Unit 2 : Population Lowest population density by large country

- all the people living in a particular country, Position Country people per km2
area, or place 1 Iceland 3/km²
2 Australia 3/km²
What is population density? 3 Canada 4/km²
4 Libya 4/km²
- the number of people for a given area.
5 Russia 9/km²
Often given as how many people per 6 Finland 16/km²
square kilometre. 7 Argentina 16/km²
8 Saudi Arabia 16/km²
9 Norway 17/km²
10 New Zealand 18/km²

Population explosion (rapid population

Total population = Total number of people for a growth)
given area
- rapid and sudden increase in world
population.
- caused by a rapid decline in death rates
due to medical and scientific
advancements during the Industrial
- densely populated - high population Revolution.
density
Population growth
- sparsely populated - low population
density
Population People per sq km
Density
Very densely More than 200
populated
Densely 100-200
populated
Moderately 10-99
populated
Sparsely Less than 10
populated

Highest population density by large country

Position Country people per km2
1 Singapore 8,305/km²
2 Hong Kong 6,841/km²
3 Bangladesh 1,127/km²
4 Taiwan 659/km²
5 South Korea 512/km²
6 India 424/km²
7 Israel 423/km²
8 Netherlands 410/km²
9 Japan 334/km²
10 Philippines 324/km²
 - good hygiene and sanitation
- abundant food supply, so no starvation
Population growth
- good access to medicine/hospitals
Natural increase:
Population Distribution
- birth rate is higher than the death rate =
- is the spread of people across the surface
increase in population.
of the world
- The distribution and density of population
- death rate exceeds the birth rate =
across the world, and within the countries
decrease in population.
is not even.
- Sparsely populated - desert
- both rates are equal = growth rate is said
- Densely populated – City/town area
to be zero.
- The main reason for this uneven
distribution is climatic factor and the
quality of land.
Factors for a high birth rate:(rapid growing - Support-densely populated- provided with
population) food, water and natural resources for
- poor family planning building and energy but the climate must
- little access to contraception① not be too extreme.
- children required to work on land Factor that affecting Population Distribution
- children support their parents in old age and Density
- desire to have a son, so parents keep trying
- religious belief or traditions Physical Implications
factors
Factors for a low birth rate: ( Ageing Climate Cannot be too hot or cold, very
population) wet or very dry
- emancipation ② of women, including Natural Fewer people live in forested areas
vegetation
education and increased career-
Physical Cannot be too steep (isolated) or
mindedness.
relief flat and low-lying (flood prone)
- access to contraception
Soils Fertile soils can support more
- high cost of raising children people
- anti-natal policies. Natal: relating to the Minerals Availability of mineral deposits
birth of babies for use in industry
- increased age of marriage Water Very few people live in desert
- urbanisation. areas as there is no water for
survival
Factors for a high death rate: (Life expectancy)
- low life expectancy and high infant
Human & Implications
mortality
Economic
- food scarcity③, resulting in starvation④ factors
- lack of medical infrastructure and doctors, Agricultura More Food is grown, so more
so disease cannot be treated properly l area people can live there
- poor hygiene and sanitation allows the Industry & More jobs support more people
easy spreading of disease commerce
- sexually transmitted diseases such as Politics Some governments force people
HIV/AIDS to move to other places of a
country
Factors for a low death rate: (Life expectancy / Power Power supply is crucial in
Ageing population/ rapid growing populaion) Supply supporting industries and
- long life expectancy and low infant commercial activities.
mortality⑤ rate
 Japan 2011
Population Pyramid
Population pyramids are graphs that show
population structures, ie how many males and
females of different age groups are in the
population in each place. Population structures
change from place to place and over time. The
population pyramids for the countries below are
different shapes.
What does this mean?
- A wide base means there are lots of young
people, and suggests a high birth rate.
- A narrow base means a smaller proportion
of young people, suggesting a low birth
rate.
- A wide middle, tall pyramid means an
ageing population, suggesting that there is The pyramid for Japan is a different shape. It does
a long life expectancy. not look like a pyramid. The base is not as wide as
Kenya 2011 the Kenyan pyramid. The middle is wider and the
top is taller. This type of pyramid is more likely to
occur in a developed country where birth and
death rates have fallen.
Ageing population
Demographers talk about an ageing population, if
the percentage of people over the age of 65
increases. This is happening in many European
countries (most notably Germany and Italy), as
well as in other developed countries eg. Japan.
Benefits of an ageing population
- Increased development of grey industries
(industries catering the needs of old
people), such as specialised healthcare and
care homes.
- Elderly may pass skills and expertise on to
the younger generation.
The pyramid for Kenya has a very wide base. This
means that there is a high proportion of young
- Elderly may take care of their
people. The top is quite narrow which means there
grandchildren, allowing parents to work at
are fewer people in the older age groups. This type
