There have never been more humans on earth and the population is set to rise significantly in the next 30 years.
It begs the question, how are we going to accommodate all these people when population figures hit 8-9 billion people globally?
Well, the good news is that despite several countries being hugely overpopulated, there are some that are significantly underpopulated.
The bad news, however, is that they are underpopulated for a reason. From extreme heat, to being miles away from water, the reasons for these countries lack of people are vast.
But the 11 countries with the least people account for 20% of the world’s landmass according to ‘From Here to There’ who have documented the strange reasons behind some of the emptiest countries on the planet.
(Image: Getty)
Well, the good news is that despite several countries being hugely overpopulated, there are some that are significantly underpopulated.
The bad news, however, is that they are underpopulated for a reason. From extreme heat, to being miles away from water, the reasons for these countries lack of people are vast.
But the 11 countries with the least people account for 20% of the world’s landmass according to ‘From Here to There’ who have documented the strange reasons behind some of the emptiest countries on the planet.
Kazakhstan is larger than western Europe,but only has a population of just under 20 million people.
So why does such a large country have so few people? Well, size is actually part of the problem.
Central Kazakhstan gets very little rain and is so far from a natural water resource that it makes sustaining life difficult.
Similarly, despite its vast open plains, deserts and rugged mountains being beautiful natural features, they make for poor agricultural locations and given that this accounts for 94% of its land mass, only a small portion of the country has historically been populated.
(Image: Getty)
Located in west Africa, Mauritania is the seventh driest country on earth with just over three inches of rain annually.
This makes water scarcity a significant problem in a country where 90% of the land is blanketed by the Sahara Desert.
Because of this, the majority of the population either lives on the west coast looking out over the Atlantic Ocean, or in the south of the country on the Senegal river, with many central and eastern areas completely uninhabited.
(Image: Getty)
Despite being larger than France and one of the most prosperous and stable African countries, Botswana has fewer than 2.7 million people.
Much of the country is either a national park or semi-arid desert but that isn’t the whole story behind their low population.
One of the biggest factors was the HIV/Aids epidemic which meant that by the year 2000, 40% of the country had the disease, with the average life expectancy in 2002 being just 37.
The impact of the virus has seen a fall in birth rates, which are currently half of the levels of the 1980s.
(Image: Getty)
Located in the heart of the Sahara, you can probably work out the reasons for a lower population.
With two inches of rainfall and no rivers, water scarcity in the country is a huge factor.
If it wasn’t for its long coastline along which most of the country lives, Libya would likely be one of, if not the emptiest country on earth.
(Image: Getty)
