1.9 Factors Influencing Population Density

Question 1

Population distribution

Answer 1

The pattern of where people live.

Question 2

Population density

Answer 2

The average number of people living in a given area, which is calculated by dividing the total population by the area of the land.

Question 3

What attract people to live in some areas?

Answer 3

• flat land
• employment
• good communications
• fertile soil
• reliable water supplies
• natural resources

Question 4

Why do few people live in some area

Answer 4

• steep relief
• arid climate
• infertile soils
• marshy land
• extremely cold climate

Question 5

High population density - Japan

Answer 5

• Introduction
  1. Japan is one of the most densely populated countries in the world with a population density over 350 per km2.
  2. the population distribution is not even
• Low-density rural areas
  1. There is not enough flat land
  2. Soils are thin, acidic and infertile
  3. Many areas are isolated and remote as the winding roads are poor and there are few, if any, other communications
  4. There is little work except forestry as there are few natural resources
  5. The climate is often extreme, with long and cold winters and heavy rain or snow
• High-density rural areas
  1. Crops can easily be grown on the fertile soils of the flat or gently sloping land
  2. It is easy to use farm machinery on flat land
  3. The warm temperate climate means a variety of crops can be grown
  4. Good roads and railways make it possible to live in the countryside and work in the cities
• High-density urban areas
  1. On the flat lands it is easy to build
  |towns and cities
  |factories, offices and other commercial buildings
  |road and rail networks
  |airports
  2. On the coast there are many ports and harbors which have led to
  |the import of raw materials
  |the export of manufactured goods
  |the development of a fishing industry

Question 6

Low population density - Namibia

Answer 6

• the Republic of Namibia is a country in south-west Africa on the Atlantic cast with a low GDP per person of US$7900
• it is the most sparsely populated countries in the world with an overall population density of 2.6 per km2
• the Namibia Desert and huge dunes stretches along the entire coastline with a very hot and dry climate
• rainfall is sparse and erratic and there are prolonged periods of drought
• the economy is dependent on the extraction such as diamonds and uranium for export
• mining employs only about 3 percent of the population while about half of the population depends on subsistence agriculture