Class 8 Geography Chapter 1 Question Answers - Resources and Development

Q1: What is Smelting?
Ans: It is the process in which metals are extracted from their ores by heating beyond the melting point.

Q2: Why do industrial disasters occur?
Or
What are the main causes of industrial accidents?
Ans: In industries, accidents/disaster mainly occurs due to technical failure or irresponsible handling of hazardous material.

Q3: Where was the first textile mill in India established and when?
Ans: The first textile mill in the country was established at Fort Gloster near Kolkata in 1818 but it closed down after some time.

Q4: Where are iron and steel industries in the world?
Ans: The countries in which iron and steel industry is located are Germany, USA, China, Japan and Russia.

Q5: What is the link between the mines and the industry in Pittsburgh?
Ans: Between mines and Pittsburgh is one of the world’s best routes for shipping ore cheaply – the famous Great Lakes waterway.

Q6: What are common alloying elements for steel?
Ans: Special alloys of steel can be made by adding small amounts of other metals such as aluminium, nickel, and copper.

Q7: How are industries classified on the basis of raw materials?
Or
Classify industries on the basis of source of raw materials.
Ans: Industries may be agro based, mineral based, marine based and forest based depending on the type of raw materials they use.

Q8: What are sunrise industries? Give examples.
Ans: Emerging industries are also known as ‘Sunrise Industries’. These include Information technology, Wellness, Hospitality and Knowledge.

Q9: What is meant by the term ‘industry’?
Ans: Industry refers to an economic activity that is concerned with production of goods, extraction of minerals or the provision of services.

Q10: Which industry is often referred to as the backbone of modern industry and why?
Ans:  Steel is often called the backbone of modern industry because almost everything we use is either made of iron or steel or has been made with tools and machinery of these metals.

Q11: Why cotton textile industry rapidly expanded in Mumbai?
Ans: The warm, moist climate, port for importing machinery, availability of raw material and skilled labour resulted in rapid expansion of the textile industry in Mumbai.

Q12: What industries have started replacing the textile industry in Osaka?
Or
What industries have replaced the cotton textile industry of Osaka?
Ans: The cotton textile industry of Osaka has been replaced by other industries, such as iron and steel, machinery, shipbuilding, automobiles, electrical equipment and cement.

Q13: Write a short note on Chinese gas well blowout.
Ans: On 23 December 2005, due to gas well blowout in Gao Qiao, Chongging, China, 243 people died, 9,000 were injured and 64,000 were evacuated. Many people died because they were unable to run after the explosion. Those who could not escape in time suffered burns to their eyes, skin and lungs from the gas.

Q14: Name some important steel producing centres in India.
Ans:  Important steel producing centres such as Bhilai, Durgapur, Burnpur, Jamshedpur, Rourkela, Bokaro are situated in a region that spreads over four states — West Bengal, Jharkhand, Orissa and Chhattisgarh. Bhadravati and Vijay Nagar in Karnataka, Vishakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh, Salem in Tamil Nadu are other important steel centres utilising local resources.

Q15: Why Bangalore is called “Silicon Plateau”?
Ans: Bangalore is located on the Deccan Plateau from where it gets the name ‘Silicon Plateau’.

Q16: Which place is known as ‘Manchester of Japan’?
Ans: Osaka is an important textile centre of Japan, also known as the ‘Manchester of Japan’.

Q17: Name the major hubs of Information technology industry in the world.
Ans: The major hubs of Information technology industry are the Silicon Valley of Central California and the Bangalore region of India.

Q18: Where is textile industry concentrated in the world?
Ans: Textile industry is concentrated in India, Hong Kong, South Korea, Japan and Taiwan.

Q19: When and where was TISCO started?
Ans: TISCO was started in 1907 at Sakchi, near the confluence of the rivers Subarnarekha and Kharkai in Jharkhand.

Q20: From where does the iron ore come to Pittsburgh?
Ans: The iron ore come to Pittsburgh from the iron mines at Minnesota, about 1500 km from Pittsburgh.