Population density per square kilometer. Countries with the highest population density: rating, features

In geopolitics there is such a thing as "population density". It determines the demographic and economic potential of a country or a particular region. Of course, this indicator is considered conditional, and its value depends on the area of the analyzed territory.

Definition of the term

In geography, population density is determined by the number of people per unit area (1 square km). The more people live in a city, country, region, the greater this density.

At the same time, this is a purely statistical indicator, which depends on the area of the study area. Thus, the number of people per unit area throughout Russia is much less than in Moscow, and much more than in Siberia, although both of these indicators are taken into account when determining the national density.

And this applies not only to Russia, but to the entire area of the Earth. People are not evenly distributed on it. There are completely uninhabited regions, and there are places where the number of people exceeds 1000 per unit area.

Distribution of the population on the planet

According to statistics, the population density of the world is very uneven. In general, about 40 people per square kilometer live on the planet. At the same time, about 10% of the land is not inhabited at all.

90% of the inhabitants of the earth are concentrated in the Northern Hemisphere and 80% - in the Eastern. Moreover, approximately 60% of all people on earth live in Asian countries.

Therefore, in the Southern and Western Hemispheres, the number of people will be lower than the average figure on the planet.

In the Northern regions of the Earth, the number of people is noticeably decreasing, and there are practically none in Antarctica, except for single research groups. At the same time, the coasts of the seas and large rivers are very densely populated, which was facilitated by various factors of history and ecology.

Thus, we can safely say that the population on Earth has a heterogeneous character, which was influenced by a variety of factors. It is noteworthy that migration processes never stop. This gives the right to assert that the population density of countries is a very dynamic indicator.

Factors that affect the density of the world's population

Scientists argue that the nature of the population of certain territories depends on many factors. Some of them are subject to man, and some he must submit.

First of all, these are climatic conditions. The more favorable weather conditions for human life, the more people will settle in such a territory. Consequently, in tropical countries, places close to water bodies, people settle more often. This also explains why very cold regions are practically undeveloped by man.

Geographic conditions include proximity to fresh water. The larger the river, the larger the population on its banks. Man will not survive in the deserts, because he constantly needs water.

The highlands are also uninhabitable. In such places, there is little oxygen, without which it is also difficult for people to live normally.

Environmental factors determine areas where it is safest to live. For example, the zone around the Chernobyl nuclear power plant is practically deserted, since its territory has a high radiation background.

Economic factors encourage people to flock to places where there is work, and therefore the opportunity to get more money for their work.

Population density indicators in Russia

The large territory of the country guarantees us that Russia's population density is very uneven. Its total figure is close to 9 people per square kilometer. But this is very general information.

Thus, the European part of the country is populated by 75%, although it makes up about 25% of the entire area of the country. Conversely, 25% of people live in 75% of the area of its Asian part.

In large cities, the number of people increases many times, while in the villages there are practically no people left. The closer to the south, the more Russians we will meet per unit area. The only exceptions will be desert regions that are poorly habitable.

The uneven distribution of people across Russia is explained by the presence of different climatic conditions over a large area of the state. It also happened historically that in some regions the resettlement took place more actively than in others. Even today, migration processes further exacerbate the situation with uneven settlement.

european part of Russia

The territory belonging to the European continent in Russia is no more than 25%. But it is here that most of its citizens are concentrated. Together with the Urals, this is 75% of all people living in the country.

This is due to the fact that there are large cultural and economic centers such as Moscow, St. Petersburg, Veliky Novgorod. Thus, it turns out that here the average population density is almost 37 people per unit area.

In the European part of the country, the conditions for life are also more favorable. The climate here is mild. It contributes to the development of agriculture and industry. Like a chain reaction, such features attract more and more people to them. Cultural life and infrastructure are developing. Population density is growing like a snowball. This is especially evident in the dynamics of large cities, where thousands of new residents come every year.

Sparsely populated regions

Regrettably, but most of the territory of Russia has a very low population density. In Russian Asia, on average, it is 2.4 people per square kilometer. This is significantly lower than in the entire country as a whole.

Here is also the most uninhabited area - Chukotka. Here, there are 0.07 people per unit area.

This is explained by the fact that the Far Eastern and Northern regions are practically unsuitable for life. At the same time, there are many minerals here. Around the places of their occurrence, modern people settle. Of the indigenous people, mainly nomadic peoples who have learned to live without agriculture in the usual sense of the word prevail here.

Desert regions are also not very attractive for human migration. Therefore, the population density of Russia is extremely uneven. Today, there are many federal programs that promote resettlement in sparsely populated regions.

