Desirable Land

Population and Density – Comprehensive Study Notes

Population: the collection of living organisms in each geographic area.
Population Distribution: pattern of human settlement – Where are people settling?
Population Density: average population per square mile/km – How crowded is one space?
Historical settlement: Where have humans settled throughout history?

World population by region shows growth over time with regions including Oceania, Latin America, North America, Europe, Africa, and Asia.
Population milestones presented as a timeline (e.g., 7 billion, 6 billion, 5 billion, …, 0) with key years such as 1820, 1850, 1900, 1950, and up to 2000–2019.
Data sources: HYDE (2016) & UN (2019); visualized on Our World in Data.
World population growth is commonly presented as a regional share over time (OurWorldInData.org/world-population-growth/). CC BY.

Estimated population by country (in millions) for 2003 and 2023 (middle-future estimates as of July 1 of the respective years).
Leading nations include India, China, USA, Indonesia, Pakistan, Nigeria, Brazil, Bangladesh, Russia, Mexico, Ethiopia, Japan, etc.
Example magnitudes shown: 2003 vs 2023 estimates (e.g., 1,428.6 million for India in 2023; 1,425.7 million for China in 2023; USA around 300 million in 2003 context). Source: UN Population Division; CC.
World Population Review also referenced for cross-checks.

The expansion westward corresponds with new territory acquisition, exploration, and population dispersion.
These processes influenced settlement patterns, land use, and regional density changes through time.

Population distribution change: Distribution largely remained similar in some periods but density rose significantly over time.
Key question: Why did density increase while total suitable land did not increase proportionally?
Explanation: Humans concentrate in desirable land (land with resources and favorable conditions); as population grows, more people occupy the same usable land area, increasing density.