NCERT Solutions for Class 8 Geography Chapter 5 Human Resources
Human Resources – Given in this post is NCERT Solutions Class 8 Geography Chapter 5 Human Resources Important Question Answers. The important questions we have compiled will help the students to brush up on their knowledge about the subject. Students can practice Class 8 Geography Chapter 5 important questions to understand the subject better and improve their performance in the exam. The NCERT Solutions Class 8 Social Science (Geography) provided here will also give students an idea about how to write the answers.
Source Based Questions
Read the extract and answer the questions that follow-
A. 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 percent 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 southeast Asia, Europe and north eastern North America. Very few people live in high latitude areas, tropical deserts, high mountains and areas of equatorial forests.
1 What do you mean by pattern of population distribution?
Ans. The way in which people are spread across the earth’s surface is known as the pattern of population distribution.
2 Name some sparsely populated areas.
Ans. Very few people live in high latitude areas, tropical deserts, high mountains and areas of equatorial forests.
3 About ____________ of the world’s population stays in just ____ countries with over ________ million people.
Ans. About 60 percent of the world’s population stays in just 10 countries with over 100 million people.
4 More than _____________of the world’s population lives in about __________ of the land surface.
Ans. More than 90 per cent of the world’s population lives in about 30 per cent of the land surface.
5 Name some crowded areas.
Ans. The crowded areas are south and southeast Asia, Europe and north eastern North America.
B. Births are usually measured using the birth rate i.e. the number of live births per 1,000 people. Deaths are usually measured using the death rate i.e. the number of deaths per 1,000 people. Migration is the movement of people in and out of an area. Births and deaths are the natural causes of population change. The difference between the birth rate and the death rate of a country is called the natural growth rate. The population increase in the world is mainly due to rapid increase in natural growth rate.
1 Define birth rate.
Ans. Births are usually measured using the birth rate i.e. the number of live births per 1,000 people.
2 What do you mean by natural growth rate?
Ans. The difference between the birth rate and the death rate of a country is called the natural growth rate.
3 What is the primary reason behind the increase in population?
Ans. The population increase in the world is mainly due to rapid increase in natural growth rate.
4 What do you mean by death rate?
Ans. Deaths are usually measured using the death rate i.e. the number of deaths per 1,000 people.
5 Which two things are the natural causes of population change?
Ans. Births and deaths are the natural causes of population change.
C. The population change refers to change in the number of people during a specific time. The world population has not been stable. It has increased manifold. Why? This is actually due to changes in the number of births and deaths. For an extremely long period of human history, until the 1800s, the world’s population grew steadily but slowly. Large numbers of babies were born, but they died early too. This was as there were no proper health facilities. Sufficient food was not available for all the people. Farmers were not able to produce enough to meet the food requirements of all the people. As a result the total increase in population was very low.
1 What do you mean by population change?
Ans. The population change refers to change in the number of people during a specific time.
2 Why has the population increased manifold?
Ans. The world population has not been stable. It has increased manifold. This is actually due to changes in the number of births and deaths.
3 How much did the population reach in the 1800s?
Ans. In 1804, the world’s population reached one billion.
4 What were the reasons for steady growth of population since the 1800s?
Ans. The main reason for this growth was that with better food supplies and medicine, deaths were reducing, while the number of births still remained fairly high.
5 Why was the total increase in population very low in the past?
Ans. For an extremely long period of human history, until the 1800s, the world’s population grew steadily but slowly. Large numbers of babies were born, but they died early too. This was as there were no proper health facilities. Sufficient food was not available for all the people. Farmers were not able to produce enough to meet the food requirements of all the people. As a result the total increase in population was very low.
D. Migration is another way by which population size changes. People may move within a country or between countries. Emigrants are people who leave a country; Immigrants are those who arrive in a country. Countries like the United States of America and Australia have gained in-numbers by in-migration or immigration. Sudan is an example of a country that has experienced a loss in population numbers due to out-migration or emigration.
1 What do you understand by the term ‘migration’ with reference to the above paragraph.
Ans. Migration is described as the movement of people from one country, location, or area to another in quest of better possibilities to settle.
