Which countries have the highest population density? "Nerezinovaya": analysis of the size and density of the Earth's population. History of the settlement of the planet's population

Evgeny Marushevsky

freelancer, constantly traveling around the world

You might think that the most populous country in the world is China. It is not for nothing that the population of Russia’s eastern neighbor has exceeded a billion and amounted to 1.38 billion people. Surely you think the same. Or maybe this is India?

Everyone knows that China has a big problem of overpopulation, which is why it has territorial conflicts with Russia. And multimillionaire cities are at the top of the list in terms of the number of people living in them. However, few people realize that China is only the 56th most populous country in the world.

139 people live on 1 square kilometer in China.

India has an area three times smaller than China and a population of just over a billion.

India's population density is 357 people per square kilometer, making it the 19th most populous country in the world.

Statistics show that countries with the highest population density are dwarf states consisting of several cities. And the very first place among such countries is occupied by Monaco - a principality with a territory of less than 2 square kilometers. Next come:

• Singapore
• Vatican
• Bahrain
• Malta
• Maldives

Monaco

On the world map, Monaco is located between France and the Mediterranean Sea in the very south of Europe.

Due to the lack of territory, the population density here is very high. For the 36,000 residents of the country and foreigners who visit the tourist pearl annually, there are 1.95 square kilometers - that's less than 200 hectares. Of these, 40 hectares were reclaimed from the sea.

The population density of Monaco is 18,000 people per 1 square kilometer.

Monaco consists of four cities merged with each other: Monte-ville, Monte-Carlo, La Condamine and the industrial center - Fontvieille.

The indigenous population of this country is the Monegasques, they constitute a minority (20%) of the 120 nationalities living here. Next come the Italians, then the French (more than 40% of the population). Other nationalities are represented by 20% of the population. The official language is French. Although there is a local dialect, which is an Italian-French mixture of languages.

According to the form of government, the country is a constitutional monarchy, power here is inherited. The prince rules together with the National Council, which consists exclusively of Monegasques.

The country does not have its own army, but there is a police force, as well as a royal guard of 65 people. In accordance with the agreement between France and Monaco, the former deals with defense issues.

The tiny state prospers at the expense of other states, offshore companies located in the country, and tourism. It is here that the starting stage of the famous Formula 1 race begins, and here is the world famous casino of Monaco, where gamblers flock to, in whose countries gambling is prohibited.

Monaco is rich in attractions. Here you can find medieval and modern architecture in combination, and it will look harmonious.

Here are:

Museum of Prehistoric Anthropology, Museum of Old Monaco, Prince's Museum, represented by cars, Museum of Postage Stamps and Coins and other museums.

Among the historical monuments, the following stand out: Fort Antoine, two churches and a chapel, the Palace of Justice and the Prince's Palace.

Fontvey Gardens, the Princess Grace Garden, rose gardens, a zoo and much more.

Also other popular places here are the wax museum of the princely family or the oceanographic museum. The latter was discovered by Jacques-Yves Cousteau.

Since the country does not have its own airport, you can get to Monaco by flight to Nice or Cote d'Azur, and then take a taxi.

The country has introduced speed limits of about 50 km/h. The old town also has pedestrian areas. You can get around the city by bus or taxi. Travel by public transport will cost 1.5 euros.

Singapore

The city-state has an area of ​​719 square kilometers. It is located on 63 islands in Southeast Asia. It borders the islands of Indonesia and Malaysia.

Population density is 7,607 people per 1 square kilometer.

Its main population is Chinese (74%), Malays (13.4%) and Indians (9%).

There are four official languages:

• English
• Tamil
• Chinese (Mandarin)
• Malay

The most famous attractions are: the Chinese district of Chinatown, the Indian district, the zoo and Gardens by the Bay. You can get to Singapore by plane. Accommodation is possible in a budget hotel, fortunately there are a sufficient number of them here. And you can get to it from the airport by taxi costing from 10 Singapore dollars or take the metro for 2 dollars.

Vatican

The dwarf enclave state on the territory of Rome was founded in 1929. The Vatican is the smallest state in the world, its area is only 0.4 square kilometers, the second after it is Monaco.

Population density is 2,030 people per square kilometer.

The population of the Vatican is 95% male, the total number of people living is 1,100. The official language of the Vatican is Latin. The head of the Vatican, the Pope, represents the Holy See.

