Geography — World, India and Andhra Pradesh for Group-I · Chapter 6

Population Geography of India and Andhra Pradesh

What to remember

Population geography studies how many people live where, how they grow, how they are made up (age, sex, literacy) and how they move; in India the Census, held every ten years, is the main source.
Density is people per sq km; sex ratio is females per 1,000 males; literacy is counted for people aged 7 years and above.
Migration and urbanisation change the map of population; Andhra Pradesh has a moderate level of urbanisation, with a dense coast and a thinly populated interior.

Basic terms

Population density: Number of persons per square kilometre. Formula: density = total population ÷ total area.
Physiological density: Population divided by net sown (cultivated) area.
Birth rate: Live births per 1,000 persons in a year. Death rate: Deaths per 1,000 persons in a year.
Natural growth rate: Birth rate minus death rate (migration is not counted).
Population growth: Natural growth plus net migration.
Sex ratio: Number of females per 1,000 males. Formula: (females ÷ males) × 1,000. India counts it this way; many other countries count males per 100 females.
Child sex ratio: The same ratio for the age group 0 to 6 years.
Literacy rate: The share of people aged 7 and above who can read and write with understanding in any language. The effective literacy rate uses the population aged 7 and above as the base.
Dependency ratio: Number of children (0-14) and elderly (60+ or 65+) per 100 persons of working age. A low ratio gives a "demographic dividend".

Census and growth

The Census of India is held every 10 years. It is the largest count of people, run by the Registrar General and Census Commissioner under the Home Ministry.
Year of great divide: Before 1921 population growth was slow or irregular because of famine and disease. After 1921 growth became steady and fast as death rate fell faster than birth rate.
Demographic transition: Stage 1 has high birth and high death rates. Stage 2 has falling death rate but high birth rate (fast growth). Stage 3 has falling birth rate. Stage 4 has low birth and low death rates. India is in the later part of stage 3.
Age structure: A large share of India's people is young. A population pyramid with a broad base shows a young population.

Distribution and density

Dense regions: The Ganga plain, the coastal plains and river deltas. Fertile soil, water and farming support many people.
Thin regions: The Himalayas, the north-east hills, the Thar desert and dense forest areas.
Large states: Uttar Pradesh has the largest population among states. Sikkim has one of the smallest. Arunachal Pradesh has very low density.
Andhra Pradesh: Density is higher in the Godavari and Krishna delta areas and around Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada and Guntur. It is lower in the dry interior of Rayalaseema and in the hill and forest tracts of the Eastern Ghats and Nallamala.

Sex ratio

Feature	Meaning or reason
Kerala	Sex ratio above 1,000; high literacy and women's health
Haryana and Punjab	Lower sex ratio; son preference, sex-selective practices
India overall	Below 1,000, with a long-term improvement
Child sex ratio	A better sign of discrimination; it fell in many states

Reasons for low sex ratio: Son preference, female foeticide and infanticide, poor care of girls, deaths of mothers in childbirth.
Law: The Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act bans sex determination. Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao is a national campaign.
AP: The sex ratio is close to balance and is better than the national figure. Coastal districts are not all alike; check the latest Census.

Literacy

Literacy is higher in urban areas than in rural areas, and higher among men than women.
Kerala is the leading state for literacy. Southern states generally do well. Bihar and some other states in the north have lower literacy.
AP: Overall literacy is below the national average, and the gap between men and women is large. Coastal Andhra is more literate than Rayalaseema and the tribal areas.
Promoting literacy: Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, Right to Education Act, Mid-day meal, Samagra Shiksha, adult education schemes.

Migration

Meaning: Movement of people from one place to another for a stay. Emigration is going out; immigration is coming in.
Internal migration: Rural to rural (mostly women, because of marriage), rural to urban (for jobs), urban to urban.
Push factors: Poverty, drought, unemployment, floods, conflict. Pull factors: Jobs, better wages, schools, health care.
Consequences: Money sent home (remittances), growth of slums, pressure on city services, loss of workers in villages.
AP:
Seasonal migration of workers from dry Rayalaseema and from north coastal Andhra to cities and other states.
Movement from villages to Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada, Guntur and Tirupati.
Migration of workers to the Gulf countries and abroad for jobs.

