| Country | |
|---|
| Afghanistan |
populations tend to cluster in the foothills and periphery of the rugged Hindu Kush range; smaller groups are found in many of the country's interior valleys; in general, the east is more densely settled while the south is sparsely populated
|
| Albania |
a fairly even distribution, with somewhat higher concentrations of people in the western and central parts of the country
|
| Algeria |
the vast majority of the populace is found in the extreme northern part of the country along the Mediterranean Coast
|
| Andorra |
population is unevenly distributed and is concentrated in the 7 urbanized valleys that make up the country's parishes (political administrative divisions)
|
| Anguilla |
most of the population is concentrated in The Valley in the center of the island; settlmement is fairly uniform in the southwest, but rather sparce in the northeast
|
| Antigua and Barbuda |
the island of Antigua is home to approximately 97% of the population; nearly the entire population of Barbuda lives in Codrington
|
| Argentina |
one-third of the population lives in Buenos Aires; pockets of agglomeration occur throughout the northern and central parts of the country; Patagonia to the south remains sparsely populated
|
| Armenia |
most of the population is located in the northern half of the country; the capital of Yerevan is home to more than three times as many people as the second largest city in the country
|
| Aruba |
most residents live in or around Oranjestad and San Nicolaas; most settlments tend to be located on the less mountainous western side of the island
|
| Austria |
the northern and eastern portions of the country are more densely populated; nearly two-thirds of the populace lives in urban areas
|
| Azerbaijan |
highest population density is found in the far eastern area of the county, in and around Baku; apart from smaller urbanized areas, the rest of the country has a fairly evenly distributed population
|
| Bahamas, The |
most of the population lives in urban areas, with two-thirds living on New Providence Island where Nassau is located
|
| Bahrain |
smallest population of the Gulf States, but urbanization rate exceeds 90%; largest settlement concentration is found on the far northern end of the island in and around Manamah and Al Muharraq
|
| Barbados |
most densely populated country in the eastern Caribbean; approximately one-third live in urban areas
|
| Belarus |
a fairly even distribution throughout most of the country, with urban areas attracting larger and denser populations
|
| Belgium |
most of the population concentrated in the northern two-thirds of the country; the southeast is more thinly populated; considered to have one of the highest population densities in the world; approximately 97% live in urban areas
|
| Belize |
approximately 25 to 30% of the population lives in the former capital, Belize City; over half of the overall population is rural; population density is slightly higher in the north and east
|
| Bermuda |
relatively even population distribution throughout
|
| Bolivia |
a high altitude plain in the west between two cordillera of the Andes, known as the Altiplano, is the focal area for most of the population; a dense settlement pattern is also found in and around the city of Santa Cruz, located on the eastern side of the Andes
|
| Bosnia and Herzegovina |
the northern and central areas of the country are the most densely populated
|
| Brazil |
the vast majority of people live along, or relatively near, the Atlantic coast in the east; the population core is in the southeast, anchored by the cities of Sao Paolo, Brazilia, and Rio de Janeiro
|
| British Virgin Islands |
a fairly even distribution throughout the inhabited islands, with the largest islands of Tortola, Anegada, Virgin Gorda, and Jost Van Dyke having the largest populations
|
| Bulgaria |
a fairly even distribution throughout most of the country, with urban areas attracting larger populations
|
| Cabo Verde |
Among the nine inhabited islands, population distribution is variable. Islands in the east are very dry and are only sparsely settled to exploit their extensive salt deposits. The more southerly islands receive more precipitation and support larger populations, but agriculture and livestock grazing have damaged the soil fertility and vegetation.
