WHERE DOES THE HUMAN POPULATION TEND TO CONCENTRATE? - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

The human population tends to concentrate more in large populations, abandoning rural areas in search of better economic conditions. This makes cities grow and many towns are about to disappear.

Populations choose one site over another for different reasons. Population movements are studied by a science called demography, dedicated to the statistical analysis of human populations.

Where is the human population concentrated?

At present, the effects of population movements can be seen in megacities such as Mexico City, with 21 million inhabitants counting its metropolitan area, or Manila (Philippines) with its 24 million inhabitants.

Still, they are far from Asian populations such as Guangzhou and Shenzhen, which have 48 million inhabitants.

Factors determining the concentration of the population

There are basically two types of factors that determine the concentration of populations: physical and human.

Physical factors

Among these factors, the climate stands out. Extreme climates make life much more difficult; in addition, it is a very important element so that good harvests can be collected.

The shores of rivers and seas have always been places that have attracted people from other more arid areas and without the richness that humid areas usually offer.

On the contrary, desert and arid areas are those that present a greater risk of depopulation.

It is not strange that the few inhabitants that inhabit them try to reach the most fertile lands, with a good climate and that offer better living conditions.

Human factors

Among the human motives for the concentration of the population, the historical, economic and political reasons stand out.

- Historical reasons

The first inhabitants who decided to stop being nomads chose areas with a rich nature that would allow them to survive.

The rivers were a great option not only for fishing, but because they contributed to making the surrounding lands very fertile. There are still great inhabited centers on the banks of the Nile or the Ganges.

Later, these areas were joined by those that facilitated trade. For example, the large cities that existed around the Silk Road, a trade route that linked Europe and Asia. Each of these settlements was located next to a river that allowed them to survive.

- Economic reasons

Another important factor in knowing where the population tends to settle is the economy. People tend to leave the poorer countries or areas behind and seek to settle in the richest.

The United States and the European Union are the biggest magnets for those trying to seek a better life.

Some areas in Asia have seen their population increase in recent times. In these cases, it is about internal movements rather than external ones. In general, every large urban center attracts new inhabitants from the rural areas of the same country.

- Political reasons

They can be considered security reasons, because the population tends to abandon areas considered dangerous and settle in the safest.

War conflicts, social unrest and even the creation of new countries have caused significant movements of populations from one place to another in recent years.

It can be said that these are necessary movements so as not to endanger people's lives.

References

1. Internet Geography. What are the characteristics of settlements ?. Retrieved from geography.learnontheinternet.co.uk
2. BBC. Settlement characteristics. Retrieved from bbc.co.uk
3. Calaza, Juan José. Why are cities growing? (October 27, 2010). Recovered from farodevigo.es
4. 3D Geography. Settlements. Retrieved from 3dgeography.co.uk
5. Kotkin, Joel. The Problem With Megacities. (April 4, 2011). Retrieved from forbes.com