Population, society and means in the Mountains of Málaga during the second half of the 19th century. Analysis of scale of the scattered rural habitat

Abstract

Axarquía-Mountains of Malaga region population has been analyzed for numerous investigators that have utilized, generally, a scale of work municipality. Population social and structural characteristic in "Partido Rural Tres Chaperas" (Municipality of Malaga) are analyzed in this paper to detail scale, now that has been descended to the scale of scattered rural habitat. Population Register of the Municipality of Malaga, during severa! years in the 40s and 90s (XIX century), have been used like source of information. The obtained results, show that the population structure is characterized for being eminently young and with a sex ratio, marked by a high relation of masculinity. The essencial production units of Mountains of Malaga wine press were the simple conjuga! families, emphasizing, in this sense, the existence of a significant correlation between production units typology and the size of the agrarian exploitations. The rural population was also characterized by a marked character of inestability in the wine press ocupation, that is to say, that a family periods of residence duration in a specific press reachd a high variability. Finally, we must emphasize that the literacy leve! was very low, predominating families in which none of its members knew to read or to write.