The Population Ecumene of Canada: Exploring the Past and Present

Warning View the most recent version.

Archived Content

Information identified as archived is provided for reference, research or recordkeeping purposes. It is not subject to the Government of Canada Web Standards and has not been altered or updated since it was archived. Please "contact us" to request a format other than those available.

by Carolyn Weiss and Patricia Cillis (Geography Division) and Neil Rothwell (Agriculture Division), Statistics Canada

Abstract

The term ecumene comes from the Greek word oikoumene, which means inhabited land or inhabited world. Geographers generally use the term to refer to land where people have made their permanent home, and to all work areas that are considered occupied and used for agricultural or any other economic purpose.

This working paper first examines the ecumene concept from a geographic viewpoint and highlights some of the geographic literature. It also examines the cartographic issues, such as the limitations of the choropleth map, and then provides an overview of Statistics Canada's use of the ecumene in its thematic mapping program. Finally, the paper provides details on the development of the population ecumene for the 2006 Census.

You need to use the free Adobe Reader to view PDF documents. To view (open) these files, simply click on the link. To download (save) them, right-click on the link. Note that if you are using Internet Explorer or AOL, PDF documents sometimes do not open properly. See Troubleshooting PDFs. PDF documents may not be accessible by some devices. For more information, visit the Adobe website or contact us for assistance.