Spatial Variation of the Population of Baladrouz District for the years 2013 and 2023

Abstract

Baladruz District is one of the important districts of Diyala Governorate due to its strategic and economic significance, particularly as it is located in eastern Iraq. Furthermore, it is close to the governorate's capital, Baquba District, approximately 40 km away. The flat terrain of most of its land facilitates communication between it and other districts within the governorate. This study of the spatial variations in the population of Baladruz District, within the framework of population geography involves analyzing the spatial differences in population distribution. It aims to provide a clear picture of the numerical, proportional, density, and environmental distribution of the population and its administrative units to explain their spatial and temporal variations. The research concludes that the population of Baladruz district is steadily increasing as the population rose from 136,753 in 2013 to 172,756 in 2023. Despite this increase, it represents a small percentage of the total population of the governorate, reaching approximately 9.04% in 2013 and 9.07% in 2023. The overall population density was 21.77 and 27.5 people per square kilometer for the same years, respectively, a low density compared to other districts in the governorate. This is due to several reasons that will be explained later in the research. Regarding the environmental distribution, the population data for Baladruz district showed that the urban population constituted approximately 52.48% and 55.05% in 2013 and 2023, respectively, compared to the rural population, which constituted approximately 47.52% and 44.94%, respectively. The researcher recommends conducting scientific studies in various geographical disciplines especially that related to population studies to create an important database that provides the scientific researchers with information that would serve various development projects.