Population

Density

Population Density• The population density of a country is how

crowded it is. You can work out the population density of an area by dividing the number of people living there by the area of the land (in square kilometres).

• What is the population density of PEI? Population: 135,294• Size: 5,656 sq. km

23.92 people per km squared

Population Density-high and low

• People do not live evenly spread through the world.

• Ex: large parts of Australia are very sparsely populated (low population density), whereas areas in the south-east and around Perth are crowded (high population density).

• The spread of people around a country is known as its population distribution

Look at Canada

• Canada’s landmass is 9,220,970 km2• 2013 population 35,158,300people

• To calculate the arithmetic population density, we divide the population of the country by the area of land

• Using figures above, that results in population density of 3.8 people per square km.

• Does that seem right? How many people live in your neighbourhood? What about Toronto?

3.8 people per km² (Really?)

Physiologic population density

• This provides a more realistic look at where people live in a country

• Physiologic density= population• cultivated area (km2)• For Canada, the physiologic density would be..

– 35,158,300– 455000 km2 (cultivated land)– =77.27 people/km2– Therefore, on average, 77.27 people live on every square

kilometer of cultivated land in Canada

This is a physical relief map of Canada

Climate

Opportunities and Constraints

Opportunities- describe reasons people would want to move to an areaConstraints-describe factors that would discourage people from wanting to live in a particular place

World population distribution:Text page 187

Where in Canada Do people live?

The factors that tend to attract low population densities (Constraints)

• Extreme climate - too cold, hot, wet or dry • Extreme relief - too high and too steep • Extreme remoteness - places that are difficult

to reach • Infertile land

The factors that can produce a high population density (Opportunities)

• Moderate Climate• Fertile farming land - many, small farms able to support

a large population • Mineral resources - mines produce jobs, and provide

raw materials for other industries • Low land - with gentle slopes or flat ground • Good water supply • Wealthier areas - people will move to where the jobs

and money are found

An Exercise

• Compare the countries of Japan and Norway • Calculate the population densityBased on the physical geography of these two

countries....• Explain the population distribution of each

country with regard to physical features of the country

Norway Japan

Text book 2 case studies

• Egypt: A land wedded to water p.187• Bangladesh: A land wedded to water p. 189• Answer questions 3a) and b), 4, 5 a) and b),

and 6 on page 190.