To calculate the population of the country, you can use the formula:
\[ \text{Population} = \text{Population Density} \times \text{Area} \]
Given the population density is 120 people per square mile and the area is 76,254.89 square miles, you can calculate it as follows:
\[ \text{Population} = 120 , \text{people/square mile} \times 76,254.89 , \text{square miles} \]
Now, perform the multiplication:
\[ \text{Population} = 120 \times 76,254.89 \approx 9,150,586.68 \]
Rounding this to the nearest whole number gives us approximately 9,150,586 people.
Thus, the correct response is:
9,150,586 people