Where people live within a geographic area — affects the cultural, political, environmental, and economic aspects and conditions in any given area.

Climate

Long-term patterns of weather in an area that greatly affect population distribution in direct or indirect ways

Temperate Climates

Those with moderate temperatures and adequate precipitation amounts — are usually more densely populated.

Landforms

Also influences population distribution. People prefer lowlands due to ease of building, planting crops, and transporting goods.

Human Migration

Which occurs when people make a permanent move from one place to another.

Population Density

Which is the number of people occupying a unit of land, is an important aspect of population

Arithmetic Density

Measures the total number of people per unit of land. It is calculated by dividing the total population by the total land area

Physiological Density

The total number of people per unit of arable land, and provides insight into whether people can sustain themselves agriculturally

Arable Land

Land that can be used to grow crops

Agricultural Density

Measures the total number of farmers per unit of arable land. The highest agricultural densities are found in parts of Asia

Subsistence Agriculture

Common in peripheral and semi-peripheral countries where there are fewer mechanical resources available to work the land and more people are needed to care for crops and livestock

Carrying Capacity

Key concept originating from biology, carrying capacity represents the threshold at which the population of a species levels off at an environmentally determined maximum because of a shortage of resources

Dependency ratio

The number of people in a dependent age group (under age 15 or age 65 and older) divided by the number of people in the working-age group (ages 15 to 64), multiplied by 100.

Sex Ratio

Represents the proportion of males than females in a population. In general, slightly more males than females are born. However, women tend to live five or more years longer than men do.

Demographics

Data about the structures and characteristics of human populations. Though population groups can be identified and measured in different ways, geographers measure some key factors, such as fertility, to identify population trends

Fertility

Ability to produce children, influences the birthrate of a population. Experts analyze the growth or decline of populations at various scales because the data impacts the natural environment and society, in the form of human health and the economy

Crude Birth Rate (CBR)

The number of births in a given year per 1,000 people in a given population

Total Fertility Rate (TFR)

The average number of children one woman in a given country or region will have during her childbearing years, which are ages 15 to 49, according to the Population Reference Bureau.

Mortality

Deaths as a component of population change. Circumstances that affect the mortality rate include the availability and affordability of health care as well as clean water, adequate food, and shelter

Crude Death Rate (CDR)

The number of deaths of a given population per year per 1,000 people. Geographers consider CDRs of below 10 per 1,000 people as low and CDRs of higher than 20 per 1,000 as high

Infant Mortality Rate (IMR)

Number of deaths of children under the age of 1 per 1,000 live births.

Life Expectancy

Average number of years a person is expected to live. In core countries, the average life expectancy is more than 80 years old; in peripheral countries, it's around 50 years

Population Pyramids

Shows the age-sex distribution of a given population, which helps indicate whether the population is growing rapidly, growing slowly, or in decline

Rate of Natural Increase (RNI)

At the country or region scale, a high RNI can indicate rapid population growth, but because it does not take migration into account, RNI does not tell the whole story of an area's growth or decline.

Doubling Time (DT)

Number of years in which a population growing at a certain rate will double. The formula for calculating DT is 70/RNI= DT