Page 1 - Sub Topic2-LN

SAI International School
Grade-IX, Sub: Geography

Ch6- Population
Sub Topic2- India’s Population Distribution by Density,

Population Growth

Sub-topics Lesson Notes

India’s India’s Population Distribution by Density
Population
Distribution • Population density is calculated as the average number of persons per unit area.
by Density,
Population • The population density of India in the year 2011 was 382 persons per sq
Growth-(page km making it one of the most densely populated countries of the world.
no 55, 56)
• Densities vary from 1102 persons per sq km in Bihar to only 17 persons per sq
km in Arunachal Pradesh.

• The reasons for scarce population (250 or less persons per sq km) in some states
such as Meghalaya, Chhatisgarh etc. are rugged terrain and unfavourable climatic
conditions.

• Hilly, dissected and rocky nature of the terrain, moderate to low rainfall, shallow
and less fertile soils have influenced population in most of the Peninsular states to
have moderate density of population.

• The Northern Plains and Kerala in the south have high to very high population
densities because of the flat plains with fertile soils and abundant rainfall.

Population Growth

• Population Growth refers to the change in the number of inhabitants of a country
or territory during a specific period of time, say during the last ten years.

• The change can be expressed in two ways
→ in terms of absolute numbers
→ in terms of percentage change per year

• The absolute number is calculated by simply subtracting the earlier population
(e.g. that of 1991) from the later population (e.g. that of 2011). It is referred to as
the absolute increase.

• The rate of population is studied in percent per annum, e.g. a rate of increase of 2
percent per annum means that in a given year, there was an increase of two