Primary Activities
- Class: 12th
- Subject: Geography
- Topic: primary activities
- Resources: Notes, Important Questions
- Part- A
- Chapter: 4
- Class12 (Geography )
Get notes here, questions for class 12th. Those candidates who are ambitious to pass class 12 with good marks, can check this article for notes, by practicing this resource, the candidates get to know that their weak areas and good for the exam How to prepare!
People engage in a number of activities for their survival. The human activities which generate income are known as economic activities. These activities are broadly divided into four major categories i.e. Primary, Secondary, Tertiary and Quaternary activities.
Meaning of Primary Activities
primary activities are those which are directly dependent upon the environment. In these type of activities, people utilise earth's resources such as and, water, vegetation, building materials and minerals. These activities are also known as primitive activities.
Thus, it includes all the activities which are connected to natural environment ike hunting and gathering, pastoral activities, fishing, forestry, agriculture and mining and quarrying. People engaged in primary activities are known as red collar workers due to the outdoor nature of work.
Types of Primary Activities
Primary activities are of different types. Some of these are discussed below:
Hunting
It is considered as the most primitive activity. Most of the ancient societies depended heavily on hunting. People living in extremely cold and hot climate regions survived on hunting. Inspite of modernisation in fishing due to technological progress, still people living in the coastal areas are engaged in catching fishes. Due to illegal hunting (poaching), a large number of species now have become extinct or endangered.
In early times, due to the use of primitive tools made of stones, twigs or arrows, the number of animal killings were limited as compared to the present.
Gathering
Gathering is the collection of plants and animals for food, shelter and clothing. It is mainly practised by primitive societies who live in harsh climatic regions.
The main features of gathering activity are:
- Low capital/skill investment
- Low level of technology
- Low yield per person
- Little or no surplus in production
Gathering is practiced in the following areas:
High Latitude Zones It includes Northern Canada, Northern Eurasia and Southern Chile.
Low Latitude Zones. It includes the Amazon Basin, Tropical Africa, Northern fringe of Australia and the interior parts of South-East Asia. In modern times, some gathering has become commercial and market oriented.
Gatherers sell products made from valuable plants. They use various parts of the plant, e.g. the bark is used for quinine, tannin extract and cork-leaves supply materials for beverages, drugs, cosmetics, fibres and fabrics; nuts for food and oils and tree trunk yield rubber, balata, gums and resins. For example, the chewy part of a chewing gum is known as chicle and it is made from milky juice of zapota tree.
Products of gathering activity cannot compete at the global market as synthetic products, often at better quality and cheap prices have replaced many products supplied by the gatherers of the tropical forests.
Pastoralism
Human beings probably realised at some phase in the history that hunting is an unsustainable activity so they started practising domestication of animals. Different animals were domesticated, depending upon the climatic conditions for obtaining products such as milk, meat, eggs etc.
Depending upon the geographical factors and levels of technological development, animal rearing is today practised at the subsistence or commercial levels.
Nomadic Herding
Nomadic herding is also called pastoral nomadism. It i a primitive subsistence activity in which herders depends upon animals for food, clothing, shelter, tools and transport They move to different areas with their livestock for availability and quality of pastures and water According to their tradition, each nomadic community occupies a well-defined territory.
This activity is practised in three important regions .
(I) The core region extends from the Atlantic shore of North Africa Eastwards across the Arabian peninsula into Mongolia and Central China .
(ii) The second region extends over the tundra region Eurasia.
(iii) In the Southern hemisphere, there are small are in South-West Africa and on the island of Madagascar.
In Tropical Africa, cattle is the most important livestock. In Sahara and Asiatic deserts, important areas of Tibet and Andes, important animals are Yak animals are sheep, goats and camel. In mountainous and Llamas. In Arctic and Sub-Arctic areas, reindeer the most important animal.
