Why people live where they do

Geography · People & Environments · ages 8-11

Name ______________________ Date ____________

Deserts and high mountains usually have very few people living there.
Circle one: True False
Why did so many towns grow next to rivers or along coasts?
- Fresh water, fishing, and trade by boat were nearby
- The climate there was always mild
- Rivers and coasts have fewer storms
What pulled thousands of people to California in the 1800s?
- A new type of river
- The discovery of gold
- A change in climate
Look at the chart. Which place likely has the most people living there?
- Coast
- Mountain
- Desert
A town sits where a river meets the sea. Which of these is NOT a likely reason people settled there?
- Fresh water and fishing
- Easy trade by boat
- Cooler temperatures than nearby towns
Miners and their families built new towns close to coalfields. Why did they settle right there?
- Because coal made the soil good for farming
- To live near the resource they worked with every day
- Because coalfields never had bad weather
Ravi says people picked river and coastal towns just because the view was nice. What is wrong with his idea?
- It ignores the real reasons: water, food, and trade
- It is completely correct
- It only applies to modern cities, not old ones
A population map shows a huge empty patch across a desert country, with a crowded strip along one river valley. What is the best explanation?
- Nobody has ever explored the desert
- The desert has better weather so people avoid crowds
- The river valley has water and farmland the desert lacks

Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

True · Dry deserts and steep, cold mountains make it hard to farm or find water, so few people settle there.
Fresh water, fishing, and trade by boat were nearby · Rivers and coasts gave people water to drink, fish to catch, and a way to move goods by boat.
The discovery of gold · News of gold discoveries pulled thousands of people to California, and new towns grew up around the goldfields.
Coast · Coasts offer water, fishing, and trade, so they tend to fill up with people. Deserts and mountains stay nearly empty.
Cooler temperatures than nearby towns · Temperature is about climate, not why settlers picked a river mouth. They came for water, fish, and boat trade.
To live near the resource they worked with every day · People settled close to the coalfields so they could work the coal without a long trip each day.
It ignores the real reasons: water, food, and trade · Nice views were not the reason. Water, fishing, farmland, and trade by boat drew people to rivers and coasts.
The river valley has water and farmland the desert lacks · Deserts lack water and good farmland, so people cluster instead along the river valley where life is easier.