Final answer:
Population distribution has shifted significantly towards urban areas from 1960 to 2020, with prosperous regions having higher urbanization. Lower-income regions, especially in Africa, have a smaller urban population and face challenges in managing city growth. Trends like agglomeration explain why more people live in cities as economies develop.
Step-by-step explanation:
Population Distribution: Urban and Rural Areas
The population distribution between rural and urban areas has undergone significant changes over the years. In 1960, the number of people living in urban environments was 1 billion, which increased to 4 billion by 2020. On the other hand, rural populations grew from 1 billion to 3.5 billion in the same period. High-income regions like North America, Western Europe, the MENA region, Japan, and Australia exhibit urbanization rates of around 80%, while lower-income regions, particularly in Africa, show urbanization rates of about 30%. Countries like India still have a predominately rural population, with 60% residing in countryside areas.
Urban areas, especially in cities like Kolkata, Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Bangalore, and Hyderabad in India, are highly concentrated with much higher population densities compared to the thinly spread and discontinuous populations in rural regions. The phenomenon of agglomeration, where people cluster in cities due to various economic benefits and opportunities, contributes to the increasing proportion of urban dwellers in developing societies. In the United States, this trend is reflected in the growth of the urban population from 40% in 1900 to about 80% in recent times, mainly in metropolitan areas.
Conversely, many countries, particularly in Africa, face challenges in managing urbanization with inadequate access to food and services, which could lead to growing impoverished urban populations. An adequate labor pool and sustainable development are crucial in addressing these challenges and ensuring balanced urban growth.