Migration And Urbanisation
Class 8 | Social Science — Geography | Unit 4
Class 8 Unit 4 Geography
Rajesh and Suresh were new students joined in a school. They were allotted to Section – 'A' in VIII standard. The class teacher and other students of the class welcomed them. Teacher said, "You are going to have two new friends today. So, you all introduce yourselves to others; say your name and place from where you are coming, okay". They started from the first bench. Rajesh and Suresh were sitting in the second bench. Rajesh had a turn to introduce himself. He said, "I am Rajesh, as my mother has been transferred to this school, we migrated from Chennai to Krishnagiri". Now Suresh had a turn to introduce himself. He said, "I am Suresh, coming from the Village called Pudupatti, it is five kilometres away from the school; Madam, Please tell me the meaning of 'migration' the word used by Rajesh". The teacher said, "yes, from this lesson you are going to learn in detail about it".
MIGRATION
Migration has been defined differently by different experts. In general, migration is defined as the permanent or semi permanent change of residence of an individual or group of people over a significant distance. So, the term migration refers to the movement of people from one place to another.
United Nations Organization Definition:
Migration is a form of geographical mobility of population between a geographical unit to another, generally involving a permanent change of residence.
One of the most important aspects of social science is "Human Migration". It has maintained a close relation with mankind from its earliest stage. Migration is one of the most important dynamic human activities from the very beginning of human life. During the early days, people moved from one place to another in search of food. When most of the people ceased to live in forest and adopted civilized life, they developed relationship with domesticated animals and fertile land. As a result, mobility of mankind changed considerably. They almost left the nomadic life and started to live in permanent settlements. At this stage, people continued to move from one region to another in search of fertile land for cultivation. Afterwards, the nature of mobility frequently changed over a period of time.
Factors of Migration
There are a number of factors which are responsible for the migration of human population. These factors can be grouped under the heads of favourable and unfavourable factors. The favourable factors which attract people towards a location are called pull factors. The unfavourable factors which make the people to move out from a location are called push factors. The various causes which are responsible for human migration is categorized under five groups as follows.
a) Ecological or Natural Causes of Migration
The causes operate under this category are natural ones. They include volcanic eruption, earthquake, flood, drought etc. These events force the people to leave their native places and settle in the new areas. The conditions like the availability of water resources, areas free from hazards, pollution etc., attract the migrants.
b) Economic causes of Migration
Economy is one of the most important causes of human migration from one area to another. Various economic causes determine the level and direction of migration. The availability of fertile agricultural land, employment opportunities, development of technology etc., are some of the economic causes that attract the migration. The mass poverty and unemployment force the people to move out from their native places to the places where the better employment opportunities are available.
c) Socio-Cultural causes of Migration
Socio-cultural causes also play some roles in the process of migration. Migration of women after marriage and migration associated with pilgrimage are based on the socio-cultural customs.
d) Demographic causes of Migration
In demographic sense, the population composition like age and sex, over population and under population are the major causes of migration. It is well known fact that adults are more migratory than any other age-groups. Women mostly migrate after their marriage. Generally over population is considered as a push factor and under population to be pull factor in the context of migration.
e) Political causes of Migration
Various political causes like colonization, wars, government policies etc. have always been playing important role in human migration from time to time. Wars have been one of the significant causes of migration since ancient time.
Types of Migration
Migration can be classified in several ways. It is usually categorized as follows;
a) Based on the movement associated with administrative limits
(a)Internal migration: The movement of people within a country is known as internal migration. Further, the internal migration is classified into four categories on the basis of the place of origin and destination of migrants.
| Pull Factors | Push Factors |
|---|
| Natural Causes |
|---|
| Least hazard prone zones | Hazard prone zones |
| Favourable climate | Climate change (including extreme weather events) |
| Abundance of natural resources and minerals (e.g.water,oil,uranium) | Crop failure and scarcity of food |
| Economic Cause |
|---|
| Potential for employment | Unemployment |
| Socio-cultural Cause |
|---|
| Social Unification | Social Discrimination |
| Demographic Cause |
|---|
| Under population | Over population |
| Political Causes |
|---|
| Political security | War , civil, unrest |
| Independence and freedom | Safety and security concerns (ethnic, religious, racial or cultural persecution) |
| Affordable and accessible urban services Eg: healthcare, education, transport and recreation etc | Inadequate or limited urban services and infrastructure Eg: healthcare, education, transport, water and recreation etc |
Do You Know?