Urbanisation

Urban area (Census): A statutory town (with a municipality, corporation or cantonment board) or a census town. A census town has at least 5,000 persons, at least 400 persons per sq km, and at least 75 per cent of male workers in non-farm work.
Urban agglomeration: A town with its adjoining outgrowths.
Million-plus city: A city with at least one million people.
Problems: Slums, traffic, pollution, water and waste shortages, pressure on housing.
AP: The cities of Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada, Guntur, Nellore, Kurnool and Tirupati lead. Visakhapatnam is the largest city. Urbanisation is higher on the coast. Amaravati is the capital project of the state.
Schemes: Smart Cities Mission, AMRUT (urban water and sewerage), Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban), Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban).

Occupational structure and quality of population

Workers: Main workers have work for more than six months of the year. Marginal workers have work for less than six months. Non-workers include students, children and those who do not seek work.
Sectors: Primary workers farm, fish or mine. Secondary workers make goods. Tertiary workers give services. In India the share of farm workers is falling while that of service workers is rising.
Human Development Index (HDI): It combines health (life expectancy), education (schooling) and income. Kerala does very well in health and education.
Population policy: India started the family planning programme early. The National Population Policy aims to bring down fertility and improve child and mother health. Total Fertility Rate (TFR) is the average number of children born to a woman in her life.
Infant mortality rate (IMR): Deaths of infants under one year per 1,000 live births. It shows the quality of health services.
Life expectancy: Average years a newborn can expect to live. It has risen in India with better health care.

Population problems and policy response

Pressure on resources: A large population needs more food, water, houses, schools and jobs. Land per person falls and forests are cleared for fields and towns.
Regional gaps: Some states have already reached low fertility, while others still grow fast. This makes planning of schools, health centres and jobs different in each region.
Ageing: As birth rate falls and life expectancy rises, the share of old people grows. Southern states, including AP, see this change earlier than most northern states.
Skill and jobs: A young population is an asset only when people get skills and work. Skill training, small industry and service jobs are the main answers.
Health and nutrition: National Health Mission, Anganwadi centres and the mid-day meal address mother and child health.

Exam traps

Sex ratio in India means females per 1,000 males, not males per 100 females.
Density is not the same as the total population; a big state can have a low density.
Natural growth rate leaves out migration.
Literacy is counted from age 7, not from age 15 or birth.
A census town is decided by size, density and male occupation, not by having a municipality (that is a statutory town).
The year of great divide is 1921, not the year of independence.
Child sex ratio is for 0-6 years, not for 0-14 years.
Rural-to-rural migration in India is mostly because of marriage.

One-liners

1. The Census of India is held every ten years.
2. Density = population ÷ area.
3. Sex ratio in India is females per 1,000 males.
4. The year of great divide in India's population history is 1921.
5. Literacy is counted for those aged 7 and above.
6. Kerala has a sex ratio above 1,000.
7. Uttar Pradesh has the largest population among states.
8. The PCPNDT Act bans sex determination.
9. A census town needs 5,000 people, 400 per sq km density and 75 per cent male non-farm workers.
10. A million-plus city has at least one million people.
11. Visakhapatnam is the largest city of Andhra Pradesh.
12. Natural growth = birth rate minus death rate.

