The Gridded Population of the World, Version 4 (GPWv4): Population Density, Revision 11 consists of estimates of human population density (number of persons per square kilometer) based on counts consistent with national censuses and population registers. A proportional allocation gridding algorithm, utilizing approximately 13.5 million national and sub-national administrative units, was used to assign population counts to 30 arc-second grid cells. The population density rasters were created by dividing the population count raster for a given target year by the land area raster. The data files were produced as global rasters at 30 arc-second (~1 km at the equator) resolution. To enable faster global processing, and in support of research communities, the 30 arc-second count data were aggregated to 2.5 arc-minute, 15 arc-minute, 30 arc-minute and 1-degree resolutions to produce density rasters at these resolutions.Source: Center for International Earth Science Information Network - CIESIN - Columbia University. 2018. Gridded Population of the World, Version 4 (GPWv4): Population Density, Revision 11. Palisades, New York: NASA Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center (SEDAC). Available at https://doi.org/10.7927/H49C6VHW. (October 2022)Files Download

Author: Joseph Kerski, post_secondary_educator, Esri and University of DenverGrade/Audience: high school, ap human geography, post secondary, professional developmentResource type: lessonSubject topic(s): population, maps, citiesRegion: africa, asia, australia oceania, europe, north america, south america, united states, worldStandards: All APHG population tenets. Geography for Life cultural and population geography standards. Objectives: 1. Understand how population change and demographic characteristics are evident at a variety of scales in a variety of places around the world. 2. Understand the whys of where through analysis of change over space and time. 3. Develop skills using spatial data and interactive maps. 4. Understand how population data is communicated using 2D and 3D maps, visualizations, and symbology. Summary: Teaching and learning about demographics and population change in an effective, engaging manner is enriched and enlivened through the use of web mapping tools and spatial data. These tools, enabled by the advent of cloud-based geographic information systems (GIS) technology, bring problem solving, critical thinking, and spatial analysis to every classroom instructor and student (Kerski 2003; Jo, Hong, and Verma 2016).

Contained within the Atlas of Canada Poster Map Series, is a poster showing population density across Canada. There is a relief base to the map on top of which is shown all populated areas of Canada where the population density is great than 0.4 persons per square kilometer. This area is then divided into five colour classes of population density based on Statistics Canada's census divisions.

In 2023, Washington, D.C. had the highest population density in the United States, with 11,130.69 people per square mile. As a whole, there were about 94.83 residents per square mile in the U.S., and Alaska was the state with the lowest population density, with 1.29 residents per square mile. The problem of population density Simply put, population density is the population of a country divided by the area of the country. While this can be an interesting measure of how many people live in a country and how large the country is, it does not account for the degree of urbanization, or the share of people who live in urban centers. For example, Russia is the largest country in the world and has a comparatively low population, so its population density is very low. However, much of the country is uninhabited, so cities in Russia are much more densely populated than the rest of the country. Urbanization in the United States While the United States is not very densely populated compared to other countries, its population density has increased significantly over the past few decades. The degree of urbanization has also increased, and well over half of the population lives in urban centers.

Historical dataset showing North America population density by year from 1961 to 2022.

This map layer includes cities and towns in the United States, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. A city or town is a place with a recorded population, usually with at least one central area that provides commercial activities. Cities are generally larger than towns; no distinction is made between cities and towns in this map layer.

This layer is a component of Populated Places.

This map layer includes cities and towns in the United States, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands (NTAD 2015). A city or town is a place with a recorded population, usually with at least one central area that provides commercial activities. Cities are generally larger than towns; no distinction is made between cities and towns in this map layer.

© The National Atlas

Contained within the 3rd Edition (1957) of the Atlas of Canada is a plate that shows the distribution of population in what is now Canada circa 1851, 1871, 1901, 1921 and 1941. The five maps display the boundaries of the various colonies, provinces and territories for each date. Also shown on these five maps are the locations of principal cities and settlements. These places are shown on all of the maps for reference purposes even though they may not have been in existence in the earlier years. Each map is accompanied by a pie chart providing the percentage distribution of Canadian population by province and territory corresponding to the date the map is based on. It should be noted that the pie chart entitled Percentage Distribution of Total Population, 1851, refers to the whole of what was then British North America. The name Canada in this chart refers to the province of Canada which entered confederation in 1867 as Ontario and Quebec. The other pie charts, however, show only percentage distribution of population in what was Canada at the date indicated. Three additional graphs are included on this plate and show changes in the distribution of the population of Canada from 1867 to 1951, changes in the percentage distribution of the population of Canada by provinces and territories from 1867 to 1951 and elements in the growth of the population of Canada for each ten-year period from 1891 to 1951.

