What do you understand by the term- Agriculture? A2.The word ... 2) Climate- The
temperature and rainfall influence the agricultural activities .... Page 8 ...
BALBHARATIPUBLIC SCHOOL, PITAMPURA, NEW DELHI COMPREHENSIVE NOTES CLASS-VIII SUBJECT-GEOGRAPHY CHAPTER-4 AGRICULTURE TERM - 2 Q1.Explain the three types of economic activities? A1 1) Primary activities:-It include all the activities connected with extraction and production of natural resources. Agriculture, fishing and gathering are good examples. 2) Secondary activities:- These are concerned with the processing of natural resources. Manufacturing of steel, baking of bread and weaving of cloth are examples of this activity. 3) Tertiary activities:- It provide support to the primary and secondary sectors through services. Transport, trade, banking, insurance and advertising are examples of tertiary activities. Q2. What do you understand by the term- Agriculture? A2.The word agriculture means land cultivation. Agriculture is a primary activity. It includes growingcrops, fruits, vegetables, flowers and rearing of livestock. Q3. Define the following:a) Sericulture b) Pisciculture c) Viticulture d) Horticulture A3. a) Sericulture- Commercial rearing of silk worms. It may supplement the income of the farmer. b) Pisciculture-Breeding of fish in specially constructed tanks and ponds. c)Viticulture- Cultivation of grapes. d) Horticulture- Growing vegetables, flowers and fruits for commercial use. Q4. List the factors influencing agricultural activities? A4.The factors influencing agricultural activities are1) Favourable topography and type of soil- Altitude and slope determine the accumulation of the soil. The type of soil effects the cultivation of the crops. If the soil is fertile then the crops production will be more. The plain has fertile soil than the mountains.
2) Climate- The temperature and rainfall influence the agricultural activities in the particular region. Q5. How agriculture is considered as farm system? A5. Agriculture or farming can be looked at as a system. INPUT-----------------PROCESSES-------------------OUTPUT 1) The important inputs are seeds, fertilisers, machinery and labour. 2) The processes involved in the agricultural operations are ploughing, sowing, irrigation, weeding and harvesting. 3) The outputs from the system include crops, wool, dairy and poultry products. Q6. Define- Organic farming. A6. Organic Farming In this type offarming, organicmanure andnatural pesticidesare used insteadof chemicals.No geneticmodification is done to increasethe yield of the crop. Q7 Explain the features of subsistence farming and areas where it is practiced? A7. The features of subsistence farming are as follows1) Subsistence farming is practised to meet the needs of the farmer’s family. 2) Low levels of technology is used. 3) Household labourare used. 4) The production is less. 5) Subsistence farming can be further classified as intensive subsistence and primitive subsistence. Q8. Explain the features of intensive subsistence agriculture? A8. The features of intensive subsistence agriculture are1) In intensive subsistence agriculture the farmer cultivates a small plot of land and thus the production is less. 2) In it simple tools are used. 3) The labour used are more as most of the work is done manually. 4) Rice is the main crop. Other crops include wheat, maize, pulses and oilseeds. 5) Intensive subsistence agriculture is prevalent in the thick areas of the monsoon regions of south, southeast and east Asia. Q9. What is Shifting cultivation? Where it is practiced? A9. Shifting cultivation- A plot of land is cleared by felling the trees and burning them. The ashes are then mixed with the soil and crops like maize, yam,
potatoes and cassava are grown. After the soil loses its fertility, the land is abandoned and the cultivator moves to a new plot. Shifting cultivation is also known as ‘slash and burn’ agriculture It is practised in the thickly forested areas of Amazon basin, tropical Africa, parts of southeast Asia and Northeast India. These are the areas of heavy rainfall and quick regeneration of vegetation. Q10. List the different names of shifting agriculture? A10.Shifting cultivation is known by different names in different parts of the worldare1) Jhummingin North-East India 2) Milpain Mexico 3) Rocain Brazil. 4) Ladangin Malaysia Q10. What is Nomadic farming? Where it is practiced? A10.1) In this type of farming, herdsmen move from place to place with their animals for fodder and water, along defined routes. This type of movement arises in response to climatic constraints and terrain. 2) Sheep, camel, yak and goats are most commonly reared. They provide milk, meat, wool, hides and other products to the herders and their families. 3) It is practised in the semi-arid and arid regions of Sahara, Central Asia and some parts of India, like Rajasthan and Jammu and Kashmir. Q11. Explain the features of commercial farming? A11 The features of commercial farming are1) In commercial farming crops are grown and animalsare reared for sale in market. 2) The area cultivated andthe amount of capital used is large. 3) Most of thework is done by machines. 4) Commercial farmingincludes commercial grain farming, mixedfarming and plantation agriculture Q12. Explain the features of commercial grain farming? A12. The features of commercial grain farming are1) In commercial grain farming crops are grownfor commercial purpose. 2) Wheat and maize arecommon commercially grown grains. 3) Major areaswhere commercial grain farming is practised aretemperate grasslands of North America, Europeand Asia. 4) These areas are sparsely populatedwith large farms spreading over hundreds ofhectares.
