CBSE Class 8 Geography Chapter 5 Human Resources Notes

CBSE Class 8 Geography Chapter 5 Human Resources Distribution of Population

The way in which people are spread across the Earth’s surface is known as the pattern of population distribution. Over 90% of the world’s population lives on only about 30% of the land.

Population distribution is uneven. Some areas are very crowded, like South and South-East Asia, Europe and North-Eastern North America and some areas have very few people, like high latitude areas, tropical deserts, high mountains, and equatorial forests.

More people live in the North of the Equator in the South. About three-quarters of the world’s population live in Asia and Africa. 60% of world’s population live in just 10 countries having more than 100 million people.

Factors Affecting Distribution of Population

Factors affecting distribution of population can be divided into geographical factors and social, cultural and economic factors. These are

Geographical Factors

• Topography People like to live on plains over mountains and plateaus because plains are better for farming, manufacturing and services. The Ganga plains are more populated than mountains like Andes and Alps.
• Climate People avoid extreme hot or cold climates, such as the Sahara desert and Polar regions of Russia, Canada and America.
• Soil Fertile soils provide suitable land for agriculture. Thus, fertile plains such as Ganga and Brahmaputra in India, Hwang-He and Chang Jiang in China, and the Nile in Egypt are heavily populated.
• Water People prefer to live in areas where fresh water is available. Thus, river valleys are densely populated, while deserts have fewer people.
• Minerals Areas with mineral deposits are more populated. Thus, diamond mines of South Africa and discovery of oil in the Middle East lead to people settling in these areas.

Social, Cultural and Economic Factors

• Social Areas of better housing, education and health facilities are more densely populated, e.g. Pune.
• Cultural Places with religious or cultural importance, like Varanasi, Jerusalem, and Vatican City are more populated.
• Economic The industrial areas that provide employment opportunities are more populated, e.g. Osaka in Japan and Mumbai in India.

CBSE Class 8 Geography Chapter 5 Human Resources Density of Population

Population density is the number of people living in a unit area of the Earth’s surface. It is normally expressed in per square km.

The average population density in the world is 51 persons per square km. South Central Asia has the highest density, followed by East and South East-Asia.

CBSE Class 8 Geography Chapter 5 Human Resources Population Change

The population change refers to change in the number of people during a specific time. World population is unstable due to changes in the number of births and deaths. Unitil 1800s, world population used to grow slowly because many babies were born, although they died early due to poor health facilities and food shortages.

In 1804, the world had 1 billion people, which reached to 3 billion in 1959. This is often called population explosion. In 1999, population doubled to 6 billion due to better food supplies and medicine, high number of births and low number of deaths.

Factors Affecting Population Change

The factors that affect population change are birth rate, death rate, natural growth rate and migration.

Birth Rate is the number of live births per 1,000 people.

Death Rate is the number of live deaths per 1,000 people.

The difference between the birth rate and the death rate of a country is called the natural growth rate. The increase in natural growth rate led to increase in world population.

Migration is the movement of people in and out of an area. It is another way by which population size changes. It is classified as

• Immigrants or in-migration When a person enters a new country, it is known as in-migration.
• Emigrants or out-migration When a person leaves a country, it is know as emigration.

Countries like the United States and Australia have gained more population due to immigration while Sudan has experienced a loss in population due to emigration.

The trend of international migration is from less developed nations to more developed nations for better employment opportunities and within countries. People often move within countries from rural to urban areas for employment, education and healthcare.

Patterns of Population Change

The rates of population growth vary across the world. World total population is increasing rapidly, but not all countries are experiencing this growth.

Some countries like Kenya have high population growth rates due to high birth and death rates in the past. However, with better healthcare, death rates have decreased, but birth rates remain high, resulting in high growth rates.

In other countries like the United Kingdom, population growth is slowing down because of both low death and low birth rates.

CBSE Class 8 Geography Chapter 5 Human Resources Population Composition

People vary greatly in their age, sex, literacy level, health condition, occupation and income level.

Population composition refers to the structure of the population. It helps us to know more about the people in a country, like how many are males or females, their ages, education, occupations, income levels and health conditions.

Population Pyramid

Population pyramid, also called an age-sex pyramid, is a way to study the population composition of a country. It shows the following.

