World Map HD

About World Map HD

The above large world map image shows all the sovereign countries of the World with different colour which includes 193 UN member sovereign countries and 2 observer states. All countries are shown in different colors to make them easily distinguishable. All five oceans—the Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, Arctic Ocean, and Southern Ocean—are also shown on the HD world map in blue. This world map HD encompasses physical relief. The Mercator projection is used while developing this map. The Arctic Circle and the Tropic of Cancer are also shown on the map. A scale and north symbol are included to help in reading the world map.

Sovereign Countries of the World

UN-Member Sovereign Countries

S.N.	Recognized Countries	Capital
1	Afghanistan	Kabul
2	Albania	Tirana
3	Algeria	Algiers
4	Andorra	Andorra la Vella
5	Angola	Luanda
6	Antigua and Barbuda	St. John's
7	Argentina	Buenos Aires
8	Armenia	Yerevan
9	Australia	Canberra
10	Austria	Vienna
11	Azerbaijan	Baku
12	Bahamas	Nassau
13	Bahrain	Manama
14	Bangladesh	Dhaka
15	Barbados	Bridgetown
16	Belarus	Minsk
17	Belgium	Brussels
18	Belize	Belmopan
19	Benin	Porto-Novo
20	Bhutan	Thimphu
21	Bolivia	Sucre
22	Bosnia and Herzegovina	Sarajevo
23	Botswana	Gaborone
24	Brazil	Brasília
25	Brunei	Bandar Seri Begawan
26	Bulgaria	Sofia
27	Burkina Faso	Ouagadougou
28	Burundi	Bujumbura
29	Cambodia	Phnom Penh
30	Cameroon	Yaoundé
31	Canada	Ottawa
32	Cape Verde	Praia
33	Central African Republic	Bangui
34	Chad	N'Djamena
35	Chile	Santiago
36	China (PRC)	Beijing
37	Colombia	Bogotá / Santa Fe de Bogotá
38	Comoros	Moroni
39	Costa Rica	San José
40	Croatia	Zagreb
41	Cuba	Havana
42	Cyprus	Nicosia
43	Czech Republic	Prague
44	Democratic Republic of the Congo	Kinshasa
45	Denmark	Copenhagen
46	Djibouti	Djibouti City
47	Dominica	Roseau
48	Dominican Republic	Santo Domingo
49	Ecuador	Quito
50	Egypt	Cairo
51	El Salvador	San Salvador
52	Equatoria`l Guinea	Malabo
53	Eritrea	Asmara
54	Estonia	Tallinn
55	Ethiopia	Addis Ababa
56	Federated States of Micronesia	Palikir
57	Fiji	Suva
58	Finland	Helsinki
59	France	Paris
60	Gabon	Libreville
61	Gambia	Banjul
62	Georgia	Tbilisi / T'bilisi
63	Germany	Berlin
64	Ghana	Accra
65	Greece	Athens
66	Grenada	St. George's
67	Guatemala	Guatemala City
68	Guinea	Conakry
69	Guinea-Bissau	Bissau
70	Guyana	Georgetown
71	Haiti	Port-au-Prince
72	Honduras	Tegucigalpa
73	Hungary	Budapest
74	Iceland	Reykjavík
75	India	New Delhi
76	Indonesia	Jakarta
77	Iran	Tehran
78	Iraq	Baghdad
79	Ireland	Dublin
80	Israel	Jerusalem (proclaimed)
81	Italy	Rome
82	Ivory Coast (Côte d'Ivoire)	Yamoussoukro
83	Jamaica	Kingston
84	Japan	Tokyo
85	Jordan	Amman
86	Kazakhstan	Astana
87	Kenya	Nairobi
88	Kiribati	Tarawa
89	Kuwait	Kuwait City
90	Kyrgyzstan	Bishkek
91	Laos	Vientiane
92	Latvia	Riga
93	Lebanon	Beirut
94	Lesotho	Maseru
95	Liberia	Monrovia
96	Libya	Tripoli
97	Liechtenstein	Vaduz
98	Lithuania	Vilnius
99	Luxembourg	Luxembourg City
100	Macedonia	Skopje
101	Madagascar	Antananarivo
102	Malawi	Lilongwe
103	Malaysia	Kuala Lumpur
104	Maldives	Malé
105	Mali	Bamako
106	Malta	Valletta
107	Marshall Islands	Majuro
108	Mauritania	Nouakchott
109	Mauritius	Port Louis
110	Mexico	Mexico City
111	Moldova	Chișinău
112	Monaco	Monaco
113	Mongolia	Ulaanbaatar
114	Montenegro	Podgorica
115	Morocco	Rabat
116	Mozambique	Maputo
117	Myanmar (Burma)	Naypyidaw
118	Namibia	Windhoek
119	Nauru	No official Capital
120	Nepal	Kathmandu
121	Netherlands	Amsterdam(capital)
122	New Zealand	Wellington
123	Nicaragua	Managua
124	Niger	Niamey
125	Nigeria	Abuja
126	North Korea	P'yŏngyang
127	Norway	Oslo
128	Oman	Muscat
129	Pakistan	Islamabad
130	Palau	Ngerulmud
131	Palestine	Jerusalem (proclaimed), Ramallah
132	Panama	Panama City
133	Papua New Guinea	Port Moresby
134	Paraguay	Asunción
135	Peru	Lima
136	Philippines	Manila
137	Poland	Warsaw
138	Portugal	Lisbon
139	Qatar	Doha
140	Republic of the Congo	Brazzaville
141	Romania	Bucharest
142	Russia	Moscow
143	Rwanda	Kigali
144	Saint Kitts and Nevis	Basseterre
145	Saint Lucia	Castries
146	Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	Kingstown
147	Samoa	Apia
148	San Marino	San Marino
149	São Tomé and Príncipe	São Tomé
150	Saudi Arabia	Riyadh
151	Senegal	Dakar
152	Serbia	Belgrade
153	Seychelles	Victoria
154	Sierra Leone	Freetown
155	Singapore	Singapore City
156	Slovakia	Bratislava
157	Slovenia	Ljubljana
158	Solomon Islands	Honiara
159	Somalia	Mogadishu
160	South Africa	Bloemfontein(judicial) Cape Town(legislative) and Pretoria(executive)
161	South Korea	Seoul
162	South Sudan	Juba
163	Spain	Madrid
164	Sri Lanka	Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte
165	Sudan	Khartoum
166	Suriname	Paramaribo
167	Swaziland	Lobamba (royal and legislative) Mbabane(administrative)
168	Sweden	Stockholm
169	Switzerland	Bern / Berne
170	Syria	Damascus
171	Tajikistan	Dushanbe
172	Tanzania	Dodoma
173	Thailand	Bangkok
174	Timor-Leste (East Timor)	Dili
175	Togo	Lomé
176	Tonga	Nukuʻalofa
177	Trinidad and Tobago	Port of Spain
178	Tunisia	Tunis
179	Turkey	Ankara
180	Turkmenistan	Ashgabat
181	Tuvalu	Funafuti
182	Uganda	Kampala
183	Ukraine	Kiev
184	United Arab Emirates	Abu Dhabi
185	United Kingdom	London
186	United States	Washington, D.C.
187	Uruguay	Montevideo
188	Uzbekistan	Tashkent
189	Vanuatu	Port Vila
190	Vatican City	Vatican City
191	Venezuela	Caracas
192	Vietnam	Hanoi
193	Yemen	Sana'a
194	Zambia	Lusaka
195	Zimbabwe	Harare

