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UPSC Prelims 2009 · Indian Geography · People and Settlements
Which one among the following South Asian countries has the largest population density?
- (a) India
- (b) Nepal
- (c) Pakistan
- (d) Sri Lanka
Show the answer and explanation
Answer: (a) India
India (~350+ per sq km) was the densest of these four.
The idea
Population density divides population by land area. Neither total population nor country size alone settles the comparison. Large desert and mountain regions can reduce a national average even when some districts are densely settled. Use the figures available around the 2009 exam.
Why the others are wrong
(b) Nepal’s mountains keep its density low (~200).
(c) Pakistan has large dry areas (~230).
(d) Sri Lanka is dense (~320) but a little below India.
The trap
Bangladesh is the densest in South Asia — it is not among the options.
Also know
Bangladesh is an important densely settled delta country, but it is absent from these options. Sri Lanka has a compact island territory, while Nepal includes Himalayan mountains and Pakistan includes extensive dry regions. National averages hide very different densities within each country.
🔒 South Asia density: Bangladesh ≫ India > Sri Lanka > Pakistan > Nepal > Afghanistan > Bhutan.
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