Question

Giving examples, correlate climate and population distribution.

Answer 1

The relation between climate and population:

1. High rainfall causes growth of dense forests where human settlements are very less, like the Amazon basin in Brazil and north-eastern states in India.
2. Extreme climatic conditions like arid and cold areas reduce the human population. For example, savannah in Brazil and high altitudes of the Himalayas in India are less populated.
3. Areas with a climate that supports agriculture are most populated, like northern plains in India and coastal lowlands in Brazil.
4. Areas with moderate climate are also well populated, like the deciduous and coastal areas.

Answer 2

In order to survive, human beings need suitable and conducive climate; as these are one of the most essential factors. For e.g.:

1. The south-eastern coastal areas of Brazil receive 1000 - 1200 mm of rainfall and rarely experience tropical cyclones. Due to this, agriculture and industries have flourished well here. Due to this, a higher density of population is found in these areas.
2. In India, the northern plains and the coastal areas in the west and east have favourable climate, which results in the concentration of population in these areas.

Also, it is to be noted that human settlements are not dense in areas having rain shadow regions, dry weather or extremely heavy rainfall, high temperature, etc. For e.g.:

1. In Brazil, a sparse population is found in the north-eastern part of the highlands which are drought-affected and the areas of the Amazon valley that have unfavourable climate, experiences heavy rainfall, have accessibility issues and dense forests.
2. In India, a sparse population is found in the western desert occupied areas of Rajasthan, where the soil is not suitable for cultivation and the climate is very dry. Similarly, a sparse population is also found in the areas of high altitude like the Himalayas where the temperature is as low as – 40° (minus forty degrees).
   Thus, it is evident that, climate plays a very important role in population concentration.