One of the most crowded cities in the world

There is also a record city on the map of Russia. It has a very high population density even in comparison with other cities in the world. The top ten most densely populated settlements is closed by the capital - Moscow.

As of the beginning of 2015, the population density in this city was 4858 people per square kilometer. This is a very high population density. And every year it only grows. In addition, the statistics are based on the official registration of residents and people temporarily residing in the capital. But there is still a contingent of illegal migrants, not only from neighboring countries, but also from the hinterland of the country itself. Therefore, it can be argued that the real picture of overpopulation is much higher than the statistics give.

At the same time, the entire Moscow region is also very overpopulated. Together with Moscow, it is 320 people per unit area. This is almost five times more than across the country.

Ways of human settlement

To avoid overcrowding and develop uninhabited areas, there are several programs. The easiest way is to make the desert region attractive for migration. In this case, it is best to use labor migrants.

There have been many times in history when new cities very quickly acquired a high population density.

For this, highly qualified personnel were first attracted, who were offered high salaries and housing benefits. In parallel with this, the infrastructure developed, providing jobs for their relatives. In a few years, in previously deserted regions, a large population density formed.

An example of such a rapid settlement is the city of Pripyat near the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. In a few years, it was filled with people, although before that there were only forests and swamps, unsuitable for life.

The most-most world records. The largest cities. The largest countries. The largest population. The highest population density.

1. Steel arch. Saint Louis, USA. The tallest monument, 192 m.
2 Mount Rushmore South Dakota, USA. The largest sculpture
3. KN Tower. Toronto, Canada. Tallest building, 553 m.
4. New York Central Station, USA. The largest station, 19 hectares.
5. Cathedral of St. John of God. New York, USA. The largest cathedral by volume, 476,350 m3.
6. Louisiana "Super-dome". New Orleans, USA. The largest indoor stadium, 5.26 hectares.
7. Cholula, Mexico (a church has been built over it). The largest pyramid, 18 hectares.
8. Mexico City, Mexico. The second largest city in the world, 23,913,000 people.
9. Morococha, Peru The highest mountain railway, over 4800 m above sea level.
10. La Paz, Bolivia The highest mountain capital, 3630 m above sea level.
11. Maracana Stadium. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The largest football stadium, with a capacity of 250,000 people.
12. Ushuaia, Argentina. The southernmost city in the world.
13. Greenland. The most sparsely populated place in the world, 0.03 people per 1 km2.
14. Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard. The northernmost village in the world.
15. Rotterdam, the Netherlands. The largest port, cargo turnover of 300 million tons per year.
16. Fortress Gradchany. Prague, Czech Republic. The largest castle, 267,500 km2.
17. Airport "Heathrow". London, Great Britain. The largest airport, about 47 million passengers a year.
18. Ulm Cathedral, Germany. The highest bell tower, 161m.
19. , Spain. The largest cathedral in terms of area, length 116m, width 76m.
20. City State. The smallest country, 0.44 km2.
21. Jericho, on the banks of the Jordan River. The oldest city, built about 10,000 years ago.
22. Pyramid of Djoser, Egypt. The oldest pyramid, built in 2700 BC.
23. Volta Reservoir, Ghana. The largest body of water in terms of area, 8480 km2.
24. Liberia. Fastest population growth, 8.6% since 1995
25. Dinka people, Sudan. The tallest people, averaging 2.1 m.
26. Mbuti people, Congo. The shortest people, averaging 1.4 m.
27. Russia. The largest country, 17,075,000 km2.
28. Forbidden city. Beijing, China. The largest palace, about 1 km2.
29. Seikan Railway Tunnel, Japan. The longest tunnel, 54 km.
30. Tokyo (with Yokohama), Japan. The largest city, 28,447,000 people.
31. Buddha Amida. Ushiku, Japan. The tallest statue, 120 m.
32. Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge, Japan. The longest suspension bridge, 1990 m.
33. China. The largest population, 1,158,230,000 people.
34. Shah Faisal Mosque. Islamabad, Pakistan. The largest mosque, 19 hectares.
35. Angkor, Cambodia. The largest temple complex, more than 250 km2.
36. Sultan's Palace, Brunei. The largest residential palace.
37. Petronas Tower. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Tallest administrative building, 452 m.
38. Borobudur, Indonesia. The largest Buddhist temple, 15,000 m2.
39. Bridge in Sydney Bay, Australia. The widest bridge, 49 m.
40. Trans-Australian line. Nullarbor Plain, Australia. The longest direct railway line, 478 km.

