Showing papers in "Revista Brasileira de Estudos de População in 2017"
TL;DR: The authors explored the relation between migration policy evolution and the development of new migration routes towards South America, where the recognition of the multidimensional nature of this migration has paved the way for the legalization of Haitian migrants, particularly in Brazil.
Abstract: After having presented the specific migration context of Haiti and its multidimensional vulnerability, this paper shows that the diaspora geography explains, to a large extent, the location of Haitian refugees and asylum seekers in North America and the French Caribbean territories. Then, we explore the relation between migration policy evolution and the development of new migration routes towards South America, where the recognition of the multidimensional nature of this migration has paved the way for the legalization of Haitian migrants, particularly in Brazil. The complementary migration functions of Ecuador, Peru, Brazil and Chile created a new regional migration system centered on the Southeast and the South of Brazil. This emerging South-South migration route is part of a larger Haitian migration system that connects Latin America to North America and the Caribbean.
33 citations
TL;DR: The main objective of as discussed by the authors is to study the migration of Haitians to Brazil, from the theoretical perspective of a crisis migration, and the contribution of mixed methodologies (ARIZA; GANDINI, 2012), using administrative records as well as field research.
Abstract: The main objective of this paper is to study the migration of Haitians toBrazil, from the theoretical perspective of a crisis migration (SIMON, 1995; CLOCHARD, 2007). It starts with the reconstruction of emigration fromHaiti, all the way to the consolidation ofBrazilas a strategic space for this migratory flow, whether as a country of destination or transit (FERNANDES et al., 2014; BAENINGER; PERES, 2015). Facing the complex backdrop of international migration in the country, this paper discusses the contribution of mixed methodologies (ARIZA; GANDINI, 2012), using administrative records as well as field research. The socio-demographic profile of these immigrants reveals important characteristics, such as their documented condition, by the granting of humanitarian visas or refuge status requests. This feature of Haitian immigrants inBrazildefines a different dynamic compared to other migrant populations in the country, vis-a-vis their inclusion in the formal labor market and their internal migration. Haitian presence inBrazilindicates the complexity of the social field of crisis migration and its challenges in the international logic of emigration from peripheral countries to the periphery of capital (BASSO, 2003).
31 citations
30 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors explore the diplomatic process for humanitarian visa attribution to Haitian citizens, its phases and procedures, as well as the legitimacy of its attribution by the Brazilian Government.
Abstract: The scenario of international migration has undergone profound changes over the past decade. In Brazil if the arrival of immigrants from neighbouring countries has widened, a new component of this flow included a significant number of returnees Brazilians and immigrants of other regions who had little or no history of population exchanges with Brazil, specifically is notoriously large presence of Haitians. This article aims to explore the diplomatic process for humanitarian visa attribution to Haitian citizens, its phases and procedures, as well as the legitimacy of its attribution by the Brazilian Government. It therefore aims to evaluate the state of art of the humanitarian visa attribution. Starting from these objectives, we will briefly discuss on the migratory policy of Brazil and, secondly, on the process for the attribution of humanitarian visa to Haitian citizens. Finally, an attempt was made to evaluate this policy of granting humanitarian visas
29 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors analyze the role of host networks in the migration process of Haitians to Brazil, trying to understand the extent to which these networks played a central role in management and communication of the issues engendered by this immigration in the country and, at the same time, if it was able of facilitating their mobility in Brazil, providing feedback to the migratory flow that began in 2010.
Abstract: This paper aims to analyze the role of host networks in the migration process of Haitians to Brazil, trying to understand the extent to which these networks played a central role in the management and communication of the issues engendered by this immigration in the country and, at the same time, if it was able of facilitating their mobility in Brazil, providing feedback to the migratory flow that began in 2010. Based on data collected from the Border, in Manaus and in some Brazilian cities, where 279 questionnaires were filled out, gathering information about the Haitian migrants present in Brazil, as well as their absent families, whether in Haiti or in another country, it was possible to build the hypothesis that without these host networks the arrival and mobility of these immigrants in Brazil would have been much more difficult than it really was, because of the lack of public policies for hosting and sociocultural insertion.
24 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors analyze mixed migration flows considering its impacts on the requests of refugee status recognition, its legal framework in the transit and destination countries and, specially, the protection to refugees.
