An uneven spatial distribution of the population in India suggests a close relationship between
the population and physical, socio-economic and historical factors. As far as the physical fac-
tors are concerned, it is clear that climate along with the terrain and the availability of water
largely determine the pattern of the population distribution. Consequently, we observe that the
North Indian Plains, deltas and Coastal Plains have a higher proportion of the population than
the interior districts of the southern and central Indian States, the Himalayas, and some of the
north-eastern and western states. However, development of irrigation (Rajasthan), availability
of mineral and energy resources (Jharkhand) and development of transport network (Peninsular
States) have resulted in a moderate to high concentration of population in areas which were
previously very thinly populated.
Among the socio-economic and historical factors of the distribution of population, important
ones are the evolution of settled agriculture and agricultural development; the pattern of hu-
man settlement; development of transport networks, industrialisation and urbanisation. It is
observed that the regions falling in the river plains and coastal areas of India have remained
the regions of larger population concentration. Even though the use of natural resources like
land and water in these regions has shown the sign of degradation, the concentration of the
population remains high because of the early history of human settlement and the development
of transport networks. On the other hand, the urban regions of Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Ben-
galuru, Pune, Ahmedabad, Chennai and Jaipur have high concentrations of population due to
industrial development and urbanisation, drawing large numbers of rural-urban migrants.