Chapter 3: Population

Ester Boserup

a Danish economist that theorized that an increase in population would stimulate technologists to increase food production - Green Revolution

population profile (pyramid)

a bar graph showing the number of people (males and females) at each age for a population

life expectancy

A figure indicating how long, on average, a person may be expected to live

One Child Policy

A program established by the Chinese government in 1979 to slow population growth in China.

rate of population growth

A statistic, expressed as a percentage, that indicates the growth rate of a population in a given time period and that includes not only births and deaths but also migration.

Green Revolution

Agricultural revolution that increased production through improved seeds, fertilizers, and irrigation; helped to support rising Asian populations.

Demographic Transition Model (DTM)

Demographic changes in which a country moves from high birth and death rates, to low birth and death rates through time.

Neolithic Revolution

Development of agriculture and domestication of animals as a food source. Led to permanent settlements, the start of civilization and population growth.

Thomas Malthus

Eighteenth-century English intellectual who warned that population growth threatened future generations because, in his view, population growth would always outstrip increases in agricultural production.

population planning

Government attempts to increase or decrease the birth rate in the country.

fertility

How many people are born in a given time period.

Industrial Revolution

Improvements in industrial technology that transformed the process of manufacturing goods; also led to population growth.

Contraception

Intentionally preventing pregnancy from occurring

Implosionists

Population theorists who believe that declining fertility rates indicate that the earth has turned the corner on population growth.

Explosionists

Population theorists who believe that the world will continue to see rapid population growth for decades to come.

DTM Stage Four

Service based societies, birth rates and death rates are almost equal, no longer an industrial society.

Total Fertility Rate (TFR)

The average number of children a woman will have throughout her childbearing years.

Rate of Natural Increase (RNI)

The difference in births and deaths in a population, usually expressed as a percentage; does not take into account migration into or out of an area.

Physiologic Density

The number of people per unit of area of arable (farmable) land, which is land suitable for agriculture.

Infant Mortality Rate (IMR)

The total number of deaths in a year among infants under 1 year old for every 1,000 live births in a society.

Crude Death Rate (CDR)

The total number of deaths in a year for every 1,000 people alive in the society.

Crude Birth Rate (CBR)

The total number of live births in a year for every 1,000 people alive in the society.

Arithmetic Density

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

Zero Population Growth (ZPG)

When per capita birth and death rates are equal. (r = 0)

DTM Stage Two

agricultural society, birth rates remain high but death rates decline because of more stable food sources and the diffusion of modern medicine (birth rates & death rates remain higher than the world average) & technology Example: most African countries.

basic demographic equation

future population = current population + births - deaths + immigrants - emigrants

Neo-Malthusians

group who built on Malthus' theory and suggested that people wouldn't just starve for lack of food, but would have wars about food and other scarce resources

DTM Stage One

hunting and gathering society, in which a society has a low total population with fluctuations in both the birth and death rates. When the birth rates are high the death rates are low & vice versa. Example: No countries in this stage.

DTM Stage Three

industrial society, birth rates start to decline while death rates continue to decline, factories and economies become important (birth/death rates are around the world averages) Example: most Central & South American countries

Replacement level fertility

the total fertility rate required to offset the average number of deaths in a population in order to maintain the current population size