Population Distribution in Africa

• The total area of Africa is 30.2 million square kilometers
• As of 2013 it had a population of about 1.11 billion people accounting for 15% of the world’s population
• It thus has an average population density of about 36.7 people per square kilometer
• Low population density areas with a population of less than 10 people per square kilometer include:
• The Sahara and its surrounding areas, as well as the Namib and Kalahari deserts
• These areas are arid and semi arid thus making human settlement difficult
• There is no water for animals and people to drink
• There are also very little pastures for animals and little to no vegetative cover
• Medium population density areas with between 10 and 50 people per square kilometre include:
• The Zaire basin, West African interior, the central plateau
• These areas have fertile soils and receive good rain
• There are a lot of farming settlements in these areas as well as forestry activities such as lumbering
• High population density areas include:
• Cities such as Cairo and Johannesburg, the Great Lakes region of Malawi,  the Copperbelt of Zambia, the Nile valley, Coastal towns etc
• These populations are attracted by employment opportunities, efficient transport networks

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