Sinan ZEYNELOĞLU: Methods and Applications of Population Geography Respect to Correlation of Geographic Factors With Population Variables Using Turkish Census Data at District and Settlement Level. ( Unpublished Master Thesis. Ankara, Hacettepe University Institute of Population Studies, 2001)

This thesis attempts to show methods and applications of using Turkish census data at detailed district and settlement level for population geography analysis. Since provinces are relatively large and heterogeneous units compared to districts, district level data should be obtained for population geography studies if proper correlation between geographic features and population data is sought. Delimiting areal units of analysis and standardization of demographic data appears to be necessary in order to eliminate the possible distortion caused by administrative boundaries irrelevant to the unity of settlement units and also the possible bias caused by differences in age-sex distribution on certain demographic and socio-economic features. The main objective is to give clues to researchers undertaking further analysis in this direction on decisions of proper delimitation of boundaries of analysis units, methods of standardization of variables related to the selected areal units, urban-rural differentiation in Turkey and methods applying international standards of urban area delimitation to the Turkish context, proper selection of threshold figures and also comparison of data of successive censuses and also between countries. Definitions of administrative units, such as provinces or districts and of settlement units such as cities, towns, villages are given for the Turkish legal system compared to other countries. In the analysis using 1990 census data, first, variables reflecting features of areal units, such as size, rank, ratio of urban population, density, etc. are correlated to each other. In the second part geographic variables are correlated with variables reflecting demographic and socio-economic features of the population within these areal divisions. Any simple correlation between geographical features and population characteristics found in this thesis is not attempted to serve as an explanation but as a clue for a multiple regression analysis to determine the pure extent of certain geographical features on each population variable. Also the rank-size distribution and figures of primacy are examined for the 1927-1997 period. With every successive census the convex distribution of 1927 gradually evolves into a linear distribution at the 1990's. Besides advance of the line through increase in the intercept, the value of the slope of the rank-size distribution increases regularly by every census and reaches the slope of unity by 1997. For recent censuses there is a point of refraction at population size 2000, but its extent at 1997 census clearly surpasses the refraction for other censuses. 2000 is the threshold population size for municipal incorporation and it seems that the unnatural refraction is a sign of fraud in census caused by localities over-enumerating with the aim of municipal incorporation.