Questions: Question 37 1 pts In a model urban hierarchy, the population of a city, town or village is inversely proportional to its rank in the system (i.e. if the largest city is 4 million the second will be 2 million or the third will be and so on). This is known as rank-size rule. trade area ordering. central place theory. a statistical coincidence.

The answer is the first one: rank-size rule.

Explanation for each option:

1. Rank-size rule: This is the correct answer. The rank-size rule states that the population of a city or town is inversely proportional to its rank in the urban hierarchy. For example, if the largest city has a population of 4 million, the second largest will have 2 million, the third largest will have around 1.33 million, and so on. This rule is a common way to describe the distribution of city sizes within a region or country.

2. Trade area ordering: This is incorrect. Trade area ordering refers to the organization of areas based on their economic activities and the flow of goods and services, not the population distribution based on rank.

3. Central place theory: This is incorrect. Central place theory, developed by Walter Christaller, explains the spatial arrangement, size, and number of settlements. It focuses on the distribution of services and the optimal location of central places (cities, towns) to serve surrounding areas, rather than the population distribution by rank.

4. A statistical coincidence: This is incorrect. The rank-size rule is a well-documented empirical observation in urban geography and not merely a statistical coincidence.

Summary: The rank-size rule describes the inverse proportionality between the population of a city and its rank in the urban hierarchy. This concept is distinct from trade area ordering, central place theory, and is not a statistical coincidence.