Tori McAlister Population Case Studies and Examples
'If you control the food supply, you control the people' ~ Henry Kissinger
Examples of Different Population Density
Bangladesh
Densely populated (over 1500 persons per km squared)
Major river network (Ganges, Brahmaputra, Meghan) brings down alluvium
(fine silk) to make fertile land for farming
Sahara Desert
Sparsely populated (0-5 persons per km squared)
Inhospitable climates
Libya
500-600% increase in population from 1950-2009
In 1951 independence was granted.
Initially there was a monarchy
In 1961 there was a military coup by Goddati which overthrew the monarchy
bringing in teachers from Egypt and Palestine, construction workers from
Tunisia and nurses from Yugoslavia.
Western Sahara
Over 900% increase in population
A disputed region as 85% of it is under Moroccan control
From 1960-1980 the fertility rate was over 6%
They have natural resources of iron ore and phosphate which other countries
want to exploit
Namibia
Increased in hunger from 25% to over 35%
Recurring floods and droughts
In 2016 it had a poverty rate of 18% and unemployment rate of 34%
High dependence on imports means they are vulnerable to price fluctuations
Development Indicators
Development Indicators for DRC and Sweden
DRC Sweden
Life expectancy 57 82.1
Birth rate 33.5 births per 12.1 births per
1000 1000
Literacy rate 77% 99%
GDP per capita 800 49,800
Sweden’s human and physical setting
Physical
• Wide range of climatic zones
• North = subarctic
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, Tori McAlister Population Case Studies and Examples
• Centre = temperate continental
• South = temperate maritime
• North of the country has fells stretching northwards into boreal coniferous
forest and then tundra. In the South there is temperate continental forest.
• Mineral resources
• An abundance of Rare Earth Elements (REEs) such as apatite iron oxide and
Bastnas type iron ore deposits.
Human
• Low population density of 22 inhabitants per square hm with most living in
the southern part of the country
• 85% of the population live in urbanised areas
• Export oriented mixed economy
• Ranked 29th largest export economy in the world
• Timber, hydropower and iron ore constitute their main resource base
• Their exports include iron and steel products, paper products, chemicals and
military armaments
DRC’s human and physical setting
Physical
• Wide range of climatic zones
• Equatorial with monsoon climate either side followed by a band of tropical sa-
vannah to the north and south, with humid subtropical in the south
• Dense tropical rainforest in central Congo river basin and in the eastern high-
lands. Only a 40km stretch of coastline
• Mineral resources
• A wide variety of precious metals
• Gold found in the north east
• Tin in the east
• Diamonds in the central South
• Copper and Zinc in the far south
• Rainforest also provides timber
Human
• Violence and conflict, epidemics, malnutrition and natural disasters continue
to affect some 15 million people (nearly 20% of the total population).
• Between January and September 2014 there were 15 591 cases of cholera
and 30 223 cases of measles, causing 262 and 241 deaths respectively.
• Around 4 million children in the country suffer from malnourishment.
• One in ten children do not reach their fifth birthday, with malnutrition respon-
sible for 45% of these deaths.
• 35% of the population live in urbanised areas, but on average only 21.4 peo-
ple per square km in the 2nd largest country in Africa
• In 2015, 937 000 people were newly displaced, raising the total number of
displaced people in the country to 3 359 000.
2
'If you control the food supply, you control the people' ~ Henry Kissinger
Examples of Different Population Density
Bangladesh
Densely populated (over 1500 persons per km squared)
Major river network (Ganges, Brahmaputra, Meghan) brings down alluvium
(fine silk) to make fertile land for farming
Sahara Desert
Sparsely populated (0-5 persons per km squared)
Inhospitable climates
Libya
500-600% increase in population from 1950-2009
In 1951 independence was granted.
Initially there was a monarchy
In 1961 there was a military coup by Goddati which overthrew the monarchy
bringing in teachers from Egypt and Palestine, construction workers from
Tunisia and nurses from Yugoslavia.
Western Sahara
Over 900% increase in population
A disputed region as 85% of it is under Moroccan control
From 1960-1980 the fertility rate was over 6%
They have natural resources of iron ore and phosphate which other countries
want to exploit
Namibia
Increased in hunger from 25% to over 35%
Recurring floods and droughts
In 2016 it had a poverty rate of 18% and unemployment rate of 34%
High dependence on imports means they are vulnerable to price fluctuations
Development Indicators
Development Indicators for DRC and Sweden
DRC Sweden
Life expectancy 57 82.1
Birth rate 33.5 births per 12.1 births per
1000 1000
Literacy rate 77% 99%
GDP per capita 800 49,800
Sweden’s human and physical setting
Physical
• Wide range of climatic zones
• North = subarctic
1
, Tori McAlister Population Case Studies and Examples
• Centre = temperate continental
• South = temperate maritime
• North of the country has fells stretching northwards into boreal coniferous
forest and then tundra. In the South there is temperate continental forest.
• Mineral resources
• An abundance of Rare Earth Elements (REEs) such as apatite iron oxide and
Bastnas type iron ore deposits.
Human
• Low population density of 22 inhabitants per square hm with most living in
the southern part of the country
• 85% of the population live in urbanised areas
• Export oriented mixed economy
• Ranked 29th largest export economy in the world
• Timber, hydropower and iron ore constitute their main resource base
• Their exports include iron and steel products, paper products, chemicals and
military armaments
DRC’s human and physical setting
Physical
• Wide range of climatic zones
• Equatorial with monsoon climate either side followed by a band of tropical sa-
vannah to the north and south, with humid subtropical in the south
• Dense tropical rainforest in central Congo river basin and in the eastern high-
lands. Only a 40km stretch of coastline
• Mineral resources
• A wide variety of precious metals
• Gold found in the north east
• Tin in the east
• Diamonds in the central South
• Copper and Zinc in the far south
• Rainforest also provides timber
Human
• Violence and conflict, epidemics, malnutrition and natural disasters continue
to affect some 15 million people (nearly 20% of the total population).
• Between January and September 2014 there were 15 591 cases of cholera
and 30 223 cases of measles, causing 262 and 241 deaths respectively.
• Around 4 million children in the country suffer from malnourishment.
• One in ten children do not reach their fifth birthday, with malnutrition respon-
sible for 45% of these deaths.
• 35% of the population live in urbanised areas, but on average only 21.4 peo-
ple per square km in the 2nd largest country in Africa
• In 2015, 937 000 people were newly displaced, raising the total number of
displaced people in the country to 3 359 000.
2
