Grade 8 Geography - population

The term 'population' refers to all the people who live in a particular area, city or country.

Distribution of Population in the World:-

• The population of the world at present is 7.5 billion.

• China has the largest population in the world followed by India, USA, Indonesia, and other countries.

• Continent-wise, Asia has the largest population followed by Africa, Europe, North America, South America and Oceania.

• Oceania includes Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands of Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, Samoa etc.

Important Features of Population:-

Birth Rate:- 

• Number of live births per year per 1000 of the population.
• Formula:-( No. of births x 1000 ) / Total Population
  

Death Rate:- 

• Number of deaths per year per 1000 of the population.
• Formula:- ( No. of deaths x 1000 ) / Total Population

 Life Expectancy:- 

• No. of years that a person is likely to live.

Population Density:-

•  Number of people living in a unit area of space,such as a square kilometer.
  

Factors affecting the Population of a Place:-

1. Birth Rate and Death Rate:-
• High birth rate leads to increase in population.
• High death rate leads to decrease in population.
• Factors causing high birth rate in India:

1.  Low marriageable age.
2.  Religious and social benefits.
3.  Illiteracy and ignorance.
4.  Poverty.

• Factors causing low death rate in India:-

1.  Improved medical facilities and health care.
2.  Better management of natural disasters.
3.  Better control of famines and epidemics.
4.  Better public health, hygiene and sanitation facilities.
5.  Reduction in major killing diseases like cholera, tuberculosis, etc.
6.  Spread of education and immunization programs.

2. Immigration and Emigration:-

 • Immigration:- The process of coming to live permanently in another country that is not one's own.
• Emigration:- The process of leaving one country to go and live permanently in another country.
• When people immigrate to a country, population of that country increases.
• When people emigrate from a country, population of that country declines.

3. Influx of Refugees:-

• Refugees from different countries at different times increase population of a country.
• India has refugees from Tibet, Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Myanmar.

4. Urbanization?

• Birth rate tends to rise and death rate tends to fall in an urbanized country.
• Rise in birth rate due to more access to medical care in cities than in rural areas and hence, fall in infant mortality.
• Decline in death rate due to better medical and education services and more reliable food supplies in cities than in rural areas.

5. Agricultural Development:-

• Mechanization of agriculture has freed up workers from farms.
• This has encouraged industrialization.
• This leads to high birth rate.
• Increased agricultural production has reduced deaths due to famine.

6. Education:-

• Simple programes in hygiene.
• Family planning programes.
• Massive awareness campaigns on population growth.
• Educational and awareness levels of people population growth.

7. Topography and Climate of a Place:-

Population grows in areas where there is-
• Flat, cultivable land.
• Availability of water
• Accessibility to roads, rivers and railway lines.
• Pleasant climate

8. Employment Opportunities:-

Population grows where there are,
• Prospects for employment
• Mines and industries

Overpopulation:- 

• It is an undesirable condition where the people exceeds the resources available to support them.
  

Causes of Overpopulation:-

In Developed Countries-

• Economic prosperity and growth
• Improved medical techniques
• Immigration

 In Developing Countries-
• Modern medical techniques
• Ignorance of the masses
• Traditional beliefs and outlook of people 

 Impact of Overpopulation:-

1.  Environmental damage
2.  Reduction in death rates and increase in lifespan of people in developed countries.
3.  Expensive basic necessities of life in developing countries.
4.  Continuous cycle of poverty
5.  Rise in crime and conflict
6.  Problems of slums, water supply, lighting, sanitation, drainage and hygiene in slums.
7.  Hampering the pace of economic progress and development.
8.  Negation of Green Revolution due to increase in number of additional mouths to feed.

Under population:-

•  It occurs when the size of the population of a place is small in relation to the available resources of a country.
  

Causes of Underpopulation:-

Increase in death rates:- 

This is due to,
• Natural disasters (e.g., earthquake)
• Manmade disasters (e.g., war)

 Reduction in birth rates:- 

This is due to,
• Genetic reasons
• Emigration

Impact of Underpopulation:- 

Positive Effects:-
• Sufficient employment opportunities
• No overcrowding
• Lower levels of poverty
• Adequate educational and medical facilities
• Sufficient natural resources to meet the requirements of the population.
• Low environmental degradation

 Negative Effects:-
• Low productivity due to lack of adequate labor.
• A higher proportion of the population is either too young or too old to work.
• Fewer tax payers leading to low income for the Government
• No enough people to develop the natural resources of the country.

Composition of the Population:-

Population composition or demographic structure refers to the physical, socio- cultural and economic attributes of the population such as,

1.  Age and sex
2.  Place and residence
3.  Language
4.  Religion
5.  Marital status
6.  Literacy etc.

These are the characteristics of the population which are measurable,

 Characteristics of Population:-

1. Rural and Urban Composition:-
Population can be divided into rural and urban populations, depending on where a person resides. 

Rural Population:-

• People residing in villages (69%).
• Lower population density
• Primary activities (farming, fishing, mining, etc).
• Fewer opportunities for higher education
• Lesser educational, medical, transport and communication facilities.
 

Urban Population:-

• People residing in towns and cities (31 %).
• Higher population density
• Secondary and tertiary activities (trade, transport, services etc)
• More opportunities for economic growth
• More educational, medical, transport and communication facilities.

2. Age and Sex Composition:-

• Age composition refers to the percentage of the population in different age groups in a given population.
• Sex ratio reflects the comparative numbers of males and females in the population.
Formula:- (Female Population x 1000 ) / Male Population

Population Pyramid OR Age Sex Pyramid:-

-A population pyramid is a specially designed diagram that shows the age and sex composition of a population.

- The shape of the population pyramid shows the characteristics of the population.

Types of Pyramids:-

1. Expanding Population.
• More or less triangular pyramid, with a broad base and a
narrow apex.
• Broad base indicates high birth rate in lower age group.
• Narrow apex indicates high death rate in older age group.
• This pyramid indicates rapid population growth.
• E.g., Nigeria, Bangladesh, India, Mexico.

2. Constant Population:-
• Pyramid shaped liked a bell, with a narrow top and a broad
middle.
Scanned by CamScanner
• Birth rate is almost equal to death rate.
• This pyramid indicates constant population.
• E.g. USA

3. Declining Population:-
• Pyramid having a narrow base, a bulging middle.
• Low birth and death rates.
• E.g. Japan, Germany, Italy