|
| Canada |
vast majority of Canadians are positioned in a discontinuous band within approximately 300 km (180 mi) of the southern border with the United States; the most populated province is Ontario, followed by Quebec and British Columbia
|
| Cayman Islands |
majority of the population resides on Grand Cayman
|
| Chad |
the population is unevenly distributed due to contrasts in climate and physical geography; the highest density is found in the southwest, particularly around Lake Chad and points south; the dry Saharan zone to the north is the least densely populated
|
| Chile |
90% of the population is located in the middle third of the country around the capital of Santiago; the far north (anchored by the Atacama Desert) and the extreme south are relatively underpopulated
|
| Colombia |
the majority of people live in the north and west where agricultural opportunities and natural resources are found; the vast grasslands of the llanos to the south and east, which make up approximately 60% of the country, are sparsely populated
|
| Costa Rica |
roughly half of the nation's population resides in urban areas; the capital of San Jose is the largest city and home to approximately one-fifth of the population
|
| Croatia |
more of the population lives in the northern half of the country, with approximately a quarter of the populace residing in and around the capital of Zagreb; many of the islands are sparsely populated
|
| Cuba |
large population clusters found throughout the country, the more significant ones being in the larger towns and cities, particularly the capital of Havana
|
| Curacao |
largest concentration on the island is Willemstad; smaller settlements near the coast can be found throughout the island, particularly in the northwest
|
| Cyprus |
population concentrated in central Nicosia and in the major cities of the south: Paphos, Limassol, and Larnaca
|
| Czechia |
a fairly even distribution throughout most of the country, but the northern and eastern regions tend to have larger urban concentrations
|
| Denmark |
with excellent access to the North Sea, Skagerrak, Kattegat, and the Baltic Sea, population centers tend to be along coastal areas, particularly in Copenhagen and the eastern side of the country's mainland
|
| Dominica |
population is mosly clustered along the coast, with roughly a third living in the parish of St. George, in or around the capital of Roseau; the volcanic interior is sparsely populated
|
| Dominican Republic |
coastal development is significant, especially in the southern coastal plains and the Cibao Valley, where population density is highest; smaller population clusters exist in the interior mountains (Cordillera Central)
|
| Ecuador |
nearly half of the population is concentrated in the interior in the Andean intermontane basins and valleys, with large concentrations also found along the western coastal strip; the rainforests of the east remain sparsely populated
|
| Egypt |
approximately 95% of the population lives within 20 km of the Nile River and its delta; vast areas of the country remain sparsely populated or uninhabited
|
| Estonia |
a fairly even distribution throughout most of the country, with urban areas attracting larger and denser populations
|
| European Union |
population distribution varies considerably from country to country, but tends to follow a pattern of coastal and river settlement, with urban agglomerations forming large hubs facilitating large scale housing, industry, and commerce
|
| Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) |
a very small population, with most residents living in and around Stanley
|
| Faroe Islands |
the island of Streymoy is by far the most populous with over 40% of the population; it has approximately twice as many inhabitants as Eysturoy, the second most populous island; seven of the inhabited islands have less than 100 people
|
| Finland |
the vast majority of people are found in the south; the northern interior areas remain sparsely poplulated
|
| France |
much of the population is concentrated in the north and southeast; although there are many urban agglomerations throughout the country, Paris is by far the largest city, with Lyon ranked a distant second
|
| Gaza Strip |
population concentrated in major cities, particularly Gaza City in the north
|
| Georgia |
settlement coincides closely to the central valley, with emphasis on the capital city of Tbilisi in the east; smaller urban agglomerations dot the Black Sea coast, with Bat'umi being the largest
|
| Germany |
most populous country in Europe; a fairly even distribution throughout most of the country, with urban areas attracting larger and denser populations, particularly in the far western part of the industrial state of North Rhine-Westphalia
|
| Greece |
one-third of the population lives in and around metropolitan Athens; the remainder of the country has moderate population density mixed with sizeable pockets of urban agglomeration
|
| Greenland |
settlement concentrated on the southwest shoreline, with limited settlements scattered along the remaining coast; interior is uninhabited
|
| Grenada |
approximately one-third of the population is found in the capital of St. George's; the island's population is concentrated along the coast
|
| Guatemala |
the vast majority of the populace resides in the southern half of the country, particularly in the mountainous regions; more than half of the population lives in rural areas
|
| Guyana |
population is heavily concentrated in the northeast in and around Georgetown, with noteable concentrations along the Berbice River to the east; the remainder of the country is sparsely populated
|
| Haiti |
fairly even distribution; largest concentrations located near coastal areas
|
| Honduras |