• The total population divided into various age groups, e.g. 5 to 9 years, 10 to 14 years.
• The percentage of the total population, subdivided into males and females, in each of those groups.
• The shape of the population pyramid give information about the people living in a particular country. The number of children (below 5 years) are shown at the bottom and reflect the level of births. The size of the top of pyramid shows the number of aged people (above 65 years) and the level of deaths.
• The population pyramid gives information about the number of dependents in a country. There are two types of dependents, young dependents (below 15 years of age) and elderly dependents (above 65 years of age). The people of working age are economically active.

Population Pyramid of Different Countries

Kenya

In countries with high birth and death rates like Kenya, the pyramid is broad at the base and narrow towards the top. This is because many children are born, but a large percentage of them die in their infancy. Relatively, some of these children become adult and there are very few old people.

India

In countries with decreasing death rates like India, the pyramid is broad in the younger age groups because more children survive to adulthood. Such populations consists of a large number of young people which means a strong and expanding labour force.

Japan

In countries with low birth rates and low death rates like Japan, the pyramid is narrow at the base and they have more old age people.

Question 1. Study figure 5.1 (NCERT textbook page 45) 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

(b) Africa

(c) Oceania

(d) Europe

Question 2. Answer the following questions

(1) Why are people considered a resource?

Answer. People are considered a resources because they have the knowledge, skills and abilities to create, use and manage other resources.

Nature’s resources becomes important only when people find it and make it useful for them.”

(2) What are the causes for the uneven distribution of population in the world?

Answer. The causes and factors for the uneven distribution of population in the world are

• Topography People like to live on plains over mountains and plateaus because plains are better for farming, manufacturing and services. The Ganga plains are more populated than mountains like Andes and Apls.
• Climate People avoid extreme hot or cold climates, such as the Sahara desert and Polar regions of Russia, Canada and America.
• Soil Fertile soils provide suitable land for agriculture. Thus, fertile plains such as Ganga and Brahmaputra in India, Hwang-He and Chang Jiang in China, and the Nile in Egypt are heavily populated.
• Water People prefer to live in areas where fresh water is available. Thus, river valleys are densely populated, while deserts have fewer people.
• Minerals Areas with mineral deposits are more populated. Thus, diamond mines of South Africa and discovery of oil in the Middle East lead to people settling in these areas.

(3) The world population has grown very rapidly. Why?

Answer. The world population has grown very rapidly because of many factors which are as follows

• Rapid increase in natural growth rate.
• Eradication of many deadly dangerous diseases. Le improvement in medical facilities
• Migration of the people from developing countries to developed nations.
• Growth in food supplies.

(4) Discuss the role of any two factors influencing population change.

Answer. The main factors influencing population change are

• Birth Rate It is the number of live births per 1,000 people. High birth rates increases the population rapidly. A slow birth rate leads to a slow increase in the population
• Death Rate It is the number of live deaths per 1,000 people. A high death rate leads to a slow increase in population. A low death rate (as a result of increased healthcare facilities), along with no decrease in the birth rate, leads to an increase in population.

(5) What is meant by population composition?

Answer. Population composition refers to the structure of the population. It helps us to know the people in a country, like how many are males or females, their ages, education, occupations, income levels and health conditions.

(6) What are population pyramids? How do they help in understanding about the population of a country?

Answer. Population pyramids are visual representations that help us understand the population of a country. It is also called an age-sex pyramid.

It help to understand the population of a country in the following ways

• Population pyramids divide the total population into age groups, like 5-9 years or 10-14 years, showing how many people are in each group.
• They also show the percentage of males and females in each age group, helping us see the gender balance in the population.
• The pyramid’s shape reveals important information. A wide base indicates births of many children, while a wide top means deaths of more elderly people.
• By looking at the pyramid, we can see how many young dependents (below 15 years) and elderly dependents (above 65 years) are there.
• Population pyramids help us to understand the country’s economic potential. A broad base with more young people can mean a strong labor force, while a narrow base with more elderly people may indicate an aging population.

Question 3. Tick the correct answer.

(1) What 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.

(2) 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.

(3) In 1999, the world population reached

(a) 1 billion

(b) 3 billion

(c) 6 billion

Answer. (c) 6 billion

(4) 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.

Question 4. 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 (1)…………. populated. Factors that influence this include (2)… …………climate; good supplies of (3) ……….resources and (4)……… land.

Answer. (1) densely

(2) favourable

(3) natural

(4) fertile

Question 5. Discuss the characteristics of a society with “too many under 15’s” and one with “too few under 15’s”

Hint: Need for schools, pension schemes, teachers, toys, wheel chairs, labour supply, hospitals.

