Question

Thickly populated cities are usually situated on the bank of the river because
A) Soil is fertile
B) Fertile soil and regular water supply
C) Freshwater is available in plenty
D) Old civilization

Answer 1

Hint: The very first civilizations were formed on the banks of rivers. Some of the most well-known examples include the Ancient Egyptians near the Nile, the Mesopotamians in the Fertile Crescent on the Tigris river, Ancient India on the Indus, and the Ancient Chinese on the Yellow River.

Complete answer:
People were attracted to river banks for starting civilizations. This is because they provided the resources like water and fertile land. Water is an important resource. The rivers could be used for the transport of goods and people. The people of the civilizations could fish in the river and hunt the animals that might come to the river for drinking water. Also, people who got lost in the wild could follow the river downstream and find civilizations or cities.

The bank of the river has highly fertile soil. Also, a regular water supply is available for irrigation, domestic use and for commercial use. These resources are very important and their availability results in river banks being thickly populated cities. Old civilizations were built around river banks for the same reason that cities today are developing around river banks, that is, the availability of fertile soil and regular water supply.

Thus the correct answer is option ‘B’.

Note: Availability of water is very important even in modern civilizations. Water scarcity affects almost three billion people. Water stress describes the situation in which it is very difficult to find freshwater or available water sources are getting depleted. Water shortage means that there is less water available because of climate change, pollution or overuse. Water crisis means that there is not enough freshwater to meet the local demand.