the globe. Because of this varied distribution, different regions and

countries have different population densities. Population density measures

the average number of people per square kilometer. The population density in a

given country can be calculated by dividing the population by the area of

that country. For example is on 2014 Thailand had a population of 68.7

million people spread over 513000 square kilometers.

When you divide 68.7 million by 513

thousand square kilometers you get a population density of one hundred and

thirty three point eight people per square kilometer. Patterns of population

density can be displayed on a map such as a choropleth map or a dot distribution map.

For example this current plate map shows the population density on a

global scale. You can see that for places with high population densities are

mainly found in the northern hemisphere. As mentioned earlier, some regions are densely

populated, while other regions are sparsely populated. For example, in

Sichuan Province China, the Sichuan Basin in the east is said

to be densely populated. The mountainous western regions of the

province is sparsely populated. Factors that encourage high population densities

include the following. Regions of low elevation tend to have milder climates

which attracts the people. Regions low-lying fertile land are good for

agriculture. For example the North China Plain which lies flood plains of the

Yangtze and Yellow Rivers. Regions with a good supply of natural resources are rich in

resources such as copper and fossil fuels. Coastal areas tend to have a

higher population than inland areas. For instance the vast majority of

Australians live with 100 kilometers of the coastline. There several reasons for this.

Coastal areas have a much milder climate than inland areas.

They have rich resources such as fisheries. Coastal areas were also for those areas reached by

immigrants, when new countries like Australia, New Zealand and the Americas were first settled.

Factors that tend to result in sparse population densities include regions

with extreme climates. For example extremely hot dry regions such as the

deserts of Western Australia or cold regions such as the polar regions.

Regions with high elevation such as the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau. At high

altitudes temperatures tend to be cooler and soils are thinner and less fertile.

The rugged relief these regions also makes development very difficult. In addition to

extreme climates, regions in the interior of continents also tend to have poor access.

Regions with dense impenetrable jungles are also sparsely populated.