Read a population-density map and explain where people live
Grade 6 Social Studies Worksheet - Challenge Me

Circle the best answer.
Read this first
Use the table
Province People (2021) Land area (km²) Nova Scotia 969,383 52,942 Quebec 8,501,833 1,298,600 Data: Statistics Canada, 2021.
Zee works out both densities, people ÷ area. Which province is more crowded, and by about how much?
- Nova Scotia: about 18 per km² against 6.5
- Quebec: about 0.15 against 0.05
- They are about equal: 6.5 each
- Quebec: it has about 8.5 million people in total
Ari works out both densities, people ÷ area. Which province is more crowded, and by about how much?
- New Brunswick: about 11 per km² against 5
- British Columbia: about 0.18 against 0.09
- They are about equal: 5 each
- British Columbia: it has about 5 million people
Bo works out both densities, people ÷ area. Which province is more crowded, and by about how much?
- Ontario: it has about 14 million people
- Prince Edward Island: about 27 per km² against 16
- Ontario: about 0.06 against 0.04
- They are about equal: 16 each
Data: World Bank, 2023; Ulaanbaatar from Wikipedia. Mongolia averages about 2 people per km². Esme's friend says that means Mongolians are spread evenly across the land. Which response is right?
- Agree: the land is too cold for cities
- Disagree: about half live in one city
- Agree: an average means an even spread
- Disagree: most live in the Gobi Desert
Note: about two-thirds of Icelanders live in the Capital Region (Wikipedia). Average from World Bank, 2023. Iceland averages about 4 people per km². Jun's friend says Icelanders must live far apart everywhere. Which response is right?
- Disagree: most live on the glaciers
- Agree: the whole island is ice
- Agree: an average means people are spread out
- Disagree: about two-thirds live around Reykjavík
Russia is huge and has a low average density. Kira's friend says people live evenly across it. Which response is right?
Map of Russia with dots crowded in the west, in European Russia, and thin across Siberia to the east. Map of Russia with dots crowded in the west, in European Russia, and thin across Siberia to the east. Russia Siberia European Russia Russia people - Agree: an average density means people are spread evenly
- Disagree: most live in the western, European part
- Agree: the Ural Mountains block travel east
- Disagree: most live in the far northeast
Luz compares a physical map and a dot map of China. Dots crowd the east; the west is mostly mountains and desert. What best explains the pattern?
Two maps of China: a physical map (high mountains and deserts in the west, river plains in the east) and a dot map (dots crowded in the east). Two maps of China: a physical map (high mountains and deserts in the west, river plains in the east) and a dot map (dots crowded in the east). Physical map of China China Dot map of China China high mountains deserts river plains dots - Flat, well-watered eastern plains support farms and cities
- People are spread evenly, but the map hides it
- The western mountains are near the ocean
- The west is too crowded to hold more people
Milo compares a physical map and a dot map of India. Dots crowd the wide plain along the Ganges River. What best explains the pattern?
Two maps of northern India: a physical map (the Himalayas in the north, the flat Ganges plain below) and a dot map (dots crowded along the Ganges plain). Two maps of northern India: a physical map (the Himalayas in the north, the flat Ganges plain below) and a dot map (dots crowded along the Ganges plain). Physical map Himalayas Ganges plain Ganges River Dot map Ganges River Himalayas flat Ganges plain dots crowded along the Ganges plain - The Himalayas are where most people farm
- The flat river plain is good for farming
- The plain has the most land, so it has the most people
- People are spread evenly, but the map hides it
Noah compares a physical map and a dot map of Algeria. Dots crowd the north coast; the south is the Sahara. What best explains the pattern?
Two maps of Algeria: a physical map (Mediterranean coast and mountains in the north, the Sahara in the south) and a dot map (dots crowded along the north coast). Two maps of Algeria: a physical map (Mediterranean coast and mountains in the north, the Sahara in the south) and a dot map (dots crowded along the north coast). Physical map of Algeria Mediterranean coast Algeria mountains Sahara Dot map of Algeria Algeria mountains Sahara dots crowded along the north coast - The south is colder than the north
- The north gets rain; the southern desert is very dry
- The Sahara is too crowded to hold more people
- People are spread evenly, but the map hides it
Data: Statistics Canada, 2021. Ren counted 40 dots on a dot map of Yukon and wrote, "40 people live in Yukon." Which fix makes the note right?
Dot map of Yukon. Key: each dot = 1,000 people. 40 dots are drawn inside Yukon. Data: Statistics Canada, 2021. Dot map of Yukon. Key: each dot = 1,000 people. 40 dots are drawn inside Yukon. Data: Statistics Canada, 2021. Dot map of Yukon Yukon each dot = 1,000 people - Leave it: each dot is one person
- Change it to about 4,000 people
- Change it to about 400,000 people
- Change it to about 40,000 people