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The Eight Ds model (Carson and Carson 2014) explains the unique characteristics of human and economic geography for sparsely populated areas (SPAs) as disconnected, discontinuous, diverse, detailed, dynamic, distant, dependent and delicate. According to the model, SPAs are subject to dramatic changes in demographic characteristics that result from both identifiable black swan events and less apparent tipping points in longer-term processes of demographic change (Carson et al. 2011). The conceptual foundations for this assertion are clear. Populations in SPAs can experience large and long-term impacts on the overall demographic structureas a result of decisions by a relatively small number of people. High levels of migration and mobility cause constant shifts in the demographic profile and prime SPAs to adapt to many different demographic states (Carson and Carson 2014). The Northern Territory of Australia, for example, experienced previously unseen waves of pre-retirement aged migrants in the past decade or so (Martel et al. 2013) as evidence of detailed but important changes to past trends. However, while dramatic demographic changes are conceptually possible and occasionally observable, there have been few attempts to examine the conditions under which such changes are likely to occur or not to occur. This is an important question particularly in relation to black swan events such as natural disasters because effective disaster management policy and planning is at least partially dependent on understanding who is affected and in what ways (Bird et al. 2013). 

The purpose of this chapter, therefore, is to begin the process of identifying the conditions under which dramatic demographic responses to natural disasters in SPAs might occur. In the process, we introduce two new 'Ds' with which to describe the nature of demographic change. We propose that natural disasters such as cyclones, floods, earthquakes, bushfires, landslides, avalanches and crop failures present the potential to disrupt or to divert demographic development.

Recent research has identified a series of human geography impacts of natural resource developments in sparsely populated areas like the Arctic. These impacts can be mapped to the 'resource cycle', and arise from periods of population growth and decline, changing patterns of human migration and mobility, changing patterns of settlement, and changes in the demographic 'balance' between males and females, young and old, Indigenous and non-Indigenous. This paper examines the applicability of the resource cycle model in the case of hydro energy development in the Jokkmokk municipality of Sweden. Using quantitative demographic data, media reports, and contemporary accounts of hydro development, the paper describes the human geography of Jokkmokk since the late 19th century. The paper concludes that changes in human geography in Jokkmokk mirror what has been observed in regions dependent on non-renewable resources, although it is difficult to distinguish many impacts from those that might have occurred under alternative development scenarios. The paper identifies a 'settlement cycle' with phases of integrated and separated habitation for populations specifically associated with the development. Settlement dynamics, and the impacts of hydro on Sami geography are areas for further research.

Statens hantering av forskningsresultat i rättsprocessen med Girjas sameby utgör ett hot mot Sverige som rättsstat och kunskapsnation. Åratal av svensk och internationell forskning underkänns och man använder ett språkbruk som skulle kunna vara hämtat från rasbiologins tid. Nu måste staten ta sitt ansvar och börja agera som en demokratisk rättsstat, skriver 59 forskare.

Even though contemporary fertility shows a steady decrease among indigenous populations in the circumpolar area during the twentieth century, they display a far higher fertility compared to the rest of the population's respective countries. In the absence of Swedish modern data on ethnicity, this study concentrates on fertility in historical times to improve our knowledge on Sami fecundity. Using digitized parish records we aim to study nineteenth century fertility among the Sami and non-Sami in an ethnically mixed parish in the Northern Sweden. The sources also enable an intra-ethnic perspective; thus, the study includes comparisons between forest and mountain Sami. The data revealed a Sami fertility deviating not only from their non-Sami neighbors, but also to a Swedish average. Both Sami and non-Sami women had very low birth rates among young women; nevertheless, Sami women gave birth to fewer children than the non-Sami. Toward the end of the nineteenth century non-Sami women showed crude birth rates well above both Sami and a Swedish average. The fertility pattern among the forest and the mountain Sami revealed both social and economic differences within the Sami group.

There is limited knowledge about childbirth and childcare among Arctic indigenous peoples in historical times, and the Swedish Sami are no exception. The main aim of the present study is to investigate whether the Sami experienced fertility trends parallel to those of the rest of the population in the area and in Sweden as a whole. Digitized parish records offer a unique possibility to include comparisons from ethnic, cultural, geographical and long-term perspectives. The present study compares the statements about fertility and childcare provided by qualitative sources with data from quantitative demographic investigations. This comparison reveals a contrasting picture, from which it is evident that contemporary observers' impressions of the Sami and their childbirths were somewhat inaccurate. Opposite to what the qualitative sources claimed Sami fertility was higher than the national average rates. Moreover, crude birth rates were high and the average number of children in families exceeded what was generally claimed. We can conclude that the statements made by clergy, physicians and travelers concerning childbirth among the Sami did not correspond particularly well with the demographic reality.

The predominant inhabitants in the northern Sweden were until the beginning of 19th century the Sami people, indigenous and often nomadic reindeer breeders. As the colonization process of the northern part of the country progressed, it led to increasing contacts between Sami people and Swedes. To some extent there were also Sami people who settled down, chiefly from the forest Sami group, but the majority of the settlers where newcomers. Although previous historical research has focused on the nomadic Sami people, those settled have so far attracted less attention about their demographic behaviour. Knowing their marriage pattern helps illuminate what happens when people from different cultures meet; did the cultural and social grounds shift? And further, did the marriage behaviour among Sami people change when they settled down? Did the Sami people who settled down adopt Swedish cultural grounds or were they more inclined to follow their old traditions and marry within their own group? The main purpose of this paper is thus to explore whether a settled life affected the way Sami people chose to make decisions of decisive importance, in this paper represented by the way people chose whom and when to marry? To meet the aim of this analysis world unique parish registers stored at the Demographic Data Base (DDB), Umeå University are utilized.