Read a population-density map and explain where people live

Grade 6 Social Studies Worksheet - Building Confidence

Circle the best answer.

1. Read this first

   Use this

   Dot map of Kanawha County, West Virginia. Key: each dot = 10,000 people. 18 dots are drawn inside Kanawha County, West Virginia. Data: US Census Bureau, 2020.

2. 1.

   Jun counts the dots inside Kanawha County, West Virginia, on a dot map. About how many people live there?

   • About 18
   • About 180,000
   • About 1,800
   • About 28,000

3. Use this

   Shaded map of the United States by state, people per square mile, 2020. Key: lightest shade = fewer than 50 people per square mile; next = 50 to 100; next = 100 to 400; darkest = more than 400. New Jersey is outlined. Data: US Census Bureau.

4. 2.

   On Milo's shaded map, New Jersey has the darkest shade. Using the key, what does that tell Milo?

   • Fewer than 50 people per square mile
   • More than 400 people per square mile
   • The most people of any state
   • A very large area of land

5. Use this

   Shaded map of the United States by state, people per square mile, 2020. Key: lightest shade = fewer than 50 people per square mile; next = 50 to 100; next = 100 to 400; darkest = more than 400. Alaska is outlined. Data: US Census Bureau.

6. 3.

   On Noah's shaded map, Alaska has the lightest shade. Using the key, what does that tell Noah?

   • The fewest people of any state
   • A very small area of land
   • Fewer than 50 people per square mile
   • More than 400 people per square mile

7. Use this

   Shaded map of the United States by state, people per square mile, 2020. Key: lightest shade = fewer than 50 people per square mile; next = 50 to 100; next = 100 to 400; darkest = more than 400. West Virginia is outlined. Data: US Census Bureau.

8. 4.

   On Pia's shaded map, West Virginia has the second-lightest shade. Using the key, how crowded is it?

   • Fewer than 50 people per square mile
   • 100 to 400 people per square mile
   • More people than any nearby state
   • 50 to 100 people per square mile
9. 5.

   The Nile valley and delta shaded green and crowded with dots; the deserts on both sides almost empty. On a map of Egypt, Ren sees almost everyone living in a thin green band along the Nile. Why do most Egyptians live there?

   • The coast has the factories
   • The desert land is cheaper to build on
   • People live evenly across the whole country
   • The river gives water for farms and towns

10. Map of Greenland

    The inland ice sheet shaded white; small towns marked along the coast, most in the southwest. Data: World Bank, 2023 (about 57,000 people).

11. 6.

    Tala reads that about four-fifths of Greenland lies under an ice sheet, and its towns sit along the coast. Why do so few people live inland?

    • The coast is too crowded to build on
    • The inland is too close to the equator
    • The inland is covered by thick ice
    • People there live evenly spread out
12. 7.

    Dots crowded along the east and southeast coasts; the dry center almost empty. Zee sees that most Australians live in cities near the coast, and few live in the middle of the country. Why?

    • The middle is dry desert with little water
    • The middle is covered by ocean
    • People are spread evenly across it
    • The coasts are colder than the middle

13. Use the table

    Country	People (2023)	People per km²
    Netherlands	17,877,117	531.0
    Australia	26,659,922	3.5

    Data: World Bank, 2023.

14. 8.

    Ari compares two countries from the table. Which one is more crowded?

    • They are equally crowded
    • You need a map to tell
    • Australia
    • The Netherlands
15. 9.

    Bo compares two more countries from the table. Which one is more crowded?

    • Namibia
    • You need the land areas to tell
    • They are about equal
    • Singapore
16. 10.

    Esme checks one last pair from the table. Which country is more crowded?

    • Japan
    • Indonesia
    • A map would be needed
    • They are just about the same