Population Distribution and Density

Flashcards covering key concepts about population distribution and density, along with influencing factors.

What are the four major global population clusters?

South Asia, East Asia, Southeast Asia, and Europe.

What physical factors influence human population distribution?

Climate, weather patterns, landforms, bodies of water, and natural resources.

What human factors influence human population distribution?

Economic, cultural, historical, and political factors.

Economic pull factor

A variety of economic opportunities and goods/services.

Social pull factor

A community that is open and welcoming to different cultural groups.

Historical pull factor

Migration influenced by past trade routes, historical events, political boundaries, and empires.

Political pull factor

A stable political environment where people feel safe and supported.

Difference between dispersed and clustered places

Dispersed places have populations and features spread out; clustered places have little to no space between them.

Population distribution

The spread of people in an area.

Population density

The number of people in an area.

Arithmetic density

Total population divided by total amount of land; commonly used metric to show population density.

Physiological density

Total population divided by total amount of arable land; measures pressure on the environment to feed the population.

Agricultural density

Number of farmers divided by total amount of arable land; shows level of agricultural efficiency.

Why is physiological density a more accurate measure of population pressure?

It accounts for the relationship between population and arable land, providing insight into agricultural impact.

Why might a region have low agricultural density?

Use of more productive agricultural practices and advanced machinery.

What does population distribution show?

Where people live.