Population Density

Density Population density refers to a ratio between population and land area in a country.

The factors which influence the density of population are: climate, land suitable for agriculture, existence of mineral resources, industrial potential, possibility of having a transport network. High mountains, rugged terrain, extremes of heat and cold, dense forests or aridity-all discourage settlement.

Physiological or nutritional density is a more refined method of calculating man-land ratio. It is a ratio between total population and total cultivated area or cropland. In subsistence agriculture economies, e.g., the developing countries, physiological density reflects the intensity of agriculture.

On the basis of density, the world population may be divided into two categories: areas of high density of population and areas of low density of population.