full capacity, and they may be active in
of pyramid is more likely to occur in a developing
volunteering or other forms of service
country where birth rates are generally higher.
Disadvantages of an ageing population
- Financial burden of elderly due to
retirement: little contribution to economy
(often little income) and cost of pension
budgets places a strain on the working
class – even requiring higher taxation to
pay for the pensions
- Reduced development of infrastructure for
younger people eg. schools, playground
- Fewer people to defend the country
Solutions to the Ageing population
- People are being encouraged to save for
their retirement.
- The age at which people are retiring is
rising.
- Facilities such as nursing homes and care
workers will be needed, perhaps in
preference to schools and nurseries as the
population gets older.
- Educated and skilled migrants could be
encouraged to fill labour shortages.
- The country could adopt a pro-natalist
policy, encouraging people to have more
children by offering them benefits, such as
better access to childcare, better conditions
for maternity leave and maintaining child
benefits.
Over-population and under-population
Over-population
- is when there are too many people, to be
supported to a good standard of living, by
the resources of a region or country.
Under-population
- is when a region or country has
insufficient workers to exploit their
resources efficiently, to support retired
populations and to provide growth.
- For example : too few people to use all the
resources of an area to the maximum
efficiency.
- Rural areas in LICs (Low Income Country)
may become under-populated where
agricultural production has fallen and
depopulation has occurred.
- It could also happen when land in rural
areas is abandoned as people migrate to
urban areas, natural hazards, war and
communicable diseases such as HIV.
Most areas considered under-populated today are
large in area and rich in resources. Examples
include Canada, Australia and Mongolia.
The main cause of overpopulation is high birth
rates and falling death rates, leading to natural
increase. The impacts of over-population include:
- Water – around the world more than 1
billion people do not have access to safe
drinking water. Over-population puts
significant demand on agricultural
production, which in itself consumes more
water than any other sector.
- Food – by 2050 the global demand for
food could be greater than production.
Almost a billion people didn’t have
enough food to lead a healthy life in 2015.
- Food – by 2050 the global demand for
food could be greater than production.
Almost a billion people didn’t have
enough food to lead a healthy life in 2015.
- Food – by 2050 the global demand for
food could be greater than production.
Almost a billion people didn’t have
enough food to lead a healthy life in 2015.
- Food – by 2050 the global demand for
food could be greater than production.
Almost a billion people didn’t have
enough food to lead a healthy life in 2015.
The impacts of under-population include:
- a shortage of workers
- fewer people to pay tax
- closure of services
- wasted resources
Environmental effects of overpopulation Extinction of species
Farming impacts - Climate change, global warming, and
overpopulation have terrifying effects on
- in order to support the food for
other species. Terrifying to the levels of
overpopulation, farmers started cutting the
the whole species being extinct from the
forest in order to increase their hold on
face of the earth.
land that was fit for farming. As a result of
this practice, forests started to shrink at a
- Coral reefs of Australia which is a great
great pace thereby damaging the
tourist attraction is already under the threat
environment and natural habitat of animals
of being extinct.
at the same time.
- farmers in different parts of the world burn
stubble after the harvest of the crops. It Increased habitat loss
downright results in a large amount of
- Due to the population burst, humans
smoke and pollution mixing in the
needed more home, more space to spend
environment which contains toxic
their lives. This only meant cutting down
chemicals.
the forest, captivating the natural habitat of
Deforestation animals, and disrupting their ecosystem.
- cutting down the forest altogether to build Depletion of natural resources
houses, roads and to increase farming
- As the population increases, the burden on
capacity.
natural resources increases too.
- The drawback of deforestation is not
- There are some natural resources that are
limited to cutting down the trees which
abundant in nature like air, sunlight, and
provide us with fresh oxygen but sadly, it
water while there are also natural resources
also results in wild animals becoming
that are scarce and have limited supply like
homeless.
fossil fuels, coal, and minerals. Due to
overpopulation and excessive demand for
Loss of freshwater this limited amount of resources they are
sure to run out sooner or later.
- Due to overpopulation and our constant
need for factory-made products, there has
occurred a loss of fresh water in the rivers Increased emergence of new epidemics and
and oceans. Factories discharge all its pandemics
waste material in the rivers and lakes
- There is a strong correlation between the
which results in loss of freshwater.
emergence of new epidemics and
pandemics and overpopulation.
- There’s an example of the holy river of
India which is river Ganga. It originates in
- With the increasing population every year
the Himalayas and its water is considered
we can see more and more diseases
to be the holiest by Hindus
emerging.

