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Geographical Factors Infuencing Migration

GEOGRAPHICAL FACTORS INFUENCING MIGRATION

There are many geographical factors which influence population densities and their pattern of distribution.

1. SURFAGE RELIEF;
(Altitude and the character Of the topography)

ALTITUDE It is obvious that population numbers and densities decrease’ with altitude in response to the increasing difficulties involved in the settlement of high level environment. High altitude imposes physiological limits upon human existence through reduced atmospheric pressure and low oxygen content. Consequently very
few permanent settlements are found in the Andes and Himalayas,’. above 5,500 meters, while La Paz, the capital of Bolivia at a height of 3,640 meter, is the highest city in the world.

Mountains. areas do not attract people for settlement: ‘
(1) Lands for cultivation are limited there.
(2) They are ‘restricted very largely to the improvement of communication by constructing roads and railways crossing them.
(3) Rivers a re very swiftly flowing;
(4) Because of irregular topography and thin course and immature soil cover.
(5) Mountains offer very little attraction to agriculturists. Since they largely determine the food supply. Manufacturing industries are also not possible because transportation is difficult. Raw materials and skilled labor are not available. The consuming markets are at. a far distance;
Due to these handicaps, the great mountainous regions of the world are thinly populated.

2. PLATEAUS : Man’s utilization of plateaus will depend upon such factors as location, height; origin, presence or lack of minerals and other factors. -
Agriculture is mostly on subsistence level because of infertile nature of soil. However, plateaus are mostly made-up of crystalline igneous formations that carry rich mineral deposits In thorn. Hence, mining becomes the chief occupation of the people. But plateaus do not bear permanent and stable townships because once mineral gets exhausted in an area, people move to...