01 Which region has higher density: 200000 people in 500 square kilometres or 300000 people in 1000 square kilometres?
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: A. First region
Explanation: Density is found by dividing population by area, so the two regions must be compared using the same calculation. For the first region, the result is \(\frac{200000}{500}=400\) persons per square kilometre. For the second region, it is \(\frac{300000}{1000}=300\) persons per square kilometre.
Since 400 is greater than 300, option A, the first region, has the higher density. The second region has more people in total, but it also has twice the area, so its people are less concentrated. This shows why total population alone cannot determine which region is more densely populated.