Population Density of the

Provinces & Territories

Part of the Teaching & Learning About Canada Website

 

Population density is made up of two variables.

These are the number of people, and the size of the area.

Population density = population divided by area

Remember that population density presumes that all of the people

are spread evenly over an area- as you know this is seldom the case.

A look at the map , " Where Canadians Live" will illustrate that statement perfectly.

 

Population density provides a useful means for comparing population distribution.

Densities vary considerably over the globe.

Population Distribution
The location of people within an area. Areas may be compared by looking at variations in population density. Population is unevenly distributed for a number of reasons. Pull factors (which attract people) include mineral resources, temperate climate, the availability of water, and fertile, flat land. Push factors (which repel people) include dense vegetation, limited accessibility, and political or religious oppression.

Over 90% of the world's population is found in the northern hemisphere, where there is most land. Some 60% of the world's land surface is unpopulated. At the other extreme, urban areas such as Mong Kok in Hong Kong may have as many as 160,000 people living in one square kilometre.

( last two paragraphs from the Hutchinson Encyclopaedia)

The following is useful when describing population densities:

almost uninhabited less than 1/km2
lightly populated 1 to 49/km2
moderately populated 50-99/km2
densely populated over 100/km2

The above map is a generalization only. Another map on another site.

 

Population Density 2001 Map by Statistics Canada

POPULATION

Area (km 2)

 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001
    thousands
Canada 9,012,112 29,987.2 30,248.2 30,499.2 30,769.7 31,081.9
Newfoundland and Labrador 370,501 554.1 545.3 540.7 537.2 533.8
Prince Edward Island 5,684 136.9 136.9 137.6 138.1 138.5
Nova Scotia 52,917 934.5 936.1 939.7 941.2 942.7
New Brunswick 71,355 754.2 753.3 754.4 755.3 757.1
Quebec 1,357,743 7,302.6 7,323.6 7,349.7 7,377.7 7,410.5
Ontario 907,655 11,249.5 11,387.3 11,522.7 11,685.3 11,874.4
Manitoba 551,937 1,136.6 1,137.9 1,142.4 1,146.0 1,150.0
Saskatchewan 586,561 1,022.0 1,024.9 1,025.5 1,022.0 1,015.8
Alberta 639,987 2,837.2 2,906.8 2,959.5 3,009.2 3,064.2
British Columbia 926,492 3,959.7 3,997.1 4,028.1 4,058.8 4,095.9
Yukon 474,706 32.2 31.5 31.0 30.6 29.9
Northwest Territories 1,141,108 41.8 41.1 41.0 40.9 40.9
Nunavut 1,925,460 25.9 26.4 26.9 27.4 28.2
1. On July 1 of each year.
Source: Statistics Canada, CANSIM II, table 051-0001.
Last modified: Oct 2004
© Statistics Canada 

Population, Land Area and Population Density, for:

 Canada, Provinces and Territories, 2001 Census 

Name Population, 2001 Land area in
km2  2001

Population density
per km2  2001
Canada  30,007,094 9,012,112.20 3.3
Newfoundland and Labrador 512,930 370,501.69 1.4
Prince Edward Island 135,294 5,684.39 23.8
Nova Scotia 908,007 52,917.43 17.2
New Brunswick 729,498 71,355.67 10.2
Quebec  7,237,479 1,357,743.08 5.3
Ontario  11,410,046 907,655.59 12.6
Manitoba  1,119,583 551,937.87 2.0
Saskatchewan 978,933 586,561.35 1.7
Alberta 2,974,807 639,987.12 4.6
British Columbia 3,907,738 926,492.48 4.2
Yukon Territory 28,674 474,706.97 0.1
Northwest Territories 37,360 1,141,108.37 0.0
Nunavut 26,745 1,925,460.18 0.0



Chart by Statistics Canada

 

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