Population Density

Population Density

A measurement of the number of people per given unit of land

What are the three population density indicators used to measure the ratio of population size to land area?

arithmetic or crude density; physiological density; and agricultural density.

Arithmetic (or crude) density

total number of people divided by total land area, most often used by geographers

The higher the Arithmetic (or crude density) is

the more crowded a country is

The very uneven population distribution on Earth has created huge disparities in

density

Arithmetic density can be misleading because

t masks the considerable geographic variation in population density within a country. That is, arithmetic density does not reflect how the population is actually distributed.

Arithmetic density enables geographers to compare

the number of people trying to live on a given piece of land in different regions of the world.

arithmetic density answers the

where questions. However, to explain why people are not uniformly distributed across Earth's surface, other density measures are more useful.

Physiological Density

The number of people per unit of area of arable land, which is land suitable for agriculture.

To mitigate the drawbacks associated with arithmetic density, geographers use another density measure called

physiological density

Arable Land

land that can be used to grow crops

In countries with a significant portion of land that cannot be used to grow crops (deserts, mountains, water bodies, swamps), physiological density will be

much higher than arithmetic density.

Physiological density is a good indicator of the

Comparing physiological and arithmetic densities helps geographers understand

the capacity of the land to yield enough food for the needs of the people. In Egypt, for example, the large difference between the physiological density and arithmetic density indicates that most of the country's land is unsuitable for intensive agriculture. In fact, all but 5 percent of Egyptians live in the Nile River valley and delta because it is the only area in the country that receives enough moisture (by irrigation from the river) to allow intensive cultivation of crops.

Agricultural Density

The ratio of the number of farmers to the total amount of land suitable for agriculture

Agricultural Density measures

measures the labor intensiveness of a country's agriculture.

Labor intensive

production that uses a large amount of labor

We calculate agricultural density by

dividing a country's total farm population by total area of its arable land.

The higher the agricultural density,

the more labor intensive a country's agriculture is.

In developing countries, agriculture relies mostly on muscle power and simple tools, and it employs a large number of people. Hence, their agriculture density is usually

high

developing countries

a country with relatively low levels of industrialization and income. A poor agricultural country with a lower quality of life

Measuring agricultural density helps account for

Economic differences

Developed countries have lower agricultural densities because

technology and finance allow a few people to far extensive land areas and feed many people.

developed countries

countries with relatively high levels of industrialization and income A wealthy country with an advanced economy.

To understand relationships between population and resources in a country, geographers examine

a country's physiological and agricultural densities together. For example, the physiological densities of both Egypt and the Netherlands are high, but the Dutch have a much lower agricultural density than the Egyptians. Geographers conclude that both the Dutch and Egyptians put heavy pressure on the land to produce food, but the more efficient Dutch agricultural system requires fewer farmers than does the Egyptian system.

What are the consequences of population distribution and density?

Economic Development, political impact, environmental impact, Human well being, Diseases and natural disasters, (Be able to explain each)

Physiological density is a good indicator of the

pressure that a country's population exerts on its agricultural land.