World Population Distribution and Density

Posted on Mar 9, 2025 in Geography

Global Population Distribution

Global surface area: 510,000,000 km2

  • Land: 150,000,000 km2 (30%)
  • Water: 360,000,000 km2 (70%)

Ecumene (habitable land): 13,000,000 km2

Anecumenes: 20,000,000 km2

World population: 6,700,000,000 inhabitants.

Hemispheric Distribution

  • Northern Hemisphere: 60% water, 40% land. Contains 85% to 90% of the world’s population.
  • Southern Hemisphere (Oceanic Hemisphere): 83% water, 17% land. Contains 10% to 15% of the global population.

The unequal distribution of land inevitably generates an unequal distribution of population.

Population Density

Definition: The number of people distributed over the Earth’s surface (number of inhabitants per km2).

Five most populous countries projected for 2050:

  1. India: 1,630 million
  2. China: 1,440 million
  3. United States: 420 million
  4. Indonesia: 295 million
  5. Nigeria: 300 million

(Note: Original text suggests Indonesia and Brazil will be replaced by Nigeria and Pakistan, but the numbers provided contradict this.)

High Population Density Areas

East and South Asia, dominated by population and rural settlements with a high concentration of cities. Also found in Eastern Europe and the U.S., which is predominantly urban population.

Anecumenes Zones

These include:

  • High mountain areas
  • Polar regions and colder climates (Antarctica, Arctic, Siberia, Greenland, Northern Canada, and Alaska)
  • Wilderness areas (Sahara, Kalahari, Great Basin of Western U.S., deserts of Australia and Central Asia)
  • Amazon and other equatorial regions (warmer and wetter areas involved in the forest)

Factors Influencing Uneven Population Distribution

The uneven distribution of the population is due to:

  • Utilization of Natural Resources: Climate, soil productivity, mining sites.
  • Concentration and Growth of Cities.

Specific Factors

  • Natural Reasons: Climate, relief, biomes, soil, proximity to the sea, water availability, variety and quantity of natural resources.
  • Socio-economic Reasons: Capital, technology, economic activities, energy consumption, transport and communication, infrastructure, services.
  • Historical Reasons: Political organization, territorial conflicts, form of government.

Density Classifications

  • High: More than 100 inhabitants/km2
  • Average: 10 to 100 inhabitants/km2
  • Low: Less than 10 inhabitants/km2

Regions by Density

  • High Density Areas: Industrial and commercial regions, important urban centers, metropolitan areas, intensive agricultural regions.
  • Low Density Areas: Regions of primary economy (extensive agriculture, forest areas, mining, rural settings).

Populated and Less Populated Areas

Populated Areas: The most illuminated areas have a higher population density (Central and Eastern U.S., Eastern Brazil, Northwest South America, Central and Eastern Europe, East Asia, Southeast Canada). In Argentina, the majority of the population is concentrated in the Province of Buenos Aires and the Atlantic coast.

Less Populated Areas: Amazon, Central Africa (Sahara Desert), Siberia, West-Central Oceania, Northern North America.

Population Growth Indicators

  • Birth Rate:
    • High: >30%
    • Low: <20%
  • Mortality Rate:
    • High: >13%
    • Low: <10%
  • Infant Mortality Rate:
    • High: >50%
    • Low: <50%
  • Life Expectancy:
    • High: 75 years
    • Low: ~60 years

Definitions

  • Birth Rate: The number of births in a year per thousand persons of a particular population.
  • Mortality Rate: The number of deaths in a year per thousand people of a certain population.
  • Infant Mortality Rate: The number of children under one year of age who die within a year, per thousand children born alive in a given population.
  • Life Expectancy: The average number of years a newborn is estimated to live.
  • Vegetative Growth: The difference between birth and death rates. Negative growth occurs when deaths outnumber births. Positive growth occurs when births outnumber deaths.

Total Growth Formula: Births – Deaths + Net Migration = Total Population Growth