The rating is based on materials from Wikipedia - the free encyclopedia and is measured in units of people per square kilometer.
Subjectively, it always seemed to me that the most densely populated place is somewhere in New York, where there are many skyscrapers, but it turns out that "all Egyptians live in Cairo."

1 Cairo - 36,143

The largest city in Africa. The capital of Egypt, the city is home to 8 million people and almost 18 more in the urban agglomeration (satellite cities and around).

2 Mumbai - 21,665

The capital of Maharashtra, India. Located on the island of Bombay. The population of the city is almost 14 million people and 21 million people in the agglomeration.

3 Paris - 20 909

The capital of France, the cultural and economic center of the country. The population of Paris is almost 2.5 million people, 3.6% of the population of France.

4 Monaco - 18,281

A small state in the south of Europe, in less than an hour you can cross the territory on foot. The population of Monaco is 35,656 (2006). Monaco is widely known as a tourist destination due to its sunny climate, as well as the famous casinos in the Monte Carlo area.

5 Macau - 17,684

Autonomous territory within China. The population is 520 thousand people. For a long time it was a colony of Portugal, which the latter used to trade with China. The city is located on the Macau Peninsula, Taipa and Coloane Islands.

6 Moscow - 9 722

Moscow is the capital of the Russian Federation. The population is 10.5 million people (2009) and the agglomeration is 15 million people. The constant growth of the population of Moscow is mainly due to the influx of people from other regions. This phenomenon of internal migration in Soviet times was called "limitchiki"

7 Sealand - 9 100

The principality of Sealand is, in fact, a military platform in the Atlantic Ocean, on which 5 people live, but due to its size, the principality is densely populated. It has its own constitution, money, dollars, and postage stamps. The history of this state deserves a separate Top 10 facts about Sealand.

8 Singapore - 6,389

City-state in Southeast Asia. The territory includes 59 islands. The population is almost 5 million people, the majority of the population are Chinese.

9 Hong Kong - 6,317

The Special Administrative Region of China is located on more than 260 islands and a peninsula. For a smooth transition from the possessions of Britain to the control of China, the region was granted autonomy for 50 years. The population in 2006 was 7 million people.

10 Gibraltar - 4,289

Territory of Great Britain in the north of the Iberian Peninsula. NATO naval base. The population is 29 thousand people, the lack of space is solved by draining the coast.

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

The history of the resettlement of the planet's population

The population density of the countries of the world today varies greatly by region and continent. To better understand the nature of this pattern, you need to briefly consider the history of the settlement of the population of our planet.

At the earliest stages of the development of society, man was attracted by flat expanses located on the shores of the seas, large rivers or lakes. Obviously, it was much easier to farm here, it was more convenient to build houses and lay roads. But mountain ranges were mastered dozens of times slower. Traditionally, Southeast Asia has been distinguished by a 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 built, entire industrial cities and villages arose. Such areas are Central and Western Europe, the Atlantic coast in the United States and others.

Since about the middle of the 20th century, the main centers of gravity on Earth for the population have become large cities - megacities. This phenomenon has received its name in science - urbanization.

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

The population of our planet is distributed extremely unevenly. Let's start with some interesting numbers. So, about 75% of the world's population lives on only 7% of its area. Almost 80% of the inhabitants live in the Eastern Hemisphere. The average population density of the countries of the world is approximately 30 people per square kilometer (including Greenland and Antarctica).

To visualize how different the population density of different continents of the planet is, 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.

So, the three continents of the Earth are very poorly populated: these are Australia, North and South America. But on the territory of Europe, Asia and Africa, 6 out of 7 billion inhabitants of our planet live.

All states in terms of population density are usually divided into four types:

• countries with low density (0-2 people / km 2);
• countries with medium density (2-40 people / km 2);
• countries with high density (40-200 people/km2);
• 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, then the following can be called the most populated:

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

The main factors influencing global settlement

Such unevenness in the distribution of the world population is due to a number of specific reasons (factors). Among them:

• natural and climatic factor (the resettlement of people is affected by the relief of the territory, climatic conditions, waterlogging of lands, the presence of a water source, etc.);
• historical factor (according to scientists, the formation of Homo sapiens is associated with three foci on the planet, which influenced the high population density in these regions 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 of the world with the highest population density: TOP-10

What modern countries on our planet can be called champions in terms of 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 in this list is on the 181st place, the USA - on the 142nd, Ukraine - on the 99th.

In addition to countries, there are cities in the world where the population density reaches colossal values. The ten most populated cities in the world 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 density. On the territory of such states, you can travel (or walk) for many kilometers without meeting a single living soul.

Below are the top ten countries in the world with the lowest 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 km2. In large cities of the planet, these figures are even higher by an order of magnitude.

Most of the earthlings, about 90%, live in the northern hemisphere. Also, 80% of the population is concentrated in the eastern hemisphere, against 20% in the western one, while 60% of people are Asians (average - 109 people / km2). About 70% of the population is concentrated on 7% of the planet's territory. And 10-15% of the land is completely uninhabited territories - these are the lands of Antarctica, Greenland, etc.

