Maharashtra Board Class 12 Geography Chapter 1 Population Part 1 Solutions

Identify the Correct Correlation

A – Assertion R – Reasoning

 

Question 1. Assertion (A): Areas which have fertile soil have dense population.
Reasoning (R): Fertile soils are good for agriculture.
(a) Only A is correct.
(b) Only R is correct.
(c) Both A and R are correct and R is the correct explanation of A.
(d) Both A and R are correct but R is not the correct explanation of A.
Answer: (c) Both A and R are correct and R is the correct explanation of A.
In simple words: Fertile soil is excellent for growing crops, which attracts many people to live and farm there, leading to a high population density.

🎯 Exam Tip: In Assertion-Reason questions, first check if both statements are true individually, then see if the 'Reason' explains 'Why' the 'Assertion' happens by using the word 'because'.

 

Question 2.
A – Population of a region does not change.
R – Birth rate, death rate and migration affect the population of a region.
(a) Only A is correct.
(b) Only R is correct.
(c) Both A and R are correct and R is the correct explanation of A.
(d) Both A and R are correct but R is not the correct explanation of A.
Answer: (b) Only R is correct.
In simple words: The population of any area is always changing because people are born, die, or move in and out. Therefore, statement A is false, but statement R is true.

🎯 Exam Tip: Remember that population is dynamic; factors like births, deaths, and migration ensure it is constantly changing.

 

Question 3.
A – In stage 2, death rate reduces but birth rate is constant.
R – Population increases rapidly in stage 2.
(a) Only A is correct.
(b) Only R is correct.
(c) Both A and R are correct and R is the correct explanation of A.
(d) Both A and R are correct but R is not the correct explanation of A.
Answer: (c) Both A and R are correct and R is the correct explanation of A.
In simple words: In stage 2, fewer people die because of better healthcare, but babies are still being born at the same high rate. This causes the total population to grow very fast.

🎯 Exam Tip: Stage 2 is known as the 'population explosion' stage because of the wide gap between high birth rates and falling death rates.

 

Question 4.
A – In stage 5 death rate is more than birth rate.
R – Population is declining in stage 5.
(a) Only A is correct.
(b) Only R is correct.
(c) Both A and R are correct and R is the correct explanation of A.
(d) Both A and R are correct but R is not the correct explanation of A.
Answer: (c) Both A and R are correct and R is the correct explanation of A.
In simple words: In stage 5, more people are dying than are being born, which naturally causes the overall population to shrink or decline.

🎯 Exam Tip: When birth rates fall below death rates, it leads to negative population growth, which is characteristic of highly developed stage 5 countries.

Question 5.
A – In stage 1 both death rate and birth rate are high.
R – Population growth is stable in stage 1.
(a) Only A is correct.
(b) Only R is correct.
(c) Both A and R are correct and R is the correct explanation of A.
(d) Both A and R are correct but R is not the correct explanation of A.
Answer: (c) Both A and R are correct and R is the correct explanation of A.
In simple words: In stage 1, many babies are born but many people also die, which keeps the overall population size steady and stable.

🎯 Exam Tip: Remember that when birth and death rates are both high and equal, they cancel each other out, leading to stable population growth.

 

Write Short Notes On:

 

Question 1. Impact of relief on population distribution.
Answer:
1. Relief is one of the most important factors influencing the distribution of population. This physical shape of the land determines where people can easily build homes and grow food.
2. Generally, mountains are thinly populated, plains are thickly populated and plateaus are moderately populated.
3. The mountains and hilly areas are less populated because of limited means of livelihood; agriculture is poorly developed and transportation facilities are limited. For example, north eastern states of India have less population due to hilly and mountainous relief.
4. On the other hand, plains are densely populated because of fertile soil and well-developed agriculture. Due to plain relief, it is easy to construct roads and develop industries. Better employment facilities attract people in these areas. For example, Ganga plains are thickly populated.
5. In short, we can say plains are densely populated and mountains and plateaus are sparsely populated.
In simple words: People prefer living on flat plains because it is easy to farm, build roads, and find jobs there. Mountains and hills are harder to live on, so fewer people live there.

🎯 Exam Tip: Use contrasting examples like the Ganga plains versus the Himalayan region to clearly show how landforms affect where people choose to live.

 

Question 2. Correlation between birth rate and death rate.
Answer: The birth rate and death rate together determine the natural growth rate of a population. When the birth rate is higher than the death rate, the population increases, whereas if the death rate is higher, the population decreases. A balance between both rates leads to a stable population size over time. This relationship is a key indicator of a country's demographic transition stage.
In simple words: The difference between how many people are born and how many die decides if a population grows, shrinks, or stays the same.

🎯 Exam Tip: Clearly define both terms and explain how their interaction leads to population growth, decline, or stability.