Answer. People of different age groups have different requirements. If a society has too many under 15s, it will require more teachers, toys, schools as per the needs of children and labour supply will be less.

If a society has too few under 15s, it implies that it has more adult population which will require more pension schemes, hospitals, wheel chairs and labour supply will be more.

CBSE Class 8 Geography Chapter 5 Human Resources Review Exercise

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)

Question 1. Human resources differ from one another in respect of

1. age
2. educational level
3. sex
4. All of these

Answer. 4. All of these

Question 2. The highest density of the population in the world is in

1. South Central Asia
2. Europe
3. South America
4. None of these

Answer. 1. South Central Asia

Question 3. What is the average population density of the world?

(Persons per sq. km).

1. 10
2. 100
3. 51
4. 300

Answer. 3. 51

Question 4. Most of the people usually prefer to live in

1. plains
2. equatorial forest area
3. high mountains
4. high altitude areas

Answer. 1. plains

Question 5. The factors which influence population change are

1. birth rate
2. death rate
3. migration
4. All of these

Answer. 4. All of these

Question 6. The country which have high growth rate of population is

1. Kenya
2. New Zealand
3. Brazil
4. Egypt

Answer. 1. Kenya

Question 7. Raj and Neha were talking about the high birth and death rate in their country. What would the population pyramid of their country look like?

1. Broad at the base and rapidly narrows towards the top.
2. Broad at the base and top.
3. Narrow at the base and broad towards the top.
4. Narrow at the base and narrower at the top.

Answer. 1. Broad at the base and rapidly narrows towards the top.

Question 8. Identify the country from the information given below.

(1) Both birth and death rates are high.

(2) Population pyramid is broad at the base and rapidly narrows towards the top.

1. Kenya
2. Japan
3. India
4. U.S.A

Answer. 1. Kenya

Question 9. Which one of the following statements is incorrect?

1. Human resources like other resources are equally distributed over the world.

2. South and South-East Asia, Europe and North-Eastern part of North America are the crowded areas.

1. Only 1
2. Both 1 and 2
3. Only 2
4. None of these

Answer. 1. Only 1

Question 10. Which one of the following statements is correct?

1. The people avoid living in extreme climatic conditions.

2. The United Kingdom is a country with a low population growth rate.

1. Only 1
2. Both 1 and 2
3. Only 2
4. None of these

Answer. 2. Both 1 and 2

Question 11. Arrange the following countries, according to their population from larger to smaller.

1. Nigeria

2. Pakistan

3. India

4. USA

5. Japan

1. 3, 2, 1, 4, 5
2. 1, 2, 3, 5, 4
3. 3, 4, 2, 5, 1
4. 3, 4, 2, 1, 5

Answer. 4. 3, 4, 2, 1, 5

Question 12. Arrange the following countries, according to their area from larger to smaller.

1. Russia

2. India

3. China

4. United States

5. Brazil

6. Argentina

1. 1, 2, 4, 6, 3, 5
2. 1, 3, 4, 5, 2, 6
3. 4, 3, 6, 2, 1, 6
4. 3, 4, 1, 6, 5, 2

Answer. 2. 1, 3, 4, 5, 2, 6

CBSE Class 8 Geography Chapter 5 Human Resources Match the Following

Question 1.

1. A – 4, B – 3, C – 2, D – 1
2. A – 3, B – 2, C – 1, D – 4
3. A – 2, B – 1, C – 4, D – 3
4. A – 1, B – 2, C – 4, D – 3

Answer. 1. A – 4, B – 3, C – 2, D – 1

Question 2.

1. A – 4, B – 3, C – 1, D – 2
2. A – 3, B – 2, C – 1, D – 4
3. A – 2, B – 1, C – 4, D – 3
4. A – 1, B – 2, C – 4, D – 3

Answer. 1. A – 4, B – 3, C – 1, D – 2

CBSE Class 8 Geography Chapter 5 Human Resources Fill in the Blanks

Question 1. The… are the most densely populated areas of the world.

Answer. Ganga Plains

Question 2. ….. in Japan and …… in India are two densely populated areas.

Answer. Osaka, Mumbai

Question 3. Varanasi, Jerusalem and Vatican city are some examples of ……. factors.

Answer. religious or cultural

Question 4. In 1999, less than 30 years later, the population doubled to… billion.

Answer. 6

Question 5. The government of India has Ministry of Human Resource Development which was created in….

Answer. 1985

CBSE Class 8 Geography Chapter 5 Human Resources True/False

Question 1. Population is unevenly distributed in the world.

