DENSITY OF POPULATION

Matamata Record, Volume XIX, Issue 1753, 3 August 1936, Page 5

DENSITY OF POPULATION

IN COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD The following useful information, culled from a recent article in Current History, will be of considerable topical interest. The total population of the world according to the latest statistics is 2,073 millions of human beings, unevenly distributed over, the surface of the earth, owing chiefly to climatic and soil factors. 1

This population is distributed in continental areas as follows. In Europe, the most densely populated continent, there are 514 millions, or 92 persons to the square mile; in Asia, 1.140 millions or 76 to the square mile; North America runs about 19 to the square mile; Africa and South America well below this number, and Australia, only three persons to the square mile. The most densely populated countries in the world are, Belgium, 700 to square mile; England and Wales, 684; Netherlands, 659; Japan, 449; Germany, 363; Italy, 356; China Proper, 299; India, 195. Contrary to the popular idea, China and India are not the most densely peopled countries in the world. Each has vast uninhabitable spaces, and areas of very dense population. One province of China, Kiang Su has 897 persons to the square mile owing to the large cities of Soochow and Shanghai being in it. In India Bengal has 616 persons to the square mile, Travancore, 669, and the small district of Cochin 814. These are, however, favourable localities. The above figures show plainly that although particular parts of a country may be crowded, the country as a whole may not be very densely peopled. Empires. The following figures are of deep interest in the present juncture, and show clearly how nations occupying themselves, only a comparatively small area have obtained control of enormous areas outside their national boundaries.

Britain with an area of 88,745 square miles, controls 25.21 per cent, of the earth’s land surface, and 23.9,4 per cent, of its population. So we have done well in that line of business. .' World’s Area. There are some discrepancies in the calculations of the land area of the world; some calculations make it 56 million, and some 52 million square miles. This area divided among the people of the world would give each person 16.3 acres. • But at least a quarter of this area is unfit to carry human beings, except, perhaps, very ‘sparsely. Vast areas of land are too 'dry to carry large populations. Mountains, moors, swamps, frozen lands are other uninhabitable areas. The quantity of fertile cultivable land, is only a fraction of the whole mass which is why certain areas are so crowded.

Take Australia for example. The question is not the total area of Australia compared with its total population, but the habitable area compared with the population. There is more desert country in Australia in proportion to its area than in any other continent. Human foresight and ingenuity may make parts of this desert habitable; but the process is costly, and imposes a great handicap. Empty spaces in them may well be empty because no one can live in them.

The question of overcrowding the earth need not trouble any one at present. Improvements in agriculture and the cultivation of new areas assure an adequate food supply for ages to come. For instance, the Russians are developing a permanent wheat which, once established, is a perennial, so that harvesting will be the only operation in the wheat growI er’s year. This opens up undreamt of possibilities.

Area in Pop. sq. m. Millions British Empire 13,042,896 496 Russian .... 8,241,921 \ 165 French 4,649,407 105 U S.A. 3,738,437 137 Italian ....... 992,944 45 Belgian 929,755 17 Dutch 800,569 69 Japan 723,292 130