Kamus Demografi Pelbagai Bahasa, Edisi Kedua, Volum Bahasa Malaysia

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301

Population statistics are generally presented in terms of the geographical distribution of the population¹ or the spatial distribution of the population¹, and also by structure (144-4). Each population lives in a given area² or territory² (305-6), and the study of the geographical distribution³ or spatial distribution³ deals with the way in which they are distributed over the territory.

302

The territory (301-2) in which a population lives will generally be divided into sub-areas¹. For administrative purposes it may be divided into administrative areas², administrative units² or administrative districts² sometimes known as legal divisions² or political divisions². Geographers on the other hand, may divide the area into regions³ or zones⁴ which may or may not correspond to administrative units. The term "region" or "zone" may be used in a number of different senses and the areas referred to may be of very different sizes. Thus one speaks of the polar regions, of climatic zones or of metropolitan regions. The terms natural region⁵ and economic region⁶ are used by geographers. The term natural area⁷ is used in human ecology (104-5) to define an area occupied by a population with distinct characteristics.

303

Administrative units differ from country to country and over time in the same country, so that the same word may cover different situations. Minor civil divisions include townships¹ and parishes¹; major civil divisions receive names such as states² or provinces², and intermediary units are often called counties⁵ and districts⁶. In Canada, for example the main administrative division, by increasing order of size, are the township⁸, the county⁹ and the province¹⁰.

304

A population may be settled¹, sedentary¹, or nomadic², i.e., migrating back and forth within a given area and without fixed abode. Nomads who are in the process of becoming settled are called semi-nomadic³. Occasionally primitive peoples may have a territory allocated exclusively to themselves called a native reserve⁴ or reservation⁴.

305

A country¹ is usually the territory (301-2) of a people² (cf. 333-3) or a nation². Persons belonging to a nation share, in general, a common culture. A state³ is a political body. The term may be used in two different senses: most commonly a state is a body possessing full sovereignty in its territory and over its inhabitants. However, a number of federations⁴ of federal states⁴ are divided into smaller units which are also called states⁵ and whose sovereignty is not absolute (e.g. in the United States of America and Australia). The term territory⁶ (301-2) is generally used for a geographical area, but it is occasionally used to denote a political unit which has been settled relatively recently. A distinction is sometimes made between self-governing territories⁷ and non-self-governing territories⁸.

306

Within a territory (301-2), certain terms are used to describe different kinds of conglomerations¹ or aggregations¹ of population, sometimes known as population aggregates¹, population clusters¹ or more generally as localities¹. In rural areas, the smallest unit is referred to as a hamlet², which generally consists of a very small collection of houses. A slightly larger conglomeration is the village³ which is generally a small community and which may have a mainly agricultural population. A town⁴ or city⁴ is a larger conglomeration in which there are in general few people engaged in agriculture, but the point at which the transition from village to town or city occurs is difficult to specify and varies in different countries. The seat of government of a territory (in the sense of 305-1), is called its capital⁵. In a county, the place where the local government is situated is called the county town⁶ or county seat⁶. Towns and cities may be further divided into districts⁷ or quarters⁷ and for electoral purposes into wards⁷.

307

Continuously built-up areas may arise through the coalescence of neighboring localities which, while retaining their administrative independence, may constitute one agglomeration¹, containing a central city² and suburbs³ with specialized functions. The terms conurbation⁴ or metropolitan area⁴ are generally employed to designate a number of different agglomerations which, though geographically contiguous, have retained their own individuality. In many cases, however, the term conurbation is used as a synonym for agglomeration. The fusion of conurbations and large cities leads to the megalopolis⁵ or metropolitan belt⁵ which may extend over a large area.