What is Population Distribution?
Population Distribution is the pattern in which people live across the globe. The unevenness in the population distribution based on the distribution based on multiple factors.
Some areas are very crowded and some are sparsely populated. The crowded areas are south and south-east Asia, Europe and northeastern North America. Very few people live in high latitude areas, tropical deserts, high mountains and areas of equatorial forests.
Many more people live north of the Equator than south of the Equator. Almost three-quarters of the world’s people live in two continents Asia and Africa. Sixty per cent of the world’s people stay in just 10 countries. All of them have more than 100 million people.
Distribution of Population
The way in which people are spread across the earth’s surface is known as the pattern of population distribution. Over 90% of the world’s population lives on about 30% of the land surface. The distribution of the population is uneven. Some areas are crowded, and some areas are sparsely populated. The crowded areas are south and south-east Asia, Europe and northeastern North America. Very few people live in high-latitude areas, tropical deserts, high mountains and areas of equatorial forests. Many more people live north of the Equator than south of the Equator. Almost three-quarters of the world’s people live on two continents, Asia and Africa. 60% of the world’s people stay in just 10 countries. All of them have more than 100 million people.
Factors Affecting the Distribution of Population
Geographical Features
Topography: People prefer to live on plains rather than mountains and plateaus as these areas are suitable for farming, manufacturing and service activities.
- The Ganga plains- most densely populated areas of the world
- Andes, Alps and Himalayas—sparsely populated.
Climate: People usually avoid extreme climates that are very hot or very cold.
Examples: Sahara desert, polar regions of Russia, Canada and Antarctica.
Soil: Fertile soils provide suitable land for agriculture.
Examples: Densely populated fertile plains such as Ganga and Brahmaputra in India, Hwang-He, Chang Jiang in China and the Nile in Egypt.
Water: People prefer to live in areas where freshwater is easily available. River valleys of the world are densely populated, while deserts have a spare population.
Minerals: Areas with mineral deposits are more populated.
Example: Diamond mines in South Africa and the discovery of oil in the Middle East led to the settling of people in these areas.
Social, Cultural and Economic Factors
Social: Areas of better housing, education and health facilities are more densely populated, e.g., Pune.
Cultural: Places with religion or cultural significance attract people.
Examples: Varanasi, Jerusalem and Vatican City
Economic: Industrial areas provide employment opportunities, so it attracts a large number of people.
Examples: Osaka in Japan and Mumbai in India are two densely populated areas.
Factors influencing Population Distribution Globally
There are multiple factors which influence the population distribution at a global level. Aspirants can refer to the same below:
- Population density – It is the number of people living in a particular area
- Climatic reasons like the temperature, availability of natural resources, etc. define the distribution of population across the world
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