II. Population Distribution

A country’s population is the total number of people living within its borders. That number can be very large or very small, depending on the country Geographers study a country’s population to learn more about life in that country

A. Population Distribution Population Distribution – the spreading of people over an area of land The World’s population is distributed unevenly on Earth’s surface Some places on Earth have many people, while other places have very few

People try to live in places that meet their basic needs natural obstacles such as oceans, mountains, and extremely cold or hot weather limit where people can live. Most people have chosen to live where there is fertile soil, fresh water, and mild climates.

Regions with good soil and plenty of water became crowded. Places that were too cold or dry for farming never developed large population.

After about 1800, improved transportation and new ways of making a living changed things As factories and industry grew, the ability to farm became less important. Industrial centers and large cities could develop in regions less suited for farming.

Today, population tends to be highest in areas that were centers of early farming, industry, or trade.

B. Population Density Population Density – is the number of people per unit of land area expressed as the number of people per square mile or square kilometer. gives us a way to describe how thickly settled an area is

It also helps us compare places of different sizes and populations Population Density can vary greatly from one part of a country to another

C. Effects Population density has some important effects on a region The more people there are per square mile, the more crowded it is Cities with high population density tend to have crowded roads and living conditions

These places require many resources to meet people’s needs Places with low population densities tend to have more undeveloped land * Population DensityPopulation Density