7.10   Population

. Population The term ‘population’ refers to the number of people living in a defined area. The statistical study of the characteristics of human population is called demography. Regions of High Population Coimbatore, Chennai, Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram, Villupuram, Dharmapuri, Salem, Madurai and Tirunelveli are the most populous districts in the state. Agriculture and industrial development are the main causes of high concentration of population of these districts. Regions of Moderate Population Tiruvannamalai, Cuddalore, Tiruchirapalli and Thanjavur districts have a population – lakh. Vellore, Dindugal, Virudhunagar and Thoothukudi districts each have a population of – lakh. Other than agriculture, small-scale industries and fishing along the coastal areas are the major occupations of people in these districts. Regions of Sparse Population The coastal districts Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur, Pudukottai, Ramanathapuram and Sivagangai have a less than lakh. The Nilgiris district has a population of less than lakh population. Population Density The state ranks 12th among the Indian states in population density. The national average density of population as per the Census is . Chennai is the densest district with , persons per sq.km followed by Kanniyakumari, Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram, Madurai, Coimbatore, Cuddalore, Thanjavur, Nagapattinam, Salem, Vellore and Tiruchirappalli. These are the regions with high density of population. The least density of population is recorded in The Nilgiris ( sq.km) and the other districts have moderate density of population.  Human Geography of Tamil Nadu Religion Hinduism, Christianity and Islam are the major religions in the state. The Hindus constitute the largest of the population, followed by Christians and Muslims. Jainism, Sikhism and Buddhism and people of other religions also presence in the state. Sex Ratio The sex ratio represents the number of females per males. The highest sex ratio is found in The Nilgiris district ( ) followed by Thanjavur district ( ). The lowest sex ratio is reported in Dharmapuri district ( ) followed by Salem district ( ). Literacy Rate The district of Kanniyakumari has reported the highest literacy rate while Dharmapuri district has the lowest rate. A high level of literacy rate is also seen in Chennai, Thoothukudi, The Nilgiris and Kancheepuram districts.