Stationary pyramid characteristics?

• A. An expansive pyramid
• B. A circle-like shape indicating cyclic changes
• C. A rectangle shaped pyramid with low mortality rates, low birth rates, & slow or no population growth
• D. A triangle with high growth and a young population

Answer: (C)

Stationary population pyramids show an age structure that is roughly rectangular, meaning each age group has a similar number of people. This happens when birth rates are low and death rates are low, so the population size remains fairly constant over time and there isn’t a large bulge of young people. That combination—the low birth rate, low death rate, and little or no growth—produces a rectangle-shaped pyramid.

Expansive pyramids, by contrast, have a wide base with many young people, signaling high birth rates and rapid population growth. A circle-like shape isn’t a standard description for a typical pyramid, and a triangle with high growth describes the expansive pattern as well. So the rectangle-shaped pyramid with low mortality, low birth rates, and slow or no population growth best fits the stationary stage.