TERM 4 GEOGRAPHY
Population
Population distribution and population density in South Africa
1. The 50 million people living in South Africa.
2. Some parts have more people than other parts, meaning population distribution is uneven.
3. ‘Population density’ number of people who live in an area, and how closely they live to one other
4. Many reasons affect why more people would choose to live in one area when they could stay in
another area.
5. Areas can be densely populated or sparsely populated.
6. Areas such as cities, where the climate is good and resources are available, are densely populated.
There are positive and negative factors that affect the population density of an area.
These factors are:
Population distribution in South Africa (distribution map)
Shows how an area’s population is spread across that area. The map below shows the population
distribution in South Africa. The darker the shaded area, the more densely populated that area is.
The lighter shaded areas show the more sparsely populated areas in South Africa.
TERM 4 GEOGRAPHY
Activity 1
Study the bar graph and the pie chart and then answer these questions
:
1. Write a list of all nine provinces, arranging them in order from the most populated to the least
populated. The province with the highest population must come first, and the province with the
lowest population last.
2. Study the pie chart carefully.
a) What percentage of South Africans live in KZN?
b) What percentage of the South African population lives in the Northern Cape?
c) What percentage of the total population lives in the province where you live? Is this higher or
lower than you expected? Why do you say this?
3. In your province, do you think most people live in rural or urban areas? Why do you say this?
TERM 4 GEOGRAPHY
Activity 2
Study the graph of the average population density for each province on page 5 and answer the
following questions in your workbooks.
1. Which province has the highest population density?
2. Which two provinces have the lowest population density?
3. What do you think are the possible reasons for the differences in population density between
these? (Hint: refer back to the table on positive and negative factors to help you answer this
question.)
Why people live where they do in South Africa?
Different reasons for the location of settlements
Industrial towns start because factories are built there.
Mining towns start because minerals are found in the area
Harbour towns start because the bays are safe to build harbours
Fishing towns start because there is lots of fish available and people can make a living
People can live wherever they want to, providing they can afford to live there. Laws will still prevent
them from living in certain places. For example, you cannot live:
• In a place that belongs to someone else
• In an area that is a protected area such as a national park
• In an area that is not safe
Rural and urban areas
Rural areas in the countryside where there are many open spaces. People live far apart and these
areas are sparsely populated. People who settle in country places may be farmers, or they may run
small businesses in villages or small towns.
Urban areas are cities and places near to them. They are densely populated. There are many
buildings, factories and businesses there. It can be noisy and crowded, but some people enjoy the
excitement and fast pace of the city.
TERM 4 GEOGRAPHY
How do urban settlements develop and grow?
Many people move to cities because there is more work there and different kinds of jobs. It is often
easier to get good medical care, choose a school for your children, and access other services.
People around the world
Population distribution around the world (distribution map)
Activity 3
Study the world population distribution map and the pie chart of the population distribution of the
continents and then answer the following questions in your workbooks.
1. Which continent has more than half the world’s population?
2. In which parts of that continent do most people live?
3. Which continent has the second biggest population distribution?
4. Which continent has the smallest population distribution? Why do you think this is so?
The influence of climate, water and mineral resources on global settlement
The three reasons why areas are more densely populated then others:-
• The influence of climate
• Access to fresh water
• Mineral resources
TERM 4 GEOGRAPHY