This data set includes cities in the United States, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. These cities were collected from the 1970 National Atlas of the United States. Where applicable, U.S. Census Bureau codes for named populated places were associated with each name to allow additional information to be attached. The Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) was also used as a source for additional information. This is a revised version of the December, 2003, data set.

This layer is sourced from maps.bts.dot.gov.

Contained within the 4th Edition (1974) of the Atlas of Canada is a map that shows the distribution of population for 1961 by census division. Supplementary charts show the percentages of rural population, urban population in places with populations of 5000 or more and urban populations that are between 1000 to 5000 people. A supplementary text listing urban complexes and centres with populations of 5000 or more accompanies this map.

In the past four centuries, the population of the United States has grown from a recorded 350 people around the Jamestown colony of Virginia in 1610, to an estimated 331 million people in 2020. The pre-colonization populations of the indigenous peoples of the Americas have proven difficult for historians to estimate, as their numbers decreased rapidly following the introduction of European diseases (namely smallpox, plague and influenza). Native Americans were also omitted from most censuses conducted before the twentieth century, therefore the actual population of what we now know as the United States would have been much higher than the official census data from before 1800, but it is unclear by how much. Population growth in the colonies throughout the eighteenth century has primarily been attributed to migration from the British Isles and the Transatlantic slave trade; however it is also difficult to assert the ethnic-makeup of the population in these years as accurate migration records were not kept until after the 1820s, at which point the importation of slaves had also been illegalized. Nineteenth century In the year 1800, it is estimated that the population across the present-day United States was around six million people, with the population in the 16 admitted states numbering at 5.3 million. Migration to the United States began to happen on a large scale in the mid-nineteenth century, with the first major waves coming from Ireland, Britain and Germany. In some aspects, this wave of mass migration balanced out the demographic impacts of the American Civil War, which was the deadliest war in U.S. history with approximately 620 thousand fatalities between 1861 and 1865. The civil war also resulted in the emancipation of around four million slaves across the south; many of whose ancestors would take part in the Great Northern Migration in the early 1900s, which saw around six million black Americans migrate away from the south in one of the largest demographic shifts in U.S. history. By the end of the nineteenth century, improvements in transport technology and increasing economic opportunities saw migration to the United States increase further, particularly from southern and Eastern Europe, and in the first decade of the 1900s the number of migrants to the U.S. exceeded one million people in some years. Twentieth and twenty-first century The U.S. population has grown steadily throughout the past 120 years, reaching one hundred million in the 1910s, two hundred million in the 1960s, and three hundred million in 2007. In the past century, the U.S. established itself as a global superpower, with the world's largest economy (by nominal GDP) and most powerful military. Involvement in foreign wars has resulted in over 620,000 further U.S. fatalities since the Civil War, and migration fell drastically during the World Wars and Great Depression; however the population continuously grew in these years as the total fertility rate remained above two births per woman, and life expectancy increased (except during the Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918).

Since the Second World War, Latin America has replaced Europe as the most common point of origin for migrants, with Hispanic populations growing rapidly across the south and border states. Because of this, the proportion of non-Hispanic whites, which has been the most dominant ethnicity in the U.S. since records began, has dropped more rapidly in recent decades. Ethnic minorities also have a much higher birth rate than non-Hispanic whites, further contributing to this decline, and the share of non-Hispanic whites is expected to fall below fifty percent of the U.S. population by the mid-2000s. In 2020, the United States has the third-largest population in the world (after China and India), and the population is expected to reach four hundred million in the 2050s.

Contained within the 1st Edition (1906) of the Atlas of Canada is a plate that shows two maps. The maps show the density of population per square mile for every township in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, British Columbia, Alberta, circa 1901. The statistics from the 1901 census are used, yet the population of Saskatchewan and Alberta is shown as confined within the vicinity of the railways, this is because the railways have been brought up to date of publication, 1906. Cities and towns of 5000 inhabitants or more are shown as black dots. The size of the circle is proportionate to the population. The map uses eight classes, seven of which are shades of brown, more densely populated portions are shown in the darker tints. Numbers make it clear which class is being shown in any one township. Major railway systems are shown. The map also displays the rectangular survey system which records the land that is available to the public. This grid like system is divided into sections, townships, range, and meridian from mid-Manitoba to Alberta.

