Question

population distribution: africa
location, climate, and distribution of natural resources impact where people live and how countries thrive. this is studied by looking at population distribution. population distribution is the patterns of where people live. these patterns are very uneven throughout the world. population in specific areas can be described as either sparsely populated or densely populated. sparsely populated areas are areas that have a low population number. in contrast, densely populated areas are areas that have a high population number.
there are three factors that impact population distribution: location, climate, and distribution of natural resources. in general, a location close to waterways and easy transportation are ideal for people to live. similarly, places with a temperate climate that require little adaptations are ideal for people to live. places with lots of natural resources are also ideal for people to live.
africa is home to the sahara desert, which covers over 3 million square miles. there are a couple rivers and a few lakes that can be used for water sources. however, most people who live in this area are nomadic. this means that they will move from place to place in search of fresh water. while there are some people who are able to live here, this area is sparsely populated because of its climate and lack of natural resources.
just south of the sahara desert is the sahel region. it faces similar obstacles as the sahara, although it does receive slightly more rainfall. however, the rainfall is still not quite enough for communities to thrive. additionally, the sahara desert is expanding into regions of the sahel. this is called desertification. people of the sahel often survive by subsistence farming. this means they farm and create everything they need for survival because traveling and trading are not common here. people in this area are called seminomadic because they will live in one area until the land is unsuitable, then they will move to find a better area of land. the sahel is more densely populated than the sahara desert, but it is still considered to be sparsely populated. it is sparsely populated because of its climate, location, and lack of natural resources.
south of the sahel is the savanna. the savanna is much more fertile, which makes it more popular for people to live than the sahara and the sahel regions. farmers are able to grow crops like wheat, oats, and other grains. because this area is much more sustainable, its population is growing. higher population numbers require a growth in the infrastructure, such as cities and roads. this makes it much easier for people to live and trade. however, the growth of cities and road infrastructure is decreasing the size of the savanna. the most densely populated areas of the savanna are located near lake victoria and other rivers and water sources.
the tropical rainforest today is mostly used for industrial purposes, such as logging. previously, the rainforest was home to many different groups of people, and they were able to live there without harming the rainforest. now, though, deforestation is threatening the rainforest, and it is becoming uninhabitable. many new roads and towns have been built to support the logging and timber industries in the rainforest. even with the new roads and towns, most of the tropical rainforest is still sparsely populated.
just like in other parts of the world, people in africa tend to live in areas that are easiest to sustain. places like this include those that have a location with lots of transportation, a climate that is temperate, and access to natural resources. in africa, a big factor is access to water.

Explanation:

The problem involves filling in charts and matching vocabulary terms based on a passage about population distribution in Africa. This requires understanding concepts related to geography (a sub - field of Natural Science) such as land features, climate, and resource distribution. The matching part also tests knowledge of specific geographical and population - related terms.

Answer:

For the "Three Factors that Affect Where People Live" chart:

1. Location (implied by waterways and transportation in the passage)
2. Climate (mentioned as an ideal factor)
3. Distribution of natural resources (stated as a factor)

For the "Four Physical Land Features in Africa that Affect Where People Live" chart (assuming the other three are filled from the passage):

1. The Sahel region (south of the Sahara)
2. The savanna (more fertile area)
3. The tropical rainforest (used for industrial purposes now)

For the vocabulary matching:

1. B - fertile (rich in sediments; good for farming)
2. A - Sahara (desert in Africa)
3. F - Sahel (dry region south of the major desert in Africa)
4. E - seminomadic (living in one place until the land is unsuitable)
5. H - population distribution (the patterns of where people live)
6. D - sparsely populated (areas that have a low population)
7. C - densely populated (areas that have a high population)
8. G - subsistence farming (farming for everything needed for survival)