demographic yearbook annuaire demographique 1951

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CHAPTER III.
TECHNICAL NOTES ON THE STATISTICAL TABLES
Unless otherwise noted, the stat1st1cs presented in this
Yearbook relate to the present territory of the specified geographic
units. Footnotes are given only to identify the ways
in which the territory covered by the data differs from the
present territory. If no note is given, it may be assumed that
the data relate to the territory within present boundaries,
even though they refer to a period of time when the geographic
constitution of the area in question was different
from the present one. There are a few exceptions to this rule
where very minor recent changes have occurred. Such
changes are noted in table 1 or table 2, but not in the later
tables. Examples of such unnoted changes are the transfer of
small Italian border areas to France in 1947, affecting a very
small but unknown number of persons, and the transfer of
Finnish territory to the U.S.S.R. in 1940 and later years,
which did not affect the continuity of demographic data because
the population was moved out of the ceded territory.
Wherever possible, the data relate to the present-in-area
or de facto population rather than to the habitually resident
or de Jure population, except that, when the needed statistics
are available, the present-in-area figure has been adjusted to
include armed forces stationed outside the country in question
and to exclude alien armed forces and enemy prisoners
ofwar located in the country. Such adjustments are noted in
the tables. The deJure count ordinarily includes armed forces
abroad and excludes alien armed forces in the country.
Consequently, figures noted in the tables as "de Jure" may
be assumed to do so unless otherwise indicated. The chief
difference then between an adjusted or modified de facto
figure and a de Jure figure is that the former includes all
civilians in the country at a stated time, without reference
to legal or habitual residence, while the latter includes civilian
residents abroad and excludes civilian non-residents in
the country. Because of variations in the definition of
"resident" the comparability of national de Jure totals is
somewhat less than that of national de facto totals. However,
it should be added that, under ordinary circumstances, the
difference between the two is relatively small. 11
In preparing the tables for publication occasional disparities
were found in the statistics dealing with different
characteristics but relating to the same area at a given date.
The data were corrected and reconciled wherever possible
by consulting published sources or through correspondence
with the governments concerned. There still remain a few
unresolved differences. These are noted in the tables and the
differences explained wherever possible.
For reasons of space and convenience, country names
are generally given in their shortened form, provided such
form is widely recognized and in common use. Thus, the
Republic of Ireland is listed as "Ireland", the United States
11 For a more detailed discussion of deJure and dejacto concepts, see
United Nations Population Census Methods, ST/SOA/Series A, Population
Studies, No.4, Lake Success, New York, 1949.
of Brazil as "Brazil", the Hashemite Kingdom of the Jordan
as "Jordan" and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and
Northern Ireland as the"United Kingdom".
AREA AND TOTAL POPULATION
Table 1 presents data on the total population and area of
all parts of the world. The results of the latest population
census and midyear estimates for the years 1937,1948,1949
and 1950 are shown for each political or administrative unit
for which official figures were available. In a few cases
unofficial estimates are shown in order to obtain a more
complete coverage aRd in order to give at least some idea
of the magnitude of the population of every area. The midyear
estimate is sometimes a mean of two successive year-end
estimates rather than an estimate specifically prepared for
1 July.
The stub of table 1 has been revised to take account of the
changes in area and political status that have occurred during
the past year. Some area detail has been added both in
the stub and in the footnotes in order to make clear the
composition of certain lesser-known geographic units about
which doubts might arise. Figures enclosed in parentheses
refer to areas that are component parts of area totals shown
immediately above them.
The area figures, given in square kilometres, relate to the
total area of the specified geographic units, including inland
waters as well as such uninhabited or uninhabitable stretches
of land as may lie within their boundaries. Wholly uninhabited
areas, such as the polar regions and a few small islands,
are not listed in the table and are, of course, excluded from
the statistics.
Density, or the number of persons per square kilometre of
total area, is shown for all geographic units of 1,000 or more
square kilometres.
In so far as possible, the figures presented in the census
column are confined to the population actually enumerated.
Available estimates for excluded groups and for underenumeration
are shown in the footnotes. These data, in combination
with the coded information in the column "Type of
estimate," furnish the basis for a fairly precise evaluation of
the estimates of total population presented in the next four
columns of the table.
The classification of postwar estimates by types has been
revised and elaborated for the present issue of the Yearbook.
The new code is a further development of the one used for
the last issue and gives a somewhat more refined and detailed
classification of the data and methods utilized in the
preparation of population estimates. The code consists of
two parts. The first part, represented by a letter, indicates
the nature of the basic data (continuous population registers,
census enumerations, non-censal counting methods
other than continuous registers or conjectural estimates)
and, in the case of censuses, their recency and frequency.
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