Class 12 Population (GEOGRAPHY)

 Geography Class 12 Notes Chapter 11 Population: Distribution, Density, Growth and Composition

Distribution of Population

Distribution of population means how population is distributed in any given area. In India, spatial pattern of population distribution is very uneven. As some areas are sparsely populated whereas others are denses. These states can be categorised into three categories:

State with High Population Uttar Pradesh (highest population), Maharashtra, Bihar, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh. These states together account for 76% of population.

States with Moderate Population Assam, Haryana, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Kerala, Punjab, Goa.

States with Low Population Hilly and tribal areas like Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, all North-Eastern state (except Assam) and Union Territories excluding Delhi.

Density of Population

Population density means number of person living in per unit area. According to 2011 census, in India 382 person live in per sq km of area. Over the last 50 years the population density has recorded an increase of about 260 persons per sq km, as ranging from 117 persons/sq km in 1951 to 382 persons/sq km in 2011.

Spatial Pattern of Population Density in India

Spatial pattern of population density is also uneven in India. For example:

States/UTs having High Density of population

States Bihar (1106 highest), West Bengal (1028), Kerala (860), Uttar Pradesh (829),

UTs Delhi (11320 highest), Chandigrah (9258).

States/UTs having Moderate Density of Population Haryana (573), Tamil Nadu (555), Punjab (551), Jharkhand (414), Assam (398), Goa (394), Maharashtra (365) Tripura (350).

UTs Dadra andNagar Haveli (700).

States/UTs having Low Density of Population

States Arunachal Pradesh (17 Lowest), Mizoram (52), Jammu and Kashmir (56), Sikkim (86), Nagaland (119).

UTs Andaman and Nicobar islands (46 lowest).

Growth of Population

Growth of population refers to the changes occuring in the number of persons living in a particular area between two points of time. Its rate is expressed in percentage. Two components in population growth afe as follows:

Natural Growth It means the change occuring by the births and deaths in any area.

​Induced Growth It means the changes occurred by the volume of inward and outward movement in an area.

Phases of Population Growth
There are four different phases of population growth:
Phase-I (1901-1921) It is stagnant or stationary phase because of very low growth rate.
Phase-II (1921-1951) It is the period of steady population growth.
Phase-III (1951-1981) This period is known as the period of population explosion in India. Rapid fall in death rate and high fertility rate were the main causes of this explosion.
Phase-IV (Post 1981 till present) Growth rate has started down gradually because of downward trend in birth rate. But in developing countries like India, growth rate is still high. According to World Development Report by 2025, Indian population will surpass the figure of 1350 million.

Regional Variation in Population Growth
The spatial pattern of population growth in India is very uneven. It ranges from -0.58% (Negative) in Nagaland to 55.88% in Dadra and Nagar Haveli.

States/UTs having High Growth Rate of Population
States Meghalaya (27.95%), Arunachal Pradesh (26.03%), Bihar (25.42%), Manipur (24.50%), Jammu and Kashmir (23.64%).