 

Question. Explain how birth rate and death rate affect population change.
Answer:
• Birth rate and death rate are the important components of population change.
• Birth rate is the number of live births in a year per thousand population.
• Death rate is the number of deaths in a year per thousand population.
• Population growth depends upon birth rate and death rate in a year.
• Population growth occurs not only by increasing birth rate but also because of decreasing death rate.
• When birth rate is more than death rate, population increases.
• When birth rate is less than death rate, population decreases.
• If both, birth rate and death rate is same then population is said to remain stable. However, the birth rate and death rate being same is only a hypothetical situation. In reality, dynamic environmental and social factors constantly cause these rates to fluctuate.
In simple words: Birth rate is how many babies are born, and death rate is how many people die per thousand people. The balance between these two rates determines whether a population grows, shrinks, or stays the same.

🎯 Exam Tip: Always define both birth rate and death rate clearly using the phrase 'per thousand population' to get full marks.

 

Question 3. Stage 3 of Demographic Transition Theory.
Answer:
1. Stage 3 of Demographic Transition Theory is the stage of expanding population.
2. From second stage to this stage, death rates are decreasing. Birth rates are also decreasing. Decrease in both birth rates and death rates, reduces the rate of growth of population. But actually, population is growing because the birth rates are higher than death rates.
3. In this stage, since the country is making progress, the income of the people is above the subsistence level and there is an improvement in the standard of living of the people. Poverty is also reducing.
4. There is development of technology as a result secondary and tertiary activities develop.
5. Due to increase in education level, people understand the importance of family planning so size of family reduces.
6. In short in stage 3 countries are moving from developing stage to developed stage. This transition represents a significant milestone in a nation's socio-economic development.
In simple words: In Stage 3, both birth and death rates start to fall as a country develops and people become more educated. Even though the growth rate slows down, the total population still increases because births still outnumber deaths.

🎯 Exam Tip: Clearly list all six points of Stage 3, highlighting key terms like 'decreasing birth and death rates' and 'socio-economic progress' to secure full marks.

Give Geographical Reasons

 

Question 1. India is passing through Stage 3 of demographic transition.
Answer:

• In India, since there is a decrease in the birth rates and death rates, the growth rate of population is also decreasing.
• Due to the development in the country, income of the people has reached above subsistence level, standard of living is improved, poverty is decreasing, technology is developing.
• Number of people engaged in secondary and tertiary activities are increasing.
• Due to increase in the literacy rate, people have understood the importance of family planning. Therefore, there is a decrease in the size of family.
• Hence, India is passing through Stage 3 of demographic transition. This shift is characteristic of a developing economy moving towards stability.

In simple words: India is in a stage where both birth and death rates are falling because of better living standards, education, and healthcare. As people become more aware and get better jobs, family sizes get smaller, leading to slower population growth.

🎯 Exam Tip: To score full marks, clearly list the socio-economic factors like rising literacy, urbanization, and the shift to secondary and tertiary sectors that drive this transition.

 

Question 2. Population distribution is uneven.
Answer:
1. Distribution of population in the world is very uneven because distribution of population depends upon many physical factors such as relief, climate, availability of water supply, soil etc. These variations create distinct demographic patterns across different regions.
2. For example, if you consider relief factor, mountains and hilly areas are thinly populated. Plateau regions are moderately populated and plains are densely populated. The Himalayan region in India is thinly populated but the Gangatic plains are thickly populated and Deccan plateau region are moderately populated.
3. The distribution of population also depends upon human factors such as agriculture, mining, transportation, urbanisation etc.
4. For example, agriculture or mining activities support large population since they provide source of living to many people.
5. Sometimes government policies also affect population distribution. For example, government provided land, water, electricity at concessional rate in New Mumbai area to attract people and to reduce pressure of population in Mumbai city.
In simple words: People prefer to live in areas with flat land, good climate, water, and job opportunities, like plains. They avoid harsh places like high mountains, which is why population is spread out unevenly.

🎯 Exam Tip: Always categorize your points into physical factors (like relief and climate) and human factors (like industries and policies) to make your answer structured and easy to read.

 

Question 3. Population increases because of transportation facilities.
Answer:
1. The development of roads and railways makes the region more accessible, allowing for easier movement of goods and people.
2. Such areas provide favourable conditions for the development and manufacturing industries, which generate employment. Therefore, people from different areas migrate in search of jobs. Thus, such areas become densely populated. For example, Gangetic plain of India, where the density of roads and railways is highest in India.
3. Population increases in port cities due to availability of sea transport for the development of trade. Therefore, the coastal region is densely populated. For example, many port cities like Chennai, Mumbai are developed on the east and west coast of India.
4. Thus, population increases because of transportation facilities.
In simple words: When a place has good roads, railways, and ports, it is easy for people to travel and for businesses to grow. This creates more jobs, which attracts people to move there, making the population grow.

🎯 Exam Tip: Use real-world examples like the Gangetic Plain or Mumbai to support your points and secure maximum marks.

