To solve this problem, we can set up a proportion to find the total population.
Let's denote the total population as P.
Given that 36,000 people make up 15% of the population, we can express this relationship as:
\frac{36000}{P}=\frac{15}{100}
To solve for P, we can cross multiply:
36000\times100=15\times P
3600000=15P
Now, divide both sides by 15 to isolate P:
P=\frac{3600000}{15}
P=240000
So, the total population is 240,000 people.