is the process of distributing the population across a territory and forming a network of settlements. Its character is influenced by four groups of factors:

• socio-economic (general level of economic development, regional differences in the location of economic sectors, population incomes, volumes of capital investments, etc.);
• natural (climate, relief, soil, availability, etc.);
• demographic (intensity of mechanical and natural movement of the population);
• historical factor (influence of historical conditions on settlement).

Main features of population distribution

Population distribution reflects the result of the population settlement process for a specific period of time.

People are distributed extremely unevenly on the planet.

More than two-thirds of humanity is concentrated on about 8% of the land area, and about 10% of it is still uninhabited (, almost all, etc.).

Other features of the distribution of the population on Earth are as follows: 72% of the population lives in the region of origin and formation of man, 60% of the population lives in the temperate zone of the Northern Hemisphere; more than half of the people are concentrated in the lowlands (up to 200 m above sea level), although the latter make up less than 30% of the land. The population seems to be “shifted” towards the sea - almost 1/3 of the people live at a distance of no more than 50 km from the sea (this strip occupies 12% of the land).

The distribution of population across regions of the world is uneven. 3/5 of it falls on the share of , and Europe and – has been steadily declining.

Nowadays, only 1/5 of the world’s population lives in economically highly developed countries, including 11.4% in the 7 leading ones (Germany, Germany, and), and 4/5 in developing countries.

60% of humanity is concentrated in the ten largest states with a population of more than 100 million each, and another almost 15% in eleven countries with a population of 50 to 100 million people. Thus, there is a very high territorial concentration of the population. However, the vast majority of countries have less than 10 million inhabitants, and many have less than 1 million. The highest proportion of sparsely populated countries is in Africa, Oceania and Central America. Examples of states with a very small population are (1 thousand inhabitants) and Pitcairn Island (a British colony in Polynesia), where the population is less than 100 people.

The degree of population and economic development of a territory is often determined by the indicator - the number of inhabitants per 1 km2. Its average value in the world is 45 people per 1 km2. However, according to available estimates, for half of the land the population density is less than 1 person per 1 km2, and for 1/4 it ranges from 1 to 10 people per 1 km2.

There are 6 regions on the globe with the highest population density (over 100 people per 1 km2):

1. East Asian (Eastern China, Japan, Republic of Korea).
2. South Asian (Indo-Gangetic lowland, South India.
3. Southeast Asian (, Vietnam,).
4. European (Europe without its northern part).
5. Northeastern region of the USA.
6. West African region (Nile Valley and lower reaches - countries: Nigeria, ).

In addition, there are areas with high population density in - some coastal areas in and.

The most densely populated countries in the world include (930 people per 1 km2), and – 330 – 395 people per 1 km2.

High population density is most often associated with the development of industry and cities, in which it often reaches several thousand and even tens of thousands of people per 1 km2. However, among densely populated countries there are both industrial, highly urbanized countries (Great Britain, Belgium, Germany) and agricultural countries with a sharp preponderance of the rural population (India, Indonesia, Bangladesh). The situation is similar among sparsely populated states, which are classified as highly developed countries -

The vastness of Russia's space is the most important factor in the heterogeneity and diversity of its nature, economy, and the ethnic diversity of its peoples. All these factors mutually influence each other, determining the uniqueness of the country and its regions. Undoubtedly, such natural features as a cold climate, the predominance of plains, powerful rivers and forests left a deep imprint on the nature of development and the economic appearance of the country, its culture and national character. The Russian thinker Pyotr Chaadaev wrote: “Our entire history is a product of the nature of that vast land that was our lot.” Obviously, there is a great deal of truth in such an assessment, although nature is not a determining factor in the development of the country.

To assess the role of nature in the formation of Russia, we present the opinions of two great Russian historians:

• N.M. Karamzin: “Isn’t it amazing how lands separated by eternal barriers of nature - immeasurable deserts and impenetrable forests, cold and hot climates, like Astrakhan and Siberia and Bessarabia, could form one power with Moscow?”
• CM. Soloviev: “Before us is a vast plain: at a huge distance from Bely to Cherny and from to the sea, the traveler will not encounter any significant elevations, will not notice sharp transitions... And the plain, no matter how vast it is, no matter how diverse the tribes were at first its population will sooner or later become a region of one state.”

