14 terms
GeoTerms Population Dilemmas
arable
land in which crops can be grown
biodiversity
the variety of species in nature and the genetic diversity within each species
carrying capacity
the number of people who can be supported at a sustainable level in an area with given resources and technology
malnutrition
lack of proper nutrition, caused by not having enough to eat
sanitation
he prevention of disease and promotion of good hygiene by maintaining clean conditions and safe drinking water
demography
the study of human populations, including how they change due to births, deaths, aging, and migration
demographer
a scientist who studies the characteristics of human populations, such as size and growth rate
population pyramid
graph that shows the ages and sexes in a population, with the youngest ages displayed at the bottom and the oldest at the top. The shape of a population pyramid reflects how a country's population is growing.
cohort
an age group on a population pyramid
dependency ratio
the number of old and young dependents who do not work compared with the working-age population. The higher the ratio, the more young and old people the workers have to support.
replacement rate
the total fertility rate needed for a population to replace itself. This number varies by country, but it is about 2.1 in most developed countries.
total fertility rate (TFR)
the average number of children a woman in a given population will have in her lifetime. This number is different in different countries.
birth rate
the number of births each year per 1,000 people
death rate
the number of deaths each year per 1,000 people