Population of the Middle East
Geography: KS3, topic 19.1.6
Population of the Middle East
The population of the Middle East is not distributed evenly, with many settlements being concentrated around sources of water.
Population
- The most populous country in the Middle East is Egypt with nearly 100 million people.
- The least populous country is the small island of Bahrain with a population of almost 1.5 million.
- The lack of precipitation means that opportunities for agriculture are severely limited.
- Historically, settlements were based around water sources or rivers and the coastline.
- For example, Cairo on the River Nile in Egypt.
Population density
- Population density is the average number of people per square km.
- Population density is lowest in Oman at nearly 15 people per square km
- Population density is highest in Gaza at just over 5,000 people per square km.
Changes in population density
- The high birth rate in many Middle Eastern countries has had a major impact on population density over time.
- The population density in some Middle Eastern countries is being affected by migration, e.g. by the war in Syria.
Test yourself on Population of the Middle East
Which Middle Eastern country has the greatest population?
Oman has the lowest population density in the Middle East. What is the population density in Oman?