Geography 2010A/B Chapter Notes - Chapter 4: Growth Factor, Dependency Ratio, Old Age
21 Oct 2013
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Demography: scientific study of human populations including size, composition, distribution, density, growth, and related socio-economic characteristics. Trends: declining rate of natural increase (excess births above death, aging population, high aboriginal birth rate (noticeable difference) Immigration plays a major role in demographic and social changes. Other forces include the rapid increase in canada"s aboriginal population, place of french language within the nation, and canada"s economic role within the north american community. Undercounting: population counts in the census enumeration process that have missed households, producing for that particular population a figure that is unrealistically low. Since confederation, canada"s population has increased by nearly 10 times. 3 primary factors accounting for this growth: natural increase, population gained from territorial expansion, and immigration. In the latter part of the 20th century, birth rates dropped significantly, although these have recovered somewhat in the 21st century. Immigration became the dominant factor in population growth: last territorial expansion took place in 1949 when newfoundland joined confederation.
