The Pattern of Sex Ratios in New Zealand

Abstract

A KNOWLEDGE of how population is distributed amongst the various age groupings and between the sexes is fundamental to the understanding of that population and the community that it forms. Residence, age, and sex ratios constitute the three primary lines of research in any demographic study; a knowledge of them helps to explain employment and consumption patterns, social needs, and, perhaps,. the psychological characteristics of a community. In a recent paper Trewartha stressed the fact that age groupings and sex ratios are also fundamental to the geographic analysis of an area, for they are important features of the landscape, invisible though they may be, and as such provide additional means and materials for analyzing regional landscapes.1 Field observations made by the present writer suggested that there might be differences between the sex ratios of the sheep areas and those of dairy areas within New Zealand, apart from the broader rural-urban differences. Such is the case. The writer's purpose is to describe the regional variations of the sex ratio and to attempt some explanation of the pattern which occurs. This latter intention contained the most difficulties, and complete explanations are not offered. The investigation revealed some new problems many of which seem