Term | Definition |
Demography | Statistical study of human populations. |
Population Density | The average number of people living in an area; usually expressed as persons per square mile or square kilometer. |
Birthrate | The number of live births each year for every 1,000 people living in a place. |
Death Rate | Total number of deaths each year for every 1,000 people in a place. |
Migration | The process of moving from one place to live in another. |
Emigrants | People who leave a country to live somewhere else. |
Immigrants | People who came to a new country to live. |
Push Factors | Factors causing people to leave a location. |
Pull Factors | Factors attracting people to a new location. |
Refugees | People who have been forced to leave an area. |
Culture | All features of a people's way of life. |
Culture Traits | Learned activities and behaviors that people often take part in. |
Culture Region | an area in which people have many shared culture traits. |
Ethnic Groups | Human populations that share a common culture or ancestry. |
Acculturation | Process in which an individual or group adopts some of the traits of another culture. |
Innovation | New idea that a culture accepts. |
Diffusion | A process occurring when an idea or innovation spreads from one person or group is adopted. |
Globalization | The process in which connections around the world increase and cultures become more a like. |
Traditionalism | Following longtime practices and opposing many modern technologies and ideas. |
Fundamentalism | Movement in which people believe in strictly following certain established principles or teachings. |
Dialect | a regional variety of a language. |
Linqua Franca | a language of trade and communication used by people who speak different languages. |
Ethnic Religions | Religions found among people of one ethnic group and that generally have not spread into other cultures. |
Animist Religions | Religions in which people believe in the presence of the spirits and forces of nature. |
Polytheism | The belief in many gods. |
Universalizing Religions | Religions that seek followers all over the world. |
Monotheism | The belief in one god. |
Missionaries | People whose goal is to spread their religion. |
Mosques | Islamic houses of worship. |
Hajj | Religious journey to Mecca required of Muslims. |