 

Question 4. Secondary and tertiary activities increase in the third stage of demographic transition.
Answer:
• In Stage 3 of demographic transition theory, growth rate of population decreases.
• As a result, the income of the people in the country reaches above subsistence level. Poverty rate decreases and standard of living increases. Therefore, the use of technology increases and this generates an employment in secondary and tertiary activities. This shift marks a major transition from an agricultural economy to an industrial and service-based economy.
• Due to increase in education level and development of health facilities there is increase in employment in tertiary sector.
• Thus, secondary and tertiary activities increase in the third stage of demographic transition.
In simple words: In the third stage, as families get smaller and wealthier, they spend more on education and technology. This creates more jobs in factories (secondary) and services like healthcare and teaching (tertiary) instead of just farming.

🎯 Exam Tip: Clearly distinguish between secondary (manufacturing) and tertiary (services) sectors when explaining demographic shifts.

 

Question 5. Population may increase though birth rates are low.
Answer: Population can still increase even when birth rates are low due to factors like high net migration, where more people move into the region than leave. Additionally, a decline in death rates and an increase in life expectancy mean people live longer, which keeps the overall population size growing. This phenomenon is often referred to as population momentum.
In simple words: Even if families are having fewer babies, a population can still grow if people are living longer lives due to better healthcare, or if many people are moving in from other countries.

🎯 Exam Tip: Remember that population growth depends on three main factors: births, deaths, and migration. Do not focus only on birth rates.

 

Question 6. Population density is a function of population and area of a region.
Answer: The number of people living in any area or country is called total population of the area or country. Density of population is the ratio between total population and a total area of that region or country. For example, as per the census of 2011, Density of population in India is 325 persons per sq. km. It is a ratio between total population in India and total area of India in sq. kms. In some countries total population may be less but the density of population is high due to small area of the country. For example, Bangladesh’s total population is less but area of country is small therefore, density of population is high. In some countries total population may be more but the density of population is low due to very large area of the country. For example, Brazil has more total population but area of country is also large therefore, density of population is low. Thus, population density is a function of population and area of a region. This relationship highlights how land availability shapes human settlement patterns.
In simple words: Population density tells us how crowded a place is by comparing the number of people to the size of the land. Even with a small population, a tiny country can feel very crowded, while a huge country might feel empty.

🎯 Exam Tip: Use real-world examples like India or Brazil to clearly demonstrate how land area changes density even when population sizes differ.

Answer the Following Questions in Detail

 

Question 1. Explain the physical factors affecting distribution of population.
Answer: Physical factors play a major role in determining where people choose to live. These include: (1) Relief or Topography: Flat plains and river valleys are preferred over rugged mountains because they are easier for farming and building infrastructure. (2) Climate: Moderate climates with sufficient rainfall attract more people, whereas extreme hot, cold, or dry climates (like deserts) are sparsely populated. (3) Water Availability: Settlements naturally grow near freshwater sources like rivers and lakes for drinking, agriculture, and industry. (4) Soils: Fertile agricultural soils support intensive farming, leading to higher population densities. (5) Minerals: Areas rich in mineral resources attract industries and jobs, drawing larger populations. These natural elements collectively dictate the habitability and economic potential of any geographic region.
In simple words: People prefer to live in places with flat land, pleasant weather, plenty of fresh water, and fertile soil because it makes daily life and farming much easier.

🎯 Exam Tip: List at least four distinct physical factors with brief examples for each to secure full marks in detailed questions.

 

Question. Explain the physical factors affecting the distribution of population with reference to relief and climate.
Answer: Physical factors affecting distribution of population are:
(i) Relief
(ii) Climate
(iii) Availability of water
(iv) Soils

(i) Relief
• Distribution of population is greatly affected by relief features.
• Generally, flat plains or gently sloping lands are densely populated.
• Plains are suitable for agricultural activities.
• In these areas it is easier to construct roads and railways and development of industries and trade. As a result, many people are attracted to plains and they become densely populated. For example, Ganga plains are thickly populated.
• On the other hand, in mountainous and hilly areas density of population is low. This is because in such areas agricultural development is difficult.
• The construction and development of transport facilities is very difficult and costly too. Such areas are inaccessible.
• Due to inaccessibility, movement of goods and people are restricted. Therefore, mountainous and hilly areas are thinly populated. For example, north eastern states of India have less population due to hilly and mountainous relief.

(ii) Climate
• Climate is the most important factor of all the factors influencing the distribution of population.
• Areas having very hot or very cold climate, heavy rainfall are very uncomfortable for human settlement. Such areas are thinly populated.
• For example, polar regions where Eskimos and Lapps live are sparsely populated due to extreme cold climate. Sahara Desert is sparsely populated due to extreme hot climate.
• On the other hand, areas with equable climate, that is climate having not much seasonal variation attract people. People feel comfortable to stay in these areas.
• For example, coastal areas have dense population because of equable climate and wide scope for the development of agriculture, industries and
In simple words: People prefer to live in flat plains with pleasant weather because it is easy to farm, build roads, and work there. Extremely cold, hot, or mountainous regions are hard to live in, so fewer people stay there.

