Population distribution and density
Population density is calculated as . Distribution is influenced by climate (people avoid extreme heat, cold, or aridity), relief (flat, low-lying land is easier to settle than steep mountains), soil fertility (good for farming), availability of water, and access to resources or trade routes.
Example 1: A region has a population of 2,400,000 people and covers 8,000 km². Find its population density.
people per km².
Settlement patterns
A nucleated settlement is tightly clustered around a central point (like a market, water source, or crossroads). A dispersed settlement has scattered, isolated homes, common in farming areas where each family needs land around their house. A linear settlement stretches out along a feature like a road, river, or coastline.
Urbanization and rural-urban migration
Urbanization is the growing proportion of a population living in towns and cities. Rural-urban migration is driven by push factors in rural areas (limited jobs, poor services, land shortages) and pull factors in urban areas (more job opportunities, better healthcare and education, perceived higher living standards).
Example 2: Explain two consequences of rapid rural-urban migration for a city.
Rapid migration can overwhelm a city's housing supply, leading to slum development and overcrowding, and can strain infrastructure like water supply, sanitation, and transport faster than the city can expand them to cope.