Why Do India And China Have So Many People?

India and China have so many people today because they’re good for farming and big, but they’ve always been that way, so they’ve actually had a huge proportion of Earth’s people for thousands of years.

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CREDITS
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Script Writer: Alex Reich
Script Editor: Kate Yoshida
Video Illustrator: Qingyang Chen
Video Director: Emily Elert
Video Narrator: Kate Yoshida
With Contributions From: Henry Reich, Ever Salazar, Peter Reich, David Goldenberg
Music by: Nathaniel Schroeder

MinuteEarth is produced by Neptune Studios LLC

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REFERENCES
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Eraly, A., Khan, Y., Michell, G. & Saran, M. 2008. India. DK Publishing, New York.

Gidwani, V.K., April 2017, personal communication.

Goldewijk, K.K., April 2017, personal communication.

Roberts, E., March 2017, personal communication.

Ruggles, S., March 2017, personal communication.

Stearns, P. N. (Ed.). 2001. The encyclopedia of world history: Ancient, Medieval, and Modern, chronologically arranged. Houghton Mifflin. Chicago.

Thanks also to Deepak Ray, Jamie Gerber, Emily Cassidy, and Ryan Loomis.

[MinuteEarth]

Note: with our maps, people, & scenes, we are not making any political statements. Simply stick figure representations. We hope all countries with border disputes, or disputes of any kind, can resolve them as peacefully as possible.

[nowshad]

Bangladesh, China, Pakistan and India have lots of natural and material resources.

Britain: Still? I thought I had looted everything

[ashishsinghrajput]

Indians and Chinese are good in mathematics that's why they multiplied so fast 😂

[dhruvshandilya]

Corona:"let me solve this real quick"

[Matthew-qucl]

2:15-2:20 that was such an awkward silence lmaooo

[JJJ_]

Well you see when a mommy and daddy really love each other…

[jimmcneal]

I'm from Russia and i never knew my country has 3rd largest farmlands in the world

[weidergonga]

1:17 Brazil: Perfectly balanced, as all things should be.

[noahfeynman]

Because they are good in using the shadow clone jutsu.

[DruvRatee]

Agreed!! Food, weather and fertile land makes easy for living beings..

[yss]

Kate: China have a large farmland to rely on.

Endangered exotic animals and pets: why are we hanging upside down?

[maxmaaz]

Because we weren't founded 10 minutes ago

[philipundisclosed]

Also the fact that rice produces 3 to 4 times the calories as crops used in Europe before the columbian exchange like wheat and is really labor intensive providing an incentive for many children was helpful.

[Blaqjaqshellaq]

In addition, their main food staple is rice, whose cultivation can facilitate a high population density.

[diwanumam]

Ah, Thank you, University of Minnesota. PS: I love how these videos are still small while most Youtube educational videos these days are at the 10 minute mark without any reason.

[odkozzz]

"India has the oldest civilisation history on Planet"
Westerners: Wait... I will pretend as if I haven't heard. Why do India and China are so populated????

[CogitoEdu]

The river systems of China and India really provided them with a boost, especially when combined with Rice. Being able to grow and harvest multiple rice crops every year made it easier to feed more people. Which in turn encouraged people to have more children (So they had help harvesting the rice).

China and India are also some of the oldest civilisations on the planet and have huge swaths of territory.

Being located on the Eurasian continent they also luckily benefited from trade with other states which encouraged growth. Unlike the unfortunate Native Americans the Chinese and Indians had built up immunity to diseases that wiped out most Native Americans. Meaning that when Europeans came they didn't suffer massive population decline.

Awesome video and really informative considering the length.

[xionkale]

You missed Bangladesh in the middle ... Capital has one of the highest population density

[gravewalker]

Farming has been going on for 8-7000 years in india and rivers climate soil helped in survival.

[bunnyfreakz]

I am Chinese myself, old tradition believe more kids = more wealth. When you are get old, you will supported by your kids financially. Bigger family they are, bigger economy of family. Kids pretty much future investment.

Nowaday it's not like anymore, more kids are burden. Chinese population will shrink alot by next generation.