Chapter – 1

Population : Distribution, Density, Growth and Composition

In this post we have given the detailed notes of class 12 Geography Book 2 Chapter 1 (Population : Distribution, Density, Growth and Composition) in English. These notes are useful for the students who are going to appear in class 12 board exams.

Chapter 1: Population Distribution, Density, Growth, and Composition

1. Introduction

• Population: The people living in a particular area or country.  
• Importance: People are a crucial component of a country, influencing its social, economic, and political aspects.  
• India’s Population: India is the second most populous country globally, with 1.21 billion people (2011 Census).  
• Challenges: A large population can put pressure on resources and lead to socio-economic problems.  

2. Sources of Population Data

• Census: The primary source of population data in India is the Census, conducted every 10 years.  
• First Census: The first complete Census in India was conducted in 1881.  

3. Distribution of Population

• Uneven Distribution: India’s population is not evenly distributed across its landmass.  
• Factors Influencing Distribution:
  • Physical Factors: Favorable climate, fertile plains, and access to water attract higher populations.  
  • Socio-Economic Factors: Areas with developed agriculture, industry, and urban centers tend to have higher population densities.  
• High Population Concentration:
  • Northern Plains and Coastal Areas: Due to fertile land, agriculture, and early settlement history.  
  • Urban Centers: Cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, etc., attract large populations due to industrialization and urbanization.  
• Low Population Concentration:
  • Mountainous Regions: Himalayas and North-eastern states have low densities due to challenging terrain.  
  • Arid and Semi-Arid Regions: Parts of Western India have low densities due to limited water availability.  

4. Density of Population

• Definition: The number of people per unit area, usually expressed as persons per square kilometer.  
• India’s Density (2011): 382 persons per sq km.  
• Spatial Variation: Density varies significantly across states, from 17 persons per sq km in Arunachal Pradesh to 11,297 persons in Delhi.  
• Types of Density:
  • Crude Density: The total number of people divided by the total land area.  
  • Physiological Density: The total population divided by the net cultivated area, indicating pressure on agricultural land.  
  • Agricultural Density: The total agricultural population (farmers and farm laborers) divided by the net cultivable area, reflecting the efficiency of agricultural production.  

5. Growth of Population

• Definition: The change in population over a specific period, usually expressed as a percentage.  

• Components:

  • Natural Growth: Determined by birth rates and death rates.  
  • Induced Growth: Influenced by migration (inward and outward movements of people).  

• Population Growth Rate:

  • Annual Growth Rate (2011): 1.64%.  
  • Decadal Growth Rate: Varies across decades, with a general trend of decline in recent years.  

• Phases of Population Growth in India:

  • Phase I (1901-1921): Stagnant growth with high birth and death rates due to poor health services, illiteracy, and inefficient distribution systems.  
  • Phase II (1921-1951): Steady growth due to improved health and sanitation, leading to a decline in death rates.  
  • Phase III (1951-1981): Rapid growth (population explosion) due to a significant fall in death rates while birth rates remained high, attributed to improved living conditions and developmental activities.  
  • Phase IV (Post-1981): Declining growth rate due to falling birth rates influenced by factors like increased age at marriage and female education.  

6. Regional Variation in Population Growth

• Growth Rate Variation: Growth rates differ across states and regions.  
• Low Growth Rates: Southern states like Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, etc., due to factors like higher literacy rates and access to healthcare.  
• High Growth Rates: Northern and North-central states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, etc., often due to lower socio-economic development indicators.  

7. Adolescent Population

• Definition: The population aged 10-19 years.  
• Share: 20.9% of India’s population in 2011.  
• Challenges: This age group faces challenges like early marriage, illiteracy, school dropouts, health issues, and social vulnerabilities.  
• Government Initiatives: National Youth Policy (NYP-2014) and National Policy for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (2015) aim to address these challenges by providing education, skill development, and employment opportunities.  

8. Population Composition

• Definition: The characteristics of a population, including age, sex, residence, ethnicity, language, religion, marital status, literacy, education, and occupation.  
• Rural-Urban Composition:
  • Rural: 68.8% of India’s population lives in rural areas (2011), engaged primarily in agriculture and allied activities.  
  • Urban: 31.16% lives in urban areas (2011), with a higher concentration of economic activities in industry and services.  
  • Urbanization: The urban population is growing faster due to economic development, improved living conditions, and rural-urban migration.  
• Linguistic Composition:
  • Diversity: India has a rich linguistic diversity with 22 scheduled languages and numerous other languages and dialects.  
  • Language Families: Major Indian languages belong to four families:
    • Austric: Spoken in parts of Central and Eastern India.  
    • Dravidian: Predominantly spoken in Southern India.  
    • Sino-Tibetan: Spoken in the Himalayan and North-eastern regions.  
    • Indo-European: The largest language family, spoken across most of Northern and Central India.  
• Religious Composition:
  • Diversity: India is a land of multiple religions, with Hinduism being the dominant religion and various minority communities like Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, etc.  
  • Spatial Distribution: The distribution of religious groups varies across regions, with some areas having a high concentration of specific communities.  
• Occupational Composition:
  • Definition: The distribution of the workforce across different economic sectors.  
  • Primary Sector: Agriculture and allied activities, employing the largest proportion of India’s workforce (54.6% in 2011).  
  • Secondary Sector: Manufacturing and industry, employing a smaller proportion (3.8% in 2011).  
  • Tertiary Sector: Services and other non-agricultural activities, growing in importance (41.6% in 2011).  
  • Gender Disparity: Male workers outnumber female workers in all sectors.  
  • Shift in Workforce: There is a gradual shift of the workforce from the primary sector to secondary and tertiary sectors, indicating economic development and diversification.  

9. Conclusion

Understanding population distribution, density, growth, and composition is crucial for planning and development initiatives. India’s population dynamics present both opportunities and challenges. Addressing issues like uneven distribution, high growth rates in certain regions, and social vulnerabilities of specific groups like adolescents is essential for achieving sustainable and inclusive development.

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