Depicted on this map is the extent of New France at its territorial height circa 1740 prior to its great territorial losses to British North America. Also shown on the map are the territorial claims, administrative divisions, and the distribution of population and settlement (including fur trading posts) circa 1740. This map along with British North America circa 1823 shows the settlement and population in Canada for two important periods in Canadian history prior to Confederation.

Prior to the arrival of European explorers in the Americas in 1492, it is estimated that the population of the continent was around sixty million people. Over the next two centuries, most scholars agree that the indigenous population fell to just ten percent of its pre-colonization level, primarily due to the Old World diseases (namely smallpox) brought to the New World by Europeans and African slaves, as well as through violence and famine.

Distribution

It is thought that the most densely populated region of the Americas was in the fertile Mexican valley, home to over one third of the entire continent, including several Mesoamerican civilizations such as the Aztec empire. While the mid-estimate shows a population of over 21 million before European arrival, one estimate suggests that there were just 730,000 people of indigenous descent in Mexico in 1620, just one hundred years after Cortes' arrival. Estimates also suggest that the Andes, home to the Incas, was the second most-populous region in the Americas, while North America (in this case, the region north of the Rio Grande river) may have been the most sparsely populated region. There is some contention as to the size of the pre-Columbian populations in the Caribbean, as the mass genocides, forced relocation, and pandemics that followed in the early stages of Spanish colonization make it difficult to predict these numbers.

Varying estimates Estimating the indigenous populations of the Americas has proven to be a challenge and point of contention for modern historians. Totals from reputable sources range from 8.4 million people to 112.55 million, and while both of these totals were published in the 1930s and 1960s respectively, their continued citation proves the ambiguity surrounding this topic. European settlers' records from the 15th to 17th centuries have also created challenges, due to their unrealistic population predictions and inaccurate methodologies (for example, many early settlers only counted the number of warriors in each civilization). Nonetheless, most modern historians use figures close to those given in the "Middle estimate" shown here, with similar distributions by region.

A joint venture involving the National Atlas programs in Canada (Natural Resources Canada), Mexico (Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Geografía), and the United States (U.S. Geological Survey), as well as the North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation, has led to the release (June 2004) of several new products: an updated paper map of North America, and its associated geospatial data sets and their metadata. These data sets are available online from each of the partner countries for download.The North American Environmental Atlas data are standardized geospatial data sets at 1:10,000,000 scale. A variety of basic data layers (e.g., roads, railroads, populated places, political boundaries, hydrography, bathymetry, sea ice and glaciers) have been integrated so that their relative positions are correct. This collection of data sets forms a base with which other North American thematic data may be integrated. Any data outside of Canada, Mexico, and the United States of America included in the North American Environmental Atlas data sets is strictly to complete the context of the data.The North American Environmental Atlas - Populated Places data set shows a selection of named populated places suitable for use at a scale of 1:10,000,000. Places, which refer to individual municipalities, are always shown using point symbols. These symbols have been fitted to the North American Environmental Atlas roads, railroads, and hydrography layers, so that the points represent the approximate locations of places relative to data in these other layers.The selection of populated places was based on local importance (as shown by population size), importance as a cross-border point, and, occasionally, on other factors. All capital cities (national, provincial, territorial, or State) are shown for Canada, Mexico, and the United States of America. Attributes were added to the data to reflect population class, name, and capital. Cartographic considerations were considered so that names do not overlap in crowded areas, nor are there too many names shown for sparsely populated areas. This is a revised version of the 2004 data set.Files Download

Improved spatial analysis tools and waterfowl population data for many regions of North America prompted refinement of the 2004 NAWMP map depicting areas most significant to waterfowl at the continental scale. The NSST established an 11-member committee to coordinate map revision via Joint Ventures (JVs) and their conservation partners. The committee was not able to develop universal criteria for area inclusion on the NAWMP map, but JVs were required to support proposals with the best quantitative information available. A total of 41 adjustments proposed by 15 habitat and 2 species JVs were approved by the map committee, but quality and reliability of available population data varied considerably among regions and proposals. Despite data limitations, the revised NAWMP map represented material improvements in depicting areas of continental significance to waterfowl. However, given the subjectivity in its development and refinement, the NAWMP map has limited ability to inform conservation decisions. The committee advocates a succeeding effort to develop products for guiding conservation at appropriate scales and addressing the 3 fundamental goals of the 2012 NAWMP Revision. Key decision frameworks must be established to assure resulting maps and decision-support tools are rooted in a clearly defined and accepted context.