Limited Recognized / Non-UN-Member Sovereign Countries of the World

S.N.	Non-UN Member Countries	Capital
1	Abkhazia	Sukhumi / Sukhum
2	Cook Islands	Avarua
3	Kosovo	Pristina
4	Nagorno-Karabakh	Stepanakert
5	Niue	Alofi
6	Northern Cyprus	Nicosia
7	Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic	El Aaiún(proclaimed)
8	Somaliland	Hargeisa
9	South Ossetia	Tskhinvali
10	Taiwan	Taipei
11	Transnistria	Tiraspol

Non-Sovereign Dependent Territories of the World

S.N.	Dependent Territories	Capital
1	Akrotiri and Dhekelia	Episkopi Cantonment
2	American Samoa	Pago Pago
3	Anguilla	The Valley
4	Ashmore and Cartier Islands	Uninhabited
5	Bajo Nuevo Bank	N/A
6	Baker Island	Uninhabited
7	Bermuda	Hamilton
8	British Indian Ocean Territory
9	British Virgin Islands	Road Town
10	Cayman Islands	George Town
11	Christmas Island	Flying Fish Cove
12	Clipperton Island	Uninhabited
13	Cocos (Keeling) Islands	West Island / Bantam
14	Coral Sea Islands	Uninhabited
15	Easter Island	Hanga Roa
16	Falkland Islands	Stanley
17	Faroe Islands / Faeroe Islands	Tórshavn
18	French Polynesia	Papeete
19	French Southern and Antarctic Lands	Saint-Pierre
20	Gibraltar	Gibraltar
21	Guam	Hagåtña / Agaña
22	Guernsey	Saint Peter Port
23	Hawaii	Honolulu
24	Hong Kong	Hong Kong
25	Howland Island	Uninhabited
26	Isle of Man	Douglas
27	Jarvis Island	Uninhabited
28	Jersey	Saint Helier
29	Johnston Atoll	Uninhabited
30	Juan Fernández Islands	San Juan Bautista
31	Kingman Reef	Uninhabited
32	Macau / Macao	Macau / Macao
33	Midway Islands	Uninhabited
34	Montserrat	Plymouth
35	Navassa Island	N/A
36	New Caledonia	Nouméa
37	Norfolk Island	Kingston
38	Northern Mariana Islands	Saipan
39	Ogasawara Village	Ōmura (大村)
40	Palmyra Atoll	Uninhabited
41	Papua	Jayapura
42	Pitcairn Islands	Adamstown
43	Puerto Rico	San Juan
44	Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha	Jamestown
45	Serranilla Bank	N/A
46	South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands	King Edward Point
47	Tokelau	Each Atoll has its own administrative centre
48	Turks and Caicos Islands	Cockburn Town
49	United States Virgin Islands	Charlotte Amalie
50	Wake Island	Uninhabited
51	Wallis and Futuna	Mata-Utu
52	West Papua	Manokwari

Other Areas of the World

S.N.	Other Areas	Capital
1	Åland	Mariehamn
2	Aruba	Oranjestad
3	Bonaire	Kralendijk
4	Canary Islands	Santa Cruz and Las Palmas
5	Ceuta	Ceuta
6	Curaçao	Willemstad
7	French Guiana	Cayenne
8	Greenland	Nuuk
9	Guadeloupe	Basse-Terre
10	Madeira	Funchal
11	Martinique	Fort-de-France
12	Mayotte	Mamoudzou
13	Melilla	Melilla
14	Northern Ireland	Belfast
15	Pelagie Islands	Lampedusa e Linosa
16	Plazas de soberanía	N/A
17	Réunion	Saint-Denis
18	Saba	The Bottom
19	Saint Barthélemy	Gustavia
20	Saint Martin	Marigot
21	Saint Pierre and Miquelon	Saint-Pierre
22	San Andrés and Providencia	San Andrés
23	Sint Eustatius	Oranjestad
24	Sint Maarten	Philipsburg
25	Svalbard	Longyearbyen

Territorial Claims of Antarctica

Official Claims

S.N.	Territory in Antarctica	Claimant	Capital	Status
1	Adélie Land	France	Dumont d'Urville Stationa	District of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands
2	Argentine Antarctica	Argentina	Handled by the province of Tierra del Fuego, whose capital is Ushuaia.	Department of Tierra del Fuego, Antarctica, and South Atlantic Islands Province
3	Australian Antarctic Territory	Australia	Davis Station	External dependent territory of Australia
4	British Antarctic Territory	United Kingdom	Halley Base	Overseas territory of the United Kingdom
5	Chilean Antarctic Territory	Chile	Villa Las Estrellas	Commune of Antártica Chilena
6	Peter I Island	Norway		Dependency of Norway
7	Queen Maud Land	Norway	Oslo	Dependency of Norway
8	Ross Dependency	New Zealand	Scott Base	Dependency of New Zealand

Overlapping Claims

S.N.	Claimants	Claim Limits
1	Argentina, United Kingdom	25°W to 53°W
2	Argentina, Chile, United Kingdom	53°W to 74°W
3	Chile, United Kingdom	74°W to 80°W

Unclaimed Territory

S.N.	Region	Unclaimed Limits
1	Marie Byrd Land	90°W to 150°W

History of the World Map

Early Cartography and Ancient World Maps

World maps have been around for thousands of years. Early humans used them to show where they were going, trade, and claim land. The Babylonians, Egyptians, and Greeks were some of the first people to make maps. The Babylonian World Map, which dates back to about 600 BCE, is one of the first known attempts to show the world. It shows a round Earth with Babylon in the middle. The ancient Egyptians made maps mostly for religious and administrative reasons. The Turin Papyrus Map (c. 1150 BCE) is the oldest surviving topographical map. The Greeks made a lot of progress in cartography. Anaximander (610–546 BCE) is thought to have made one of the first known world maps. Hecataeus of Miletus (c. 500 BCE) improved these maps even more by adding geographic information from travelers' accounts.

