Understanding Key Demographic and Urban Development Concepts
Life Expectancy
Life expectancy is an indicator expressing the average number of years a person can expect to live after a certain age, based on mortality conditions. “Life expectancy at birth” is used for comparisons, revealing mortality differences between regions. It represents the average lifespan an infant can expect, given the mortality intensity of the reference population.
Real Growth
Real population growth adds natural increase to net migration. Since 2001, Spanish population growth accelerated
Read MoreIndustrial Processes and Energy Sources
Agribusiness
Industrial processing of agricultural raw materials to produce consumer goods for food, feed, or other industrial processes (e.g., flour mills, canning, sugar).
Economies of Scale
Large-scale, low-cost production.
External Economies
Benefits obtained by companies from external factors, such as proximity to ancillary and complementary businesses, infrastructure, and common facilities, which reduce costs and increase profits.
Final Energy
Usable energy forms derived from the transformation of
Read MoreEnvironmental Challenges: Pollution, Climate Change, and Biodiversity Loss
Greenhouse Effect and Global Warming
The greenhouse effect is a natural phenomenon where the atmosphere absorbs some of the Earth’s energy, preventing it from escaping back into space. Human activities, primarily the release of greenhouse gases like CO2, intensify this effect, leading to global warming.
Consequences of Global Warming
- Melting polar ice caps and rising sea levels
- Loss of biodiversity due to temperature changes that many animals cannot adapt to.
The Kyoto Protocol
The Kyoto Protocol, a
Read MoreThe Enlightenment and its Impact on the Spanish Ancien Régime
The Spanish Ancien Régime
The Ancien Régime in Spain, a product of feudalism’s decline, persisted until the Portuguese Liberal Revolution of 1789, coinciding with the French Revolution. Politically, under Hapsburg and Bourbon rule, the system fluctuated between authoritarianism and absolute monarchy. Governed from Madrid, the political-administrative structure, influenced by the Nueva Planta decrees, lacked a unified Spanish state. Different kingdoms coexisted under the king’s rule.
Social Structure
Society
Read MoreRural Areas in Spain: Influencing Factors and Evolution
Rural Areas in Spain
Influencing Factors
Physical Factors
Physical factors, though less impactful than in the past due to technological advancements, still play a role in shaping rural areas. These include:
- Relief: Abundant high altitudes and steep slopes hinder mechanization and contribute to erosion.
- Climate: Low and unpredictable rainfall (thunderstorms, hail), extreme temperatures (intense heat and cold), and varying degrees of aridity characterize much of the area.
- Soils: Predominantly poor quality
Demographic Transition in Spain: A Comprehensive Analysis
Demographic Terms
Vegetative Growth
Balance between births and deaths in a year.
Total Growth
Considers both vegetative growth and net migration.
Net Migration
The difference between immigrants and emigrants.
Total Fertility Rate
Number of children per 1,000 women aged 15 to 49 years.
Mortality Rate
Number of deaths per 1,000 inhabitants in a specific period or year; it is expressed as x per thousand.
Infant Mortality
Number of deaths before one year of life per 1,000 live births.
Birth Rate
Number of live births
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