Population density by country

There are countries in the world with both low and high population densities. The first group includes, for example, Australia, Greenland, Guiana, Namibia, Libya, Mongolia, Mauritania. The population density in them is no more than two people per square kilometer.

Asia has the most densely populated countries - China, India, Japan, Bangladesh, Taiwan, the Republic of Korea and others. The average density in Europe is 87 people/km2, in America - 64 people/km2, in Africa, Australia and Oceania - 28 people/km2 and 2.05 people/km2, respectively.

States with a small territory are usually very densely populated. These are, for example, Monaco, Singapore, Malta, Bahrain, Republic of Maldives.

Among the cities with the highest, Egyptian Cairo (36,143 people/km2), Chinese Shanghai (2,683 people/km2 in 2009), Pakistani Karachi (5,139 people/km2), Turkish Istanbul (6,521 people/km2) can be distinguished. km2), Japanese Tokyo (5,740 people/km2), Indian Mumbai and Delhi, Argentinean Buenos Aires, Mexican Mexico City, Moscow, the capital of Russia (10,500 people/km2), etc.

Causes of uneven settlement

The uneven population of the planet is associated with various factors. First of all, these are natural and climatic conditions. Half of earthlings live in the lowlands, which make up less than a third of the land, and a third of people live at a distance of no more than 50 kilometers from the sea (12% of the land).

Traditionally, zones with unfavorable and extreme natural conditions (highlands, tundra, deserts, tropics) were settled inactively.

Another factor is the rate of natural population growth due to the birth rate in different countries, in some states it is very high, and in others it is extremely low.

And another important factor is the socio-economic conditions and the level of production in a given country. For the same reasons, the density varies significantly within the countries themselves - in cities and rural areas. As a rule, the population density in cities is higher than in the countryside, and

Evgeny Marushevsky

freelancer, constantly travels the world

You might think that the most populous country in the world is China. No wonder the number of the eastern neighbor of Russia has exceeded one billion and amounted to 1.38 billion people. You probably think the same. Or maybe it's India?

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

There are 139 people per square kilometer in China.

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

The population density in India is 357 people per square kilometer - this is the 19th place in the list of the most densely populated countries 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, there is a very high population density. The 36,000 residents of the country and foreigners who visit the tourist pearl every year account for 1.95 square kilometers - 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 merged cities: Monte-Ville, Monte-Carlo, La Condamine and the industrial center - Fontvieille.

The indigenous people of this country are Monegasques, they are 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 first of them deals with defense issues.

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

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

Here are:

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

Among the historical monuments stand out: Fort Antoine, two churches and a chapel, the palace of justice and the prince's palace.

Fontvey Gardens and Princess Grace Gardens, rose gardens, zoo and 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 Côte d'Azur, and then take a taxi.

The country introduced speed limits - about 50 km / h. There are also pedestrian zones in the old town. 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.

The population density is 7,607 people per 1 square kilometer.

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

There are four official languages ​​here:

• English
• Tamil
• Chinese (Mandarin)
• Malay

Of the attractions, the most famous are: the Chinatown 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, since there are enough of them here. And you can get to it from the airport by taxi costing from 10 Singapore dollars, or you can use the subway for a price of $ 2.

Vatican

A 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.

The 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. There are also located: the University of Pope Urban, the University of Thomas Aquinas and other educational institutions of the Vatican.

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 is the most sparsely populated country in the world. There are only 2 people per 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. It borders India and Myanmar. The official languages ​​in the country are English and Bengali.

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

Among the attractions of the country are:

Sundarbans National Park, Madhupur and other nature reserves,

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

Also in Bangladesh there is a copy of the famous Taj Mahal.

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

Taiwan

The Republic of China is not yet recognized by everyone, officially it is considered a province of China. The area of ​​the country 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. Within the country, rail travel is especially popular.

In geopolitics there is such a thing as "population density". It determines the demographic and economic potential of a country or a particular region. Of course, this indicator is considered conditional, and its value depends on the area of ​​the analyzed territory.

Definition of the term

In geography, population density is determined by the number of people per unit area (1 square km). The more people live in a city, country, region, the greater this density.

At the same time, this is a purely statistical indicator, which depends on the area of ​​the study area. Thus, the number of people per unit area throughout Russia is much less than in Moscow, and much more than in Siberia, although both of these indicators are taken into account when determining the national density.

And this applies not only to Russia, but to the entire area of ​​the Earth. People are not evenly distributed on it. There are completely uninhabited regions, and there are places where the number of people exceeds 1000 per unit area.

Distribution of the population on the planet

According to statistics, the population density of the world is very uneven. In general, about 40 people per square kilometer live on the planet. At the same time, about 10% of the land is not inhabited at all.

