Population Distribution Population distribution means the pattern of where people live. World population distribution is uneven. Places which are sparsely populated contain few people. Places which are densely populated contain many people. Sparsely populated places tend to be difficult places to live. These are usually places with hostile environments e.g. Antarctica. Places which are densely populated are habitable environments e.g. Europe. Population Density Population density is a measurement of the number of people in an area. It is an average number. Population density is calculated by dividing the number of people by area. Population density is usually shown as the number of people per square kilometer. The map below is a choropleth (shading) map and illustrates population density. The darker the colour the greater the population density. Factors Affecting Population Density There are a range of human and natural factors that affect population density. The tables below illustrate this. Physical Factors High Density Low Density Relief (shape and height of land) Low land which is flat e.g. Ganges Valley in India High land that is mountainous e.g. Himalayas Resources Areas rich in resources (e.g. coal, oil, wood, fishing etc.) tend to densely populated e.g. Western Europe Areas with few resources tend to be sparsely populated e.g. The Sahel Climate Areas with temperate climates tend to be densely populated as there is enough rain and heat to grow crops e.g. UK Areas with extreme climates of hot and cold tend to be sparsely populated e.g. the Sahara Desert Human Factors High Density Low Density Political Countries with stable governments tend to have a high population density e.g. Singapore Unstable countries tend to have lower population densities as people migrate e.g. Afghanistan. Social Groups of people want to live close to each other for security e.g. USA Other groups of people prefer to be isolated e.g. Scandinavians Economic Good job opportunities encourage high population densities, particularly in large cities in MEDCs and LEDCs around the world. Limited job opportunities cause some areas to be sparsely populated e.g. Amazon Rainforest Population Change The worlds population is growing very rapidly. In 1820 the worlds population reached 1 billion. In 1990 it reached 6 billion people. This rapid growth in population has been called a population explosion. The major reason for population changes, whether in an individual country or for the whole world, is the change in birth and death rates. The birth rate is the number of live babies born in a year for every 1000 people in the total population. Death rates are number of people dying per 1000 people. When birth rates are higher than death rates the population of an area will increase. Over the past 150 years improvements in health care andsanitation around the world have led to a drop in the death rate. While birth rates have dropped in MEDCs, birth rates are still high in LEDCs. Therefore the number of people in the world has grown rapidly The Demographic Transition Model The Demographic Transition Model attempts to show how population changes as a country develops. The model is divided into four stages. Stage 1 Birth rate and death rate are high - low natural increase - low total population Stage 2 Birth rate is high - death rate is falling - high natural increase (population growth) Stage 3 Falling birth rate - low death rate - high natural increase (population growth) Stage 4 Birth rate and death rate is low - low natural increase - high total population The Demographic Transition Model does not take into account migration. Bigabdul Hassan Wagini Reasons for High Density * Relief - Lowland areas which are flat are easier to farm and build settlements and transport links * Climates - Moderate climates with enough rain and warm temperatures to allow crops to grow and ripen e.g. W. Europe & Japan. * Soil - Thick fertile such as loams and alluvium promote agricultural production such as S.E. England. * Vegetation - Areas of open woodland and grassland are easy to settle in. e.g. The Pampas in Argentina. * Accessibility - Coastal areas with easy access to transport and trade * Resources - Plenty of water, timber, minerals such as coal, oil and copper enable countries to develop. e.g. Western Europe & Eastern America Reasons for Low Density * Relief - Mountainous areas are too steep to farm easily and are difficult to build on and get around easily. * Climates - Very cold, very hot and too dry affect the growing season and make cultivation impossible - also unpleasant to live in such areas. e.g. The Arctic, Sahara Desert, etc. * Soil - Thin, rocky and acidic soils all result in low agricultural production such as hot deserts and mountainous areas. * Vegetation - Very dense jungle and swamps make it difficult to penetrate and use productively. e.g. Amazon Rainforest. * Accessibility - Interior areas of large continents such as Africa and Asia struggle to develop * Resources - Few economic resources make it difficult for a country to trade with other countries. Population Density - Human Factors Reasons for High Density * Economic - Large rich markets for trade, good infrastructure such as roads, railways etc as well as a skilled and varied labour force * Social - Some groups of people prefer to live together for security and friendship such as Europeans, Japanese etc * Political - Stable and fair government - usually democracies such as W. Europe, Singapore etc Reasons for Low Density * Economic - Poor trading links and markets, poor infrastructure with few roads and services such as Central Africa, Amazon Basin and limited job opportunities for the inhabitants * Social - Some groups of people prefer to be more isolated such as Scandinavians * Political - Unstable governments and civil wars - in such areas as Afghanistan, Zimbabwe and the Sudan Top 20 World Population The most populated countries of the world. Country Human Beings (in millions) Capital City China 1,347 Beijing India 1,241 Delhi United States 312 Washington D.C. Indonesia 238 Jakarta Brazil 197 Brasilia Pakistan 177 Islamabad Nigeria 162 Abuja Bangladesh 151 Dhaka Russia 143 Moscow Japan 128 Tokyo Mexico 115 Mexico City Philippines 96 Manila Viet Nam (Vietnam) 88 Hanoi Ethiopia 87 Addis Ababa Germany 81.8 Berlin Egypt 82.6 Cairo Iran 78 Tehran Turkey 74 Ankara Thailand 69.5 Bangkok Congo, Democratic Republic of 67.8 Kinshasa France 63.3 Paris United Kingdom 62.7 London Italy 60.8 Rome April 2012 - Source: 2011 World Population Data Sheet - Population Reference Bureau Most Densely Populated Nations Country Population / km² Capital City World 51 Macao SAR 18,534 Macao Monaco 18,185 Monaco Singapore 7,565 Singapore Hong Kong SAR 6,488 Hong Kong Gibraltar 4,559 -- Bahrain 1,925 Manama Vatican City 1,877 Vatican City Malta 1,304 Valletta Bermuda 1,226 Hamilton Sint Maarten 1,101 Philipsburg Maldives 1,091 Malé Bangladesh 1,046 Dhaka Channel Islands 804 St. Helier/St. Peter Port Palestinian Territory 692 (Jerusalem) Taiwan 644 Taipei Barbados 637 Bridgetown Mauritius 630 Port Louis San Marino 524 San Marino Korea, South 492 Seoul Nauru 485 (Yaren District) Puerto Rico 450 San Juan Tuvalu 431 Funafuti Lebanon 410 Beirut Netherlands 402 Amsterdam
Posted on: Sat, 15 Mar 2014 12:48:50 +0000
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