Why are mountains thinly populated

Answer

Mountains are thinly populated due to the lack of accessibility and challenging terrain[7]. This is especially true for many areas of the world such as in Saint Helena, where the population has remained small since the first Portuguese discovery of the island in 1502[7]. Additionally, many mountain regions are more difficult to cultivate due to the terrain, meaning that they cannot easily be used for agricultural or habitat purposes[6].

This makes mountains less appealing to inhabit compared to areas such as plains, which are generally easier to access and have a more suitable landscape for human habitation and cultivation[6]. Other factors may also contribute to the low population of mountain regions[7]. For example, due to the radioactive or toxic residue of Soviet arms testing, many mountain regions may be unsuitable for living[7].

This coupled with the lack of suitable development and infrastructure also makes mountain regions a less appealing option for human settlement[6]. Lastly, in many regions, such as the Northwest region occupied by Morocco, the population generally occupies the coastal areas[7]. This could potentially explain why mountain regions are so sparsely populated, as most of the population prefers to live in locations that are more easily accessible and have fewer challenging geographical features[6].

Websites

1. https://byjus.com/question-answer/why-are-mountain-regions-thinly-populated/
2. https://www.toppr.com/ask/question/answer-the-following-questions-brieflywhy-are-the-mountains-thinly-populated/
3. https://www.vedantu.com/question-answer/are-the-mountains-thinly-populated-class-9-social-science-cbse-5fd7af176c8a3d0a7c59637d
4. https://www.studyadda.com/ncert-solution/6th-social-science-major-landforms-of-the-earth/207/25715
5. https://brainly.in/question/28401701
6. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00343404.2022.2035707
7. https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2019/07/10/world-population-day-least-densely-populated-countries-in-world/39661109/
8. https://www.meritnation.com/cbse-class-6/social-science/the-earth:-our-habitat-ncert-solutions/major-landforms-of-the-earth/ncert-solutions/8_8_1278_489

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