Class 12 Geography Notes: Population Composition Class 12 Geography Notes are important for CBSE board exams of Class 12 students. They help students understand the different characteristics of populations, like age, gender, literacy, jobs, religion, and where people live.

By studying these notes, students learn about how societies are made up and how they change over time. Understanding population composition helps students see how societies work and how they can improve. These notes are essential for Class 12 students studying geography because they cover important topics that they need to know for their exams.

Population Composition

Population composition is a specialized area in population geography that examines various aspects of population characteristics. It covers a wide range of factors such as age, gender, location of residence, ethnicity, tribal affiliations, language, religion, marital status, literacy, education, and occupation.

In this article, we will discuss the composition of the Indian population concerning their rural-urban distribution, linguistic diversity, religious affiliations, and patterns of occupation.

SEX COMPOSITION

• The number of women and men in a country is an important demographic characteristic. The ratio between the number of women and men in the population is called the Sex Ratio.

• In some countries it is calculated by using the formula: Male Population / Female Population * 1000 or the number of males per thousand females.

• In India, the sex ratio is worked out using the formula: Female Population /Male Population *1000 or the number of females per thousand males.

• The sex ratio is an important information about the status of women in a country. In regions where gender discrimination is rampant, the sex ratio is bound to be unfavourable to women.

• . Such areas are those where the practice of female foeticide, female infanticide and domestic violence against women are prevalent.

• One of the reasons could be the lower socio-economic status of women in these areas. You must remember that more women in the population do not mean they have a better status.

• It could be that the men might have migrated to other areas for employment.

Age Structure

Age structure represents the number of people of different age groups. This is an important indicator of population composition since a large size of the population in the age group of 15- 59 indicates a large working population.

A greater proportion of the population above 60 years represents an ageing population that requires more expenditure on healthcare facilities. Similarly high proportion of the young population would mean that the region has a high birth rate and the population is youthful.

Age Sex Pyramid

The age-sex structure of a population refers to the number of females and males in different age groups. A population pyramid is used to show the age-sex structure of the population.

The shape of the population pyramid reflects the characteristics of the population. The left side shows the percentage of males while the right side shows the percentage of women in each age group.

Expanding Population

The age-sex pyramid of Nigeria as you can see is a triangular-shaped pyramid with a wide base and is typical of less developed countries. These have larger populations in lower age groups due to high birth rates. If you constructed the pyramids for Bangladesh and Mexico, it would look the same.

Constant Population

Australia’s age-sex pyramid is bell-shaped and tapered towards the top. This shows birth and death rates are almost equal leading to a near constant population.

Declining Population

The Japanese pyramid has a narrow base and a tapered top showing low birth and death rates. The population growth in developed countries is usually zero or negative.

Rural-Urban Composition

Understanding the composition of the population based on their places of residence is crucial for understanding social and economic characteristics. In India, where around 68.8% of the population resides in villages as of 2011, this becomes particularly significant.

• States like Bihar and Sikkim have a very high percentage of rural population, while Goa and Maharashtra have only a little over half of their population living in villages.

• Union Territories generally have a smaller proportion of rural population, except for Dadra and Nagar Haveli, where it stands at 53.38%.

• The size of villages also varies greatly, ranging from less than 200 persons in hill states of northeastern India, Western Rajasthan, and Rann of Kuchchh, to as high as 17 thousand persons in parts of Kerala and Maharashtra.

• The distribution of the rural population in India depends on factors such as urbanization and rural-urban migration, both within states and between states.

• On the other hand, the proportion of the urban population in India is relatively low at 31.16%.

• However, urban areas have been experiencing faster growth rates over the decades due to economic development and improved health and hygiene conditions.

• The distribution of urban population also varies widely across the country. Almost all states and Union Territories have witnessed a considerable increase in urban population, indicating both socio-economic development in urban areas and increased rural-urban migration.

• Urbanization is particularly noticeable along main road links and railroads in the North Indian Plains, industrial areas around major cities like Kolkata, Mumbai, and Bengaluru, and agricultural regions like the Ganga Plains and Telangana.

• However, parts of Western Rajasthan, northeastern hilly and tribal areas, and flood-prone areas in peninsular India have remained less urbanized.

Literacy

The proportion of the literate population of a country is an indicator of its socio-economic development as it reveals the standard of living, social status of females, availability of educational facilities and policies of the government.

