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126 Unit 2 Population and Migration%u00a0Patterns and%u00a0Processesbecause they recruited a large number of male workers. Recently settled areas typically have more males than females, as is evident in parts of Alaska, northern Canada, and tropical Australia. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2016 there were 107 males for every 100 of Alaska%u2019s female inhabitants.WarWar can cause an unbalanced sex ratio because many more young men than women die in wars. Thus, largescale, prolonged wars may reduce the male population and lead to an imbalance in the sex ratio. The former Soviet Union suffered from such an imbalance for decades following World War II.Consequences of Unbalanced Sex%u00a0RatiosThe social and cultural ramifications of male-heavy populations are potentially profound. Men of marriageable age are increasingly unable to find female partners, a fact that has led to an increase in human trafficking, sex trafficking, and the use of force, manipulation, or false promises of good jobs or romantic relationships to lure women into marrying men they barely know. In India, where men outnumber women, girls have been kidnapped or trafficked in from neighboring Nepal and Myanmar.Population Pyramids8-4 What can a population pyramid be used for?A population pyramid is a very useful graphic device for depicting age and sex structure in a country or a place. A quick look at a country%u2019s population pyramid can speak volumes about the country%u2019s past as well as its future. How many dependent people%u2014the very old and the very young%u2014live there? Has the country suffered the demographic effects of major wars or disease epidemics? Are significantly more boys than girls being born?To create a population pyramid, we divide the male and female populations into five-year age groups: 0%u20134 years, 5%u20139 years, 10%u201314 years, all the way up to 80+ years. Next, we calculate the shares of all age-sex cohorts in the total population but absolute numbers of people may work too. Finally, we plot the percentages on a bar chart with the proportions on the horizontal axis and the age the sex ratio. If couples can choose to have more than one child, having a girl first is usually not a problem. However, in countries with strict population control programs, couples may have limited chances to have a male child. For example, China had a %u201cone couple, one child%u201d policy until 2015. Such policies can lead to the abortion of female fetuses, even female infanticide(the practice of killing female infants), contributing to the gender imbalance.How do the sex ratios of China and India reflect the cultural preference for males? The naturally occurring sex ratio is 95 girls for every 100 boys. But in 2004, there were only 82.5 girls for every 100 boys at birth in China, which was the most skewed sex ratio in the world. The situation has improved considerably in recent years. In 2021, the ratio was 92.3 girls for every 100 boys. In India, the sex ratio at birth was 93 girls per 100 boys in 2019-20, but it is more skewed among the young adult cohorts, especially 20- to 29-year-olds. The cultural preference for boys may continue even when women migrate. In one study conducted in Manitoba, Canada, Indian-born women who already had two daughters were almost twice as likely to have sons as their third child. The sex ratio of 192 males for every 100 females in that particular case is not a natural phenomenon; rather, it is the result of gender-selective abortion of female fetuses.Gender-Selective MigrationGender-selective migration can cause gender imbalances in local communities. In the old mining towns of Colorado, for example, the population was mostly male because mining attracted male workers, not female workers. More recently, the small town of Williston, North Dakota, experienced a 74 percent population increase between 2010 and 2017 as a result of its booming oil industry. This industry also attracted more male workers than female workers, resulting in a highly imbalanced local sex ratio, particularly among people ages 20%u201340. Similarly, several Middle Eastern countries, including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, have highly imbalanced sex ratios TERMS TO KNOWinfanticide: The practice of killing infantspopulation pyramid: A very useful graphic device for depicting the age and sex structure of a population%u00a9 Bedford, Freeman & Worth Publishers. For review purposes only. Do not distribute.