Thus, two different researchers assessed Russian nature differently - one saw it as too monotonous, the other - extremely diverse; one considered its unification within one country inevitable, the other expressed surprise at this.

Obviously, there is truth in such opposing assessments. It consists in the fact that N.M. Karamzin compared the differences in climates (“hot and cold”), flora (“forests and deserts”) in the extreme points of Russia, finding great diversity in them, and S.M. Soloviev saw, first of all, a vast plain connecting these extreme points, i.e. assessed the terrain of the territory. It is this difference in points of view that often determines the subjectivity of judgments and assessments. Therefore, in order to judge the legitimacy of such statements about the role of nature in the development of a country, it is important to know its specific geography.

The most general view of Russian geography highlights large differences between north and south, east and west. In the direction from north to south, i.e. According to the combination of climate and soil features, the country's territory is divided into three natural zones (with transitional subzones) - tundra - mainly north of the Arctic Circle, taiga-forest, which lies south of it and occupies half of the country's territory, and steppe, located near the southern borders of Russia. At the same time, the severity of the climate increases in the direction from the southwest to the northeast, and the dryness of the climate increases from the northwest to the southeast.

In the direction from west to east, the country's topography changes - flat in the west (up to the Yenisei) and elevated mountainous in the east.

The diversity of the country's landscapes is brought about by its largest rivers, the basins of which coincide with the main units of surface structure. Crossing the territory of Russia from south to north, river basins unite these extreme points of Russian space and form large geographical regions. Based on the combination of basic natural characteristics, four such regions are distinguished, each of which has its own economic specifics:

• European region: occupied, limited in the east by the Ural Mountains, in the south by the Caucasus Mountains. The Volga basin with its tributaries Oka and Kama constitutes the historical and economic core of the country -. The Sev River flows in the north. Dvina and Pechora, in the south - Don, Kuban and Terek, the basins of which occupy the North and South of European Russia, respectively. The sources of many rivers are so close to each other that a single river route has been created connecting all the seas of the European part of Russia. This is the region with the most favorable natural conditions.
• Western Siberia: occupied by the West Siberian Lowland, stretches from the Urals to the river. Yenisei in the east and the Altai Mountains in the south. The main river, the Ob, and its tributary, the Irtysh, cover the entire territory of the region with their basin and are its main economic axis. The region's wealth of fuel and energy resources and proximity to the European region determine its economic importance. A negative factor is the high swampiness of the region.
• Eastern Siberia: covers the Central Siberian Plateau, Sayan Mountains and Mountains, river basins. Yenisei and. The most severe region of the country in terms of natural conditions, with a wide distribution. Its importance is determined by large hydropower, coal and forest resources, reserves of non-ferrous metals, and valuable furs. The region is of great ecological importance due to the preservation of large tracts of coniferous forests.
• Far East: occupies the eastern mountainous part of the country with lowlands in the basins of the Lena, Amur, Kolyma and other rivers. This is the least developed and populated region, the severity of the conditions of which is softened by wide access to the seas. Proximity to Asian countries, the richness of the seas with fish, and the subsoil with precious metals determine the main economic importance of this region.

In physical and geographical terms, the region of the mountains of Southern Siberia is distinguished separately.

These features of the nature of Russia largely influenced the great unevenness of the development and settlement of the territory, the sharp differences in the location of the economy and the development of its regions, which are striking features of the geography of its economy.

IN relief Australia Plains predominate. About 95% of the surface does not exceed 600 m above sea level. Main orographic units: Western Australian Tablelands, Central Lowlands, Great Dividing Range with adjacent subtropical lowland coastal area. The coastline of Australia has a slightly indented topography and a few bays convenient for navigation.

Landscapes of the islands Oceania vary from equatorial to subtropical and temperate. Large mountainous islands are characterized by altitudinal zonation of landscapes and their sharp differences depending on the exposure of the slopes in relation to wet and dry winds.

Australia enters into significant Place of Birth gold (Western Australia), polymetallic and uranium ores, bauxite (Western Queensland, etc.), rich deposits of iron ore (Hamersley Range in Western Australia, etc.), and there are coal deposits in eastern Australia. In a number of areas of Australia, oil and gas deposits have also been discovered in sedimentary deposits of different ages.