The level of economic development is both a cause and a consequence of literacy. In India – the literacy rate denotes the percentage of the population above 7 years of age, who can read, write and have the ability to do arithmetic calculations with understanding.

Linguistic Composition

India boasts a rich linguistic diversity. Grierson’s Linguistic Survey of India conducted between 1903 and 1928, identified 179 languages and a staggering 544 dialects across the country. In contemporary India, there are approximately 22 scheduled languages alongside numerous non-scheduled ones.

Among these scheduled languages, Hindi speakers constitute the largest percentage, while smaller language groups include Sanskrit, Bodo, and Manipuri speakers as of 2011. Interestingly, linguistic regions in India do not have clearly defined boundaries but instead, blend and overlap gradually in their respective frontier zones.

Linguistic Classification

Speakers of major Indian languages are grouped into four language families, each with its sub-families, branches, or groups.

Family:

1. Austric (Nishada-1.38%)
2. Dravidian (Dravida-20%)
3. Sino-Tibetan (Kirata-0.85%)
4. Indo-European (Aryan-73%)

Religious Composition

Religion holds significant sway over the cultural and political landscape of India, permeating into various aspects of people’s lives. Hence, studying the religious composition is crucial. The distribution of religious communities across the country reveals certain states and districts with a substantial numerical strength of one religion, while others may have negligible representation.

• Hindus constitute a major group in many states, often ranging from 70-90% and higher, except in districts along the Indo-Bangladesh and Indo-Pak borders, Jammu & Kashmir, North-Eastern hill states, and scattered areas of the Deccan Plateau and Ganga Plain.

• Muslims, the largest religious minority, are concentrated in Jammu & Kashmir, specific districts of West Bengal and Kerala, various districts of Uttar Pradesh, areas around Delhi, and in Lakshadweep. They form the majority in the Kashmir valley and Lakshadweep.

• Christians predominantly reside in rural areas, particularly along the Western coast near Goa, Kerala, and in hill states like Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, the Chotanagpur area, and the hills of Manipur.

• Sikhs are mainly concentrated in Punjab, Haryana, and Delhi. Jains and Buddhists, the smallest religious groups, are concentrated in specific areas.

• Jains are predominantly found in urban areas of Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Maharashtra, while Buddhists are primarily in Maharashtra, with other pockets in Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Ladakh, Tripura, and Lahul and Spiti in Himachal Pradesh.

• Other religions in India, including Zoroastrians, and tribal and indigenous faiths, are scattered in small pockets throughout the country.

Composition of Working Population

The proportion of the working population to the total population is known as the work participation rate. In India, the population is categorized into three groups based on their economic status:

1. Main workers: Individuals who work for at least 183 days in a year.
2. Marginal workers: Individuals who work for less than 183 days in a year.
3. Non-workers: Individuals who do not work and rely on the working class for their livelihood.

As per the 2011 census, it is noted that only 39.8% of the population are workers, comprising both main and marginal workers, while the remaining 60% are non-workers.

The working population in India is further classified into four major occupational categories according to the 2011 census:

Cultivators

1. Agricultural labourers – 54.6%
2. Household labourers – 3.8%
3. Other workers – 41.6% (2011)

Also Read

• CBSE Class 10 Geography Notes
• Notes Chapter 1: Geography as a Discipline
• Importance of Sustainable Development
• What is the Difference between Temperate and Tropical Regions?

Population Composition- FAQs

What is population composition?

Population composition refers to the demographic characteristics of a population, such as age, sex, education, occupation, ethnicity, language, religion, and marital status.

Why is population composition important?

Population composition provides insights into the social, economic, and cultural aspects of a population. It helps in understanding the distribution of various demographic groups within a population and their implications for development and policymaking.

What are the key components of population composition?

The key components of population composition include age distribution, sex ratio, literacy rate, occupational structure, religious and linguistic diversity, and rural-urban distribution.

How is age composition determined?

Age composition is determined by analyzing the distribution of population across different age groups, categorized as children (0-14 years), working-age population (15-59 years), and elderly population (60 years and above).

What is the sex ratio, and why is it significant?

Sex ratio refers to the number of females per 1000 males in a population. It is significant as it reflects gender imbalances within a society and has implications for social dynamics, health, and development.

What role does education play in population composition?

Education is a important component of population composition as it influences literacy rates, occupational choices, and socio-economic development. It reflects the level of human capital within a population.