Many dry deserts and high mountains have fewer people than places with reliable water and farmland.

Which features helped many settlements grow near rivers or coasts?

• Sea water ready for drinking
• River water, fishing and boat trade
• Mild weather all year round

What drew thousands of people to California in the 1800s?

• Gold had been found there
• A new river had appeared there
• The climate had changed there

This made-up chart shows families in three equal-sized places. Which place has the most families?

• River town: 8 families
• Dry plateau: 3 families
• High slope: 1 family

A coastal town has fishing and boat trade. What else must you check to know whether people there have water to drink?

• Are fishing boats nearby?
• Can boats carry goods?
• Is safe fresh water available?

Miners and their families built homes near a coal mine. What work-related reason could explain this?

• To farm soil enriched by coal
• To live close to their mining jobs
• To avoid changes in weather

Two villages have similar water and farmland. Ravi says a family has no reason to choose one over the other. The family's relatives live in one village. What has Ravi missed?

• Family ties can affect the choice
• Matching farmland means both places have the same jobs
• Matching water means both places have the same culture

Made-up map, equal-sized squares:

Key: P = 30 people; Q = 90 people. A river runs through the valley. Which statement reads the map and gives a possible reason?

• Dry land has more people; dry soil may help.
• Both have equal populations because their areas are equal.
• The valley has more people; river water may help.