Answer. True

Question 2. Deaths are usually measured using the death rate.

Answer. True

Question 3. Emigrants are people who arrive in a country.

Answer. False

Question 4. The age group 0-15 comes under the economically dependent group.

Answer. True

Question 5. Green land has the lowest population density.

Answer. True

CBSE Class 8 Geography Chapter 5 Human Resources Assertion-Reason

Question 1. Assertion (A) The population pyramid can help determine the dependency ratio in a country.

Reason (R) Dependents in a population pyramid are categorised into young dependents and elderly dependents, while those of working age are economically active.

(a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A

(b) Both A and R are true, but R is not the correct explanation of A

(c) A is true, but R is false

(d) A is false, but R is true

Answer. (a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A

Question 2. Assertion (A) In countries like Japan, low birth rates make the population pyramid narrow at the base.

Reason (R) Decreased death rates allow a significant number of people to reach old age.

(a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A

(b) Both A and R are true, but R is not the correct explanation of A

(c) A is true, but R is false

(d) A is false, but R is true

Answer. (a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A

CBSE Class 8 Geography Chapter 5 Human Resources Picture Based Questions

Question 1. Look at the picture given below and answer the question that follows.

According to the population chart, what is Brazil’s rank in the world?

(a) 2nd

(b) 4th

(c) 5th

(d) 3rd

Answer. (c) 5th

Question 2. Look at the picture given below and answer the question that follows.

Which factor has contributed to high population growth rates in Kenya?

(a) High birth rates and low death rates

(b) Low birth rates and high death rates

(c) High birth rates and high death rates

(d) Low birth rates and low death rates

Answer. (a) High birth rates and low death rates

CBSE Class 8 Geography Chapter 5 Human Resources Case Based Question

Question 1. Read the given passage and answer the following questions.

The way in which people are spread across the Earth’s surface is known as the pattern of population distribution. More than 90 per cent of the world’s population lives in about 30 per cent of the land surface. The distribution of population in the world is extremely uneven. Some areas are very crowded and some are sparsely populated. The crowded areas are South and South-East Asia, Europe and North-Eastern North America.

Very few people live in high-latitude areas, tropical deserts, high mountains and areas of equatorial forests. Many more people live North of the Equator than South of the Equator. Almost three-quarters of the world’s people live in two continents Asia and Africa. Sixty per cent of the world’s people live in just 10 countries. All of them have more than 100 million people.

(1) What does the text imply about the distribution of the world’s population?

(a) It is evenly spread across all regions.

(b) It is primarily concentrated in low-lying areas.

(c) It is highly uneven, with some areas densely populated and others sparsely populated.

(d) It is mostly located in regions with a Mediterranean climate.

(2) What is the significance of the distribution of population in relation to a country’s economic development?

(a) It has no impact on a country’s economic development.

(b) It is the primary factor determining a country’s economic development.

(c) It can affect a country’s economic development. but other factors also play a role.

(d) It is directly correlated with a country’s political stability.

(3) Which of the following factors is not mentioned in the text as contributing to uneven population distribution?

(a) Health conditions

(b) Occupation

(c) Income level

(d) All of the above

(4) What does a narrow population pyramid at the base and a wider top indicate in a country’s population distribution?

(a) High birth rates and low death rates

(b) Low birth rates and high death rates

(c) High birth rates and high death rates

(d) Low birth rates and low death rates

Answer. (1) (c) It is highly uneven, with some areas densely populated and others sparsely populated.

(2) (c) It can affect a country’s economic development, but other factors also play a role.

(3) (d) All of the above

(4) (b) Low birth rates and high death rates.

CBSE Class 8 Geography Chapter 5 Human Resources Very Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1. What do you understand by population distribution?

Answer. Population distribution is the way in which people are spread across the Earth’s surface.

Question 2. Which geographical factors are responsible for distribution of population?

Answer. Geographical factors responsible for population of distribution are topography, climate, availability at water, mineral deposits, soil.

Question 3. What do you mean by population?

Answer. Population refers to the number of people living in a particular region.

Question 4. What are the people called who have come from other countries?

Answer. People who have come from other countries are called immigrants.

Question 5. What is emigration?

Answer. Emigration is the movement of people to other countries.

Question 6. What is the general trend of international migrations?

Answer. The general trend of international migration is from less developed nations to more developed nations in search of better employment opportunities.

Question 7. What do you understand about life expectancy?