.5) Severe winters restrict the growing seasonand only a single crop can be grown. Q13 What is Mixed farming? A13. Mixed farming- the land is used for growing food and fodder crops and rearing livestock. It is practised in Europe, eastern USA, Argentina, southeast Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. Q14. List the features of Plantation agriculture? A14. The features of the Plantation agriculture are1) Plantation agriculture is a type of commercial farming where single crop of tea, coffee, sugarcane, cashew, rubber, banana or cotton are grown. 2) Large amount of labour and capital are required. 3) The produce may be processed on the farm itself or in nearby factories. 4) The development of a transport network is thus essential for such farming. 5)Major plantations are found in the tropical regions of the world. 6) Rubber in Malaysia, coffee in Brazil, tea in India and Sri Lanka are some examples. Q15 Differentiate between the following:a) Primary activities and secondary activities. b) Subsistence agriculture and Commercial farming. c) Mixed farming and Plantation agriculture. A15. Primary economic activities Secondary economic activities 1) Primary activities include all Secondary activities are those connected with concerned with the processing of extraction and production these resources. of natural resources. 2)
3) 4)
Agriculture, fishing and Manufacturing of steel, baking of gathering are good examples bread and weaving of cloth are examples of this activity. Production is less. Production is more. More labour is used. Less labour is used.
5)
Less capital investment.
More capital investment.
6)
It is mostly practiced in the developing countries of the
It is mostly practiced in developed countries of the world.
world.
Subsistence agriculture This type of farming is practiced to meet the needs of the farmer’s family.
Commercial farming In commercial farming crops are grown and animals are reared for sale in the market.
2)
The level of the technology is low.
The level of technology is high. Most of the work is done by machines.
3)
Household labour is used to produce on small output.
Most of the work is done by Machines to produce on large scale.
4)
It can be classified as commercial grain farming, mixed farming and plantation agriculture.
It can be classified as intensive subsistence and primitive subsistence farming.
Mixed farming In mixed farming the land is for growing food and fodder crops and rearing livestock.
Plantation agriculture Plantations are a type of commercial farming where single crop of tea, coffee, sugarcane, cashew, rubber, banana or cotton are grown.
It is practised in Europe, eastern USA, Argentina, southeastAustralia, New
Major plantations are found in the tropical regions of the world. Rubber in Malaysia, coffee in
1)
1)
2)
Zealand and South Africa.
Brazil, tea in India and Sri Lanka.
Q15. Complete the following table showing the distribution of major crops;Major crops
Climatic condition
Soil
Regions
Rice
High temperature, high humidity and rainfall
Alluvial clayey soil.
China, Japan, India, West Bengal and Bangladesh.
Wheat
Moderate temperature and rainfall all during growing season and bright sunshine at the time of harvest.
Drained loamy soil.
USA, Canada, Argentina, Russia and India.
Millets (jowar, bajra and ragi)
Low rainfall and high to moderate temperature and adequate rainfall.
Less fertile and sandy soil.
India, China, Nigeria and Nigeria.
Maize
Moderate temperature, moderate rainfall and lots of sunshine.
Well drained fertile soil.
North America, Brazil, China, Russia, Canada, India and Mexico.
Cotton
High temperature, high rainfall, 210 frost free days and bright sunshine for its growth.
Black, alluvial soil.
China, USA, India, Pakistan, Brazil and Egypt.
Jute
High temperature, heavy rainfall and humid climate.
Alluvial soil.
IndiaandBangladesh.
Coffee
Warm and wet climate
Well drained loamy soil.
Brazil,Columbia and India.
Tea
Cool climate and well distributed high rainfall.
Well drained heavy soils.
