Class 12 Geography – Chapter 3: Population Composition
1. What is population composition?
Answer:
Population composition refers to the structure of a population in terms of age, sex, literacy, occupation, health conditions, and income—helping understand its socio-economic profile.
2. Why is studying population composition important?
Answer:
It helps governments plan policies related to education, employment, healthcare, housing, and development by analyzing age, sex, literacy, and occupational structure.
3. What are the key components of population composition?
Answer:
Age, sex, literacy rate, occupational structure, health conditions, rural-urban distribution, and religion/ethnicity are major aspects that define a population’s composition.
4. What is age structure?
Answer:
It shows the distribution of people in different age groups. It helps assess workforce size, dependency ratio, and future population trends.
5. Define dependency ratio.
Answer:
Dependency Ratio = (Population under 15 + over 65) ÷ Working-age population (15–64) × 100.
It shows the burden on working population to support dependents.
6. How is sex ratio defined?
Answer:
Sex ratio is the number of females per 1000 males. It reflects gender balance and can indicate social conditions, discrimination, or gender preference.
7. What are the causes of low sex ratio in some countries?
Answer:
Gender discrimination, female infanticide, poor healthcare for women, and socio-cultural biases contribute to a lower female population in certain regions.
8. How does literacy rate impact population composition?
Answer:
High literacy improves employment, health awareness, and economic productivity. It empowers people and influences birth rates, social mobility, and civic participation.
9. Define occupational structure.
Answer:
It classifies people based on work type: primary (agriculture), secondary (industry), and tertiary (services). It reflects economic development levels of a country.
10. What does a high percentage of primary workers indicate?
Answer:
It suggests dependence on agriculture and underdevelopment. Developed countries have more people in secondary and tertiary sectors due to industrialization and better education.
11. How do age pyramids help in population analysis?
Answer:
Age pyramids graphically show age-sex structure, indicating birth/death rates, life expectancy, and development stage—classified as expansive, stationary, or constrictive.
12. What is an expansive population pyramid?
Answer:
It shows a wide base and narrow top—indicating high birth rate, young population, and low life expectancy. Common in less-developed countries.
13. Describe a stationary population pyramid.
Answer:
It has a rectangular shape with equal distribution in most age groups. It indicates stable population, low birth/death rates, and better healthcare.
14. What is a constrictive population pyramid?
Answer:
It has a narrower base than the middle—indicating low birth rate and aging population, typical of developed countries like Japan or Germany.
15. How does population composition vary between rural and urban areas?
Answer:
Urban areas have more working-age, literate people in secondary and tertiary sectors. Rural areas often have agricultural workers and lower literacy rates.
16. How does population composition affect national planning?
Answer:
It guides resource allocation, infrastructure development, job creation, education, and healthcare—ensuring policies match demographic needs.
17. What is the role of health in population composition?
Answer:
Health affects productivity and quality of life. A healthy population ensures strong workforce, lower mortality, and sustainable development.
18. How does migration affect population composition?
Answer:
Migration alters age-sex structure, increases urban population, diversifies culture, and may cause brain drain or labor shortages in source regions.
19. Why is female literacy crucial in population studies?
Answer:
Female literacy lowers fertility, improves child health, enhances income potential, and promotes gender equality—impacting the overall quality of population.
20. What is meant by population quality?
Answer:
It refers to education, health, skill levels, and productivity of a population—deciding how effectively human resources contribute to a nation’s development.