Answer. Life expectancy is the number of years that an average person can expect to live.

Question 8. Name the country with slowing growth rate of population.

Answer. United Kingdom is the country with slowing growth rate of population.

Question 9. What do you mean by population explosion?

Answer. Population explosion is a sudden and rapid increase in population.

Question 10. Define the sex ratio.

Answer. Sex ratio is the proportion of males and females in a given population. It is expressed as the number of males per 100 females.

Question 11. What is a population pyramid?

Answer. Population pyramid, also called an age-sex pyramid, is a way to study the population composition of a country.

Question 12. What kind of youth is the future of our country?

Answer. Skilled, spirited and hopeful youth endowed with a positive outlook is the future of any country.

CBSE Class 8 Geography Chapter 5 Human Resources Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1. Factors affecting population distribution can be divided into geographical and social, cultural and economic factors. Explain the social, cultural and economic factors of population distribution.

Answer. Social, cultural and economic factors of population distribution are

• Social Areas of better housing, education and health facilities are more densely populated, e.g. Pune.
• Cultural Places with religious or cultural importance, like Varanasi, Jerusalem, and Vatican City are more populated.
• Economic The industrial areas that provide employment opportunities. Thus these areas are more populated, e.g. Osaka in Japan and Mumbai in India.

Question 2. Explain why the Ganga plains have high population density and polar regions have low population density?

Answer. Ganga plains have high population density because plains have fertile soils for agriculture, abundant water resources from rivers and rainfall for agricultural and other human activities. These also have favourable climate for human habitation.

Low population density of Polar regions is due to their extreme climate with very cold weather. It makes difficult for people to live in these regions. Polar regions also lack many resources that are essential for human habitation such as food, water and shelter.

Question 3. What is birth rate? How can we measure births?

Answer. Birth rate is one of the influencing factors of population change.

Births are usually measured using the birth rate i.e. the number of live births per 1000 people. When birth rate is more than death rate, it is population increase.

Question 4. What do you understand by the term death rate? How deaths are measured?

Answer. Death rate is an influencing factor of population change.

Deaths are usually measured using the death rate i.e. the number of deaths per 1000 people. When death rate is more than birth rate, it is population decrease.

Question 5. Why is the population pyramid of Kenya broad at the base and narrow towards the top?

Answer. The population pyramid of Kenya is broad at the base and narrow towards the top because of the following

• Many children are born, but a large percentage of them die in their infancy.
• Some of these children become adult and there are very few old people.

Question 6. Explain the population pyramid of Japan.

Answer. The population pyramid of Japan is narrow at the base which indicates that there are a relatively small number of young people in the population and Japan has low birth rate. Decreased death rates allow less number of people to reach old age. The working population is more compared to the children and old population in Japan.

Question 7. Analyse the population pyramid of India.

Answer. In countries with decreasing death rates like India, the population pyramid is broad in the younger age groups because more children survive to adulthood.

Such populations consists of a large number of young people which means a strong and expanding labour force.

CBSE Class 8 Geography Chapter 5 Human Resources Long Answer Type Questions

Question 1. Describe the distribution of population in the world.

Answer. The distribution of population in the world is extremely uneven. Some areas are very crowded and some are sparsely populated. It can be understood from the following points.

• More than 90 per cent of the world’s population lives in about 10 per cent of the land surface.
• The densely populated areas are South and South-East Asia, Europe and North-Eastern North America.
• The sparsely populated areas are high latitude areas. tropical deserts, high mountains and areas of equatorial forests.
• Almost three-quarters of the world’s people live in two continents Asia and Africa.
• Sixty per cent of the uneven distribution of people stay in just 10 countries. All of them have more than a 100 million people.

Question 2. The quality of people is more important than quantity. Eludicate.

Answer. The quality of people is more important than quantity for several reasons

• Quality human resources, including education, skills, and motivation, lead to higher productivity, boosting a nation’s economy.
• Educated individuals drive innovation and technological progress.
• Quality human resources address societal challenges, promote social harmony, and contribute to community development.
• Healthy, educated individuals need less government assistance.
• A high-quality workforce attracts investment and participates effectively in global markets.
• Quality human resources adapt to changing landscapes for long-term sustainability.

Question 3. Migration has positive and negative impact on a country or an area. Describe.

Answer. Migration can have both positive and negative impacts on a country or an area.

