Geographical Analysis for the Population Growth of the City of Kalar

Abstract

Population growth constitutes one of the most significant topics in demographic research, as societies undergo continuous transformation resulting from increases and decreases in population numbers within specific geographical areas. Kalar city serves as the administrative center of Kalar district and is located in the southeastern part of the Kurdistan Region. The city's area in 2023 was 965,195 hectares, with a population reaching 496,163 inhabitants for the same year. The primary objective of this research is to examine the most prominent changes that have occurred in the city's population growth during the study period. An additional objective involves analyzing the components of population growth and the factors influencing these dynamics. The research methodology employed is historical-descriptive analytical. The research problem centers on the existence of significant variations in Kalar city's population growth during the study period (1977-2023). The most significant findings indicate that Kalar city experienced substantial changes in population growth throughout the research timeframe. The highest growth rate occurred during 1977-1987 at 21.2%, while the lowest rate was 2.4% during 1987-2002. This variation is attributed to natural population growth and rural-to-urban migration, alongside natural and anthropogenic factors. The principal recommendations include: increased attention from relevant governmental authorities to the registration of birth and death data; implementation of population policies by the government to address potential future challenges facing urban populations due to unplanned population size increases. The research is divided into three sections: Section One examines the stages of population growth; Section Two analyzes the components of population growth; Section Three investigates the factors contributing to population growth.