WORLD POPULATION DISTRIBUTION TODAYS LESSON Title World population

WORLD POPULATION DISTRIBUTION

TODAY’S LESSON Title: World population distribution Date: 09/11/2020 Aim: To find out about the distribution of people living in the world and to find out the factors that affect this.

LESSON STARTER Think of one place in the world where many people live and another one where very few people live. Write them down. Beside each one write down the reason that they are highly populated or not.

INTRODUCTION Even though the population has reached over 7 Billion people the world is not yet overcrowded. In fact it is not even crowded. There are on average, only 24 people to every square mile of land. • Some areas are much more crowded than this, but there also a lot of empty areas. • The world’s population is scattered very unevenly.

WORLD POPULATION DISTRIBUTION

Population of a country Area of country (sq mi) = Population Density (people per sq mi) Population: 298, 444, 215= 84 people / sq mi Area: 3, 539, 225 sq mi Population: 127, 463, 611 = 836 people / sq mi Area: 152, 411 sq mi

POPULATION DISTRIBUTION Population distribution is the spread of people over an area. Densely populated means that there is a lot of people in a small area. Sparsely populated means that there is very little people in an area.

The population density is very sparse in the areas of the highlands to the North West and North central. Scotland is most densely populated along the central belt around areas such as Glasgow and Edinburgh. There also pockets of high density population in major cities along the East coast, such as Dundee and Aberdeen.

REASONS FOR THIS UNEVEN DISTRIBUTION IN POPULATION: Climate Relief Soil and Vegetation Economic Activity Development Standard of Living

THE IMPORTANCE OF CLIMATE Polar regions Few people Lots of people

POLAR REGIONS HAVE FEW PEOPLE BECAUSE: It is impossible to grow crops, so food is expensive. Building is very difficult because of the permafrost underneath. It is difficult and expensive to survive in such conditions. They are very remote, due to the poor weather and lack of roads and railways.

THE IMPORTANCE OF CLIMATE Very Dry Regions (hot deserts) Few people Lots of people

HOT DESERT REGIONS HAVE FEW PEOPLE BECAUSE: Living in extreme heat and drought is unpleasant to most people It is impossible to grow without irrigation so food is expensive They are remote and unlikely to attract industries, so there are few job opportunities.

THE IMPORTANCE OF CLIMATE Regions with moderate climate and reliable water supply Few people Lots of people

REGIONS WITH A MODERATE CLIMATE AND RELIABLE WATER SUPPLY ARE MORE CROWDED BECAUSE: It is a comfortable climate in which to live. No extra costs needed in order to cope with the climate. Farmers have steady harvests from year to year because the climate is reliable.

THE IMPORTANCE OF RELIEF Relief means how flat or how mountainous the land is. Which one has the highest population density? Steep Moutainous Regions Flat and gently sloping areas

STEEP, MOUNTAINOUS REGIONS HAVE A LOW POPULATION DENSITY BECAUSE: They are very cold (except in the tropics) and so living and farming conditions are harsh. It is too steep for roads are railways, so the areas are remote. It is too steep on which to build houses and factories and to use farm machinery, so job opportunities are few.

FLAT AND GENTLY SLOPING AREAS HAVE A HIGH POPULATION DENSITY BECAUSE: It is easy to build houses and factories. Farming is more productive because the soil is deeper and machinery can be used. Roads are railways can be built, which encourages industry.

THE IMPORTANCE OF SOILS AND VEGETATION Tropical Rainforests Areas with poor soils The hot humid climate is uncomfortable in which to live. Dense forest is difficult to clear in order to build houses, roads etc… Soils are very poor, once the trees have been cut down. Crops grow so badly that farms have to be very large for the farmer to make a large profit. Areas with fertile soils Crops grow very well and so farms are smaller.

THE IMPORTANCE OF ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES Farming Areas Industrial Areas Each family needs a large area to make a living (unless the soil is extremely fertile) Factories and offices take up a small area, yet provide many jobs.

THE IMPORTANCE OF DEVELOPMENT Areas with low levels of development Farming methods will be poor and there is little farm equipment, so farms need to be quite large. There a few factories and offices, as there are not enough skilled workers, managers or money available.

THE IMPORTANCE OF DEVELOPMENT Areas with high levels of development Most people work in offices and factories which need large populations nearby.