Question

Which of the following best explains why sea migrants continued to explore the remote Pacific?

A. They were a military people and constantly sought to conquer other populations.
B. Population growth and shortages of resources forced migrants to settle farther and farther afield.
C. The Austronesians were a largely merchant people who constantly sought out new islands for trade.
D. Austronesians were nomadic by nature and settled in one place for only short

Answer 1

Sea migrants continued to explore the remote Pacific primarily due to the need for new resources owing to population growth and resource shortages, not solely because of commerce, military conquests, or a nomadic lifestyle.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question asks which of the following best explains why sea migrants continued to explore the remote Pacific. The answer is, to a significant extent, influenced by a combination of desire for new resources due to population growth and shortages of resources. The other options, while they may have some degree of relevance, are not primarily attributed to the communal Pacific explorations. Specifically:

• The Austronesians, while they did conduct trade, were not largely merchant people in the context of their migratory patterns.
• They were not primarily military people seeking to conquer other populations during their sea explorations.
• Although nomadic traits were present, the term nomadic by nature oversimplifies their settlement patterns.

Hence, the most accurate answer would be B: Population growth and shortages of resources forced migrants to settle farther and farther afield.