2.2) Consequences of Population Distribution

Explain how population distribution and density affect society and the environment

ESPN

Environmental

Social

Political

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Social Services and Infrastructure: High population density impacts access to housing, jobs, water, and services like sanitation, medical care, fire, police, public transport, and waste collection

• Actually easier and cheaper to provide support to clustered populations- less distance & travel. Rural areas have a dispersed population, but fewer facilities.
• Yet, it is still extensive to provide services for large amounts of people

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Economic

• competition for jobs
• Urbanization due to manufacturing and industrialization
  • Today, more tertiary activities are located in cities
• Uneven population distribution results in uneven development
  • Scattered/ dispersed population
  • Lower wages → Less access to services → Overall, less developed

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Political

• Representation in govt
  • Electoral Districts have to be roughly equal in population size
  • Determines how many representatives in Congress
  • redistricting → process of redrawing electoral district boundaries after the Census every 10 years

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Natural/ Enviornmental/ Physical

• Carrying capacity: The maximum population size an environment can sustain
  • Hiigh population density = pressures on the arable land, water, resources, and food supply
  • Air and water pollution, depletion of natural resources, use of large amounts of energy, excessive waste

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