Question

The nations of South Asia are some of the most densely populated in the world. India is only about one third as large as the United States in land size. But its population is more than four times as large. India has a population of more than one billion people. That is the second-highest population in the world, after China.

Population density is measured as the number of people per square mile. The higher the number, the more people live close together. By way of comparison, population density in the United States is 83 people per square mile. In Russia it is 22 people per square mile, and in China it is 361.

Here are some examples of population densities in South Asia:

Southeast Asia

Papua New Guinea has the lowest population density in the region—31 people per square mile.
The Philippines has a population density of 749 people per
square mile.
Singapore has the highest population density in all of Asia—16,518 people per square mile!
Most other countries in this region have population densities between 100 and 300 people per square mile.
Indian Subcontinent

Afghanistan has the lowest population density in this region—114 people per square mile.
The highest population densities in this region are in Bangladesh (2,734) and the Maldives (2,930).
The remaining countries in this region—India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka—all have population densities between 500 and 950 people per square mile.
East Asia

With over one billion people, China holds about one fifth of the world’s population. Nearly 11 million people live in Beijing, the capital of China. But western and northern China are too rugged and dry to support a very large population. So 90 percent of the Chinese people live in the east. (Mostly, they live along the major rivers of this region.) For this reason, China’s population density is only 361 people per square mile.

Mongolia is the second-largest nation (by land size) in East Asia. But, its population density is only about five people per square mile. This is because much of Mongolia is covered by desert. In fact, Mongolia is one of the driest areas in the world.

North Korea and South Korea lie on a peninsula, to the east of China. Most of the population in this region lives in South Korea, along the coast. The population density of North Korea is only 488 people per square mile, compared to 1,282 in South Korea. The three largest cities of the region are in South Korea. One of them is Seoul, the capital of South Korea.

In Japan, about 80 percent of the population lives along three coastal plains on the island of Honshu. This is because much of the rest of Japan has a rugged, mountainous terrain (land). It is more difficult to live there.

Taiwan is the smallest country in East Asia. It is located off the southeastern coast of China. Taiwan is slightly larger than the states of Connecticut and Massachusetts put together. Its 13,887 square miles hold a population of over 22 million. This means that it has a population density of 1,826 people per square mile. That is the highest of any East Asian nation.

Practice 3: Population Distribution

Decide if each statement below is true or false.

Population density is the number of people per square foot.
True
False
China has the largest population of any country in the world.
True
False
Most countries of South Asia are more densely populated than the United States.
True
False
Mongolia has a very low population density.
True
False
North Korea is more densely populated than South Korea.
True
False
Singapore has the highest population density in Asia.
True
False

Answer 1

Population density is the number of people per square foot.
False — population density is measured as people per square mile (in this text).

China has the largest population of any country in the world.
True — the passage says China has the largest population, with India second.

Most countries of South Asia are more densely populated than the United States.
True — most South Asian countries listed have densities far above the U.S. (83 people/mi²).

Mongolia has a very low population density.
True — Mongolia’s density is about five people per square mile.

North Korea is more densely populated than South Korea.
False — North Korea ~488 people/mi², South Korea ~1,282 people/mi².

Singapore has the highest population density in Asia.
True — Singapore is listed as the highest in Asia (16,518 people/mi²).