XII / GEOGRAPHY / B-I / 2-THE WORLD POPULATION

CHAPTER - 2

THE WORLD POPULATION:

DISTRIBUTION, DENSITY AND GROWTH

GIST OF THE CHAPTER

 INTRODUCTION

General patterns of population, distribution in the world, density of population, factors influencing
the distribution of population, population growth, trends in population growth, doubling time of
world population spatial pattern of population change, impact of population change, demographic
transition, population control measures.
“Asia has many places where people are few and few places where people are very many”- George
B. Cressey

 PATTERNS OF POPULATION DISTRIBUTION

 Pop. Distribution refers to “the way the people are spaced over the earth surface”
 90 % of people are living in 10% of its land area
 10 most populous countries of the world contribute 60% of population.

 DENSITY OF POPULATION
 Measured in persons per sq. km or

Population
Density of pop. = Area

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 High Density Areas: (more than 200persons/sq km)

North East USA, North West Europe, South East ASIA

 Low Density Areas : (less the 1 person / sq km)

Hot And Cold Deserts, Low Latitude Areas

 Medium Density Areas : (11-50 persons /sq.km)

Other than Above Two Areas

 Region wise Density of Population –

S.No. Region Density (P/Km²) World Share (in %)

1 Asia 146 59.5
2 Africa 43 16.9
3 Europe 34 9.7
4 Latin America 32 8.5
5 North America 20 4.8
6 Oceania 05 0.5
Source- www.worldometers.info/world-population as on 26.10.2018

 FACTORS INFLUENCING THE DISTRIBUTION OF POPULATION

1) Geographical factors-
 Availability of water
 Landform
 Climate
 Soil

2) Economic factors-
 Minerals
 Urbanisation
 Industrialisation
 Transport & Comm.

3) Social factors-
 Settled Agriculture
 Access to resources
 Migration
 Human Settlement Pattern

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4) Cultural factors-
 Religion
 Customs and traditions
 Language
 Food habits

5) Political factors-
 Political Boundaries
 Political unrest
 Govt. Policies
 Govt. Investments

 POPULATION GROWTH
Basic Concepts -
 Growth of population - Change in no. of persons of a place between two points of time.
 Growth rate of population- Change of population expressed in percentage.
 Natural Growth of population- Birth -Death
 Actual Growth of population - Birth -Death + In Migraion – Out Migration
 Positive growth of population – When Birth rate is more than death rate
 Negative growth of population - When Death rate is more than Birth rate

 COMPONENTS OF POPULATION CHANGE

 Birth rate,
 Death Rate,
 Migration

Crude Birth Rate (CBR) : No. of live births in a year per thousand of pop.
Or
Bi
CBR = P x 1000 (Bi= Live births & P= Population)

Crude Death Rate (CDR) : No. of deaths in a year per thousand of pop.
Or
D
CDR= P x 1000 ( D= Deaths & P= Population)

 MIGRATION

Meaning -It is the movement of people from one place to another to achieve a better
balance between population and resources. It may be permanent, temporary/seasonal, it may
be rural-rural, rural-urban, urban-urban, urban – rural

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Place of Origin Place of Destination

(Emigration) (Immigration)

 Emigration - When migrant move out of a place.

 Immigration- When migrant move into a new place.

 Factors Responsible For Migration (Causes of Migration)

PUSH FACTORS PULL FACTORS

1. Poor medical facilities 1. Good medical facilities
2. Poor education facilities 2. Good education facilities
3. Poor employment condition 3. Good employment condition
4. Poor infrastructural facilities 4. Good infrastructural facilities
5. Poor Living conditions 5. Good living conditions
6. Poverty 6. Better opportunities.
7. Unpleasant climate 7. Pleasant climate
8. Unsecure life and property 8. Secure life and property

 TRENDS IN POPULATION GROWTH:

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Population growth is due to

 Agricultural development,
 Industrial revolution,
 Transportation,
 Sanitation and Medical facilities,
 Biotechnology,
 Information and computers technological revolution.
 Invention of machines
 Medicines

 DOUBLING TIME OF WORLD POPULATION

 It took more than one million yrs to attain one billion population
 But, It took only 12 years to rise from 5 billion to 6 billion
 Developed countries take more time than developing countries
 Liberia highest growth rate: 8.2%
 Latvia & Lithuania lowest growth rate: -1.08 %

NOTE-
1. Population Increased 10 times during last 500 years, 4 times in 20th century, 80 million
people are added each year.
2. The world population growth – 6 billion (in 2000) , 7.8 billion (in 2020), expected 10
billion (in 2050)
3. The most populous country in the world is China (1.44 billion) , second being India (
1.38 billion) in 2020.

 SPATIAL PATTERN OF POPULATION CHANGE

The Growth rate of population (GOP) of the world change in the following manner –
 The GOP is low in developed countries as compared to developing countries.
 There is negative correlation between economic development and population
growth.
 Even if the GOP continues to decline, the total population grows each year.