Kenya, India, China and Srilanka.
Q16. What is Agricultural development? How is agricultural development achieved in agriculture? A16. Agricultural Development refers to effortsmade to increase farm production in orderto meet the growing demand of increasingpopulation. Agricultural development can be achieved in many ways:1) Increasing the cropped area. 2) Increasing the number of crops grown. 3) Improving irrigation facilities. 4) Use of fertilizers. 5) Using of highyielding variety of seeds. 6) Mechanisation of agriculture should be implemented which is the use of more machines to increase the production of the crops. Q17. How is agriculture in developed countries different from the developing countries? A17. Developing countries with large populations usually practise intensive agriculture where crops are grown on small holdings mostly for subsistence. It is practiced in India ,Srilanka and Burma. In the developed countries people usually practice commercial agriculture where crops are grown on large holdings mostly for export purpose. Commercial agriculture is practiced in USA, Canada and Australia . Q18. Bring out the difference between the farms in India and USA? A18. Farms in India Farms in USA 1) Farm holdings are small that is 1.5 Farms are larger that is generally hectares. 250 hectares. 2) The house of the farmer is in the The farmer generally live in the main village. farm. 3) The major crops grown are wheat, The major crops grown are corn,
rice and pulses. 4) The farms lack storage facilities and they are forced to sell the produce even when the market is not favourable for them. 5) The farmers use bullocks for ploughing while tubewells for irrigating the fields.
6) The farmer in India is like a peasant farmer. 7) The farmers are not educated and take the advice of their friends and elders.
soyabean, wheat, cotton and sugarbeet. He grains are stored in the automated grain storage or depatched to market agencies. The farmers use tractors, seed drills, levelers, combined harvesters and thresher to perform various agricultural operations. The farmer in USA works like a businessman. The farmers are educated and had the knowledge to use various tools and implements for agricultural operations.
Q19. Give reasons for the following:1) In India agriculture is a primary activity. In India agriculture is a primary activity because it is connected with extraction and production of natural resources. India is developing country where 75% of the population is engaged in the agriculture which include fishing, mining, gathering etc. 2) Different crops are grown in different regions. Different crops are grown in different regions because different crops require different climatic condition like temperature and rainfall for survival and growth.
BALBHARATIPUBLIC SCHOOL, PITAMPURA, NEW DELHI COMPREHENSIVE NOTES CLASS-VIII SUBJECT-GEOGRAPHY CHAPTER-5 INDUSTRIES TERM - 2 Q1. What do you understand by secondary activities? A1. In the Secondary activities or manufacturing there is change of raw materials into products of more value to people. For example- pulp changes into paper and paper into a note book. These represent the two stages of the manufacturing process. The paper made from pulp and cloth made from cotton had value added to them at each stage of the manufacturing process. In this way the finished product has more value and utility than the raw material that it is made from. Q2. What do you mean by the term industry? A2. Industryrefers to an economic activity that isconcerned with production of goods, extraction ofminerals or the provision of services. Thus we have ironand steel industry (production of goods), coal miningindustry (extraction of coal) and tourism industry (service provider).
Q3. Classify industries on the basis of the following heading with the help of examples:1) Raw material. 2) Size. 3) Ownership. A3.On the basis of raw materials industries can be divided into the following types:a). Agro based industries use plant and animal based products as their raw materials. Food processing, vegetable oil, cotton textile are examples of agrobased industries. b) Mineral based industriesare primary industries that use mineral ores as their raw materials. Iron from iron ore is used as raw material for the manufacture of a number of other products, such as heavy machinery, building materials and railway coaches. c) Marine based industriesuse products from the sea and oceans as raw materials. Industries processing sea food or manufacturing fish oil are some examples. d) Forest based industriesutilise forest produce as raw materials.The industries associated with forests are pulp and paper, pharmaceuticals, furniture and buildings. On the basis of the size, industries can be classified into the following types:a) smallscale. Cottage or household industries are a type of small scale industry where the products are manufactured by hand, by the artisans.eg- Basket weaving and pottery. It uses lesser amount of capital and technology.
b) large scale industries. It use more amount of capital and technology. It produce large volumes of products. Eg- Production of automobiles and heavy machinery are large scale industries. On the basis of ownership, industries can be classified into the following typesa) Private sector industriesare owned and operated by individuals or a group of individuals. b) Public sector industries are owned and operated by the government, such as Hindustan Aeronautics Limited and Steel Authority of India Limited. b) Joint sectorindustriesare owned and operated by the state and individuals or a group of individuals. MarutiUdyog Limited is an example of joint sector industry. c) Co-operative sectorindustries are owned and operated by the producers or suppliers of raw materials, workers or both. Anand Milk Union Limited and Sudha Dairy are success stories of a co-operative venture.