On the territory of the Vatican there are palace complexes and museums (Egyptian and Pio Clementino), the residence of the Pope, St. Peter's Cathedral, the Sistine Chapel and other buildings. Since all the embassies in the Vatican do not fit, some of them, including the Italian one, are located in Italy, in the eastern part of Rome. The University of Pope Urban, the University of Thomas Aquinas and other educational institutions of the Vatican are also located there.

If you do not take into account the dwarf city-states, then the most populous country can be called Bangladesh. Next come:

• Taiwan,
• South Korea,
• Netherlands,
• Lebanon,
• India.

Mongolia can be called the most sparsely populated country in the world. There are only 2 people per 1 square kilometer.

Bangladesh

The area of ​​Bangladesh is 144,000 square kilometers.

The population density is 1,099 people per square kilometer.

The state is located in South Asia. The total number of people living in the country is 142 million. Bangladesh was formed in 1970. Borders with India and Myanmar. The official languages ​​in the country are English and Bengali.

The rich fauna and flora are the main attraction of this country. 150 species of reptiles, 250 mammals and 750 birds.

Among the country's attractions are:

Sundarbans National Park, Madhupur and other reserves,

architectural structures: Ahsan-Manzil Palace, Dhakeshwari Temple, mausoleums and mosques.

There is also a replica of the famous Taj Mahal in Bangladesh.

You can get to Bangladesh by plane with a transfer, since there are no direct transfers from Russia.

Taiwan

The Republic of China is not yet recognized by everyone; it is officially considered a province of China. The country's area is 36,178 square kilometers with a population of 23 million people.

The population density is 622 people per square kilometer.

The official language is Beijing Chinese. 20% of the country's territory is under state protection: nature reserves, reserves and much more. 400 species of butterflies, more than 3,000 species of fish, a large number of mammals and other animals attract tourists. There is also the opportunity to relax in the mountains.

You can get to Taiwan via Hong Kong to Kaohsiung International Airport. Rail travel is especially popular within the country.

The population density of countries around the world varies significantly. In some countries, only 3-4 people live per square kilometer. In others, the same unit of area accounts for several thousand inhabitants. The difference is truly impressive... What is the population density of the world's largest countries? And which states are the absolute leaders in this indicator?

History of the settlement of the planet's population

The population density of the countries of the world today varies greatly across regions and continents. To better understand the nature of this pattern, you need to quickly consider the history of the settlement of the population of our planet.

At the earliest stages of the development of society, people were attracted by flat expanses located on the shores of seas, large rivers or lakes. Obviously, farming was much easier here, it was more convenient to build houses and lay roads. But mountain ranges were developed tens of times slower. Traditionally, Southeast Asia has been characterized by high population density since ancient times. The reason for this is the formation of powerful rice growing centers here.

Later, with the development of technological progress, people began to flock to those areas of the Earth where plants and factories were actively being built, and entire industrial cities and villages arose. Such areas were Central and Western Europe, the Atlantic coast in the USA and others.

Since about the middle of the twentieth century, large cities - megacities - have become the main centers of gravity on Earth for the population. This phenomenon has received its name in science - urbanization.

Population density of countries of the world and continents: regional differences

The population of our planet is distributed extremely unevenly. First, let's look at some interesting numbers. Thus, about 75% of the Earth's population lives on only 7 percent of its area. Almost 80% of the population lives in the Eastern Hemisphere. The average population density of the world's countries is approximately 30 people per square kilometer (including Greenland and Antarctica).

To visualize how the population density of different continents of the planet varies, you need to look at the following map. On it, the whole world is divided by color into 7 zones, each of which is home to one billion people. By comparing the scale of these colored pieces, one can assess the degree of uneven distribution of the earth's population.

Thus, three continents of the Earth are very sparsely populated: Australia, North and South America. But 6 out of 7 billion people on our planet live in Europe, Asia and Africa.

All states are usually divided into four types based on population density:

• countries with low density (0-2 people/km 2);
• countries with average density (2-40 people/km 2);
• countries with high density (40-200 people/km 2);
• countries with maximum density (over 200 people/km 2).

Interestingly, striking contrasts in population density can be observed even within the same state. Vivid examples of such countries are Australia, where only the east coast is heavily populated; Egypt (Nile Valley), Indonesia (Java Island) and others.

