Compare population density patterns between Ontario and Nunavut and explain the reasons for the contrast.

• A. Ontario has high density in the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Lowlands; Nunavut has very low density due to extreme cold, remoteness, and lack of infrastructure; population concentrates near coasts and river valleys.
• B. Nunavut has high density; Ontario is sparsely populated due to deserts.
• C. Both have similar density; distribution is uniform across provinces.
• D. Ontario density is low; Nunavut's density is high due to mining towns.

Answer: (A)

Population density is shaped by climate, land, resources, and how easy it is to live and move around. In Ontario, most people live in the southern part of the province, especially in the Great Lakes–St. Lawrence Lowlands. This area has a milder climate, fertile land, and a long history of industry and trade, plus well-developed transportation networks (shipping on the Great Lakes and roads/rails to major cities). All of that supports many people living relatively close together in cities and towns, with high densities along the river valleys where cities grew.

Nunavut, on the other hand, is enormous and sits in the Arctic. The extreme cold, permafrost, vast distances, and limited infrastructure make large populations impractical anywhere but in a few small coastal communities. Most people there live in coastal areas where hunting, fishing, and access to services and trade are feasible, so you get concentration near coasts and river valleys, but the overall population density remains very low.

So the best description is that Ontario has high density in the southern lowlands, while Nunavut has very low density due to harsh climate, remoteness, and limited infrastructure, with people mainly living in coastal and some river-valley communities.