12th Geography Chapter -2 The world population distribution; density and growth Exercise Solution (English Medium)

EXERCISES

1. Choose the right answer from the four alternatives given below.
(i) Which one of the following continents has the highest growth of population?
(a) Africa 
(b) South America 

(c) Asia

(d) North America
Answer - (a) Africa 

Note - Most African countries have an annual population growth rate in excess of 2%.

(ii) Which one of the following is not an area of sparse population?
(a) The Atacama 
(b) South-east Asia 

(c) Equatorial region

(d) Polar regions
Answer - (b) South-east Asia

Note - Asian countries comprise 60% of the world’s current population. It has the highest growth rate today.

(iii) Which one of the following is not a push factor?
(a) Water shortage 
(b) Medical/educational facilities 

(c) Unemployment

(d) Epidemics
Answer - (b) Medical/educational facilities

Note - Medical and educational facilities is not a push factor, it comes under the pull factor.

(iv) Which one of the following is not a fact?
(a) Human population increased more than ten times during the past 500 years.
(b) Population growth is high in the first stage of demographic transition.
Answer - (b) Population growth is high in the first stage of demographic transition.

Note - The first stage has high fertility and high mortality because people reproduce more to compensate for the deaths due to epidemics and variable food supply. The population growth is slow and most of the people are engaged in agriculture where large families are an asset. Life expectancy is low, people are mostly illiterate and have low levels of technology. Two hundred years ago all the countries of the world were in this stage.

2. Answer the following questions in about 30 words.
(i) Name three geographical factors that influence the distribution of population.
Answer - Three geographical factors that influence the distribution of population are-

(i) Availability of water: Water is the most important factor for life. So, people prefer to live in areas where fresh water is easily available. Water is used for drinking, bathing and cooking – and also for cattle, crops, industries and navigation. It is because of this that river valleys are among the most densely populated areas of the world.

(ii) Landforms: People prefer living on flat plains and gentle slopes. This is because such areas are favorable for the production of crops and to build roads and industries. The mountainous and hilly areas hinder the development of transport network and hence initially do not Favour agricultural and industrial development. So, these areas tend to be less populated. The Ganga plains are among the most densely populated areas of the world while the mountains zones in the Himalayas are scarcely populated.

(iii) Climate: An extreme climate such as very hot or cold deserts are uncomfortable for human habitation. Areas with a comfortable climate, where there is not much seasonal variation attract more people. Areas with very heavy rainfall or extreme and harsh climates have low population. Mediterranean regions were inhabited from early periods in history due to their pleasant climate.

(iv) Soils: Fertile soils are important for agricultural and allied activities. Therefore, areas which have fertile loamy soils have more people living on them as these can support intensive agriculture. 

(ii) There are a number of areas with high population density in the world. Why does this happen?
Answer - There are a number of areas with high population density in the world. This happens because –
• GEOGRAPHICAL FACTOR - Several geographical factors such as adequate availability of water, plain landforms, comfortable climate, and fertile soils attract the people to settle in those areas.

• SOCIAL AND CULTURAL FACTORS - Most people they settle in those areas which are religiously and culturally important. Forex- Banaras in India.

• Sometimes people tend to move away from places where there is political and social agitation.

• ECONOMIC FACTOR - Some time people want to settle in those areas where they can easily get the job. Such examples are the areas of Mining and industries.

(iii) What are the three components of population change?
Answer - The three components of population change are-

• BIRTH RATE - Birth rate is expressed as a number of live births per thousand of the population in a year. It is the most important factor in population change.

• DEATH RATE - It plays an active role in population change. Population growth is also due to the decreasing death rate.

• MIGRATION - Migration is also a big factor for population change. When people migrate from one place to another it also affects the population change.

3. Distinguish between:
(i) Birth rate and death rate.
Answer - 

Birth Rate - The birth rate is the rate of birth in a given place over a period of time. The crude birth rate (CBR) is expressed as number of live births in a year per thousand of population. It is calculated as:



Here, CBR = Crude Birth Rate; Bi = live births during the year; P=Mid-year population of the area.

Death Rate - Death rate plays an active role in population change. Population growth occurs not only by increasing births rate but also due to decreasing death rate. 