 IMPACT OF POPULATION CHANGE ( Positive change)

 Depletion of resources
 Spread of epidemics
 Reduced life expectancy
 Increase in social crime rate
 Health problems

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 DEMOGRAPHIC TRANSITION
 This theory is used to predict the future population of any area
 Any region changes from high BR & DR to low BR & DR
 Progress from rural to urban
 Agrarian to Industrial
 Illiterate to literate

These changes are collectively known as Demographic Cycle

STAGE-I STAGE-II STAGE-III

1.High BR & DR 1. Slow declining B/R 1.Low BR & DR
& steep declining D/R
2. Agriculture & low 2.Improved sanitation & 2.Urbanised, literate
technology health conditions & high technology
3. Pop. growth is slow 3. Pop. growth is high 3. Pop. growth is slow
4. Ex- Bangladesh 4. Ex- Sri Lanka 4. Ex- Japan

 POPULATION CONTROL MEASURES

 Family planning
 Free availability of contraceptives,
 Tax disincentives for large families,
 Government incentives for small families.

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 MALTHUSIAN THEORY

Thomas Malthus in his theory (1798) stated that the number of people would increase faster
than the food supply. Any further increase would result in a population crash caused by
famine, disease and war.

OBJECTIVE TYPE QUESTIONS

1. “Asia has many places where people are few and few places where people are many”

Above mentioned remark about uneven distribution of Asia as well as world population is given
by-
a. Dudley Stamp b. Hartshorne
c. G.B. Cressey d. Griffith Taylor
Ans. (c)

2. Patterns of population distribution and density of population help us to understand-

a. Regional imbalances of an area b. Demographic characteristics of any area
c. Uneven topography of an area d. Developmental level of an area
Ans. (b)

3. The density of population is usually measured in-

a. Persons/cm area b. Persons/sq km area
c. Persons/ cubic area d. All the above
Ans. (b)

4. When we found more than 200 persons on every square km then the area will be considered as-
a. High density area b. Medium density area
c. Low density area d. None of the above
Ans. (a)

5. Which of the following area has very low density of population?

a. River valleys b. Hilly areas
c. Plains d. Area with pleasant climate
Ans. (b)

6. Which of the following area is densely populated?

a. Hot desert b. Cold desert
c. Area with harsh climate d. River valleys
Ans. (d)

7. Which is the most important factor that attract the human inhabitation in particular area?
a. Availability of water b. Urbanization
c. Minerals d. Social factors
Ans. (a)
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8. Which Factor is responsible for high density of population found in Katanga Zambia located in
Africa?
a. Availability of mineral wealth b. Availability of good forest resources
c. Close social ties d. Pleasant climate
Ans. (a)

9. Which of the following pair is not correctly matched?

REGIONS FACTOR OF HIGH DENSITY
a. Kobe-Osaka region in Japan Presence of industries
b. Mediterranean Regions Pleasant climate
c. Ganga Plains Scenic beauty
d. Mega cities Good civic amenities & employment
Ans. (c)

10. The population growth or population change refers to the ________________of inhabitants of a
territory during a specific period of time.
a. Decrease in number b. Change in number
c. Increase in number d. huge migration
Ans. (b)

11. Which of the following is not a PULL factor of migration?

a. Better job opportunities b. Peace and stability
c. Socio-economic backwardness d. Security of life
Ans.(c)

12. Which of the following is not the PUSH factor of Migration ?

a. Water shortage b. Medical facilities
c. Unemployment d. Epidemics
Ans. (b)

13. What kind of correlation we found between economic development and population growth?
a. Positive b. Negative
c. Partially positive and partially negative d. None of the above
Ans. (b)

14. Which of the following may be interpreted as a spontaneous effort to achieve a better balance
between population and resources?
a. Migration b. Birth Rate
c. Death Rate d. All the above
Ans. (a)

15. Which epidemics in Africa, some parts of CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) and Asia
have pushed up death rates and reduced average life expectancy?
a. Cholera b. T.B
c. Dengue Fever d. HIV/AIDS

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Ans. (d)

16. Which of the following feature is not related to First stage of demographic transition?
a. Improvements in sanitation and health conditions.
b. Life expectancy is low.
c. People are mostly illiterate and have low level of technology.
d. People are engaged in agriculture where large families are an asset.
Ans.(a)

17. Which of the following statement is true about the last stage of demographic transition?
a. Both fertility and mortality decline considerably.
b. Deliberately controls the family size.
c. The population becomes urbanized and literates.
d. All the above
Ans. (d)

18. Which one of the following continents has the highest growth of population ?
a. Africa b. South America
c. Asia d. North America
Ans. (a)

19. Which one of the following is not an area of sparse population?

a. The Atacama b. South-east Asia
c. Equatorial region d. Polar region
Ans. (b)

20. Which one of the following is not a fact ?

a. Human population increased more than ten times during the past 500 years.
b. It took 100 years for the population to rise from 5 billion to 6 billion.
c. Population growth is high in the first stage of demographic transition.
Ans. (b)

SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS

Q1. Define population growth. How the Natural Growth of Population is different from Actual
Growth of Population.
Ans- POPULATION GROWTH- The change of population of an area between two point of
time .(It is expressed in %)
* Natural Growth of Pop. - Births – Deaths
* Actual Growth of Pop. - Births – Deaths + In Migration – Out Migration

Q2. What are the different components of population change.