Global warming and climate change - The case of novel coronavirus is the best
example of how overpopulation results in
- Scientists all across the world are worried
the increased emergence of new epidemics
about the changing global weather cycle
and pandemics.
caused by the pollution and constant rise in
the average world temperature.
Elevation in the crime rate
- Overpopulation, lack of resources, and
unlimited wants ultimately make a man
resort to crime in order to maintain a
standard of living. This leads to an
elevation in the crime rate.
- Population spurt has forced village people
to move to the cities to make their ends
meet. Sometimes what happens is that due
to unemployment people resort to
unconventional ways to earn money. A
large population is the reason behind
unemployment and unemployment is the
reason behind elevation in the crime rate.
Solutions to overpopulation
It’s a responsibility of the government to generate
awareness amongst the people and work towards:
- Family planning.
- Women empowerment.
- Some kind of incentive to people.
- Educate people about birth control
methods.
- Reduction in poverty.
For a long time, women’s education and
empowerment were overlooked in the process of
curbing overpopulation but according to a
research report Three Platforms for Girls’
Education in Climate Strategies published in
2017, there’s a correlation between higher levels
of education in women and lower infertility rates.
Investment in girl’s education is indirectly an
investment towards saving the climate by curbing
population growth on the planet.
People should also adopt smart family planning
techniques in order to contribute to the solution of
overpopulation. They should be aware that having
more children is not contributing to earth in any
way. People should be responsible and take the
threat of overpopulation and its negative impact
seriously.
Case-study
High population growth – China
A country with a rate of high population
growth – China.
Many countries have introduced policies to
promote or reduce population growth. This
usually involves encouraging people to have more
or fewer children.
China’s One-Child Policy is one of the most
famous examples of a policy to reduce rapid
population growth.
WHY WAS CHINA’S ONE-CHILD POLICY
INTRODUCED?
- China’s population grew rapidly during the
1950s and 1960s.
- There were not enough resources to
support the rapid growth in population.
- In 1979 the Chinese government
introduces the One-Child Policy, designed
to limit population growth.
HOW DID CHINA’S ONE-CHILD POLICY
AIM TO REDUCE THE RATE OF
POPULATION GROWTH?
- Couples were encouraged to have only one
child in return for financial and welfare
benefits.
- Men could not get married until they were
22 and women 20.
- Couples had to apply to get married and
have a baby.
- Couples received a 10% salary/wage
bonus for only having one child, along
with free education, family benefits and
priority access to housing.
- Couples who did not conform lost benefits
and received fines.
- Women who became pregnant for the
second time were forced to have abortions.
Some had forced sterilisation.
 - Work-place bosses could grant permission
for workers to have a child.
- The government promoted the benefits of
having a small family
The policy prevented hundreds of millions of
babies being born, so China’s population is
smaller than it would have been.
WHAT WERE THE SOCIAL IMPACTS OF
CHINA’S ONE-CHILD POLICY?
- There are few retirement homes in China,
therefore most Chinese children will have
to care for four grandparents as well as
their own parents.
- There are not enough people to look after
the elderly, so retirement homes will need
to be built.
- Men outnumber women in China as
Chinese culture favours boys. This is the
result of baby girls being abandoned or
aborted throughout the policy. It will be
difficult for men to find a partner.
WHAT WERE THE ECONOMIC IMPACTS
OF CHINA’S ONE-CHILD POLICY?
- The increasingly ageing population will
need financial support in the future,
including medical care and a pension.
- From 2025 it is estimated that there will be
more elderly people in China than
children. This will result in elderly people
having to work longer.
- Economic expansion and growth could be
limited in the future due to the declining
size of the workforce.
- There will be a reduction in the tax-paying
working population so the government will
need to increase taxes to provide services
for the population.
Case study
Over-population - Bangladesh
A country which is over-populated –
Bangladesh
- Bangladesh is situated in both the eastern
and northern hemispheres and is located on
the Indian subcontinent in south-central
Asia. Bangladesh is bordered by the Bay
of Bengal, and the countries of India and
Burma (Myanmar).
- Low-lying Bangladesh is frequently
flooded and affected by tropical storms.
With few natural resources, the country
depends on agriculture, with over 40 per-
cent of the population working in this
primary industry.
- Bangladesh has the 8th largest population
in the world with 163,317,317 or 2.11% of
the Earth’s inhabitants living there in
2019. However, the country only has the
92nd largest land area which means
population density is high.
- With a high birth rate and a low death rate,
as shown in the graph below, the
population growth rate is around 1.04%.
The result of this is over-population
because Bangladesh has more people than
its resources can support.
- GDP per person is low in Bangladesh,
meaning people do not generally have a
good standard of living. The graph below
illustrates the difference in GDP between
Bangladesh and other countries. Despite
rising rapidly recently, it is still
significantly below other countries.
- A significant number of people in
Bangladesh are under-employed, meaning
they don’t work full time. Wages are also
low.
-
- According to UNESCO Bangladesh has an
adult literacy rate of just 72.89%. While
the male literacy rate is 75.7%, for females
is 70.09%. This is the result of no free or
 compulsory education system meaning few
people have qualifications.

