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Unit notes and practice questions

Grade 9 Geography unit 4: Population and demographic characteristics of Ethiopia

Everything here is for unit 4 of the Grade 9 Geography textbook: what the chapter covers, the short notes, practice questions with their answers, and the lesson video where one exists.

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3
Cards
10
Practice questions on unit 4
89–123
The textbook pages for unit 4

What unit 4 covers

  1. 1.Concept of human population
  2. 2.Trends of population growth in Ethiopia
  3. 3.Population composition
  4. 4.Population distribution
  5. 5.Urban and rural settlement patterns
  6. 6.Health and disease in Ethiopia
  7. 7.Impacts of population growth on sustainable
  8. 8.Language and religious diversity in Ethiopia

Short notes for unit 4

The cards filed under this chapter on the Grade 9 Geography page. Open one at a time.

Elevation ZoneLand Area (%)Population (%)Settlement and Economic Characteristics
Above 1800 m (Highlands)37.6%77.5%High density, crop farming, moderate climate, free from tropical vector diseases
Below 1800 m (Lowlands)62.4%22.5%Sparse density, pastoralism, high temperatures, low rainfall, tropical diseases

When you use it

Use when comparing demographic density, land coverage, and settlement factors between highlands and lowlands in Ethiopia.

Watch out

Unlike other global regions where river valleys are densely settled, Ethiopian major river valleys are sparsely populated due to tropical diseases.

Drafted from Grade 9 Geography, pages 89-123, then checked twice before it went up

Super FamilyFamilySpatial Coverage in EthiopiaExample Languages
Afro-AsiaticCushiticCentral, southern, eastern, northeasternAfaan Oromoo, Af-Somali, Sidaamu Afo, Qafaraf
Afro-AsiaticSemiticNorthern, central, easternAmarigna, Tigrigna, Guragigna, Aderigna
Afro-AsiaticOmoticSouth-central, south-westernWolaitatto, Dawurootsuwa, Kafi noono, Kontaatsuwa
Nilo-SaharanNilo-SaharanWestern lowlands (Gambella, Benishangul-Gumuz)Nuer, Annuak, Gumuz, Kunama

When you use it

Use when identifying the super families, families, and geographic distribution of languages spoken in Ethiopia.

Watch out

Cushitic has the largest number of speakers and widest spatial coverage in Ethiopia, not Semitic.

Drafted from Grade 9 Geography, pages 89-123, then checked twice before it went up

When you use it

Use when evaluating whether a settlement qualifies as an urban center in Ethiopia.

Watch out

Not all grouped settlements are urban centers. A settlement must meet specific population, economic, municipal, and service thresholds.

Drafted from Grade 9 Geography, pages 89-123, then checked twice before it went up

Practice questions on unit 4

10 multiple-choice questions written against this chapter, each with its answer and the reason. Try one before you open the answer.

Question 1

Which branch of geography focuses mainly on the spatial analysis of human population and population-space relationships?

  1. A.Physical Geography
  2. B.Population Geography
  3. C.Climatology
  4. D.Geomorphology
Show the answer and why

Answer: B Population Geography

Why

Population Geography is the branch of geography that studies human population, population-space relationships, and how people interact with their physical environment.

Question 2

According to the 2007 Census, what was the total population of Ethiopia?

  1. A.42.6 million
  2. B.53.5 million
  3. C.73.8 million
  4. D.114.9 million
Show the answer and why

Answer: C 73.8 million

Why

The 2007 Ethiopian Census recorded the population at 73.8 million, up from 53.5 million in 1994.

Question 3

In demographic studies, which broad age group is known as the economically active or working-age population?

  1. A.0 to 14 years
  2. B.15 to 64 years
  3. C.65 years and above
  4. D.0 to 4 years
Show the answer and why

Answer: B 15 to 64 years

Why

The population aged 15 to 64 years is considered the working-age or economically active population, while 0 to 14 and 65+ are dependent groups.