Climate . Most of Australia lies in the tropics, the North - in subequatorial latitudes, the South - in subtropical latitudes. Australia almost entirely lies within the summer isotherms of 20-280, winter 12-20°C. In Australia, a dry climate prevails, but there are no long-term droughts, since the flatness of the continent and its short length from North to South favor the penetration of humid winds from both the North and the South in the summer (December - February.

The most abundant river in Australia is the Murray (Murree), with its main tributary, the Darling, the longest river in Australia, but less abundant.

Most of the islands Oceania lies in the tropical climate zones of both hemispheres. The average monthly temperatures of the warmest month are 25°C (August) in the North, the coldest month is 5°C (August) in the South.

The largest rivers in Oceania are the Fly and Digul in New Guinea. On coral and small volcanic islands there are lenses of fresh water that lie above salt water in the soils near the coast. New Zealand has the most lakes (there are many geysers on the North Island).

Vegetation. In the north-east Australia Evergreen tropical forests predominate. Inland they give way to eucalyptus forests, woodlands and savannas. In the dry inland parts of Australia, shrub and herbaceous formations are developed. The most important among Australia's plant resources are natural pastures in semi-desert and savannah areas. Most of the forests consist of eucalyptus trees, which provide hard, rot-resistant wood, valuable oils and gum.

Vegetation Oceania extremely diverse. On the high mountainous islands, moist evergreen forests and shrubs are common on moist windward slopes. In cool and very humid climates, shorter trees, mosses, lichens and ferns predominate. The tops of the highest islands have alpine vegetation. On the leeward, drier slopes below there are deserted savannas and semi-deserts with prickly grasses, small-leaved shrubs, and low trees; higher - hard-leaved forests, shrubs, savannas. On coral islands the vegetation is especially poor in species. The vegetation cover of Oceania has been greatly modified by humans, especially since colonization. Large areas are occupied by plantation crops and pastures (New Zealand); The forest area has greatly decreased. Introduced animals caused great damage to vegetation.

Animal world. Fauna Australia It is distinguished by the absence of ungulates, primates and carnivores (except for the wild dog dingo, introduced by humans). Representatives of the fauna of the Mesozoic and Tertiary times have been preserved on the mainland, including most of the marsupials living on earth, as well as the most ancient of mammals - the monotreme oviparous echidna and platypus. Many animals in Australia have been exterminated as a result of hunting and changes in the landscape due to human economic activity. The introduction of rabbits, which destroy a significant part of pastures, has led to a decline in marsupials.

For Oceania characterized by an almost complete absence of mammals and an abundance of birds, although on the eastern archipelagos there are noticeably fewer land birds, especially songbirds. The fauna of New Guinea has the largest number of mammals (including oviparous and marsupials of Australian origin). In the Polynesian region in the west, the fauna is richer than in the East, where there are no freshwater fish and turtles; East of the Solomon Islands there are almost no land mammals (not counting mice and rats) and snakes. The fauna of the atolls is the poorest in Oceania. The fauna of Oceania suffered greatly due to the importation (intentional and accidental) of large and small cattle, rabbits, pigs, rats, mongooses, etc.

1 Under external by migrations we will understand migrations from and to the Australian continent, while according to internal- within the Australian continent.

2 The periodization of migration waves is given based on the works of prof. P.I. Puchkova.

Features of population distribution

With an average population density of more than 40 people on the planet, the population is unevenly distributed per km2. The main reasons that influence the distribution of the population: socio-economic living conditions of people, the influence of natural conditions, historical features, and the current demographic situation.

The main feature of population distribution is its unevenness. One of the most important reasons for this is natural conditions. As is known, not all regions on continents have favorable conditions for human life and economic activity. It is no coincidence that only 7% of the Asian land area is home to 70% of the world's population, and 37% is not inhabited at all.

The main indicator of the distribution of people on Earth is population density, characterized by the number of people permanently residing on 1 km 2 of territory. Naturally, with a growing population and a constant land area, the average population density of the Earth is constantly growing. So, in 1950 it was 18 people. per 1 km 2, in 1960 - 22, in 1970 - 27, in 1980 - 33, and currently has reached 40 people. per 1 km 2.

