Research on the Optimal Population Distribution of Main Functional Oriented Areas in Province level:A Case Study of Ningxia Province

The optimal population distribution is one of the serious elements concerned to the zoning and planning of main functional oriented areas(MFOA).A rational population distribution of MFOA not only considers the quantity and distribution of population,but also cares about the spatial coordination of population with local natural resource,environment and economic development.This article takes Ningxia for example based on predicting of population guantity of counties in Ningxia.On the one hand,the amount of each county's population was projected in normal growth.On the other hand,the optimal population capacities of each county were determined separately by comparing economic carrying capacity,land carrying capacity,and water resource carrying capacity in urban and rural areas.It is concluded that population in the north Ningxia increased slowly,and the limit of land is more obvious than the limits of economic development and water resource for the population carrying capacity in most counties of this region,which may be the leading area for population agglomeration.On the contrary,population in the south increased rapidly,and water resource and economic development are the main limited factors for population carrying capacity there, which is supposed to emigration.In addition,the result of population increase and population carrying capacity is useful to the zoning of MFOA and establish suitable population management policies.