2 Differentiate briefly between Emigrants and Immigrants.
Ans. Emigrants are people who leave a country; Immigrants are those who arrive in a country.
3 Why do people migrate within countries?
Ans. Within countries, a large number of people may move from the rural to urban areas in search of employment, education and health facilities.
4 The general trend of international migrations is from the _________nations to the more ___________ nations in search of better employment opportunities.
Ans. The general trend of international migrations is from the less developed nations to the more developed nations in search of better employment opportunities.
5 Explain in short in-migration and out-migration.
Ans. Countries like the United States of America and Australia have gained in-numbers by in-migration or immigration. Sudan is an example of a country that has experienced a loss in population numbers due to out-migration or emigration.
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) (1 Mark)
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) are a type of objective assessment in which a person is asked to choose one or more correct answers from a list of available options. An MCQ presents a question along with several possible answers.
Q1 Osaka in Japan and Mumbai in India are two densely populated areas due to:
A) These areas are topographically favorable.
B) These are areas of religious significance
C) They are industrial belts providing large employment opportunities
D) These are areas with excellent climatic conditions
Ans. C) They are industrial belts providing large employment opportunities
Q2. Population density refers to
A) The number of skilled people in a country
B) The number of people living per square unit of area.
C) The number of unskilled people in a country
D) The way in which people are spread across the earth’s surface
Ans. B) The number of people living per square unit of area.
Q3 Using resources carefully, judicially & giving them time to get renewed is called _________
A) Resource Development
B) Sustainable Conservation
C) Sustainable Development
D) Resource Conservation
Ans. D) Resource Conservation
Q4 A few factors on which the productivity of a nation’s human resources depends are given below. Pick out the one that is not a factor.
A) Health
B) Census
C) Literacy
D) Possession of technical skills
Ans. B) Census
Q5 The number of deaths per 1,000 people refer to
A) Migration
B) Birth Rate
C) Death rate
D) Population change
Ans. C) Death rate
Q6 Union Human Resource Development Ministry was created in
A) 1987
B) 1985
C) 1990
D) 1986
Ans. B) 1985
Q7 Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana was started in
A) 2012
B) 2016
C) 2015
D) 2010
Ans. C) 2015
Q8 ___ is the most populated continent.
A) Africa
B) Asia
C) South America
D) Australia
Ans. B) Asia
Q9 ___ per cent of the global population resides in 10 countries.
A) 75
B) 60
C) 65
D) 80
Ans. B) 60
Q10 ____ is Africa’s most populous country.
A) Zambia
B) South Africa
C) Nigeria
D) Egypt
Ans. C) Nigeria
Q11 Average Density of Indian population is ___ persons per sq km.
A) 319
B) 329
C) 382
D) 385
Ans. C) 382
Q12 Average Density population of the world is ___ persons per sq km.
A) 51
B) 55
C) 56
D) 50
Ans. A) 51
Q13 Chang Jiang plains in ____ is one of the most densely populated regions across the globe.
A) Taiwan
B) China
C) Japan
D) Vietnam
Ans. B) China
Q14 _____ regions are less populated due to the unavailability of water.
A) Mountain
B) Valleys
C) Deserts
D) Forest
Ans. D) Forest
Q15 _____ are people leaving a particular country.
A) Refugees
B) Immigrants
C) Emigrants
D) Foreigners
Ans. C) Emigrants
Q16 _____ is a country whose population growth declined because of emigration.
A) Pakistan
B) Sudan
C) Zimbabwe
D) Swaziland
Ans. B) Sudan
Q17 _____ is a country whose population growth declined because of low birth and death rates.
A) Indonesia
B) United Kingdom
C) South Africa
D) Russia
Ans. B) United Kingdom
Q18 _____ is a country whose population grew due to high birth rates.
A) Serbia
B) Russia
C) Kenya
D) UK
Ans. C) Kenya
Q19 _____ is the most populous country of Europe.
A) Belgium
B) Denmark
C) Sweden
D) Russia
Ans. D) Russia
Q20 _____ has reported an annual rate of natural increase of population at 3% per annum.
