Nations with More Than 100 Million People

There are eleven countries in the world with over 100 million citizens. That’s a lot of people. Combined, these eleven countries have just over 60 percent of the world’s population. Of those eleven, six are in Asia. That excludes Russia, whose landmass crosses both Asia and Europe, with about 70 percent of its population living in European territory.

For some countries, having such a sheer number of people has created problems and in China’s case, has lead the government to actually put restrictions on the number of children its citizens are allowed to have. India, which is second in line in population after China, is said to be studying similar measures.

Japan and Russia, on the other hand, are actually experiencing declining births. Japan’s rapidly declining birthrate is actually becoming a primary concern for the government, which fears an aging workforce. By 2050, Japan is expected to be knocked out of the 100 million population club with Russia not too far behind. By that  time the Philippines, Vietnam, Ethiopia, Egypt and the Democratic Republic of Congo will have already joined the club.

The population figures are 2008 estimates.

1. China, population: 1,346,606,000

    Official name: People’s Republic of China

    Capital: Beijing

    Founded: c.1500 B.C.

    Briefly: World’s oldest continuous republic; fought bitter civil war that ended in 1949 with a communist government in power; was diplomatically isolated until late-1960’s, when more nations switched diplomatic ties from Nationalist regime in Taiwan to the mainland; has been experiencing rapid economic growth since late-1980’s; frequently accused of flagrant human rights abuses; communists remain in solid power with strict control over personal freedoms.

2. India, population: 1,144,734,000

   Official name: Republic of India

   Capital: New Delhi

   Founded: 1947

   Briefly: World’s largest democracy; was British colony from 1757 until independence in 1947; has ongoing border dispute with Pakistan regarding Kashmir; frequent religious and ethnic unrest, some which have turned violent.

3. United States, population: 304,848,000

    Official name: United States of America

    Capital: Washington, D.C.

    Founded: 1776

    Briefly: World’s oldest continuous democracy; won independence from Great Britain in 1776 and expanded westward; fought bitter civil war from 1861-1865 when southern states seceded; became economic and military superpower after World War II; exerts great influence over world affairs; first country to put a human being on the Moon; elected its first black president in 2008; has ongoing racial problem, resulting in frequent civil rights abuses; illegal immigration a stubborn issue; although officially a secular society, religious groups wield considerable influence in political decisions.