1) Answer the following questions:
(i) Why are people considered a resource?
Answer: People are considered a resource because it is through their capabilities, knowledge, and skills that natural resources are transformed into valuable assets. Healthy, educated, and motivated individuals contribute significantly to the development of a society and economy, making human resources the most vital asset for any nation.
(ii) What are the causes for the uneven distribution of population in the world?
Answer: The uneven distribution of population in the world is primarily due to geographical factors such as topography, climate, soil fertility, and water availability. Social, cultural, and economic factors, such as urbanization, industrialization, employment opportunities, and cultural significance of locations, also play significant roles.
(iii) The world population has grown very rapidly. Why?
Answer: The rapid growth in world population is mainly attributed to significant reductions in mortality rates due to improvements in medical, nutritional, and hygienic standards, while birth rates have remained relatively high in many regions. This discrepancy between high birth rates and lower death rates has led to a population explosion, especially after the 1800s.
(iv) Discuss the role of any two factors influencing population change.
Answer: Two significant factors influencing population change are health care improvements and migration. Advances in health care have reduced death rates and increased life expectancy, contributing to population growth. Migration affects population size and composition by relocating individuals and groups, influencing both the areas people migrate from and the areas they move to.
(v) What is meant by population composition?
Answer: Population composition refers to the structure of a population based on characteristics such as age, sex, literacy level, occupational status, and health conditions. Understanding these aspects helps in assessing the demographic profile and the potential human resource of a country.
(vi) What are population pyramids? How do they help in understanding about the population of a country?
Answer: Population pyramids are graphical representations that show the age and sex distribution of a country’s population. They help in understanding the population composition, including the proportion of young and elderly dependents, and the working-age population, providing insights into the population’s growth trends, economic development potential, and social structures.
2) Tick the correct answer:
(i) Which does the term population distribution refer to?
(a) How population in a specified area changes over time.
(b) The number of people who die in relation to the number of people born in a specified area.
(c) The way in which people are spread across a given area.
(ii) Which are three main factors that cause population change?
(a) Births, deaths and marriage
(b) Births, deaths and migration
(c) Births, deaths and life expectancy
(iii) In 1999, the world population reached
(a) 1 billion
(b) 3 billion
(c) 6 billion
(iv) What is a population pyramid?
(a) A graphical presentation of the age, sex composition of a population.
(b) When the population density of an area is so high that people live in tall buildings.
(c) Pattern of population distribution in large urban areas.
3) Complete the sentences below using some of the following words:
When people are attracted to an area it becomes densely populated
Factors that influence this include favourable climate; good supplies of natural resources and fertile land.