If we talk about the regions of the planet, the most populated are the following:

• East Asia.
• South Asia.
• Southeast Asia.
• Western Europe.
• Northeastern states of the USA.

Main factors influencing world settlement

This uneven distribution of the world population is explained by a number of specific reasons (factors). Among them:

• natural-climatic factor (the settlement of people is affected by the topography of the territory, climatic conditions, wetlands, the presence of a water source, etc.);
• historical factor (according to scientists, the formation of Homo sapiens is associated with three centers on the planet, which influenced the high population density in these areas of the Earth);
• demographic factor (in some countries and regions, birth rates are several times higher than in others, which also explains regional differences in population density);
• economic factor (in the last two or three centuries, the influence of this factor is especially noticeable: people are attracted to industrialized areas with a sufficient number of cities, enterprises and infrastructure).

Countries in the world with the highest population density: TOP 10

Which modern countries on our planet can be called record holders for population density? As a rule, these are very small states in area. The countries of the world with the highest population density are presented in a table indicating the density indicator.

Russia is in 181st place on this list, the USA is in 142nd, Ukraine is in 99th.

In addition to countries, there are cities in the world where the population density reaches colossal values. The ten most populated cities on the planet include Shanghai, Karachi, Istanbul, Tokyo, Mumbai, Manila, Buenos Aires, Delhi, Dhaka and Moscow.

The most “spacious” countries in the world: TOP 10

However, there are many countries in the world with low population densities. You can drive (or walk) many kilometers through the territory of such states without meeting a single living soul.

Below are ten world countries with minimal population densities.

Finally…

The population density of the countries of the world is not the same in different regions of the planet. Thus, the average density is 30 people per square kilometer of area. However, in some states it reaches values ​​of 1000-2000 inhabitants per 1 km 2. In large cities on the planet, these figures are even higher.

No matter how hard humanity tries to plague itself with wars, diseases and other interesting activities, the total number of people living on planet Earth is rapidly increasing. Next, consider rating 10 most populated countries in the world.

10. Japan (126.9 million)

Japan - a A Asian island nation spread over 6,852 islands. The number of islands is, of course, impressive, but in size they occupy a little more than 350 thousand sq. km. It is precisely because of its small territory that Japan has to be at the peak of technological innovation throughout the planet - small territories contribute to invention. The standard of living of the Japanese relative to the rest of the world is considered quite high. There are 126.9 million people living in 47 prefectures. Despite one of the highest life expectancies in the world and the lowest level of infant mortality, the country's population is still rapidly aging, and therefore the population is being promoted to encourage fertility.

9. Russia (146.7 million)

WITH The country with the largest territory, however, is not the first in terms of population. At the moment, 17 million sq. km. Only 146.7 million people live in Russia. Quite a strange attitude, but historically established. Open spaces are just about Russia. You can move around the territory for quite a long time without meeting a single person. At the same time, Russia is considered the most populated country in Europe. The main places where the population gathers are large cities like the two capitals, Nizhny Novgorod or Kazan. Approximately 80% of the country's population is Russian, with the remaining 20% ​​representing more than two hundred ethnic groups.

8. Bangladesh (160.9 million)

Bangladesh is one of the most populated countries on the planet, whilewith a very small area. Almost 160 million people fit on 150 thousand km². In terms of ethnicity, the country does not indulge in diversity and almost the entire population belongs to Bengalis (about 98%). With a fairly large number of residents, Bangladesh, in contrast to Japan, is a rather poor country, one of the poorest in Asia. At the moment it is still a developing country, despite internal efforts and external assistance.

7. Nigeria (186.9 million)

Nigeria is the most populousan African country located on an area of ​​almost 1 million sq. km. Its population, at last count, is about 187 million people. All of them live in 36 states and one federal territory - the capital. A country with a fairly short life expectancy - 46 years for men and a couple of years more for women. With all this, Nigeria ranks seventh in the world in terms of population. In terms of ethnic composition, the diversity is impressive - 250 aboriginal peoples, among which the largest number are noted for the Hausa, Fulani, Igbo and Yoruba. Cinema can be called the favorite activity of the country's population - Nigeria ranks second in the number of feature films produced annually and surpasses the United States in this regard.

