Geography · Human geography
Population patterns
Where and why people live.
Why Do People Choose Where to Live?
People settle in places that meet their basic needs: fresh water, food, shelter and safety. Throughout history, communities have grown near rivers, coasts and fertile land. These physical features (natural landscape elements) make survival easier. Climate also matters—extreme heat, cold or dryness make settlement harder. Today, people also consider jobs, schools, hospitals and transport links when choosing where to live.
Dense and Sparse Population
Population density means the number of people living in each square kilometre. Dense areas have many people packed close together, like cities. Sparse areas have few people spread over large distances, like deserts or mountains. We measure density by dividing total population by total land area. High density often happens where resources, jobs and services cluster together.
Push and Pull Factors
Push factors are problems that make people want to leave a place: war, poverty, natural disasters or lack of jobs. Pull factors are attractions that draw people to a new place: safety, better jobs, good schools or family connections. Migration (moving from one place to another) happens when pull factors outweigh push factors. Both types of factor shape where populations grow or shrink.
Settlement Patterns Around the World
Most humans live on less than ten percent of Earth's land surface. We cluster in temperate zones (mild climates), coastal areas and river valleys. The Nile, Ganges and Yangtze rivers support huge populations. Mountainous regions, frozen tundra and hot deserts remain sparsely populated. Even within one country, population spreads unevenly depending on resources and opportunities.
Worked examples
1. Bangladesh has 1,265 people per square kilometre. Mongolia has 2 people per square kilometre. Which country is more densely populated and why?
- Compare the population densities: Bangladesh has 1,265 people per km², Mongolia has 2 people per km².
- Higher density means more people in the same space, so Bangladesh is far more densely populated.
- Bangladesh has fertile river plains and flat land; Mongolia has mountains, deserts and harsh winters.
- Physical geography and climate explain why people cluster differently in each country.
2. A family moves from a drought-stricken village to a city with factories. Identify one push factor and one pull factor.
- Push factor: drought makes farming impossible, so the family cannot grow food or earn money.
- Pull factor: the city offers factory jobs, providing steady income and food security.
- The combination of problems at home and opportunities elsewhere motivates migration.
3. Why do few people live in the Amazon rainforest despite its water and warm climate?
- Dense jungle makes building roads, houses and farms extremely difficult and expensive.
- High rainfall and humidity cause diseases; insects spread illness rapidly.
- Soil beneath the rainforest is often poor for farming once trees are cleared.
- Remoteness means poor access to schools, hospitals and markets, so settlement remains sparse.
Try it yourself
Egypt's population clusters along the Nile River, but the surrounding desert is almost empty. Explain why using physical geography.
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