6. Population
Complete solutions to the Exercise. Maharashtra State Board (Balbharati), Grade Ten Geography.
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Exercise
- (a) Literacy Rate is higher in Brazil than India.
Right. (Brazil's literacy rate is above 90%, whereas India's is around 72.2% as of 2016). - (b) In Brazil, people prefer living in the south east as compared to the north east.
Right. (The majority of Brazilians are concentrated within 300 kilometers of the eastern and south-eastern coastal plain). - (c) The life expectancy of Indians is decreasing.
Wrong.
Corrected sentence: The life expectancy of Indians is increasing (it has increased from 41 years in 1960 to 68 years in 2016). - (d) The north-western part of India is densely populated.
Wrong.
Corrected sentence: The north-western part of India (the Thar Desert area in Rajasthan) is sparsely populated due to dry desert conditions. - (e) The western part of Brazil is densely populated.
Wrong.
Corrected sentence: The western part of Brazil (the Amazon Basin) is very sparsely populated due to dense forests, inaccessibility, and an unfavorable climate.
(a) Arrange the following states of India in descending order of their population. (Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh)
1. Uttar Pradesh
2. Madhya Pradesh
3. Andhra Pradesh
4. Himachal Pradesh
5. Arunachal Pradesh
(b) Arrange the states of Brazil in ascending order of their population. (Amazonas, Rio de Janeiro, Alagoas, Sao Paulo, Parana)
1. Alagoas
2. Amazonas
3. Parana
4. Rio de Janeiro
5. Sao Paulo
(c) Classify the factors affecting the distribution of population into favourable and unfavourable.
| Favourable Factors | Unfavourable Factors |
|---|---|
| Nearness to sea | Lack of roads |
| Temperate climate | Lack of industries |
| New cities and towns | Tropical moist forests |
| Minerals | Semi-arid climate |
| Cultivable land |
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(a) Explain the similarities and differences between the population distribution in Brazil and India.
Similarities:
- The distribution of population is highly uneven in both countries, largely dictated by physiography and climate.
- In both countries, coastal areas, plains, and regions with fertile land and good water availability have a high concentration of population.
- Mountainous, forested, and arid/semi-arid regions in both countries are sparsely populated due to tough living conditions and inaccessibility.
Differences:
- India's average population density is very high (382 persons per sq.km), whereas Brazil's average density is quite low (23 persons per sq.km).
- In India, the population is heavily concentrated in the northern plains and along both coastal strips. In Brazil, the population is primarily clustered along the eastern coastal plain (within 300 kilometers of the coast).
- India's interior has moderate to high density in many states, whereas Brazil's interior (especially the vast Amazon Basin) is extremely sparsely populated.
(b) Giving examples, correlate climate and population distribution.
- Climate plays a decisive role in human settlement. Regions with a favorable, moderate climate and sufficient rainfall attract large populations.
- Example of favourable climate: The northern plains of India and the eastern coastal plains of Brazil experience suitable climates for agriculture and industry. As a result, human settlements have flourished there for centuries, leading to high population densities.
- Example of unfavourable climate: Regions with extreme climates discourage settlement. The Amazon Basin in Brazil has a hot, humid climate with heavy rainfall, making it a dense, inaccessible forest area with sparse population. Similarly, the Thar desert in north-western India has an arid, dry climate, resulting in very low population density.
(a) Population is an important resource.
The qualitative aspects of a population—such as education, health, and skills—are crucial for a nation's economic and social progress. A healthy, educated, and working youth population drives development, innovation, and productivity, making population an indispensable resource for any country.
(b) Brazil's population density is very less.
Brazil occupies 5.6% of the world's total land area but supports only 2.78% of the world's total population. Because its total population (around 19 crores) is spread over a massive geographical area—much of which consists of the uninhabitable Amazon Basin—its average population density is very low at around 23 persons per sq.km.
(c) India's population density is high.
India is the second most populous country in the world, with a population of around 121 crores (as per the 2011 Census). It supports 17.5% of the world's population while occupying only 2.41% of the global land area. This high concentration of people in a relatively smaller landmass results in a high average population density of 382 persons per sq.km.
(d) The density of population is sparse in Amazon basin.
The interior Amazon Basin features an unfavorable hot and humid climate, heavy rainfall, and extremely dense forests. These harsh natural conditions create barriers to transport, infrastructure development, and overall accessibility, resulting in very sparse human settlements.
(e) Population density is high in the Ganga plains.
The Ganga plains (northern plains of India) have highly fertile land, plain topography, and abundant availability of water. These favourable conditions have allowed agriculture, industries, and trade to flourish over centuries, leading to a massive concentration of human settlements and a very high population density in this region.
(A) Classification of population densities:
- Square 'a': The human figures are scattered and few in number, representing a sparse population density.
- Square 'b': The human figures are numerous and packed closely together, representing a high (or dense) population density.
(B) Calculation of Sex Ratio:
The sex ratio is defined as the number of females per 1000 males.
In square 'b', there are 10 female signs and 8 male signs.
If one sign = 100 people:
Total Females = 10 × 100 = 1000
Total Males = 8 × 100 = 800
Sex Ratio = (Total Females ÷ Total Males) × 1000
Sex Ratio = (1000 ÷ 800) × 1000 = 1250.
Therefore, the sex ratio is 1250 females per 1000 males.
Figure 6.1 (b) is a choropleth map showing the highly uneven population density across Indian states (2011).
- Very High Density (More than 500 per sq. km): This is primarily seen in the fertile Northern Plains (Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal) and the southern coastal states (Kerala, Tamil Nadu).
- High to Moderate Density (251-500 per sq. km): States in the peninsular region and western India, such as Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Assam, fall into this category.
- Low to Very Low Density (Less than 250 per sq. km): The mountainous, forested, or desert regions—such as Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and the northeastern states (like Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram)—exhibit sparse population density.
The map clearly illustrates that regions with fertile plains, favorable climates, and water availability are densely populated, whereas rugged terrain and arid regions severely restrict population concentration.