Natural Population Change is calculated by
- A.subtracting the death rate from the birth rate
- B.multiplying the death rate with the birth rate
- C.adding the death rate with the birth rate
- D.subtracting the birth rate from the death rate
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is A, subtracting the death rate from the birth rate. Natural change counts only births and deaths, so it is the birth rate minus the death rate.
Both rates are usually given per thousand people per year. If a country has a crude birth rate of 20 and a crude death rate of 7, its natural growth rate is 13 per thousand, or 1.3 per cent. Migration is left out of this measure; adding net migration to natural change gives the actual change in population. When deaths exceed births, natural change becomes negative, as in Japan and several European countries today.
B is wrong: multiplying the two rates gives a number with no demographic meaning.
C is wrong: adding deaths to births treats a loss of people as a gain.
D is wrong: death rate minus birth rate is the reverse sign, so a growing population would show as shrinking.
Exam tip: natural growth = birth rate minus death rate; actual growth = natural growth plus net migration.
Practice Questions
View allWhich one of the following rivers is west-flowing?
- A.Godavari
- B.Periyar
- C.Tungabhadra
- D.Cauvery
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The Periyar rises in the Western Ghats of Kerala and flows west into the Arabian Sea. The Periyar is the longest river of Kerala.
Read the full explanation →Which one of the following is not an igneous rock?
- A.Granite
- B.Gneiss
- C.Pumice
- D.Basalt
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Gneiss is a metamorphic rock, formed when existing rocks are changed by great heat and pressure. Igneous rocks form when molten magma or lava cools and hardens.
Read the full explanation →Consider the following places of India :
1. Itanagar
2. Imphal
3. Agartala
4. Aizawl
Which one of the following is the correct chronological order of the above places in terms of sunrise time?
- A.3-2-1-4
- B.2-1-4-3
- C.1-4-3-2
- D.4-3-2-1
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The sun rises first in the place farthest east, so the order follows longitude: Imphal, Itanagar, Aizawl and then Agartala.
Read the full explanation →"Viticulture" is a common feature of which one of the following Australian cities ?
- A.Adelaide
- B.Darwin
- C.Hobart
- D.Brisbane
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Viticulture, the growing of grapes, is a hallmark of Adelaide, which is surrounded by Australia's best-known wine regions. Adelaide, the capital of South Australia, has a Mediterranean climate with hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters, the conditions grapevines like best.
Read the full explanation →Which of the following statements regarding Barchan is/are correct ?
1. It is a crescent shaped mound of sand, which is deposited by the wind blowing constantly from one direction in a desert.
2. The windward side has a convex steep slope with maximum height at the centre.
3. Two ends of Barchan are called horns and point opposite to the direction the wind blows.
Select the answer using the code given below :
- A.1 only
- B.1 and 2 only
- C.2 and 3 only
- D.1, 2 and 3
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A barchan is a crescent-shaped sand dune built by wind from one steady direction, but its windward slope is gentle and its horns point downwind.
Read the full explanation →