Crude Death Rate (CDR) is a simple method of measuring mortality of any area. CDR is expressed in terms of number of deaths in a particular year per thousand of population in a particular region. CDR is calculated as:



Here, CDR=Crude Death Rate; D= Number of deaths; P=Estimated mid-year population of that year.

(ii) Push factors and pull factors of migration.
Answer - People migrate for a better economic and social life. There are two sets of factors that influence migration.

The Push factors make the place of origin seem less attractive for reasons like unemployment, poor living conditions, political turmoil, unpleasant climate, natural disasters, epidemics and socio-economic backwardness.

The Pull factors make the place of destination seem more attractive than the place of origin for reasons like better job opportunities and living conditions, peace and stability, security of life and property and pleasant climate.

 

4. Answer the following questions in about 150 words.
(i) Discuss the factors influencing the distribution and density of population in the world.
Answer - The factors influencing the distribution and density of population in the world-

I. GEOGRAPHICAL FACTORS -

Physical conditions like Climate, landforms in terms of altitude, type of soil and the availability of energy are the important factors of population distribution.

I. Temperature is an important factor in a climate which determines human life in an area. Example- Life in the Arctic region and in the desert region.

II. Water is very essential for human beings and for their survival. Rainfall and other sources of water supply determined the population distribution. Like - rivers and lakes.

III. The nature of the terrain is also an important geographical feature in determining population distribution. Like in mountainous region population density is low and in arable land it is high.

IV. Quality of Soil also determines the population distribution. If soil is fertile and rich, then people mostly live in that area a good for agriculture. Like Alluvial plains of Ganga and Nile

ECONOMIC FACTORS -

(i) Minerals: Areas with mineral deposits attract industries. Mining and industrial activities generate employment. So, skilled and semi–skilled workers move to these areas and make them densely populated. Katanga Zambia copper belt in Africa is one such good example.

(ii) Urbanisation: Cities offer better employment opportunities, educational and medical facilities, better means of transport and communication. Good civic amenities and the attraction of city life draw people to the cities. It leads to rural to urban migration and cities grow in size. Mega cities of the world continue to attract large number of migrants every year.

(iii) Industrialisation: Industrial belts provide job opportunities and attract large numbers of people. These include not just factory workers but also transport operators, shopkeepers, bank employees, doctors, teachers and other service providers. The Kobe-Osaka region of Japan is thickly populated because of the presence of a number of industries.

SOCIAL AND CULTURAL FACTOR - Some places attract more people because they have religious or cultural significance. 

I. Many people wanted to settle in those areas which are religiously and culturally significant.
II. People also settle in those areas where the culture is not too different from their own.

III. In the same way – people tend to move away from places where there is social and political unrest. Many a times governments offer incentives to people to live in sparsely populated areas or move away from overcrowded places.

(ii) Discuss the three stages of demographic transition.
Answer - The three stages of demographic transition-

• The First Stage - It is marked by high fertility and high mortality. The death rate is also high due to epidemics and variable food supply. So, the population growth is slow and life expectancy is low. People are mostly illiterate, and their main work is agriculture due to which large families are preferred and the use of technology is low.

• Second Stage - In this stage, the expansion of population remains high because the death rate reduces due to the improvement of medical facilities and sanitation, but the fertility rate is high. At the later stage, it declines. The mortality rate also decreases.

• The Third Stage - In the last stage, both fertility and mortality decline considerably. Population in the third stage is either stable or grow slowly. The family size is controlled and mostly population becomes urbanized and literate. There is a high level of technical knowledge. High technical knowledge contributes deliberately to controlling the family size.

NEXT Chapter - 3 

Population Composition

Exercise Solution

Previous Chapter - 1 

Human Geography Nature and Scope

Exercise Solution

Map Skill

On the outline map of the world, show and name the following.
(i) Countries of Europe and Asia with negative growth rate of population.

(ii) African countries with growth rate of population more than three per cent. (You may refer to Appendix 1).

Project/Activity

(i) Has someone in your family migrated? Write about her/his place of destination. What made her/him migrate?

(ii) Write a brief report on the distribution and density of population in your state.