Abstract: The paper discusses mixed migration flows considering its impacts on the requests of refugee status recognition, its legal framework in the transit and destination countries and, specially, the protection to refugees. The National States have, invariably, been treating international migration in a general way, disregarding specific and individuals elements that have motivated them. The consequence of this modus operandi is that many refugee applicants, who use the same mechanisms and routes as the so-called voluntary migrants, have disadvantages in the access to the right of recognition of their requests. Such reality have affected the debates on migratory flows in both the academy and in the refugee protection and advocacy bodies, such is the case of UNHCR and the American System developed after the Cartagena Declaration. Accordingly, based on documents from the international organizations and in the debates carried out in the Academia, the paper will analyze the mixed flows and the way these questions concerning the topic have been debated in the international arena, presenting good practices and solutions that can assure to the refugees the protection to which they are entitled.
10 citations
TL;DR: The health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of this population group measured by the SF-36 instrument was affected by the excessive workload imposed on caregivers related to both working hours and the high number of elderly people under the responsibility of each caregiver.
Abstract: Brazil has experienced an aging population process that poses challenges to meet the needs of the elderly group, especially those with functional limitations. In this scenario, Long-Term Care (LTC) institutions for the elderly can be important to provide support and help to this population group and their families. The aim of this paper is to characterize the profile of the formal caregivers in LTC institutions. More specifically, this paper addresses the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of this population group measured by the SF-36 instrument. Sociodemographic and occupational profile of these individuals is also discussed. The data come from a survey carried out in 2012 among the formal caregivers employed in 11 of the 12 ILPI registered in Natal, RN. Ninety two formal caregivers were interviewed and they represent 68% of the total universe of this group in the city. Descriptive analysis and statistical tests to verify differences between philanthropic and private institutions are provided. The greatest loss of HRQoL was observed for the general health perceptions dimension followed by vitality and bodily pain domains. The loss of HRQoL may reflect the excessive workload imposed on caregivers related to both working hours and the high number of elderly people under the responsibility of each caregiver. Non statistically significant differences were observed in the HRQoL between philanthropic and private institutions.
10 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors discuss the relationship between demographic analysis and urban planning, and show how techniques for projecting future housing demands can be useful for territorial analyzes in the North Coast of Brazil.
Abstract: Demographic analysis techniques are indispensable for urban planning because changes in population regimes are directly related to the production and reproduction of space in cities. The housing issue is central in this relationship because the man-made environment is predominantly composed by residences. However, these themes have not been tackled together yet. The objective of this article is to discuss these relationships and to show, in a practical exercise of prognosis for the region of the North Coast of Sao Paulo, how techniques for projecting future housing demands can be useful for territorial analyzes. There is a trend towards an aging population and an increase in the number of women in these towns, it means that groups that have the autonomy to establish a new home tend to increase in proportion. The results of future demand for housing projections reflect this increase and will have a direct influence on the occupation of the territory.
10 citations
9 citations
TL;DR: In this article, a profile analysis of the individuals installed in these new villages allows for a better understanding of the organizational strategies of the colonial population desired by the Crown, which can be accessed through inhabitants lists of three settlement initiatives: Sao Luiz do Paraitinga, Piracicaba and the Caminho de Goias.
Abstract: After assuming the Government of the captaincy of Sao Paulo in 1765, Morgado de Mateus established an expansion process of the settlement. The crisis of the colonial economy and conflicts with the Castilians demanded the intervention of the Crown, seeking to deploy new economic activities and preparing the defense of the territory. When creating towns and villages, the Governor would seek bringing together individuals classified as unruly and would send them, sometimes by force, to be the pioneers in border areas. Many of these settlers were indigenous people, considered as vagabonds, who should be submitted to the new model of social organization proposed by the Crown. This effort can be accessed through inhabitants lists of three settlement initiatives: Sao Luiz do Paraitinga, Piracicaba and the Caminho de Goias. The profile analysis of the individuals installed in these new villages allows for a better understanding of the organizational strategies of the colonial population desired by the Crown.
7 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors investigate the level of integration of the municipalities that make up the Metropolitan Region of Belo Horizonte (MRBH), based on the flows of pendular displacement.
