Population and language are the most important factors that form the cornerstone of a country. Population is the total number of people living in an area. Language, on the other hand, is a common language that people living in that region use when communicating with each other. When we look at the history of the population in the past, China made the first census in history. Generally speaking, the systematic census of Sweden took place in 1749. Norway followed Sweden in 1760.
The Ottomans carried out the first census by Sultan Mahmut II in 1831. The most general purpose of this was to establish the army called Asakir-i Mansure-i Muhammediye (Mansure Army), to replace the guild of janissaries. This indicates that he ordered the census to find out how many soldiers would be recruited into the army. In this census, the taxes to be collected from the people were calculated and only men were counted in the census.
Importance of Language for a Civilization
In terms of language, one of the oldest languages in the world is Chinese as China is one of the oldest civilizations in history. Looking at other languages, hieroglyphics were used in ancient Egypt around 3300 BC. In this context, we can understand how important language is for civilizations. Language is of great importance both in transferring it to future generations and in the reflection of that culture. In the past, civilizations have been able to transfer their culture, their way of living until today, thanks to the language.
Why is Population and Language Important?
The most important factor that does not separate the two is that both are one of the elements that make up a society. While population represents the power of a society, language is an important structure that creates the values of a society's identity. Thus, population and language can be a protector for societies that have not lost their identity.
While population and language are an important factor, developed countries in today's world want to use this factor more and aim to increase their population. In this context, population is the most important factor for the future of the country. Language, on the other hand, is important in terms of keeping the culture of that society alive and transferring culture for generations.
If a nation attaches importance to the population and language factor, the more it strengthens it, the more it learns to protect itself and not be influenced by foreign cultures. In the past, the influence of the population in wars was high, but in today's technology, the population does not have much influence.