Both Physical and Human Factors Influence Where People Live
- Why do some places teem with life while others remain sparsely populated?
- The answer lies in a combination of physical and human factors that shape global population distribution.
- These factors help explain why population densities vary across the world, forming observable patterns that can be analyzed geographically.
Definition
Global population distribution
Global population distribution refers to the pattern of where people live.
- The world population has reached 8 billion and is expected to stabilize by the end of 21st Century at between 10 to 12 billion. By 2100-2150 it could be down to 9 billion.
- Some areas can be described as overpopulated, whereas others as underpopulated.
- Over 50% of the world's population can be found in Asia, with dense populations in urban areas and coasts; sparse in deserts, polar regions, and mountains.
- The major challenge is the pattern - uneven distribution of people and resources.
Most People Live in Favorable Locations
- At the global scale, population patterns are influenced by both environmental advantages and challenges.
- Here's a birds eye view on global population distribution:
- 75% of people live within 1,000 km of the sea, benefiting from access to trade and resources.
- 85% live in areas less than 500 m above the sea level, where flat terrain supports agriculture and settlement.
- 85% live between latitudes 20°N and 68°N, where temperate climates dominate.
- Less than 10% live in the southern hemisphere, which has fewer landmasses and, consequently, less areas with temperate climate.
Remember that water availability and soil fertility are often the deciding factors in where populations thrive.
Population Patterns are Closely Linked to Levels of Economic Development
- The World Bank classifies countries based on Gross National Income (GNI):
- High-Income Countries (HICs): Annual GNI per capita above $13,205 (e.g., the USA, Germany) encompassing ~15% of people.
- Middle-Income Countries (MICs): Economies transitioning toward urbanization and industrialization. This group includes ~75% of global population and is the most diverse, being divided further into Upper MICs (e.g. Brazil, China) and Lower MICs (e.g. Egypt, India).
- Low-Income Countries (LICs): Economies reliant on agriculture and limited infrastructure with annual GNI per capita below $1,085 (e.g. Niger, Zambia) encompassing ~10% of global population.
Avoid assuming that all LICs are sparsely populated - some, like Bangladesh, are densely settled despite low incomes.
Physical Factors Play a Key Role in Determining Where People Settle
1. Climate: The Comfort Zone for Living
Would you prefer to live in a region with mild winters and warm summers or in a place where temperatures reach extreme highs or lows?
- Moderate Climates in temperate zones provide reliable rainfall, fertile soils, and comfortable living conditions, making them ideal for agriculture and urban development.
- Harsh Climates, such as deserts (e.g., the Sahara) or polar regions (e.g., Siberia), deter settlement due to extreme temperatures, water scarcity, and challenging living conditions.
- Extreme Weather Events and Natural Hazards: Areas prone to hurricanes, typhoons, or prolonged droughts often have lower population densities due to risks to life and infrastructure.
- Exception - Monsoonal Climate Zones: While extreme, monsoonal climates (e.g., South Asia) support high population densities due to the abundance of water during rainy seasons, which sustains agriculture despite risks of flooding.
- Regions like Western and Central Europe, with its temperate climate, support high population densities
- In contrast, the Sahara Desert remains sparsely populated due to its arid conditions.
When analyzing population distribution, consider how climate affects not just comfort but also resources like water and food production.
2. Relief and Terrain: The Shape of the Land
The physical shape of the land, or relief, plays a crucial role in determining settlement patterns.
- Flat, low-lying areas are attractive due to ease of construction, accessibility, and suitability for agriculture.
- Mountainous regions are less hospitable due to steep slopes, thin soils, and isolation, leading to lower population densities.
- The North China Plain supports high population densities.
- Conversely, most of the Andes and the Himalayas are sparsely populated.
- Many students assume that all flat areas are densely populated.
- However, flat but infertile regions, such as tundras, may still have low population densities.
- Equally, it is usually assumed that all mountainous regions are sparsely populated with no significant urban centers, whereas due to other factors (e.g. natural resources availability or defense opportunities) it is not always the case (e.g. large urban areas in the mountains in Latin America).
- Consider the densely populated Indo-Gangetic Plain in South Asia, where fertile soils and flat terrain support agriculture and urban growth.
- In contrast, the Himalayas, with their rugged terrain, are sparsely populated despite their proximity.
