GCSE Geography - Population - Global Population Distribution

The term "population density" is used to talk about where people live in the world. It's figured out by dividing the total number of people in a place by how big that place is. We then show this number for every square kilometre.

Some places, like the Indian sub-continent or Western Europe, have lots of good things that make people want to live there. We call these places "densely populated." Other places, like the Polar regions and the Amazonian region, have very few people and are called "sparsely populated."

Global distribution of population:

There are different reasons why some places have more people, and they can be split into two groups: physical reasons and human reasons.

Physical reasons:

• Accessibility: People settled near coasts because they traveled by boat. Cities like Sydney, New York, and Cape Town were established on the coast because it was easier to reach them. But, places like the Australian desert or the Brazilian rainforest were harder to reach.
• Climate: People like to live in places with a steady climate, with enough sunshine and rain for crops. Extreme climates, like in the Polar regions or deserts, are not suitable for easy living.
• Relief: People usually gather around flat land, like river valleys, because it's easier for building and farming. The Ganges Valley in India is densely populated. Mountains, like the Himalayas and Alps, are harder to live in.
• Resources: People need water to survive, so they live where there's water. Other resources like coal, oil, and minerals also influence where people settle.
• Soil: Good soil is needed for agriculture. River valleys with fertile soil were good for settlement. Places with poor soil were less attractive.
• Vegetation: Forests were important for wood, a fuel and building resource. However, places like the Amazon Rainforest were too thick for easy use.

Human reasons:

• Economic Factors: People gather in prosperous areas. Many move from rural to urban areas for better opportunities, causing some issues explored later. Improved transport makes it easier to move to economically prosperous areas.
• Political Factors: Countries with stable governments and no fear of persecution have higher population density. People might leave countries with political problems.
• Social Factors: Cultural groups often live together, like the Muslim, Hindu, and Jewish communities in parts of London. Some groups prefer to live in isolation, like the Inuit people in the Arctic.