Which of the following factors does not influence population distribution?

Analyze the question: We are asked to find the one option that is NOT a factor influencing where people live (population distribution).

Explain the concept: Population distribution is how people are spread across an area. It is shaped mainly by physical and environmental factors, along with economic and political ones:

• Climate: People settle in areas with moderate temperatures and adequate rainfall. Extreme deserts and very cold regions are sparsely populated.
• Soil: Fertile soils support farming, so areas such as river valleys and the fertile plains of the Niger-Benue basin attract dense settlement.
• Relief: Gentle lowlands and plains are easier to build on and farm than steep mountains, so they usually have more people.
• Others: Natural resources, transport, government policy, and job opportunities.

Solve step by step:

1. Climate (A): It affects farming and comfort, so it influences distribution. ✔
2. Soil (B): It determines agricultural productivity, so it influences distribution. ✔
3. Relief (D): It affects settlement, farming, and transport, so it influences distribution. ✔
4. Sex ratio (C): This is the number of males per 100 females in a population. It is a demographic characteristic (population structure), which describes the composition of a population, not where people choose to live. It is a result of births, deaths, and migration, not a cause of how people spread across land.

Answer: The factor that does not influence population distribution is sex ratio, which is option C.

Exam tip: Separate distribution (where people live: physical factors like climate, soil, relief, and drainage) from composition (who the people are: age, sex ratio, occupation). If the question asks about distribution and an option is a composition term, that is usually the odd one out.