land reform

Deliberate change in the way agricultural land is held or owned, the methods of its cultivation, or the relation of agriculture to the rest of the economy. The most common political objective of land reform is to abolish feudal or colonial forms of landownership, often by taking land away from large landowners and redistributing it to landless peasants. Other goals include improving the social status of peasants and coordinating agricultural production with industrialization programs. The earliest record of land reform is from 6th-century-BC Athens, where Solon abolished the debt system that forced peasants to mortgage their land and labour. The concentration of land in the hands of large landowners became the rule in the ancient world, however, and remained so through the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. The French Revolution brought land reform to France and established the small family farm as the cornerstone of French democracy. Serfdom was abolished throughout most of Europe in the 19th century. The Russian serfs were emancipated in 1861, and the Russian Revolution of 1917 introduced collectivization of agriculture. Land reform was instituted in a number of other countries where communists came to power, notably China. It remains a potent political issue in many parts of the world. Seealso absentee ownership.

Learn more about land reform with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Reform is a city in Pickens County, Alabama, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 1,978.

Geography

Reform is located at (33.380835, -88.015022).

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 8.1 square miles (20.9 km²), of which, 8.0 square miles (20.8 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km²) of it (0.37%) is water.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 1,978 people, 793 households, and 521 families residing in the city. The population density was 245.9 people per square mile (95.0/km²). There were 925 housing units at an average density of 115.0/sq mi (44.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 53.34% White, 44.89% Black or African American, 0.30% Native American, 0.05% from other races, and 1.42% from two or more races. 0.35% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 793 households out of which 31.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.1% were married couples living together, 22.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.3% were non-families. 33.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 3.06.

In the city the population was spread out with 28.0% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 24.7% from 25 to 44, 20.4% from 45 to 64, and 19.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 76.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 68.7 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $20,625, and the median income for a family was $24,875. Males had a median income of $27,019 versus $16,827 for females. The per capita income for the city was $11,429. About 26.3% of families and 30.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 38.9% of those under age 18 and 26.6% of those age 65 or over.

Law enforcement

Reform is one of two cities on U.S. Route 82 — Gordo being the other — that have been considered speed traps. Many motorists traveling through Reform are cited for either impeding the flow of traffic or speeding.

References

External links