Access the latest NCERT Solutions for Class 12 Geography Chapter-2: The World Population – Distribution, Density, and Growth, updated for 2024-2025. Solution is designed to help students tackle difficult questions with ease. The content is written in simple, easy-to-understand language. Use this solution to prepare for board exams and achieve excellent results.
Exercise
Multiple Choice Questions:
(i) Which one of the following continents has the highest growth of population?
(a) Africa (Correct answer)
(b) South America
(c) Asia
(d) North America
(ii) Which one of the following is not an area of sparse population?
(a) The Atacama
(b) Southeast Asia (Correct answer)
(c) Equatorial region
(d) Polar regions
(iii) Which one of the following is not a push factor?
(a) Water shortage
(b) Medical/educational facilities (Correct answer)
(c) Unemployment
(d) Epidemics
(iv) 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.
Short Answer Questions (30 words)
(i) Name three geographical factors that influence the distribution of population.
1. Availability of water: Areas near rivers and freshwater bodies attract populations due to water access for drinking, agriculture, and industrial use.
2. Landforms: Flat plains and gentle slopes are more populated due to ease in agriculture and infrastructure development.
3. Climate: Areas with moderate and comfortable climates tend to have higher population densities, while extreme climates see fewer inhabitants.
(ii) There are a number of areas with high population density in the world. Why does this happen?
Areas with high population density usually offer favorable conditions like fertile soil, fresh water, moderate climate, and economic opportunities. For instance, river valleys like the Ganges in India provide rich agricultural land, leading to dense populations.
(iii) What are the three components of population change?
The three components of population change are:
1. Birth rate: The number of live births per thousand people in a year.
2. Death rate: The number of deaths per thousand people in a year.
3. Migration: The movement of people from one place to another.
Distinguish between
(i) Distinguish between Birth Rate and Death Rate
Birth Rate: The birth rate refers to the number of live births per 1,000 people in a population over a specific time period, usually one year. It is an important indicator of population growth and helps understand how fast a population is expanding. A high birth rate can indicate a young population, but it may also suggest a lack of family planning or access to healthcare in some regions.
Death Rate: The death rate, or mortality rate, refers to the number of deaths per 1,000 individuals in a population during a particular time period, generally one year. A higher death rate could indicate poor healthcare facilities, malnutrition, or widespread disease, while a lower death rate is usually associated with better healthcare and living conditions.
(ii) Distinguish between Push Factors and Pull Factors of Migration
Push Factors: Push factors are conditions that drive people away from their place of origin. These include factors like unemployment, poor living conditions, political instability, natural disasters, or lack of access to healthcare and education. Essentially, push factors make life in the current place of residence difficult, forcing individuals to leave.
Pull Factors: Pull factors, on the other hand, are conditions that attract people to a new location. These include better job opportunities, higher standards of living, peace and stability, and access to education and healthcare. Pull factors make a destination more appealing than the place of origin.
Long Answer Questions (150 words)
(i) Discuss the factors influencing the distribution and density of population in the world.
The distribution and density of population across the world are influenced by various factors:
1. Geographical factors like water availability, landforms, climate, and soil fertility play a crucial role. River valleys with fertile soils, such as the Nile or Ganges, are densely populated due to favorable agricultural conditions.
2. Economic factors include the availability of jobs, industrialization, and urbanization. Cities with job opportunities and better living conditions, like Tokyo or New York, attract large populations.
3. Social and cultural factors also affect population distribution. Some regions are densely populated due to religious or cultural significance, while political unrest can cause people to migrate away from such areas.
(ii) Discuss the three stages of demographic transition.
The demographic transition model explains population changes in three stages:
1. Stage 1: High birth and death rates result in slow population growth. Societies at this stage are typically agrarian and have low life expectancy.
2. Stage 2: Death rates decline due to improvements in healthcare and sanitation, while birth rates remain high. This leads to a rapid population increase.
3. Stage 3: Birth rates begin to fall, often due to increased urbanization, education, and access to contraception, resulting in a more stable population .
Other Important Questions
Based on Chapter 2 “The World Population: Distribution, Density, and Growth” of the NCERT Class 12 Geography textbook, here are some important short answer type questions that have been asked in previous years’ exams (including UPSC) .These questions are not part of the exercise section but are derived from significant topics in the chapter.
1. What is meant by population density?
Answer: Population density refers to the number of people living per unit of land area, usually measured in persons per square kilometer. It indicates how crowded or sparsely populated an area is.
2. What is the difference between natural growth and actual growth of population?
Answer: Natural growth refers to the population increase due to the difference between births and deaths in a region.
Actual growth takes into account births, deaths, and migration (people moving in and out of the area).
3. Why is the population growth rate lower in developed countries compared to developing countries?
Answer: In developed countries, higher living standards, better healthcare, education, and family planning lead to lower birth rates. In contrast, developing countries tend to have higher birth rates due to limited access to family planning, lower levels of education, and cultural factors.
