Our planet Earth is comparatively small, with an equatorial circumference of only 24,902 miles. Its surface area may seem immense at 196,950,000 sq. miles, but of this, 71% is covered by sea. The actual land surface covers some 57,510,000 sq. miles, which is 29% of the planet’s total surface area.
Once again, this seems vast until we take into account largely uninhabited regions such as the huge areas of the Arctic and Antarctic, the deserts and wetlands. These regions are not always totally uninhabited, but they can usually support only very small populations.
Our world cannot grow any larger, yet the human population keeps growing every year! As of October 2023 there were over 8 billion people on the planet. More people need more resources such as water, food and land. Is it possible that there will come a time when there are not enough of these to go around?
Explore Related Resources
Our Supporters
