Population Density

Density shows which areas need more resources and services. Exam tip: write planning as a main use.

Good employment opportunities, transport, markets, and other facilities attract people to cities, so such cities are likely to have a higher population density. In contrast, waterless deserts and inaccessible mountains usually have low density because water, transport, and livelihood opportunities are limited. Exam tip: link high population density with jobs, water, level land, and transport.

Mountain slopes and difficult access can limit settlement. Exam tip: connect relief with low density.

Level land and fertile soil make plains suitable for settlement. Exam tip: connect plains with high density.

A density map shows differences in population per area. Exam tip: read the map legend carefully.

Population density describes how many people live in a given unit of area. The words dense and sparse describe opposite patterns of settlement. A dense area has many people living close together, while a sparse area has relatively few people spread over a large area. The word selected in the question is therefore a vocabulary clue about low population density, not a calculation of the exact number of people.

Option B, “sparse,” is correct because it means thinly scattered or not closely packed. A sparsely populated desert, mountain region or remote area may have very few people in each square kilometre. “Dense” in option A means the opposite and suggests a high concentration. “Overcrowded” implies too many people for available space or facilities, and “concentrated” also suggests gathering in a limited area. Thus only B directly expresses low density.

The word dense indicates high population or high density. Exam tip: connect dense with more people per area.

A harsh climate, such as extreme cold, extreme heat, or very low rainfall, can make living and farming difficult. Therefore, such areas may have low population density. More employment opportunities usually attract people, so they are associated with higher rather than lower density. Exam tip: Climate, relief, and water availability are natural factors affecting population density.

Employment opportunities attract people to an area. Exam tip: write employment as a human factor.

(1000 \div 10 = 100) so the density will be 100 persons per square kilometre. Exam tip: divide total population by area.

(500 \div 5 = 100) so the density is 100 persons per square kilometre. Exam tip: write the unit after calculation.

Density increases when more people live in the same area. Exam tip: understand the effect of population change.

When the same population spreads over a larger area the number per square kilometre decreases. Exam tip: remember the effect of area.

Density is based on two things total population and area. Exam tip: treat both as the main base.

Density is not a list of names but a measure of population per area. Exam tip: keep the definition clear.

Settlement is difficult in inaccessible snowy mountains so density can be low. Exam tip: link inaccessibility with low density.

River valleys can support settlement due to water and fertile land. Exam tip: connect river valleys with high density.

Travel and transport needs can rise in dense population. Exam tip: connect density with demand for services.

Distance can make service delivery difficult in sparse population. Exam tip: remember challenges of low density too.

Density helps understand people's pressure on an area. Exam tip: connect it with resource planning.