Read the passage given below and answer the questions/complete the statements that follow by choosing the best option from the given ones.

1) In India, as in other parts of the world, the population is unevenly distributed. The concentration of population is the highest in the northern plains, particularly in the Ganga plain. The coastal plains too, are densely populated. The plains are agriculturally the most productive regions. In addition, they have got network of roads and railways. Many large towns and cities that are commercially and industrially important have come up in these regions. All these factors have contributed to the high concentration of population in the plains.

2) The hilly areas like Jammu and Kashmir and the north eastern states are thinly populated. These areas are economically less developed, mainly because there is difficulty of developing rail and road links through the mountain terrain. The desert regions of Rajasthan and Gujarat also have sparse population. Among the states and Union territories of India, population is maximum in Uttar Pradesh, while the Union Territory of Lakshadweep is the least populous.

3) Changes in the size of population depend mostly on the birth rate and death rate. The number of live berths per thousand people in a year is called the birth rate, while the number of deaths in a year is called the death rate. The difference between these two gives the natural increase, which is the main factor responsible for population growth. India is the second most populous country, China being the first with having 17.2% of the world population. Together China and India, according to a survey in 2008, account for 60% of the world population.