6. Pakistan (194.8 million)

The Islamic Republic of Pakistan is located in South Asia and covers an area of ​​804 thousand sq. km. And although this formation as a state arose relatively recently, the population living on these lands has a long history and currently numbers 194 million people. The country's ethnic composition is dominated by Punjabis, constituting almost half of the total population counted. The highest density naturally prevails in the capital of the country - Karachi.

5. Brazil (205.7 million)

The country of football and carnivals, Brazil is located in South America, covering an area of ​​about eight and a half million square kilometers. The latest estimates put the country's population at 205,738,481. All this is achieved with an average life expectancy of 70 years for the male population and 76 for the female population. With a quarter of all people living in the country below the poverty line, literacy in Brazil is quite high. More than 90% of the population can put their signature instead of a cross.

4. Indonesia (260.5 million)

Indonesia is the most populous island nation inSouth-East Asia. Indonesia's diverse islands cover almost 2 million square kilometers and are home to 260.5 million people. After independence was declared in 1945, the country's demographic situation began to improve every decade - over half a century, Indonesia almost tripled its human population. The country's population is quite young - the average age is just under three decades. Moreover, there are about three hundred different peoples in the territory.

3. USA (325 million)

The United States is in third place in the ranking of countries by population. Nine and a half million square kilometers are home to 325 million people. Perhaps the United States is one of the most ethnically mixed countries. Indigenous people no longer predominate in the territory; mixing comes from settlers from Europe, South America, and from a wide variety of places. If you look at the meager statistics of the ethnic component of the country, most likely in the United States there will be at least one or two representatives from each ethnic group inhabiting this planet.

2. India (1.29 billion)

The second most populous country on the planet is India.The country of sacred cows and cinematic dances, amazing spices and tea. On an area of ​​three million km², 1.29 billion people live with varying degrees of comfort. Unlike most countries in Europe or other regions, the population of India prefers the countryside, and therefore about 70% of all residents of this country live outside the city limits. Slightly more men than women live here, and the average age of an Indian is 25 years.

1. China (1.37 billion)

It's no secret that China is the most populated country in the world. At almost ten million square kilometers, which is the third largest area on the entire planet, approximately 1.37 billion people live. At one time, the country's government was forced to apply strict measures regarding fertility policy, because population growth was quite rapid. However, recently precautions have been relaxed, and some families have been allowed to have a second child. This means that China will remain in first place in the population rankings.

The top five most populated countries is completed by Brazil with a population of 210,147,125 people.

Brazil's urban population is 84%, rural - 16%. The famous Rio de Janeiro is home to 11 million people, and Sao Paulo is home to 19 million. These are the two largest federal centers in the country.

A special feature of the Brazilian population is the fact that 50% of Brazilians are first or second generation foreigners. In the north of the country there is a greater influence of immigrants from Portugal and representatives of African tribes. The more favorable south and southeast are inhabited by Brazilians with German, Italian and Japanese roots.

The Republic of Indonesia ranks fourth in the ranking of the most populous countries in the world with a population of 266,357,297 people.

It is located in Southeast Asia, the country's territory spreads over 13 thousand islands. Many small islands don't even have names! The most populous of them are Java and Madura. 58% of the country's residents are concentrated here, with every sixth resident in Java. There are about 300 ethnic groups in the Republic, the largest are the Javanese, Sundas, Minangkabau, Toba-Batak and Acehnese (Sumatra Island), Balinese (Bali Island).

The structure of the Indonesian family is curious. Since the country has a huge number of different ethnic groups, family traditions have fundamental differences. If an ordinary Javanese family consists of two parents and children, shows everyday independence and does not maintain contact with relatives, then the Balinese, on the contrary, hold close family ties in high esteem. The Balinese family is a complex structure: in addition to the parents, it includes families of several brothers with wives and numerous children.

As of 2018, the population of the United States of America was 325,145,963 people. It is the fourth largest country in the world in terms of territory, and the third in terms of population. America's population is a mixture of different ethnicities and races. Various languages ​​are spoken here, all world religions are practiced, and one can talk endlessly about the diversity of nationalities of US residents.

Initially, the indigenous people, the aborigines of the country, were Indians, of whom there were more than 3 million. In the 16th and 17th centuries, the first colonies of Europeans appeared, mainly the British, Scots and Irish. Later, representatives from Sweden, France and other European countries appeared. At the same time, representatives of African Americans (blacks) appeared as slaves.

