Humanity is distributed extremely unevenly on the earth's surface. In order to compare the degree of population of different regions, an indicator such as population density is used. This concept connects a person into a single whole and his environment, is one of the key geographical terms.
Population density shows how many inhabitants per square kilometer of the territory. Depending on the specific conditions, the value can vary greatly.
The average world population density is about 50 people / km 2 . If we do not take into account the ice covered Antarctica, then it will be approximately 56 people / km 2 .
World population density
Since time immemorial, mankind has more actively occupied territories with favorable natural conditions. This is a flat relief, a warm and fairly humid climate, fertile soil, the presence of sources of drinking water.
In addition to natural factors, the distribution history is affected by the history of development and economic reasons. The territories inhabited by man earlier are usually denser settled than the areas of new development. Where labor-intensive sectors of agriculture or industry are developing, population density is greater. The "oil", gas, and other mineral deposits that are being developed "attract" people to themselves, as well as transport routes: railways and roads, navigable rivers, canals, and coasts of ice-free seas.
The actual world population density proves the influence of these conditions. The most densely populated are small states. The leader can be called Monaco with a density of 18680 people / km 2 . Countries such as Singapore, Malta, the Maldives, Barbados, Mauritius and San Marino (7605, 1430, 1360, 665, 635 and 515 people / km 2 respectively), in addition to the favorable climate, also have an exceptionally convenient transport and geographical location. This led to the heyday of international trade and tourism. Bahrain (1720 people / km 2 ), developing due to oil production, stands apart. And the Vatican, which is in 3rd place in this rating, has a population density of 1913 people / km 2 not due to the large number, but to a small area, which is only 0.44 km 2 .
Among large countries, Bangladesh has been the leader in population density over a decade (about 1200 people / km 2 ). The main reason is the development of rice cultivation in this country. This is a very labor-intensive industry, therefore, a lot of labor is required.
The most “spacious” territories
If we consider the density of the world’s population by country, we can distinguish another pole - sparsely populated areas of the world. Such territories occupy over ½ land area.
Rare is the population along the shores of the Arctic seas, including the circumpolar islands (Iceland - just over 3 people / km 2 ). The reason is the harsh climate.
The desert regions of Northern (Mauritania, Libya - a little more than 3 people / km 2 ) and South Africa (Namibia - 2.6, Botswana - less than 3.5 people / km 2 ), the Arabian Peninsula, Central Asia (in Mongolia) are poorly populated. - 2 people / km 2 ), Western and Central Australia. The main factor is poor hydration. With enough water, population density rises immediately, as can be seen in the oases.
The sparsely populated areas include rain forests in South America (Suriname, Guyana - 3 and 3.6 people / km 2, respectively).
And Canada, with its Arctic archipelago and northern forests, has become the most sparsely populated among the giant countries.
There are no permanent residents on the whole mainland - Antarctica.
Regional differences
The average population density of the countries of the world does not give a complete picture of the distribution of people. Within countries themselves, there may be significant differences in the degree of development. A textbook example is Egypt. The average density in the country is 87 people / km 2 , but 99% of the population is concentrated in 5.5% of the territory in the Nile Valley and Delta. In the desert regions, for each person, several square kilometers of area are necessary.
In southeastern Canada, the density can be higher than 100 people / km 2 , and in the province of Nunavut - less than 1 people / km 2 .
The difference in Brazil between the industrial southeast and the interior of the Amazon is an order of magnitude greater.
In highly developed Germany, there is a clot of population in the form of the Ruhr-Rhine region, in which the density is more than 1000 people / km 2 and the national average is 236 people / km 2 . This picture is observed in most large states, where natural and economic conditions differ in different parts.
How are things in Russia?
Considering the world population density by country, one cannot ignore Russia. We have a very high contrast in the placement of people. The average density is about 8.5 people / km 2 . This is the 181st place in the world. 80% of the country's population is concentrated in the so-called Main Resettlement Zone (south of the Arkhangelsk - Khabarovsk line) with a density of 50 people / km 2 . The strip occupies less than 20% of the territory.
The European and Asian parts of Russia are very different. The northern archipelagos are almost not populated. You can call and vast spaces of the taiga, where from one housing to another can be hundreds of kilometers.
City agglomerations
Usually in rural areas the density is not so high. But large cities and agglomerations are places of extremely high concentration of the population. This is due to multi-story buildings, and a huge number of enterprises and jobs.
The population density of cities in the world also varies. Tops the list of the most "tight" agglomerations of Mumbai (more than 20 thousand people for each sq. Km). In second place is Tokyo with 4,400 people / km 2 , in third place is Shanghai and Jakarta, only slightly behind. The most densely populated cities also include Karachi, Istanbul, Manila, Dhaka, Delhi, Buenos Aires. Moscow is also on the same list with 8000 people / km 2 .
You can clearly imagine the density of the population of the countries of the world not only with the help of maps, but also with night photos of the Earth from space. Underdeveloped territories on them will remain dark. And the brighter the area on the earth's surface is illuminated, the denser it is populated.