The most populated part of the world is Europe, the least populated is Australia. If in the vast expanses of northern Eurasia and North America the density is less than 1 person. per 1 km 2, then in Japan this figure is 300 people. per 1 km 2, and in Singapore exceeds 4000 people. per 1 km 2.

In addition to natural conditions, other factors also influence the distribution of the population. Important among them are the time of settlement of the territory, the type of economy, migration processes, and political events.

Urban population. Urbanization

The world's population is divided into urban and rural.

Cities arose in ancient times, but their number began to increase sharply starting from the last century. A city is a populated area with a significant number of residents engaged primarily in non-agricultural activities.

Cities are classified according to various criteria. For example, based on their appearance, they distinguish between European, North American, and Asian types of cities. Cities are distinguished by economic functions: industrial centers, transport and industrial centers, scientific centers, capitals, resort centers. An important characteristic of most modern cities is their multifunctionality.

The number of urban residents on the planet is constantly growing and currently amounts to 48%. Most countries in the world are characterized by a high level of urbanization.

According to UN forecasts, 75% of the total population will live in cities in Western Europe, and 87% of the total population in North America. Urban growth rates are especially high in developing countries. For example, in Africa the urban population is growing by 5% per year, in South America - even faster.

The growth of the urban population is accompanied by its concentration in large and very large cities, which often merge and form urban agglomerations.

Rapid urban growth is causing many problems. Among them are environmental pollution, problems of transport and living space, noise, etc. These problems are especially complex in agglomerations and megalopolises. Therefore, there is a need to regulate the uncontrolled growth of cities.

Rural population

Despite the rapid growth of cities, almost half of the world's population still lives in rural areas.

There are two forms of rural settlement: group and scattered. The group form (villages, hamlets, villages) is common in Eastern European countries, in particular in Ukraine. This form of settlement is also typical for China, Japan and most developing countries. The dispersed form of settlement is characterized by people living on separate farms. This is due to the peculiarities of the development of the territory. Farms predominate in the USA, Canada, Australia, South Africa, etc.

Environmental problems of Russia

When characterizing the environmental problems should be told about the composition of the household, because Each industry can cause specific environmental impacts. Problems. The development of the mining industry leads to a reduction in mineral reserves. Thermal energy pollutes the air with sulfur compounds, slag dumps take arable land out of use, and pollute surface and groundwater. Main Environmental pollutants include chemistry, metallurgy and the pulp and paper industry. Among the agricultural sectors. crop production can contribute to soil erosion and degradation. Large livestock complexes with sewage flows can pollute water bodies, and excessive grazing of livestock can lead to the destruction of vegetation. Construction and transport take land out of circulation and destroy natural communities. The main ways to solve environmental problems can be not only the construction of various treatment facilities and devices, but also the introduction of new low-waste technologies, repurposing production, and transferring them to a new location in order to reduce harmful effects.

Historical features of the settlement and development of Russian territory

The territory that is now part of Russia was inhabited by people approximately 10-12 thousand years ago. The territory between the Volga and Oka began to be developed by the Slavs back in the 8th-9th centuries, being for a long time the far north-eastern periphery of Kievan Rus. After the Mongol-Tatar conquests of the 13th century, a new center of Russian lands was formed here, headed by Moscow. It is around this center that the territorial expansion of the Russian state begins. The initial direction of colonization was to the north and northeast. In 1581, the first Russian detachment crossed the Ural ridge, and in 1639 the Russians appeared on the shores of the Sea of ​​Okhotsk. Along with the settlement of the territories, it was explored by scientists and travelers. The agricultural development of Siberia begins in the 19th century, and the largest influx of population occurs at the beginning of the 20th century after the construction of the Trans-Siberian railway. In the western direction, the spread of Russians occurred on a smaller scale, since these territories were already densely populated - with the exception of the St. P. area. The Russian settlement of the Baltic states occurred mainly in connection with the development of industry in its largest ports: Riga, Tallinn, etc. The processes of population distribution during the Soviet period were strongly influenced by the policy of “industrialization of the national outskirts.” The construction of large industrial enterprises in the absence of local qualified personnel led to a massive influx of Russian workers to Central Asia, Kazakhstan, and Azerbaijan. The resettlement of Russians to the main industrial regions of Ukraine continued: Donbass, the Dnieper region, etc. Now the largest migration outflow of Russians is from Tajikistan. Somewhat less - from other Asian republics.