In-text Activity Question 1:
“Study Fig. 5.1 and find out: of the world’s total population which continent has —
(a) only 5 per cent
(b) only 13 per cent
(c) only 1 per cent
(d) only 12 per cent”
Answer:
(a) North America has only 5%
(b) Africa has only 13%
(c) Oceania (Australia, New Zealand, and Pacific Islands) has only 1%
(d) Europe has only 12%
In-text Activity Question 2:
“Locate and label these countries on the outline map of the world.”
(Note: The question likely refers to marking the most populous countries mentioned in the book on a world map. These countries are China, India, United States of America, Indonesia, Brazil, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Russia, and Japan.)
Answer:
Students should locate and label the following countries on a world map:
- China (in Asia)
- India (in Asia)
- United States of America (in North America)
- Indonesia (in Asia)
- Brazil (in South America)
- Pakistan (in Asia)
- Bangladesh (in Asia)
- Nigeria (in Africa)
- Russia (part of Europe and Asia, commonly shown in northern Eurasia)
- Japan (in Asia)
In-text Activity Question 3:
“Look at Fig. 5.2 and find out: of these countries how many are in Asia? Colour them on a world map.”
Answer:
The most populous countries listed are China, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Japan in Asia. There are 6 countries in Asia. These countries should be colored on the world map.
Exercise Questions:
- Answer the following questions:
(i) “Why are people considered a resource?”
Answer:
People are considered a resource because they have knowledge, skills, and abilities. They use these to make other resources useful. With their ideas and hard work, people help a country grow and develop.
(ii) “What are the causes for the uneven distribution of population in the world?”
Answer:
The population is not spread evenly because of many reasons. Some places have good land, fresh water, good climate, and jobs, so more people live there. Other places are too hot, too cold, very dry, or have poor soil, so fewer people live there.
(iii) “The world population has grown very rapidly. Why?”
Answer:
The world population grew very fast because over time people had better food, cleaner water, and improved health care. This caused fewer deaths, while the number of babies born stayed high, leading to a rapid increase in population.
(iv) “Discuss the role of any two factors influencing population change.”
Answer:
Two factors are:
- Birth Rate: When more babies are born, the population grows.
- Death Rate: When fewer people die (because of better health and medicine), the population can grow faster.
(v) “What is meant by population composition?”
Answer:
Population composition means the way we describe the people of a place. It includes details like how many are men, women, children, old people, how educated they are, what work they do, and how healthy they are.
(vi) “What are population pyramids? How do they help in understanding about the population of a country?”
Answer:
A population pyramid is a special chart that shows the number of males and females in different age groups in a country. By looking at it, we can understand how many young and old people there are, and if the population is growing, stable, or shrinking.
- 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.
Answer: (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
Answer: (b) Births, deaths and migration
(iii) “In 1999, the world population reached”
(a) 1 billion
(b) 3 billion
(c) 6 billion
Answer: (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.
Answer: (a) A graphical presentation of the age, sex composition of a population.
- Complete the sentences below using some of the following words:
sparsely, favourable, fallow, artificial, fertile, natural, extreme, densely
“When people are attracted to an area it becomes …………… populated.
Factors that influence this include …………… climate; good supplies of …………… resources and …………… land.”
Answer:
“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.”
- Activity:
“Discuss the characteristics of a society with ‘too many under 15s’ and one with ‘too few under 15s’.”
Answer (Hints for Discussion):
- A society with too many under 15s:
This place will need more schools, more teachers, and more toys. There will be many young people growing up, so in the future, there will be a large workforce. But right now, they depend on adults for food, health care, and education. - A society with too few under 15s:
This place will have fewer children, so it may not need as many schools and teachers. In the future, there may be fewer young workers. There could be more elderly people, so they may need more hospitals, care homes, and wheelchairs. There might be fewer workers to support older people, which can affect the country’s growth.