(a) Explain any five factors that are responsible for the population distribution in West Africa. (b) Outline any five advantages of low population density ...

(a) Five factors responsible for the population distribution in West Africa

1. Relief: lowlands, plains and river valleys are densely settled because they are easy to farm and build on, while rugged highlands are sparsely peopled.
2. Climate and rainfall: areas with reliable, moderate rainfall attract dense settlement, while the very dry Sahel and desert margins and the excessively wet swamps repel people.
3. Soil fertility: fertile alluvial and volcanic soils (for example the cocoa and food-crop belts) carry dense farming populations; poor, leached soils carry few people.
4. Economic opportunities: mining areas, industrial and commercial towns and ports (Lagos, Accra, Dakar) draw large populations by offering jobs.
5. Historical and social factors: long-established kingdoms, trade routes and safe, disease-free areas built up dense populations, while slave-raiding and disease (tsetse fly, river blindness) once emptied other areas.

Also acceptable: availability of water supply and good transport routes.

(b) Five advantages of low population density in some parts of West Africa

• Less pressure on land, so farmland, grazing and building space are readily available.
• Adequate food and resources per person, reducing the risk of shortage.
• Less environmental degradation such as deforestation, overgrazing, erosion and pollution.
• Reduced pressure on social services (schools, hospitals, water), so the few people are better served.
• Room for expansion and development, including large farms, ranching, forest reserves and future settlement, with less unemployment and congestion.