Question

Why are river plains thickly populated?

Answer 1

Hint: India is the second most populated country in the world after China. As of 2018, the population of India is estimated to be at 135.26 crores. Currently, it comprises about a fifth of the world's population which is 759.43 crores as of 2018. By 2027, at the current rate, it is expected that India will surpass China to become the most populated country in the world. The state with the largest population in India is Uttar Pradesh that comprises 16.51% of India’s population, followed by Maharashtra (9.28%) and Bihar (8.6%).

Complete answer: In India, the geographic area with the largest alluvial soil deposits is the Indo-Gangetic-Brahmaputra plains. This makes it very suitable for cultivation because not only is the soil fertile but the rivers that flow through the plains provide a great source of irrigation. The flat terrain provides a great foundation for a network of roads and railways. The rivers enable efficient water transportation. Thus keeping the connectivity and potential for cultivation in mind, settlements in the river plains increase. Greater settlements create cities and towns with job opportunities and a source of livelihood which attracts the population towards the plains. Also being situated in a low altitude, the climate is also generally pleasant in the plains.

Note: Typically all ancient civilisations have developed around river valleys whether it is the Egyptian Civilisation based around river Nile, the Harappan Civilisation based around the river Indus, the Mesopotamian Civilisation based around the rivers Tigris and Euphrates or the Chinese Civilisation based around the river Huang He.