🎯 Exam Tip: When explaining factors affecting population distribution, always provide real-world examples like the Ganga Plains or Sahara Desert to secure full marks.

 

Question 2. In the first and fifth stage of the demographic transition, population growth is almost nil. What is the difference between the two stages then?
Answer:
• In the stage 1 both birth rates and death rates are high. The difference between the two is very less and therefore, population is stable.
• In stage 1 birth rates are high due to limited educational opportunities, people feel having many children is good. Therefore, families are big.
• In stage 1, due to lack of sanitation facilities, medical facilities, spread of contagious diseases, malnutrition, etc., death rate is high. This results in a low life expectancy during this initial stage.
In simple words: In the first stage of population growth, many babies are born, but many people also die due to poor healthcare and living conditions. This keeps the overall population size from changing much, making it stable but undeveloped.

🎯 Exam Tip: Clearly contrast the high birth and death rates of Stage 1 with the low birth and death rates of Stage 5 to highlight why both result in near-zero growth despite being completely different stages of development.

Question 3. Discuss the problems faced by counties in stage 4 and stage 5.
Answer:
Problems faced by stage 4 countries are as under:
• The death rate is very low and going down as the medical facilities have improved and pandemic like plague, cholera, small pox, etc., are eradicated. This leads to a highly stable but rapidly aging demographic structure.
• Birth rate is the same as death rate so population growth is minimal.

Problems faces by stage 5 countries are as under:
• In this stage the birth rate is very low and death rate is high. Therefore, the growth of population is slow or negative growth of population is seen.
• Due to large number of old people the death rate is high and due to a smaller number of young people birth rate is low.
• Due to large number of old people, dependent population is high.
• Due to less young age population, working population is limited.
• As a result, the size of dependant population is larger than active population and it has adverse effect on economy of the country.
In simple words: In stage 4, population growth stops because birth and death rates are both very low. In stage 5, the birth rate drops even lower than the death rate, leading to a shrinking population with too many elderly people and not enough young workers to support them.

🎯 Exam Tip: Clearly distinguish between Stage 4 (zero growth) and Stage 5 (negative growth) by highlighting the dependency ratio and economic impacts of an aging population.

 

Question 5. Draw a neat labelled diagram for demographic transition theory and its various stages.
Answer:
The diagram below illustrates the Demographic Transition Theory and its five distinct stages, showing the relationship between birth rates, death rates, and total population growth over time.
In simple words: This diagram shows how a country's population changes over time as it develops. It starts with high birth and death rates, moves to rapid growth as deaths drop, and finally stabilizes with low birth and death rates.

🎯 Exam Tip: When drawing this diagram in exams, clearly label the X-axis (Stages/Time), Y-axis (Rates), and use different line styles or colors to distinguish between Birth Rate, Death Rate, and Total Population.

 

Question 6. Mark and name the following on the outline map of the world with suitable index.
(a) Highly populated region in Australia.
(b) Sparsely populated region in India.
(c) Any 2 countries in stage 5 of demography transition theory.
(d) Any 2 countries in stage 2 of demographic transition theory.
Answer:
On the world map, the locations are marked and identified using the following index:
(a) Highly populated region in Australia: The South-Eastern coastal strip of Australia (shaded with diagonal lines).
(b) Sparsely populated region in India: The Thar Desert region in Rajasthan, North-West India (marked with dots).
(c) Two countries in Stage 5 (Declining): Sweden (marked as 'S') and Finland (marked as 'F') in Northern Europe.
(d) Two countries in Stage 2 (Early Expanding): Bangladesh (marked as 'B') in South Asia and Niger (marked as 'N') in Africa. These geographic distributions highlight how physical factors and economic development influence population density across different continents.
In simple words: This map exercise shows where people are crowded (like Southeast Australia) or spread out (like the Indian desert), and points out countries in different stages of population growth.

🎯 Exam Tip: Always use a clear index with distinct symbols or shading patterns for different features, and label the countries with their correct names or clear abbreviations to score full marks.

Try These

 

Question 1. Observe the pie charts shown in the figure and answer the following questions. (Text book pg.no – 1)
1. Which continent has least population?
2. Which continent has the least landmass and also least population?
3. Which continent has the most land mass as well as most of the population?
4. Which continent is missing in one of the pie charts? Why?
Answer:
1. The continent which has the least population is Australia. It is unique as it is both a single nation and an entire continent.
2. The continent which has the least land mass and also least population is Australia.
3. The continent which has the most land mass and also most population is Asia.
4. The continent of Antarctica is missing in population distribution chart, because it has no permanent human settlement.
In simple words: Australia is the smallest continent and has the fewest people living on it. Asia is the biggest and has the most people, while Antarctica is left off the population chart because it is too cold for permanent residents.