The Influence of Claudius Ptolemy and Medieval Mapping

The first great world map was produced by Claudius Ptolemy a Greco-Roman geographer in the 2nd century CE. He has been the first to put order on mapping with the use of latitude and longitude that shaped cartography for over a thousand years. Ptolemy's maps had some flaws since they depicted a spherical Earth and used a grid-based system; for instance, Asia was depicted as being larger than it really is. During the Middle Ages, European maps were based on religious perspectives. For example, the Hereford Mappa Mundi, produced in the 13th century AD, is a good example of a T-O map which showed the world in a circular form with Jerusalem at its centre and Europe, Africa and Asia arranged in a tripartite division. The cartography during this period was also a rich ground for Islamic scholars who produced valuable maps; one of the most famous is Muhammad al-Idrisi's Tabula Rogeriana of 1154 CE, a very detailed map of the Mediterranean and parts of Africa and Asia.

Age of Exploration and the Expansion of World Maps

The 15th and 16th centuries were a time of great change in the way of mapping the world, mainly due to European explorations. The creation of the portolan charts which showed coastlines and sea paths made navigation better. Explorations, which started with Christopher Columbus in 1492 when he discovered the Americas, and Vasco da Gama's voyage to India in 1498 changed the world maps. The first world map to label the newly discovered continent as "America" was the world map of Martin Waldseemüller in 1507, based on the exploration of Amerigo Vespucci. Gerardus Mercator's world map of 1569 is infamous for introducing the Mercator projection, which was adopted for navigation because it was a good way to preserve angles and directions, while distorting landmasses near poles. These improvements enabled the drawing of continents and oceans in more real-like maps, thus putting in place a basis for today's cartography.

Scientific Advancements and the Shift to Modern Cartography

In the 17th and 18th centuries, cartography became more scientific with explorers as James Cook providing detailed maps of the Pacific. They also used Triangulation and Astronomical observations to increase the accuracy of geographic measurements. John Harrison's development of the chronometer as far back as 1761 enabled sailors to determine longitude precisely, thus producing more accurate maritime charts. The Ordnance Survey in Britain and the U.S. Geological Survey standardized cartographic practices in the 19th century. The first complete modern atlas, Theatrum Orbis Terrarum, by Abraham Ortelius in 1570, provided the precedent for global mapping. Only, advancements in surveying techniques, including aerial photography in the early 20th century, refined the world maps.

The Rise of Digital Mapping and Satellite Imagery

The last quarter of the twentieth and the first decade of the twenty-first centuries marked the shift in cartography with the invention of satellite and Geographic Information Systems (GIS). The launch of satellites like the Landsat in 1972 captured detailed images of the entire planet. In the 70’s GPS technology was created and by the 1990’s was used in navigation to determine real time location data. Google Earth which was launched in 2005 made world maps that contain satellite imagery easily accessible to the public and the geospatial data to support decision making process. Current, GIS is used in almost every field, from planning to management, and in business, science and government to analyze and interpret spatial data to support a wide range of decisions on everything from natural resources to emergency response.

Challenges and the Future of World Maps

However, there are still some problems in the modern world maps, especially in the representation of the spherical surface of the Earth on the two-dimensional plane. The Mercator projection distortions are still under discussion today. The Gall-Peters projection is an attempt of a less biased mapmaking and all efforts are aimed at improving accuracy of representations. Furthermore, map interpretations of geographical regions are also a subject to political disputes of state borders, for example, Kashmir, Taiwan, the South China Sea. Future developments in cartography are likely to continue with AR mapping, artificial intelligence driven geographic analysis, real time environmental monitoring, to further enhance the global geographies of the Earth.

About the World

The world, or Earth, is the third planet from the Sun. It is the only known planet in the universe that supports life. Earth began as a ball of molten rock and dust about 4.5 billion years ago. Since then it has changed and evolved. Earth has oceans, continents, mountain ranges, forests, deserts, rivers, and many other types of ecosystems and land features. There are billions of people living on Earth, and millions of different species of plants and animals. The world has many different climates. Earth is unique for many reasons. It has liquid water, a healthy atmosphere, moderate temperatures, and a protective magnetic field.

The Earth has an surface area of 510 million square kilometres. The oceans, lakes, rivers and other bodies of water cover 71 % of the surface. The 29 % of dry surface is divided into countries, cities, forests, desert areas, mountains and agricultural land and farms.

Formation and Structure of the Earth

According to current scientific thinking, our Earth came from the material that remained after the Sun was born and which clung to the Sun while it fell to Earth from space. As this material swirled and gathered into a ball, the force of gravity drove the material to fold and compress into four main layers. The outermost layer of these four is rugged, fractured and visible as the Earth’s surface, comprising the land masses and sea floors. This outermost layer is called the crust, under which lies the second great ball of molten rock known as the mantle. The mantle is the innermost of Earth’s movement causing the tectonic plates which form the Earth’s surface to shift and move. The mantle is also responsible for volcanic eruptions when its molten rock bursts forth to the surface. The Earth's outer core is composed of flowing iron and nickel, while its inner core is solid and is believed to be roughly 5,400 degrees Celsius.

Continental drift, tectonic plate movement, earthquakes, mountain building and volcanic activity have probably all shaped the Earth’s surface. But the Earth’s surface continues to be shaped in ways such as into valleys, islands, mountain chains and ocean basins.

Continents of the World

Many geography textbooks begin with a discussion of the 7 continents. When arranged by size and population, the list begins with Asia (the largest continent and most populated), followed by Africa (the second largest and most populated), then Europe (the hub of historical sites, the birthplace of scientific discovery, and the world’s leading center of industry), next North and South America (two of the most resource rich and naturally diverse continents on earth, encompassing everything from arid desert to tropical rainforest to glaciers), and finally Antarctica (the coldest, driest, windiest, and iciest continent on earth, visited by humans briefly for scientific explorations. Australia is the world’s smallest continent, however it contains some of the world’s largest varieties of landscapes and an amazing array of unique wildlife.

