Population

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Distribution of world population in 1994

A population is the number of living things that live together in the same place.[1] A city's population is the number of people living in that city. These people are called inhabitants or residents. The population includes all individuals that live in that certain area.

Population density is the average number of people in a place. Urban areas such as big cities have a high population density. People there live close to each other. In areas with a low population density, people usually live far away from each other, such as in rural areas out in the countryside.

Usually population refers to the number of humans in a certain area. Sometimes it is used about animals. The maximum population that can be supported in an area is called the carrying capacity.

Population trends[change | change source]

The world population reached seven billion people in 2011. Global population is going up, but the population growth rate is declining all over the world. Urbanization is also common. Currently India has 32 cities with populations above one million.[2]

In population growth births exceed deaths. In the modern world this is due to reduction of infant deaths, control of infectious diseases and improved agriculture.

Related pages[change | change source]

References[change | change source]

  1. Holt Rinehart & Winston (2001). Earth Science. Austin, Texas: Holt, Rinehart and Winston. ISBN 0-03-055667-8 .
  2. Rogers, Peter, Kazi F. Jalal, and John A. Boyd (2007). An Introduction to Sustainable Development, Earthscan Publications Ltd, pp. 84-87.