(a) Outline any five factors responsible for the low density of population in some parts of West Africa (b) In what four ways can low population density be ...

Answer Details

(a) Five factors responsible for low population density in some parts of West Africa

1. Harsh climate: areas of very low, unreliable rainfall (the Sahel and desert margins) or excessively wet, humid areas discourage settlement.
2. Poor/infertile soils: thin, leached or sandy soils that cannot support good farming keep population sparse.
3. Difficult relief and terrain: mountains, rugged highlands, swamps, mangrove and dense forest are hard to farm and settle.
4. Prevalence of pests and diseases: the tsetse fly (sleeping sickness), river blindness, malaria and similar hazards drive people away from affected areas.
5. Poor development and lack of amenities: absence of roads, industries, jobs and social services, sometimes worsened by insecurity/conflict, leads to out-migration.

(Also: past slave-raiding that depopulated areas, and infertile flood-prone or waterlogged land.)

(b) Four ways low population density can be an advantage

1. Less pressure on land and resources: more farmland, water and forest are available per person, reducing over-cultivation and land disputes.
2. Larger share of amenities and higher living standards: the available food, jobs, houses and social services are shared among fewer people.
3. Less environmental degradation: reduced deforestation, soil erosion, pollution and overcrowding, keeping the environment healthier.
4. Lower unemployment and less congestion: fewer people competing for jobs, and little overcrowding, slums or traffic pressure in settlements.