Population Distribution and Density
NCERT Class 9 • Contemporary India I • Chapter "Population" | NCERT Class 12 • India People and Economy • Chapter "Population Distribution Density Growth"
Population Distribution and Density
Population distribution means how people are spread over an area, while population density is the number of people living per square kilometre. India's population is spread very unevenly: the fertile river plains are crowded, while mountains, deserts and dense forests hold far fewer people.
Why Distribution Is Uneven
- Relief — flat plains are easy to farm, build on and travel across, so they attract people; steep mountains do not.
- Climate — moderate climate with reliable rainfall supports more people than extreme cold or extreme dryness.
- Soil — fertile alluvial soil supports intensive farming and therefore dense settlement.
- Water — rivers, canals and groundwater decide where farming and towns can grow.
- Minerals and industry — mining and factory towns draw workers even into plateau and hill areas.
- Transport and urbanisation — ports, railway junctions and big cities pull in migrants.
- History also matters; the plains have been settled and cultivated for thousands of years.
Dense and Sparse Regions
- The northern plains of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal are among the most densely settled parts of the country.
- Kerala and the coastal plains are dense because of fertile soil, rainfall and a long trading history.
- The Himalayan states, the north-eastern hills, the Thar desert and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands are sparsely settled.
- Density is calculated as total population divided by total area, so it hides differences inside a state.
- Physiological density, people per unit of cultivated land, gives a truer picture of pressure on farmland.
- Within a state, plains districts are always denser than hill or forest districts.
- Very high density strains land, water and services, while very low density makes roads and schools costly to provide.
| Region | Density | Main Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Northern plains | Very high | Fertile alluvium, water, flat land |
| Coastal plains and Kerala | High | Fertile soil, rainfall, trade |
| Deccan interior | Moderate | Moderate rain, black soil |
| Himalaya and Thar | Low | Steep relief or extreme dryness |
Population density — the number of persons living per square kilometre of area.
Hindi me samjhein
जनसंख्या वितरण बताता है कि लोग कहां-कहां बसे हैं, जबकि घनत्व बताता है कि प्रति वर्ग किलोमीटर कितने लोग रहते हैं। घनत्व औसत होता है, इसलिए राज्य के भीतर के अंतर छिपा देता है।
Exam me kaise aata hai
- Population density is measured in — persons per square kilometre
- Which region of India is most densely settled — the northern plains
- Which island group is sparsely settled — Andaman and Nicobar
- People per unit of cultivated land is called — physiological density
UPSC/State PSC ke liye
- Arithmetic density can mislead because a state with a large barren area shows a low figure even where its farmland is crowded.
- Relief and water availability explain distribution far better than any single economic factor, which is why the plains stay dominant across centuries.
Yahan confuse hote hain
✗ Distribution and density mean the same thing | Distribution is the spread; density is persons per square kilometre | ✓
✗ Hilly areas are densely settled | Hilly areas are generally sparsely settled | ✓
✗ High density always means high population | A small area with many people also shows high density | ✓
Ek nazar me
- Distribution is the spread of people; density is persons per square kilometre.
- Relief, climate, soil, water, minerals and transport decide distribution.
- Northern plains and coastal Kerala are dense; Himalaya and Thar are sparse.
- Physiological density shows real pressure on farmland.