Population density is defined as...

• A. The rate of population growth
• B. The total land area divided by population
• C. Individuals per unit land area
• D. Births per 1,000 people per year

Answer: (C)

Population density tells us how crowded an area is by looking at how many people live in a given amount of land, usually expressed as people per square kilometer or per square mile. It’s found by dividing the number of people by the land area they occupy. That’s why the description “Individuals per unit land area” best captures the concept. For example, if 2,000 people live in 1 square kilometer, the density is 2,000 people per square kilometer.

The rate of population growth describes how fast the population increases over time, not how crowded a place is. Inverse land area per person (land area divided by population) would give area per person, which is the opposite of density. Births per 1,000 people per year is a birth rate, not a measure of how many people live in a given area.