Question 4

To which language family do Afan Oromo, Somali, and Sidaamu Afo belong?

  1. A.Semitic
  2. B.Omotic
  3. C.Cushitic
  4. D.Nilo-Saharan
Show the answer and why

Answer: C Cushitic

Why

Afan Oromo, Somali, and Sidama belong to the Cushitic family of the Afro-Asiatic super family, which has the largest number of speakers in Ethiopia.

Question 5

What shape best describes the population pyramid of Ethiopia?

  1. A.A rectangle with straight sides
  2. B.A triangle with a broad base
  3. C.An inverted triangle with a narrow base
  4. D.A circle narrowing at both ends
Show the answer and why

Answer: B A triangle with a broad base

Why

The population pyramid of Ethiopia has a broad base that narrows towards the top, forming a triangle. This shape reflects a high birth rate and a high proportion of young dependents.

Question 6

What percentage of Ethiopia's total population lives in the highlands at altitudes above 1,800 meters?

  1. A.22.5 percent
  2. B.37.6 percent
  3. C.65.7 percent
  4. D.77.5 percent
Show the answer and why

Answer: D 77.5 percent

Why

About 77.5 percent of Ethiopia's population lives in the highlands above 1,800 meters because of moderate temperatures, better rainfall, and fewer disease-carrying insects.

Question 7

Which of the following is one of the major criteria used in Ethiopia to classify a settlement as an urban center?

  1. A.A minimum population of 500 people
  2. B.Two-thirds of the population engaged in non-agricultural activities
  3. C.At least 80 percent of the land used for crop cultivation
  4. D.Presence of temporary or mobile housing
Show the answer and why

Answer: B Two-thirds of the population engaged in non-agricultural activities

Why

The criteria for an urban center in Ethiopia include a minimum of 2,000 people, a chartered municipality, social services, and that two-thirds of the population are engaged in non-agricultural activities.

Question 8

Which of the following languages belongs to the Omotic language family?

  1. A.Guragigna
  2. B.Wolaitatto
  3. C.Qafaraf
  4. D.Gumuz
Show the answer and why

Answer: B Wolaitatto

Why

Wolaitatto (along with Dawurootsuwa, Kafi noono, and Kontaatsuwa) belongs to the Omotic family. Guragigna is Semitic, Qafaraf is Cushitic, and Gumuz is Nilo-Saharan.

Question 9

Suppose a town has 4,000 children aged 0 to 14, 5,000 adults aged 15 to 64, and 1,000 elderly people aged 65 and above. What is the Age Dependency Ratio (ADR) of this town?

  1. A.50 per 100 working people
  2. B.80 per 100 working people
  3. C.100 per 100 working people
  4. D.125 per 100 working people
Show the answer and why

Answer: C 100 per 100 working people

Why

ADR is calculated as: [(Young Dependents + Old Dependents) / Working Population] * 100. Here, [(4,000 + 1,000) / 5,000] * 100 = (5,000 / 5,000) * 100 = 100 dependents per 100 working people.

Question 10

Unlike major river valleys in other parts of the world that are densely populated, most major river valleys in Ethiopia are sparsely populated. What is the main reason for this?

  1. A.The rivers completely dry up for most of the year
  2. B.Prevalence of tropical diseases such as malaria and yellow fever
  3. C.Government laws prohibiting any human settlement near river banks
  4. D.Extremely cold temperatures in the deep gorges
Show the answer and why

Answer: B Prevalence of tropical diseases such as malaria and yellow fever

Why

Most low river valleys in Ethiopia are hot and infested with tropical diseases like malaria and yellow fever, which discouraged dense human settlement, with the Awash Valley being an exception due to commercial irrigation farming.

The app holds 12 questions on this unit, marked as you go. These are the first 10.

The textbook pages for unit 4

Unit 4 runs from page 89 to page 123 of the Ministry of Education edition.

Ministry of Education edition, English, 247 pages

Download the PDF

All Grade 9 Geography short notes

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