Female migrants outnumber male migrants in Europe, Northern America, Oceania and Latin America and the Caribbean, while in Africa and Asia, particularly Western Asia, migrants are predominantly men. (International Migration Report, 2017).
1. Rural to Urban Migration is the movement of population from rural areas to growing towns and cities mainly in search of employment, education and recreation facilities.
2. Urban to Urban Migration is the migration between one urban centre to the other like in search of higher income.
3. Rural to Rural Migration is driven by fertile land for cultivation and other sociological factors like Marriage etc.
4. Urban to Rural Migration is the movement from urban centres to rural areas to get rid-off the urban problems and returning to native places after retirement from jobs.
Rural to urban migration is the most common one.
(b) International Migration – Migration that occurs across the national boundaries are known as International Migration.
Do You Know?
In 2017, India was the largest country of origin of international migrants (17 million), followed by Mexico (13 million). (International Migration Report, 2017).
b) Based on the willingness of the migrants for migration
Voluntary Migration : If the migration takes place on person's free will, initiative and desire to live in a better place and to improve their financial status, the migration is said to be voluntary.
Involuntary or forced Migration : If the migration takes place against the will of migrants, the migration is termed as involuntary migration. The push factors like war may force the people to emigrate from a place is of this type.
| Table-Share of Regions in World Population and International Migrants by Origin – 2017 |
|---|
| S.No | Name of the Region | Total Population | Percentage of Global Population | International Migrants by origin | Percentage of International Migrants |
|---|
| 1 | Africa | 1,256,268 | 16.6 | 36,266 | 14.1 |
| 2 | Asia | 4,504,428 | 59.7 | 105,684 | 41.0 |
| 3 | Europe | 742,074 | 9.8 | 61,191 | 23.7 |
| 4 | Latin America and the Caribbean | 645,593 | 8.6 | 37,720 | 14.6 |
| 5 | North America | 361,208 | 4.8 | 4,413 | 1.7 |
| 6 | Oceania | 40,691 | 0.5 | 1,880 | 0.7 |
| 7 | Unknown | n/a | n/a | 10,560 | 4.1 |
| 8 | World | 7,550,262 | 100.0 | 257,715 | 100.0 |
Source: International Migration Report, 2017, United Nations.
c) Based on the duration of stay of migrants in the place of destination
Short term migration: In this kind of migration, the migrants stay outside only for a short duration before returning to the place of origin. The duration may be from a few days to few months.
Long term migration: It is a kind of migration in which the migrants stay outside at least for a few years.
Seasonal migration: In this type of migration usually a group of people migrates from their native places during a particular season and returns after end of that season. People migrating to hill stations during summer and the migration of agricultural workers during sowing seasons belong to this category. Transhumance is an another example of seasonal migration.
Do You Know?
The number of international migrants worldwide has continued to grow rapidly in recent years, reaching 258 million in 2017, up from 220 million in 2010 and 173 million in 2000 (International Migration Report, 2017).
Consequences of Migration
Migration affects both the areas of origin of migration and the areas of destination. The following are the major consequences of migration.
a) Demographic consequences: It changes age and sex composition of population. Migration of females after their marriage leads to decline in sex ratio in the source regions and increase the sex ratio in the regions of destinations. The migration of male workers in search of jobs decreases the independent population of the source regions which increases the dependency ratio.
b) Social consequences: The migration of people from different regions towards an urban area leads to the formation of plural society. It helps the people to come out of narrow mindedness and people become generous.
c) Economic consequences: The migration of more people from over populated to under populated regions results the imbalance of the resource-population ratio. In some cases, the regions of over and under population may become the regions of optimum population. Migration may influence the occupational structure of the population of an area. Through this it will certainly affect the economy of the regions also. Brain drain is a consequence of migration. Brain drain refers to the migration in which skilled people from economically backward countries move to developed countries in search of better opportunities. Eventually, this leads to backwardness in source regions. This is called as "backwash effect".
d) Environmental consequences: Large scale movement of people from rural to urban areas causes overcrowding in cities and puts heavy pressure on resources. It leads to rapid growth of cities. The over population in urban areas leads to the pollution of air, water and soil. Scarcity of drinking water, lack of space for housing, traffic congestions and poor drainage are the common environmental problems prevail in urban areas. The lack of space for housing and the rising of land cost lead to the formation of slums.
