• The study of the human covering of the Earth and its various facts with regard to physical and cultural factors is referred to as population geography.

World Population

• At the start of the 21st century, the world population was more than 600 crore (6 billion). In January 2022, it increased to 790 crore (7.90 billion). 
• Over the last 10000 years, population growth has accelerated at two distinct times i.e.
• When man began domesticating animals and plants, the Agricultural revolution led the population to grow at a steady rate.
• When man discovered fossil fuels and invented the rail Solar engine, there was an Industrial revolution in population demographics.

Factors Affecting Population Distribution

There are many factors affecting the population distribution as follows

1. Geographical Factors

Geographical factors are described as follows

• Climate Extreme climates, such as extremely hot or cold deserts, are unsuitable for human habitation. People prefer to live in areas with a pleasant climate and little seasonal variation.
• Living on plains is preferred over mountains and plateaus due to their suitability for farming, manufacturing, and service activities.
• Fertility of the Soil Soil quality plays a crucial role in determining population density. Higher soil fertility contributes to increased population density, with alluvial soil being the most conducive for cultivation.
• Water availability is essential for higher population density. Areas with low rainfall hinder human settlement and agricultural development, while higher rainfall positively correlates with increased population density.

Social Factors

• Places with religious or cultural significance attract more visitors, while areas with social and political unrest may be avoided. Governments often offer incentives to promote settlement in sparsely populated areas or to encourage relocation from overcrowded regions.

Political Factors

• Political demography, studying the relationship between politics and population change, is a crucial factor in population distribution. Political boundaries, stability or unrest, disturbances, migration, trade, and government policies significantly impact population distribution.

Continent Population distribution

Population Density

• The ratio between the number of people and the land they inhabit is known as population density. This ratio is typically expressed as the number of people per square kilometer.
• It is calculated by dividing the population of a country or region by its total land area:

Population Density = Population / Area

• High population density occurs when a large number of people inhabit a relatively small land area, leading to crowded conditions. Conversely, low population density results from a smaller population spread across a larger land area.
• Numerous factors, such as soil quality, rainfall, climate, and economic development, influence population density. These factors vary across regions, contributing to different population density levels.
• The concentration of people in a specific area is measured by density, which can be categorized into high-density, medium-density, and low-density areas.

High-Density Areas:

• In four distinct global regions, we find varying population densities: China and the Far East, South and South-East Asia, Europe and the European part of the Soviet Union, and North America's Eastern coastal plain.

Medium-Density Areas:

• Medium-density population areas are dispersed rather than forming a continuous belt. These regions emerge between high and low-density areas due to favorable economic opportunities. Notable medium-density areas include the Nile valley delta, Morocco's Mediterranean coast, Algeria, Tunisia in the North, the Brazilian coast south of the Amazon, and the coasts of Argentina, Venezuela, and Chile.

Low-Density Areas:

• Africa and Asia exhibit extensive low-density population areas. A distinctively sparsely populated region stretches from the Western margins of the Sahara to the Eastern margins of desert plateaus and mountainous regions of Central Asia, passing through Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Afghanistan.

Densely Populated Regions of the World:

Eastern Asia:

• Population (February 2019): 1,657,057,719.
• Population Density: 144 per square kilometer.
• Key Countries: China, Japan, North and South Korea, Taiwan.
• Agriculture is the primary occupation in these countries, with population concentration in river valleys, coastal plains, and deltaic regions. For example, China's population is concentrated in the Eastern and southeastern parts, specifically in the river valleys of Huang Ho, Yangtze, and Si-kiang.
• Japan, the most industrialized nation in Asia, exhibits low population density in the Hokkaido island due to adverse climatic conditions.
• Growth Rate: 1%, lower than South Asia and the world average.

South Asia:

• Population (February 2019): 1,905,068,833.
• South Asia accounts for 35% of the world's total population.

South-East Asia:

• Approximately 8.5% of the world's population resides in this region.
• Key Countries: Indonesia, Vietnam, Philippines, Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia, Malaysia.
• Agriculture is the main occupation, and population concentration occurs in river valleys, plains, and deltaic tracts.
• Notable densely populated areas include the Irrawaddy River valley and delta region in Myanmar, the downstream valleys of the Menam and Mekong rivers in Thailand, the plain region of the Mekong River in Cambodia and Southern Vietnam, the plains of Tonkin in Northern Vietnam, the Western coastal plains in Malaysia, and Java and Madura islands in Indonesia.
• Java island, constituting only 7% of Indonesia's area, accommodates around 70% of the country's population due to fertile soil and favorable conditions for agriculture.
• Luzon Island in the Philippines also exhibits a high concentration of population.

South-Central Asia:

• Population (February 2019): 1,977,536,868.
• Approximately 25.75% of the world's population resides in this region.
• Countries: India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan (formerly part of the USSR).
• These countries primarily have rural and agricultural economies, with population concentration in river valleys, deltaic tracts, and coastal plains.
• Over 40% of the Indian population is in the Sutlej-Ganga plains.
• High population density is observed in the deltaic tracts of Mahanadi, Krishna-Godavari, and Cauvery on the Eastern coast of India.
• The Ganga-Brahmaputra delta is the most densely populated area in South Asia.
• Bangladesh's 90% population resides in the Ganga-Brahmaputra delta.
• In Pakistan, most people live in the lower plains and delta of Indus, and in Sri Lanka, the majority reside in the southwestern part, while Nepal has a concentrated population in its Terai region.

South-West Asia:

• A hot and dry desert region with populations mainly found in doab regions, coastal areas, foothills of mountains, river valleys, and near water bodies.
• Countries: Iran, Iraq, Turkiye.
• Economic activities include oil extraction, agriculture, and animal husbandry.
• In Iran, the population is concentrated in the Western and South-Western Kurd regions.
• Iraq's population centers in the Doab region of Dajla and Farat (Tigris and Euphrates rivers).
• In Turkiye, Lebanon, and Israel, the population is mainly concentrated in coastal areas and around the Mediterranean region.

Europe:

• The second most densely populated continent after Asia.
• Western Europe is the most densely populated, followed by Eastern Europe, Southern Europe, and Northern Europe.
• The population mainly resides in the coalfields and river valleys of the Rhine, Danube, Elbe, and Dnieper.
• The population is concentrated between 40°N and 60°N latitudes, with the most densely populated areas between 45°N and 55°N latitudes.
• A densely populated belt extends along the 50°N