The northern part of the city used to be sparsely populated, but has now become a cultural centre.

城北过去很冷落， 现在成了文化区。

《新英汉大辞典》

This would be surprising were it not for the fact, so visible from above, that the world is still a sparsely populated place.

事实上从天上看下来这世界还算是人烟稀少，所以没有人被击中也不算太让人吃惊。

youdao

Factor in concerns for the massive fishing industry and the environment, and the fact that the neighboring coast is populated and consists of stretches of marshland that will be difficult to clean (as opposed to the sparsely populated rocky coasts of Alaska) and the ramifications expand dramatically.

FORBES: Will The Gulf Spill Derail Offshore Drilling?

These failures could be played down because the events occurred in sparsely populated areas of Hokkaido and northern Honshu.

ECONOMIST: Nature rarely repeats itself | The

But what about the case of women in rural North Dakota, or another sparsely populated area, where a single pharmacy might be the only option for 25 or 50 miles?

FORBES: What Pharmacist 'Conscientious Objectors' Might Learn From Boston Bombing Suspect's Nurses