Question

The third most populous country in the world is:

• A. Indonesia
• B. U.S.A.
• C. Brazil
• D. Nigeria

Hint:

Top 5 most populous countries:
1. India China
2. China India
3. U.S.A.
4. Indonesia
5. Pakistan

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Concept:
Global population is unevenly distributed across continents and sovereign countries.
A large majority of the world's population resides in a handful of demographically massive countries located primarily in Asia and the Americas.
Standard NCERT demographic tables document the rank order of the world's most populous nations.

Step 1: Global Population Hierarchy:
Historically and in standard geographical textbooks:
1. China holds one of the top two spots (with approximately 1.4 billion people).
2. India holds the other of the top two positions (exceeding 1.4 billion people).
3. The United States of America (U.S.A.) ranks as the third most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 335 million.
4. Indonesia ranks fourth globally, with approximately 275 million people.
5. Pakistan ranks fifth, followed by Nigeria and Brazil.

Step 2: Evaluating the Listed Nations:
Comparing the populations of the provided options:
U.S.A. ($\approx 335\text{ million}$) holds rank 3.
Indonesia ($\approx 275\text{ million}$) holds rank 4.
Nigeria ($\approx 220\text{ million}$) holds rank 6.
Brazil ($\approx 215\text{ million}$) holds rank 7.
Final Answer:
Thus, the third most populous country in the world is the U.S.A.