Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2013/10/21
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]The confusion evidenced in the LUG about gun ownership, deer predation, etc. may be caused by failure to appreciate the relative population densities of the countries in which Luggers live. The first comments made by many of our frequent visitors from India is "Where are all the people?" India, with a population over three times that of the US and one third the land area has a population density nine time as great. The only time our Indian visitors feel at home is in New York City during rush hour. But the densely populated portion of the US exists only in the big cities. Once you travel more than an hour from a city you are in a rural area with relatively few people. We live only 50 miles north of NYC in a rocky, heavily forested region where we see more deer than neighbors. World average population density = 47/sq. km. or 120/sq. mile. Since about half the world's land area is unsuitable for living (deserts, arctic regions), the average population density in habitable areas is twice as great averaging 94/sq/ km. or 240/sq. mile. The country with the highest density is Singapore with 7301 people per sq. km. Hong Kong is next with 6398 per sq. km. In Europe the Netherlands has the highest density with 404 per sq. km. India has 380 people per km., Belgium has 361, Japan has 339, the UK has 262 (mostly near London), Germany has 225, Italy 198, China has 141, Denmark has 130, France has 117, Austria has 101, and Spain has 93. By contrast the USA has 35 people per sq, km, mostly living in a few urban coastal areas. Inland portions of the country have fewer than 10 people per sq. km. Canada, with its vast uninhabited northern area has 4 people per sq. km. On our last visit to Canada we were encouraged to carry pepper spray and talk loudly when hiking in the woods to keep way the bears. Wikipedia gives a full table of national population densities. See: <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_sovereign_states_and_dependent_terr itories_by_population_density> Tina is not unique. Not all Luggers live in dense, civilized areas. Larry Z