Continents are not only separated by oceans, seas and long distances between them, but also connected through global trade flows, various systems of transportation and communication and cooperation in solving international problems. There are seven continents on the planet. They differ in the cultures and languages of their populations, in economic and geographical conditions and in natural characteristics.

Oceans and Water Bodies

Our planet is called the “Blue Planet” because it is mostly covered by water and ice. These waters are divided into 5 oceans (Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Southern, and Arctic) with the Pacific Ocean being the largest and the deepest of them. Our oceans are an integral part of our climate, contain a substantial amount of marine life, produce a majority of the Earth’s oxygen, and play a critical role in Earth’s water cycle.

Oceans influence weather, rainfall and temperature on continents. More than 90% of Earth’s rainfall comes from evaporation off of the oceans. Oceans also absorb carbon dioxide and heat up, which can help stabilize the climate. Rivers, lakes, glaciers and groundwater also play critical roles in ecosystems and societies around the world.

Atmosphere and Climate

The atmosphere, or air, is Earth's protective outer layer of gases that surrounds our planet. Air is about 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, 1% argon, and traces of carbon dioxide and water vapor. The atmosphere protects life from the Sun's burning rays, keeps temperatures on our planet constant for life to exist, and forms the weather and climate.

The Earth’s atmosphere is sometimes divided into five sections, listed here from nearest to farthest: troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere, exosphere. The troposphere is the weather portion of the atmosphere and the stratosphere is home to the important ozone layer that protects us from potentially destructive ultraviolet radiation.

Our planet has many different climates and it can be hard to imagine climates that are quite different from our own. Some people have never seen a tropical rain forest; others have never heard of a polar climate. Here on Earth we experience extremes on each end of the spectrum, but most of the climate on our planet experiences changes of some sort over the course of a year. These changes are called the seasons. The Earth is tilted 23.4° on its axis and as it orbits around the Sun, the angle at which the Earth is positioned changes, therefore the amount of sunlight that reaches the Earth changes, thus creating the different seasons.

Population and Human Civilization

The world's population has been growing exponentially since the 18th century, and today there are more than 8 billion individuals living on the Earth. They can be found on every continent except Antarctica, where only a handful of seasonal or temporary research stations are located. The size of the seven continents vary greatly, with Asia the largest, followed by Africa, then Europe and the two large Americas.

At Art Point our heritage is based in agriculture, trade, technology, science and cultural exchange. Today’s world is made up of nearly 200 recognised countries, each with their own political system, language, religion and culture. The World is a global village and we see this in the two main finance and business centre’s around the world Tokyo and New York. We see it in the art, entertainment, fashion, design and culture centred cities of London, Delhi, Shanghai and Paris. And we see it in the biggest education and tourism centres of the world.

Technology is revolutionizing many spheres of modern life through improved communication, transportation, healthcare, and global business through the internet. There is unprecedented growth in air travel and global commerce. Yet, serious global challenges threaten the very survival of humanity such as climate change, pollution, poverty, deforestation, and the rapid use up of resources globally. Geopolitical conflicts continue to plague humanity in the 21st century.

Biodiversity and Natural Ecosystems

The world is full of life. The millions of different species of plants and animals, fungi and micro-organisms live within the world’s many different ecosystems such as the rainforest, coral reefs, grasslands, wetlands and oceans. All of the world’s different species are unique and require protection. Many of the world’s ecosystems provide several important functions such as supplying us with oxygen, filtering our water or regulating the earth’s climate. Many ecosystems also support food chains that live in the world’s oceans.

Biodiversity hotspots with large numbers of species include tropical rain forests such as the Amazon Basin or the Congo Basin, and coral reefs including the Great Barrier Reef of Australia and those of Southeast Asia. All of these are being threatened by habitat destruction, pollution, and climate change. With hundreds of species turning “Functionally Extinct” on a daily basis, many are now endangered. It is conservation, wildlife protection, and sustainable development that will save the planet’s natural resources.

Natural Resources and Global Economy

The global economy is largely dependent on natural resources such as water, minerals, wood and other forest resources, fossil fuels, land and renewable resources. In many countries, extraction and trade of natural resources is a driving force behind industries such as mining and manufacturing, as well as transportation, agriculture and energy production.

Agriculture still dominates global activity as a major source of income for most countries. Other major crops besides rubber are wheat, rice, maize, soybeans and vegetables. Industry too has grown in tremendous proportions and has added hugely to economic development. Some of the most prominent industries are information technology, renewable energy, space research, bio-technology, life sciences, artifical intelligence, health care and telecommunication.

Global trade links the world in a web of goods and services as economies and cultures interact globally.

Climate Change and Environmental Challenges

Climate change is a global problem. Human activities such as the burning of fossil fuels, deforestation and emissions of air pollution from industrial sources have resulted in an increase in the concentration of greenhouse gases in the Earth’s atmosphere, causing global temperatures to rise. This rise in temperature is having observable effects around the world, such as the melting of glaciers, sea level rise, increased frequency and severity of weather events, droughts, floods and changes to ecosystems.

Environmental protection and preservation is about developing renewable energy, preserving nature and its resources, sustainable agriculture, reducing pollution and foreign treaties regarding climate change. Many countries are now developing clean energy resources such as solar, wind, hydro and others to wean themselves off of fossil fuels and to lower carbon emissions.

The Importance of the World for Humanity

Our world is our home. Our world made up of land, water, atmosphere, and ecosystems is our physical home. And our world made up of local global communities and societies with varying levels of interaction with other species is our social home. Understanding the geography of our world and its diverse resources is crucial to sustaining our planet. AEOHS teaches students about the diverse features of our planet and its ecosystems, climates, and natural resources to ensure students are equipped to sustain the needs of our world for future generations.

Technological advancements and global connectivity, more than ever before, are shaping our daily lives and work and catalyzing new forms of collaboration locally and internationally. National and international cooperation is more important than ever to face global challenges such as climate change and environmental conservation, global public health, and global economic development. Protecting the Earth’s ecosystems and resources is crucial for sustainability of life on Earth.

