Critically evaluate the concept of optimum population including overpopulation and underpopulation

Why might areas become underpopulated? (3)

Areas might become underpopulated when there has been a depopulation of rural areas in LICs, the impact of a natural catastrophe e.g. drought, the impact of HIV/AIDs

Define optimum population

Optimum population is where a balance between population and resources exists

Define overpopulation

Overpopulation occurs where a country or region has too many people overusing the resources at a given level of technology

Define population density

Population density is the average number of people per unit area, such as square kilometre

Situation of two countries with the same population density (3)

There may be a situation where two countries have the same population density but one may be viewed as overpopulated and the other as underpopulated, a resource rich HIC with sophisticated technology may be considered to be underpopulated, an LIC with few resources and traditional technology may be considered to be overpopulated

Define underpopulation

Underpopulation occurs in a country or region where there are too few/not enough people to make full use of the resources at a given level of technology

Limitations of optimum population (3)

debate about whether it actually exists in a classic manner as a point in time/absolute number of people, very subjective, government's view of optimum population may not be that of the people's

Examples of underpopulated countries

often occupy a large territory and are resource rich, Australia, Canada