Question

Which factors affect the distribution of population of India?

Answer 1

1. Natural Factors:
   1. Climate: The population is greater in temperate and fertile plains, such as the Ganges and Brahmaputra plains. Populations are low in extremely hot, dry, or extremely cold areas.
   2. Soil fertility: Areas with fertile soil, such as Punjab and Haryana, have higher population density due to favourable farming conditions.
   3. Availability of water: Population is high in areas around rivers and lakes because water is essential for life.
2. economic factors:
   1. Employment Opportunities: Industrial areas and metros have more population where there are more employment opportunities. For example, Mumbai, Delhi, and Bangalore.
   2. Trade and Commerce: Population is higher in trading centres and port cities.
3. Socio-cultural factors:
   1. Impact of religious places: India has a large number of religious places, and these places often become centres of large populations. Pilgrimage and religious events attract people to these places, increasing the population density in those areas. For example, cities like Varanasi, Amritsar, and Tirupati are centers of religious importance and hence tend to be more populous.
   2. Social relations and caste system: Caste system and social relations in Indian society have a deep impact on population distribution. Depending on caste and community, people often prefer to settle near each other, leading to higher population density in some areas.

Answer 2

1. In India, population is very unevenly distributed. Physiography and climate play an important role in the distribution of population.
2. Due to the fertile land, plain land, and availability of water, human settlements have been established in these parts for many centuries.
3. In farming, industries, and trade, the proportion of the population got concentrated in few places. e.g., the northern plains of the country, such as Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Pune, Bengaluru, Chennai, etc.
4. On the contrary, in mountainous, hilly regions, dry desert areas, and dense forest areas, density is sparse because of inaccessibility, absence of facilities, and tough life.