URBANISATION
Urbanisation refers to the process in which there is an increase in the proportion of population living in towns and cities.
Causes of Urbanisation
Urbanisation is driven by three factors: natural population growth, rural to urban migration and the reclassification of rural areas into urban areas. Present day urbanisation includes changes in demographics, land cover, economic processes and characteristics of geographic area.
Do You Know?
In 2007, for the first time in history, the global urban population exceeded the global rural population and the world population has remained predominantly urban thereafter. (World Urbanisation Prospects, 2014 Revision, Highlights).
Origin and Growth of World Urbanisation
The process of urbanisation in the world has a long history.
Ancient Period:
The urban centres started developing during the pre-historic period (before 10000 years). During this period primitive man started domestication of plants and animals. It was the period of development of permanent settlements. The river valley regions of the Egypt, Greece and India gave rise to agrarian communities which eventually formed the urban communities and urban centres. The excess production of food grains was the major reason for urbanisation. Ur and Babylon in Mesopotamia, Thebes and Alexandria in Egypt, Athens in Greece, Harappa and Mohenjodaro in India were noted prehistoric cities of the world. In ancient period the increase in the number and size of urban centres occurred during the two great colonizing periods of the Greeks and Romans. During the beginning of the 7th century itself many cities were found near the Aegean Sea. During the Greek colonizing period, the expansion of trade promoted the growth of towns and cities.
Do You Know?
India, China and Nigeria –together are expected to account for 35 % of the growth in the world's urban population between 2018 and 2050. India is projected to add 416 million urban dwellers, China 255 million and Nigeria 189 million (World Urbanisation Prospects, 2018, Key facts).
Medieval Period:
It refers to the period after the 11th century. During this period, the European countries, increased their overseas trade which played an important role in the revival of European towns and cities after a period of low development. At the end of the thirteenth century, Paris, London, Geneva, Milan and Venice were the important cities found in Europe.
Modern Period:
This period starts from 17th century. It marks the third phase of development in urbanisation. The industrial revolution in the19th century accelerated the growth of towns and cities. The Europeans with urban civilization gave birth to a large number of new towns in North America and Soviet Union. The modern means of transport and communication, the development of new trade routes during 19th century had strengthened the trade centres and urban areas. The latest development in urbanisation was noticed in the continent of Africa. Before 1930, Africa had towns only on its coasts but now it has 50 towns with population exceeding 10, 00,000. Major cities in Africa are Cairo, Nairobi, Mombasa, Bulawayo, Duala, Abidian, Logos, Accra, Addis Abba, Leopoldville, Luanda, Cape Town, Natal, Pretoria etc. Thus, in modern age, the accelerating urbanisation is resulting in a redistribution of population throughout the world.
Do You Know?
In 1950, 30 percentage of the world's population was urban, and by 2050, 68 percentage of the world's population is projected to be urban (World Urbanisation Prospects, 2018, Key facts).
| World Urbanisation |
|---|
| Serial Number | Name of the Region | Urban Population in Percentage |
|---|
| 1 | North America | 82 |
| 2 | Latin America and Caribbean | 81 |
| 3 | Europe | 74 |
| 4 | Oceania | 68 |
| 5 | Asia | 50 |
| 6 | Africa | 43 |
| World Average | 55 |
Source: World Urbanisation Prospects, 2018, Revision, Key facts.
| World Top Five Cities |
|---|
| Serial Number | Name of the City | Population in million |
|---|
| 1 | Tokyo (Japan) | 37 |
| 2 | Delhi (India) | 29 |
| 3 | Shanghai (China) | 26 |
| 4 | Mexico city (Mexico) | 22 |
| 5 | Sao Paulo (Brazil) | 22 |
Source: World Urbanisation Prospects, 2018, Revision, Key facts
Consequences of Urbanisation
a) Housing and Slums: There is a lack of space for housing and a marked reduction in the quality of housing in the urban areas due to increase in population. This problem may increase in the years to come. Rapid rate of urbanisation results the development of slums.
