Population - introduction

• defined as how fast a population or number of people in a particular area grows naturally
• through births and deaths
• One of the factors that determines how fast a population grows or changes in size.
• Calculated by subtracting the death rate from the birth rate.
• Birth rate is defined as the number of live births per 1000 people per year and is expressed in terms of the number of births per 1000 people in a year (eg. 6 births per 1000 in 2009)
• Death rate is the number of deaths per 1000 people per year
• (eg. 3 deaths per 1000 in 2009)

hence, RNI: 6-3 =3 : increase of 3 people per 1000 in 2009

Birth rate > Death rate : RNI +ive and vice versa

Birth rate=death rate : RNI will be 0

Pop. distribution: manner in which people are spread over a particular area.

• Affected by the physical environment and the level of tech and is considered uneven.
• Fertile soil (river deltas)
• Suitable relief (not mountainous areas)
• Non-extreme climate (too harsh, cold ,dry like deserts)
• Rivers also act as a source of food and water and a life-line.
• favourable for growth of crops
• Technology allows people to overcome unfavourable environments and convert it into suitable living environments.

Eg. Las Vegas (water channelled from rivers to deserts)

Population density: Number of people living per square kilometere of land .

• Expressed in terms of number of people per sq kilometere. (people/sq km)
• Eqn: nos. of people/ total land area

Dense (high pop. density) (eg. cities)

• overcrowding
• shortage of basic resources
• Enviro. pollution

Sparse (low pop. density) (eg. deserts, forests ,countrysides)

• Lack of labour

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