most residents live in the mountainous western half of the country; unlike other Central American nations, Honduras is the only one with an urban population that is distributed between two large centers - the capital of Tegucigalpa and the city of San Pedro Sula; the Rio Ulua valley in the north is the only densely populated lowland area
|
| Hungary |
a fairly even distribution throughout most of the country, with urban areas attracting larger and denser populations
|
| Iceland |
Iceland is almost entirely urban with half of the population located in and around the capital of Reykjavik; smaller agglomerations are primarily found along the coast in the north and west
|
| Iran |
population is concentrated in the north, northwest, and west, reflecting the position of the Zagros and Elburz Mountains; the vast dry areas in the center and eastern parts of the country, around the deserts of the Dasht-e Kavir and Dasht-e Lut, have a much smaller population density
|
| Iraq |
population is concentrated in the north, center, and eastern parts of the country, with many of the larger agglomerations found along extensive parts of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers; much of the western and southern areas are either lightly populated or uninhabited
|
| Ireland |
population distribution is weighted to the eastern side of the island, with the largest agglomeration being in and around Dublin; populations in the west are small due to mountainous land, poorer soil, lack of good transport routes, and fewer job opportunities
|
| Isle of Man |
most people concentrated in cities and large towns of which Douglas, in the southeast, is the largest
|
| Israel |
population concentrated in and around Tel-Aviv, as well as around the Sea of Galilee; the south remains sparsely populated with the exception of the shore of the Gulf of Aqaba
|
| Italy |
despite a distinctive pattern with an industrial north and an agrarian south, a fairly even population distribution exists throughout most of the country, with coastal areas, the Po River Valley, and urban centers (particularly Milan, Rome, and Naples), attracting larger and denser populations
|
| Jamaica |
population density is high throughout, but increases in and around Kingston, Montego Bay, and Port Esquivel
|
| Jersey |
fairly even distribution; no notable trends
|
| Jordan |
population heavily concentrated in the west, and particularly the northwest, in and around the capital of Amman; a sizeable, but smaller population is located in the southwest along the shore of the Gulf of Aqaba
|
| Kazakhstan |
most of the country displays a low population density, particularly the interior; population clusters appear in urban agglomerations in the far northern and southern portions of the country
|
| Kosovo |
pockets of agglomeration exist throughout the country, the largest being in the east in and around the capital of Pristina
|
| Kuwait |
densest settlement is along the Persian Gulf, particularly in Kuwait City and on Bubiyan Island; significant population threads extend south and west along highways that radiate from the capital, particularly in the southern half of the country
|
| Kyrgyzstan |
the vast majority of Kyrgyzstanis live in rural areas; densest population settlement is to the north in and around Bishkek, followed by Osh in the west; the least densely populated area is the east, southeast in the Tien Shan mountains
|
| Latvia |
largest concentration of people is found in and around the port and capital city of Riga; small agglomerations are scattered throughout the country
|
| Lebanon |
the majority of the people live on or near the Mediterranean coast, and of these most live in and around the capital, Beirut; favorable growing conditions in the Bekaa Valley, on the southeastern side of the Lebanon Mountains, have attracted farmers and thus the area exhibits a smaller population density
|
| Libya |
well over 90% of the population lives along the Mediterranean coast in and between the western city of Az Zawiyah (just west of Tripoli) and the eastern city of Darnah; the interior remains vastly underpopulated due to the Sahara and lack of surface water
|
| Liechtenstein |
most of the population is found in the western half of the country along the Rhine River
|
| Lithuania |
fairly even population distribution throughout the country, but somewhat greater concentrations in the southern cities of Vilnius and Kaunas, and the western port of Klaipeda
|
| Luxembourg |
most people live in the south, on or near the border with France
|
| Macedonia |
a fairly even distribution throughout most of the country, with urban areas attracting larger and denser populations
|
| Mali |
the overwhelming majority of the population lives in the southern half of the country, with greater density along the border with Burkina Faso
|
| Malta |
most of the population lives on the eastern half of Malta, the largest of the three inhabited islands
|
| Mauritania |
with most of the country being a desert, vast areas of the country, particularly in the central, northern, and eastern areas, are without sizeable population clusters; half the population lives in or around the coastal capital of Nouakchott; smaller clusters are found near the southern border with Mali and Senegal
|
| Mexico |
most of the population is found in the middle of the country between the states of Jalisco and Veracruz; approximately a quarter of the population lives in and around Mexico City
|
| Moldova |
pockets of agglomeration exist throughout the country, the largest being in the center of the country around the capital of Chisinau, followed by Tiraspol and Balti
|
| Monaco |
the most densely populated country in the world; its entire population living on 2 square km
|
| Montenegro |