b) Over Crowding: Over-crowding leads to unhealthy environment in the urban areas. It also the cause of many diseases and riots.
c) Water supply, Drainage and Sanitation: No city has round the clock water supply in the world. Drainage situation is equally bad. The removal of garbage is a Himalayan task for urban local bodies.
d) Transportation and Traffic: Lack of planned and adequate arrangements for traffic and transport is another problem in urban centres. The increasing number of two wheelers and cars make the traffic problem worse. They cause air pollution as well.
e) Pollution: Towns and cities are the major polluters of environment. Cities discharge their entire sewage and industrial effluents untreated into the nearby rivers. Industries in and around the urban centres pollute the atmosphere with smoke and toxic gases.
Recap
Common pattern of migration is from rural to urban. Migration takes place due to natural, economic, socio-cultural, demographic and political causes. Urbanisation is the result of rural to urban migration, natural growth of population and reclassification of rural areas into urban areas. Problems of urbanisation are mainly owing to over population, inadequate infrastructure, industrial development and increase in number of vehicles.
GLOSSARY
Migrant The person who migrates from one place to another. இடம் பெயர்பவர் Emigration A migration in which an individual or a group move out from home country. குடி பெயர்தல் Emigrant An International migrant departing to another country by crossing the International boundary குடி பெயர்பவர் Immigration A migration in which a person or group of people move into a new country குடியேற்றம் Immigrant An international migrant who enters into an area from a place outside the country குடியேறுபவர் Push factors The factors which force the people to move out from their native places. உந்து காரணிகள் Pull factors The factors which attract people from outside into a place. இழு காரணிகள் Transhumance It is also called Seasonal Migration, where pastoral farmers move with their herds seasonally or periodically between plains and mountains. கால் டையுடன் இடம்பெயர்வு
Evaluation
Exercise 1. Choose the correct answer
1. People move from _____ to _____ mainly in search of better jobs
a. Rural to Urban b. Urban to Rural c. Hills to plains d. Plains to hills
2. A person moves from his own country to another country is known as _____
a. Immigrant b. Refugee c. Emigrant d. Asylum seeker
3. The migration in search of fertile agricultural land is _____ Migration
a. Rural to Rural b. Rural to Urban c. Urban to Rural d. Urban to Urban
4. War is one of the _____ causes of human migration
a. Demographic b. Socio-Cultural c. Political d. Economic
5. The main reason for the development of urbanisation in pre-historic period was _____.
a. Excess Production of food grains b. Domestication of cattle c. Fishing d. hunting Exercise 2. Fill in the blanks
1. Urbanisation is determined by number of factors
2. is the major push factor operating in rural areas
3. Metropolitan city in India has the second highest urban population in the world
4. The movement of a person based on his free will and desire to live in a better place is called migration
5. In modern time urban growth was accelerated by the development of .
Exercise 3. Match the following
| 1. Emigration | |
| 2. Immigration | |
| 3. Pull factor | |
| 4. Push factor | |
| 5. Marriage | |
Options: In migration, Out migration, Unemployment, Socio- Cultural migration, Employment opportunity
Exercise 4. State whether the following statements are true or false 1. Slums are generally found in cities 2. Mass migration is absent in the modern period 3. The process of Urbanisation has a short history 4. Cities and towns are the major polluters of environment 5. Transhumance is also referred as seasonal migration Exercise 5. Consider the given statements and choose the correct option from the given ones
Statement (A): Urbanisation is mainly due to the movement of people from rural to cities.
