AP Human Geography : Density, Distribution, & Scale

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for AP Human Geography

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Example Questions

Example Question #11 : Density, Distribution, & Scale

In terms of population density, which of these regions is notably different than the others?

Possible Answers:

East Asia

Western Europe

Sub-Saharan Africa

The East Coast of the United States

The Indian subcontinent

Correct answer:

Sub-Saharan Africa

Explanation:

Apart from Sub-Saharan Africa, all of the listed regions are considered to be some of the most densely populated on Earth. The Indian subcontinent (which generally includes Bangladesh), East Asia (which includes Eastern China and Japan), Western Europe (which includes the Netherlands and the United Kingdom), and the East Coast of the United States (which includes New York City, Philadelphia, Miami, and Washington D.C.) are the four regions of the world that are the most densely populated. South-Eastern Brazil and South-East Asia could also be added to this list.

Example Question #121 : Ap Human Geography

The vast majority of population growth is taking place in __________.

Possible Answers:

the Americas

Western Europe 

the Middle East

the developing world

the developed world

Correct answer:

the developing world

Explanation:

The vast majority of population growth is taking place in the developing world. In recent years, more than ninety percent of population growth can be accounted for by countries in the developing world. These countries continue to grow to represent a larger and larger share of the world’s population.

Example Question #122 : Ap Human Geography

These two countries account for a third of the world’s population.

Possible Answers:

China and the United States

Japan and China

Russia and India

China and India

Russia and the United States

Correct answer:

China and India

Explanation:

China and India are the two most populous nations on Earth; each with over a billion people. China is currently the most populous nation in the world, but most experts agree that India will surpass China sometime in the next couple of decades due to India’s much faster rate of population growth.

Example Question #123 : Ap Human Geography

With a population of more than , Tokyo is by far the world's most populous city. As of 2015, which city comes in second?

Possible Answers:

Beijing

Delhi

Shanghai

New York City

Jakarta

Correct answer:

Jakarta

Explanation:

Jakarta, Indonesia is the world's second most populous city, with a population of close to . New York city has a population of over . Shanghai has just a slightly larger population than New York. Beijing has an estimated population of about . Delhi has a population of just under . All of these cities are continuing to grow rapidly in size.

Example Question #11 : Density, Distribution, & Scale

A country with a large amount of arable land and a small number of farmers will have a __________.

Possible Answers:

low physiological density

high agricultural density

low agricultural density

high physiological density

Correct answer:

low agricultural density

Explanation:

Since the question speaks specifically of farmers in relation to the viable or arable land, we can rule out the answers dealing with physiological density, which deals with people in general in relation to the land. Agricultural density measures the number of farmers per unit area of farmland. If there is more land than farmers, the density of farmers in that land will be low, and thus more sustainable and efficient. If there are more farmers than land, land will be scarce and the density of farmers working on it will be high, and agricultural production will be inefficient. Thus this question of a small amount of farmers on a large amount of land is measured as a low agricultural density.

Example Question #12 : Density, Distribution, & Scale

A decrease in a region's arable land area will most directly impact which of the following?

Possible Answers:

Physiological density

Arithmetic density

Sustainability

Carrying capacity

Correct answer:

Physiological density

Explanation:

A decrease in arable land has the potential to affect all four areas listed. However, only physiological density (people per unit of area of arable land) is directly tied to arable land area.

Example Question #12 : Density, Distribution, & Scale

If the largest city in a region has a population of , what will the population of the third largest city be, using the rank-size rule?

Possible Answers:

None of these

Correct answer:

Explanation:

The rank-size rule dictates that a city ranked third in terms of population will have a population size that is one-third of the population of the city ranked first. One-third of  is equal to , which is the correct answer. Furthermore, the rank-size rule depicts a  formula where  represents the city's population rank.

Example Question #11 : Density, Distribution, & Scale

What two factors are used to calculate a town's arithmetic population density?

Possible Answers:

The town's population size and the town's number of small businesses.

The town's population size and the town's GDP.

The town's population size and the town's area.

The town's mortality rate and the town's birth rate.

The town's average income and the town's area.

Correct answer:

The town's population size and the town's area.

Explanation:

Arithmetic population density allows us to look at the population of a town expressed as an average per unit area. This figure is calculated by dividing the population of a town by the number of square kilometers that make up the town.

Example Question #14 : Density, Distribution, & Scale

What is the term for the number of people an area can support?

Possible Answers:

Numerical density

Capacitor

Population

Capacity

Species diversity

Correct answer:

Capacity

Explanation:

Capacity, also known as carrying capacity is the number of people an area can support.

Example Question #15 : Density, Distribution, & Scale

What is the term used to describe the total number of people divided by the total land in an area?

Possible Answers:

Arithmetic population density

Capacity

Demography

Age distribution

Demographic density

Correct answer:

Arithmetic population density

Explanation:

Arithmetic population density is found by dividing the total population size by the total land in an area.

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