हिंदी

Overview of Primary Activities

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Estimated time: 12 minutes
CBSE: Class 12

Key Points: Hunting and Gathering

  • Oldest economic activity – Early humans depended on hunting animals and gathering edible plants for survival.
  • Practised in extreme climates – Common in very cold and very hot regions, such as northern Canada, Amazon Basin and tropical Africa.
  • Low technology and low output – Uses simple tools, requires little capital and produces very little surplus.
  • Modern commercial gathering – Some gatherers now sell forest products like medicinal plants, bark, rubber, gums and oils in markets.
  • Decline of hunting and gathering – Illegal hunting has led to extinction of many species, and synthetic products have replaced many forest products.
CBSE: Class 12

Key Points: Pastorlism

  • Domestication of animals – Pastoralism developed when humans began domesticating animals instead of depending only on hunting.
  • Nomadic herding – Herders move with their animals in search of pasture and water; common in Africa, Central Asia and tundra regions. Seasonal movement is called transhumance.
  • Different animals in different regions – Cattle in tropical Africa, camels in deserts, yaks in Tibet, reindeer in Arctic areas.
  • Decline of nomadism – Decreasing due to political boundaries and new settlement policies by governments.
  • Commercial livestock rearing – Practised on large ranches in countries like USA, Australia and Argentina; scientific methods are used and products like meat and wool are exported.
CBSE: Class 12

Key Points: Agriculture

  • Subsistence Agriculture – Farmers grow crops mainly for their own consumption. It includes Primitive (shifting/slash and burn) and Intensive subsistence farming (wet paddy and other crops in monsoon Asia).
  • Plantation Agriculture – Large-scale commercial farming introduced by Europeans in tropical regions; single crop specialisation (tea, coffee, rubber) with heavy capital and export-oriented production.
  • Extensive Commercial Grain Farming – Practised in mid-latitude grasslands (Prairies, Pampas); large mechanised farms with low yield per acre but high yield per person.
  • Mixed Farming and Dairy Farming – Crops and livestock are reared together; common in developed regions. Dairy farming is highly capital and labour intensive near urban markets.
  • Mediterranean Agriculture – Specialised commercial farming of citrus fruits, olives and grapes; important for wine production.
  • Market Gardening and Horticulture – Small farms near cities growing high-value crops like vegetables, fruits and flowers; labour and capital intensive.
  • Co-operative and Collective Farming – In co-operative farming, farmers pool resources voluntarily; in collective farming (e.g., Kolkhoz), land and labour are owned collectively for production.
CBSE: Class 12

Key Points: Mining

  • Importance of Mining – Mining developed rapidly after the Industrial Revolution and is essential for modern industries. Minerals were earlier used mainly for tools and weapons.
  • Factors Affecting Mining – Mining depends on (i) physical factors like size, quality and location of mineral deposits, and (ii) economic factors like demand, technology, capital, labour and transport costs.
  • Surface (Open-cast) Mining – Used when minerals are near the surface. It is cheaper, safer and produces large output quickly.
  • Underground (Shaft) Mining – Used when minerals are deep underground. It involves shafts and tunnels and is costly and risky due to dangers like fire, flooding and poisonous gases.
  • Global Pattern of Mining – Developed countries are reducing mining due to high labour costs, while developing countries (especially in Africa, Asia and South America) depend heavily on mineral exports for income.
 
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