LARGEST CITIES(approx population)

Tokyo, Japan - 28,447,000 million hours
Mexico City, Mexico - 23,913,000 million hours
Sao Paulo, Brazil - 21,539,000 million hours
Seoul, South Korea - 19,065,000 million hours
New York, USA - 16,332,000 ppm
Bombay, India -15,138,000 ppm
Osaka, Japan - 14,060,000 million hours
Shanghai, China - 13,584,000 ppm
Kolkata, India - 12,885,000 ppm
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - 12,788,000 million hours

HIGHEST POPULATION DENSITY(per 1 square kilometer)

Macau (Aomyn) - 30,000
Monaco - 28,000

Among countries with an area of more than 2,500 square kilometers, Bangladesh has the highest population density: 834 people per 1 square kilometer.

BIGGEST COUNTRIES

Russia - 17,075,400 km2.
Canada - 9,976,139 km2.
China - 9,596,961 km2.
USA - 9,372,614 km2.
Brazil - 8 511965 km2.
Australia - 7,713,364 km2.
India - 3,287,590 km2.

LARGEST POPULATION

China - 1,243,738,000
India - 1,000,178,000
USA - 271,648,000
Indonesia - 203 479 000
Brazil - 163,132,000
Russia - 147,709,000
Pakistan - 143,831,000
Japan - 125,638,000
Bangladesh - 122,013,000
Nigeria - 118,369,000
Mexico - 94,280,000
Germany - 82,190,000

Today's holiday, World Population Day, is dedicated to humanity, which not so long ago exceeded the mark of 7 billion. On the occasion of the planet's population continuing to increase every hour, we propose to study the most densely populated cities on Earth.

The main city of Taiwan, which has determined the vector of economic and urban development for communist China since the eighties, surprisingly manages to combine population density with the comfort of its stay. In general, even the city metro is not particularly overloaded here.

The capital of the Philippines, famous for its incredible number of ancient churches and temples, rightfully bears the title of the most populous city in the world for many years. The population density of Manila is more than forty thousand people per square kilometer - an unattainable record. Although, if we take into account the agglomeration, the picture will not be so sad - just over ten thousand per kilometer.

The Indian city is the fourth most populous in the country, but the first in its density. Rightfully considered an educational and cultural center, Calcutta has not escaped all the side effects of overcrowding - massive slums with their half-starved inhabitants.

Also known as Bombay, the most populous city in India, which has passed the demographic mark of one billion people, simply could not help but be one of the global settlements with a record high population density. The figure is five thousand less than in Calcutta, and two times lower than in Manila, which, however, does not make it less impressive and terrifying at the same time.

With a population of just over two million people (this is without taking into account the numerous suburbs, where five times as many people work in the capital), it has become one of the most densely populated cities in the world due to its compact size - only a hundred square kilometers (25 times less than than Moscow Square!). At the same time, it does not cause the effect of overpopulation, unlike the same one dotted with slums.

The eight millionth capital of Egypt is famous for its quarters, more like huge monumental buildings, a city of scavengers and traffic lights that can be counted on the fingers. The first of the city's dubious sights did not appear from a good life - with the constantly high number of internal migrants arriving in the city, Cairo has nowhere to expand.

With a vast agglomeration, in the center of the largest city of Pakistan, so to speak, there is no crowding - more than ten million people live on just over five hundred square kilometers. More of them arrive at the center each morning for work from far-flung neighborhoods.

In terms of population and population density, the largest city in Nigeria is rapidly catching up with the Egyptian capital - having recruited almost five million people in a decade, the important African port has reached the mark of eighteen thousand people per square kilometer. And Lagos is clearly not going to stop there.

China's Shenzhen, which sets records in terms of population growth, has long overtaken other cities of the Celestial Empire, which do not differ in an abundance of free space, in terms of the number of people per unit area. In addition to the traditionally not the best ecological condition in the whole country, Shenzhen, being the main business center of China, was able to avoid the main problems of overpopulation.

The capital of South Korea is filling up with people clearly faster than it has time to grow. With a population density of almost eighteen thousand people per square kilometer, it continues to be one of the most livable cities in the world.

Another Indian city on the list, following the example of its counterparts, is not too bothered to deal with the problems associated with overpopulation. Being the fourth largest in India, Chennai suffers from the usual problems for the region - slums, streets clogged with traffic, problems with communications and sanitary conditions of citizens.

The Colombian capital is always included in the lists of dynamically developing cities in the world - the city government deserves the respect of many international authorities for its efforts and success in solving the problems of the most populous city in South America. Of course, there are also slums formed by new migrants, but Bogota manages its almost eleven million people by far the best in the region.

The largest city in China and the first most populated city in the world could not be left out of this selection. Due to the rather vast territory occupied by Shanghai, it is in one of the last positions, more or less successfully distributing a damn dozen thousand people over its 746 square kilometers. And if we take into account the agglomeration, then the business capital of the Celestial Empire can be considered a city of free spaces.

