The term population derives from the Latin "populatĭo, -ōnis" which means "action and effect of populating". The population is a set of individuals who live in a specific place. In sociological and biological terms, the population is seen as a group of elements, whether they are people or organisms of a certain species, that coexist in a geographic space. In the statistical field, for its part, the population concept is made up of certain elements such as the individual, statistics, sample and population parameters. For its part, the science responsible for studying it is called demography and is characterized by doing it from a statistical approach.
What is Population
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The term inhabitants refers to a group of elements (living or not) that occupy a place in space. On many occasions the definition of population is associated with a group of dwellings, something similar to the word "locality" where the number of inhabitants is determined through censuses.
Currently the planet's inhabitants are 7300 million people (this according to the census that was carried out in 2018), the countries with the highest number of inhabitants are: China (the population of China is 1415 million inhabitants and represents a fifth of the world total), India (1,354 million people), the United States (with about 326 million inhabitants), Indonesia (266 million), Brazil (210 million inhabitants), Pakistan (200 million people), Nigeria (205 million) and Bangladesh (166 million.)
For its part, Mexico is the second country in Latin America with the largest number of inhabitants and the first among Spanish-speaking countries. This is one of the countries with the highest population growth during the 20th century in terms of number of people. The population of Mexico currently exceeds 124 million people with a current growth rate that ranges between 1.5 and 1.6%.
Population evolution, growth or decline is not only governed by the balance of births and deaths, but also by the migratory balance, that is, the contrast between immigration and emigration; intergenerational overlap and life expectancy.
What is Population Density
The density of inhabitants is the term that describes the total number of people or elements divided by the km² of the area that these individuals occupy. Currently, the countries with the highest population density are the so-called microstates, such as Singapore, Monaco, the Vatican and Malta, while the countries with the largest size, the one with the highest density is Bangladesh (Asia).
Population density is expressed in relative terms (individuals per km²), which is why it is used to carry out analyzes among the demographic data of all countries, or regions worldwide. This concept has few inferences, both economic, political and cultural, since there are countries with a low demographic density, but that can be both rich and poor, as well as there are States with high density that can be both poor and rich.. However, it should be noted that this element is useful for governments, especially when planning areas such as educational, administrative, political, fiscal, health, among others.
What is the Population and Sample
Elements of a Population
It is about those individual components that make up the population. In the statistical field, a population is considered to be any complete group, be it animal, thing or people, that is, the total of the factors under consideration. The elements that compose it are the following:
Individual
All living beings, regardless of the biological complexity of their systems, are considered individuals, they have the ability to perform vital functions, such as relating, reproducing or feeding. The individuals of each species have differential characters that allow them to be distinguished from other species, such as a dog, cat, iguana or hen. However, it is important to clarify that within statistics, an individual is considered anything that exists, regardless of whether it is alive or not, be it a house, a car, and even things as abstract as the senses, the vote, the temperature, etc.
Population
It is the group of elements of the same species, which are located within the same geographical area at a given time. Although it is commonly related to people, it can be composed of any type of components.
Some examples of population can be the inhabitants of a state, as well as cars that were made in a factory during a certain period of time.
This can be classified into two types according to its size:
Infinite Population
It is when the number of individuals that compose it is infinite or, failing that, that the amount is so large that it is considered as such. An example can be the number of living organisms that exist in the sea, which, despite having a limit, their number is so great that it is considered infinite.
Finite Population
As its name indicates, its number of elements is limited, for example, the number of police officers in a police station.
Sample
It is any fragment of a locality. If the elements that make up the sample have been selected randomly and with the same possibilities, it will be defined as a simple random sample. It should be clarified that representative samples are usually used in statistics, this is due to the fact that there are various factors that determine being able to work with all elements of the metropolis. The procedure used to select these types of samples is known as sampling.
Parameter
This agent is an indicator that represents the inhabitants and is selected for further study.
Statistics
It is the factor that describes the sample, it can be used to calculate the corresponding population parameter. This science is responsible for the collection and ordering of the data to then elaborate analyzes and finally interpret them.
The Population Pyramids
It is a graph where the population distribution is represented according to the age range and sex of the people. It is simply a double frequency histogram, the female population is located on the left side, while the male population is located on the right.
Stationary Population Pyramid
The stationary or stagnant pyramid has a bulb shape and is characterized by the fact that its base and center are the same size, which indicates that there is no increase in any of its levels or in its appreciation ranges, that is, that the birth rate and the mortality is maintained with the longevity of its inhabitants. In it you can see the balance between age groups, generally this pyramid is related to developing countries. It is characteristic of populations that do not have sequences in demographic transitions.
Progressive Population Pyramid
It is the one that has a pagoda shape, its base is represented wider with a decreasing ascent, that is, that at its summit is narrower, thus representing the youngest city in growth and with a high birth rate, this is read as information towards the future of rapid expansion or demographic growth, thus giving the typical model of a country in constant or underdeveloped development, where there are high birth rates, but with low life expectancies, since the death rate is high. They are usually young countries, which is why they have high growth.
Regressive Population Pyramid
It is a type of population pyramid that mostly represents developed countries and in those where the largest number of inhabitants is elderly (aged countries), for different reasons, such as the mass exodus of young people, high mortality in young people., among other. It is characterized because in the upper levels it is wider and its base is narrow, as a consequence of the low birth rate and the high levels of constant aging in the population, which is why its future hope is in decline, with zero or negative growth.
Demography: Population Studies
It is the science that is responsible for statistically studying the human population, among which we can mention those that determine the conservation, formation and disappearance of the population, such as mortality, mobility and fertility.
Demography studies man in the totality of the elements of his reality, that is, as the member of a group of which he is a part only because he was born and of which he ceases to belong when he dies.
Some of the demographic studies in recent years have shown that Brazil has incorporated 2.7 million people to the total city of the world, a figure provided by the World Center for Demographic Reference. Brazil is the fifth most populous country in the world, the second in America and the first Spanish-speaking, followed by Mexico.
America is the third continent with the largest number of people, contributing 1,007 million, surpassed by Africa and Asia with 1,275 and 4,550 million inhabitants respectively.