History of the World

Origins of Human Civilization

Human history began with early human ancestors who lived in Africa some millions of years ago. The earliest human-like creatures, the hominins, first appeared about 4 million years ago, followed by species such as Australopithecus, Homo habilis, and Homo erectus. The species Homo sapiens first appeared on Earth about 300,000 years ago. The early ancestors of human beings were tool-using, fire-using, social, and mobile people who lived as free nomadic hunter-and-gatherer human beings. Some 10,000 years before the Christian era, the process of Neolithic began, during which humans for the first time began to settle in communities. At first they were farmers and herders, later they settled in fixed communities. The first human civilizations were created in the Fertile Crescent and are known as the Mesopotamian civilizations. The Indus Valley human beings lived in the Indian subcontinent, and the Ancient Egyptians in Northeast Africa. The civilizations first started to write, established a system of human governance, and an organized religion.

Ancient Civilizations and Empires

History of the world, when it first appeared on earth as human civilizations around 3000 BCE, were all on at the same time and most of them in the end achieved great things and then collapsed in a heap of their own making. The Sumerians were the first to write down their language using cuneiform which is still recognized today as the oldest written language and went on to form a number of city-states including the great city of Ur with its temples and the city of Babylon with its tall brick walls. The Egyptians also wrote down their language and used pictures to do so. They had a very successful system of government with a pharaoh at the head of a large bureaucracy. The Indus Valley Civilization in the Indian subcontinent was notable for its advanced urban planning and for 1500 years before the Christian era the people of this civilization built cities that were more advanced than the civilizations that followed in the Indian subcontinent for centuries to come. The early dynasties in China, the Shang and the Zhou, laid the foundations for later forms of governance and also for many important philosophical concepts in China. The Persian Empire was a vast land stretching from the Mediterranean in the west to the Indus in the east. Its two greatest kings, Cyrus the Great and Darius I, were great patrons of trade and the spreading of culture. The Greeks are famous for their city-state democracies and for the great philosophers that they produced. The Roman Empire in its greatest extent around 117 CE covered the whole of Europe, North Africa and the greater part of the Middle East and the Roman Empire would leave a lasting impression on the world for centuries to come in terms of law, how to carry out engineering projects and in terms of the form of governance that would be used.

Medieval Period and the Rise of Religions

The period between the 500 AD fall of the Roman Empire and the 1500 AD advent of the Renaissance is collectively referred to as the Medieval Period. Early on, much of Europe was divided into individual kingdoms and even city-states. As a result, much power migrated to the Catholic Church. Meanwhile, the Byzantine or Eastern Roman Empire continued to exist at its capital of Constantinople, preserving knowledge of both ancient Greece and Rome and serving as a hub of commerce as well. A dramatic shift in science, medicine and philosophy took place in the Middle East in the 7th century with the creation of the Rashidun, Umayyad and Abbasid Caliphates by the spread of Islam. About that same time, the Tang and Song dynasties took place in China, where the greatest scientific advancement in history would take place with the development of the printing press as well as the gunpowder and other items which would fuel an economic surge of unparalleled proportions. As if all of that were not enough, Genghis Khan and the Mongols would construct the greatest empire the world has ever seen and establish trade routes that would stretch across much of its vast expanse. The term Crusades refers to a long period of time in which Christian states of Europe were locked in conflict with Muslim states of the region over possession of the so-called “holy Land”.

The Age of Exploration and Global Expansion

History of the world as a global entity began with the great Exploration and Colonization (15th-18th centuries) by the powerful states of Europe – primarily by Portugal and by Spain. The discoverer of the New World by the European, Christopher Columbus (1492) started the process of colonization of the New World by the Europeans. The discoverer of the sea route to India by the Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama (1498) started the direct trade with Asia. This period of human history brought the world’s peoples together from all corners of the Earth. The transfer of animals and plants as well as of diseases between the Old and the New Worlds (the so-called Columbian Exchange) brought fundamental changes to the economies and to the populations of these two World Areas. Meanwhile, in the Oriental World the history of China was being written by the Ming (1368-1644) as well as by the subsequent Qing (1644-1912) dynasties. After the fall of the Byzantine Empire the Ottomans became the leading power in the Eastern part of Europe and in the Middle East. Later also other European powers – England, France and the Netherlands – started to colonize vast parts of Africa, of Asia and of the Americas. This led to the transatlantic slave trade and to the merciless exploitation of the native populations.

The Industrial Revolution and Political Revolutions

In the late 18th and 19th centuries, huge changes took place in technology and in the way people lived as well as in politics. The Industrial Revolution began in 1760 in Britain. The new industrial economy was based on industry using new machines and new sources of energy such as the steam engine. Above all, it involved the use of new means of transport, such as the canal and the railway. All this made possible a huge increase in production. The small traditional workshops, or craftsmen’s shops, were replaced by big factories. These provided the basis for the development of mass production and of a huge economy. Two great struggles for democracy and for human rights took place in the late 18th century. One was fought in America from 1775 to 1783. The other took place in France from 1789. In both cases, the result was freedom for the individual. A little later, in 1807, Britain abolished the transatlantic slave trade. In 1865, the United States followed suit and abolished slavery. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, nationalism became stronger. As a result, Italy and Germany were unified. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the great European powers were engaged in a huge struggle for the division of the world among themselves. This was the period in which the great European empires expanded especially in Africa and in Asia.

World Wars and the 20th Century

However, the 20th century was an incredibly violent century for the world, with many events still affecting our world today. The two World Wars were arguably the most influential in causing the great power struggle of the latter half of the century. The 1914-1918 war was between those nations with the greatest amount of militarism, with many empires in the world fighting for more colonies to increase their wealth. It was a very bloody war between two powerful empires in Europe, resulting in the collapse of the two great empires, the Ottoman and the Austro-Hungarian. This war, however, resulted in the harshly-written 1919 Treaty of Versailles that essentially caused Adolf Hitler and World War II. The Second World War, in turn, was even bloodier and included the Jewish holocaust and the use of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in the final days of the war. The war finally ended in 1945 and immediately after, the world was once again divided into two great powers in the free world, the United States and the Soviet Union, in what is called the Cold War. After World War II, the decolonization of many countries took place in Africa and Asia, while there were also the civil rights of the Negroes in the United States and a great scientific and technological revolution including the century, including the space age and the information age and the birth of the internet.

