What is population?
Population is the geographical definition for population is the total number of persons inhabiting a country, city, or any district or area.
Population Density
Population Density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume; it is a quantity of type number density.
Factors Effecting the Population Density of an Area?
Climate:
Job Opportunities:
Causes of the UK's Population Increase since 1945:
However, birth rate in the UK is higher than many countries in the rest of Europe; currently it is about twelve (births per 1000 people each year).
- Climates which are temperate are ideal for settlements.
- Places that are extremely hot, cold or dry tend to have a lower population density e.g. Sahara Desert.
- Mountainous areas of the UK are wetter, windier, colder and harder to access. These areas have lower population densities than other areas in the UK.
- Places with flat and gentle relief are best for settlements as this usually provides a temperate climate and is easier to build on. This is why the Himalayas have a low population density.
- Areas where soil is fertile provide for productive agriculture. Therefore population densities are greater in these areas.
- Fertile areas include land near rivers and at the base of volcanoes. The ash from the volcanoes provide nutrients from deep down underground.
- This is partly why Bangladesh has a large population density.
- Countries or areas which are rich in resources such as oil, coal and precious minerals are most likely to have a higher population density as they can use these natural resources for the settlement and they can sell these resources to countries with less of these natural resources.
- Countries which are away from plate boundaries and are less likely to experience other natural disasters such as hurricanes and floods are likely to be more densely populated e.g. London.
- Countries with unstable governments often experience high levels of emigration.
- The birth rate is the number of births per thousand of the population per year.
- The death rate is the number of deaths per thousand of the population per year.
- The rate of natural increase is the difference between the birth and death rates (RNI= birth rate – death rate).
- Migration is the movement of people from one area or country to another to find work or a better standard of living.
Job Opportunities:
- Areas with many job opportunities are likely to have high population densities.
Causes of the UK's Population Increase since 1945:
- The increasing ease of access to contraception.
- Agriculture becoming mechanized so fewer children are required to work the land.
- Infant mortality rates lowering.
- The desire for material possessions taking over from the desire for large families.
- Equality of women meaning that many have pursued careers rather than staying at home.
- Many people living in former colonies of the British Empire such as in India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, the Caribbean, South Africa, Kenya and Hong Kong have arrived in the UK.
- Many others have come as asylum seekers seeking protection as refugees from war torn countries such as Afghanistan, Sudan, Iran and Zimbabwe.
- There has been much immigration for countries within EU. In 2004, Poland and seven other Eastern European countries joined the EU and this led to much immigration to the UK.
- In 2005, about 565,000 migrants arrived in the UK and only 380,000 people left the UK to live abroad. 57,000 of these immigrants were from Poland.
However, birth rate in the UK is higher than many countries in the rest of Europe; currently it is about twelve (births per 1000 people each year).