- Access to healthcare is also poor in

Bangladesh resulting in a high death rate
and infant mortality rate.

In the future, Bangladesh will struggle to cope

with its growing population. The main challenges
the country will face include:
- feeding the population

- deforestation in the Himalayas leading to

increased flooding
- Australia has more resources available
- overcrowding and pollution in the capital,
than it uses, which means surplus
Dhaka
resources can be exported. Exports in 2017
we worth over $220 billion. This
- the increasing likelihood of stronger, more
contributes to Australia’s high GDP per
devastating tropical storms
capita of over $49,000 per person. The
unemployment rate in Australia is very
- the cost of repairs from flooding and
low.
tropical storms means less money is
invested in public services
- With low birth and death rates, Australia’s
natural increase is low. Health care
Case study provision is very good which contributes
towards the low infant mortality rates.
Under-population – Australia Adult literacy is high at 99%.
- Australia has one of the lowest population
densities in the world. With a low - Population density is higher around the
population of 23 million and a land area of coast where climates are more favourable.
over 7.6 million km² its density is around 3 Moving inland the land becomes desert
people per km². This is very low compared and semi-desert. Semi-desert areas could
to the Monoco, the most densely populated be developed for future population growth.
area in the world with 26150 people per However, water shortages could limit
km². population growth and development in the
future.
- Australia is rich in natural resources with
large reserves of natural gas, oil, gold,
uranium and metal ores. Uranium is
important in the development of nuclear
power around the world. Australia attracts
migrant workers to support the
exploitation of these natural resources.
Australia has the 9th highest immigrant
population in the world with 6.7 million,
which makes up 28.2% of its population.
Case study
A country with a low rate of population growth
or decline – Japan
A country with a low rate of population growth
or decline – Japan
- According to the World Bank, the
population of Japan as of 2018 is at 126.5
million, including foreign residents. The
population of only Japanese nationals was
124.8 million in January 2019.
- Japan was the world’s tenth-most populous
country as of 2018. Total population had
declined by 0.8 per cent from the time of
the census five years previously, the first
time it had declined since the 1945 census.
- Since 2010, Japan has experienced net
population loss due to falling birth rates
and minimal immigration, despite having
one of the highest life expectancies in the
world, at 85.00 years as of 2016 (it stood
at 81.25 as of 2006). Using the annual
estimate for October of each year, the
population peaked in 2009 at 128,570,000.
WHY IS JAPAN’S POPULATION
DECLINING?
Fewer women in Japan are having babies, leading
to a reduction in birth rates. There are a number of
reasons for this:
- Many Japanese women work in high-tech
industries
- Their careers may be affected by being a
mother
- Children are becoming increasingly
expensive due to increased childcare costs
- Couples and women can afford a better
standard of living if they have fewer
children to support
- People are putting off having children until
later in life to focus on careers and enjoy a
better standard of living
Significant improvements in Japan’s health care
have led to people living much longer than before.
However, despite this, death rates are increasing.
WHAT ARE THE CONSEQUENCES OF