Q4. Distinguish between the following:1) Agro based industry and mineral based industry. 2) Public sector and Joint sector A4. Agro based industry Mineral based industry 1) These drive their raw material These derive their raw materials from agriculture. from minerals. 2)
These provide employment in rural areas.
These provide employment both in urban and rural areas.
3)
These industries are labour intensive.
These industries are capital intensive.
Examples- Textile, sugar, food processing and dairy products.
Examples- Iron and steel, machines tools and building materials.
Public sector industry The public sector industries are owned and operated by the government.
Joint sector industry Joint sector are owned and operated by the state and individuals or a group of individuals. MarutiUdyog Limited is an example of joint sector.
4)
1)
2)
,Hindustan Aeronautics Limited and Steel Authority of India Limited. Q5. Explain the factors influencing the location of industries? A5.The factors affecting the locationof industries are:1) Nearness to theraw material-Industries are located near the source of the raw material. The industry which uses heavy raw material and produce large quantity located near the source of the raw material. For example, Jute industries are located in West Bengal, cotton textile industry is located in Mumbai and Ahmedabad.
2) Nearness to power- Power is needed for processing raw materials. The industries which consume huge quantity of power are located near the sources of power. 3) Availability of water- It helps in centralization of industries. It influences the establishment of agro-based industries like cotton textile, jute textile etc
4) Labour- No industry can function without labour. Even the modern computerized machines need to be operated by human beings only. Labour may be skilled or unskilled. 5) Transport facilities- We need good transport facilities to bring the raw materials to the industries as well as to take the finished goods to the market. Without proper transport facilities the factory cannot run. 6) Nearness to the market- Industries produce lot of goods but if all the goods are not consumed then these industries may be closed. There is a need of the market to sell the goods to the people. Q6. What do you understand by industrial system? A6. An industrial system consists of INPUTS----- PROCESSES------- OUTPUTS 1) The inputs are the raw materials, labour andcosts of land, transport, power and other infrastructure. 2) The processes include a wide range of activities that convert the raw material into finished products. 3) The outputs are the end product and the income earned from it Q7. What is industrial region ? Name the industrial region of the world and India? A7.Industrial regions emerge when a number of industries locate close to each other and share the benefits of their closeness. Major industrial regions of the world are eastern North America, western and central Europe, Eastern Europe and eastern Asia. Industrial regions of India are Mumbai- Pune cluster, Bangalore-Tamilnadu region, Hugli region etc Q8. List the major industries of the world and where they are located? A8.The world’s major industries are the iron and steel industry, the textile industry and the information technology industry. 1) The countries in which iron and steel industry is located are Germany, USA, China, Japan and Russia. 2) Textile industry is concentrated in India, Hong Kong, South Korea, Japan and Taiwan. 3) The major hubs of Information technology industry are the Silicon valley of Central California and the Bangalore region of India. Q9. What do you mean by emerging industries?
A9. Emerging industries are recently developed industries and are also known as ‘Sunrise Industries’. These include Information technology Wellness, Hospitality and Knowledge. Q10. Name the inputs, processes and output of iron and steel industries? A10. 1) The inputs for the industry include raw materials such as iron ore, coal and limestone, along with labour, capital, site and other infrastructure. 2) The process of converting iron ore into steel involves many stages. The raw material is put in the blast furnace where it undergoes smelting. It is then refined. 3) The output obtained is steel which may be used by other industries as raw material. Q11.What is the importance of steel and its alloys? A11. Steel is tough and it can easily be shaped, cut, or made into wire. Special alloys of steel can be made by adding small amounts of other metals such as aluminium, nickel, and copper. Alloys give steel unusual hardness, toughness, or ability to resist rust.
