Ch 13 Flashcards
Demography
● The statistical study of human populations.
● Helps us to understand the causes and consequences of population change
● Population change is a concern to agencies like government and business.
○ Government needs accurate figures of population change to plan things like schools/classrooms.
○ Businesses are interested in this information to plan marketing strategies.
Census
● A procedure used to gather information about population
● The total process of collecting, compiling, and publishing demographic, economic, and social data pertaining to a particular time, to all persons in a particular country
● In Canada, since Confederation in 1867:
○ Major census every 10 years (first year of decade)
○ Less-detailed census every 5 years
○ All Canadians are required by law to be counted in the census.
Developed Country
● Has the resources to keep their data current (but there still may be errors because it is hard to count street people)
● The most wealthy countries
● Also called “First World” country
● Industrialized
- Citizens well-housed, healthy, and educated
● Infrastructure well developed
- Transportation, electricity, schools, hospitals, etc.
Birth rate
● The crude birth rate is calculated by dividing the number of births in one year by the population and then multiplying the result by 1000.
Death rate
● Number of deaths in one year÷ the population, then multiplying the result by 1000 = crude death rate
Rate of natural increase
● The rate of natural increase is the crude birth rate minus the crude death rate of a population.
Rule of Seventy
● Used to calculate the length of time it would take for a population to double in size.
● It states that doubling time is approximately equal to 70 ÷ the growth rate (in %) per year.
○ ie. Gabon’s growth rate is 1.5%
○ 70 ÷ 1.5 = 46.7 ~ [70 ÷ 1.5 (growth rate/per in %) = 46.7 years for the population to double in size.]
○ Therefore, Gabon’s doubling time is about 47 years.
Immigration
● People entering (moving into)a country permanently
Emigration
● People leaving a country permanently
Life expectancy
● The average number of years that an individual is expected to live.
● Before the 1700s, the life expectancy was just a little over 30 years.
○ Canada’s life expectancy today is over 75 years.
World Health Organization
● After WWII, it made improvements to health measures available to all countries.
○ Death rates fell, but birth rates are still high in many developing countries.
○ This is why there is rapid population growth in areas of the world such as Africa, who do not have significant economic development.
Demographic Transition Model
● Explains population change by showing changes of 3 elementsover a period of time :
○ Birth rates
○Death rates
○ Overall population numbers (total population growth)
● Assumes that any country with high birth rates and high death rates (Stage 1) will gradually fall (Stages 2 & 3).
● Based on what has happened in developed countries
○Assumes that countries will pass through periods of industrialization and urbanization on the way to reduced birth and death rates.
● Useful in showing how the population growth rates of countries that are industrializing are in a state of transition.
● Should be used with caution, however, because this transition period is unlikely in some countries, particularly in Africa.
Population Pyramids
● Shows age and sex structure of a population
○ Series of horizontal bar graphs for the male and female populations are placed back to back at intervals of 5 years (cohorts)
●4 types:
○ Stable
○Early expanding
○ Expanding
○ Contracting
Cohorts
● Each bar in a population pyramid is 5 years apart, which is a cohort
Dependency ratio
● Proportion of the population being supportedto the working age group supporting them
4 types of Pyramid Models: EARLY EXPANDING, EXPANDING, STABLE, CONTRACTING
● Early Expanding: ○ Many children; few adults;very few seniors ○ Developing country ○ Typically "Stage 2" of Demographic Transition Model ● Expanding: ○ Many children; fewer adults; even fewer seniors (steeper incline than "Early Expanding") ○ Developing country ○ "Stage 3" ● Stable: ○ Birth and death rates in balance ○ Developed country ○ "Stage 4" ● Contracting: ○ Few children; cannot replace the many adults and seniors ○ Developed country ○ "Stage 5"
One child per couple policy
● Each couple can only have one child, which will eventually reduce the overall population over time
● e.g. China
● Law placed when it was realized that theland will not be able tosupport the huge, growingpopulation
“Little Emperor Syndrome”
● Children of single-child families that are raised to not feel the obligations they should for their family and society
○ Usually due to being spoiled as the only child
Population distribution
●The way people are spread over Earth’s surface
Ecumene
●Greeks studying population distribution called their part of the world “ecumene.”
●Now, it means permanently inhabited places
Population density
● The number of people in a given area
● Population of a country ÷ its area = crude density
○ Useful for general comparisons, but not very effective in larger countries where there are wide variations
Physical factors
● Affects population density ● Includes: ○ Climate ○ Landscape ○ Resources ○ Soil ○ Vegetation ○ Water ○ Accessibility
Human factors
● Affects population density ● Includes: ○ Government policies ○ Disease ○ Development ○ Culture ○ Communication
Arable land
● Land that is suitable for farming
Nutritional density
●The amount ofnutrition (in calories) that can be produced from the land
Carrying capacity
● The idea that land is limited in how much food/goods it can produce with the technology of the time
● As the population increases, the land will be unable to support everyone; then, the population will be reduced by famine and disease until it is back to the carrying capacity or lower.
● The amount of people that the Earth can support
How did some people see the growth in population as a problem?
They see it as a contributor to... ● Shortages in energy ● Shortages in housing and foods ● Increase in pollution ● Increase in unemployment ● Increase in the destruction of the environment
Why does government need accurate figures of population change? Why do businesses need them?
● The government can plan for such things as the numbers of schools and classrooms that are needed
● Businesses are interested in information about family size, incomes, and consumer habits as they plan their marketing strategies
What did early censuses allow rulers to determine?
● the number of people under their rule
● identify taxpayers, potential labourers and soldiers
