| Population
distribution and density
By
Marjorie Henry, Contributor
 |
| This
large gathering of students get involved in one of the performances during the
'No Violence in Schools' tour at the Norman Manley High School. - Ricardo Makyn/Staff
Photographer | In
the last lesson, I shared with you some of the factors that determine population
distribution and density, globally. Here is a short exercise to test how much
you remember. Do it without referring to the lesson, please. Answer
TRUE or FALSE to the following questions: 1.
Flat, lowland plains are needed for agriculture, and therefore the population
in such areas is sparse. 2.
Areas experiencing high humidity have a sparse population. 3.
Extensive areas of coniferous forests encourage lumbering, so many persons would
be attracted to them. 4.
Areas having large mineral deposits and/or energy supplies result in a concentration
of population. 5.
A dense population is associated with areas receiving an even distribution of
rainfall and a reliable water supply. Now,
check your answers. 1
- F
2 -
T
3 - F
4
- T
5 -
T Did
you get all your answers correct? I hope you did. What
other factors did you think of that affect population distribution and density?
Did you consider social factors? These certainly impact on where people live.
Included in the social factors are: - The
availability of housing.
- Access
to educational facilities - schools of different levels, colleges and universities.
- The
availability of recreational and entertainment facilities.
- Access
to health care - clinics and hospitals.
- Other
associated services.
Now,
as you reflect on this topic of where people live, bear in mind the fact that
no one factor will cause people to settle in any one area. There is, in fact,
a combination of factors. For example, an area may have a suitable terrain, a
fairly good communication system, but lacks development, economically and socially.
Comparatively speaking, not many persons would be attracted to such an area; hence,
a sparse population results. Of course, you can think of other examples. Having
looked at the global factors to get a broader perspective of things, let us now
examine the situation in a named Caribbean country as required by the syllabus.
Naturally, Jamaica is my choice. Whenever
an example from the Caribbean is required, I encourage you to choose your own
country as far as possible. So now, we will focus on the factors for population
distribution and density in Jamaica. I do hope you gave this topic some thought
as I encouraged you to do at the end of the last lesson. To guide us, we will
select from the list of factors already given for the situation globally. Physical
1.
Physical: If you were to look at a physical map of Jamaica (and I would encourage
you to do so ), you would have observed that: - The
highest areas are to the east of the island - comprising the Blue and the John
Crow mountains. These areas also have very steep slopes and are susceptible to
slope failure.
- The
dominant limestone area called The Cockpit Country, which is a part of the central
inlier of the island, has a very rugged terrain.
Both
of these areas have a sparse population. On the other hand, the plains and poljes
are low-lying areas. Agricultural activities are possible in these areas and this
encourages a dense population. In Jamaica, most settlements are found on the low-lying
plains. Drainage
2.
Drainage: Swamplands are present in sections of the south coast, namely, The
Great Morass in St. Elizabeth, and also in the eastern end of the island. These
badly-drained areas are of limited use for agricultural activities and are thinly
populated. Soil
3.
Soil: Fertile soils are needed for agriculture. These can be found on the
coastal plains of the island, in such parishes as Clarendon and St. Catherine.
As I have already mentioned, a dense population is usually found in areas where
agricultural activities are carried out. We
will continue this topic in the next lesson. Marjorie
Henry is a vice-principal at Glenmuir High School and is head of the Geography
Department. She teaches the subject at the CSEC Level. | 
