You've already thought about what a city's location might have to do with its size, but there are factors other than location that might cause a city's population to rise or fall.

Consider Hibbing, MN. This city experienced a population explosion in the early 1900s to around 20,000 people. It was so popular that a local busline established here grew to be the largest bus company in the world, you know it as Greyhound Lines. Hibbing's geography played a large role in its development.

As you may know, many large cities are located around waterways so that goods can easily be transported. Hibbing offered something else, iron ore (the largest iron ore mine in the world).

Your assignment is to do some searching and find out:

1. Why was iron ore in such high demand in the early 1900s?

2. How long did that demand last?

3. Why has the population in Hibbing declined?

Remember, if you take information from a website then you must provide a proper citation for that information. Taking information without giving credit is called plagiarism.