World population is currently undergoing the biggest transformation that it has ever seen, but this process is impacting very unevenly. While overall numbers have been growing extremely rapidly since 1950, almost nine-tenths of the increase has been taken in the less developed regions, especially southern and eastern Asia, while Europe’s population is now estimated to be in overall decline and ageing rapidly.
Population distribution.
People are distributed very unevenly over the face of the planet. Over a quarter of the land is area is uninhabited or has extremely low population density, notably the polar regions, the Amazon basin and the dry deserts of Saharan Africa, southwest and central Asia, and Australia.
Population growth.
Over the past half century word population has been growing faster than it has ever done before due to medical advances and massive increase in agricultural productivity made possible by the Green Revolution [G.R. refers to a series of research, development, and technology transfer initiatives, occurring between the 1940’s and the late 1970’s, that increased agriculture production around the world. Increased use of various technologies such as pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers as well as new breeds of high yield crops were employed in the decades after the Second World War to greatly increase global food production]. The latest trends in population growth at country level emphasize the continuing contrast between the more and less developed regions. Annual growth rates of 1.5 per cent or more remain common in Latin America, Africa and southern Asia. A number of countries would lead to the doubling of population in 23 years or less. Ten countries account for 60 per cent of the world’s population growth, with India and China responsible for over half.
2010, Collins World Atlas, London, Harper Collins Publishers.
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