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What are Some of the World's Least Populated Places?

Michael Anissimov
Michael Anissimov
Michael Anissimov
Michael Anissimov

The least populated places in the world are the alpine regions, deserts, and polar regions, in descending order of population. Some other regions, such as thick rainforest or eastern Russia are also among the least populated places, with an average population of one person per ten square kilometers or less. The world's least populous nation is Greenland, which is two million square kilometers in size and has a population of just 60,000, making its average population density just one person per 40 square kilometers.

Every continent except Europe has large desert and rainforest regions that are among the least populated places outside of Antarctica. The world's largest deserts include the Sahara Desert of Africa, the Atacama Desert of Chile, the Arabian Desert of Saudi Arabia, the Gobi Desert of China, and the Western Australian Desert in Australia. Large, sparsely populated rainforest regions include the Amazon Rainforest of Brazil, which has a few tribes that have never experienced contact with the outside world; the Borneo Rainforest of Indonesia, which also has isolated tribes; and the Congo Rainforest of Africa, which lies deep within the heart of Africa.

Greenland is the least populous nation.
Greenland is the least populous nation.

The least populated places associated with polar climates include most of Canada, Greenland, and Siberia. These regions are extremely cold and are mostly populated by native tribes and people prospecting for oil and minerals. The permafrost means that all water pipes must go above ground, otherwise they'd freeze solid, and at the most extreme latitudes, there is a polar treeline which means that no trees will even grow. This is hardly a hospitable climate, and these regions are populated accordingly.

Antarctica tops the list of least populated places.
Antarctica tops the list of least populated places.

The single least populated place on Earth is the huge land of Antarctica, the world's southernmost, coldest, windiest, and driest continent. This polar wasteland only has about 4,000 visitors during the summer, just 1,000 during the winter, and no permanent residents. During the winter, the average population density is just one person per 14,400 square kilometers. Most of the Antarctic Plateau is an entirely featureless landscape devoid of life, even at the bacterial level.

Michael Anissimov
Michael Anissimov

Michael is a longtime CulturalWorld contributor who specializes in topics relating to paleontology, physics, biology, astronomy, chemistry, and futurism. In addition to being an avid blogger, Michael is particularly passionate about stem cell research, regenerative medicine, and life extension therapies. He has also worked for the Methuselah Foundation, the Singularity Institute for Artificial Intelligence, and the Lifeboat Foundation.

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Michael Anissimov
Michael Anissimov

Michael is a longtime CulturalWorld contributor who specializes in topics relating to paleontology, physics, biology, astronomy, chemistry, and futurism. In addition to being an avid blogger, Michael is particularly passionate about stem cell research, regenerative medicine, and life extension therapies. He has also worked for the Methuselah Foundation, the Singularity Institute for Artificial Intelligence, and the Lifeboat Foundation.

Learn more...

Discussion Comments

feasting

I find it hard to believe that tourists go to places of great danger, like rainforests. There are all sorts of exotic animals out there that could kill a person!

Kristee

Wow, Antarctica doesn't even have bacteria? I suppose that would be a good place to live if you are afraid of getting sick!

Imagine living without the fear of catching strep throat or even viruses like the flu or a cold. It would be awesome to spend an entire winter in perfect health.

However, the other factors might cancel out this effect. Such a lonely place could drive a person crazy. I imagine it would be very depressing to live in a place with no human contact.

DylanB

These do not sound like good places for a tourist to visit. I would be afraid to tour an area with no people, because this means that there are no hospitals in case of emergencies. What if someone living in such an area falls ill and there are no doctors?

Qohe1et

Perhaps learning to live in and adapt to these areas will become a key step for mankind to learn to settle harsh environments like what exist on other planets.

dbuckley212

@SilentBlue

I doubt that we would be settling Antarctica, because at that point global warming would have flooded much of many continents, hurting the population of humanity and causing us to be set back to tribal days, few in numbers. It would take a while for us to settle the little land that will be left in much of the world, let alone Antarctica.

SilentBlue

With the advent of global warming we might wonder if we will one day be settling Antarctica or other places which are presently frozen over.

Renegade

Many of these places were once thriving beacons of population and great empires. Time and warfare wore them down, and nature crept in to cover the remains in sand. Today we can wonder which of our populated areas will one day become a desolate land, or a forgotten wonder of the past like Ozymandias.

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    • Greenland is the least populous nation.
      By: mady70
      Greenland is the least populous nation.
    • Antarctica tops the list of least populated places.
      By: axily
      Antarctica tops the list of least populated places.
    • Tristan de Cunha is one of the world's most remote archipelagos and has a population of just over 250 people.
      By: Brian Gratwicke
      Tristan de Cunha is one of the world's most remote archipelagos and has a population of just over 250 people.
    • China's Gobi Desert is one of the least populated places outside Antarctica.
      By: chungking
      China's Gobi Desert is one of the least populated places outside Antarctica.
    • Deserts are among the world's least populated places.
      By: surasaki
      Deserts are among the world's least populated places.
    • The lack of population and polar climate made Siberia the perfect place for the Soviet Union to establish its golags.
      By: skyphoto
      The lack of population and polar climate made Siberia the perfect place for the Soviet Union to establish its golags.
    • Most of the world's uncontacted tribes live in remote parts of the Amazon River basin.
      By: alelina
      Most of the world's uncontacted tribes live in remote parts of the Amazon River basin.