Answer:
The word is sparse
Explanation:
In 1750, the population of New France was very sparse, even if it had grown substantially since the seventeenth century, when the first colonists arrived.
The reason was the northernly location of the population centers of the colony, which were mostly in what is now Quebec. The harsh winters and difficult conditions kept many people from emigrating. Another reason is that the colony only allowed Catholics to settle there.
