:Ch 6 Human Resources

1. Answer the following questions.

(i) Why are people considered a resource? 
Answer :People are the greatest resource of the nation since they can make the best use of nature to create more resources when they have the knowledge, skill and technology to do so. It is people with their demands and abilities that help in extracting the usefulness of all other resources.
 (ii) What are the causes for the uneven distribution of population in the world? 
Answer: The distribution of population in the world is uneven - some areas are very crowded while some are sparsely populated. There are various reasons behind uneven distribution:
→ Geographical factors: Favourable topography, availability of mineral and fresh water , favourable climate and soil fertility are some of the reasons affecting population distribution e.g., Indo Gangetic Plains, Diamond Mines of South Africa etc are densely populated.
→ Social and Cultural factors: Areas of better housing, education and health facilities are more populated. Places of religious and cultural significance also attract people e.g., Varanasi, Jerusalem etc.
→ Economic factors: Places having more industries, transportation and communication facilities provide better employment opportunities. People are attracted to these  e.g., Mumbai, Osaka etc.

(iii) The world population has grown very rapidly. Why?
Answer: The world population has grown very rapidly because the death rate has gone down as a result of the growth of food supplies and the improvement of medical facilities. Also, unlike the death rate, the birth rate has remained quite high.

(iv) Discuss the role of any two factors influencing population change.
Answer :The birth rate and the death rate are two factors that influence population change. The birth rate is the number of live births per 1000 people while the death rate is the number of deaths per 1000 people. These are the natural causes of population change. When the birth rate is higher than the death rate, population increases. When the death rate is more than the birth rate, population decreases. When the two rates are equal, the population remains constant. Thus, the birth and death rates affect the balance of population.

(v) What is meant by population composition?
Answer: Population composition refers to the structure of the population. Population composition helps to know the number of males or female, their age-groups, literacy, their occupation, their income level and health conditions etc.

(vi) What are population pyramids? How do they help in understanding about the population of a country?
Answer :The graphical illustration that is used for studying the population composition of a country is called population pyramids. It shows :-

1)the present number of males and females in a country along with their age groups. 

2)The population of different age group.

3)The number of dependents and the number of economically active individuals present in the population.

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.
► (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
 ► (b) Births, deaths and migration
 

(iii) In 1999, the world population reached
(a) 1 billion
(b) 3 billion
(c) 6 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
 ► (a) A graphical presentation of the age, sex composition of a population.

Key Words  :

• Human Resources: Human beings who are healthy, educated, and mentally strong can prove to be useful for a country or community and are treated as resources themselves, called human resources.
• Population: The total number of people living in a particular region is said to be the population of that particular region.
• Pattern of Population Distribution: The way in which people are spread across the earth’s surface is known as the pattern of population distribution.
• Population Density: The average number of people living in a unit area of a particular region, calculated by dividing the total population of the region by the total area of that region, is called the population density of that region.
• Population Change: The change in the population, when described over a certain period of time, is called population change.
• Birth Rate: the number of live births per 1000 people.
• Death Rate:  the number of deaths per 1000 people.
• Life Expectancy: Life expectancy is the number of years that an average person can expect to live, calculated according to existing data for the particular region.
• Migration: Migration refers to the movement of people from one area to another.
• Natural growth Rate: The difference between the birth and death rate is called natural growth rate.
• Emigrants/Emigration: People leaving a country are called emigrants and the phenomenon is called emigration.