Question 1

Which of the following helped lead to rapid population growth in Europe,around the time of Thomas Malthus,in the eighteenth century?

Accepted Answer

The potato, a staple food crop, was introduced to Europe in the late 16th century and quickly became a widely cultivated and abundant source of nutrition. This led to improved health and food security, which in turn helped to drive population growth. Penicillin was not discovered until the 20th century and did not contribute to population growth in Malthus's time, while the automobile was not invented until the late 19th century and had no impact on population growth in the 18th century. While there were some advancements in contraception during this time, they were not widespread or effective enough to significantly affect population growth rates.

Question 2

Japan has one of the world's highest life expectancies.However,it has experienced a net loss of population for many years,which is the result of declining birth and immigration rates.The population did rise in both 2008 and 2009 largely due to Japanese citizens abroad returning home.This data was analyzed by a

Accepted Answer

A demographer is a social scientist who studies the characteristics of human populations, including their size, structure, and distribution. They are often the ones who analyze population data, such as birth and immigration rates, and can provide insights into why population changes are occurring.

Question 3

Before the United States invaded Iraq,about 5.5 people out of every thousand would die each year according to a controversial study published in the British medical journal The Lancet.After the invasion,that number rose to over 13.This study was attempting to measure

Accepted Answer

The study was attempting to measure mortality, which is the number of deaths in a given population.

Question 4

How has Earth's population changed in the past fifty years?

Accepted Answer

Earth's population has nearly tripled in the past fifty years, growing from about 3 billion in the early 1970s to over 8 billion by 2023.

Question 5

Which of the following would you expect to see happen in the future if the pattern of demographic transition that followed the Industrial Revolution in Europe and the United States is repeated in Africa?

Accepted Answer

The demographic transition that followed the Industrial Revolution in Europe and the United States led to decreasing mortality rates due to improved healthcare, sanitation, and nutrition. If the same pattern is repeated in Africa, we can expect that mortality rates will also decrease.

Question 6

The city of Mumbai,India,has 14,000,000 people,making it the second-largest city in the world,and it handles the majority of India's maritime commerce.These facts help to explain why Mumbai would be called a(n)

Accepted Answer

Mumbai's large population and importance in global trade make it a prime example of a global city, which is a city that plays a significant role in the global economic system. A metropolitan statistical area refers to an urban area and its surrounding suburbs, while an agglomeration refers to a concentration of economic activity in a particular area. Mumbai is not an agrarian area, as it is a major center for industry and commerce.

Question 7

Garrett Hardin believes that "a 'just' sharing of the world's wealth among all the inhabitants,without coercive control of individual reproduction,would result in a continual,exponential growth of the human population" and much more suffering.This means Hardin is a

Accepted Answer

Hardin's belief that uncontrolled population growth would lead to suffering aligns with neo-Malthusianism, which advocates for population control measures to address issues such as resource depletion and environmental degradation. The other choices do not accurately reflect Hardin's position.

Question 8

Why is the population in the United States growing given that fertility rates have dropped below the level needed to maintain the population level?

Accepted Answer

Immigration rates have risen, contributing to a growth in population despite lower fertility rates.

Question 9

Milwaukee has over 500,000 inhabitants.What type of city is this according to demographers?

Accepted Answer

A metropolis is a large city, typically with a population over 500,000, which is the case for Milwaukee.

Question 10

The study of the size,composition,distribution,and change in a human population is called

Accepted Answer

Demography is the study of human population. It focuses on the quantitative analysis of factors such as birth rates, death rates, and migration rates, which determine the size, composition, distribution, and change in a population. Demography is an interdisciplinary field that uses methods from a variety of disciplines, including sociology, economics, statistics, and geography. It is an important area of study for understanding social, economic, and environmental issues and for making policy decisions that affect populations.

Question 11

How is urban density measured?

Accepted Answer

Urban density is typically measured by the number of people per square mile, also known as population density. This measure gives an idea of how concentrated the population is within a particular area. A high population density can suggest that the area has a higher level of urbanization and may have more developed infrastructure and services, while a lower population density may indicate a more rural or suburban environment.

Question 12

Which of the following is a basic demographic variable?

Accepted Answer

Migration refers to the movement of people from one place to another, and it is a basic demographic variable that can be used to understand population growth and changes in the characteristics of a population. Agglomeration refers to the clustering of economic activities in a specific region or area, dystopia refers to an imaginary place where everything is unpleasant, and pluralism refers to a society that consists of different ethnic and cultural groups.

Question 13

According to the lowest United Nations estimates,the globe will have two billion more people living on it by the year 2050.At that point,the population may actually shrink because,though life expectancy may continue to rise,the average number of children each person gives birth to is poised to drop below 2.1.What demographic variable might make the global population drop?

Accepted Answer

The average number of children each person gives birth to, also known as fertility, is the demographic variable that can make the global population drop. As mentioned in the passage, the UN estimates that by 2050, the average number of children per person will drop below 2.1, which will contribute to the population decreasing. None of the other choices listed (A, C, and D) directly relate to population growth or decline.

Question 14

Which of the following would be an example of a "positive check" on population growth?

Accepted Answer

Famine is a positive check on population growth because it reduces the population by creating a shortage of food, resulting in starvation and death. This reduces the population growth rate and brings the population closer to carrying capacity. The other options listed are negative checks, as family planning, emigration, and cloning all help to control population growth without reducing the population size.

Question 15

Which of the following would MOST worry Thomas Malthus?

Accepted Answer

Thomas Malthus was known for his theory that population growth exceeds the rate of food production, leading to famine, disease, and other consequences. He advocated for population control measures, including family planning, to address this issue. Therefore, the U.S. government refusing to fund international agencies that provide family planning services would go against his beliefs and most worry him.

Question 16

During the Great Depression in the 1930s,huge numbers of dispossessed U.S.farmers left places like Oklahoma and moved to California.This is an example of

Accepted Answer

The movement of dispossessed U.S. farmers from Oklahoma to California during the Great Depression is an example of internal migration, which refers to the movement of people within a country from one region to another. This movement was driven by economic hardship and the search for better opportunities, rather than mortality, internal colonization, or emigration.

Question 17

Which of the following is an example of a way to collect demographic data?

Accepted Answer

The U.S. Census Bureau sending out surveys is a direct way of collecting demographic data. Voluntary simplicity and recycling (A) is a lifestyle choice, organizing activist groups (B) is a form of activism rather than data collection, and the Malthusian theorem (D) is a theoretical concept related to population growth.

Question 18

Due to an oil boom,North Dakota has experienced the greatest population increase among all of the states in the United States in the recent past.Which demographic variable explains this?

Accepted Answer

The population increase in North Dakota is due to migration, specifically the influx of individuals seeking employment opportunities in the oil industry.

Question 19

Will world population continue to grow or will it eventually stabilize?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Will world population continue to grow or...

Question 20

The net migration rate is the

Accepted Answer

The net migration rate is the difference between the number of immigrants and emigrants in a given population. It is usually expressed as a percentage of the total population.

Quiz 15: Populations,Cities,and the Environment