A) Mexico
B) Saudi Arabia
C) Israel
D) US
Ans. B) Saudi Arabia
Q21____ is widely populated due to its cultural significance.
A) New York
B) Jerusalem
C) London
D) Shanghai
Ans. B) Jerusalem
Q22 _____ is the most populous city in India.
A) Delhi
B) Chennai
C) Mumbai
D) Indore
Ans. C) Mumbai
Q23 The population of _____ has gone up due to immigration.
A) Russia
B) Australia
C) Japan
D) Belgium
Ans. B) Australia
Q24 Population increases when the _____ is higher.
A) Emigration
B) Death Rate
C) Birth rate
D) water availability
Ans. C) Birth rate
Q25 ______ is the world’s most populated country.
A) Japan
B) Brazil
C) China
D) India
Ans. C) China
Very Short Answer Questions (1 Mark)
Q1. What is the average density of population in the whole world?
Ans. The average density of population in the whole world is 51 persons per square km.
Q2. In what respects do different human beings differ?
Ans. Human beings differ from each other in age, sex, education, ethnicity, culture, physical and mental strength, etc.
Q3. How does climate affect the population distribution of an area?
Ans. People prefer to live in regions with a moderate climate, and not places of extreme cold and hot climate. So moderate climate regions are densely populated.
Q4. What is called the natural growth rate?
Ans. The difference between the birth rate and death rate of a county is called the natural growth rate.
Q5. What is life expectancy?
Ans. Life expectancy is the number of years an average person can expect to live, based on data.
Q6. What is known as the pattern population distribution?
Ans. The way in which people are spread across the earth’s surface is known as the pattern of population distribution.
Q7. What is an age-sex pyramid?
Ans. An age-sex pyramid is a graph showing the number of males and females under certain defined age groups.
Q8. What is the general trend of migrations from one country to another? Why is it so?
Ans. Generally, people migrate from less developed countries to more developed ones. This is done for better employment opportunities and other facilities.
Q9. What is a population pyramid?
Ans. Population pyramid is a graphical presentation of the age, sex composition of a population.
Q10. Who are immigrants and emigrants?
Ans. Immigrants are those who arrive in a country and Emigrants are people who leave a country.
Short Answer Questions (3 Marks)
Q1. Describe how the population of the world has grown in history. What has caused the population explosion?
Ans. Initially, the global population increased steadily. In 1820, it had reached a billion. However, the following two billion were added in just 150 years. The population had reached 3 billion by 1970. The population increased to 6 billion in the next 29 years, or by 1999. The population increase has been mostly caused by the expansion of medical facilities, which has significantly reduced the death rate.
Q2. Why are people considered a resource?
Ans. Human beings are the most important resource of a nation. They are significant because had they not utilized their brains, the other resources of nature would not have found any utility. In other words, human resources are the ultimate resource.
Q3. The world population has grown very rapidly. Why?
Ans. The world population has grown rapidly as the death rate has decreased due to the fact that the production of food has increased rapidly with the advancement in science and technology along with an improvement in the medical facilities and science which has aided in the reduction of deaths all over the world. In addition, unlike the death rate, the birth rate has remained quite high.
Population change is influenced by two factors: birth and death rates. The birth rate is defined as the number of live births per 1000 people, whereas the mortality rate is defined as the number of deaths per 1000 people.
Thus, birth and death rates have an impact on population balance.
Q4. Discuss the role of any two factors influencing population change.
Ans. The two factors are-
- Geographical factors: People prefer plains to mountains or plateaus, and they prefer moderate climates to extreme heat or cold. Fertile areas are preferred for agricultural purposes. Mineral-rich areas are more densely populated.
- Economic factors: People favor industrial locations because they offer more and better job prospects. As a result, industrial cities are densely populated.
Q5. What is meant by population composition?
Ans. Population composition refers to the structure of the population in terms of age, gender, literacy, occupations, health facilities, economic status, and so on.
Q6. Discuss the population pyramid of Kenya.
Ans. A country’s population pyramid is broad at the bottom and rapidly narrows towards the top if both birth and death rates are high. This is because, despite the fact that many children are born, a huge number of them die in infancy, few become adults, and there are extremely few elderly individuals. The pyramid depicted for Kenya represents this circumstance.
