In Asia, the rail network is the least developed in the West Asian region. Choose the correct option as the reason for this fact.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → The railway network is least developed in West Asian countries due to the presence of vast deserts and sparsely populated regions.
Option (1) The West Asian countries do not have enough resources/funds to develop railway networks. — Incorrect. The reason is physical, not a want of money.
Option (2) The railway network is least developed in West Asian countries due to the presence of vast deserts and sparsely populated regions. — Correct. A railway is laid where there are many people and goods to carry; that is why in Asia the network is densest in the thickly populated areas of Japan, China and India. Much of West Asia is vast desert with few people, so a line across it would carry little traffic, and few lines have been built. The physical setting keeps the population thin, and the thin population keeps the rail network thin.
Option (3) The people of West Asian countries prefer traveling by roads. — Incorrect. Rail density follows terrain and the number of people, not a liking for roads.
Option (4) The presence of railways is least in West Asian countries due to cultural and religious factors. — Incorrect. Culture and religion do not decide it; deserts and a sparse population do.
NCERT: Fundamentals of Human Geography — Chapter 7: Transport and Communication, Railways (2025-26)
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