Where Do People Live?

Chapter 3, Section 1

Reach Into Your Background • • • Would you like to live in a city or in the country?

List some interesting things you could do if you lived far from a city.

List the things you would enjoy most about a city.

What is Population Distribution?

• • • • The world’s population (total number of people) is spread unevenly over the Earth’s surface.

New York City vs. Sahara Desert Population distribution  describes the way the population is spread out over the Earth – The reasons population is distributed as it is may seem unclear.

Demographers  study the populations of the world – – Examine birth, marriage, death Why do people choose to live in a certain area?

Uneven Population Distribution • • • Landforms  affect where people live Few people can live in mountainous or hot deserts with dry land Many factors make a location a good place for people to live.

– – Bodies of water  trade and travel; fresh water (drinking and farming) • Flat coastal areas Flat, fertile soil  • Plains and valleys grow food and build easily

Uneven Population Distribution • • Other factors – Climate  temperate; adequate rainfall – Abundant natural resources  and make products build houses Maps on Pgs. 56-57 in textbook

Populous Continents • Because of these factors, 81% of the Earth’s people (4.9 billion people) live in Asia, Europe, and North America.

– These 3 continents = 53% of world’s land – Fertile soil, plains, valleys, fresh water, rich in natural resources, good climates

Not Populous Continents • • • Other continents have smaller populations partly because it’s hard to live there.

Australia = 3 million square miles (size of the continental U.S.) but only 19 million people live there – About the same number of people live in the state of New York Australia’s environment  mostly desert/dry grassland; few rivers/little rainfall – Most people live along the coasts.

Not Populous Continents • Africa  landforms and climate limit population – 20% of the world’s land, but only 13% of world’s population.

– 2 of the world’s largest deserts (north and south) – Broad bands of land with little rain – Rainforest long the equator – Many people live along narrow coasts

Not Populous Continents • South Africa  population limited by landforms and climates – 340 million people – Live along the Atlantic coast – Soaring mountains, vast dry plains, thick rain forests

World Population Distribution

Population Density • • • Population Density  the average number of people who live in a square mile High density country = people crowded together Japan has one of the highest population densities in the world.

– – Almost all of its 126 million people live on only 16% of the land.

Tokyo  more than 25,000 people per square mile

Japan’s Population Density (2011)

Population Density • • Canada = low population density – 9 people per square mile Canada is bigger than the United States, but only 31 million people live there.

– (Japan has 95 million more people.) – Cool climate and short growing season affect population.

Canada’s Population Density (2002)

Studying Population Density • • Demographers divide the number of people living in a place by the number of square miles of that place.

California – Population = 33,871,648 people – Land Area = 155,973 square miles – Average Population Density = 217.2 people per square mile

California’s Population Density (2010)

Studying Population Density • • On a world population density map, different colors show areas with heavy population.

– Population Density Map vs. Physical Map worksheet • Compare the landforms to the population density.

• Where do people tend to live?

Some people do live in areas most of us would find uncomfortable – frozen Arctic regions; herders – People have developed ways of life suited to their environment over many generations.