JAPAN’S AGEING AND DECLINING
POPULATION?
- Japan’s declining population will result in
a shortage of workers in the future. This
will lead to reduced economic growth and
the closure of some services. Industrial
development may also reduce as there are
fewer people available to innovate in the
country’s high-tech sector.
- There will also be a higher dependency
ratio, which means there will be fewer
young people to support the ageing
population. This will lead to younger
people paying higher taxes to support the
elderly population. (A high dependency
ratio indicates that the economically
active population and the overall economy
face a greater burden to support and
provide the social services needed by
children and by older persons who are
often economically dependent.)
- Some post-industrial towns will become
derelict due there not being enough
workers to support some industries.
WHAT IS BEING DONE TO TACKLE
JAPAN’S DECLINING POPULATION?
- Japan needs to incentivise having children
and will need to attract migrants in the
future. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo
Abe wants to prevent the population from
dropping below 100 million by 2060. In
2017, the government announced a 2
trillion yen ($18 billion) spending package
to expand free preschool for children aged
3 to 5 — and for children aged 2 and under
from low-income families — and cut
waiting times at daycare centres.
UK population distribution UK ageing population
Population distribution in the UK is also uneven. The United Kingdom has quite a narrow base but
Some parts of the UK are very crowded. The a large middle and top. This means we have an
south east, which includes the city of London, has ageing population.
a much greater population than the highlands of
Scotland.
The population is very unequally distributed
over the four parts of the UK: England makes
up about 84 per cent of the total population, Wales
around 5 per cent, Scotland roughly 8.5 per cent,
and Northern Ireland less than 3 per cent.
Reasons for the population distribution in the
UK
The south east of England covers one tenth of the
land area but has over one third of the UK
population living there.
- The south east of England benefits from:
- good transport links
- easy access to the rest of Europe and In the UK:
beyond
- being the seat of Government - an increasing proportion of the population
- the City - the financial heart of England are over 65
- in 2005, 16 per cent of the UK population
North West England has a high population was over 65
density because many people located there - by 2034, 23 per cent of the population is
because of raw materials (coal) and industry. expected to be aged 65 and over compared
Scotland has a low population density because: to just 18 per cent aged under 16
- the fastest-growing age group is those over
- some areas of Scotland are remote 85 years
- it is mountainous, making areas less - women tend to live longer than men but
accessible the gap between the life expectancy for
males and females is reducing
Ageing population can bring benefits, such as
more experience and knowledge. But it also
increases the cost of healthcare and adds to the
government spending, as they have to pay
everyone a pension (retirement income).
Glossary
① contraception :
(the use of) any of various methods intended to
prevent a woman becoming pregnant.
② emancipation :
the process of giving people social or political
freedom and rights
③ scarcity
a situation in which something is not easy to find
or get
④Starvation :
the state of having no food for a long period, often
causing death
⑤mortality
the way that people do not live for ever