Transcript The Distribution and Density of Human Settlement

The Distribution and Density of
Human Settlement
WHERE IS EVERYONE: DISTRIBUTION
• Of the 6+ billion people on the earth today, about
90% are on about 20% of the land area – climate,
soil, vegetation and shape of the land have
something to do with it.
• 3 major concentration areas:
1. East Asia - eastern China, Korea’s, and Japan about 1.5B
2. South Asia - India, Pakistan and Bangladesh - 1.2 B
3. Europe - Atlantic to Urals - nearly 1B
• other concentrations include Southeast Asia with 500
million and eastern US and Canada with 250 million
WHERE IS EVERYONE: DENSITY
• These areas and some others have densities of > 25
people/km2
• More than half the earth has densities < 1/km2
• Much of the earth is basically uninhabited - central
and northern Asia, the interiors of Australia, South
America, Africa – mountains, deserts and polar
regions.
• Population density is very misleading as it varies
greatly even within countries, like Canada or Egypt.
World Population Distribution by Region, 1800–2050
Source: United Nations Population Division, Briefing Packet, 1998 Revision of World Population
Prospects.
• The amount of land available in a country is less
important than the ability of the land to produce food
• Population density is sometimes calculated in more
refined way, based on this idea.
• Physiological density is the relationship between
population and that portion of the land that is
suitable for cultivation (Arable land), and therefore
how much food is/can be produced. The idea is
similar to the concept of ‘Ecological Footprints’
• But agricultural production depends on a number of
factors, like the fertility of the land, the level of local
technology, and the nature of the labour inputs
(skilled, amount, even motivation (ownership of land).
• And no country is dependent fully on local agriculture
anyway - they all trade to varying degrees.
Factors Affecting Distribution: PHYSICAL
• While it is important to remember that physical
geography is not entirely responsible for human
geography, there is a relationship between them
based on the attractiveness, especially productivity,
of certain areas.
• On a global scale there are four physical variables:
temperature, water availability, relief and soil quality
that make land attractive for settlement.
Locational Factors: Climate (temperature, precipitation),
Flat Land, Rivers, Oceans, Fertile Soils, Near other cities,
near other transportation routes.
Largest Cities, Worldwide
Millions
1960
2000
2015
27
26
23
18
23
18
14
11
9
London Tokyo
New
York
Sao Mexico Tokyo
Paulo
City
Mumbai Dhaka Tokyo
(Bombay)
Source: United Nations, World Urbanization Prospects: The 2001 Revision (medium scenario), 2002.
© 2003 Population Reference Bureau
• There is a clear relationship between population
distribution and climate.
• Densities are lower in cold areas and dry areas.
• Exceptions are where there is a major water source
like the Nile, Indus and Ganges Rivers. Remember
the hearth regions.
• Extremely hot and humid conditions are also
counterproductive to population.
• Disease, low worker productivity (lethargy).
• Other controlling environmental factors include
topography (shape of the land and soils.
• People tend to settle on flatter areas because of the
ease of cultivation, construction and transportation.
• People similarly settle where the soil is more fertile,
unless there are strong negative factors like
flooding or earthquakes.
• Volcanic areas are exceptions, since these areas
are extremely fertile and people will settle in these
areas.
Factors Affecting Distribution: Technological
and Cultural
• Technological and cultural innovations can
overcome the constraints of the environment –
irrigation, greenhouse, fertilizer, pesticides etc.
• Proliferation of air conditioning has meant a huge
boom in population in the US South.
• $1 trillion on air conditioners, and $25 billion per
year on energy. Has energy production kept up –
The Blackout!
• Human history also affects population density.
• For example, some areas achieved productive
agriculture and stable political systems very early on
- China and India.
• Western European populations exploded during the
First and Second Agricultural Revolutions and the
Industrial Revolution.
• With the discovery of the New World (North and
South America). Population density dispersed and
relieved (over population) for a time.
• New pockets of concentration begin.
• New resources are found and population begins to
grow even more.
• Eventually these areas reach a saturation point.
The End!