Lesson No. 9 - Hunger and Population Explosion

Hunger and Population Explosion

1.         What does hunger mean on a large scale as viewed by the author?

Ans:     Hunger means never having enough to eat. It also means that after eating one feels that one could eat at least as much again. It is a situation when one is always thinking where the next meal is coming from or even there will be next meal. It is caused by famines and over-population.

2.         Describe some great famines of past.

Ans:     The world has seen many devastating natural calamities like famines. Some of the great famines are as follows:

i.          The Russian famine in 1921-22 killed several million men.

ii.         9.5 million people perished in the famine that swept North China.

iii.        10 million people died in great famine of Bengal in 1969-70.

3.         How do famines occur?

Ans:    A famine is a complete absence of food or a situation when food is scarce in an area. There are many causes of famine including natural disasters like floods, volcanic eruptions, drought and earthquakes. Other causes include population growth and poor management resources.

4.         What is the main reason for population increase today?

Ans:    The main reason for population increase is birth-rate being greater than the death-rate. At present we have a great many facilities to prevent different fatal diseases due to which millions of people would die at the very early stages of their lives.

5.         What is meant by birth-rate and death-rate and how do they affect the population of a country?

Ans:    Number of births or deaths per one thousand of population is known as birth-rate or death-rate respectively. When the death rate is subtracted from the birth rate, the result is the rate of natural increase in population.  If birth-rate is greater than death-rate, the population will increase.

6.         What have public health measures to do with increase in population?

Ans:    Public health measures mean steps to improve the facilities of medical treatment and living conditions of the people. The people are educated and trained about better foods, pure water and clean living. Public health measures have reduced death-rate. A lower death-rate means that the population is increasing fairly rapidly.

7.         Account for the high birth-rate in under-developed countries.

Ans:    Under-developed countries are characterized by poverty, poor living standards and illiteracy. These factors make it difficult to achieve a desire among the people to limit their families. That’s why these countries have a high birth-rate.

8.         Why is birth-rate not so high in the more advanced countries?

The developed countries have better living standards and the masses are more literate. These countries have carried out programmes to limit their families. This is the reason for birth-rate being low in these countries.

9.         Give a brief account of the poor economic conditions prevailing in under-developed countries.

Ans:    All the under-developed countries are characterized by poverty, beggars in streets and villagers having poor living. Hospitals, schools, colleges, roads and railways are not sufficient. Literacy-rate is low and goods are exported mostly in raw form.

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