Deck 1: Introduction to Demography

Question 1

Europe's population began to grow between 1650 and 1850 because of all of the following except

A) the disappearance of the plague.
B) an increase in the birth rate.
C) the introduction of the potato from the Americas.
D) changes in agricultural practices.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Population structure is defined as

A) how many people there are in a given place.
B) where people are located and why.
C) how many males and females there are of each age.
D) what people are like in a given place.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

An important demographic consequence of below-replacement-level fertility in Europe is that

A) European countries have all been actively recruiting immigrants to fill in the younger ages.
B) European countries are aging.
C) the status of women has risen dramatically.
D) taxes have risen sharply in order to pay benefits to the elderly.

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Population growth was slow for most of human history because

A) death rates were very high.
B) abortion rates were very high.
C) people preferred small families.
D) low levels of technology always lead to low rates of growth.

Question 5

Population growth alone would not have had such a huge impact on the environment were it not for the accompanying fact that

A) people have been having fewer children.
B) there has been an intensive increase in the use of resources.
C) the atmospheric conditions have been shifting.
D) humans have settled in increasingly vulnerable parts of the planet.

Question 6

The world's population at the time of the Agricultural (Neolithic) Revolution was approximately

A) 4 million.
B) 40 million.
C) 400 million.
D) 4 billion.

Question 7

The five most populous countries in the world account for about ____ percent of the world's total population.

A) 10
B) 25
C) 50
D) 70

Question 8

Globalization is rooted in demography most clearly as a result of

A) migration from developing to richer nations.
B) low-wage labor in rapidly growing developing nations.
C) the spread of transportation and communication technology.
D) the global increase in educational levels.

Question 9

Between the third and fifth centuries A.D. the world's population declined somewhat, probably due to

A) the impact of Indonesian volcanic eruptions.
B) higher mortality brought on by the early days of the Little Ice Age.
C) the collapse of the Roman Empire and famine and floods in China.
D) the Irish Potato Famine.

Question 10

The United States is currently the third most populous nation, but UN projections suggest that by 2050 it will be overtaken by

A) Nigeria.
B) Indonesia.
C) Pakistan.
D) Bangladesh.

Question 11

The most important reason for the massive increase in the human population over the past 200 years is

A) the Green Revolution that increased agricultural productivity.
B) the increase in the birth rate.
C) technology that has made it possible for humans to live in more places.
D) the decline in the death rate.

Question 12

The modern concept of demography emphasizes the ______ and ______ of population change.

A) determinants; consequences
B) spatial distribution; population structure
C) processes; characteristics
D) size; growth

Question 13

The United States accepts more immigrants than any other country in the world, but the country with the highest number of immigrants per person is

A) Canada.
B) Australia.
C) the United Kingdom.
D) France.

Question 14

Current projections from the United Nations suggest that we could reach a population of 10 billion by approximately

A) 2025.
B) 2035.
C) 2045.
D) 2055.

Question 15

It has been said that Japan has its own ""one-child policy"" because

A) the very low fertility level in Japan is similar to that in China.
B) the Japanese government has forced many women to have an unwanted abortion.
C) women with more than one child are rarely allowed to work.
D) only one of a mother''s children typically survives to old age in Japan.

Question 16

Population growth in Mexico was very rapid until recently because of a substantial delay in

A) its fertility decline.
B) its mortality decline.
C) migration out of the country to the United States.
D) improving agricultural productivity.

Question 17

One of the major demographic forces that is incendiary in the Middle East is

A) the high maternal mortality rate.
B) high mortality from violent causes.
C) refugees leaving the area.
D) the impact of the youth bulge.

Question 18

The total population of the world is currently increasing by about _____ million people per year.

A) 20
B) 40
C) 60
D) 80

Question 19

Two hundred years ago, the world's population was approximately

A) 100 million.
B) 200 million.
C) 1 billion.
D) 2 billion.

Question 20

The total number of people who have ever lived (been born alive) throughout human history is probably about

A) 10 billion.
B) 40 billion.
C) 80 billion.
D) 100 billion.

Question 21

China may be the first country in demographic history to grow old before it grows rich.

Question 22

Five of the ten most populous nations in the world (India, United States, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Bangladesh) were part of the British Empire at one time. Do you think that having been a part of the British Empire influenced those countries' demographic futures? If so, how? If not, why not?

Question 23

The majority of people ever born are alive at this moment.

Question 24

The oppression of women in a society will likely be associated with an unfavorable demographic profile for that country.

Question 25

Migration of people into other countries is a major part of the demography of the modern world. How do you think the world of 2050 will look demographically as a consequence of the trends currently in place?

Question 26

When did you first become aware of demography or population issues, and what were the things that initially seemed to be important to you?

Question 27

India's demography is so diverse that some of its southern states actually have fertility levels that are below replacement.

Question 28

The majority of births in California are now to Hispanic mothers.

Question 29

The United Nations projects that the population of the world will double again over the next 40 years.

Question 30

Globalization has been spurred on by the global decline in death rates after World War II.

Question 31

Describe what you think might be the typical day in the life of a person living in a world where death rates and birth rates are both very high. How might those demographic imperatives influence everyday life? How would human existence be different from today as a result?

Question 32

The term demography has Greek linguistic roots meaning "ordinary citizens" and "study of."

Question 33

All of the future growth in the world is expected to show up in cities.

Question 34

The fact that demography is connected to nearly everything means that demography determines nearly everything.

Question 35

How would you explain the regional patterns that are very observable with respect to global demography? Are European countries more like each other than they are like Asian countries? Is Africa unique demographically? How meaningful are national boundaries when it comes to population trends?