This map is for educational purposes only. The purpose of this map is to be embedded into Hazardous Material Transport Outreach Network. This map aims to educate users on the areas of interest surrounding the petroleum hydrocarbon transportation train. Sources:(Glc_esri) Great Lakes Commission Basin Boundary. https://www.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=fe80bdd627d343e8b949ab88bc8312a1 Last Update/Jan 28, 2022 National parks of Canada https://umn.maps.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=5dbfd02c99644bb98abb1722e72e2565&sublayer=0 Feb 7th, 2023 USA Parks https://umn.maps.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=e49e181ac82c46edac3ae601ebb3ef2d&sublayer=0 Oct 9th, 2024 North America Wetlands 2004 https://umn.maps.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=79d45ade313d4e90a9b9aba3749ed716 2004 North America Human Influence on Terrestrial Ecosystems https://umn.maps.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=01fb508107174652a810a95a4dddf135 2023 North America Population Density North America Population Density 2020 - Overview 2023 North America Watersheds https://umn.maps.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=3b53b84647dd48a19008d7f8cdad92f9&sublayer=6 [2025]

Contained within the 5th Edition (1978 to 1995) of the National Atlas of Canada is a map that shows distribution of Indians and Inuit using several types of symbols to represent population in 1976.

The world's population first reached one billion people in 1803, and reach eight billion in 2023, and will peak at almost 11 billion by the end of the century. Although it took thousands of years to reach one billion people, it did so at the beginning of a phenomenon known as the demographic transition; from this point onwards, population growth has skyrocketed, and since the 1960s the population has increased by one billion people every 12 to 15 years. The demographic transition sees a sharp drop in mortality due to factors such as vaccination, sanitation, and improved food supply; the population boom that follows is due to increased survival rates among children and higher life expectancy among the general population; and fertility then drops in response to this population growth. Regional differences The demographic transition is a global phenomenon, but it has taken place at different times across the world. The industrialized countries of Europe and North America were the first to go through this process, followed by some states in the Western Pacific. Latin America's population then began growing at the turn of the 20th century, but the most significant period of global population growth occurred as Asia progressed in the late-1900s. As of the early 21st century, almost two thirds of the world's population live in Asia, although this is set to change significantly in the coming decades. Future growth The growth of Africa's population, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa, will have the largest impact on global demographics in this century. From 2000 to 2100, it is expected that Africa's population will have increased by a factor of almost five. It overtook Europe in size in the late 1990s, and overtook the Americas a decade later. In contrast to Africa, Europe's population is now in decline, as birth rates are consistently below death rates in many countries, especially in the south and east, resulting in natural population decline. Similarly, the population of the Americas and Asia are expected to go into decline in the second half of this century, and only Oceania's population will still be growing alongside Africa. By 2100, the world's population will have over three billion more than today, with the vast majority of this concentrated in Africa. Demographers predict that climate change is exacerbating many of the challenges that currently hinder progress in Africa, such as political and food instability; if Africa's transition is prolonged, then it may result in further population growth that would place a strain on the region's resources, however, curbing this growth earlier would alleviate some of the pressure created by climate change.

In the middle of 2023, about 60 percent of the global population was living in Asia.The total world population amounted to 8.1 billion people on the planet. In other words 4.7 billion people were living in Asia as of 2023. Global populationDue to medical advances, better living conditions and the increase of agricultural productivity, the world population increased rapidly over the past century, and is expected to continue to grow. After reaching eight billion in 2023, the global population is estimated to pass 10 billion by 2060. Africa expected to drive population increase Most of the future population increase is expected to happen in Africa. The countries with the highest population growth rate in 2024 were mostly African countries. While around 1.47 billion people live on the continent as of 2024, this is forecast to grow to 3.9 billion by 2100. This is underlined by the fact that most of the countries wit the highest population growth rate are found in Africa. The growing population, in combination with climate change, puts increasing pressure on the world's resources.

ESRI DATA: World Countries and World Administrative Areas; 2010 US Census datasets with their new geometry and attributes. Block Group, Tract, County and State are all represented as polygons with over 40 attribute fields containing population totals by age and race, along with family and household information. Census Blocks are represented as points with total population and household information; European demographics datasets, North America Street Map, World Base Maps, mainly topographic data such as roads, lakes, administrative boundaries