Practice questions

In India, the sex ratio is expressed as the number of
1. males per 100 females
2. females per 100 males
3. males per 1,000 females
4. females per 1,000 males
Answer
D. females per 1,000 males
India uses females per 1,000 males.
Population density is defined as
1. population per household
2. population per square kilometre
3. births per 1,000 people
4. people per cultivated hectare only
Answer
B. population per square kilometre
Density = population ÷ area.
Literacy in the Indian Census is counted for persons aged
1. 18 years and above
2. 15 years and above
3. 5 years and above
4. 7 years and above
Answer
D. 7 years and above
Effective literacy uses the 7+ population.
The Census of India is conducted once in every
1. 20 years
2. 7 years
3. 5 years
4. 10 years
Answer
D. 10 years
It is a decennial census.
The year of the great divide in India's demographic history is
1. 1951
2. 1921
3. 1947
4. 1991
Answer
B. 1921
After 1921 the growth became steady and fast.
The natural growth rate of population is
1. birth rate minus migration
2. birth rate plus death rate
3. death rate minus migration
4. birth rate minus death rate
Answer
D. birth rate minus death rate
It does not count migration.
Which state is known for a sex ratio above 1,000?
1. Punjab
2. Haryana
3. Rajasthan
4. Kerala
Answer
D. Kerala
Kerala has more females than males.
Which state has the largest population among the Indian states?
1. Sikkim
2. Uttar Pradesh
3. Goa
4. Kerala
Answer
B. Uttar Pradesh
UP is the most populous state.
Moving out of a country is called
1. fertility
2. immigration
3. urbanisation
4. emigration
Answer
D. emigration
Immigration is coming in.
The PCPNDT Act bans
1. dowry
2. child marriage
3. sex determination before birth
4. child labour
Answer
C. sex determination before birth
It is aimed at preventing sex-selective abortions.
Which of the following is the largest city of Andhra Pradesh?
1. Kurnool
2. Visakhapatnam
3. Rajahmundry
4. Ongole
Answer
B. Visakhapatnam
Visakhapatnam is the largest city by population.
A city with at least one million people is called a
1. metropolitan village
2. census town
3. megalopolis only
4. million-plus city
Answer
D. million-plus city
It is the Census term for a large city.
Which is a push factor of migration?
1. Drought and unemployment
2. Better schools
3. Health care facilities
4. Good wages
Answer
A. Drought and unemployment
Push factors make people leave their place.
Rural-to-rural migration in India is mostly due to
1. higher studies
2. marriage
3. tourism
4. trade
Answer
B. marriage
Women move after marriage.
Which region of AP is likely to have lower population density?
1. Godavari delta
2. Visakhapatnam city area
3. Dry interior of Rayalaseema
4. Krishna delta
Answer
C. Dry interior of Rayalaseema
Dry land supports fewer people than fertile deltas.
The child sex ratio is measured for ages
1. 15 to 20 years
2. 0 to 6 years
3. 7 to 14 years
4. 0 to 14 years
Answer
B. 0 to 6 years
It shows the ratio of girl to boy children below 7.
Physiological density is the ratio of
1. population to total area
2. births to deaths
3. population to net sown area
4. males to females
Answer
C. population to net sown area
It shows pressure on farmland.
A census town must have at least
1. 10,000 population, 1,000 per sq km and 50 per cent female workers
2. 1 lakh population and a railway station
3. 2,000 population and a municipality
4. 5,000 population, 400 per sq km density and 75 per cent male non-farm workers
Answer
D. 5,000 population, 400 per sq km density and 75 per cent male non-farm workers
These are the Census criteria for a census town.
A statutory town differs from a census town because it
1. has a municipality, corporation or similar urban local body
2. has fewer people than a village
3. is always a state capital
4. has no local body
Answer
A. has a municipality, corporation or similar urban local body
Statutory status is given by law.
A country in stage 2 of demographic transition has
1. falling death rate and high birth rate
2. low birth and low death rates
3. high birth and high death rates
4. falling birth rate and rising death rate
Answer
A. falling death rate and high birth rate
This stage has rapid population growth.
Which is a likely result of rural-to-urban migration?
1. Fewer jobs in cities
2. More farm workers
3. Fall in city prices
4. Growth of slums in cities
Answer
D. Growth of slums in cities
Cities face pressure on housing and services.
Why does the Ganga plain have a high population density?
1. Cold climate
2. Thick forest cover
3. Fertile soil and plentiful water
4. Poor soils
Answer
C. Fertile soil and plentiful water
Farming supports many people.
A broad base in a population pyramid shows
1. an ageing population
2. a high death rate only
3. a decline in births
4. a young population
Answer
D. a young population
Many children and youth make the base broad.
Which scheme is aimed at urban water supply and sewerage?
1. PM-KISAN
2. AMRUT
3. PMGSY
4. MGNREGA
Answer
B. AMRUT
AMRUT = Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation.
Seasonal migration of labour in AP mostly takes place from
1. dry Rayalaseema and north coastal Andhra
2. Krishna delta only
3. Godavari delta only
4. Tirupati city only
Answer
A. dry Rayalaseema and north coastal Andhra
Poor and dry areas send out workers.
Which factor helps explain the low sex ratio in some northern states?
1. High female literacy
2. Son preference
3. High altitude
4. Heavy rain
Answer
B. Son preference
Son preference and sex selection lower the ratio.
Dependency ratio compares
1. males with females
2. rural with urban people
3. children and elderly with the working-age population
4. literate with illiterate
Answer
C. children and elderly with the working-age population
It shows how many non-workers each 100 workers support.