Abstract: It is not unusual for specific academic literature to contain controversies regarding the limits and actual territorial configuration of the metropolitan regions in Brazil. Aside from the lack of consensus and well defined criteria to establish these regional and political-administrative outlines, it seems relevant to consider the meaning of commuting as an indicator of the metropolitan social and economic dynamic. The objective of this article is to investigate the level of integration of the municipalities that make up the Metropolitan Region of Belo Horizonte (MRBH), based on the flows of pendular displacement. With information extracted from the sample micro-data of the Demographic Census 2010, the methodology presented made it possible to propose an Index of Metropolitan Integration for each municipality in the region, derived from the Internal Pendularity Ratio, Pendular Connectivity and Nuclear Pendularity In general, the results highlighted some very low levels of integration, especially in the cases of the municipalities of Itatiaiucu, Itaguara and Baldim.
TL;DR: In this paper, the push-pull model is revisited and the role of individual motives that induce migration is confronted with interference from the structure, also attending to the dynamics and operation of the legal framework in the European context.
Abstract: This paper addresses the challenges resulting from the new refugee flows directed to Europe since the beginning of the second decade of the 21st century. Aiming to explain the new refugee crisis, the push-pull model is revisited and the role of agency – individual motives that induce migration – is confronted with interference from the structure – economic, social and political factors that explain the increase of flows, also attending to the dynamics and operation of the legal framework in the European context. Despite the scarce empirical evidence, we conclude that the new refugee movements pose profound challenges to observational and theoretical analyses, as well as to the existing legal framework. Further studies and new regulatory instruments are needed in order to respond to the size and complexity of such flows.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examined under a gender perspective, the factors that determine participation in the non-agricultural sector, and found that employed in non agricultural occupations, men participate with lower levels of education and indigenous status limits the incorporation of both genders.
Abstract: Rural households diversify their income as a strategy to minimize risk, reduce variability and ensure a minimum level of income. With information panel of the National Rural Household Survey of Mexico, this study examined under a gender perspective, the factors that determine participation in the non-agricultural sector. The results indicate that employed in non-agricultural occupations, men participate with lower levels of education and indigenous status limits the incorporation of both genders. In non-agricultural self-employment activities are essential household accumulated wealth and financial services, communication and transportation.
TL;DR: In this article, the demographic boom of African slave populations in the plantation areas from the Mapas de Populacao of Maranhao is analyzed, focusing on the parish of Rosario do Itapecuru using other sources -post-mortem inventories and parish baptismal records.
Abstract: The study analyzes the demographic boom of African slave populations in the plantation areas from the Mapas de Populacao of Maranhao. In particular, we focus on the parish of Rosario do Itapecuru using other sources - post-mortem inventories and parish baptismal records. The maps from 1798 and 1821 made it possible to evidence the gender, age, ethnicity and legal status of the resident population as well as show the importance of slave population in cotton and rice crop areas, reaching almost 80% of residents. These populations, in turn, presented certain peculiarities in relation to other plantation areas in the State of Brazil, such as the sex ratio marked by the almost parity between men and women.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present the results of a methodological exercise exploring potentials and limitations of population maps related to Rio Grande de Sao Pedro, between the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries.
Abstract: The aim of this article is to present the results of a methodological exercise exploring potentials and limitations of population maps related to Rio Grande de Sao Pedro, between the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. This documentation, produced at request of the Portuguese crown, was prepared for several captaincies and included, in charts or tables, information on the population based on sex, legal status, age and color/ethnicity. In the case of Rio Grande de Sao Pedro, seven of these “maps” are available and from their analysis, it is possible to know the general characteristics of the population of Rio Grande de Sao Pedro, a captaincy located in the extreme south of Portuguese America. In this regard, upon a general characterization of the documentation used, demographic indicators of the population in that territory in the passage from the eighteenth century to the nineteenth century were established, through statistics produced for the years 1780, 1791, 1798, 1808, 1805, 1807 and 1810. The most significant results include a clear predominance of white population, sex ratio imbalance, especially among the slave population, and a variation in the weight of population distribution by territory, which shows occupation towards the border areas.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors investigated whether the principle of nonrefoulement would apply to individuals not formally recognized as refugees, and whether the prevention of access to the target state's territory would violate such principle, besides analyzing the sovereign exercise of migration control with the threat of the non-refoullement and the human rights protected by it.