A small Belarusian mining town may seem like an alien, it is unclear how it got on this list, but the facts speak for themselves - with an area of only ten square kilometers, the town is inhabited by more than one hundred thousand people. Unlike other small settlements, Soligorsk is not expanding, but compacting, sacrificing green spaces.

The area occupied by Lima usually does not take into account the huge slums on the outskirts of the city and the numerous small towns of the agglomeration. The main part of the seven million population of the Peruvian capital is concentrated on six hundred square kilometers of area, which allows the city to take the last place among the fifteen overpopulated settlements of the world.

Steadily growing. But at the same time, people are distributed very unevenly over the surface of the planet. What is it connected with? Let's talk about which country has the highest population density and how this can be explained.

Earth's population: features

Throughout the history of the Earth, peoples have migrated around the planet in search of better conditions for life. Initially, people settled in places with a warm climate, near water, with enough food and other resources. It is in such points that today there is a greater number of people living than in areas with more severe living conditions. That is why the countries with the greatest predominance in warm latitudes. Later, when all favorable zones were intensively populated, people began to move to less comfortable places. Civilization made it possible to deal with deprivation without great expense. And peoples began to strive to those places where comfortable conditions for existence have already been created. That is why today they are much more attractive to migrants than developing ones. Also, demography is highly dependent on the culture and traditions of the people. Therefore, countries with the highest population density are states in which it is customary to have many children.

The concept of population density

Observations of demographics on Earth began as early as the 17th century. During the Industrial Revolution, they became essential for good planning and resource use. In the 20th century, population density is added to traditional demographic indicators. It is calculated based on the area of the country and the total number of its inhabitants. Knowing how many people there are per 1 square kilometer, taking into account the number of births and deaths, allow us to calculate how many different material benefits people will need: food, housing, clothing, etc. and plan a competent life support for the population.

In the first quarter of the 20th century, countries with the highest population density were identified for the first time and the first scenarios were developed for the further development of the demographic situation on Earth. Today, the average on the planet is 45 people per 1 sq. km. km, but due to the increase in the number of earthlings, this figure is gradually increasing.

The value of the population density indicator and the factors affecting it

Demographic calculations are initially associated with the rational use of natural resources. Back in 1927, sociologists introduced the term "optimal density", but have not yet decided on its numerical expression. Observations of this indicator are necessary in order to identify countries with the highest population density, because they are a potential focus of social tension. The more people live in a limited space, the more intense the competition between them for vital resources. Information on density predictions allows you to start solving this problem in advance and find ways to eliminate it.

This indicator is influenced by several main factors. These are, firstly, the natural conditions of life: people like to live in warm countries with a good climate, which is why the shores of the Mediterranean Sea and the Indian Ocean, the equatorial zones are so densely populated. It is also common for peoples to strive to where comfortable, modern living conditions already exist, with sufficient social security. Therefore, the flow of migrants to the developed countries of Europe, the USA, New Zealand, and Australia is so great. The number of inhabitants is directly affected by the culture of the nation. Thus, the Muslim religion is built on the value of a large family, therefore, in the countries of Islam, the population is higher than in Christian countries. Another factor affecting the density is the development of medicine, in particular the use of contraception.

List of countries

The answer to the question of which countries has the highest average population density does not have a clear answer. Since the ratings are based on the results of national population censuses, and they are held in all states at different times, and therefore there are no exact figures on the number of inhabitants at a certain point. But there are stable indicators and forecasts that make it possible to compile the TOP-10 countries with the highest density. Monaco always ranks first (a little less than 19 thousand people per 1 sq. km), followed by Singapore (about 7.3 thousand people per 1 sq. km), the Vatican (about 2 thousand people per 1 sq. km). sq. km), Bahrain (1.7 thousand people per 1 sq. km), Malta (1.4 thousand people per 1 sq. km), Maldives (1.3 thousand people per 1 sq. km). km), Bangladesh (1.1 thousand people per 1 sq. km), Barbados (0.6 thousand people per 1 sq. km), China (0.6 thousand people per 1 sq. km) and Mauritius (0.6 thousand people per 1 sq. km). The last three states in the list often change their positions in accordance with the latest data.

Most populous regions

If you look at a world map in order to find out where people live the most, you can easily see that the highest density is in Europe, Southeast Asia and some countries in Africa. When we explore Asia and ask ourselves which countries in the region have the highest population density, we can say that the leaders here are Singapore, Hong Kong, Maldives, Bangladesh, Bahrain. These states do not have birth control programs. But China was able to curb the growth in numbers and today is in 134th place in the world in terms of density, although until recently it was in the lead.