Q12. Which industry is often referred to as the backbone of modern industry and why? A12. Iron and steel industries are referred to as the backbone of modern industry because:1) It provided their finished goods to other industries like machines, tools, implements etc to the other industries. 2) Almost everything we use is either made of iron or steel or has been made with tools and machinery of these metals. Ships, trains, trucks, and autos are made largely of steel. Even the safety pins and the needles you use are made from steel. Oil wells are drilled with steel machinery. Steel pipelines transport oil. Minerals are mined with steel equipment. Farm machines are mostly steel. Large buildings have steel framework. Q13.List the important steel producing centres of India? A13. The important steel producing centres such asBhilai, Durgapur, Burnpur, Jamshedpur, Rourkela, Bokaroare situated in a region that spreads over four states — WestBengal, Jharkhand, Orissa and Chhattisgarh. Bhadravatiand Vijay Nagar in Karnataka, Vishakhapatnam in AndhraPradesh, Salem in Tamil Nadu are other important steelcentresutilising local resources.
Q14. Why Sakchi was chosen to set up the steel plants? A14. Sakchi was chosen to set up the steel plant forseveral reasons:1) This place was only 32 km away fromKalimati station on the Bengal-Nagpur railway line. 2) Itwas close to the iron ore, coal and manganese depositsas well as to Kolkata, which provided a large market. 3) TISCO, gets coal from Jharia coalfields, and iron ore,limestone, dolomite and manganese from Orissa andChhattisgarh. 4) The Kharkai and Subarnarekha riversensured sufficient water supply. 5) Government initiativesprovided adequate capital for its later development Q15. Explain the locational advantages for establishing steel plant in Pittsburg? A15. Pittsburgis an important steel city of the UnitedStates of America. The locationaladvantagesfor establishing steel plant in Pittsburg are1) The raw materialsuch as coal is available locally. 2) Iron ore comesfrom the iron mines at Minnesota, about 1500 km fromPittsburgh 3) The transport facilities- Between these mines and Pittsburgh is oneof the world’s best routes for shipping ore cheaply – thefamous Great Lakes waterway. 4) Trains carry the orefrom the Great Lakes to the Pittsburgh area. 5) The water supply is provide by Ohio,the Monogahela and Allegheny rivers. Q16. Name the natural and man madefibre? A16. Natural fibres are obtained from wool, silk, cotton, linenand jute. Man madefibres include nylon, polyester, acrylic and rayon. Q17. “India has a glorious tradition of producing good quality cotton textile” Eleborate the statement. A17. Before the British rule, Indian hand spunand hand woven cloth already had a wide market. TheMuslins of Dhaka, Chintzes of Masulipatnam, Calicos ofCalicut and Gold-wrought cotton pieces of Burhanpur,Surat and Vadodara were known worldwide for theirquality and design. But the production of hand woven cotton textile was expensive and time consuming. Hence, traditional cotton textile industry could not face the competition from the new textile mills of the West, which produced cheap and good quality fabrics. Q18. Name the important producers of cotton textiles? A18. China, Japan and USA are the important producers of cotton textiles. Q19. What are the changes made in making of the cotton cloth?
A19. The cotton textile industry is one of the oldest industries in the world. Till the industrial revolution in the 18th century, cotton cloth was made using hand spinning techniques (wheels) and looms. In 18th century power looms (machines run by power) facilitated the development of cotton textile industry, first in the Great Britain and later in other parts of the world. Q20. List the factors responsible for the establishment of textile mill in Mumbai in 1854? A20. The factors responsible for the establishment of textile mill in Mumbai in 1854 are1) The Warm and moist climate. 2) Port forimporting machinery. 3) Availability of raw material. 4) Skilled labour. Q21. Explain the factors responsible for establishing cotton textile industry in Ahmedabad in 1859? A21 The factors responsible for establishing cotton textile industry in Ahmedabad in 1859 are1) Ahmedabad is situatedin the heart of a cotton growing area. This ensures easy availability of raw material. 2) The humid climate is ideal for spinning and weaving. 3) The flat terrain and easy availability of land is suitable for the establishment of the mills. 4) The densely populated states of Gujarat and Maharashtra provide both skilled and semi-skilled labour. 4) Well developed road and railway network permits easy transportation of textiles to different parts of the country, thus providing easy access to the market. 5) Mumbai port nearby facilitates import of machinery and export of cotton textiles. Q22. Explain the geographical factors which are making Osaka as the ‘Manchester of Japan’. A22. The geographical factors which are making Osaka as the ‘Manchester of Japan’are as follows1) The extensive plain around Osaka ensured thatland was easily available for the growth of cotton mills. 2) Warm humid climate is well suited to spinning andweaving. The river Yodo provides sufficient water forthe mills.
