The World Population Distribution, Density and Growth Class 12 Competency Based Questions and Answers

The World Population Distribution, Density and Growth

Question: "Asia has many places where people are few and few places where people are many." - Support the statement.

Question: "90 Per cent of the world population lives in about 10 per cent of its land area." - Support the statement.

Answer:

Uneven distribution of population:

The population of Asia is unevenly distributed. Some areas have a very high population, while others have very few people.

Densely populated regions:

Areas such as South Asia, East, and Southeast Asia have a large population, because of fertile land, favourable climate, and good water supply.

Examples of densely populated areas:

River valleys and plains, like the Indo-Gangetic Plain is very good for agriculture and therefore have very high population density.

Sparsely populated regions:

Some parts of Asia have very few people because of harsh natural conditions, such as extreme cold, deserts, or high mountains.

Examples of sparsely populated areas:

Regions like Siberia, the Gobi Desert, and the Himalayas have difficult climates and poor living conditions, so the population is very low.

Conclusion:

Thus, Asia has many sparsely populated regions and few highly populated areas, which proves that the population distribution in Asia is very uneven.

Question: Explain the factors affecting the distribution of the population of India.

Answer:

The population is not evenly distributed across the world. Some areas are densely populated, while others have few people because of the following:

Geographical factors:

Water: More people prefer areas where fresh water is easily available. Like the northern plain of India.
Landform: Plains attract more population than mountains. The northern plain of India is more populated than the Himalayas region.
Climate: Moderate climate encourages settlement; extreme climate discourages it. Like, the Mediterranean region is more populated due to its pleasant weather conditions.
Soil: More people attracts by the fertile soil areas where agriculture is suitable. Like the northern plain of India.

Economic factors:

Minerals: Mineral-rich areas attract industries and workers. Like the Katanga-Zambia copper belt area.
Urbanisation: Cities provide better jobs and other facilities, and therefore, cities are more populated. Like the megacities of many countries are more populated.
Industrialisation: Industrial regions create employment and attract population. The Kobe-Osaka region of Japan is more populated.

Social and cultural factors:

Religious and cultural places attract people.
Social or political unrest forces people to migrate.
Government policies may encourage settlement in some areas.

Conclusion:

Thus, population distribution is influenced by natural conditions, economic opportunities, and social factors.

Question: Explain the main components of population change or growth and how they affect the size of the population.

Answer:

Population change refers to the increase or decrease in the number of people in a particular area over time. It mainly occurs due to three components: births, deaths, and migration.

Birth rate (CBR):

It is the number of live births per 1000 people in a year.
A higher birth rate increases the population.

Death rate (CDR):

It is the number of deaths per 1000 people in a year.
A decrease in death rate leads to population growth.

Migration:

Migration is the movement of people from one place to another.
It changes population size in both the place of origin and the destination.
Push factors:
- These are reasons that force people to leave a place, such as unemployment, disasters, or poor living conditions.
Pull factors:
- These are attractions of a place like better jobs, safety, and good living conditions.

Conclusion:

Therefore, births, deaths, and migration together determine the growth and distribution of the population.

Question: Explain the stages of the Demographic Transition Theory.

Answer:

Demographic Transition Theory explains how population changes as a country develops from a rural agricultural society to an urban industrial society.

1. Stage I - High fluctuating stage:

Both birth rate and death rate are high.
Population growth is slow.
People depend mainly on agriculture and have low literacy and technology.

2. Stage II - Expanding stage:

Birth rate remains high, but death rate declines.
Better healthcare, sanitation, and food supply reduce mortality.
As a result, the population grows rapidly.

3. Stage III - Low fluctuating stage:

Both birth rate and death rate are low.
Population growth becomes stable or slow.
People are more urbanised, educated, and control family size.

Conclusion:

Thus, demographic transition shows how population patterns change with economic and social development, and different countries are at different stages of this transition.

Question: "The preventive checks are better than the physical checks." - Evaluate the statement.

Answer:

According to Thomas Robert Malthus, population tends to grow faster than the food supply. To control population growth, he suggested two types of checks: preventive and physical checks.

Preventive checks:

These are voluntary measures taken to control population growth.
Examples include late marriage, family planning, and controlling family size.
They help reduce birth rates and prevent population pressure in a planned way.

Physical checks:

These occur naturally and increase the death rate.
Examples include famine, disease, war, and natural disasters.
The cause of suffering and a large loss of human life.

Evaluation:

Preventive checks are considered better because they control population growth without causing human suffering. Physical checks are harsh and destructive.

Conclusion:

Therefore, controlling population through preventive measures like family planning and awareness is more humane and beneficial than relying on physical checks, such as famine or disease.

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