Transitions in World Populations
Unless we know the size,density,age distribution,and reproductive capacity of a population,it is difficult to understand many aspects of its society,politics,and economy.In the contemporary world,most nations conduct periodic censuses to assess the present situation of their populations and to plan for the future.Before the mid-eighteenth century,when census taking became a regular procedure,population estimates and counts were sporadic and usually inaccurate.Thus,arriving at estimates of populations from the past,especially for non-literate societies,is a highly speculative exercise in which archaeological evidence and estimates of productive capacity of agricultural practices and technology are used. The earliest date for a population estimate with a margin of error less than 20 percent is probably 1750.
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