highest population density is concentrated in the south, southwest; the extreme eastern border is the least populated area
|
| Montserrat |
only the northern half of the island is populated, the southern portion is uninhabitable due to volcanic activity
|
| Morocco |
the highest population density is found along the Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts; a number of densely populated agglomerations are found scattered through the Atlas Mountains
|
| Netherlands |
an area known as the Randstad, anchored by the cities of Amsterdam, Rotterdam, the Hague, and Utrecht, is the most densely populated region; the north tends to be less dense, though sizeable communities can be found throughout the entire country
|
| Nicaragua |
the overwhelming majority of the population resides in the western half of the country, with much of the urban growth centered in the capital city of Managua; coastal areas also show large population clusters
|
| Niger |
majority of the populace is located in the southernmost extreme of the country along the border with Nigeria and Benin
|
| Norway |
most Norweigans live in the south where the climate is more mild and there is better connectivity to mainland Europe; population clusters are found all along the North Sea coast in the southwest, and Skaggerak in the southeast; the interior areas of the north remain sparsely populated
|
| Oman |
the vast majority of the population is located in and around the Al Hagar Mountains in the north of the country; another smaller cluster is found around the city of Salalah in the far south; most of the country remains sparsely poplulated
|
| Pakistan |
the Indus River and its tributaries attract most of the settlement, with Punjab province the most densely populated
|
| Panama |
population is concentrated towards the center of the country, particularly around the Canal, but a sizeable segment of the populace also lives in the far west around David; the eastern third of the country is sparsely inhabited
|
| Paraguay |
most of the population resides in the eastern half of the country; to the west lies the Gran Chaco, which accounts for 60% of the land territory, but only 2% of the overall population
|
| Peru |
approximately one-third of the population resides along the desert coastal belt in the west, with a strong focus on the capital city of Lima; the Andean highlands, or sierra, which is strongly identified with the country's Amerindian population, contains roughly half of the overall population; the eastern slopes of the Andes, and adjoining rainforest, are sparsely populated
|
| Poland |
population concentrated in the southern (Krakow) and central (Warsaw, Lodz) areas, with an extension to the northern coastal city of Gdansk
|
| Portugal |
concentrations are primarily along or near the Atlantic coast; both Lisbon and the second largest city, Porto, are coastal cities
|
| Puerto Rico |
population clusters tend to be found along the coast, the largest of these is found in and around San Juan; an exception to this is a sizeable population located in the interior of the island immediately south of the capital around Caguas; most of the interior, particularly in the western half of the island, is dominated by the Cordillera Central mountains, where population density is light
|
| Qatar |
most of the population is clustered in or around the capital of Doha on the eastern side of the peninsula
|
| Romania |
urbanization is not particularly high, and a fairly even population distribution can be found throughout most of the country, with urban areas attracting larger and denser populations; Hungarians, the country's largest minority, have a particularly strong presence in eastern Transylvania
|
| Russia |
population is heavily concentrated in the westernmost fifth of the country extending from the Baltic Sea, south to the Caspian Sea, and eastward parallel to the Kazakh border; elsewhere, sizeable pockets are isolated and generally found in the south
|
| Saint Barthelemy |
most of the populace concentrated in and around the capital of Gustavia, but scattered settlements exist around the island periphery
|
| Saint Kitts and Nevis |
population clusters are found in the small towns located on the periphery of both islands
|
| Saint Lucia |
most of the population is found on the periphery of the island, with a larger concentration in the north around the capital of Castries
|
| Saint Martin |
most of the population is found along the coast, with a largest concentrations around Marigot, Orleans, and Grand-Case
|
| Saint Pierre and Miquelon |
most of the population is found on Saint Pierre Island; a small settlement is located on the north end of Miquelon Island
|
| Saint Vincent and the Grenadines |
most of the population is concentrated in and around Kingstown
|
| Saudi Arabia |
historically a population that was mostly nomadic or semi-nomadic, the Saudi population has become more settled since petroleum was discovered in the 1930s; most of the economic activities - and with it the country's population - is concentrated in a wide area across the middle of the peninsula, from Ad Dammam in the east, through Riyadh in the interior, to Mecca-Medina in the west near the Red Sea
|
| Serbia |
a fairly even distribution throughout most of the country, with urban areas attracting larger and denser populations
|
| Sint Maarten |
most populous areas are Lower Prince's Quarter (north of Philipsburg), followed closely by Cul de Sac
|
| Slovakia |
a fairly even distribution throughout most of the country; slightly larger concentration in the west in proximity to the Czech border
|
| Slovenia |
a fairly even distribution throughout most of the country, with urban areas attracting larger and denser populations; pockets in the mountainous northwest exhibit less density than elsewhere
|
| Spain |
