How does the population of a country act as both a resource and a challenge?

There is no real contradiction once you see population from two angles. People are called human resources because a healthy, educated and skilled population can work, innovate, run industries and build the economy. A nation's true wealth comes from the talent and effort of its people, not just from minerals or machines. However, the same population becomes a challenge if it grows faster than the country's resources, jobs and services. Then there is pressure on land, food, housing, schools and hospitals, leading to unemployment and poverty. The deciding factor is the quality of the population. Through investment in education, health and skills, a large population becomes an asset that drives growth, as some countries have shown. So whether population is a resource or a burden depends on how well it is developed and employed.