Despite possessing moderate annual rainfall and a central location within Nigeria, the Middle Belt historically displayed a much lower population density than both the northern Sudan savanna and the southern forest zone. Which of the following combinations of factors best accounts for this historical anomaly in population distribution?
- Historical slave depopulation, endemic tsetse fly infestation, and thin, heavily leached soilsAnswer
- BHigh pull factors in adjacent coastal port cities that continuously drew working-age agricultural populations away from the region
- CAn inverted age-dependency ratio where an overwhelming proportion of elderly dependents reduced agricultural productivity across the region
- DThe rapid expansion of dense nucleated settlements along major rail corridors, which artificially reduced overall regional density measurements
Answer
Historical slave depopulation, endemic tsetse fly infestation, and thin, heavily leached soils
The low population density of the Middle Belt of Nigeria (often referred to as the 'middle belt sparse zone') is historically rooted in a combination of environmental and historical factors. Slave raids during the 18th and 19th centuries heavily depopulated the region. Additionally, the wooded savanna environment favored tsetse flies, which transmitted trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness) to humans and livestock, limiting pastoralism and settlement. Poor, heavily leached lateritic soils further constrained intensive agriculture compared to the rich volcanic soils of the Jos Plateau or the alluvial soils of major river valleys.
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Key Concept
Physical, Historical, and Ecological Controls on Regional Population Density