The correct option is George B. Cressey.
Explanation
Population distribution refers to the way people are spaced over the earth's surface. The pattern of population distribution is highly uneven. This specific remark highlights the stark contrast in population density across the Asian continent, where vast areas are sparsely populated while specific regions are densely packed.
Option Analysis
- Thomas Malthus Thomas Malthus: Incorrect. He is best known for his theory on population growth, specifically the Malthusian Trap, which argues that population grows geometrically while food production grows arithmetically.
- Ralph Waldo Emerson Ralph Waldo Emerson: Incorrect. He was an American essayist, lecturer, and philosopher who led the transcendentalist movement, unrelated to geographical demographic studies.
- George B. Cressey George B. Cressey: Correct. George B. Cressey was a prominent American geographer known for his extensive studies on Asia. He made the famous remark, "Asia has many places where people are few and few places where people are very many," to describe the uneven population distribution of the continent.
- Vidal de la Blache Vidal de la Blache: Incorrect. He was a French geographer considered the founder of modern French geography and the concept of "Possibilism," emphasizing the relationship between humans and their environment.
Key Takeaway
George B. Cressey is the geographer credited with the observation regarding the uneven nature of Asia's population distribution, emphasizing the coexistence of vast uninhabited lands and intensely crowded regions.