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6. POPULATION Population - the pivotal element in social studies  Resources, calamities and disasters are all meaningful only in relation to human beings Census of India - official enumeration of population done periodically (for every 10 years) first census held in 1872 , the first complete census held in 1881       POPULATION SIZE AND DISTRIBUTION India's population - 1210.6 million (as on march 2011) accounts for 17.5 % distributed over area of 3.28 million sq. km( 2.4 % of the world) Uttar Pradesh - the most populous state ( 199 million ) - 16% of country's population  Sikkim has a population of 0.6 million and Lakshadweep has only 64,429 people Rajasthan - the biggest state in terms of area, accounts only 5.5 % Half of India's population in 5 states - Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Bihar, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh Population density - Number of persons per unit area India - 382 persons per sq.km(densities vary from 1,102 per sq.km in Bihar...

5. NATURAL VEGETATION AND WILDLIFE India - one among the 12 mega biodiversity countries in the world Plant diversity - 47,000 plant species, tenth place in the World and fourth place in Asia 15,000 flowering plants which accounts 6 % in the world Natural vegetation (virgin vegetation) - Plants which has grown naturally without human aid and left undisturbed Cultivated crops, fruits, orchards are vegetation not natural vegetation Endemic  or Indigenous species - virgin vegetation which are purely Indian, Exotic plants - from outside India Flora - Plants, Fauna - Animals Forests - Renewable resource, enhancing environment quality, modify local climate, control soil erosion, provide livelihood Indian state of Forest Report 2011 , the forest cover - 21.05%     FACTORS :       RELIEF       1.LAND          - The nature of land influences the type of vegetation; fertile land(agriculture), undulating and rough terrai...

    4. CLIMATE Climate - sum total of weather conditions and variations over a large area for a long period of time (> 30 years) Weather - state of the atmosphere over an area at any point of time The elements of weather and climate are same (temperature, atmospheric pressure, wind, humidity and precipitation) Indian climate - monsoon type (the word 'monsoon' - Arabic word 'mausim' meaning season)  the seasonal reversal in the wind direction during a year     CLIMATIC CONTROLS Latitude - amount of solar energy received varies, the temperature decreases from the equator towards the poles  Altitude - At higher altitudes, the atmosphere becomes less dense and temperature decreases So, hills are cooler during summers Pressure and wind system - depend on latitude and altitude influences temperature and rainfall pattern Distance from the sea - As distances increases, the moderating influence of sea decreases  Continentality - North and Central Ind...

    3. Drainage Drainage - river system of an area (small streams to form main river which drains into lake/sea/ocean) Drainage basin - Area drained by a single river Amazon river - World's largest drainage basin     DRAINAGE SYSTEMS IN INDIA       A)The Himalayan Rivers Perennial (water throughout the year from rain as well as from melted snow) Upper course - intensive erosional activities carry huge loads of silt and sand Lower course - form meanders (bend in river channel), ox-bow lakes (cut-off lake)        B)The Peninsular Rivers Seasonal (dependent on rainfall) have shorter and shallower course     THE HIMALAYAN RIVERS     1.THE INDUS RIVER SYSTEM  rises in the Tibet, enters India in Ladakh several tributaries -the Zaskar, the Nubra, the Shyok, the Hunza (join it in Kashmir)   Flows through Baltistan and emerges from mountains at Attock The Satluj, the Beas, the Ravi, the Chenab, the Jh...