WAEC 2024 Geography · Question 24

Population density is defined as the average

Options

  1. A.number of people in the capital town
  2. B.number of people living in a unit area
  3. C.number of human resources
  4. D.number of deaths and births in a unit area

Answer: B. number of people living in a unit area

Explanation written with AI and checked against the answer key

Step 1: Analyze the question The question asks for the definition of population density. Break the term into two parts: "population" (the number of people) and "density" (how much of something exists in a given space).

Step 2: Explain the concept Population density measures how crowded an area is. The formula is:

Population density = Total population ÷ Total land area

It is usually expressed as persons per square kilometre (persons/km²).

Example: If a town has 50,000 people living on 25 km² of land, its density is 50,000 ÷ 25 = 2,000 persons per km².

Step 3: Evaluate each option

  • A. Number of people in the capital town: Wrong. This only counts people in one town and doesn't relate them to area.
  • B. Number of people living in a unit area: Correct. This matches the formula, with people divided by a unit of land such as 1 km².
  • C. Number of human resources: Wrong. This is a vague idea about the labour force or manpower, with no mention of area.
  • D. Number of deaths and births in a unit area: Wrong. Births and deaths relate to vital statistics (natural population change), not density.

Step 4: Answer Population density is the average number of people living in a unit area, so the answer is B.

Tip: Think "density = amount ÷ space". Whenever you see density in Geography, look for an option that relates a quantity to an area. Don't confuse it with distribution (how people are spread out) or population growth (births, deaths and migration).

AI can make mistakes. Report anything that looks wrong.

Past questions © the examination body (JAMB/WAEC/NECO). DeeepSolve is not affiliated with them. Rights holders: see /copyright.