HIRANANDANI FOUNDATION SCHOOL, THANE

SUBJECT - GEOGRAPHY
TOPIC- URBANISATION
STD- VIII

I. Answer the following questions:

1. What do you understand by the term ‘urbanisation’?
Ans- Urbanisation is the increase in the proportion of people living in the
towns and cities as compared to those living in villages.

2. What are satellite cities? Give one example from the world and
one from India.

Ans- Satellite cities are small or medium-sized metropolitan areas that

are located near large cities but are mostly independent. New Haven is the
satellite city of New York City and Gurugram is the satellite city of Delhi.

3. Define a smart city.

Ans- A smart city is a city that uses Information and Communications

Technology (ICT) to improve the efficiency of its services and meet the needs
of the citizens.

4. Name any five smart cities of the world.

Ans- Five smart cities of the world are Barcelona (Spain), Vienna (Austria),
London (UK), Paris (France) and Berlin (Germany).

5. What is waste management?

Ans- Waste management is the process by which waste is managed since its
inception to its final disposal.

6. When and where the Industrial Revolution begin?

Ans- The Industrial Revolution began in the late eighteenth century in

England.

7. Explain how Industrial Revolution gave rise to urbanisation in countries of

Europe and North America.

Ans- The Industrial Revolution gave rise to many industries. The rise in the
number of industries in the cities created a demand for labour and people
migrated from the villages for these jobs. Thus, expansion of industries in
countries of Europe and North America led to urbanisation in these
countries.
8. Describe the push and the pull factors of rural to urban migration that
have led to the large-scale urbanisation.

Ans- The push factors of rural to urban migration that have led to
large-scale urbanisation are-
• Poverty,
• lack of employment opportunities,
• low standard of living and
• lack of social amenities in the rural areas.

The pull factors are-

• better employment opportunities,
• higher standard of living,
• better healthcare,
• education and recreation facilities,
• diverse culture and more market competition.

9. Write the positive effects of urbanisation.

Ans- Positive effects of urbanisation are-
• Cities offer many services and job opportunities.
• Education, healthcare and entertainment opportunities are more
readily available in cities.
• Cities have better infrastructure and higher standard of living.
• Social and religious taboos disappear with increasing urbanisation.
• People from various regions migrate to cities, leading to exchange of
ideas and diversity of culture.

10. How are smart cities helpful to modern age?

Ans- Smart cities are helpful in modern age in the following way-
• Smart cities use Information and Communications Technology (ICT)
to improve the quality of life,
• to optimise the use of resources,
• to improve contact between the city officials and the citizens and
• to be better prepared to face challenges.

11. Explain the causes which led to urbanisation.

Ans- The causes which led to urbanisation are-
• Industrialization- Growth of industries creates job opportunities and
higher standard of living.
• Rural to urban migration- Economic disparities, limited job
opportunities and better living conditions in urban areas motivate
people to migrate from rural to urban areas.
 • Population growth- Natural population increase coupled with
improvement in healthcare leads to higher population density in urban
areas.
• Technological advancement- Technological innovations and
advancement in transportation and communication systems make
urban living more attractive.
• Education and healthcare facilities- Urban areas offer better
educational and healthcare facilities which attract people seeking
quality services for themselves and their families.
• Social factors- Urban areas often provide a more diverse social and
cultural environment, offering opportunities for social interaction,
networking and cultural enrichment.

12. ‘Urbanisation has several adverse effects on the socio-economic

structure of the country.’ Justify this statement.

Ans- Urbanisation has several adverse effects on the socio-economic

structure of the country. They are-
• Overpopulation in the cities results in unemployment and
underemployment.
• Overcrowding in cities also results in unhygienic conditions, giving rise
to public health and sanitation issues.
• Overcrowding causes shortage of housing in cities, leading to creation
of slums.
• Large cities also have many social problems like poverty, violence and
high crime rate.

13. Describe the characteristics of satellite cities.

Ans- The characteristics of satellite cities are-
• Satellite cities have been in existence as cities before interconnecting the
with larger metropolitan cities.
• They are separated from the larger cities by vast rural territory or by
major geographic barriers like a river.
• They are economically and socially independent from the metropolitan
cities and have their own independent municipal government.
• Satellite cities have a central business district, surrounded by
residential areas.
• There is a lot of cross-commuting between the satellite cities and the
larger metropolis.
II. Give Geographical reasons for the following:
1. Anti-social activities are on the rise in urban agglomerations.
Ans- Anti-social activities are on the rise in urban agglomerations
because of overcrowding which leads to shortage of resources, jobs
and living space which in turn leads to violence and crime.

2. There is cross-commuting between a metropolis and its satellite

city.
Ans- There is cross-commuting between a metropolis and its
satellite city as these cities usually act as extensions of large
metropolitans.

3. Citizens in smart cities enjoys a good quality of life.

Ans- Citizens in smart cities enjoy a good quality of life due to
efficient services that are made possible with the use of Information
and Communications Technology (ICT).

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