INTRODUCTION
- The people of a country are its real wealth.
- It is they, who are the actual resources and make use of the country’s other resources and decide its policies.
- Ultimately a country is known by its people.
- It is important to know how many women and men a country has.
- How many children are born each year.
- How many people die and how?
- Whether they live in cities or villages.
- Can they read or write and what work do they do?
- The population of the world is unevenly distributed.
The remark of George B. Cressey about the population of Asia that “Asia has many places where people are few and few places where people are very many” is true about the pattern of population distribution of the world also.
PATTERNS OF POPULATION DISTRIBUTION IN THE WORLD
- The term population distribution refers to the way people are spaced over the earth’s surface.
- About 90% of the world's people live on just 10% of the land.
- The 10 most populated countries have around 60% of the world's total population.
- Out of these 10 countries, 6 are in Asia.
DENSITY OF POPULATION
- It is usually measured in persons per sq km.
- Each unit of land has limited capacity to support people living on it.
- Hence, it is necessary to understand the ratio between the numbers of people to the size of land.
- This ratio is the density of population.
FACTORS INFLUENCING THE DISTRIBUTION OF POPULATION
FACTORS INFLUENCING THE DISTRIBUTION OF POPULATION
- Geographical Factors
- Economic Factors
- Social and Cultural Factors
Geographical Factors
- water
- Landforms
- Climate
- Soils
Economic Factors
- Minerals
- Urbanisation
- Industrialisation
Geographical Factors
Availability of water
- people prefer to live in areas where fresh water is easily available.
- It is because of this that river valleys are among the most densely populated areas of the world.
Landforms
- People prefer living on flat plains and gentle slopes.
- This is because such areas are favourable for the production of crops and to build roads and industries.
- The mountainous and hilly areas hinder the development of transport network and hence initially do not favour agricultural and industrial development.
Climate
- An extreme climate such as very hot or cold deserts are uncomfortable for human habitation.
- Areas with a comfortable climate, where there is not much seasonal variation attract more people.
- Mediterranean regions were inhabited from early periods in history due to their pleasant climate.
Soils
- Fertile soils are important for agricultural and allied activities.
- Therefore, areas which have fertile loamy soils have more people living on them as these can support intensive agriculture.
Economic Factors
Minerals
- Areas with mineral deposits attract industries.
- Mining and industrial activities generate employment.
- So, skilled and semi–skilled workers move to these areas and make them densely populated.
- Katanga Zambia copper belt in Africa is one such good example.
Urbanisation
- Cities offer better employment opportunities, educational and medical facilities, better means of transport and communication.
- It leads to rural to urban migration and cities grow in size. Mega cities of the world continue to attract large number of migrants every year.
Industrialisation
- Industrial belts provide job opportunities and attract large numbers of people.
- These include not just factory workers but also transport operators, shopkeepers, bank employees, doctors, teachers and other service providers.
- The Kobe-Osaka region of Japan is thickly populated because of the presence of a number of industries.
Social and Cultural Factors
- Some places attract more people because they have religious or cultural significance.
- In the same way – people tend to move away from places where there is social and political unrest.
POPULATION GROWTH
- The population growth or population change refers to the change in number of inhabitants of a territory during a specific period of time.
- This change may be positive as well as negative.
- It can be expressed either in terms of absolute numbers or in terms of percentage.
- Population change in an area is an important indicator of economic development, social upliftment and historical and cultural background of the region.
Components of Population Change
- births
- deaths
- migration
crude birth rate
The crude birth rate (CBR) is expressed as number of live births in a year per thousand of population.
Crude Death Rate
CDR is expressed in terms of number of deaths in a particular year per thousand of population in a particular region.
Migration
When people move from one place to another, the place they move from is called the Place of Origin and the place they move to is called the Place of Destination.
The place of origin shows a decrease in population while the population increases in the place of destination.
Migration may be permanent, temporary or seasonal.
It may take place from rural to rural areas,
- rural to urban areas,
- urban to urban areas
- urban to rural areas.
Immigration: Migrants who move into a new place are called Immigrants.
Emigration: Migrants who move out of a place are called Emigrants.
factors that influence migration
The Push factors -
- Unemployment
- Poor living conditions
- Political turmoil
- Unpleasant climate
- Natural disasters
- Epidemics
- Socio-economic backwardness
The Pull factors +
- Better job opportunities and living conditions
- Peace and stability
- Security of life and property
- Pleasant climate
DEMOGRAPHIC TRANSITION
Demographic transition theory can be used to describe and predict the future population of any area.
The theory tells us that the population of any region changes from high births and high deaths to low births and low deaths as society progresses.
This change happens when society moves from a rural, agrarian, and illiterate state to an urban, industrial, and literate society.
