Question

TOTAL LAND DEVOTED TO THE PRODUCTION OF AGRICULTURAL CROPS AS MEASURED IN MILLIONS OF HECTARES*, 1200-1400

1200 1300 1400
China 55.2 44.2 40.2
Europe 71.1 87.4 61.2
India 43.5 40.8 38.2
Middle East 7.8 6.1 5.7
*a hectare is equivalent to roughly 2.5 acres

Source: Data adapted from Our World in Data, found online at
Which of the following best describes a way in which the table illustrates how the spread of rice cultivation contributed to changing the total amount of land devoted to the production of agricultural crops in China, India, and the Middle East between 1200 and 1300 ?


A) The total amount of land devoted to the production of agricultural crops declined in China and the Middle East but rose in India.

B) The total amount of land devoted to the production of agricultural crops declined more substantially in India than it did in the Middle East and China.

C) The total amount of land devoted to the production of agricultural crops declined in all three regions.

D) The total amount of land devoted to the production of agricultural crops increased in every region except China.

Answer 1

The table shows a decline in crop land in China and the Middle East but an increase in Europe between 1200 and 1300, with a slight decrease in India, reflective of changes in agricultural land use due to the efficient spread of rice cultivation.

Step-by-step explanation:

The table illustrates that there was a decline in the total amount of land devoted to the production of agricultural crops in China from 55.2 million hectares in 1200 to 44.2 million hectares in 1300, and a similar decline in the Middle East from 7.8 million hectares to 6.1 million hectares within the same period. However, the table shows an increase in Europe from 71.1 million hectares to 87.4 million hectares. Conversely, India saw a relatively small decrease from 43.5 million hectares to 40.8 million hectares.

Given the spread of rice cultivation during this time, these changes indicate adjustments in agricultural practices and land usage, where rice cultivation, a crop that produces more food per acre and allows for multiple harvests in a year, likely influenced these patterns. The increased prevalence of rice cultivation, with its higher yields and the possibility for more crop cycles per year, could have supported an increased population while using slightly less land in regions suitable for rice farming.