Abstract: This study sought to determine whether the principle of non-refoulement would apply to individuals not formally recognized as refugees, and whether the prevention of access to the target state’s territory would violate such principle, besides analyzing the sovereign exercise of migration control with the threat of the non-refoulement and the human rights protected by it. Hereby, we ran a theoretical, bibliographical and documentary research, with critical and dogmatic analyses of imperative normative instruments of international law concerning the protection of refugees; of the guidelines from international organizations and legal precedence on the subject. Subsequently, we ran a contextualized study with a brief analysis of some recent cases in which barriers were employed as migration control mechanisms. As a jus cogens and customary rule of international law, the principle proves to be applicable regardless of formal recognition of refugee status, relativizing national sovereignty. Despite divergences in the application of the principle, the instating of border barriers violates the principle, since access to the target state’s territory may be needed for the process of determining refugee status to be fair and effective.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors analyze the causes of income gaps between migrants and non-migrants in the state of Minas Gerais and decompose the differences by the Junh, Murphy e Pierce (JMP) method.
Abstract: This paper analyzes the causes of income gaps between migrants and non-migrants in the state of Minas Gerais. Under the hypothesis that these differentials and its causes are distinct along the wage distribution, we estimate quantile regressions e, with the results, we decompose the differences by the Junh, Murphy e Pierce (JMP) method. The main results indicate that: i) there is income inequality in favor of migrants, and it got higher between 2000 and 2010; ii) as expected, differentials present different reasons in each quantile of the income distribution; iii) non-observed effects (productivity, effort, etc.) are important in explaining inequality, for both years; iv) however, to explain the raise in the income gap, both observable and non-observable characteristics are more important than the returns to such characteristics. In this way, as most of the literature attests, migrants are positively selected, but among those with higher formal education, especially in 2010, it is not possible to acquire the expected income, or differential in income, given their greater skills.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present socio-demographic characteristics of the Rio Grande do Norte population at the turn of the eighteenth century to the nineteenth, through the first population maps created in the second half of the eighteen century, as part of the Pombal policy attempt to better understand the Portuguese empire.
Abstract: This article intends to conduct a dialogue between Demography and History, combining the specific knowledge of these disciplines in order to better understand both the numbers collected for the population of Rio Grande do Norte and the historical context which would explain those numbers. The purpose of this article is to present socio-demographic characteristics of the Rio Grande do Norte’s population at the turn of the eighteenth century to the nineteenth, through the first population maps created in the second half of the eighteenth century, as part of the Pombal policy attempt to better understand the Portuguese empire. Furthermore, this paper seeks to present some demographic data, such as population composition by sex, color / ethnicity and legal status, of the Rio Grande do Norte captaincy, based on data produced in 1782, 1788, 1801 and 1805, using Demography methodologies which will be explained through direct dialogue with the area´s historiography.
TL;DR: The demography of the native population of Venezuela in Colonial times is not much known as mentioned in this paper, but some factual information may be gained from the narratives of the first conquistadores, missionaries and colonists, as well as of authors writing in later times of the Colony, but with access to original sources.
Abstract: Not much is known about the demography of the native population of Venezuela in Colonial times. Until mid-17th century, some factual information may be gained from the narratives of the first conquistadores, missionaries and colonists, as well as of authors writing in later times of the Colony, but with access to original sources. After mid-17th century, some quantitative information of demographic relevance was collected by the Jesuit, Capuchin and Franciscan missionaries and, in the last decades of the 18th century, by the colonial administration and the religious authorities. The native population declined, from between 200,000 and 500,000 inhabitants at contact (guesstimates of modern authors) to perhaps 120,000 in 1800, according to Humboldt’s estimate. It is possible that the initial decline became steeper after the first smallpox pandemic of the 1580s and continued, at a slower pace, until the Independence. As in other regions of South America, marriage was early and almost universal, and the high ratio of births to deaths seems to indicate a high potential for growth, interrupted by frequent mortality crisis.A competing cause of the decline of the natives was the process of mestizaje that intensified with the increase of the population of European and African origin.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present the main arguments used in the construction of said image of demographic void and, based on the data obtained in the censuses, to offer some elements which challenge this reading in the manner in which it is stated, since the main thesis is that the region of Baixada(asa whole) became uninhabited, its empty lands becoming disorderly occupied by an urban population fleeing the federal capital and its high prices.
