Def. pt. 1
Demography
The study of human population.
What does the Bible tell us about population?
Genesis 1:28 - “And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
Psalm 127 - “Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him.”
This color was actually named after the fruit, rather than the fruit being named after the color.
Orange
What is the Gulf of Mexico? Why is it significant? Why has there been a name change (& to what?)?
An extension of the Atlantic Ocean largely surrounded by the North American continent. Significant area due to its oil reserves, shipping that goes through it, and strategic location. Has seen controversy through the U.S.'s name change to the "Gulf of America."
Mexico City
The capital of Mexico and one of the most important financial centers in the Americas.
Life Expectancy
The average number of years a person of that age can expect to live.
What is mortality rate? What do mortality rates give insight to? Examples?
The number of deaths in a given area or period, or from a specific cause. Mortality rates provide insights into population health, help identify vulnerable groups, and inform public health interventions.
This quarterback holds the NFL record for the most Super Bowl wins as a player, with seven titles.
Tom Brady
Mexico is much lower in the UN’s HDI rankings than either the USA or Canada, yet manages to maintain one of the best GDPs in the world. Why? Be sure to explain.
Wealth distribution problems, meaning there is a small amount of the population that owns most of the nation's wealth. Basic necessities are difficult to buy for most of the population due to lack of wealth, while a small population lives in luxury.
Rio Grande
A river in the southwest United States and northern Mexico that forms part of the Mexico–United States border.
Valley of Mexico
A valley in central Mexico that contains the nation’s capital.
What is urbanization? Why does urbanization often decrease populations?
The population shift from rural (agrarian; “country”) to urban (factory; cities).
Reasons urbanization decreases birth rates:
More opportunities for higher education
Increased job opportunities (especially for women)
Increased access to contraceptives
Changes in societal norms about family size
Better healthcare systems
These two legendary franchises share the record for the most NBA titles in history.
Boston Celtics & L.A. Lakers
What is NAFTA? Why are the positives of it? What are the negatives of it?
An agreement signed by Canada, Mexico, and the United States, which gives each special privileges regarding industry and trade in each other’s countries. It did result in greater profits for companies, as well as cheaper goods. However, it also caused some companies to relocate some factories to areas where they could exploit cheaper labor (usually to Mexico).
Mortality Rate
The number of deaths in a given area or period, or from a specific cause.
Baja California Peninsula
A peninsula in Northwestern Mexico that separates the Pacific Ocean from the Gulf of California.
What is replacement level fertility? What is total fertility rate? How do you interpret total fertility rate in relation to the replacement level fertility?
RLF - refers to the fertility rate at which a population exactly replaces itself (2.1). TFR - an estimate of the average number of children a woman is expected to have during her lifetime (2.3).
There is a way to specifically interpret TFR…
A TFR of 2.1 or higher generally indicates a population that is replacing itself, meaning each generation is producing enough offspring to maintain its size
A TFR below 2.1 suggests a population that is not replacing itself, potentially leading to a decline in population size
This is the only continent without deserts.
Europe
What was the Mexican War of Independence? Why was Spain unable to keep its colonies in the New World?
An armed conflict which ended the rule of Spain in 1821 in the New World territory of Spain. Spain had long been in decline as a colonial power, as the French invasion of the Spain in 1808 coinciding with the Napoleonic Wars further weakened Spain to the point that it could no longer effectively control many of its overseas territories.
Yucatán Peninsula
A peninsula in southeastern Mexico, separating the Caribbean Sea from the Gulf of Mexico.
Pico de Orizaba
The highest mountain in Mexico and the third highest in North America, after Denali of the United States and Mount Logan of Canada (when measured from sea level).
What kind of policy changes did Paul Ehrlich’s Population Bomb cause? What did he fail to see in humanity?
Pushed for gov’t programs to reduce population via contraception, abortion, sterilization. Argued the population is growing exponentially, food production inability to keep up, people are destroying the natural resources (deforestation, pollution, etc.), and there is a need for population control.
The Titanic sank in this year.
1912
What was the Secure Fence Act of 2006? What was the problem that occurred from it?
An Act passed providing for the construction of 700 miles of high-security fencing. Budget issues, terrain issues (remoteness of locations, steep cliffs and canyons, etc.), and resistance from various political groups have kept it from ever being completed.
Mexican Revolution
A major armed conflict from 1910 to 1920 that radically transformed Mexican culture and government.