3) Labour is easily available. Location of portfacilitates import of raw cotton and for exporting textiles. 4) The textile industry at Osaka depends completely uponimported raw materials. 5) Cotton is imported from Egypt, India, China and USA. 6) The finished product is mostly exported and has a good market due to good quality and low price. Q23. What do you understand by Information Technology? A23. The information technologyindustry dealsin the storage, processing and distribution ofinformation. Q24. List the factors affecting the location of the Information industry? A24. The main factors guiding thelocation of Information industries are1) Resource availability, 2) Cost 3) Infrastructure. Q25. Explain the locational advantages of Information technology inBangalore and California? A25. The locational advantages of Information technology in Bangalore are1) Bangalore has the largest number of educationalinstitutions and IT colleges in India. 2) The city was considered dust free with low rents and cost of living. 3) The state government of Karnataka was the first to announce an IT Policy in 1992. 4) The city has the largest and widest availability of skilled managers with work experience. 5)The city is known for its mild climate throughout the year. The locational advantages of Information technology in California are1) Close to some of the most advanced scientific and technological centres in the world 2) Pleasant climate with an attractive and a clean environment. It has plenty of space for development and future expansion. 3) Located close to major roads and airports. 4) Good access to markets and skilled workforce. 5) Silicon Valley, is a part of Santa ClaraValley, located next to the Rocky Mountains of North America. The area has temperate climate with the temperatures rarely dropping below 0 degrees centigrade.
Q26. Name the information technology hubs in metropolitan centres of India? A26. The information technology hubs in metropolitan centres of India are Mumbai, New Delhi, Hyderabad and Chennai. Q27. Name the important cities of information technology in India? A27. The important cities of information technology in India are Gurgaon, Pune, Thiruvanthapuram, Kochi and Chandigarh. Q28. Why do high technology industries group together? A28.High technology industries are grouped together because of the following reasons- 1) It can be located near main road/ highways for an easy access. 2) Firms can benefit from exchange of knowledge. 3) Services and facilities such as roads, car parks and waste disposal can be organized efficiently.
BALBHARATIPUBLIC SCHOOL, PITAMPURA,NEW DELHI COMPREHENSIVE NOTES CHAPTER-6 HUMAN RESOURCES CLASS-VIII SUBJECT-GEOGRAPHY TERM – 2 Q1. Why are people considered as a resource ? A1. People are a nation’s greatest resource. Nature’s bounty becomes significant only when people find it useful. It is people with their demands and abilities that turn them into ‘resources’. Q2.What do you understand by the following:a) The pattern of population distribution. b) Density of population. c) Population change. d) Natural Growth rate. A2. a) The pattern of population distribution- The way in which people arespread across the earth surfaceis known as the pattern ofpopulation distribution. b) Density of population-Population density is the number of people living in a unit area of the earth’s surface. It is normally expressed as per square km. The average density of population in the whole world is 45 persons per square km. Average density of population in Indiais 324 persons per square km. c) Population change-The population change refers to change in the number of people during a specific time. d) Natural Growth Rate-The difference between the birth rate and the death rateof a country is called the natural growth rate. Q3. Describe the distribution of population in the world?
