In the following passage some words have been deleted. Fill in the blanks with the help of the alternatives given. Select the most appropriate option for each blank.

Comprehension:
Canada is three times the size of India (1)______ its population is only about 26 million. The average (2)______ of population is less than three persons per square kilometer (3)______ Canada. The distribution of population is highly (4)______. Nearly 80 per cent of the people (5)______ in a narrow belt less than 300 kilometer wide along the southern border. The rest of the country has a very sparse population due to excessive cold.