Population Density and Distribution When we examine the population of the world we see that it is distributed unevenly- some places are more populated than others Population Distribution- The way people are spread across a given area Population Density- Number of people living in a square kilometere

Case Study: Brazil Brazil is in South America and is the 5th largest country in the world Before 1500, it was estimated 8 million people lived here and there was low population density After 1500, Portuguese colonists arrived and settled in the East Coast. The population rose rapidly because of a high birth rate and many European settlers coming here and brought African slaves with them- leading to big cultural diversity today

Population Density in Brazil Brazil is a large country and its population is still increasing quickly. However, the population is unevenly distributed. Most people live along the coast. The population density is high. Fewer people live inland. The population density is low.

Migration to the interior The Brazilian government encouraged people to move to the interior of Brazil in the 1960’s. A new capital city called Brasilia was built 1000 km in land and new roads were built through the Amazon rainforest People were offered land to encourage them to move and natural resources were exploited to create employment

Population Distribution Today The efforts to built up Brasilia have not been completely successful- it is still only the 4th largest city in Brazil with a population of just over 2.5 million people

Physical and Social Factors making it difficult to develop the interior of Brazil… Amazon River Basin is too hot and humid to attract people Heavy rainfall leaches the minerals through the soil, making it infertile Dense rainforest makes it difficult to travel Population in the interior remains low 50 years after effort to increase it

Effects Low marriage rates/Birth Rates Economic Isolation- Businesses won’t set up here because there are few workers/ potential customers

Junior Cert Qustion

Case Study: West of Ireland The west of Ireland has a lower population than the rest of the country Before the Great Famine of the 1840’s, the population of the west was increasing Farmers sub divided their plots to their sons which meant there were lots of farmers with small farms and food supply increased with the introduction of the potato People also married young and had large families

The Great Famine 1845-1852 Potato crop failed because of blight (plant disease) Over 1 million people died A further 1 million emigrated

After the Famine Farmers stopped sub-dividing their land- now the oldest son inherited it People waited until later in life (mid 20’s) to get married The birth rate decreased as people emigrated People themselves emigrated seeing the good lives people made for themselves abroad

The West Today Not as Industrialised as other parts of Ireland so fewer people live here and fewer employment opportunities Difficult to make a living from farming in the west because the land is so mountainous

Junior Cert Qustion

Low Population Density - Mali

Low Population Density - Mali Mali is one of the world’s poorest countries. It has a low population density. Mali has a lack of rainfall and so it suffers from drought. This causes animals to die and crops to fail. Part of Mali is covered by the Sahara Desert, and the desert is getting bigger each year. This is called Desertification. The small population is spread throughout this huge country. Therefore, in this poor country it is difficult to make schools and health centres, and adequate roads for the people.

High Population Density - Calcutta Calcutta is a city in India. It is one of the world’s largest cities. More than 13 million people live there. It has many problems. Problems in Calcutta Rapid Population Growth – High birth rate, many rural migrants due to poverty, famine, flooding, and violence in the countryside. Shortage of Clean Water – The rise in population makes it difficult to provide clean water to everyone. People in the shanty towns are not connected to the water supply. Overcrowding – More than 32,000 people / km². Many people live on footpaths, under bridges and on derelict sites.

Population Density - Dublin

Population Density in Dublin: Change over time. Up until the 1960’s, most people in the Dublin region lived in the city. However, since then many people have moved out of the city to live in the suburbs. The suburbs developed around villages in West Dublin like Tallaght, Lucan, Blanchardstown, and Clondalkin. They also developed along the coast of North Co. Dublin.

The Growth of Dublin

Population Density in Dublin: Change over time. Much of the growth in Dublin’s population has occurred in west Dublin. Using evidence from the map, suggest 3 reasons for this. _____________________

Effects of High Population Density on Dublin Important centre of education with many universities Excellent Farming land in the greater Dublin area Employment opportunities- big pull factor (attracts people to an area) Excellent transport links developed

Question Discuss 3 effects of high population density on an area you have studied- (Do one for Calcutta and one for Dublin)

High Salaries in the Dublin Region Using evidence from the graph above, explain why people are attracted to the Dublin region.