A3. Thedistribution of population in theworld is extremely uneven. .Some areas are very crowdedand some are sparely populated. 1)Morethan 90 per cent of the world’spopulation lives in about 10 percent of the land surface. 2) The densely populated areas-The crowded areas are south andsouth east Asia, Europe and northeastern North America. 3) The sparsely populated areas- Very fewpeople live in high latitude areas,tropical deserts, high mountainsand areas of equatorial forests. 4) Almost three-quartersof the world’s people live in twocontinents Asia and Africa. 5) Sixty per cent of the world’speople stay in just 10 countries.All of them have more than a 100million people. Q4. What are the causes of the uneven distribution of the population in the world ? A4. The causes for the uneven distribution of the population of the world areI GEOGRAPHICAL FACTORS:1) TOPOGRAPHY-People always prefer to live on plainsrather than mountains and plateaus because theseareas are suitable for farming, manufacturing andservice activities. The Ganga plains are the most denselypopulated areas of the world while mountains likeAndes, Alps and Himalayas are sparsely populated. 2) CLIMATE -People usually avoid extreme climates that arevery hot or very cold like Sahara desert, polar regions ofRussia, Canada and Antarctica. 3) SOIL- Fertile soils provide suitable land for agriculture.Fertile plains such as Ganga and Brahmaputra in India,Hwang-He, Chang Jiang in China and the Nile in Egyptare densely populated. 4) WATER-People prefer to live in the areas where freshwater is easily available. The river valleys of theworld are densely populated while deserts have sparepopulation. 5)-MINERALS-Areas with mineral deposits are more populated. Diamond mines of South Africa and discoveryof oil in the Middle east lead to settling of people in these areas. II SOCIAL, CULTURAL AND ECONOMIC FACTORS:-
1) SOCIAL-Areas of better housing, education and healthfacilities are more densely populated e.g., Pune 2) CULTURAL-Places with religion or cultural significance attract people. Varanasi, Jerusalem and Vatican city are some examples. 3) ECONOMIC-Industrial areas provide employment opportunities. Large number of people got attracted to these areas. Osaka in Japan and Mumbai in India are two densely populated areas. Q5.The world population has grown very rapidly. Why ? A5. The world population has grown very rapidly because due to changes in the number of births and deaths. The rapid increase in natural growth that is difference between birth rate and death rate is also causing population to grow rapidly. The main reason for the growth was the better food supplies and medicinal facilities because of which death rate decreased. Q6.Explain the factors influencing population change ? A6. The main factors influencing population change were1) Birth rate -Births are usually measured using the birth rate i.e. the number of live births per 1,000 people. When birth rate is more than death rate, it is population increase. It increases the population. 2) Death rate-Deaths are usually measured using the death rate i.e. the number of deaths per 1,000 people. When death rate is more than birth rate, it is population decrease. It decreases the population. 3) Migration- Migration is the movement of people in and out of an area. It changes the size of the population. Migration is of two types- Emigration and Immigration. Emigrants are the people who leave a country while immigrants are those who arrive in a country. Q7. How migration is responsible for changes in the population size ? A7. Migration is another way by which population size changes. People may move within a country or between countries. 1) Emigrants are people who leave a country. 2) Immigrants are those who arrive in a country. Countries like the United States of America and Australia have gained in-numbers by in- migration or imigration.Sudan is an example of a country thathas experienced a loss in population numbers due to out-migration or emigration.
Q8. Bring out the difference between the followinga) Emigration and immigration. b) Population increase and Population decrease.
A8. Emigration
Immigration
1) When a person leaves a country. 2) It decreases the population of the country.
1) When a person enters a new country. 2) It increases the population of the country.
Population increase 1) When birth rate is more than death rate. 2) It increases the population of the country.
Population decrease 1) When the death rate is more than birth rate. 2) It decreases the population of the country.
Q9. What is meant by Population composition ? A9. Population composition refers to the structure of the population that is number of males and females, age group, education, occupation, income levels and healthof population. Q10.What is the importance of knowing Population composition ? A10. The composition of population helps us to know the number of males or females, to which age group they belong to, how educated they are and what type of occupations they are employed in, what their income levels and health conditions of the population. Q11. What is Population pyramid? How does it help in understanding the population of the country? A11. Population pyramid is also called the age sex pyramid. Population pyramid shows 1) The total population which is divided into various agegroups, e.g., 5 to 9 years, 10 to 14 years. 2) The percentage of the total population, subdivided into males and females, in each of those groups. 3) Thenumbers of children (below 15 years) are shown at thebottom and reflect the level of births. The size of thetop shows the numbers of aged people (above 65 years)and reflects the number of deaths.
4) It shows the dependent population and independent population. The dependent population includes the children and the aged population while the independent population is the working population between the age group of 15 to 65 years.
Q12. Why the population pyramid of Kenya is broad at the base and narrow towards the top? A12. The population pyramid of Kenya is broad at the base and narrow towards the top because many children are born, alarge percentage of them diein their infancy, relativelyfew become adults and there are very few old people. Q13. Explain the population pyramid of India ? A13. Death rates (especiallyamongst the very young) is decreasing, the pyramid is broad in the youngerage groups, becausemore infants surviveto adulthood because of better medical facilities. Such populations contain a relatively large number of young people and whichmeans a strong and expanding labour force. Q14. Explain the population pyramid of Japan? A14. The pyramid of Japan has narrow at the base which means low birth rate. Decreased death rates allow less number of people to reach old age. The working population is more compared to the children and old population.
