Read the passage carefully and answer the following question:
Demographic Transition Theory is used to describe and predict the future population of any area using fertility (Crude Birth Rate) and mortality (Crude Death Rate) data in a three-staged model.
Stage I is called high fluctuating wherein both fertility and mortality are high. People reproduce more children to compensate for deaths due to epidemics and food shortages. The growth is low and fluctuating. The people are engaged in agriculture having low technology. The life expectancy is also low.
Stage II is expanding stage where fertility remains high in the beginning while mortality starts to decline due to medical and sanitation revolution. This decline in mortality causes natural increase in population. In the second half of this stage fertility also starts to decline.
In the last stage, low fluctuating growth rate is due to low fertility and low mortality. The population is stable or grows slowly. The population becomes urbanised and literate and has high technological know-how.
Identify the key features of high fluctuating stage-
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → Low life expectancy, high infant mortality, low levels of technology
The passage states: “Stage I is called high fluctuating wherein both fertility and mortality are high. … The people are engaged in agriculture having low technology. The life expectancy is also low.”
Option (1) High life expectancy, low fertility and low mortality — Incorrect. Low fertility and low mortality belong to the last stage. In Stage I, life expectancy is low.
Option (2) Low life expectancy, high infant mortality, low levels of technology — Correct. Life expectancy and technology are both low in Stage I. Mortality is high in this stage, and high infant mortality is one part of it: people have more children to make up for the deaths.
Option (3) High life expectancy, high mortality, high levels of technology — Incorrect. Mortality is high in Stage I, but life expectancy and technology are low. High technological know-how comes only in the last stage.
Option (4) Low life expectancy, low fertility, low mortality — Incorrect. Life expectancy is low in Stage I, but fertility and mortality are both high, not low.
Note: This passage is based on the section ‘Demographic Transition’ in the chapter ‘The World Population: Distribution, Density and Growth’ (Fundamentals of Human Geography).