Class 8 Geography Chapter 1 Question Answers - Resources and Development

Question.1. What is the basic function of the three basic types of economic activities?
Answer. The three types of economic activities are involved in the transformation from a plant to a finished product.

Question.2. What are tertiary activities?
Answer. Tertiary activities are those which provide support to primary and secondary activities.

Question.3. In what sorts of areas are agricultural activities concentrated?
Answer. Agricultural activities are concentrated in those areas of the world which have suitable conditions of growing crops.

Question.4. What is arable land?
Answer. The land on which crops are grown is called arable land.

Question.5. How is subsistence farming classified?
Answer. Subsistence farming is classified into intensive and primitive subsistence agriculture.

Question.6. In what sort of areas is nomadic herding practised?
Answer. Nomadic herding is practised in semi- arid and arid regions of Sahara, Central Asia and some parts of India.

Question.7. Why is mixed farming called so?
Answer. In mixed farming the land is used for growing crops as well as rearing livestock.

Question.8. What is the main feature of plantation agriculture?
Answer. In plantation agriculture only a single crop is grown.

Question.9. What weather conditions are required in the growing and harvesting seasons of wheat?
Answer. In the growing season wheat requires moderate temperature and rainfall and in the harvesting season it needs bright sunshine.

Question.10. Which two countries lead in the production of jute?
Answer. India and Bangladesh are the leading producers of jute.

Question.1. Write a short note on the types of economic activities. Give examples.
Answer. The three types of economic activities are primary, secondary and tertiary. Primary Activities. Activities which involve direct extraction and production of natural resources are called primary activities. Examples: agriculture, fishing, mining. Secondary Activities. Activities which are concerned with the processing of natural resources are called secondary activities. Examples: manufacturing of finished products. Tertiary Activities. Activities which fall neither in the primary category nor the secondary category are called tertiary activities. They form a support to primary and secondary activities. Examples: selling goods, advertising and banking.

Question.2. Name the inputs and outputs of agriculture in general. Also mention the various operations involved.
Answer. The inputs in agriculture are seeds, fertilisers, machinery, labour, etc. The operations involved in agriculture are ploughing, sowing, irrigation, weeding and harvesting. As outputs of the farming activity, a farmer gets crops, wool, dairy products and poultry products.

Question.3. Explain shifting cultivation.
Answer. Shifting cultivation is a class of primitive subsistence agriculture. In this, a plot of land is cleared by the farmer. This is done by felling the trees and burning them. The ashes are then mixed with soil and crops are grown. After some time, the land is abandoned and the farmer moves to a different place. This type of farming is common in the thickly forested areas of the Amazon basin, tropical Africa, parts of south-east Asia and north-east India. It is also called “slash and burn” agriculture, because of the process of felling and burning the trees is involved.

Question.4. Enlist the climate conditions required for the proper cultivation of rice. Mention the main regions of its production.
Answer. Rice is a major food crop‘in tropical and sub-tropical parts of the world. Its cultivation needs high temperature, high humidity and rainfall. Its growth is best in alluvial clayey soils, since they have water retention capacity. China and India are the leading producers in the world. In favourable climatic conditions, even two to three crops are grown in a year.

Question.5. What do you understand by agricultural development?
Answer. Agricultural development refers to efforts made to increase production in farms so as to meet the ever¬growing demand of the population. The activities that come under this development are increasing the cropped area, growing more crops, improving irrigation, using fertilisers, sowing HYV (high-yielding variety) of seeds and by promoting mechanisation. Mechanisation ensures that little labour is done by the farmers; instead machines are used to provide efficiency.

Question.1. Describe subsistence farming and its types in detail.
Answer. The two main types of farming are:
subsistence farming and commercial farming.
Subsistence farming is practised solely to meet the needs of the farmer’s family. Therefore, the practices involved are usually old- fashioned. Use of modern technology is minimum and most work is done by household labour.
In intensive, subsistence agriculture, simple tools and huge labour are used by a farmer to cultivate a small plot of land. More than one crop is grown annually in favourable conditions. Rice is the major crop. This form of agriculture is seen in the thickly populated areas of the monsoon regions of south, south-east and east Asia. Shifting cultivation is a class of primitive subsistence agriculture. In this, a plot of land is cleared by felling the trees and burning them. The ashes are then mixed with soil and crops are grown. After some time, the land is abandoned and the farmers move to a different place. This type of farming is common in the thickly forested areas of the Amazon basin, tropical Africa, parts of south-east Asia and north-east India. It is also called “slash and burn” agriculture.
Nomadic herding refers to the practice in which herdsmen move from place to place with their animals for fodder and water. Animals usually reared are the yak, sheep, camel and goats.

Question.2. Describe commercial farming and its types in detail.
Answer. Commercial farming is the practice in which crops are grown exclusively for commercial purpose, i.e. for sale in the market. A large area is cultivated and huge capital is involved unlike subsistence farming. Machines are used to a large extent.
Commercial grain farming is a class of commercial farming. Crops like wheat and maize are grown for commercial purpose. The temperate grasslands of North America, Europe and Asia are some common areas where it is seen.
Mixed farming is another type of commercial farming. The land is used for growing food and fodder crops and rearing livestock. Some areas where it is followed are Europe, eastern USA, Argentina, south-east Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. Plantations are a type of commercial farming where only a single crop (like tea, coffee, sugarcane, cashew, rubber, banana or cotton) is grown. Large amount of labour and capital are required. The produce is processed in the farm itself or nearby factories.