Modern Globalization and the 21st Century

In the 21st century humanity is facing tremendous challenges in order to save civilization as we know it and progress through technological innovations, inter-cultural exchanges and major changes in the world’s geography. Digital economies, of advanced technologies such as AI, and global communication networks have created a global economy and link up the economies of countries and communities worldwide. At the same time, there are also many challenges globally, which are affecting the world today such as the wars in the Middle East, the trade wars among the superpowers of the world, climate change, and the pandemics. It is necessary for humanity and the international community to deal with all these challenges through a global policy and the institutions that exist today such as the United Nations and through diplomacy. The global economy is also affected by economic blocs around the world such as the European Union, and by trade agreements that are being made among countries. At the same time, space exploration is rapidly advancing, and today, for example, there are already many missions on Mars. In addition, there are also many private companies that are working towards sending a man into space.

Geography of the World

Geography studies Earth’s physical and human features. The term geography is derived from the Greek words geo and graphia. Geo translates to Earth and graphia translates to description or study of. Therefore, by studying the Physical and Human Geographic features of the Earth, one can come to a better understanding of the Earth’s complex systems. By studying the natural systems of the Earth and how humans interact with them, one can gain insight of how the Earth’s systems work on the local, regional, and global scale.

World Geography studies the physical features of the Earth as well as the human populations on it. There are 7.9 billion people now distributed over 195 countries. Every country has a number of languages, cultures, religions, economies, political systems, etc. The surface of the Earth measures 510 million square kilometers, of which 149 million square kilometers are on land and 361 million square kilometers of water. World Geography therefore investigates the physical features of the Earth and the ways in which people live on Earth in different parts of the globe.

Physical Geography: The Earth's Natural Systems

Many areas of the world are home to a variety of physical landscapes, including mountain ranges, plateaus and plains. The Himalayan mountain range extends 2,400km across south-central Asia and contains the world’s highest peak, Mount Everest (8,849m). The Andes, stretching over 7,000km along the western edge of South America, are the world’s longest mountain range, and are still growing as a result of ongoing tectonic activity. Other long mountain ranges include the Rocky Mountains of North America, covering more than 4,800km of land, and are divided by several major rivers, including the Colorado and the Yellowstone. The Tibetan Plateau, known as the ‘Roof of the World’, is the world’s largest and highest plateau, with an average elevation of 4,000m above sea level and covering an area of 2.5m square km. The Great Plains of North America cover a large portion of the states and provinces on the continent’s interior, and are ideal for farming due to the area’s rich soil and generally fair weather. Large areas of the world are also covered in steppes, savannas and pampas.

Large plateaus and plains cover much of the Earth’s surface. Many of these have developed their own distinct ecosystems and are often home to a mix of natural and human communities. The Tibetan Plateau, referred to by many as the ‘Roof of the World’, is the largest and highest plateau on Earth, covering an area of over 2.5 million square kilometers with an average elevation of over 4,000m above sea level. The Great Plains of North America stretch across much of the continent covering a large section of the land in many of the states of North America as well as in many of the provinces and states of Canada and Mexico. The steppes, savannas and pampas of the world are examples of landscapes which have developed in different parts of the globe in response to local climate and soils.

The Earth’s natural climate systems or physical factors influence the distribution of the human population all over the world. The Earth’s total surface area is 510 million square kilometers. Of these total surface area of the Earth, 149 million square kilometers are made up of the total land surface. The five main climate zones of the world are the tropical, dry, temperate, continental and the polar climates. The tropical climate is found throughout the world and is generally warm all the time with some climates having a wet season and dry season. The tropical regions of the world contain the majority of the Earth’s rainforests. These systems of plants and animals have the highest number of species found within any of the Earth’s ecosystems. Dry climates cover approximately thirty percent of the Earth’s surface. These climates have very little precipitation. As a result most dry climates are generally unsuitable for human habitation. The world’s largest hot desert is the Sahara which is found in Africa. It covers an area of approximately nine million square kilometers. The Earth’s coldest desert is the Antarctic. It is the largest single area of cold desert on Earth.

Mid-latitude regions include most of the land surface of the continents of North America, South America, Europe, and Asia. A large portion of the world’s most developed countries are found in these areas, and they are home to the world’s largest populations. These regions have moderate temperatures, with large amounts of precipitation, and can be classified as having a continental climate. Large areas of boreal forests and grasslands are found in the northern parts of Canada, Russia, and Scandinavia. The world’s polar regions have the most extreme climate types and are found to have permanent freeze. Few plants are able to survive in these environments, but the ones that do have adapted to the low temperatures and short days of winter.

The world’s freshwater resources only make up 2.5% of the Earth’s total water, yet they are a vital supply of drinking water for the Earth’s 7 billion people. Most of the world’s greatest river systems have supported the growth of human populations, and in turn, the development of human civilizations, by providing sources of potable water and irrigation water for crops, as well as creating very productive areas of alluvial soil in the river’s vast floodplains. The world’s greatest river systems include those of South America, such as the Amazon River, of Africa, such as the Nile River, of Asia, such as the Yangtze River, and of North America, such as the Mississippi River.

Human Geography: Population Distribution and Settlement Patterns

About 7.9 billion people live on Earth today. On average, there are about 157 people per square km. Asia is home to 60 % of the world population and, with a population of 1.4 billion people each, China and India are two of the most populous countries in the world. Africa, which covers about 20 % of the Earth’s surface, is home to 1.4 billion people (17 % of the world population). The area of Europe (7 % of the Earth’s surface) is home to 10 % of the world’s population and, thanks to the strong economies of the region, plays a large role in global politics and the global economy. The Americas, which comprise 35 countries, account for about 13 % of the world’s population.

The study of the Distribution of the World’s Population looks at the numbers of people living in the world’s many countries and goes on to examine the varying numbers of people that live in the different areas and regions of each country. It examines the reasons why some countries have a very high population and others a low one and goes on to analyze the effects of these differences on the countries concerned. The distribution of the world’s population has changed significantly over the past few hundred years and continues to change today. Most of the world’s people live in Asia where there are a large number of very densely populated countries and it is home to 60% of the world’s population. Two countries in particular have the largest populations of all: China with 1.4 billion people and India with 1.4 billion people. There are also a large number of people living in Africa where the population numbers 1.4 billion people and accounts for about 17% of the world’s total population, even though Africa makes up around 20% of the world’s land area. Much of this land is, however, desert which is almost completely uninhabitable. There are large numbers of people living in Europe and many of the world’s developed countries can be found here, which go on to play a very major role globally. The 35 countries and territories of the Americas make up the remaining 13% of the world’s population and are made up of a very large and very diverse group of countries. The Distribution of the World’s Population also looks at a number of the world’s megacities and goes on to look at many of the world’s regions and countries where the population density is very low. Many of these regions are found on the large landmasses of countries such as Canada, Australia, and Russia, and their low population numbers can be attributed to a number of factors including their very remote locations and the challenging climates found in many of the areas. The country of Canada, for example, has a population of 38 million people living on a massive 10 million square kilometers of land.

