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26-451: On January 1, 2018, Pont-à-Celles had a total population of 17,287. The total area is 55.73 km which gives a population density of 310 inhabitants per km. The municipality consists of the following districts: Buzet , Liberchies , Luttre , Obaix , Pont-à-Celles, Thiméon , and Viesville . Pont-à-Celles draws its name from Latin Cella , meaning room or cell of monk, probably because of

52-450: A little less than the land area of Puerto Rico , 8,868 square kilometres (3,424 sq mi). Although the arithmetic density is the most common way of measuring population density, several other methods have been developed to provide alternative measures of population density over a specific area. Microstate A microstate or ministate is a sovereign state having a very small population or land area, usually both. However,

78-432: A sovereign state is Vatican City , with fewer than 1,000 residents and an area of only 49 hectares (120 acres). Some microstates – such as Monaco and Vatican City – are city-states consisting of a single municipality. Most scholars identify microstates by using a quantitative threshold and applying it to either one variable (such as the size of its territory or population ) or a composite of different variables. While it

104-402: A treaty error and survived from 1440 to 1826. Its independence made it important in the introduction of tobacco cultivation to Italy . Couto Misto was disputed by Spain and Portugal and operated as a sovereign state until the 1864 Treaty of Lisbon partitioned the territory, with the larger part becoming part of Spain. Jaxa was a small state that existed during the 17th century at

130-499: Is 53/km (140/sq mi). This includes all continental and island land area, including Antarctica . However, if Antarctica is excluded, then population density rises to over 58 per square kilometre (150/sq mi). The European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC) has developed a suite of (open and free) data and tools named the Global Human Settlement Layer (GHSL) to improve the science for policy support to

156-450: Is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans , but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term. Population density is population divided by total land area , sometimes including seas and oceans, as appropriate. Low densities may cause an extinction vortex and further reduce fertility. This is called the Allee effect after

182-552: Is agreed that microstates are the smallest of all states, there is no consensus on what variable (or variables) or cut-off point should be used to determine which political units should be labelled as "microstates" (as opposed to small "normal" states). According to some scholars the quantitative approach to defining microstates suffers from such problems as "inconsistency, arbitrariness, vagueness and inability to meaningfully isolate qualitatively distinct political units". Some academics have suggested defining microstates according to

208-499: Is around 8,000,000,000 and the Earth 's total area (including land and water) is 510,000,000 km (200,000,000 sq mi). Therefore, the worldwide human population density is approximately 8,000,000,000 ÷ 510,000,000 = 16/km (41/sq mi). However, if only the Earth's land area of 150,000,000 km (58,000,000 sq mi) is taken into account, then human population density

234-448: Is one of the hallmarks of democracies. Some scholars have taken the statistical correlation between small size and democracy as a sign that smallness is beneficial to the development of a democratic political system, mentioning social cohesiveness , opportunities for direct communication and homogeneity of interests as possible explanations for why this is the case. Case study research, however, has led some researchers to believe that

260-442: Is to define microstates as "modern protected states". According to the definition proposed by Dumienski (2014): "microstates are modern protected states, i.e. sovereign states that have been able to unilaterally depute certain attributes of sovereignty to larger powers in exchange for benign protection of their political and economic viability against their geographic or demographic constraints." Adopting this approach permits limiting

286-631: The European Commission Directorate Generals and Services and as support to the United Nations system. Several of the most densely populated territories in the world are city-states , microstates and urban dependencies . In fact, 95% of the world's population is concentrated on just 10% of the world's land. These territories have a relatively small area and a high urbanization level, with an economically specialized city population drawing also on rural resources outside

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312-509: The Netherlands. With this occasion, the department of Jemappes (to which Pont-à-Celles belonged) became the province of Hainaut. The famous Jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt was born in Liberchies . Every May, the community honors him with the open air Django Reinhardt Jazz Festival. Population density Population density (in agriculture : standing stock or plant density )

338-988: The area, illustrating the difference between high population density and overpopulation . Deserts have very limited potential for growing crops as there is not enough rain to support them. Thus, their population density is generally low. However, some cities in the Middle East, such as Dubai , have been increasing in population and infrastructure growth at a fast pace. Cities with high population densities are, by some, considered to be overpopulated, though this will depend on factors like quality of housing and infrastructure and access to resources. Very densely populated cities are mostly in Asia (particularly Southeast Asia ); Africa's Lagos , Kinshasa , and Cairo ; South America's Bogotá , Lima , and São Paulo ; and Mexico City and Saint Petersburg also fall into this category. City population and especially area are, however, heavily dependent on

