India, Pakistan and China have totally different political systems, but they have one thing in common: they all followed plans for their economic and social development. China had a command economy, whereas India and Pakistan followed a mixed economy. The development programmes of all three countries were launched in the 1950s. Major development indicators like growth rates and per capita incomes were more or less the same for all three nations till the early 1980s, and they showed low progress. But with the introduction of economic reforms, changes in the level of development could be clearly seen. Today China has moved ahead of both India and Pakistan in terms of social and economic development.
The passage says China has moved ahead of India and Pakistan. Which of the following is true of China among the three countries?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → It has the largest area but the lowest density of population
China is the largest of the three nations by area. Its huge population is spread over this vast area, so its density is the lowest (150 per sq. km, against India’s 473 and Pakistan’s 300).
NCERT (2026-27): “… Though China is the largest nation and geographically occupies the largest area among the three nations, its density is the lowest. …” |