The greatest geographical change of the last few centuries is the growth of urbanization. In 1800 just three percent of the world’s population lived in cities, but in 2024 this figure is forecast to rise to 56% and by 2050 to an incredible 68%. Today most of the world’s largest centers of population are classed as ‘megacities’ – that is, they have a population of over 10 million. These are hubs of the world’s economic systems as well as principal centers for cultural expression and for the dissemination of ideas. However, the problems posed by such massive centers of population are as numerous as the advantages and include an acute shortage of housing, hideous traffic jams, pollution of every sort and the most extreme economic inequality.

Economic Geography and Global Development

Most countries today are economically developed and are producing at high levels. The majority of these countries are found in Europe, North America, East Asia, and Oceania. The highly developed countries listed above have large per capita Gross Domestic Products and a wide array of physical and services infrastructure that supports the complex economies found in each country. The U.S. is the world’s largest economy with more than $27 trillion in GDP as of 2023. The country has more than 335 million residents. Japan, Germany, the U.K. and France have some of the largest GDPs in the world and are therefore some of the most powerful countries in the global economy.

The majority of countries globally are classified as developing or emerging economies. The total income per capita of these countries is far less than that of the developed countries. The world’s second largest economy after the USA is China with an aggregate GDP of more than $17 trillion. The average income per person in China is however far below the average of the developed countries. With a population of 1.4 billion people India is classed as an emerging market with a rapidly growing economy but its per capita GDP is less than that of the majority of the developed countries. Brazil, Russia and South Africa are other emerging economies that are playing a greater role globally in terms of politics and the economy.

Global trade in goods is increasing each year to a predicted figure of over $32 trillion, with the center of global industry now being in Asia. As industry has moved to Asia there are vast numbers of low paid workers in countries such as China, India and Vietnam who are able to carry out cheap, labor intensive work and transport it all over the world. As the developed economies have become more service based there are also areas of Asia that are becoming major centers for the production of services, with countries such as Singapore, Hong Kong and Ireland, as well as other developed regions around the world, becoming huge centers for industries such as tourism, financial services and information technology.

Cultural and Political Geography

7,000 languages are spoken all over the world today and every year the number is decreasing because the last speakers die. Around the world there are a large number of people of the world’s great religions Christianity, Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism. These practices, moral codes and the structures of communities of all of these faiths are very often mixed with the wider culture of a country or region and are found in all of the cultures on all of the continents of the world.

Although today there are approximately 200 countries all over the world, which all have their own governments, in the majority of instances these countries were formed in the 19th and 20th centuries. Therefore, it is worth noting that there are many, both within a country and outside of it, who in no way relate to the borders drawn by former colonial powers, or for that matter by any other people. National sovereignty, a concept based on the principles of the Peace of Westphalia (1648), still shapes the relations between states and structures the system of international relations. Today, there are 193 member states of the United Nations, formed in 1945 with the purpose of bringing countries of the world jointly to solve peacefully a wide variety of problems and to put an end to wars. But the strong nations will often put their own interests before working jointly to deal with problems which affect many countries.

Environmental Geography and Global Challenges

Currently many geographers are studying changes in the Earth’s physical systems and their impact on our world and in particular on sustainability. One of the biggest current issues in geography is that of climate change. Levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide have increased to more than 420 parts per million and are predicted to reach 450 ppm by 2024. Since the start of the Industrial Revolution the Earth’s average surface temperature has increased by about 1.1°C and is having a number of impacts including increases in sea levels, changes in precipitation, increased pressure on ecosystems and an increase in extreme weather events.

The loss of biodiversity is as big of a challenge to geography today as climate change is, and in some ways it could be even bigger. The number of extinctions is reported to have occurred at a rate of 100 to 1,000 times normal, and nearly all of those human caused. Although the tropical rainforests cover only 6% of the Earth’s surface they contain approximately half of all species found on Earth. Every year, however, 4.7 million hectares of tropical rainforest habitat is lost. The same pressures that have been placed on the Earth’s ecosystems of freshwater, the world’s oceans, and grasslands through pollution and the overutilization of the Earth’s resources are beginning to take their toll.

World Demography

8.3 billion people live on this planet. The rise in population numbers over hundreds of years has been driven by increases in agricultural production, in the treatment of the sick, in solutions, in recent decades fluctuating but always rising. Also the numbers of births and deaths are rising since early 2000s for the first time in centuries. The development of the global population not only has consequences for the production of food for the people on earth and for the use of natural resources, but it also puts a pressure on the distribution of wealth and on the existing social structures and on traditional customs as well as on the infrastructure of the countries in the world. All of these processes are in constant change, a balance has developed and is expressed in the current numbers, but it is also influenced by these. The 8.3 billion people living on earth today all live in families, with individual interests and needs. How the world’s societies are dealing with the continuously changing numbers of global population, will form the future of mankind. The acceleration in population growth is slowing down. This is predicted by all serious organizations as the United Nations. This slower growth will put less pressure on the resources of our world, but new challenges for work and for care of the elderly will arise.

Current Global Population Trends

The population on Earth has been growing for hundreds of years. In the course of the last centuries, this growth even accelerated. In the last decades, however, the growth has slowed down. As of 2026, an increase of 0.84 % on the previous year will take place, corresponding to around 69 million individuals. This increase is caused by the decrease in number of births as well as the rise in life expectancy. As a result, families in the future will consist of fewer children and younger individuals and more of older individuals. As a result, there will be a focus on the members of a family that already exist. In their homes, there will be fewer individuals for which the same amount of money and space is available as before. However, as long as the incomes of individuals continue to rise, this will not be a problem. In addition, there will be less pressure on the work force due to the low number of young individuals. By the middle of this century, the number of individuals on Earth is expected to reach 9.7 billion individuals. Afterward, the numbers are expected to continue to rise, however at a slow rate, until the end of the century with around 10.3 billion individuals. However, this growth will not be even for the entire Earth. Some regions will grow more than others. For example, Africa is expected to grow the most. New opportunities for countries will arise if there is a change to clean sources of energy and more attention is paid to education. In addition, the growth of cities is expected to continue. With the increase in life expectancy of individuals, there is more pressure on care and climate solutions. If these two areas are solved well, there will be changes in the way people live. And that is what is important. The dignity of the people. The way in which people work, how they are healed and how they live their lives in space.

