Distribution tells you where people live, and density tells you how crowded a place is. This hub shows how the two ideas connect and which skill to practise first.
It belongs to population and settlements. The next hub, population growth, structure and migration, explains why the numbers change over time.
Why do you need both distribution and density?
A density figure hides where people actually live, and a map pattern does not give a number. SPM questions usually ask for one and then expect you to support it with the other.
Take two districts. District A has 12 000 residents in 40 km². District B has 6 000 residents in 10 km².
- District A: 12 000 ÷ 40 = 300 per km².
- District B: 6 000 ÷ 10 = 600 per km².
District A holds twice as many people, yet District B is twice as dense. A sentence that says “A has more people so it is more crowded” loses the mark.
Which lesson should you start with?
| If this happens to you | Start with |
|---|---|
| The division is right but the answer is far off | Calculating density with a matched area and population |
| You describe the pattern but give only one reason | Explaining a pattern with more than one factor |
| You call a whole state crowded from one average | Dense settlement versus a high state-wide average |
| You quote exact values from shaded maps | Reading a choropleth legend |
How should you practise?
Work one lesson, then attempt the mixed practice set. Write each slip into the mistake log and paper-error review so you can see whether the slip is arithmetic, units or wording.
The map and graph reading practice gives extra shaded-map questions once the calculations are steady.
Who should start where?
A student who freezes at the calculation should begin with the first lesson and stay there until the units come without thinking. A student who calculates well but writes thin explanations can start at the second lesson.
If you want a teacher to check your working as you go, see online one-to-one Geography tuition.