Reason (R): Rural to Urban migration is not a predominant one.
a. A is correct but R is incorrect b. Both A and R are incorrect c. Both A and R are correct d. A is incorrect and R is correct Exercise 6. Answer briefly
1. Define "Migration".
2. What are the causes of rural to urban migration?
3. State the causes of the ecological or natural migration.
4. Name any two pull factors of migration.
5. What is Urbanisation?
6. List out any four most populous cities in the world.
Exercise 7. Answer in Paragraph
1. What are the different types of migration? Explain.
2. Explain in detail about the various causes of migration.
3. Discuss the problems of urbanisation.
Exercise 8. Map Study
on the outline map of the world mark the following places
- Tokyo
- New Delhi
- Mexico city
- Shanghai
- Sao Paulo
- Oceania
- Latin America
- Paris
- London
- Cairo
Exercise 9. Activities
1. List out and analyze the reason for migration of people in your locality.
2. Collect the pictures and information regarding the effects of urbanisation and make an album.
REFERENCE BOOKS
Maurya, S.D. – 2012, Human Geography, Allahabad, Prayag Pustak Bhawan.
Husain, M. – 2012, Human Geography, Jaipur, Rawat Publications.
United Nations – 2014, World Urbanisation Prospects 2014 Revision, Highlights, Department of Economic & Social Affairs, Population Division.
United Nations – 2017, International Migration Report 2017, Highlights, Department of Economic & Social Affairs.
United Nations – 2018, World Urbanisation Prospects 2018 Revision, Key facts, Department of Economic & Social Affairs, Population Division.
I C T CORNER
Migration and Urbanisation
Through this activity you will know about total number of international migrations
Step 1 Open the Browser and type the URL given below (or) Scan the Q R Code.
Step 2 Go to left side menu and Select any Country (Ex. India)
Step 3 Drag the Time line in left side menu to know about migration status of India
Web URL: https://migrationdataportal.org/latest
*Pictures are indicatives only.
*If browser requires, allow Flash Player or Java Script to load the page
Book-back Exercises — Questions & Answers
Answers generated strictly from the Samacheer Kalvi textbook content. Attempt each question first, then click "Show Answer" to check.
1. Choose the correct answer
1. People move from ____ to ____ mainly in search of better jobs
a) Rural to Urban b) Urban to Rural c) Hills to plains d) Plains to hills
Answer: a) Rural to Urban
Explanation: Rural to Urban Migration is the movement of population from rural areas to growing towns and cities mainly in search of employment, education and recreation facilities.
2. A person moves from his own country to another country is known as ____
a) Immigrant b) Refugee c) Emigrant d) Asylum seeker
Answer: c) Emigrant
Explanation: An Emigrant is an International migrant departing to another country by crossing the International boundary.
3. The migration in search of fertile agricultural land is ____ Migration
a) Rural to Rural b) Rural to Urban c) Urban to Rural d) Urban to Urban
Answer: a) Rural to Rural
Explanation: Rural to Rural Migration is driven by fertile land for cultivation and other sociological factors like Marriage etc.
4. War is one of the ____ causes of human migration
a) Demographic b) Socio-Cultural c) Political d) Economic
Answer: c) Political
Explanation: Various political causes like colonization, wars, government policies etc. have always been playing important role in human migration from time to time.
5. The main reason for the development of urbanisation in pre-historic period was ____
a) Excess Production of food grains b) Domestication of cattle c) Fishing d) hunting
Answer: a) Excess Production of food grains
Explanation: The excess production of food grains was the major reason for urbanisation during the pre-historic period.
2. Fill in the blanks
1. Urbanisation is determined by ____ number of factors
Answer: three
2. ____ is the major push factor operating in rural areas
Answer: Unemployment
3. ____ Metropolitan city in India has the second highest urban population in the world
Answer: Delhi
4. The movement of a person based on his free will and desire to live in a better place is called ____ migration
Answer: voluntary
5. In modern time urban growth was accelerated by the development of ____
Answer: industrial revolution
3. Match the following
1. Match the Following
| 1. Emigration | a) In migration |
| 2. Immigration | b) Out migration |
| 3. Pull factor | c) Unemployment |
| 4. Push factor | d) Socio-Cultural migration |
| 5. Marriage | e) Employment opportunity |
Answers: 1-b, 2-a, 3-e, 4-c, 5-d
4. State whether the following statements are true or false
1. Slums are generally found in cities
Answer: True
2. Mass migration is absent in the modern period
Answer: False
3. The process of Urbanisation has a short history
Answer: False
4. Cities and towns are the major polluters of environment
Answer: True
5. Transhumance is also referred as seasonal migration
Answer: True
5. Consider the given statements and choose the correct option from the given ones
1. Statement (A): Urbanisation is mainly due to the movement of people from rural to cities. Reason (R): Rural to Urban migration is not a predominant one.
a) A is correct but R is incorrect b) Both A and R are incorrect c) Both A and R are correct d) A is incorrect and R is correct
Answer: a) A is correct but R is incorrect
Explanation: Urbanisation is driven by rural to urban migration, and rural to urban migration is the most common one.