🎯 Exam Tip: Pay close attention to the labels on each pie chart to ensure you are extracting data from the correct chart (landmass vs. population).

 

Question 2. Look at the below figure and answer the questions that follow:

Question. Answer the following questions based on the image:
(1) What does the image show?
(2) What happens to the population when the deaths are more than births?
(3) What happens to the population when births are more than deaths?
(4) What happens when both are same? Is it possible?
Answer:
(1) The image shows balance between birth rate and death rate.
(2) Population growth may be less or in some countries there may be negative growth.
(3) When births are more than deaths, then population growth is faster.
(4) When both births and deaths are same, population will be stagnant. This is not possible for any country. A stable population is highly theoretical and rarely observed in reality.
In simple words: This shows how births and deaths change a country's population size. More births make it grow, more deaths make it shrink, and an equal number keeps it the same.

🎯 Exam Tip: Clearly distinguish between positive, negative, and stagnant population growth by focusing on the ratio of births to deaths.

 

Give It A Try

 

Question 1. The below table shows the 10 most populated countries in the world in 2018 with their areas. Calculate their population densities and complete the table. (Text book pg.no – 1)
Answer: The completed table with calculated population densities is as follows. This calculation helps us understand the spatial distribution of people across different nations.

Rank	Country	Population in crores 2018	Approx. area in lakh sq. km	Population Density (per sq. km)
1	China	142.8	96.0	148.75
2	India	135.3	32.9	411.25
3	USA	32.7	95.3	34.31
4	Indonesia	26.8	19.1	140.31
5	Pakistan	21.2	8.9	238.20
6	Brazil	20.9	85.2	24.53
7	Nigeria	19.6	9.2	213.04
8	Bangladesh	16.1	1.5	1073.33
9	Russia	14.6	171.0	8.54
10	Mexico	12.6	19.7	63.96

In simple words: Population density is calculated by dividing the total population of a country by its total land area, showing how crowded a country is on average.

🎯 Exam Tip: Remember the formula for population density: \(\text{Population Density} = \frac{\text{Total Population}}{\text{Total Area}}\). Always double-check your decimal placements during calculations.

Question 1. Complete the table showing the population, area, and population density of the top 10 most populous countries.
Answer:

Rank	Country	Population in crores 2018	Approx. area in lakh sq. km	Population Density
1	China	142.8	96.0	148.75
2	India	135.3	32.9	411.25
3	USA	32.7	95.3	34.31
4	Indonesia	26.8	19.1	140.31
5	Pakistan	21.2	8.9	238.20
6	Brazil	20.9	85.2	24.53
7	Nigeria	19.6	9.2	213.04
8	Bangladesh	16.1	1.5	1073.33
9	Russia	14.6	171.0	8.53
10	Mexico	12.6	19.7	63.95

In simple words: This table lists the top ten most populated countries in the world in 2018, showing how many people live there and how crowded each country is.

🎯 Exam Tip: To calculate population density, divide the total population by the total land area. Always remember to write the correct units for density.

 

Question 2. The satellite image given in Fig. They show the same area from two different
Answer: The satellite images show the same geographical area from two different perspectives or time periods to help analyze changes in land use and development.
In simple words: This question asks us to compare two different satellite views of the exact same location.

🎯 Exam Tip: When comparing satellite images, look for changes in land cover, vegetation, and human structures over time or from different angles.

 

Question 1. Study the satellite images of Ambegaon Budruk (Pune) and answer the following:
(i) What difference do you see?
(ii) What might have caused these changes?
Answer:
(i) The satellite image ‘A’ is the image of the year 2005 and satellite image ‘B’ is of the year 2019. That means there is a difference of 14 years in these two images. In image ‘A’ you can see that there are a few roads, limited settlements and most of the areas are covered by agricultural fields, and there is thin population. When we compare the image ‘A’ with the image ‘B’, we find that in image ‘B’ the number of major roads (highway) and minor roads have increased. As a result, the residential settlements have grown rapidly, replacing the green agricultural fields with concrete structures.
(ii) These changes might have been caused by rapid urbanization, population growth, and infrastructural development over the 14-year period, which led to increased construction of houses and roads.
In simple words: Over 14 years, the area changed from a quiet countryside with farms and few roads into a busy town with many buildings and big highways due to more people moving in.

🎯 Exam Tip: When comparing satellite images, focus on key indicators of change such as road networks, building density, and reduction in green cover to write a well-structured answer.

 

Question 3.
1. Can you calculate the death rate if the total number of deaths in the above city was 2,986 in the same year?
2. On the basis of the birth rates given in earlier and death rates calculated, what change in population do you observe?
Answer:
1. Total population of a city is 223000 and total deaths in the city are 2986 in that year.
\( \text{Death Rate} = \frac{\text{Total number of deaths in a year}}{\text{Total population in that year}} \times 1000 \)
\( \text{Death Rate} = \frac{2896}{223000} \times 1000 = 13.39 \)
Therefore, the death rate is 13.39.

