Human factors
Factors influencing global population distribution
- Jobs, eg in manufacturing and service industriesA job which involves payment for a service, eg an accountant. encourage people to move to find work. tourismThe business of providing holidays for people travelling for pleasure. These travellers are called tourists. can also attract visitors to an area, providing local people with jobs.
- Areas with good transport links, such as roads and railways, will attract people and industryThe type of work that people do. which creates employment opportunities.
- Remote areas which are isolated and have poor transport links do not attract people.
Population patterns
According to the United NationsThe successor to the League of Nations, the United Nations was established in 1945 as an international organisation designed to keep peace, uphold international law and set standards in human rights. more than half of the world's population now live in urban areaA built-up place, eg a town or city., most notably in high-density cities. This number is expected to increase to 60 per cent in 2030.
Globally, more than 4 billion people live in urban areas. This is projected to increase to more than 7 billion by 2050. Urbanisation rates are increasing rapidly in developing countryA country that has little industry and lacks access to healthcare or education. as people migrate from rural to urban areas.
In developing countries, many people still live in rural areas, as there are large numbers of people working in primary industriesA type of work that involves the extraction of natural resources e.g. fishing, forestry and mining. such as farming, whereas in developed countries most people are employed in service industries.