1998 AJHSME Problems/Problem 17

Don't Crowd the Isles

Problems 15, 16, and 17 all refer to the following:

In the very center of the Irenic Sea lie the beautiful Nisos Isles. In 1998 the number of people on these islands is only 200, but the population triples every 25 years. Queen Irene has decreed that there must be at least 1.5 square miles for every person living in the Isles. The total area of the Nisos Isles is 24,900 square miles.

Problem 17

In how many years, approximately, from 1998 will the population of Nisos be as much as Queen Irene has proclaimed that the islands can support?

$\text{(A)}\ 50\text{ yrs.} \qquad \text{(B)}\ 75\text{ yrs.} \qquad \text{(C)}\ 100\text{ yrs.} \qquad \text{(D)}\ 125\text{ yrs.} \qquad \text{(E)}\ 150\text{ yrs.}$