Q7. Discuss the role of any two factors influencing population change.
Ans. The natural sources of population change are the birth and death rates. The birth rate is defined as the number of live births per 1,000 people. The death rate is defined as the number of deaths per 1,000 persons. Population grows when the birth rate exceeds the death rate. When the birth and death rates are the same, the population remains constant. When the death rate exceeds the birth rate, the population falls. Thus, the birth and death rates have an impact on population balance.
Q8. What has caused the population explosion?
Ans. The world’s population surpassed one billion in 1820. The world’s population topped 3 billion in the early 1970s, 150 years later. This is commonly referred to as population explosion. In 1999, the population had more than doubled to 6 billion in less than 30 years. The fundamental reason for this increase was that, because of improved food and medicine, mortality was decreasing while births remained quite high.
Q9. What does the shape of the population pyramid of India indicate?
Ans. In countries where death rates are declining (particularly among the very young), the pyramid is broad in the younger age groups because more infants survive to adulthood. This can be observed in the India pyramid. Such communities have a comparatively large number of young people, implying a robust and expanding labor force.
Q10. How crowded a country is, has little to do with its level of economic development. Explain with the help of an example.
Ans. The population density of a country has little to do with its level of economic development. Both Bangladesh and Japan, for example, are highly populated, yet Japan is significantly more economically developed than Bangladesh. To comprehend the role of individuals as resources, one must first learn more about their characteristics. People differ widely in terms of age, gender, literacy level, health status, occupation, and economic level.
Understanding these features of people is critical. The structure of the population is referred to as population composition. The demographic composition tells us how many people are males or females, what age groups they belong to, how educated they are and what kind of occupations they work in, as well as their income levels and health conditions. The population pyramid, often known as an age-sex pyramid, is an intriguing technique to evaluate a country’s population makeup.
All the parameters when calculated would show us how Japan, even while being highly populated, is significantly more economically developed than Bangladesh.
Long Answer Questions (5 Marks)
Q1. How does the topography and climate of a place affect the distribution of population?
Ans.. Both of these factors have an immediate impact on population dispersion. People desire good conditions for agriculture, manufacturing, and services. The Ganga plains, for example, are one of the world’s most densely populated locations. Mountains and plateaus, on the other hand, do not provide these conditions. For example, the Himalayas and similar locations are sparsely populated. Thus, the topography of a location is extremely important in human colonization. People normally avoid severe temperatures, such as those that are extremely hot or extremely cold. The Sahara desert, the polar areas of Russia, Canada, and Antarctica, for example, are sparsely populated.
Q2. Describe how various factors affect population distribution.
Ans. Major geographical elements influencing population density in a location include topography, pleasant climate, soil fertility, availability of freshwater, and minerals. People prefer lowlands to mountains or plateaus, and they prefer moderate weather to extreme hot or cold. Fertile areas are preferred for agricultural purposes. Mineral-rich areas are more densely populated. Better housing, education, and health care are among socioeconomic elements that increase population density in a place. Usually, places of cultural or historical significance are populated. Employment prospects are another draw for a substantial portion of the population.
Q3. Why was the total increase in the world’s population very slow till the 1800s?
Ans. For a very long time, until the 1800s, the world’s population increased continuously but slowly. This was due to the fact that the birth and death rates were almost equal. A significant number of babies were born, but they all perished at a young age. This occurred as a result of inadequate health-care facilities. There was also insufficient food for all of the individuals. Farmers were unable to produce enough food to meet the needs of all people. Thus, the lack of medical services and sufficient food kept the world’s population stable until the 1800s.
Q4. What are the factors affecting the population change in a region?
Ans. Birth rate, mortality rate, and migrations are all factors that influence population change in a region. The birth rate is a figure that represents the number of live births per 1000 people. The death rate is a metric that counts the number of deaths per 1000 persons. Migration, in addition to birth and death rates, influences population change. Migration is the migration of people from one location to another. People who leave a country are known as emigrants, and the phenomenon is known as emigration. Immigrants are people who arrive in a country, and the phenomenon is known as immigration.
