Key Demographic Concepts and Historical Terms

Posted on Apr 22, 2025 in Geography

Demographic Concepts

Population
A group of people inhabiting a specific territory.
Demography
The scientific study of human populations, including their size, structure, and distribution.
Population Density
The number of inhabitants per square kilometer (inhabitants/km2) within a territory, calculated assuming the population is evenly distributed.
Census
An official count or survey of a population, typically conducted by governments every 10 years, collecting detailed demographic data.
Register Office (Municipal Register)
A local government record, often updated every 5 years by municipalities, tracking population data for a specific locality.
Population Dynamics
The changes in the number of inhabitants in a specific location over time, driven by demographic factors.
Demographic Factors
The elements influencing population dynamics, including birth rates, death rates, fertility, and migration, affecting both growth and decline.
Birth Rate (Crude Birth Rate)
The number of live births per 1,000 people in a population over a given period, usually a year. Expressed in per mille (‰).
Death Rate (Crude Death Rate)
The number of deaths per 1,000 people in a population over a given period, usually a year. Expressed in per mille (‰).
Natural Growth (or Vegetative Growth)
The change in population size resulting solely from the difference between the birth rate and the death rate.
Fertility Rate
The number of live births per 1,000 women of childbearing age (typically 15-49) in a given year. Expressed in per mille (‰). (Note: Often confused with Total Fertility Rate, which is the average number of children per woman).
Net Migration
The difference between the number of immigrants entering a territory and emigrants leaving it.
Emigrant
A person who leaves their own country or region to settle permanently in another.
Immigrant
A person who comes to live permanently in a foreign country or new region.
Population Pyramid
A graphical illustration showing the distribution of various age groups in a population (typically that of a country or region), often forming the shape of a pyramid when the population is growing.
Workforce (Labor Force)
The total number of people employed or actively seeking employment in a country or region. Includes the employed, the unemployed actively looking for work, and those seeking their first job.
Working Population (Employed)
Those individuals within the workforce who perform work for pay or profit.
Non-Working Population
Individuals not part of the workforce, including children, retirees, students (not working), persons with disabilities preventing work, and those engaged in unpaid work (e.g., homemakers).
Participation Rate (Labor Force Participation Rate)
The percentage of the working-age population that is either employed or actively looking for work (i.e., part of the workforce).

Historical Figures and Art Terms

Ashlar
Finely dressed (cut, worked) stone, worked uniform in shape (often rectangular cuboids – parallelepipeds) and finished to precise dimensions, used in masonry. (Note: Original term ‘Seating’ likely referred to this).
Damián Forment
A Spanish sculptor of the 16th century (s. XVI), born in Valencia and likely trained in Italy. His most notable works are found in Catalonia, Aragon, and La Rioja. He died in 1540 while working on the main altarpiece of the Cathedral of Santo Domingo de la Calzada.
Triptych
A work of art (usually a panel painting) divided into three sections, or three carved panels hinged together side-by-side. The two outer panels (‘wings’) can often be folded over the central one. A common format for altarpieces and religious painting, but also used for other subjects.
Arnao Guillén de Brocar
A German printer who settled in Logroño around 1501. His printing press was the first established in La Rioja. (Note: Corrected from ‘Arnao Guillen de Bits’).
Juan Fernández de Navarrete, ‘El Mudo’
Juan Fernández de Navarrete, known as ‘El Mudo’ (The Mute). A Spanish Renaissance painter from Logroño, trained in Italy, possibly under Titian. Appointed court painter to King Philip II. Considered one of the leading Spanish painters of his time. Notable works include Mary Magdalene (Logroño Cathedral), Saint Michael Vanquishing the Devil (likely Church of San Miguel, Logroño), and The Baptism of Christ (Museo del Prado, Madrid).