Migration is almost as characteristic of Homo sapiens as tool making and culture building. Man is the most widely distributed social animal on the earth surface.
From their probable origin in Africa, human groups had spread out to occupy all the major land areas of the earth excepting Antarctica about 20,000 years before present (B.P.), long before the beginnings of agriculture and written history.
Thus, migration is a geographical phenomenon that seems to be a human necessity in every age. Since man has a tendency to leave the areas in which life is difficult, he migrates to the areas where life may be easy and better.
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Migration has been defined differently by different experts. In its most general sense, migration is ordinarily defined as the permanent or semi-permanent change of residence of an individual or group of people over a significant distance
Migration may be permanent or semi-permanent. Recently, geographers have been concerning themselves with population dynamics and the problems associated with migration.
Migration together with ‘fertility’ and ‘mortality’ is a fundamental element determining population growth and population structure in an area. It is, however, difficult to provide a scientific essential criterion for classification of migration.
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Migration, in fact, may be international, inter-regional, inter-urban, rural-urban or intra-urban. On the basis of time criterion, migration may be temporary or permanent. If we take into consideration the distance, the migration may be long or short.
On the basis of number, migration may be individual or mass; it may be politically sponsored or voluntary.
On the basis of social organization, migration may be that of family, clan or individual. On the basis of causes, migration may be economic, social, political or religious. Migration may be stepwise, i.e., village to urban hierarchy.