Low Population Density Case Study: Japanese Alps Flashcards
Where are the Japanese Alps?
The centre of Honshu island
Population density of below 100 people per km2
Reasons for low population density
The valleys (such as the Hakuba Valley) that intersect the mountains have very narrow valley floors so there isn’t enough flat land to grow crops on or built large settlements (large settlements need flat land to build cheaply and easily)
Extreme climate caused by high altitude between 2000-3000m produces average temperatures of less than 1 degree in winter and a maximum or 10 degrees in summer and more than 2000mm of rainfall a year
Low temperatures and soils which are thin, acidic and infertile mean that few crops can be grown so only a small population density can be supported
Many regions in mountains are isolated/remote/covered in forests and divided by steep sided valleys with fast flowing rivers, making communication by road or railway difficult and expensive.
Industries like forestry and logging only employ a few people
Why is there an unevenly distributed population in Japan?
In Japan, the higher the land elevation, the lower the density as most people live along the coasts. This leads to an unevenly distributed population.