6. Answer briefly
1. Define "Migration".
Answer: Migration is defined as the permanent or semi permanent change of residence of an individual or group of people over a significant distance. It refers to the movement of people from one place to another.
2. What are the causes of rural to urban migration?
Answer: Rural to Urban Migration is the movement of population from rural areas to growing towns and cities mainly in search of employment, education and recreation facilities. Economic factors like unemployment in rural areas and availability of better employment opportunities in cities are major causes.
3. State the causes of the ecological or natural migration.
Answer: The causes that operate under ecological or natural migration are volcanic eruption, earthquake, flood, drought etc. These events force people to leave their native places and settle in new areas.
4. Name any two pull factors of migration.
Answer: Employment opportunities and availability of fertile agricultural land are two pull factors of migration. These favourable factors attract people towards a location.
5. What is Urbanisation?
Answer: Urbanisation refers to the process in which there is an increase in the proportion of population living in towns and cities. It is driven by three factors: natural population growth, rural to urban migration and the reclassification of rural areas into urban areas.
6. List out any four most populous cities in the world.
Answer: The four most populous cities in the world are Tokyo (Japan) with 37 million, Delhi (India) with 29 million, Shanghai (China) with 26 million, and Mexico city (Mexico) with 22 million.
7. Answer in Paragraph
1. What are the different types of migration? Explain.
Answer: Migration can be classified in several ways. Based on administrative limits, it includes internal migration (within a country) and international migration (across national boundaries). Internal migration has four types: Rural to Urban, Urban to Urban, Rural to Rural, and Urban to Rural migration. Based on willingness, migration is voluntary (on person's free will) or involuntary (against the will). Based on duration, it includes short term, long term, and seasonal migration. Seasonal migration involves movement during particular seasons and returning after the season ends.
2. Explain in detail about the various causes of migration.
Answer: Migration is caused by five main factors. Ecological or natural causes include volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, floods, and droughts that force people to move. Economic causes involve availability of fertile land, employment opportunities, and technology development as pull factors, while poverty and unemployment act as push factors. Socio-cultural causes include migration after marriage and pilgrimage. Demographic causes relate to age, sex composition, overpopulation and underpopulation. Political causes include wars, colonization, and government policies that have historically driven human migration. These factors work as either push factors (forcing people to leave) or pull factors (attracting people to new locations).
3. Discuss the problems of urbanisation.
Answer: Urbanisation causes several problems. Housing and slums develop due to lack of space and reduced housing quality, with rapid urbanisation resulting in slum development. Overcrowding leads to unhealthy environments and diseases. Water supply, drainage and sanitation problems exist as no city has round-the-clock water supply and garbage removal is difficult. Transportation and traffic problems occur due to inadequate arrangements and increasing vehicles causing air pollution. Environmental pollution is major as cities discharge untreated sewage and industrial effluents into rivers, while industries pollute the atmosphere with smoke and toxic gases. These problems are mainly due to overpopulation, inadequate infrastructure, industrial development and increasing vehicles.
📝 Summary
- Migration is defined as the permanent or semi permanent change of residence of an individual or group of people over a significant distance, involving movement from one place to another.
- Migration has been an important dynamic human activity from the very beginning of human life, with early people moving in search of food and later seeking fertile land for cultivation.
- Migration is influenced by pull factors (favourable conditions that attract people to a location) and push factors (unfavourable conditions that make people move out from a location).
- The main causes of migration are categorized into five groups: ecological or natural causes (volcanic eruption, earthquake, flood, drought), economic causes (employment opportunities, fertile land, poverty), and socio-cultural causes.
- Economic factors are among the most important causes of migration, with people moving from areas of mass poverty and unemployment to places with better employment opportunities and economic development.