Population

The term population may be defined as "the number of people living in a particular area". In order to determine the population of a particular country a census is carried out. A census is an official count of a population which also records details such as the age, sex and occupations of individuals. Information about the age and sex of individuals in the population of a particular country can be used to create a population pyramid for that country. A population pyramid is a graph which shows the age and sex distribution of a population. The population pyramid of St. Lucia (2014) can be seen below.

Population pyramids are very useful. Just by looking at the population pyramid above, we can tell that the 15 - 19 age group is the largest, while the 100+ age group is the smallest. We can also tell that there are many people in the population below age 30 while there are very few above age 84. 

Population Density
Population density is a measure of how densely or sparsely populated an area is. If there are very few people living in an area, then the area is said to be sparsely populated. An area is said to be densely populated if there are many people living there. Population density can be calculated by dividing the population of an area by the area of the land on which these people live.

Example:

Geoland is a country with a population of 10,000. The area of the country is 200 square kilometers. What is the population density of Geoland?

Working:
 Population density = total population / total area
                                = 10,000 people / 200 sq km
                                = 50 per sq km

The answer is interpreted to mean fifty people per square kilometer. It is important to remember that this answer is just an average. It does not mean that there are exactly 50 people living in every square kilometer of Geoland. It is quite likely that some parts of Geoland are very densely populated while others are very sparsely populated.

Population Distribution
Population distribution refers to the way in which people are spread out over an area. There are many factors which influence population distribution. Let us look at a few of them.

Relief: The term relief refers to how hilly or flat an area is. In some areas there are steep slopes while in other areas, the land is gently sloping or flat. Generally flatter areas tend to be more densely populated while fewer people choose to live on steep slopes.

Climate: Areas where the climate is harsh tend to be sparsely populated. These areas include places which are extremely cold or extremely dry. Areas where the climate is favourable tend to be more densely populated.

Drainage and Soil: Well drained areas where the soil is very fertile tend to be more densely populated. Poorly drained areas (such as swamps) and areas where the soil is infertile tend to be sparsely populated.

Mineral deposits: Areas which have large deposits of valuable minerals tend to be densely populated.