Essential Geography & Demography Concepts
Climate
Aridity
State in which water loss, either by evaporation or transpiration, exceeds atmospheric water contributions via precipitation, resulting in a water deficit.
Mountain Climate
Characterized by a decrease in temperature as altitude increases (approximately 0.65°C per 100 meters). Example: the Pyrenees.
Mediterranean Climate
Temperate climate characterized by the absence of summer rainfall.
Oceanic Climate
Temperate climate characterized by abundant and regular rainfall throughout the year, with a winter maximum and summer minimum.
Subtropical Climate
Climate typical of the warm temperate zones surrounding the tropics.
Urban Climate
Characterized by higher temperatures than their immediate environment, caused by air pollution (traffic, heating, industrial activity) and building materials.
Continental Climate
Occurs in areas that are less influenced by the sea.
Desertification
The process of transformation of a wetland in an arid or semiarid region, where weather can degrade the area towards desert conditions.
Drought
A period of significantly lower than normal rainfall, where water input via rainfall is less than societal demands.
Hydrology
Albufera
Lagoon coast, with more or less regular contact with the sea, separated by a sandy cordon or restinga.
Aquifer
Geological formation that allows the movement and storage of groundwater, utilizing the porosity of the host rock and existing hydraulic gradients.
Watershed
The area of land drained by a river or watercourse and its network of tributaries.
Endorheism
Territories where waters have no outlet to the sea.
Low Water Level
Decrease in river flow.
Exorheism
Inflow of water from a region to the sea.
Water Resources
Refers to the amount of water available in an area, including surface and groundwater.
Revinguda
Refers to the increase in water flow due to heavy rainfall or snowmelt.
Salinization of Aquifers
A process where saltwater from the sea penetrates into an aquifer containing freshwater, causing salinization.
Torrent
Intermittent and irregular stream of water, especially after sudden heavy rainfall. Typical of Mediterranean climates.
Environment & Conservation
Area of Special Interest
Protects relatively small ecosystems for their rarity, fragility, or unique cultural and aesthetic values.
Ecosystem
A system consisting of a set of organisms occupying a given area, their environment, and the relationships between them.
Environmental Crime
Action aimed at harming the environment, potentially resulting in fines and legal consequences.
Water Purification
Treatment of wastewater from households or industries to remove harmful elements or transform them into harmless substances.
Natural Disaster
Harmful event to the environment caused by natural hazards.
Protected Natural Space
Places of great value that must be isolated from harmful influences to defend their landscape and biodiversity.
Nature Reserve
Protected natural area, usually of a certain extent and minimally inhabited or exploited, presenting natural values of particular scientific, educational, and recreational interest.
Acid Rain
Type of air pollution caused by sulfur oxide and nitrogen oxide reacting with water vapor to form sulfuric and nitric acid.
Recycling
Transforming a material for reuse, not necessarily in its original form. Includes reuse, direct recycling, and indirect recycling.
Demography
Census
Statistical document providing an official count of population and its characteristics (employment, language, education, etc.) at a given time. Conducted every 10 years.
Ancient Demographic Studies
Demographic behavior of pre-industrial societies characterized by high birth and mortality rates, resulting in slow and uneven population growth due to catastrophic mortality events.
Modern Demographic Cycle
Characteristic of developed societies, with low birth and mortality rates, an aging population, and a trend toward zero growth.
Real Population Growth
Increase or decrease in population resulting from the difference between births and deaths (natural increase) plus net migration.
Sustainable Growth
Rational utilization of natural resources to meet the needs of present generations without compromising the development of future generations.
Shadow Economy
Production activities and services performed outside the system of administrative regulation to evade tax obligations and save on labor and indirect costs.
Intercontinental Emigration
Emigration to other continents, often driven by economic or political factors.
Pendular Migration
Daily population movements between residential areas and workplaces, also occurring at provincial and regional levels.
Return Migration
Migration back into the country of origin.
Padrón
Municipal population count conducted every 5 years.
Active Population
People of legal working age (16-65 years) supplying labor for the production of goods and services.
Concentrated Population
Population of a municipality living mostly in a town, regardless of its size.
Disseminated Population
Population of a municipality living mostly in scattered farmhouses or isolated homes amidst agricultural land.
Employed Population
Active population working and receiving income (salary or business profits) in money or kind.
Economy
Privatization
Process of selling public sector participation or property in economic activities to the private sector.
Primary Sector
Activities (agriculture, livestock, fisheries, forestry) aimed at obtaining raw materials.