On the positive side,

• Migrants often bring new skills and ideas to their new countries, which can boost the economy.
• Migration can help to introduce new cultures and perspectives to a country.
• Migrants can help to fill labour shortages in certain industries.
• Migrants pay taxes, which can help to fund government programs and services.

On the negative side.

• Migrants can compete with native born workers for jobs and housing which can lead to social tensions.
• Some studies have shown that crime rates are higher in areas with high levels of immigration.
• Migration can lead to cultural clashes and social tensions between different groups of people.
• Migration can lead to increased urbanisation and population.

Question 4. What are the bad effects of population explosion on society?

Answer. Bad effects of population explosion on our society are

• Population explosion creates pressure upon resources as there are more people and their quick depletion.
• An increased number of poverty-stricken individuals as little food is distributed among more people, then starvation, malnutrition or poor diet with ill health and diet-deficiency diseases would increase.
• Loss of natural environment (forests and such) and loss of ecosystems because they are destroyed to make way for farming and urban developments to accommodate the rising population.
• Irreversible loss of fertile land and increase in decertification.

Question 5. How does population pyramid help in understanding the population of the country?

Answer. Population pyramid help in understanding the population of the country in the following ways

• It shows the total population which is divided into various age groups. For example, 5 to 9 years, 10 to 14 years.
• it shows the percentage of the total population, sub divided into males and females, in each of those groups.
• It shows the numbers of children (below 15 years) at the bottom and reflect the level of births.
• The size of the top of population pyramid shows the numbers of aged people (above 65 years) and reflects the number of deaths.

Question 6. What do you mean by population composition? Explain in detail.

Answer. Population composition refers to the structure of a population, which helps us understand the characteristics of the people living in a particular area

Population composition includes information about the different age groups within a population, such as children, adults, and the elderly. It involves understanding the gender balance within the population, specifying the number of males and females.

Population composition looks at the literacy and educational levels of the people, indicating the extent of education in the area It provides detalle about the types of jobs people are engaged in and their income levels, which are vital for assessing the economie activity in a region.

Population composition also considers the health conditions of the population, helping in evaluating the overall well being and healthcare needs of the community.

CBSE Class 8 Geography Chapter 5 Human Resources Picture Based Question

Question 1. Given below Image is the population pyramid of Kenya.

Briefly elaborate what does the population pyramid of Kenya signifies?

Answer. The population pyramid of Kenya represents that birth rate and death rates both are high in Kenya. It is represented by broad base and rapidly narrow towards top in the pyramid.

CBSE Class 8 Geography Chapter 5 Human Resources Case Based Question

Question 1. Read the source given below and answer the following questions.

Topography People always prefer to live on plains rather than mountains and plateaus because these areas are suitable for farming, manufacturing, and service activities. The Ganga plains are the most densely populated areas of the world while mountains like Andes, Alps and Himalayas are sparsely populated.

Climate People usually avoid extreme climates that are very hot or very cold like the Sahara Desert, polar regions of Russia, Canada and Antarctica.

Soil Fertile soils provide suitable land for agriculture. Fertile plains such as Ganga and Brahmaputra in India, Hwang-He, Chang Jiang In China and the Nile in Egypt are densely populated.

Water People prefer to live in areas where fresh water is easily available. The river valleys of the world are densely populated while deserts have spare populations.

Minerals Areas with mineral deposits are more populated. Diamond mines in South Africa and the discovery of oll in the Middle East led to the settling of people in these areas.

Social Areas of better housing, education and health facilities are more densely populated e.g., Pune.

Cultural Places with religion or cultural significance attract people. Varanasi, Jerusalem and Vatican City are some examples.

Economic Industrial areas provide employment opportunities. A large number of people are attracted to these areas. Osaka in Japan and Mumbai in India are two densely populated areas.

(1) What geographical factor contributes to the high population density in the Ganga plains?

Answer. The geographical factor that contributes to the high population density in the Ganga plains is the fertile soil which is suitable for agriculture.

(2) Why do people generally avoid living in extreme climates like the Sahara Desert or Polar regions?

Answer. Generally people avoid living in extreme climates because they are very hot or very cold and are unfavourable for humans.

(3) What economic factor can lead to higher population density in industrial areas?

Answer. The economic factor that can lead to higher population density in industrial areas are that industrial areas provide employment opportunities, attracting a large number of people.

CBSE Class 8 Geography Chapter 5 Human Resources Map Based Question

Question 1. Look at the given figure and find out: Of these countries how many are in Asia? Locate them on a world map.

Answer. The countries in Asia are China, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Japan.