LESSON PLAN: Population Density Around the World
LEVEL: Advanced
POPULATION DENSITY AROUND THE WORLD
Related topics: climate, environment, physical features
OVERVIEW
Students will locate the world’s most densely populated areas and analyze the relationship between Earth’s
physical systems and population density.
MATERIALS NEEDED
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World Population Density map (Home>>World>>Maps for the World>>World Population Density Map:
Advanced)
World Physical map (Home>>World>>Maps for the World>>World Physical Map: Advanced)
World Climate map (Home>>World>>Maps for the World>>World Climate Map: Advanced)
World Environments map (Home>>World>>Maps for the World>>World Environments Map: Advanced)
ACTIVITIES
Activity 1 helps students make generalizations about population density based on comparative data from thematic
maps.
Activity 2 helps students analyze how the locations of the world’s most populous cities relate to Earth’s physical
systems.
OBJECTIVES
Students will analyze the locations of the world’s most densely populated areas.
Students will describe the relationship between Earth’s physical systems and population density.
Student will draw conclusions about why some areas of Earth are more densely populated.
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHY STANDARDS
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How to use maps and other geographic representations, tools, and technologies to acquire, process, and report
information from a spatial perspective
The characteristics, distribution, and migration of human populations on Earth’s surface
The processes, patterns, and functions of human settlement
How physical systems affect human systems
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
During the first 2 million years of human existence, the world population grew at a very slow rate and probably
never exceeded 10 million. The development of agriculture (around 8000 BC) caused the growth rate to rise
sharply. By the year AD 1, the world population was about 250 million.
By 1650 the population had doubled to 550 million, and by 1850 it had doubled again, reaching almost 1.2 billion.
Each subsequent doubling has taken only about half as long as the previous one: 100 years to reach 2.5 billion,
and 40 years to reach 5.2 billion.
A country’s rate of natural increase is determined by subtracting the number of deaths from the number of births
for a given period. The world’s fastest-growing countries are found in either Africa or the Middle East. The
slowest-growing countries are found in Europe.
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LESSON PLAN: Population Density Around the World
LEVEL: Advanced
ACTIVITY 1
Have students look at the World Population map and write three generalizations about the locations of the world’s
most densely populated areas. [Suggested answers: Most are north of the equator and east of the prime meridian.
Most are in Asia and Europe. Most are located near a coast or along a river.]
Divide students into three groups. Have one group compare the World Population Density map with the World
Climate map. Have another group compare the World Population Density map with the World Environments
map. Have the third group compare the World Population Density map with the World Physical map. Each group
should write conclusions based on their comparison.
Have each group present its conclusions to the class. Based on these presentations, add to the list of
generalizations above. [Suggested answers: generally in temperate or tropical climates; generally in or near areas
with cropland or grazing land; generally not in mountainous areas]
ACTIVITY 2
Have students complete the worksheet titled “World’s Most Populous Cities.” Then have them compare their
answers with their generalizations from Activity 1.
CONCLUDING AND ASSESSMENT
Based on the activities in this lesson, have students write a paragraph describing the relationship between
population density and Earth’s physical systems, such as terrain, climate, and natural environments.
INTERNET CONNECTIONS
Students can find world population data at www.census.gov/ipc/www/world.html.
CROSS-CURRICULAR CONNECTIONS
Math
Have students construct a graph to show world population growth since 1650.
ANSWERS FOR STUDENT WORKSHEET
1. Cities tend to be on coasts or on an inland waterway. Few cities are in deserts. Most large cities
are not in mountainous regions.
Most of the cities are in the Northern Hemisphere because most of the world’s land and people
are in this hemisphere.
3. Students should provide a reasonable explanation that includes references to the need to locate
cities with access to water and transportation.
2.
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Name: _______________________________________________________
Date: ___________________
AREAS OF POPULATION DENSITY
Locate the following cities on a world map then answer the questions below.
Rank
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2
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5
6
7
8
9
10
City
Mumbai, India
Shanghai, China
São Paulo, Brazil
Seoul, South Korea
Moscow, Russia
Delhi, India
Karachi, Pakistan
Istanbul, Turkey
Beijing, China
Mexico City, Mexico
Population Rank
in millions
12
11
11
12
10.7
13
10.2
14
10.1
15
9.8
16
9.3
17
8.8
18
8.7
19
8.6
20
City
Jakarta, Indonesia
Tokyo, Japan
New York City, U.S.
Teheran, Iran
Cairo, Egypt
London, U.K.
Lima, Peru
Bogotá, Colombia
Bangkok, Thailand
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Population
in millions
8.4
8.3
8.1
7.8
7.6
7.2
7.0
6.7
6.3
6.0
1. Describe common physical features of the locations in which the cities are found. For
example, are there mountains? Is water present? Is the city in a desert?
______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
2. Are the cities mostly in the Northern Hemisphere or in the Southern Hemisphere?
_____________________________________________________________________
How do you explain this occurrence?
______________________________________________________________________
3. If you were an investor and you were looking for the future site of a large city, where
would you buy land?
__________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
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