Geographical FactorsTopography: People prefer living on plains rather than plateaus and mountains since these areas are suitable for agriculture, manufacturing and also service activities. The Ganga Plains are one of the most densely populated areas of the world whereas mountains like Alps,\xa0Andes and the Himalayas are thinly populated.Climate: People generally stay away\xa0from extreme climates (very cold or very hot) like the\xa0Sahara desert, the Russian polar regions, Canada and Antarctica.Soil: Fertile soils offer optimal land for farming. Fertile plains like Brahmaputra and Ganga and in India, the Nile in Egypt, Hwang-He and Chang Jiang in China are highly populated.Water: People prefer to live in those places where fresh water is easily available. So, the river valleys are densely populated and the deserts have less population.Minerals: Places with deposits of mineral are naturally more populated. Diamond mines of South Africa and discovery of oil in the Middle East led to people\xa0settling down in these areas. In India, the areas of the\xa0Chhota Nagpur Plateau in Jharkhand and nearby areas of Odisha see a high population distribution because of the presence of huge mineral deposits.