4. What is the Demographic Transition Theory?
Answer: The Demographic Transition Theory explains the changes in population growth over time as a country develops. It has three stages:
1. High birth and death rates in agrarian societies, leading to slow population growth.
2. Decline in death rates due to better healthcare, while birth rates remain high, leading to rapid population growth.
3. Low birth and death rates in industrialized societies, resulting in a stable or slowly growing population.
5. Explain the role of migration in population change.
Answer: Migration affects population size in both the place of origin and the destination. People may move for better job opportunities, living conditions, or to escape political instability. Migration increases the population in the destination and decreases it in the place of origin.
6. What are “push” and “pull” factors in migration?
Answer: Push factors are reasons that make people leave their place of origin, such as unemployment, poor living conditions, political unrest, or natural disasters.
Pull factors attract people to a new place, offering better job opportunities, safety, improved living standards, and political stability.
7. How has industrialization affected population distribution?
Answer: Industrialization attracts people to urban areas due to job opportunities in factories, services, and businesses. As industries grow, cities become more densely populated, leading to urbanization.
8. Why do some regions of the world experience negative population growth?
Answer: Negative population growth occurs when the death rate is higher than the birth rate or when people emigrate in large numbers. Factors like an aging population, low birth rates, economic challenges, or political instability can lead to this.
MCQs
Based on Chapter 2 from the NCERT Class 12 book titled “The World Population: Distribution, Density and Growth,” here are 20 MCQs suitable for both Class 12 exams and UPSC preparation. Answers are provided at the end.
1. Which of the following factors is most significant in influencing population distribution?
A) Natural resources
B) Climate
C) Landforms
D) Availability of water
2. Which continent has the highest population density?
A) Europe
B) Africa
C) Asia
D) North America
3. What percentage of the world’s population lives in just 10% of its land area?
A) 30%
B) 50%
C) 70%
D) 90%
4. Which of the following is not considered a geographical factor affecting population distribution?
A) Landforms
B) Climate
C) Minerals
D) Urbanization
5. Which region is known for its extremely high population density?
A) Amazon Basin
B) Ganga Plains
C) Sahara Desert
D) Siberia
6. The term “natural growth” in population studies refers to:
A) Births minus deaths
B) Births plus deaths
C) Immigration minus emigration
D) Total population increase
7. Migration is primarily caused by which set of factors?
A) Birth rate and death rate
B) Push and pull factors
C) Economic and social factors
D) Geographical factors
8. Which of the following is a pull factor in migration?
A) Political instability
B) Unemployment
C) Better job opportunities
D) Natural disasters
9. In which stage of the demographic transition theory does the population grow rapidly?
A) First stage
B) Second stage
C) Third stage
D) Fourth stage
10. Which of the following is an example of a densely populated region due to industrialization?
A) Amazon Basin
B) Ganga Plains
C) Kobe Osaka region of Japan
D) Greenland
11. The demographic transition theory has how many stages?
A) 2
B) 3
C) 4
D) 5
12. Which of the following continents has the highest rate of population growth?
A) Asia
B) Europe
C) Africa
D) South America
13. What is the formula to calculate the crude birth rate?
A) (Live births / Midyear population) × 1000
B) (Deaths / Midyear population) × 1000
C) (Births / Deaths) × 1000
D) (Population / Area) × 1000
14. What is the crude death rate?
A) Number of deaths per thousand of the population
B) Number of deaths per hundred of the population
C) Number of live births per thousand of the population
D) Population density per area
15. Migration that involves movement from rural to urban areas is known as:
A) Urban Urban migration
B) Rural Urban migration
C) Urban rural migration
D) International migration
16. The theory that population increases faster than food supply was proposed by:
A) Karl Marx
B) Thomas Malthus
C) Adam Smith
D) Max Weber
17. What is the main reason for negative population growth in some developed countries?
A) Low birth rate
B) High death rate
C) High emigration rate
D) Urbanization
18. Which factor is most likely to increase population density in a region?
A) Harsh climate
B) Fertile soils
C) High altitudes
D) Lack of water
19. Which of the following factors has a significant influence on population migration?
A) Economic opportunities
B) Birth and death rates
C) Soil fertility
D) Landforms
20. Which one of the following regions has the lowest population density?
A) Asia
B) Africa
C) Europe
D) Oceania
Answers:
1. D) Availability of water
2. C) Asia
3. D) 90%
4. C) Minerals
5. B) Ganga Plains
6. A) Births minus deaths
7. B) Push and pull factors
8. C) Better job opportunities
9. B) Second stage
10. C) Kobe Osaka region of Japan
11. B) 3
12. C) Africa
13. A) (Live births / Midyear population) × 1000
14. A) Number of deaths per thousand of the population
15. B) Rural Urban migration
16. B) Thomas Malthus
17. A) Low birth rate
18. B) Fertile soils
19. A) Economic opportunities
20. D) Oceania
Other Chapter
| Chapter 1:- Human Geography: Nature and Scope | Chapter 3:- Population Composition |
| Chapter 4:- Human Development | Chapter 5:- Primary Activities |
| Chapter 6:- Secondary Activities | Chapter 7:- Tertiary and Quaternary Activities |
| Chapter 8:- Transport and Communication | Chapter 9:- International Trade |
| Chapter 10:- Human Settlements |
