Place, time & people

Bethsaida
Generally translated as the 'house of fish'
The Gospel writer also emphasise the remoteness of the place.
In Mark's and Luke's versions, the disciples entreat Jesus to send
the people away to the "closest villages and farms" Bible scholars place
Bethsaida - one of three cities cursed by Jesus - on the north shore of the Sea of Galilee, with the other two cities , Chorazin (Korazin) and Capernaum, in fairly close proximity.
John further states that that there was plenty of grass to accommodate the people when Jesus commanded them to sit down (more on that in a later post), thus dismissing the 'desert' interpretation that some have put forward for the use of the word 'wilderness'

John also states that it was the time of the Passover, the first month of the Jewish year (March into April).

There were at least 5000 men and an indeterminate number of women and children,
since the contemporary custom (linked, according to the book of Numbers and other references, to military service) meant that only able-bodied males were counted in any census.
Of course, there was also Jesus and his 12 disciples.

next: From the land and from the sea