Human systems

FOCUS QUESTIONS: What is population distribution and what is population density?

What are the factors influencing population distribution? (historical, cultural, physical, socioe-conomic factors) What are the factors influencing population density?

The focus of our lesson is population. First, it is important to have an idea of the world population. So, at a glance, this is what the population of the world looks like.

The word population has its origin in the Latin word populous meaning ‘people'. SO, A POPULATION IS THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF INDIVIDUALS OR PEOPLE RESIDING IN A PARTICULAR GEOGRAPHICAL AREA AT A PARTICULAR TIME.

The diagrams above give a clearer picture of how the world's population is divided, with the Caribbean being in the other category and the region having a population of over 45 million.

To acquire this information, someone had to study the population, and by this I mean carry out an investigation. This someone is a demographer, who scientifically studies the human population.

Therefore, demography, the noun, is the science of populations.

To find out about a population (birth, migration, and ageing (including death), the demographer must conduct a CENSUS. Briefly, a census is an official periodic count of a population. It is taken at regular intervals from the entire population. It is one of the most important sources of information that provides a basis for official statistics of the country.

It is conducted every 10 years. The next one for Jamaica is scheduled for 2021.

It presents a full and reliable picture of the population in the country, its housing conditions and demographic, social and economic characteristics.

It is one of the primary sources of data needed by a government for effective development planning.

It also helps to guide informed decisions on the administration of national and local activities.

The very critical information acquired from the census gives the population distribution of the area.

When demographers study the population, they look at different aspects of the population. Two of the features are population distribution and density.

We are going to look first at population distribution. This will give us more knowledge about the spread of people across an area.

POPULATION DISTRIBUTION

Is the pattern of where people live.

Is the way in which people organise themselves in space.

Population distribution also describes how people are arranged according to:

Age

Sex

Religion

Race

There are several physical and human factors that influence the distribution of a population.

The physical factors are:

CLIMATE

People prefer to live in comfortable climates where there is enough rainfall and no temperature extremes.

A lack of fresh water for drinking or watering crops stops people living in an area.

Very high temperatures make farming difficult.

RELIEF

Steep slopes make the use of machinery difficult as well as the building of houses, roads and railways.

High, mountainous areas are too cold; this makes it hard to grow crops and the areas are often remote, making access difficult. Flat, low-lying areas have deeper soil, which makes it easier to grow crops.

NATURAL RESOURCES

Scenery is a resource and can attract tourists, bringing job opportunities. Areas with fertile soils, e.g., river deltas, are good for growing crops to feed the population.

Poor soils with few nutrients mean there will be a low agricultural output.

The human factors are:

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Jobs in areas such as manufacturing and service industries encourage people to move to find work.

Tourism can also attract visitors to an area, providing jobs for local people.

COMMUNICATIONS

Areas with good transport links, such as roads and railways, will attract people and industry, which creates employment opportunities.

Remote areas which are isolated and have poor transport links do not attract people.

What you should also understand about population distribution is that it is uneven.

Places which are sparsely populated contain few people. Sparsely populated places tend to be difficult places to live. Places which are densely populated contain many people. Places which are densely populated are habitable environments.

POPULATION DENSITY

Is the number of people living in a particular area.

Physical factors – high-density, low-density relief (shape and height of land)

Lowland – which is flat, e.g., Ganges Valley in India. Highland – that is mountainous, e.g., Himalayas

Judith Henry teaches at Ardenne High School. Send questions and comments to kerry-ann.hepburn@gleanerjm.com.