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43 Depopulation in rural areas: between inevitability and the ability to change* João Ferrão Geographer, research professor at the Institute of Social Sciences (ICS), University of Lisbon The long demographic cycle of traditional rural Portugal: rise and fall Rural areas have never been demographically homo- geneous – in Portugal or in any other country. Why? The reasons have not necessarily been the same over time. It is important to have a grasp of this change, even in brief, in order to better understand the pres- ent and, in particular, envisage what must be done – or, more modestly, to identify what can be done – aiming at creating rural areas that have a future in their diversity. In the long historical period spanning the invention of agriculture until the indus- trial revolution that began in Britain at the end of the 18th century, the demography of different rural areas can be basically understood in terms of the interdependencies between ecology on the one hand and community and economy on the other. These were mediated by three main elements: power relations (political, religious and civil), prop- erty structure and technical knowledge (agricultural, hydraulic, etc.). In rural societies, given the centrality of agriculture and silvopastoral methods and their dependence on biophysical factors, the “ecology” component is essential when defining these interde- pendencies. History clearly shows that no determin- istic relationship exists between ecology, community and economy. However, it is also clear that in these soci- eties factors such as climate conditions, orography, soil quality and water availability crucially contribute to limit the possibility of occupying and using rural territories. For centuries, the evolution in inhabitants and human settlement patterns in Portu- gal’s rural areas reflected the existing ecological conditions and the way in which the three mediation systems – power, property and * Editor’s note: Originally published in CULTIVAR issue 11 – Population and rural territory, March 2018, p. 13, as “Despovoamento em áreas rurais: entre a inevitabilidade e a capacidade de transformação”. https://www.gpp.pt/images/GPP/O_que_disponibilizamos/Publicacoes/CULTIVAR_11/#14 … the demography of different rural areas can be basically understood in terms of the interdependencies between ecology on the one hand and community and economy on the other. These were mediated by three main elements: power relations (political, religious and civil), property structure and technical knowledge (agricultural, hydraulic, etc.).