AP®GeographyCollege BoardHuman GeographyExam QuestionsPopulation & Migration Patterns & ProcessesPopulation Distribution

Population Distribution (College Board AP® Human Geography): Exam Questions

10 mins10 questions
11 mark

Which of the following best describes population density?

  • The number of people in one specific area

  • The pattern of the population in an area, with some places more sparsely populated than others.

  • A statistical measurement of population structural change 

  • The increase in population due to a rise in birth rates, a fall in death rates, and an increase in migration

  • How many people the world can sustain, in relation to the provision of resources

Choose your answer

21 mark

Which of the following is not used to calculate population density?

  • Crude density

  • Arithmetic density

  • Physiological density

  • Physical density

  • Agricultural density

Choose your answer

31 mark

Which of the following statements about population density calculation is correct? 

  • When physiological density is high, there is a greater likelihood of land pressure.

  • Agricultural density is higher in developed countries.

  • With a lower physiological density, the limit of agricultural output may be reached quickly.

  • Soil condition has no influence on agricultural density.

  • It is easier to use Arithmetic Density over large areas, like multiple cities.

Choose your answer

41 mark

The parts of the earth that are habitable are known as 

  • Inhabited

  • Arid

  • Fertile

  • Ecumene

  • Sparse

Choose your answer

51 mark

Where on the planet would the ecumene be high?

  • Arid desert

  • Mountain range

  • River Valley

  • Poor soil quality

  • High altitude

Choose your answer

61 mark

Which of the following physical factors would reduce the likelihood of human settlement?

  • Low altitude areas

  • River valleys

  • Extreme temperatures

  • High soil fertility

  • Civil war

Choose your answer

71 mark

Humans may decide to settle in an area due to certain human-related factors. Which of the following would not be considered a human factor? 

  • Industrial growth

  • Civil war

  • Settlement duration 

  • Soil quality for agriculture

  • Political systems and policies

Choose your answer

81 mark

Agricultural density refers to

  • How many farmers there are in a unit of farmland.

  • The number of people divided by the land area.

  • The number of people per area of land that is arable/farmable.

  • The number of people in a specific area.

  • The number of farmers per region

Choose your answer

91 mark

Which of the following explains why physiological density is useful?

  • Allows the tracking of food production and active farms.

  • It helps us understand the number of people who rely on an area of arable land, and how long the land will likely stay arable for

  • Allows us to understand land pressure

  • Allows us to understand rising rates of urbanization

  • Helps to measure farm size.

Choose your answer

101 mark

Which of the following characteristics would not lead to a sparse population distribution?

  • Harsh climates

  • High altitude

  • Long settlement history 

  • Infertile soils

  • Industrial growth

Choose your answer