90% of the inhabitants of the earth are concentrated in the Northern Hemisphere and 80% - in the Eastern. Moreover, approximately 60% of all people on earth live in Asian countries.

Therefore, in the Southern and Western Hemispheres, the number of people will be lower than the average figure on the planet.

In the Northern regions of the Earth, the number of people is noticeably decreasing, and there are practically none in Antarctica, except for single research groups. At the same time, the coasts of the seas and large rivers are very densely populated, which was facilitated by various factors of history and ecology.

Thus, we can safely say that the population on Earth has a heterogeneous character, which was influenced by a variety of factors. It is noteworthy that migration processes never stop. This gives the right to assert that the population density of countries is a very dynamic indicator.

Factors that affect the density of the world's population

Scientists argue that the nature of the population of certain territories depends on many factors. Some of them are subject to man, and some he must submit.

First of all, these are climatic conditions. The more favorable weather conditions for human life, the more people will settle in such a territory. Consequently, in tropical countries, places close to water bodies, people settle more often. This also explains why very cold regions are practically undeveloped by man.

Geographic conditions include proximity to fresh water. The larger the river, the larger the population on its banks. Man will not survive in the deserts, because he constantly needs water.

The highlands are also uninhabitable. In such places, there is little oxygen, without which it is also difficult for people to live normally.

Environmental factors determine areas where it is safest to live. For example, the zone around the Chernobyl nuclear power plant is practically deserted, since its territory has a high radiation background.

Economic factors encourage people to flock to places where there is work, and therefore the opportunity to get more money for their work.

Population density indicators in Russia

The large territory of the country guarantees us that Russia's population density is very uneven. Its total figure is close to 9 people per square kilometer. But this is very general information.

Thus, the European part of the country is populated by 75%, although it makes up about 25% of the entire area of ​​the country. Conversely, 25% of people live in 75% of the area of ​​its Asian part.

In large cities, the number of people increases many times, while in the villages there are practically no people left. The closer to the south, the more Russians we will meet per unit area. The only exceptions will be desert regions that are poorly habitable.

The uneven distribution of people across Russia is explained by the presence of different climatic conditions over a large area of ​​the state. It also happened historically that in some regions the resettlement took place more actively than in others. Even today, migration processes further exacerbate the situation with uneven settlement.

european part of Russia

The territory belonging to the European continent in Russia is no more than 25%. But it is here that most of its citizens are concentrated. Together with the Urals, this is 75% of all people living in the country.

This is due to the fact that there are large cultural and economic centers such as Moscow, St. Petersburg, Veliky Novgorod. Thus, it turns out that here the average population density is almost 37 people per unit area.

In the European part of the country, the conditions for life are also more favorable. The climate here is mild. It contributes to the development of agriculture and industry. Like a chain reaction, such features attract more and more people to them. Cultural life and infrastructure are developing. Population density is growing like a snowball. This is especially evident in the dynamics of large cities, where thousands of new residents come every year.

Sparsely populated regions

Regrettably, but most of the territory of Russia has a very low population density. In Russian Asia, on average, it is 2.4 people per square kilometer. This is significantly lower than in the entire country as a whole.

Here is also the most uninhabited area - Chukotka. Here, there are 0.07 people per unit area.

This is explained by the fact that the Far Eastern and Northern regions are practically unsuitable for life. At the same time, there are many minerals here. Around the places of their occurrence, modern people settle. Of the indigenous people, mainly nomadic peoples who have learned to live without agriculture in the usual sense of the word prevail here.

Desert regions are also not very attractive for human migration. Therefore, the population density of Russia is extremely uneven. Today, there are many federal programs that promote resettlement in sparsely populated regions.

One of the most crowded cities in the world

There is also a record city on the map of Russia. It has a very high population density even in comparison with other cities in the world. The top ten most densely populated settlements is closed by the capital - Moscow.

As of the beginning of 2015, the population density in this city was 4858 people per square kilometer. This is a very high population density. And every year it only grows. In addition, the statistics are based on the official registration of residents and people temporarily residing in the capital. But there is still a contingent of illegal migrants, not only from neighboring countries, but also from the hinterland of the country itself. Therefore, it can be argued that the real picture of overcrowding is much higher than the statistics give.

At the same time, the entire Moscow region is also very overpopulated. Together with Moscow, it is 320 people per unit area. This is almost five times more than across the country.

Ways of human settlement

To avoid overcrowding and develop uninhabited areas, there are several programs. The easiest way is to make the desert region attractive for migration. In this case, it is best to use labor migrants.

There have been many cases in history when new cities very quickly acquired a high population density.

For this, highly qualified personnel were first attracted, who were offered high salaries and housing benefits. In parallel with this, the infrastructure developed, providing jobs for their relatives. In a few years, in previously deserted regions, a large population density formed.

An example of such a rapid settlement is the city of Pripyat near the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. In a few years, it was filled with people, although before that there were only forests and swamps, unsuitable for life.