Demographics
1. demography – the study of human populations, including their size,
growth, density and other statistical information.
2. population – the number of people in a given area (state, city country
etc.).
3. population distribution – the entire population from which data is
compiled.
4. population density – the average number of people living in a square mile
or kilometer.
5. growth rate – percent a population grows per 1000 people.
6. death rate – the number of deaths each year for every 1000 people.
7. birth rate – the number of births each year for every 1000 people.
8. family size – the average size of a family.
9. infant mortality – life span of very young children.
10. life expectancy – average life span of people
11. literacy rate – percentage of adults who can read and write.
12. Per capita Income – average amount of money earned per person each year.
13. gross domestic product (GDP) total amount of money made in a country
each year.
14. cartogram – map showing statistical data of a country.
15. population explosion – a sudden growth in population.
16. overpopulation – to increase the population of a place so much that the
resources available (food, water, shelter) to support that population is
insufficient.
17. population pyramid – a diagram illustrating the breakdown of a
population according to age and sex.
18. urbanization – the process of turning rural areas into or part of a city
or town.
19. Zero Population Growth – a situation in which the number of new births
is no greater than the number of people dying, so that the overall
population size remains the same.
20. Urban – relating or belonging to a city. These areas have a high
population density.
21. Rural – relating to the country or of country living (farming). These
areas have a low population density.
22. Reasons for decline in death rates:
a) better nutrition
b) greater access to medical care (antibiotics)
c) improved sanitation (soap, treated water, sewers)
d) more widespread immunization
e) a large-scale program of mosquito control — using DDT in
tropical regions has reduced fatal cases of malaria.
23. Reasons for decline in birth rates:
a) improved standard of living
b) increased confidence that your children will survive to
maturity
c) improved status of women
d) increased use of birth control measures
24. Rapid growth population have the following characteristics:
a) with high birth rates;
b) low life expectancies (where many people die before
reaching old age);
c) advances in public health have recently reduced infant
and childhood mortality
d) injuries, starvation, and disease, etc. take a heavy toll
throughout life
25. a rich country which is having a baby boom (shapeless, except for lots
of 0-4 year olds).
26. a poor country which has had a civil war (pyramid with few in the
fighting age).
27. a poor country which has had an epidemic among babies (pyramid with very
few babies).
28 a rich country which has excellent health care for senior citizens
(shapeless: same # for every age group).
29. a poor country which cut its birth rate nine years ago (pyramid with few
0-4 and 6-9 year olds).
30. a poor country where the workers have migrated to other countries
(pyramid with few 15-50 year olds).
31. the U.S. population (lots of seniors, a bulge in the middle, lots of
young people, like a fat “t”)