2. In earlier example birth rate was 14.57 and the death rates calculated is 13.39. It means death rate have decreased by 1.8. It means the population has increased.
In simple words: The death rate is calculated by dividing the number of deaths by the total population and multiplying by 1,000. Since the birth rate (14.57) is higher than the death rate (13.39), the city's population is growing.

🎯 Exam Tip: Always write down the complete formula before substituting the values to ensure you get step-wise marks in calculation questions.

 

Question 4. Look at the graph in Fig. carefully. Answer the following questions: (Text book pg.no – 9)
1. What do the blue and black lines indicate?
Answer: The blue line indicates the birth rate and the black line indicates the death rate.
In simple words: The blue line on the graph represents the birth rate, while the black line represents the death rate over different stages.

🎯 Exam Tip: When analyzing graphs, look closely at the legend or direct labels on the lines to correctly identify what each line represents.

 

Question 2. What does the green part in the graph show?
Answer: Green part in the graph shows the natural increase of population. This represents the net growth when births exceed deaths.
In simple words: The green area shows how much the population grows naturally because more babies are being born than people dying.

🎯 Exam Tip: Use the term "natural increase" specifically when describing population growth on a demographic transition graph.

 

Question 3. What does the blue part in the graph show?
Answer: Blue part in the graph shows the natural decrease of population. This occurs when death rates surpass birth rates in the final stages.
In simple words: The blue area shows when the population naturally shrinks because more people are dying than babies being born.

🎯 Exam Tip: Remember that blue represents a decline or decrease in population, which typically happens in highly developed stages.

 

Question 4. In which stages is the birth rate more than the death rate?
Answer: In stage 2 and 3 birth rates is more than death rate. This gap leads to rapid population expansion during these transitional phases.
In simple words: In stages 2 and 3, many more babies are born than people die, which makes the population grow very fast.

🎯 Exam Tip: Clearly state both Stage 2 and Stage 3 to get full marks, as these are the key growth stages.

 

Question 5. In which stages is the birth rate same as the death rate?
Answer: In stage 4 the birth rate is same as the death rate. This creates a stable and stationary population size.
In simple words: In stage 4, the number of births matches the number of deaths, so the population size stays steady.

🎯 Exam Tip: Mention that this stage represents low fluctuating stability where both rates are low and equal.

 

Question 6. In which stage is the death rate being more than birth rate?
Answer: In stage 5 the death rate is more than birth rate. This leads to a natural decline in the overall population.
In simple words: In stage 5, more people die than are born, which causes the total population to go down.

🎯 Exam Tip: Be careful with the phrasing; stage 5 is the only stage where the death rate line goes above the birth rate line.

 

Make Friends with Maps!

 

Question 1. Look at the map in Fig. Compare it with the physical map of the world given in Textbook Page No. 83. Try to understand the impact of physical factors on population distribution. Complete the table accordingly. (Text book pg.no – 2)
Answer: By comparing the population map with the physical map of the world, we observe that highly populated areas are concentrated in flat plains, river valleys, and coastal regions (such as East Asia, South Asia, and Western Europe). Conversely, mountainous regions (like the Himalayas and Andes), cold deserts (like Siberia), and hot deserts (like the Sahara) have extremely sparse populations due to harsh terrain and climate.
In simple words: People prefer to live in flat areas with good water supply and nice weather, while very few people live in extremely hot, cold, or mountainous places.

🎯 Exam Tip: Always link physical features like relief, climate, and water availability directly to high or low population density in your answers.

 

Question 1. Observe the physical map of the world and write the physical factors responsible for high and less population in different continents.
Answer: This distribution clearly demonstrates how human settlements are heavily influenced by favorable terrain and climate.

Continent	Physical factors responsible for High population	Physical factors responsible for less population
North America	Coastal Areas	Forest, deserts, snow covered land
Asia	Coastal areas and Fertile Plains	Mountains and deserts
Europe	Coastal areas and fertile Plains	Mountains, snow covered areas
Africa	Coastal Areas	Dense forest, mountains and deserts
South America	Coastal Areas	Mountains, dense forest and deserts
Australia	Coastal Areas	Hilly regions and deserts
Antarctica	–	Snow covered areas

In simple words: People prefer to live in flat, fertile coastal areas where it is easy to grow food and travel. They avoid harsh places like high mountains, dry deserts, and freezing snow-covered lands because living there is very difficult.

🎯 Exam Tip: When answering questions about population distribution, always highlight the contrast between fertile plains/coastal areas (high population) and extreme climates/rugged terrains (low population) to secure full marks.

 

Question 2. Refer to the map showing rice producing regions of the world in Fig. Relate it with the population map of the world in Fig. Write the conclusions in your own words. (Text book pg.no – 5)
Answer: Areas of high density of population in Fig 1.2 if we compare with world map Fig 1.4 showing major rice producing areas in the world, we found that the areas of major rice cultivation correspond closely with highly populated regions. This is particularly evident in East, South, and South-East Asia, where intensive subsistence rice farming supports and relies on dense human settlements.
In simple words: Places where a lot of rice is grown usually have a very high population. This is because rice farming needs many workers and produces enough food to feed a large number of people in those areas.