Regional Population Distribution

Another point of interest is the uneven distribution of the Earth’s population in the world’s regions. As stated previously, most of the world’s inhabitants reside in the region of Asia. This is followed by a large amount of inhabitants in the region of Africa, then the rest of the world. By the mid year of 2026 it is predicted that six out of ten individuals residing on Earth will be residents of Asia. The two most populated countries in the world, both of which are found in Asia, are home to 1.48 billion individuals living in India and 1.41 billion residents living in China. In total by the mid year of 2026 the number of inhabitants residing on Earth is predicted to reach 7.85 billion, 4.16 billion or 58% of which will be residing in Asia. The population of the region of Africa is expected to double by the year 2030 in the southern part of the area, where the amount of inhabitants reaching 1.5 billion. Meanwhile the inhabitants of Europe and the residents of North America, a total of 1.1 billion people, are either declining in numbers or are increasing at a slow rate. In this case the leaders of governments in these two world regions are struggling to attempt to incorporate a large number of immigrants in to crowded towns and cities. As there are a low amount of inhabitants in the regions of Latin America and Oceania the changes taking place in these two geographic locations on Earth are unlikely to have a large amount of impact on the numbers of people migrants from these locations of the world attempting to find work in other regions of the world and establish residency. As previously stated, the very large amounts of inhabitants residing in many of the cities of South Asia are forced to reside in very small amounts of living space on a daily basis and are faced with a lack of resources. Meanwhile the world regions experiencing a decline in population are doing their best to cope with the situation in terms of attempting to create a sense of community in areas where the numbers of residents are declining and in towns that are failing to experience the same amount of growth as other locations around the world.

Age Structure and Its Implications

In 2026, the average age of the Earth’s population will be 31 years. It follows from World Population Data that 1/4 of world’s population consists of children and teenagers under the age of 15 i.e. 3.5 bln people. 2/3 of the world’s population or 4.3 bln people are of working age i.e. between 15 and 64 years. 1/10 of the world’s population or 485 mln people are 65 years or older. Large share of young population in most parts of the world creates great potential for increasing number of working citizens provided there are sufficient education and job opportunities for young people. In the next few decades, number of elderly people will more than double and will put pressure on hospitals and on old-age pension systems, provided young generations do not want to take their share of responsibility for supporting the elderly. In many European countries, as well as in Japan and in some other countries of Asia, large share of elderly citizens creates great potential for elderly care. Many old people are still active at work, which is also reflected in average age of the population, i.e. 44 years in many European countries. The number of old people in Africa is still relatively small, but this is going to change in the near future. The growth of the number of old people will bring about new opportunities for the region’s economy, provided there are sufficient number of schools and hospitals. They must provide maximum possible number of young people with quality education as well as with adequate medical care, so that they are able to work and to earn their living in the future.

Fertility and Mortality Patterns

In contrast to the total population, the number of births per woman worldwide has been declining in the last 50 years. While in 2026 on average 2.25 births per woman will be generated, in sub-Saharan Africa this number is expected to rise to 4 children per woman. Most countries in Europe as well as in East Asia are below the replacement rate of 1.7 to 2 children per woman. The low number of children per woman leads to aging of the population and a decline in the number of working people in these countries. Families with children are under more pressure and invest more in the education of their children who as a result are better educated and more skilled. Worldwide the average number of years of human life has increased to 73.3 years in the last decades and is expected to rise to 77 years by 2065. The average number of years a person is active and works for a living has also increased. There is a great difference between the developed and the less developed countries of the world. On average people in less developed countries are 7.4 years younger than people in developed countries. The main reason for this is the difference in health care.

Urbanization and Its Societal Impact

There are 4.85 billion urban residents in 192 countries around the world, consisting of 58.5% of the global population. As the engines of global growth and progress, urban centers are the melting pots of cultures, bringing the most diverse groups of people together to share ideas, and to explore new ways of living. The centers of towns and rural communities have their own allure. But for many, the city is the place to come and pursue their interests, whether through employment or further education. Urban living poses its own set of problems, particularly with regards to high numbers of people and pollution. But in the future, urban centers across Asia and Africa are expected to house 77% of the world’s population by 2050. In order to sustain the life and growth of their communities, these ‘urban hubs’ must be ‘green’. However, there are many rural locations around the world that are not crowded and are devoid of resources, but are still centers of growth and of natural beauty. They may not be as thriving as they once were, but many are once again becoming popular as places to visit, or to work from online. Life is not just confined to crowded urban centers.

Migration Dynamics

U.S. Population Projections 2020-2060 by the U.S. Census Bureau projects the annual number of international migrants to decline to less than 321,000 by 2026 and stay at that low level or decline even further for the rest of the century. Many individuals are forced to leave their countries because of war, economic hardship or persecution. These individuals seek safe haven in other countries where they hope to grow and to thrive in a community of like-minded individuals. However, the diverse mix of newly arrived individuals with different levels of skills, work ethic, and cultures can pose challenges for a country with strict immigration laws and border control. It is, therefore, very important that a country’s immigration policies are fair and respect the human rights of all individuals. In addition, countries with an aging population and not enough workers in key industries would greatly benefit from the presence of the individuals that such countries are restricting from entering the country in order to fill labor gaps and to enhance economic and relations with other countries of the world.

Future Projections and Challenges

Numbers for the global population are predicted to continue to rise until the middle of the century, reaching 9.7 billion people. In the following decades numbers are expected to continue to increase until around 10.3 billion. As more and more countries go through the demographic transition, this increase in population will be influenced by the transition to clean energy as well as schools and other building blocks for human development that function well. As people live longer they will continue to move to cities. Fighting climate change and good health care of humans will go hand in hand. Human dignity will continue to be very important and will change. People are working, getting healed and developing space for each other. It will be important to have good plans for dealing with hardships in a just manner.