Abstract: The municipality of Iguacu occupied what is currently known as the Baixada Fluminense, i.e., it was part of the large municipality which are now Belford Roxo, Duque de Caxias, Japeri, Mesquita, Nilopolis, Nova Iguacu, Queimados and Sao Joao de Meriti, covering a territory representing 35% of the current metropolitan area of Rio de Janeiro city. The term Baixada Fluminense unifies what emancipations divided, since, at the end of the XIXth Century, the region was a municipality with rural activities and throughout the 20th century, it became an urban periphery. The recurring claim from researchers studying the region, regarding the existence of a demographic void which would have occurred in the late nineteenth century (1890-1910) drew our attention. The aim of this paper is to present the main arguments used in the construction of said image of demographic void and, based on the data obtained in the censuses, to offer some elements which challenge this reading in the manner in which it is stated, since the main thesis is that the region of Baixada(asa whole) became uninhabited, its empty lands becoming disorderly occupied by an urban population fleeing the federal capital and its high prices. This recurrent reading obscures other existing dynamics in the territory beyond the region’s own history.
TL;DR: In this article, the dynamics and movements of slaves in a region of plantations (slaveholding properties) were analyzed using the General Map of Inhabitants for the period 1798-1822 in Campinas, with added data from the Nominative Lists of inhabitants and Parish Registers.
Abstract: The development of agriculture in Sao Paulo, Brazil, presented a significant expansion during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, which is the focus of this paper. The purpose is to understand the dynamics and movements of these populations of a region of plantations (slaveholding properties). The sources for this discussion are derived from the General Map of Inhabitants existing for the period 1798-1822 in Campinas, with added data from the Nominative Lists of inhabitants and Parish Registers. Despite evident data limitation, there was a Strong demographic increase, especially in captive population.
TL;DR: In this article, the history of the population in Santa Catarina between the years 1787 and 1836 is analyzed through the application of regular instruments of historical demography, which aims to analyze characteristics and transformations of population and economic structure of the area.
Abstract: This study presents considerations regarding the history of the population in Santa Catarina between the years 1787 and 1836. The sources are 12 “population maps”. Through the application of regular instruments of historical demography, this article aims to analyze characteristics and transformations of the population and economic structure of the area. The population under study experienced growth, albeit with periods of oscillation. These three social categories ‘free men, freedmen and slaves’ presented different growth tendencies through the years, such as the continued increase in the number of women among the categories free men and freedmen, and the major presence of men under the slave category. The economic scenario involved predominantly agrarian activities. Districts and parishes with the largest proportion of flour mills and sugar mills had the highest percentages of slaves. On the other hand, localities with fewer mills had lower slave participation. Thus, the establishment of a population structure resulting from competition and association between peasantry and slavery was observed. In this context, small farmers with slaves were common.
TL;DR: In this paper, a study of mixed marriages between people of different social strata: free people and slaves or free people, descendants of enslaved African persons, was conducted to understand the dynamic and complex process of family formation and composition, miscegenation and intimate relations between free people.
Abstract: The aim of this study was to broaden the study of mixed marriages, as at present, there are few studies in Brazilian historiography regarding this issue. This analysis focuses on marriages between people of different social strata: free people and slaves or free people and descendants of enslaved African persons. Through the study of parish wedding records (1806-1887), a nominative list of inhabitants (1836) and post-mortem inventories from Franca (Sao Paulo, Brazil), we found more free women than men formed mixed families; legitimate marriage proved to be a strategy to ensure social status, the reproduction of family models recommended by Church and State and respect of the local elite, recognition of offspring and transfer of goods. Mixed families allow us to further understand the dynamic and complex process of family formation and composition, miscegenation and intimate relations between free people, freed people and slaves.
TL;DR: In this article, the effects of household demographic composition and time on property (property life cycle) on land use dynamics in small farms at Machadinho d'Oeste, Rondonia, Brazil were examined.