🎯 Exam Tip: When comparing two maps, always highlight the specific regions (like East and South Asia) where both features overlap to show a clear correlation.

p>Rice production and areas of high density / thick population are the same areas.

Conclusion:
Rice cultivation is possible only in those areas where there is fertile alluvial soil and assured supply of water.
Rice producing areas and areas of dense population in the world are the river flood plains and delta of rivers like Kaveri, Krishna, Godavari and Ganga in India, Brahmaputra in Bangladesh, Irrawaddy in Myanmar, Yangtze and Yellow in China, Mekong in Laos and Cambodia etc. These areas are high density areas in the world.

Can You Tell?

 

Question 1. Can you think of the factors besides physiography which affect the distribution of population? Make a list. (Text book pg.no - 3)
Answer: Various physical, economic, social, and governmental factors play a crucial role in determining where populations concentrate. The table below lists these key factors and their impacts:

Physical / Human factors	High density of population	Low density of population
Availability of potable water	River valleys	Deserts
Climate	Equable climate - coastal areas	Extreme climate - polar regions
Availability of resources	Minerals, fertile soil	Limited resources
Economic	Transportation, employment opportunities, urbanisation	Less employment opportunities, poor economic growth
Social	Migration from different parts of India in Mumbai	Out migration from Konkan to Mumbai
Government Policy	Favourable government policies to attract people	Unfavourable government policies

In simple words: Besides physical landforms, things like clean drinking water, good weather, jobs, and helpful government rules decide where people choose to live.

🎯 Exam Tip: When listing factors affecting population distribution, categorize them clearly into physical, economic, social, and political factors to secure maximum marks.

 

Question 2. Observe the table 1.4. Arrange data in ascending order for birth rate and death rates respectively. (Text book pg.no – 8)

Country	Crude BR (2017)	Crude DR (2017)
Sweden	11.5	9.1
India	18.1	7.2
Greece	8.2	11.6
China	12.4	7.1
USA	11.8	8.5
Niger	46.5	8.5

Answer:

Ascending order for birth rates		Ascending order for death rates
Country	Crude BR (2017)	Country	Crude DR (2017)
Greece	8.2	China	7.1
Sweden	11.5	India	7.2
USA	11.8	USA	8.5
China	12.4	Niger	8.5
India	18.1	Sweden	9.1
Niger	46.5	Greece	11.6

The data has been sorted in ascending order to clearly show the countries with the lowest to highest rates. Sorting this demographic data helps in comparing the developmental stages of different nations.
In simple words: We have arranged the countries from the lowest birth and death rates to the highest rates. This makes it easy to see that Greece has the lowest birth rate, while China has the lowest death rate.

🎯 Exam Tip: Double-check your sorted values to ensure no country is missed and the numbers strictly increase from top to bottom.

 

Question 3. Look at the Fig. and answer the following questions. (Text book pg.no – 9)

 

Question 1. If the crude birth rate is 7 and crude death rate is 8 then which stage of demographic transition is the country in?
Answer: The country is in stage 5 of demographic transition. In this stage, the birth rate is extremely low and sometimes falls below the death rate, leading to a natural decrease in population.
In simple words: When a country has a very low birth rate (7) and a slightly higher death rate (8), it is in the final stage (Stage 5) where the population starts to shrink or stabilize.

🎯 Exam Tip: Remember that Stage 5 is characterized by extremely low birth rates and low death rates, where sometimes death rates exceed birth rates.

 

Question 2. If a country has crude death rate of 20 and crude birth rate of 24, then which stage of demographic transition is the country in?
Answer: The country is in stage 3 of demographic transition. This stage is characterized by a declining birth rate and a low death rate, leading to moderate population growth.
In simple words: Since both birth and death rates are falling but birth rates are still slightly higher, the country is in Stage 3, which is the late expanding stage.

🎯 Exam Tip: Identify Stage 3 by looking for declining birth rates that are still higher than the declining death rates, showing moderate growth.

Find Out

 

Question 1.
(i) Are Eskimos still living in their conventional ways?
(ii) What changes can be seen in their lifestyle now?
Answer:
(i) No, Eskimos are not living in their conventional way due to the changing environment as a result of increased contacts with societies to the south. Modern technology has significantly influenced their daily routines and survival strategies.
(ii) Eskimo life has changed greatly because of increased contacts with societies to the south. Modern tools have replaced traditional ones to make arctic survival easier. They were using harpoons for hunting, now they are using rifles. They were using dogs for land transport, now they are using snowmobiles. Outboard motors, store-bought clothing and many other manufactured products have entered into their culture.
In simple words: Eskimos no longer live completely traditional lives because they now use modern tools like rifles instead of harpoons, and snowmobiles instead of dog sleds.