Today the United States is a multinational country, home to 80% of the white race, 12% of African Americans, and the remaining races (Asians, Indians, Eskimos) account for 5%. Every year, the US population increases by 0.5 million people who come in search of a better life. The USA is the most urbanized state, the share of city dwellers in the total population is 77%.
One of the interesting facts is the number of Russian-speaking residents - 700 thousand people!

Trends in recent years indicate that by 2030 China may lose its lead in population to India. As of July 2013, the population of this country is 1,220,800,359 people. Over the past hundred years, India's population growth has exceeded China's by 50 million people!

Considering that the territory of India occupies only 2.4% of the world's area, it concentrated 17.5% of the planet's population, that is, this share of such states as the USA, Pakistan, Indonesia, Brazil, and Japan in total. India's population density is almost 8 times the world average!

Interesting:

The current population of India is very young: more than 50% of Indians are under 25 years of age. India's birth rate is the highest among countries in the world. For every thousand inhabitants there are 22 births of children, and the mortality rate is no more than 6 people.

The most recent data gives a figure of 1,430,075,000 people who inhabit the People's Republic of China. This number suggests that every fourth inhabitant of the planet is of Chinese origin.

Why are the Chinese the most populous nation?

Let's start with the fact that China has more than 5,000 years of existence. The traditions of many nations value large families. But only in China, since the time of Confucius, raising many children in a family (especially boys) was elevated to a cult and was considered the main achievement and happiness for a man.

Since the Communist Party came to power, this principle has received active support. The party leadership relied on enormous labor resources. In 1980, demographic problems worsened in China, and the birth of a second and subsequent children was severely punished at the state level (the fine was more than $3,500).

Today, the country's population has slowed down the rate of growth, and the imbalance has begun in the other direction - it has noticeably aged. A single child cannot provide a decent old age for his aged parents and 4 grandparents (a very limited circle of people receive pensions in China). This sad fact violates the centuries-old traditions of China.

To the question: “Which country in the world is the most populous?” most people will answer: “China.” Everyone knows that the population of China is approaching 1.5 billion people, they have heard about the Chinese multimillionaire cities of Shanghai, Beijing, Chongqing, Guangzhou, about the problem of overpopulation in China and about territorial conflicts between China and Russia. But very few people know that in the list of countries with the highest population density, China occupies a more than modest 56th place.

On average, 139.6 people live per 1 km2 in China, and the problem of overpopulation is caused not by a large number of residents, but by their uneven distribution throughout the territory. The densely populated regions of China are the eastern ones, especially the coastal ones, while the population density of the high-mountainous western regions tends to zero.

The population of neighboring India is not much inferior to China, and also exceeds 1 billion people. But at the same time, its area is three times smaller, and the average population density is much higher - 357 people per 1 km 2. But India is far from the leaders of the list - it only ranks 19th among the most populous countries.

The Principality of Monaco confidently holds the first place on the list. On 2 km 2 there are 4 cities: Monaco, Monte Carlo, La Condamine and Fontvieille, with a population of 30,586 people. Accordingly, the population density is 15,293 people per 1 km 2. It is difficult to imagine how embassies of 66 countries, about 800 international companies, as well as 50 banks are located on this piece of land. People of 125 nationalities live on the territory of the principality. The streets of Monaco run along the route of the most prestigious motorsport competitions - one of the Grand Prix stages of Formula 1. But in the regular army of Monaco there are only 82 people - this is less than the number of military bands.

Micro-states

The first six places in the list of countries with the highest population density are occupied by micro-states and city-states, which, in general, is not surprising - after all, in this case, the population density of the entire state consists of the population density of one city or agglomerate occupying the entire territory . In addition to Monaco, these are Singapore, the Maldives, the Vatican, Malta and Bahrain.

Among the non-dwarf states, the most populous country is Bangladesh. About 156 million people live on the territory of 143,998 km 2 (according to various sources - from 142 to 164 million). Thus, the estimated population density is 1084 people/km2. The USA, the third country in the world in terms of population, ranks only 142nd in density - 32 people/km 2 . Russia is one of the ten countries with the largest population - 143 million people, but at the same time the population density here is one of the lowest in the world - 8.36 people / km 2 (181st place). And the last place on the list of 195 states is China’s northern neighbor - Mongolia - 2.0 people/km 2 .