Q5. What is the general trend of migration? Mention the factors that cause population change.
Ans. The typical tendency of migration is from less developed to more developed countries in search of better job possibilities. Within countries, a substantial number of individuals migrate from rural to urban areas in search of work, education, and health care.
Births, deaths, and migrations are all factors that influence population change.
The birth rate, or the number of live births per 1,000 people, is commonly used to calculate births. The death rate, or the number of deaths per 1,000 persons, is commonly used to calculate mortality. Natural population change is caused by births and deaths. Migration is another way that population size changes. People can relocate inside or across countries. Immigration has increased the population of countries such as the United States and Australia. Sudan is a country that has had a population decline owing to emigration.
Q6. What are the causes for the uneven distribution of population in the world?
Ans. Population density varies according to climate and topography; for example, few people live in high latitude locations, tropical deserts, mountainous terrains, and forest areas, whereas many people dwell in plains. Other significant geographical elements influencing this are soil fertility, fresh water availability, and mineral availability. Better housing, education, and health care are among socioeconomic elements that increase population density in a place. Usually, places of cultural or historical significance are populated. Employment prospects are another draw for a substantial portion of the population.
Q7. What are population pyramids? How do they help in understanding the population of a country?
Ans. The population pyramid is also known as the age sex pyramid. It demonstrates the segmentation of the population into several age groups, such as 5 to 9 years, 10 to 14 years, and so on.
It displays the male-female ratio in each age group. It shows the number of dependents, both young and old, as well as the number of economically active persons.
It aids in understanding the economic, health, and social structures by referring to mortality and birth rates in terms of age and gender.
Q8. Discuss the characteristics of a society with “too many under 15s” and one with “too few under 15s”.
Ans. A society with too many under 15s will have the following features-
- The number of children will be increased.
- More schools are required to educate them.
- The need for school supplies such as blackboards, chalk, tables, and benches will increase.
- Stationery items such as pens, pencils, erasers, notebooks, and textbooks will be in higher demand.
- More parks are needed to allow the children to play.
- Teachers will be in higher demand.
- The toy industry needs to grow.
- More children also ensures a future supply of young, energetic, and skilled employees.
A society with much too few people under the age of 15 will have the following features-
- The government will invest in the establishment of nursing homes.
- More hospitals, doctors, nurses, and medical equipment are needed for the elderly.
- Pension schemes need to be launched for old age people
Q9. Write a short note on distribution of population.
Ans. Population distribution
The pattern of population distribution refers to how people are distributed across the earth’s surface. Over ninety percent of the world’s population lives in around 30% of the geographical surface. The world’s population distribution is exceedingly unbalanced. Some locations are densely populated, while others are barely inhabited. South and south-east Asia, Europe, and north-eastern North America are the most crowded regions. High latitudes, tropical deserts, high mountains, and equatorial forest areas have very few inhabitants. North of the Equator, there are much more people than south of the Equator. Asia and Africa are home to over three-quarters of the world’s population. Sixty percent of the world’s population lives in just ten countries.
Each of them has a population of more than 100 million people. Therefore, the above is referred to as population distribution of the world.
Q10. What are the causes for the uneven distribution of population in the world?
Ans. The world’s population distribution is exceedingly unequal. Some locations are densely populated, while others are sparsely populated. The following are the causes of the world’s unequal population distribution:
- Geographical factors such as favorable topography and temperature, fertile soil, water supply, and mineral deposits all influence population dispersion.
- Social and cultural factors – Denser populations are seen in areas with better housing, education, and health care. People are drawn to religious or culturally significant locations.
- Economic factors – Industrial locations offer job prospects. These areas attract a large number of people.
Also See :
- Class 8 Geography Chapter 1 Resources Important Questions and Answers
- Class 8 Geography Chapter 2 Land, Soil, Water, Natural Vegetation and Wildlife Resources Important Questions and Answers
- Class 8 Geography Chapter 3 Agriculture Important Questions and Answers
- Class 8 Geography Chapter 4 Industries Important Questions and Answers
- Class 8 Geography Chapter 5 Human Resources Important Questions and Answers
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