ABSTRACT
Like most population characteristics, the analysis of fertility patterns can be investigated at many different scales of study and this chapter therefore examines fertility patterns with examples from a variety of points along the scale continuum. At the more macro level, fertility will be assessed for the countries and sub continental areas of the world, emphasising the considerable degree of contemporary variation and the diversity of factors that influence these differentials. At a somewhat finer level of analysis, fertility variations in the British Isles will also be examined. Here, several levels of aggregation are considered, focussing on the constituent countries of the British Isles, regional and sub regional variations within each of these areas and also fertility differences at the district level in England and Wales. Prior to these specific examples, however, the chapter discusses some general issues concerning the geographical study of fertility patterns, examining the possibilities and limitations of such studies, data availability and the nature of theory.