Population density outlook

Describing countries with a high population density, sociologists look to the future with pessimism. Asia's growing population is a potentially conflict zone. Today we already see how migrants are besieging Europe, and the resettlement process will continue. Since no one can stop the growth of the number of inhabitants on Earth, it is obvious that the population density will only grow. And a large crowding of people always leads to conflicts for resources.

The population density of the countries of the world varies significantly. In some states, only 3-4 people live on one square kilometer. In others, the same unit of area accounts for several thousand inhabitants. The difference is really impressive... What is the population density of the largest countries in the world? And which states are the absolute leaders in this indicator?

The history of the resettlement of the planet's population

The population density of the countries of the world today varies greatly by region and continent. To better understand the nature of this pattern, you need to briefly consider the history of the settlement of the population of our planet.

At the earliest stages of the development of society, man was attracted by flat expanses located on the shores of the seas, large rivers or lakes. Obviously, it was much easier to farm here, it was more convenient to build houses and lay roads. But mountain ranges were mastered dozens of times slower. Traditionally, Southeast Asia has been distinguished by a high population density since ancient times. The reason for this is the formation of powerful rice-growing centers here.

Later, with the development of technological progress, people began to flock to those areas of the Earth where plants and factories were actively built, entire industrial cities and villages arose. Such areas are Central and Western Europe, the Atlantic coast in the United States and others.

Since about the middle of the 20th century, the main centers of gravity on Earth for the population have become large cities - megacities. This phenomenon has received its name in science - urbanization.

Population density of the countries of the world and continents: regional differences

The population of our planet is distributed extremely unevenly. Let's start with some interesting numbers. So, about 75% of the world's population lives on only 7% of its area. Almost 80% of the inhabitants live in the Eastern Hemisphere. The average population density of the countries of the world is approximately 30 people per square kilometer (including Greenland and Antarctica).

To visualize how different the population density of different continents of the planet is, you need to look at the following map. On it, the whole world is divided by color into 7 zones, each of which is home to one billion people. By comparing the scale of these colored pieces, one can assess the degree of uneven distribution of the earth's population.

So, the three continents of the Earth are very poorly populated: these are Australia, North and South America. But on the territory of Europe, Asia and Africa, 6 out of 7 billion inhabitants of our planet live.

All states in terms of population density are usually divided into four types:

countries with low density (0-2 people / km 2);
countries with medium density (2-40 people / km 2);
countries with high density (40-200 people/km2);
countries with maximum density (over 200 people / km 2).

Interestingly, striking contrasts in population density can be observed even within the same state. Vivid examples of such countries are Australia, where only the east coast is heavily populated; Egypt (Nile Valley), Indonesia (Java Island) and others.

If we talk about the regions of the planet, then the following can be called the most populated:

East Asia.
South Asia.
Southeast Asia.
Western Europe.
Northeastern states of the USA.

The main factors influencing global settlement

Such unevenness in the distribution of the world population is due to a number of specific reasons (factors). Among them:

natural and climatic factor (the resettlement of people is affected by the relief of the territory, climatic conditions, swampy lands, the presence of a water source, etc.);
historical factor (according to scientists, the formation of Homo sapiens is associated with three foci on the planet, which influenced the high population density in these areas of the Earth);
demographic factor (in some countries and regions, birth rates are several times higher than in others, which also explains regional differences in population density);
economic factor (in the last two or three centuries, the influence of this factor is especially noticeable: people are attracted to industrialized areas with a sufficient number of cities, enterprises and infrastructure).

Countries of the world with the highest population density: TOP-10

What modern countries on our planet can be called champions in terms of population density? As a rule, these are very small states in area. The countries of the world with the highest population density are presented in a table indicating the density indicator.

Russia in this list is on the 181st place, the USA - on the 142nd, Ukraine - on the 99th.

In addition to countries, there are cities in the world where the population density reaches colossal values. The ten most populated cities in the world include Shanghai, Karachi, Istanbul, Tokyo, Mumbai, Manila, Buenos Aires, Delhi, Dhaka and Moscow.

The most "spacious" countries in the world: TOP-10

However, there are many countries in the world with low population density. On the territory of such states, you can travel (or walk) for many kilometers without meeting a single living soul.

Below are the top ten countries in the world with the lowest population densities.

Finally…

The population density of the countries of the world is not the same in different regions of the planet. Thus, the average density is 30 people per square kilometer of area. However, in some states it reaches values of 1000-2000 inhabitants per 1 km2. In large cities of the planet, these figures are even higher by an order of magnitude.