Secondary Sector
Activities including mining, energy production, industry, and construction, focused on processing and manufacturing.
Tertiary Sector
Economic activities not directly productive but enabling or facilitating the satisfaction of human needs, including trade, transport, tourism, health, education, and finance.
Alternative Agriculture
Ecological or biological agriculture that does not use chemical fertilizers, pesticides, or intensive practices, often based on traditional methods.
Irrigation Agriculture
Agriculture where land is watered to provide necessary moisture for plants.
Rainfed Agriculture
Agriculture relying solely on rainwater, without artificial irrigation.
Farmhouse Tourism
Farms combining agriculture or livestock with tourist accommodation.
Territorial Waters
Waters within 12 miles of a state’s coastline, subject to its jurisdiction.
Aquaculture
Breeding, propagation, and cultivation of aquatic animals and plants for commercial purposes.
Fisheries
Areas with abundant fish catches.
Transgenic Crops
Genetically modified crops.
Monoculture
Agricultural practice of growing a single plant species on a farm.
Sharecropping
System where a person works the land for the owner in exchange for a portion of the harvest.
Mixed Farming
Agricultural practice of growing various plant species on a farm, generally for self-consumption.
Common Agricultural Policy (CAP)
Set of legal measures applied to agriculture and livestock in EU countries.
Intensive Farming
Livestock industry with organized breeding premises for large numbers of animals, aiming for maximum productivity.
Ranching
Livestock grazing in open fields, often with low profitability.
Afforestation
Reconstruction of forests by planting trees.
Transhumance
Seasonal movement of livestock between winter and summer pastures.
Industrial Decolonization
Moving a company’s headquarters or production center to another location, usually another country, based on better performance.
Alternative Energy
Energy sources replacing oil.
Mature Industry
Industries like steel, metal processing, shipbuilding, textiles, clothing, and footwear, affected by industrial restructuring.
Pioneer Industries
New industrial sectors incorporating high technologies like telematics, microelectronics, aeronautics, robotics, biotechnology, laser technology, and renewable energy.
Technological Park
Spaces created to attract high-tech companies and promote technical and scientific restructuring.
Reindustrialization
Reorganization of industrial areas affected by industrial restructuring.
Urbanization & Tourism
Hinterland
Surface or territorial extension of a city, shopping center, or port, to which it is connected economically and communicatively.
Trade Balance
Difference between the value of exports and imports.
Tourist Seasonality
Concentration of tourists in a short period.
Non-Hotel Accommodation
Tourist beds in apartments and other non-hotel establishments.
Per Capita Income
Economic indicator expressing the relationship between national income and population.
ncome and population.
Occasional carriage: Transport not make regular trips.
REGULAR TRANSPORT: Transport groups that perform certain routes, fixed in nature, with a specific periodicity on a regular basis.
Alternative Tourism: Includes various tourist practices appeared in recent years, motivated by new demands: adventure tourism, ecotourism, sports tourism, etc..
METROPOLITAN AREA: This is an urban entity in which a larger core (usually the oldest and dynamic) organizes a more extensive area that houses several satellite towns.
Gordon: Phenomenon that occurs in the suburbs and the suburban
large cities. The poor people spontaneously took the floor and made
shacks of poor self materials and without any service.
HISTORICAL CENTER: It’s called Old Town, originally built before the
industrialization.
Conurbation: continuous urbanized area formed by the conjunction of two or more
urban settlements, separate and autonomous in its initial phase.
Territorial imbalances: These are disparities that occur between different spatial units, such as municipalities, the provinces, autonomous regions or countries.
EIXAMPLE: Project planning which begins in mid-nineteenth century. The aim was to expand the urban space with the construction of new housing well connected with the center, and parks, sewerage and drinking water.
Urban periphery: an outer zone where the urban built space is discontinuous, and where there is a land zoning (segregated spaces with different uses).
POLIGON INDUSTRIAL Area aimed primarily at installation and premises
industrial warehouses
POLIGON SERVICES: Area where there are installed primarily related companies with the tertiary sector.
POLIGON Residential District located on the outskirts of a city with a residential function, where the inhabitants move to go to work. During the 60 polygons multiplied both official protection as promotion of private low cost, targeted at the working classes. Blogs are often isolated with few services and poor communications.
RURURBANITZACIO: Process of conversion of rural areas in residential areas
(dedicated, for example, first and second homes) or tourist areas.
RADIO NETWORK: The size of the Spanish State is average, and the way land is pentagonal, which can circumscribe a circle in which there is a distribution of cities radiocèntrica.