Population density and distribution

Population density – no of ppl living in km2

What is measured by pop density?

How closely together ppl live

Factors influence pop distribution

Explain how climate influence pop distribution (5)

Explain how different physical factors influence pop density (4)

Climate	Polar climate	Long period of freezing temp is too cold for comfortable living & ppl suffer from frostbite Ground is permafrost so difficult to contruct infrastructures Very short growing seasons so limited food production
	Hot arid deserts	Low rainfall of less than 250mm per year Difficult to grow food Lack of water – suffer dehydration High temp makes it uncomfortable to live there
	Temperate climate	Average temp & reliable rainfall makes it easier for growing crops for food supply & supply pop & industry with their water needs
Relief	Low altitude – climate more moderate Flat land – easy to construct infrastructures High mountains & steep slopes – difficult to produce food with colder climate, higher rainfall, infertile soil, not easy to use machinery, difficult to build infrastructures
Soil fertility	fertile soils eg deltas / floodplains can increase crop yield and food supply for the population Infertile soils eg mountain
Natural resources	Areas with natural resources available are usually densely populated eg coal because those area of more job opportunities and businesses.

Explain why countries with coastlines are more densely populated? (4)

Ports can be developed on coast which provides transport routes eg ferries and increase accessibility for trading
Industry develops at port eg power stations, which increases job opportunities
Climate are more moderate which is comfortable for living
There are beaches which attracts tourists to go there

Describe global distribution of these areas (3)

It is unevenly distributed
Area of high pop density include South Asia eg India & East Asia eg China
Area of low pop density include Polar regions eg Arctic & around tropic of cancer/deserts eg North Africa

Suggest reasons for low pop density in Mongolia (4)

It is landlocked
High mountains and steel slopes
Arid area
Cold long winters
Few jobs
Infertile soils

Suggest difficulties which planners face in urban areas with high pop densities (5)

Not enough housing
Increase pressure on healthcare & education
Traffic congestion
Unemployment
Crime eg robbery
Lack of clean water supply, electricity and good sanitation
Problems associated with waste disposal
Air, water, noise pollution

For a densely populated country you have studied, describe and explain the population distribution.

Name of country: Bangladesh

Bangladesh has a population density of 1000people/km2. The population distribution is uneven where 75% of the population live in rural areas and 25% in cities.
There is a high population density in Dhaka of 50000people/km2 because it is urbanising rapidly and people are attracted by the potential for better job opportunities and better services eg healthcare and education. Also, many people are forced to flee from rural areas to Dhaka on south coast due to flooding. There is also a high population density on Ganges River delta because flat land makes it easier to build infrastructures eg housing. Building transport networks eg roads also makes the land more accessible. Moreover, it’s the soil is fertile due to annual flooding and deposit of alluvium. This makes it easier to grow crops for food supply.
On the other hand, there is a low population density in SE highland of less than 250people/km2 because the steep sided hills rise to 900m above the sea level which makes it difficult for intensive agriculture as the soils are infertile. It’s also difficult to construct infrastructure eg transport routes so the area is less accessible. The population density in south coast region is also low of less than 250people/km2 because of the extremely low-lying land of less than 10m above sea level and the rise of sea level due to climate change. This makes the land easier to be flooded so people are encouraged to migrate to cities eg Dhaka.

For a sparsely populated country you have studied, describe and explain the population distribution.

Name of country: Australia

Australia has a population density of 3people/km2. The population is uneven.
There is a higher population density of 10people/km2 in cities in SE eg Sydney and SW eg Perth because the climate is temperate. The average temperatures and reliable rainfall of 800mm makes it easier for growing crops for food supply and provide water for domestic and industrial use. Several cities are located close together eg Sydney and Canberra with close trading connections and good transport links which attract businesses to occur, increases job opportunities and make the areas more accessible. There is also a higher population density in some sparsely populated areas eg Port Hedland in NW because the raw materials eg coal are located there which creates job opportunities for miners. Transport links eg Highway 1 is built along the west coast to link mining settlements with coastal ports eg Port Hedland for exporting raw materials.
On the other hand, there is a low population density in the centre eg the Great Sandy desert because the low rainfall with less than 250mm per year makes it difficult for the population due to the lack of water for domestic use or agriculture use to grow crops for food supply. Also, the poor transport network makes reduces the accessibility to travel between communities. The population density Is also low in northern Australia because the tropical climate has an extremely high rainfall with over 2000mm per year. The climate has a distinct wet and dry season which makes it difficult to build infrastructures eg roads because of the flooding. It’s also difficult to grow crops because the soil is infertile as it will be removed by large amount of surface run off.