364-550: The bridge for going to service (hence bridge to Celles, or Pont-à-Celles in French). Gradually, this name extended to all the parish whose territory covered six seigniories. When in 1795, the French replaced these six seigniories by a newly created municipality, they adopted the name of the parish (Pont-à-Celles). In 1815, after the defeat of Napoleon in Waterloo, its territories were annexed to

390-633: The colonial history often determines what political systems microstates have, they do implement changes to better accommodate their specific characteristics. Microstates often rely on other countries in order to survive, as they have a small military capacity and a lack of resources. This had led some to believe that microstates are forced to subordinate themselves to larger states which reduces their sovereignty . However, research has shown that microstates strategically engage in patron-client relationships with other countries. This allows them to trade some privileges to countries that can advance their interests

416-547: The definition of "urban area" used: densities are almost invariably higher for the center only than when suburban settlements and intervening rural areas are included, as in the agglomeration or metropolitan area (the latter sometimes including neighboring cities). In comparison, based on a world population of 8 billion, the world's inhabitants, if conceptualized as a loose crowd occupying just under 1 m (10 sq ft) per person (cf. Jacobs Method ), would occupy an area of 8,000 square kilometres (3,100 sq mi)

442-505: The meanings of "state" and "very small" are not well-defined in international law. Some recent attempts to define microstates have focused on identifying qualitative features that are linked to their size and population, such as partial delegation of their sovereignty to larger states, such as for international defense. Commonly accepted examples of microstates include Andorra , Liechtenstein , Monaco , Nauru , Palau , San Marino , and Tuvalu . The smallest political entity recognized as

468-552: The most. Examples of this are microstates that establish a tax haven or sell their support in international committees in exchange for military and economic support. A small number of tiny sovereign political units have been founded on historic anomalies or eccentric interpretations of law. Those types of states, often labelled as "microstates," are usually located on small (usually disputed) territorial enclaves, generate limited economic activity founded on tourism and philatelic and numismatic sales, and are tolerated or ignored by

494-617: The nations from which they claim to have seceded. The Republic of Indian Stream , now the town of Pittsburg, New Hampshire , was a geographic anomaly that had been left unresolved by the Treaty of Paris , which ended the American Revolutionary War , and was claimed by both the United States and Canada . Between 1832 and 1835, the area's residents refused to acknowledge either claimant. The Cospaia Republic became independent by

520-615: The number of microstates and separating them from both small states and autonomies or dependencies . Examples of microstates understood as modern protected states include such states as Liechtenstein , San Marino , Monaco , Niue , Andorra , the Cook Islands or Palau . The smallest political unit recognized as a sovereign state is the Vatican City , though its precise status is sometimes disputed, e.g., Maurice Mendelson argued in 1972 that "[i]n two respects it may be doubted whether

546-558: The presence of the monastery founded in the 7th century, by Saint Amand (apostle of Belgium). The jurisdiction on which this primitive monastery was established, and then the priory of the Park, was called Celles, and later Pont-à-Celles. The name of Pont-à-Celles appears for the first time during the 16th century, when the monks of the Park built a bridge over the Pieton river near the church. The parishioners of Luttre and Hairiamont then had to cross

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572-484: The same political system as their colonial ruler. Because of the high number of microstates that were British colonies in the past, microstates often have a majoritarian and parliamentary political system similar to the Westminster system . Some microstates with a history as British colony have implemented some aspects of a consensus political system, to adapt to their geographic features or societal make-up. While

598-443: The scientist who identified it. Examples of the causes of reduced fertility in low population densities are: Population density is the number of people per unit of area, usually transcribed as "per square kilometer" or square mile, and which may include or exclude, for example, areas of water or glaciers. Commonly this is calculated for a county , city , country , another territory or the entire world . The world's population

624-509: The statistical evidence belies the anti-democratic elements of microstate politics. Due to small populations, family and personal relations are often decisive in microstate politics. In some cases, this impedes neutral and formal decision-making and instead leads to undemocratic political activity, such as clientelism , corruption , particularism and executive dominance . The high number of democracies amongst microstates could be explained by their colonial history. Most microstates adopted

650-479: The territorial entity, the Vatican City, meets the traditional criteria of statehood". Statistical research has shown that microstates are more likely to be democracies than larger states. In 2012, Freedom House classified 86% of the countries with fewer than 500,000 inhabitants as "free". This shows that countries with small populations often had a high degree of political freedom and civil liberties , which

676-467: The unique features that are linked to their geographic or demographic smallness. Newer approaches have proposed looking at the behaviour or capacity to operate in the international arena in order to determine which states should deserve the microstate label. Yet, it has been argued that such approaches could lead to either confusing microstates with weak states (or failed states ) or relying too much on subjective perceptions. An alternative approach

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