POPULATION

Class 12 Geography — Fundamentals of Human Geography (Chapter 1)

1. Introduction
People are the essential element that transforms objects on Earth's surface into resources.
Population is not just the number of people, but the study of their characteristics, distribution, density,
growth, and composition. The study of population is called Demography. The world's population
(2023 UN estimate) crossed 8 billion, and India is the most populous country in the world.

2. Sources of Population Data

• Census: Official enumeration of population conducted by the government (in India, every 10 years).
• Vital Registration: Continuous recording of births, deaths, marriages.
• National Sample Surveys, Immigration/Emigration data, Population Registers.

3. Population Distribution
Population distribution refers to the way people are spread across the Earth's surface. It is highly
uneven — about 90% of the world's population lives on only 10% of its land area.

Geographical Factors Affecting Distribution

• Availability of water: River valleys are densely populated (e.g., Ganga plains, Nile valley).
• Landforms: Plains and gentle slopes suit agriculture and are densely populated; mountains are
sparsely populated.
• Climate: Extreme climates (very hot deserts, very cold polar regions) discourage settlement.
• Soils: Fertile soils (alluvial, loamy) support agriculture and dense population.

Economic Factors
• Minerals: Mining areas attract population (e.g., mining towns).
• Urbanisation: Cities offer jobs, amenities, education, transport — pulling large populations.
• Industrialisation: Industrial belts create employment and attract migrants.

Social & Cultural Factors

• Places with religious, cultural, or historical significance attract populations.
• Government policies can also induce or discourage settlement in certain areas (e.g., planned
resettlement).

4. Population Density
Density of population is the number of persons living per unit area (usually per sq. km). It is calculated
as: Density = Total Population ÷ Total Area. World average density is about 60 persons per sq. km,
but it varies enormously between regions.

Types of Density
 Type Meaning

Arithmetic Density Total population ÷ total land area

Physiological Density Total population ÷ net cultivated (arable) area

Agricultural Density Total agricultural population ÷ net cultivable area

5. Population Growth
Population growth refers to the change in the number of inhabitants of a region during a specific
period. It can be expressed in absolute numbers or as a percentage.

Components of Population Growth

• Growth Rate = change in population ÷ total population × 100
• Positive Growth: When birth rate + in-migration exceeds death rate + out-migration.
• Negative Growth: When death rate + out-migration exceeds birth rate + in-migration.
• Natural Growth = Births − Deaths (difference between Crude Birth Rate and Crude Death Rate).
• Actual Growth = Natural Growth + Net Migration (in-migration − out-migration).

Key Rates & Definitions

Term Definition

Crude Birth Rate (CBR) Number of live births per 1,000 population per year

Crude Death Rate (CDR) Number of deaths per 1,000 population per year

Fertility Rate Number of live births per 1,000 women (age 15–49) per year

Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) Number of deaths of infants (below 1 yr) per 1,000 live births

Life Expectancy Average number of years a person is expected to live

Theory of Demographic Transition

Explains the transformation of countries from high birth and death rates to low birth and death rates
as they develop economically, and is divided into three stages:

Stage Characteristics

Stage 1 High birth rate, high death rate → low/stagnant population growth (pre-industrial societies)

Stage 2 High birth rate, falling death rate (due to better health/food) → rapid population growth

Stage 3 Falling birth rate, low death rate → population growth slows/stabilises (developed societies)

Population Explosion & Control Measures

 Rapid population growth (mainly in developing countries) is called population explosion. Countries
adopt population policies to control growth through:

• Propagation of small family norms (e.g., India's slogan: 'Hum Do Hamare Do').
• Spread of education, especially female literacy and empowerment.
• Improved healthcare and family planning/contraception access.
• Raising the minimum age of marriage.
• Incentives and disincentives for family size.
 6. Population Composition
Population composition refers to the structure of population based on biological (age, sex) and
socio-cultural (rural-urban, literacy, occupation, religion) attributes.

(a) Age-Sex Composition

• Age structure divides population into: Children (0–14 yrs), Working age (15–59 yrs), Aged (60+
yrs).
• Sex ratio = number of females per 1,000 males. India's sex ratio (Census 2011) was 943.
• Population/Age-Sex Pyramid: Graphical representation showing age and sex distribution — a
triangular/broad-base pyramid indicates a young, fast-growing population; a barrel/rectangular
shape indicates a stable population; an inverted/narrow-base pyramid indicates a declining
population.

(b) Rural–Urban Composition

Reflects the nature of the economy and society. Rural population is generally engaged in primary
activities (agriculture), while urban population is engaged in secondary and tertiary activities (industry,
services). The level of urbanisation is an index of a country's development.

(c) Literacy
Literacy rate is the percentage of the literate population in the 7+ age group. Higher literacy is linked
with lower fertility, better health, and economic development.

(d) Occupational Structure

• Primary activities: Agriculture, fishing, forestry, mining, animal husbandry.
• Secondary activities: Manufacturing/industry.
• Tertiary activities: Transport, communication, commerce, administration, services.
• Developed nations have a higher share of workforce in tertiary; developing nations mostly in
primary.

(e) Religion, Language & Ethnicity

Population is also classified by religion (used in census enumeration in many countries), by language,
and by tribal/ethnic identity — important for understanding social/cultural diversity.

7. Migration
Migration is the movement of people across a specified boundary to establish a new permanent or
semi-permanent residence. It is one of the three components of population change (along with births
and deaths).

Types of Migration
• Internal migration: Within the boundary of a country (e.g., rural to urban).
• International migration: Between countries.
• By direction: Rural–Urban, Rural–Rural, Urban–Urban, Urban–Rural.
 Push and Pull Factors

Push Factors (Origin) Pull Factors (Destination)

Unemployment, poverty Better job opportunities

Poor living/farming conditions Better living conditions, amenities

Political unrest, epidemics, natural disasters Peace and stability, safety

Lack of educational/medical facilities Better education and health facilities

Consequences of Migration
• Economic: Remittances boost origin economy; destination gets labour supply, but may face
unemployment/wage pressure.
• Demographic: Redistributes population; often selective by age/sex (e.g., young males migrate for
work), skewing sex ratios.
• Social: Migrants act as agents of social change (spread of new ideas/technology); but can lead to
alienation, exploitation.
• Environmental: Overcrowding of cities leads to slums, pressure on infrastructure and resources.

8. Quick Facts — India (Census 2011)

Note: India's next census has been delayed; 2011 remains the last completed census with full data.

• Population: ~121 crore (2nd most populous country in 2011; now world's most populous as of 2023
per UN estimates).
• Sex Ratio: 943 females per 1,000 males.
• Density: 382 persons per sq. km.
• Literacy Rate: 74.04%.
• Decadal Growth Rate (2001–2011): 17.7%.

9. Key Terms to Remember

• Demography: Scientific study of population.
• Overpopulation: When population exceeds the carrying capacity/resources of a region.
• Doubling Time: Time taken for a population to double at a given growth rate.
• Dependency Ratio: Ratio of dependents (0–14 and 60+) to the working-age population (15–59).
• Demographic Dividend: Economic growth potential from a large working-age population relative to
dependents.

— End of Notes — (Based on NCERT Fundamentals of Human Geography, Class 12, Chapter 1: Population)