NCERT Book Class 9 Social Science (Geography) Chapter 6 Population

6
POPULATION

C
an you imagine a world without human POPULATION S IZE AND D ISTRIBUTION
beings? Who would have utilised
India’s Population Size and Distribution
the resources and created social and
by Numbers
cultural environment? The people are
important to develop the economy and the India’s population as on March 2011 stood at
society. The people make and use resources 1,210.6 million, which account for 17.5 per
and are themselves resources with varying cent of the world’s population. These 1.21
quality. Coal is but a piece of rock, until people billion people are unevenly distributed over our
were able to invent technology to obtain it and country’s vast area of 3.28 million square km,
make it ‘resource’. Natural events, like a flood which accounts for 2.4 per cent of the world’s
or a Tsunami, becomes a ‘disaster’ only when area (Figure 6.1).
they affect a crowded village or a town. The 2011 Census data reveal that Uttar
Hence, population is the pivotal element in
Pradesh with a population size of 199 million
social studies. It is the point of reference from
is the most populous state of India. Uttar
which all other elements are observed and from
Pradesh accounts for about 16 per cent of the
which they derive significance and meaning.
‘Resources’, ‘calamities’ and ‘disasters’ are all country’s population. On the other hand, the
meaningful only in relation to human beings. Himalayan state of Sikkim has a population of
Their numbers, distribution, growth and just about 0.6 million and Lakshadweep has
characteristics or qualities provide the basic only 64,429 people.
background for understanding and Almost half of India’s population lives in
appreciating all aspects of the environment. just five states. These are Uttar Pradesh,
Human beings are producers and Maharashtra, Bihar, West Bengal and Andhra
consumers of earth’s resources. Therefore, it Pradesh. Rajasthan, the biggest state in terms
is important to know how many people are of area, has only 5.5 per cent of the total
there in a country, where do they live, how and population of India (Figure 6.2)
why their numbers are increasing and what
are their characteristics. The census of India • What could be the reason
provides us with information regarding the of uneven distribution of population in India?
population of our country.

Census
A census is an official enumeration of population done periodically. In India, the first census was held in the year
1872. The first complete census, however, was taken in the year 1881. Since then, censuses have been held
regularly every tenth year.
The Indian Census is the most comprehensive source of demographic, social and economic data. Have you
ever seen a census report? Check in your library if it has one.

48 CONTEMPORARY INDIA-I