Which is the correct description of an urban agglomeration?
1. Rural area around a village
2. Two states with a city
3. A town together with its adjoining outgrowths
4. A city with fewer than 5,000 persons
Answer
C. A town together with its adjoining outgrowths
It is a continuous urban spread.
Which is the main reason for population growth after 1921?
1. Migration to India grew
2. Death rate fell faster than birth rate
3. Birth rate rose sharply
4. Famine increased
Answer
B. Death rate fell faster than birth rate
Better health care and food control cut deaths.
Which is a pull factor of migration to cities such as Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada?
1. Jobs and better wages
2. Low rainfall
3. Drought
4. Unemployment in the city
Answer
A. Jobs and better wages
Pull factors attract people towards a place.
Which measure is a better sign of gender bias at birth than the overall sex ratio?
1. Dependency ratio
2. Literacy rate
3. Density
4. Child sex ratio
Answer
D. Child sex ratio
It measures the 0-6 age group.
Consider the statements. 1. Density is calculated as population divided by area. 2. Sex ratio in India is males per 1,000 females. Which of the statements is/are correct?
1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2
Answer
A. 1 only
India uses females per 1,000 males, so only 1 is correct.
Consider the statements. 1. Literacy rate is counted for the 7+ age group. 2. Natural growth rate includes migration. Which of the statements is/are correct?
1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2
Answer
A. 1 only
Natural growth excludes migration.
Consider the statements. 1. Kerala has a sex ratio above 1,000. 2. Haryana has a lower sex ratio than Kerala. Which of the statements is/are correct?
1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2
Answer
C. Both 1 and 2
Both statements are correct.
Consider the statements. 1. Rural-to-rural migration in India is largely due to marriage. 2. Rural-to-urban migration is largely due to jobs. Which of the statements is/are correct?
1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2
Answer
C. Both 1 and 2
Both are correct.
Consider the statements. 1. The Census is conducted every 5 years. 2. The Census is conducted by the Registrar General and Census Commissioner. Which of the statements is/are correct?
1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2
Answer
B. 2 only
The Census is decennial, so only 2 is correct.
Consider the statements. 1. A million-plus city has at least one million people. 2. A census town must have at least one lakh people. Which of the statements is/are correct?
1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2
Answer
A. 1 only
A census town needs at least 5,000 people, so only 1 is correct.
Consider the statements. 1. The PCPNDT Act deals with sex determination. 2. Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao is a campaign about girl child welfare. Which of the statements is/are correct?
1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2
Answer
C. Both 1 and 2
Both statements are correct.
Consider the statements. 1. Coastal AP is generally more densely settled than the dry interior. 2. Rayalaseema is the most densely populated part of AP. Which of the statements is/are correct?
1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2
Answer
A. 1 only
Rayalaseema is dry and less dense, so only 1 is correct.
Consider the statements. 1. Birth rate is births per 1,000 persons per year. 2. Death rate is deaths per 100,000 persons per year. Which of the statements is/are correct?
1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2
Answer
A. 1 only
Death rate is per 1,000, so only 1 is correct.
Consider the statements. 1. A low dependency ratio can give a demographic dividend. 2. A broad base pyramid shows an ageing population. Which of the statements is/are correct?
1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2
Answer
A. 1 only
A broad base shows a young population, so only 1 is correct.
Consider the statements. 1. Smart Cities Mission and AMRUT relate to urban development. 2. MGNREGA is an urban housing scheme. Which of the statements is/are correct?
1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2
Answer
A. 1 only
MGNREGA is a rural employment scheme.
Consider the statements. 1. A statutory town has a municipality or similar body. 2. A statutory town must have 75 per cent male workers in non-farm jobs. Which of the statements is/are correct?
1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2
Answer
A. 1 only
The 75 per cent rule is for census towns.
Which of these is mainly a result of high birth rate and a low death rate?
1. Reverse migration
2. Fall in literacy
3. Fall in density
4. Rapid natural growth of population
Answer
D. Rapid natural growth of population
A big gap between birth and death rates raises growth.
Slums grow in large cities mainly because
1. cities have too much land
2. migrants cannot afford regular housing
3. there is no migration
4. wages are zero
Answer
B. migrants cannot afford regular housing
Rapid migration outpaces housing supply.

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1.Which is the coldest continent on Earth?
2.Which country is known as the 'Land of a Thousand Lakes'?
3.Which is the most populous state in India?
4.Which country has the largest population in the world (2024 estimates)?
5.Which strait separates Europe and Africa?
6.Which is the highest gateway/pass connecting Ladakh to the rest of India?
7.The Amazon rainforest is primarily located in which country?
8.Which is the smallest country in the world by area?
9.Which line demarcates the boundary between India and China?
10.Which river originates from Gangotri Glacier?

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