Maharashtra HSC Geography (MSBSHSE) key terms

The average number of people living in a unit area, usually expressed as persons per square kilometre. It is obtained by dividing total population by total land area and helps compare how crowded regions are.

The pattern in which people are spread over the earth's surface, ranging from dense clusters in plains and coastal lowlands to sparse settlement in deserts, mountains and forests. It is described by density figures and dot maps.

The number of people supported per unit area of cultivated land rather than total area. It shows the real pressure of population on food-producing land and is often higher than arithmetic density in hilly or arid regions.

The number of farmers or agricultural workers per unit area of farmland. A high value suggests labour-intensive farming with small holdings, while a low value suggests mechanised, extensive cultivation.

A model describing the shift of a population from high birth and death rates to low birth and death rates as a society develops. It passes through stages of high growth, declining mortality and finally low stationary growth.

A pair of horizontal bar graphs showing the number of males and females in each age group of a population. Its shape reveals whether a population is young and growing, mature, or ageing and declining.

The proportion of people in dependent age groups, usually below 15 and above 60 years, compared with the working-age population. A high ratio means fewer earners must support more children and elderly persons.

The number of females per thousand males in a population. It reflects social attitudes, migration patterns and mortality differences, and in India it is a key indicator used in census analysis and social planning.

The percentage of people aged seven years and above who can read and write with understanding. It is a basic measure of human development and is closely linked with employment, health and fertility levels.

The movement of people from one place to another with the intention of settling temporarily or permanently. It may be internal or international, and is caused by push factors such as drought and pull factors such as jobs.

Conditions that drive people away from a place or attract them towards another. Push factors include unemployment, famine and conflict; pull factors include better wages, education, health care and security.

Site refers to the actual ground on which a settlement stands, including slope, drainage and soil. Situation refers to its position relative to surrounding features such as rivers, routes and resources.

A compact cluster of houses built close together around a focal point such as a temple, well, crossroad or market. It is typical of fertile plains where defence, water supply and cooperation favour grouping.

A scattered pattern in which individual farmsteads or hamlets lie far apart across the countryside. It occurs where land is plentiful, water is locally available and each household works its own fields.

The arrangement of residential, commercial, industrial, administrative and recreational zones within a city. It is commonly explained by models such as concentric zones, sectors and multiple nuclei, shaped by rent and accessibility.

The transitional zone where town and countryside meet, mixing farmland with housing colonies, small workshops and roads. It is marked by rapid land-use change, speculative land prices and commuting populations.

The growing share of a country's population living in towns and cities, together with the expansion of urban areas. It results from rural-to-urban migration, natural growth and the reclassification of settlements.

The largest city of a country or region that is disproportionately bigger than the second-ranked city in population and economic functions. Such dominance often indicates uneven regional development.

A model by Walter Christaller explaining the size, number and spacing of settlements as service centres. Larger centres provide higher-order goods and are spaced farther apart, while small centres offer everyday goods.

Economic activity that directly uses natural resources, such as farming, fishing, forestry, grazing and mining. These occupations dominate in developing economies and their products are largely unprocessed.

Economic activity that transforms raw materials into finished or semi-finished goods, including manufacturing, processing and construction. It adds value to primary products and typically employs more capital and skill.

Economic activity that provides services rather than goods, such as trade, transport, banking, education, health and tourism. Its share usually rises as an economy matures and incomes increase.

Highly specialised service work involving knowledge, information and research, such as software development, consultancy, scientific research and financial analysis. It demands high education levels and supports decision-making in other sectors.

The choice of place for a factory or plant, governed by access to raw materials, power, water, transport, labour, market and capital. Industries tend to locate where total production and distribution costs are lowest.

A manufacturing activity whose location is not tied to raw materials or power because its inputs are light and easily transported. Electronics, garments and software units are examples that follow labour and market accessibility.

A demarcated area within a country where firms receive tax concessions, simplified procedures and better infrastructure to promote exports and investment. Such zones are designed to attract foreign as well as domestic industry.

The breakdown and decay of rocks in situ by physical, chemical or biological processes without transporting the debris. It prepares material for erosion and is faster in warm, wet climates than in cold dry ones.

The wearing away of the earth's surface by moving agents such as running water, wind, waves and ice, followed by removal of the debris. It carves valleys, cliffs and platforms and is distinct from weathering.

The overall wearing down of the land through weathering, mass movement and erosion acting together. It lowers relief over long periods and supplies sediment to rivers, coasts and basins.

A broad curve or bend in a river's course, formed where the current swings sideways across a floodplain. Erosion occurs on the outer bank and deposition on the inner bank, producing cut banks and point bars.

A crescent-shaped body of still water left behind when a river abandons a meander loop by cutting across its neck. It gradually silts up and becomes a marsh or meadow.

The flat land bordering a river that is built of alluvium deposited during repeated floods. It is usually fertile, densely farmed and settled, but is also vulnerable to periodic inundation.

A seasonal reversal of prevailing winds that brings a wet summer season and a dry winter season to South and Southeast Asia. It results from differential heating of land and sea and shifts in pressure belts.

A dry region on the leeward side of a mountain range, where descending air has already lost its moisture on the windward slopes. Such areas receive little rainfall despite being near moist air masses.

A line drawn on a map joining places that receive equal amounts of rainfall over a given period. Isohyets help show rainfall distribution, gradients and the shape of wet and dry zones.

A line on a topographic map joining points of equal height above sea level. Closely spaced contours indicate steep slopes, widely spaced ones gentle slopes, and their pattern reveals landforms.

The ratio between distance measured on a map and the corresponding distance on the ground. It may be stated as a representative fraction, a verbal statement or a linear bar.

A large-scale map, commonly at 1:50,000 in India, showing relief, drainage, settlements, transport and land use. It is the standard base for field study, slope analysis and route planning.

A composite measure of development based on life expectancy, education and per capita income. It shifts attention from mere economic output to the quality of people's lives and is published annually.

Uneven levels of income, infrastructure and services among the parts of a country or state. It arises from differences in resources, history, investment and accessibility, and is a major concern of planning.

Development that meets present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs. It balances economic growth, social equity and environmental protection in planning and resource use.

A structured investigation carried out in a real place to collect primary data through observation, measurement, interviews and mapping. Findings are then analysed and presented to answer a chosen geographical question.

A method of gathering information by asking a fixed set of written questions to selected respondents. Careful sampling and clear wording make the results reliable for analysis in a project report.