🎯 Exam Tip: When answering questions about lifestyle changes, contrast the traditional methods (like harpoons and dogs) directly with modern replacements (like rifles and snowmobiles) to get full marks.

• Women are taking salaried jobs to earn currency for store-bought products. As a result, women are losing their knowledge of traditional skills such as sewing animal skin.
• Many Eskimos are not doing nomadic hunting which was their main activity. Now they are living in northern towns and cities and working in mines and oil fields.
• Some Eskimos in Canada have formed cooperative societies for marketing their handicrafts, fish catches, tourism ventures etc.

Use Your Brain Power!

 

Question 1.
(i) Can lakes be a factor for concentration of population? Find examples.
(ii) Which water bodies are surrounded by dense population in Maharashtra? (Text book pg.no – 4)
Answer:
(i) Man always likes to settle near a waterbody. People are attracted towards lakes. Lakes are not only a source of fresh water but also a source of fish. They also provide water supply for industries, agriculture and provide water transport. They provide good sites to develop tourism due to greenery of trees surrounding the lake, scope for boating, cool breeze and pleasant atmosphere. For example, Lake Victoria in Africa, supports 40 million people, with population density 250 persons per sq. km. The growth rate of the population is 3.5 percent each year, which is among the highest growth rates in the world. The Victoria lake supports the largest freshwater fishery in the world. The fish catch from the lake is more than one million and it employs two lakh people in direct fishing and supports livelihood to four million people. Five Great lakes in USA – Superior, Huron, Michigan, Erie and Ontario make up the largest body of freshwater on earth. They support more than 30 million people. This equates to 10 percent of USA residents and 30 percent Canadian residents. The lakes have been a major source for transportation, trade, fishing, tourism, power, recreation etc.
(ii) In Maharashtra, major river basins such as the Godavari, Krishna, and Bhima, along with coastal water bodies like the Arabian Sea creeks around Mumbai and Thane, are surrounded by dense populations. These water bodies provide essential water resources for domestic, agricultural, and industrial needs, driving regional growth.
In simple words: Lakes and rivers attract large groups of people because they provide fresh water, food, and jobs. For example, millions of people live near the Great Lakes in the US and Lake Victoria in Africa, just as people in Maharashtra settle near major rivers and the coast for water and trade.

🎯 Exam Tip: When answering questions about population distribution, always support your points with real-world examples like Lake Victoria or the Great Lakes to secure maximum marks.

 

Question 2. In which stage do you think India is passing right now? (Text book pg.no – 10)
Answer: India is passing through stage 3 right now. This stage is characterized by a declining birth rate and a low death rate, leading to moderate population growth.
In simple words: India is currently in the third stage of population transition, where birth rates are starting to fall but the population is still growing moderately.

🎯 Exam Tip: Clearly state 'Stage 3' and briefly mention that it represents a transition phase with declining birth rates to secure full marks.

 

Question 3. Find out in what multiples has population increased in the following timeline and write down your findings. For example, in the initial phase, the population took 6 centuries (1000 to 1600 A.D.) to double itself. (Text book pg.no – 11)

Years (A.D.)	Population of the world approx. (in millions)
1000	254
1100	301
1200	360
1300	360
1400	350
1500	425
1600	550
1700	600
1800	813
1900	1550
1910	1750
1920	1860
1930	2070
1940	2300
1950	2400
1960	3100
1970	3700
1980	4500
1990	5200
2000	6300
2010	7000

Answer:
(i) 1000 to 1600 population increase 2 times in 6 hundred years.
(ii) 1600 to 1900 population increased 3 times in 3 hundred years.
(iii) 1900 to 1960 population increased 2 times in 6 hundred years.
(iv) 1960 to 2000 population increased 2 times in 4 hundred years. This rapid acceleration highlights how modern advancements have drastically shortened the time required for the global population to multiply.
In simple words: Over the centuries, the time it takes for the world's population to double or triple has become much shorter due to better healthcare and living conditions.

🎯 Exam Tip: When analyzing timelines, carefully calculate the intervals and multiples of growth to ensure your data matches the provided chart accurately.

 

Question 1. Which policy did the Brazilian government promote with respect to decentralisation? (Text book pg.no – 7)
Answer:
1. Last two decades there is highly centralised military rule in Brazil so there was demand for local autonomy. Brazil sought to decentralised government authority and promote citizen participation to establish democracy.
2. Brazil became decentralised federation when it undertook transformation of governance.
3. As result authoritarian military regime came to an end, paving the way for a more inclusive and representative political system.
In simple words: Brazil moved away from a strict military rule by sharing power with local governments and letting citizens participate in decision-making.

🎯 Exam Tip: Clearly state the transition from a centralized military regime to a decentralized federation, highlighting citizen participation as a key driver. Use terms like 'local autonomy' and 'transformation of governance' to secure full marks.