Abstract: Previous studies have found evidence of the importance of changes in household composition to explain land use choices in agricultural frontiers. Most of these studies, however, analyze these dynamics at later stages of the frontier development, rendering mixed evidence on the role of population drivers. This study examines the effects of household demographic composition (household life cycle) and time on property (property life cycle) on land use dynamics in small farms at Machadinho d’Oeste, Rondonia. Based on a unique dataset covering the agricultural frontier since its onset, the study analyzes these effects when their association with land cover dynamics is most likely. Data collected in 1987 and 1995 for a census survey regarding settlers on the original settlement area was used for the study. The relationship between cycles and types of land use was analyzed and modelled by means of Beta and Dirichlet regression models. A consistent relation between family labor supply and deforested stock was observed with regards to rural property. Time on the property was also associated with deforestation, although its non-linear effect suggests experimentation with the local biophysical environment. The effect of the life cycle and of the lot are self-determined in the initial stages of frontier development, indicating the relevance of the demographic dynamics of households for land use choices in agricultural frontiers.
TL;DR: A review on the Population and Environment (P-E) field, mainly carried out in the 1990s, is accomplished through: 1. Prospecting articles indexed in international databases; 2. Identifying the structuring instances of the field, essential for its identity and for validating the produced knowledge; 3. Indicating the relationship of P-E with the themes of Population, Development and Environment included in the UN conferences as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: A review on the Population and Environment (P-E) field, mainly carried out in the 1990s, is accomplished through: 1. Prospecting articles indexed in international databases; 2. Identifying the structuring instances of the field, essential for its identity and for validating the produced knowledge; 3. Indicating the relationship of the field with the themes of Population, Development and Environment included in the UN conferences. As a result, we notice that the scientific production published in the major journals and events of population studies progressively distanced themselves from the Malthusian myth, aiming toward the search for reciprocal relations between population and environment, a second myth. The existence of characteristic issues, axes, and identities, treated by a well-defined set of scientists can also be found. Among the two essential myths, P-E has expanded as an interdisciplinary field under the effects of dialogues with the social and environmental sciences. Noncompliant to disciplinary limits, it faces the theoretical-epistemological and empirical difficulties of a field still under construction, while experiencing tensions with demography, an important discipline of its program matrix.
TL;DR: In the context of the Pombaline Reforms, Indian Freedom Laws incorporated a large region in northern Portuguese America into civilian administration, transforming more than sixty missionary settlements into Portuguese villages and sites with predominantly indigenous population as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: As of the mid-eighteenth century, in the context of the so-called Pombaline Reforms, Indian Freedom Laws incorporated a large region in northern Portuguese America into civilian administration, transforming more than sixty missionary settlements into Portuguese villages and sites with predominantly indigenous population. This paper seeks to research into the demographic evolution of “aldeado” (subject to compulsory labour) indians and the free non- “aldeado” population under this new regime. For some historians, the population of Indian villages under the Directorio (1757-1798) was artificially maintained by the constant influx of new contingents of native peoples through descimentos. However, the analysis of population tables produced since 1773 shows a slow but consistent growth of all population groups in the captaincies of the State of Grao-Para, even suffering frequent epidemics and harm from compulsory work to which by the majority of the indigenous population was subject.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors focus on the transformations of Minas Gerais economy as well as the redefinition of that society in a period in which captaincy gains a new profile, yet maintaining its fundamental role in the dynamics of the center-south of Portuguese America.
Abstract: The “population tables” available since the 1770’s shed new light on a period in the history of Minas Gerais which was particularly important for the transformations experienced in very different fields. Based on information gathered in these documents, this paper focuses on the transformations of Minas Gerais’ economy as well as the redefinition of that society in a period in which captaincy gains a new profile, yet maintaining its fundamental role in the dynamics of the center-south of Portuguese America.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present a study of demography and statistical processes during the construction of the Portuguese Empire between 1776 and 1875, with an emphasis on the particular characteristics of the sources, the data and their potential, as well as a research agenda.
Abstract: By the end of the 18th century, the Portuguese Crown implemented a system for the gathering of demographic data in its overseas domains. In accordance with the model defined, each governor was to send a population count for the area under his jurisdiction annually. At the Arquivo Historico Ultramarino, in Lisbon, there are over a thousand “population tables” from Brazil to Macao. This documentation significantly broadens horizons for demographic, social and colonial history, despite having been relatively neglected by historians and demographers. These sources allow for the study of demography and statistical processes during the construction of the Portuguese Empire between 1776 and 1875. The context of this research, with an emphasis on the particular characteristics of the sources, the data and their potential, as well as a research agenda shall be discussed further.