Population Density
- Patterns of population density help us understand the demographic characteristics of any area. It is important to note that each unit of land can only support a limited number of people efficiently. To learn about the demography of an area better, it is essential to note the population density of that area.
- Population density is the ratio between the number of people to the area of the land. It is measured in persons per square kilometer or km².
Important note: The distribution of population across the globe is not uniform aka the way people are spaced over the surface of the earth is not even. 90% of the world’s population is said to live in approximately 10% of the earth’s land area, indicating uneven usage of resources and uneven socio-economic development across nations.
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Density of population = Total Population / Total Area |
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- The table below gives us a few examples of densely and sparsely populated regions across the globe for a better understanding of population density:
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Population Density |
Description |
Examples across the globe |
|---|---|---|
|
Densely populated areas |
More than 200 persons per sq. km. |
North -Eastern part of U.S.A., North-Western part of Europe, South, South-East and East Asia |
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Medium density areas |
Approx. 11 to 50 persons per sq. km. |
Western China, Southern India in Asia, Norway, Sweden in Europe etc. |
|
Sparsely populated areas |
Less than 01 person per sq. km. |
The North and South Poles, the hot and the cold deserts and high rainfall zones near the Equator. |
- The population density of India in 2011 was 382 per sq. km.
Density & Population Growth| Class 12 Geography Notes
The greatest source of wealth for a nation is said to be its people. The people of a country have a major role in deciding its socio-economic position in the world. It is the people of a nation who use their country’s resources for its development and decide on policies to help govern a nation better. Therefore a large population is advantageous if used well by a government.
It is important to learn important factors associated with population and this article aims to give simplified notes for students on the topic of Density and Growth of population, as discussed in Chapter 2 of the helpClass 12 Geography NCERT book. Please go through this article for better understanding of this topic and easy-to-read notes.