PSEB SS Geography key terms

The average number of people living in each square kilometre of an area, found by dividing total population by total land area. It hides uneven settlement within a region.

Total population divided by total land area of a country or region, expressed as persons per square kilometre. It is the simplest density measure but treats farmland, desert and city alike.

The number of people supported per unit of cultivable land. It shows real pressure on farmland better than overall density, especially in countries with large deserts or forests.

The number of farmers per unit area of farmland. A high figure suggests low mechanisation and many smallholders; a low figure suggests large farms worked by machines.

The way people are spread across the earth's surface, from crowded river plains and coasts to nearly empty mountains and deserts. It results from relief, climate, soil, water and history.

The permanently inhabited portion of the earth's surface where people have settled and built homes. It excludes ice caps, high mountains and deep deserts used only occasionally.

The uninhabited or very sparsely used parts of the earth, such as polar ice, high peaks and extreme deserts. Permanent settlement there is absent or negligible.

A model showing how birth and death rates change as a society modernises: high both, then death falls, then birth falls, ending with low both. It explains rapid growth in the middle stage.

The number of live births per thousand people in a population in a given year. It is shaped by marriage age, education, religion, income and government policy.

The number of deaths per thousand people in a population in a given year. It falls first in modernisation, mainly through better food, sanitation and medicine.

The surplus of births over deaths in a population, expressed as a rate per thousand. It excludes gains or losses from migration and drives most population growth.

The average number of years a newborn can expect to live if current death rates continue. It is a key indicator of health, nutrition and medical care.

The number of deaths of children under one year per thousand live births in a year. It is a sensitive measure of poverty, sanitation and maternal care.

The number of females per thousand males in a population. A low ratio signals discrimination against girls or heavy male migration; India reports it in this form.

The proportion of a population in each age group, usually shown as young, working and old. It determines the dependency burden and future growth potential.

The number of people too young or too old to work, expressed per hundred people of working age. A high ratio means heavy support costs for earners.

A bar graph showing males and females by age group, with youngest at the base. Its shape reveals whether a population is growing, stable or ageing.

The movement of people from one place to another to live, either across borders or within a country. Push factors drive them out; pull factors attract them in.

A negative condition at the place of origin that encourages people to leave, such as drought, war, unemployment or land shortage. It works together with attractions elsewhere.

A positive condition at a destination that attracts migrants, such as jobs, better schools, safety or higher wages. It becomes effective only when movement is possible.

Money sent home by migrants to their families in the place of origin. They can exceed foreign aid and support consumption, housing and education in source regions.

A composite measure combining life expectancy, education and income per head to rank countries. It shows that income alone does not capture well-being.

The process of widening people's choices so they can live long, healthy and creative lives. It treats people as the end of development, not merely as workers or consumers.

Development that meets present needs without destroying the ability of future generations to meet theirs. It balances economic growth with environmental care and social equity.

The largest population an area can support at a given level of technology without damaging its resource base. Exceeding it leads to soil loss, water shortage and falling yields.

Work that directly uses natural resources, such as farming, fishing, mining and forestry. Its share of the workforce falls as economies industrialise.

Work that turns raw materials into finished goods through manufacturing, processing and construction. It adds value and typically absorbs workers leaving farming.

Work that provides services rather than goods, such as trade, transport, banking, teaching and health care. It expands as incomes rise and societies urbanise.

Farming mainly to feed the farmer's own household, with little left for sale. It is labour-intensive, uses small plots and is common in parts of Asia and Africa.

Farming organised to sell produce in markets for profit, using larger holdings, machinery and hired labour. Output is high per worker rather than per hectare.

The official count of a country's population, recording age, sex, literacy, occupation and residence at a fixed date. India carries it out every ten years.

The percentage of people aged seven and above who can read and write with understanding. It is a core indicator of education and is mapped by sex and district.

The number of females per thousand males recorded in the Indian census. Kerala reports high values while Haryana and Punjab report low ones, reflecting regional social patterns.

The rising share of a population living in towns and cities. In India it results from rural push, urban jobs and natural growth within cities themselves.

An Indian urban centre with a population of more than one million. Such cities concentrate industry, services and administration and are growing fastest.

A very large city that dominates the economy and culture of its surrounding region. In India the census uses population thresholds to classify such urban centres.

Temporary movement of people for part of the year, often from dry rural areas to irrigated farms or cities for work. It is common in India and is hard to count.

The adoption of high-yielding seed varieties with fertiliser, irrigation and pesticides, which sharply raised wheat and rice output in India from the late 1960s.

The mix of crops grown in an area in a season, determined by soil, rainfall, irrigation, prices and government policy. It shifts as markets and technology change.