with the notable exception of Madrid, Sevilla, and Zaragoza, the largest urban agglomerations are found along the Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts; numerous smaller cities are spread throughout the interior reflecting Spain's agrarian heritage; dense settlement is found around the capital of Madrid, as well as the port city of Barcelona
|
| Sudan |
with the exception of a ribbon of settlement that corresponds to the banks of the Nile, northern Sudan, which extends into the dry Sahara, is sparsely populated; more abundant vegetation and broader access to water increases population distribution in the south extending habitable range along nearly the entire border with South Sudan; sizeable areas of population are found around Khartoum, southeast between the Blue and White Nile Rivers, and througout South Darfur
|
| Suriname |
population concentrated along the nothern coastal strip; the remainder of the country is sparsely populated
|
| Svalbard |
the small population is primarily concentrated on the island of Spitsbergen in a handful of settlements on the south side of the Isfjorden, with Longyearbyen being the largest
|
| Sweden |
most Swedes live in the south where there the climate is more mild and there is better connectivity to mainland Europe; population clusters are found all along the Baltic coast in the east; the interior areas of the north remain sparsely populated
|
| Switzerland |
population distribution corresponds to elevation with the northern and western areas far more heavily populated; the higher Alps of the south limit settlement
|
| Syria |
significant population density along the Mediterranean coast; larger concentrations found in the major cities of Damascus, Aleppo (the country's largest city), and Hims (Homs); more than half of the population lives in the coastal plain, the province of Aleppo, and the Euphrates River valley
|
| Tajikistan |
the country's population is concentrated at lower elevations, with perhaps as much as 90% of the people living in valleys; overall density increases from east to west
|
| Trinidad and Tobago |
population on Trinidad concentrated in the western half of the island; on Tobago in the southern half
|
| Tunisia |
the overwhelming majority of the population is located in the northern half of the country; the south remains largely underpopulated
|
| Turkey |
the most densely populated area is found around the Bosporus in the northwest where 20% of the population lives in Istanbul; with the exception of Ankara, urban centers remain small and scattered throughout the interior of Anatolia; an overall pattern of peripheral development exists, particularly along the western Mediterranean coast, and the Tigris and Euphrates River systems in the southeast
|
| Turkmenistan |
the most densly populated areas are the southern, eastern, and northeastern oases; approximately 50% of the population lives in and around the capital of Ashgabat
|
| Turks and Caicos Islands |
eight of the thirty islands are inhabited; the island of Providenciales is the most populated, but the most densely populated is Grand Turk
|
| Ukraine |
densest settlement in the eastern (Donbas) and western regions; noteable concentrations in and around major urban areas of Kyiv, Kharkiv, Donets'k, Dnipropetrovs'k, and Odesa
|
| United Arab Emirates |
population is heavily concentrated to the northeast on the Musandam Peninsula; the three largest emirates - Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Sharjah - are home to nearly 85% of the population
|
| United Kingdom |
the core of the population lies in and around London, with significant clusters found in central Britain around Manchester and Liverpool, in the Scotish lowlands between Endinburgh and Glasgow, southern Wales in and around Cardiff, and far eastern Northern Ireland centered on Belfast
|
| United States |
large urban clusters are spread throughout the eastern half of the US (particularly the Great Lakes area, northeast, east, and southeast) and the western tier states; mountainous areas, principally the Rocky Mountains and Appalachian chain, deserts in the southwest, the dense boreal forests in the extreme north, and the central prarie states are less densely populated; Alaska's population is concentrated along its southern coast - with particular emphasis on the city of Anchorage - and Hawaii's is centered on the island of Oahu
|
| Uruguay |
most of the country's population resides in the southern half of the country; approximately 80% of the populace is urban, living in towns or cities; nearly half of the population lives in and around the capital of Montevideo
|
| Uzbekistan |
most of the population is concentrated in the fertile Fergana Valley in the easternmost arm of the country; the south has significant clusters of people, while the central and western deserts are sparsely populated
|
| Venezuela |
most of the population is concentrated in the northern and western highlands along an eastern spur at the northern end of the Andes, an area that includes the capital of Caracas
|
| Virgin Islands |
while overall population density throughout the islands is relatively low, concentrations appear around Charlotte Amalie on St. Thomas and Christiansted on St. Croix
|
| West Bank |
Palestinian settlements are primarily located in the central to western half of the territory; Jewish colonies are found in pockets throughout, particularly in the northeast, north-central, and around Jerusalem
|
| Western Sahara |
most of the population lives in the two-thirds of the area west of the berm (Moroccan-occupied) that divides the territory; about 40% of that populace resides in Laayoune
|
| Yemen |
the vast majority of the population is found in the southern Sarawat Mountains, located in the far western region of the country
|