Ans- 1) Birth 2) Death 3) Migration

Q3.What is the meaning of ‘CBR’ and ‘CDR’ ?

OR

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Distinguish between Birth rate and Death rate

Ans- i) CBR- It is Crude Birth Rate expressed as no. of live births in a year per thousand of pop. If
Birth rate is high population change will be positive and vice versa
or
CBR = Bi/P x 1000 (Bi= Live births & P= Population)

ii) CDR- It is Crude Death Rate expressed as no. of deaths in a year per thousand of pop. If
Death rate is high population change will be negative and vice versa

or
CDR= D/P x 1000 ( D= Deaths & P= Population)

Q4. Differentiate between ‘Immigration’ and ‘Emigration’.

Ans- Immigration- When migrant move into a new place.
Emigration - When migrant move out of a place.

Q5. What are the push and pull factors of migration.

Ans-

PUSH FACTORS OF MIGRATION PULL FACTORS OF MIGRATION

1.Unemployment 1.Employment
2.Poor Living conditions 2.Better living conditions
3.Unpleasant climate 3.Pleasant climate
4. Unsecure life and property 4.Secure life and property
5. No Peace 5. More Peace

Q.6 Discuss the three stages of demographic transition.

Ans-
STAGE-I STAGE-II STAGE-III
1.High BR & DR 1. Slow declining B/R 1.Low BR & DR
& steep declining D/R
2. Agriculture & low 2.Improved sanitation & 2.Urbanised, literate
technology health conditions & high technology
3. Pop. growth is slow 3. Pop. growth is high 3.Pop. growth is slow
4. Ex- Bangladesh 4. Ex- Sri Lanka 4. Ex- Japan

LONG ANSWER QUESTIONS

Q1. What are the factors influencing population distribution in the world.
or
What are the factors responsible for uneven distribution of population
or
"Asia has many places where people are few and few place where people are very many" Explain.
or
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"90 % of world population lives in about 10 % of its land area". Explain

Ans- (explain the following points)

1) Geographical factors-
 Availability of water
 Landform
 Climate
 Soil
2) Economic factors-
 Minerals
 Urbanisation
 Industrialisation
 Transport & Comm.
3) Social factors-
 Settled Agriculture
 Access to resources
 Migration
 Human Settlement Pattern
4) Cultural factors-
 Religion
 Customs and traditions
 Language
 Food habits
5) Political factors-
 Political Boundaries
 Political unrest
 Govt. Policies
 Govt. Investments

Q2. Describe in brief the different trends of population growth in the world from early period to the
present day.
Ans- Pop. growth is due to –(explain the following points)
i) Agricultural development
ii) Industrial revolution
iii) Transportation

iv) Sanitation and medical facilities

v) Biotechnology (agriculture, food products )
vi) Information and computers
vii) Invention of machines
viii) Medicines

Q3. There are a number of areas with high population density in the world. Why does this happen?
Ans- This happen due to the following reasons-

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1. Terrain of land – It means type of land like plain, plateau or mountain. People prefer to live in
plain areas which makes daily life smooth.
2. Rich and fertile soil- Rich and fertile soil always help in the growth and development of
agricultural activities with substantially high yield per hectare.
3. Wealth of natural resources- The regions having rich wealth of natural resources like coal,
water, minerals and forest wealth favour the growth of population.
4. Type and scale of economic activities- Effective infrastructure and public services, including
education and health care, job attract people leading to a higher population density.
5. Favourable Climate- Locations with favourable climates tend to be more densely populated as
it provides a more comfortable environment to live in.

SOURCE / GRAPH BASED QUESTION

Q.1-Study the given graph carefully and answer any three of the following questions-

A. Which stage of Demographic Transition Theory shows low Birth and Death rate
i) Stage I
ii) Stage II
iii) Stage III
iv) In all stage
Ans. iii) Stage III

B. Which statement is true for Sage II

i) Fertility remain high but decrease in death rate
ii) Low fertility and low mortality
iii) High fertility and high mortality
iv) Low fertility and high mortality
Ans. i) Fertility remain high but decrease in death rate

C. Which stage of Demographic Transition Theory show high Birth and Death rate
i) Stage I
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ii) Stage II
iii) Stage III
iv) None
Ans. i) Stage I

D. Which country among falls in stage III

i) Sri lanka
ii) Japan
iii) Kenya
iv) Peru
Ans. ii) Japan

MAP WORK

Q1.- Show the following on the outline political map of the world
Ans- A- Country with largest population (Ans- China)
B- Country with largest area (Ans-Russia)
C- Country with highest growth rate of pop. in the world (Ans-Liberia)

Q.2 Show the largest country in each continent in terms of area

North America- Canada (2.1)
Latin America- Brazil (2.2)
Africa - Algeria (2.3)
Europe - Russia (2.4)
Asia - Russia (2.5)
Oceania - Australia (2.6)

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ISHWAR DUTT SONI

PGT- GEOGRAPHY / KVS

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