Socials 11 Chapter 11 Study Guide

Vocabulary:
Demography: The study of population numbers,
distribution, trends, and issues
Developed Country: A country with a highly
developed economy and infrastructure, and high
living standards
Developing Country: A country with a less
sophisticated economy and lower standard of
living than developed countries - may have
extensive poverty
Birth Rate: The number of births per 1000 people
in a country in a given year

Population Growth Rate: The rate at which a

country's population increases/decreases calculated by adding natural increase and net
migration
Demographic Transition Model: A model that
shows changes in a populations birth and death
rates, as well as growth based on technological
development
Mortality: Deaths in a population
Family Planning: The concept of limiting the size
of families

Death Rate: The number of deaths per 1000 people

in a country in a given year

Total Fertility Rate: The average number of

children born over the lifetime of a typical person
with a vagina in a particular country

Immigration Rate: The number of new arrivals in a

country in a given year per 1000 people

One Child Policy: A policy adopted by China in

order to control population growth

Emigration Rate: The number of people leaving a

country in a a given year per 1000 people

Population Pyramid: A bar graph that shows male

and female populations back to back at age
intervals of five years

Natural Increase (NI): The rate at which a

population increases (or decreases) in a year expressed as a percentage of the total population;
calculated by subtracting death rate from birth rate.

Age Cohort: An age group in a population (ex: the

number of people ages 10-14)

Exponential Rate: A rapid rate of population

growth as each generation doubles in size

Dependency Ratio: The proportion of the

population (children and those over 66) that is
being supported by the working age group

Rule of 70: The time it takes a country to double

its population (approximately 70 divided by the
country's current growth rate)

Dependency Load: The percentage of a

populations that is younger than 15 or older than
64

Doubling Time: The number of years it takes a

country to double its population at its current
growth rate

Carrying Capacity: the max number of people that

can be sustained by an environment

Net Migration: The difference between the number

of people immigrating to a country and the number
of people emigrating
Migrant: A person who moves from one region to
another

Population distribution: the pattern of where

people live in an area
Population density: the number of people living in
a given area, calculated by dividing the population
by its area

Nutritional density: a measure of how much

nutrition in calories can be produced from a certain
area

Important Questions:
1.) What are the components of population change?
The four basic components of population change are how many people are born (birth rate), how many people
die (death rate), how many people enter into a region (immigration rate), and how many people leave the
country (emigration rate).
2.) What is the formula used to calculate population growth in a country?
Population growth rate is the rate at which a countys population changes per year. Its a countrys rate of
natural increase plus its net migration usually expressed as a percentage. Natural increase + Net migration=
population growth rate
3.) Explain the stages of the demographic transition model.
Stage 1: pre-transition- there are very high birth rates and high death rates resulting in minimal population
growth. Poor nutrition, plagues and diseases keep mortality rates very high. Example: some Brazilian tribes
Stage 2: Early transition- improved health care, sanitation and increased food supplies lead to a rapid fall in
death rates, but birth rates still very high; therefore, the population increases. Examples: Nepal and
Afghanistan
Stage 3: Late Transition- birth rates begin to fall, so population growth begins to decline. Industrialization,
urbanization, and improved living standards lead to less desire for large families. Example: Egypt
Stage 4: Post-transition- the transition is complete. There is a stable or slow population increase with low
birth and dearth rates. The birth rate may fluctuate in special circumstances, such as post-war baby boom.
Examples: UK and USA
Stage 5: Declining Population- Birth rates begin dropping below death rates. There are a lot of elderly in the
population. This is happening increasingly in European countries and in Japan. Its not know weather this trend
will extend to other regions. Examples: Germany
4.) What measures have countries adopted to try to control their population growth, and to what degree have
they been effective?
Countries have launched family planning programs and encouraged abstinence. Sterilization programs and
vasectomy clinics were also opened, despite the efforts, these programs were unsuccessful. Later China
introduced the One-child policy in 1976. This was an effective way of slowing down the growth of population,
but the population was still increasing rapidly.
5.) What does a population pyramid show?
A graph that displays the age and gender structure of a population. A series of horizontal bar graphs for male
and female populations are placed back to back at age cohorts of five years. They make it easier to see the
structure of the population. Also useful in comparing the population structures of different countries.
6.) Identify the different types of population pyramids. What does each represent?
Pyramid 1: Early expanding
Few countries still in this stage
Base is wide indicating high birth rate
Implications:
Width drops off quickly, meaning people
Need for investment in water supplies,
are dying young
health care, food supplies and housing to
Very few people reach old age
reduce deaths

Pyramid 2: Expanding
Still a wide base indicating high birth rate
Also a wider and taller pyramid as more
people are living longer and getting older
Lower death rate
Implication:
The need to invest in education about
family planning to reduce the birth rate
Could indicate that woman are
undervalued in society
Pyramid 3: Stable
Domed shape
People are living longer because the
quality of life is improving

Proportionally fewer births and deaths

Implications:
As the population becomes increasingly
older, there is a need to invest in facilities
and services for them
Still a need for investment in education
about family planning
Pyramid 4: Contracting
Very small base meaning very low birth
rates
Wide top meaning lower death rates
Family planning is established
Longer life expectancy due to new
technology

7.) What is Canadas current population pyramid?

Canada is currently in the stable population pyramid, as the number of elderly people is increasing, the life
expectancy is continuing to increase, and the birth and death rates are steadily decreasing.
8.) What is the dependency ratio? Why is it important?
The dependency ratio is the portion of the population that is being supported by the working age group. The
age structure can give us insights into problems that could arise in the future resulting from a predominantly
old or young population.
9.) What effect does an aging or young population have on the country?
When there is an exceptionally large dependant aging category, there will be an increasing pressure on the
financial resources of the country. On the other hand, dependants under the age of 15 making up the majority
of the population live in countries who remain in the cycle of poverty, as their limited resources and attempts
to improve development are swallowed up by the young population.
10.) Why is immigration important to Canadas population and economy?
Immigration is crucial to Canadas population and economy as Canadas population is aging and therefore,
requires an increased amount of government services. And because there are so many retirees, the tax base is
decreasing. So the immigrants offset the aging workforce by filling positions and creating a tax base.
11.) What problems are associated with population growth?
The impact of humans on the environment, which is our ecological footprint, including global warming, and
declining fish stock. Population growth is also affecting shortages of arable land, conflicts over fresh water,
and the spread of AIDs and other diseases.
12.) What is the difference between population distribution and density?
Population distribution refers to the way people are spaced out on Earths surface, whereas population density
measures the number of people in a given area. Population density is calculated by dividing the population of a
given area, by the area in km2.