5.2. Optimum Population

The size, distribution and structure of the population within the country must be viewed in relation to its natural resources and the techniques of production used by its people. The extent to which resources are used and the way in which they are used determine whether an area is under- or overpopulated. A country is said to have an optimum population when the number of people is in balance with the available resources. Optimum conditions can only be maintained if the exploration of new resources or the development of other forms of employment keeps pace with increases in population.

If the population becomes too large then the “law of diminishing returns” beginsto operate. This implies that up to a certain point an increase in the number of people working on the land leads to a marked increase in production. Once the optimum population has been reached, however a further increase may increase production but at a decreasing rate, so that output per

capita declines. As more people become dependent on the same resource base each individual will become poorer. On the other hand if there are not enough people to develop all the resources of an area its standard of living may remain lower than it could be, were its full potential realized.

For example in terms of present day technology, Central Asia may be considered under populated. But in the past, Central Asia was inhabited by pastoralists who knew nothing of modern technology. The resources which they were capable of exploiting were often overstrained, so much in fact that the waves of Central Asian peoples invaded surrounding areas in search of land and spread as far as eastern Europe, India and northern China. Thus the region was over-populated during that period.

Under population and overpopulation therefore must be considered mainly in terms of the stage of development of the country concerned. An advanced country can be considered as one where agriculture is efficient, industry, communications, trade and commerce, and social services are well developed and the resources of the country are fully utilized. There is no real shortage of labour but unemployment is small.