Transhumance
Herders move from one place to another in search of pasture either over vast horizontal distances or vertical regions. They also migrate seasonally. During summer from one elevation to another in the mountainous to mountainous regions and they move from plains during winters, they move from mountains to plain areas. This process of seasoned migration is known transhumance.
In the Himalayas, the tribal people like Gujjars, Bakarwals, Gaddis and Bhotias practise transhum to mountains in summers a migrating from plains from mountain pastures to plains in winters.
In the Tundra regions, it is practised by nomadic herders, who move from South to North in summery and from North to South in winters.
The number of pastoral nomads have been decrease and the areas operated by them are shrinking due to imposition of political boundaries and new settlement plans by different countries.
Commercial Livestock Rearing
As compared to Nomadic Herding, commercial Livestock rearing is more organised and requires large capital. It is a specialised activity where only one animal is reared on a large scale. Animals that are re include sheep, cattle, goats, horses etc. Products obtained from these animals are processed and packaged scientifically and exported to markets across the world.
Agriculture
A majority of people are engaged in agriculture in t world. A number of physical conditions give rise to different types of agriculture systems. Based on the methods of farming, difference types of crops are grown. The following agricultural systems:
Subsistence Agriculture
In this type of farming, nearly all the consumed by the producers producers themselves become consumers. It is divided Agriculture and Intensive Subsistence Agriculture: into two categories i.e. Primitive Subsistence
Primitive Subsistence Agriculture
In this type of farming, the vegetation is usually cleared by fire and the ashes add to the fertility of the soil. It is also known as slash and burn agriculture. The cultivated land is very small which is cultivated by very primitive tools like sticks and hoes. After 3 to 5 years when the soil loses its fertility, the farmers shift to another patch of land and clear it for cultivation. Due to this reason, it is also known as shifting cultivation.
Farmers may return to the earlier patch of land, once it regains soil fertility. The main disadvantage of this type of farming is that the cycle of jhum becomes less and less due to loss of fertility in different patches of land.
Many tribes practise this in tropical regions of Africa, South and Central America and South-East Asia. This type of farming has different names in different areas like:
Jhuming in North-Eastern states of India, Milpa in Central America and Mexico, Ladang in Indonesia and Malaysia.
Intensive Subsistence Agriculture
It is mainly practised in monsoon regions of Asia.
It is of two types:
(i) Intensive Subsistence Agriculture Dominated by Wet Paddy
This type of agriculture is characterised by is dominance of the rice crop. Due to the high density of population, land holdings are very small. It is labour intensive cultivation which is done by family members. Manual labour is used in this agriculture. Hence, it is not a mechanised form of agriculture. The fertility of the soil is maintained by the farm yard manure. The main shortcoming of this process is that the yield per unit area is high but per labour productivity is low.
(ii) Intensive Subsistence Agriculture Dominated to by Crops other than Paddy
This type of agriculture is dominated by crops other than paddy as it is not suitable to grow paddy in many Le parts of monsoon Asia due to a number of geographical factors like climate, relief, soil, etc Different crops like wheat, soybean, barley and sorghum um are grown in Northern China, Manchuria, North Korea and North Japan. In India, Western parts of the Indo-Gangetic plains are important areas where wheat crop is grown.
Dry parts of Western and Southern India are important for millets. Irrigation system is often used in this type of agriculture which makes this system of agriculture different from the agriculture dominated by wet paddy cultivation.
Plantation Agriculture
This type of agricultural system was introduced by the Europeans. It was started in those colonies which were situated in the tropical areas. It is mainly a profit-oriented large scale production system.
The main characteristics of this agriculture system are as follows:
- Crops which are grown in plantations are cash crops. These include tea, coffee, coçoa, rubber, cotton, oil palm, bananas, sugarcane and pineapples.
- Estates or plantations are large and the capital invested in them is also huge.
- Managerial and technical support is provided and cultivation is done by scientific methods.
- Generally, there is single crop specialisation i.e. only one crop is cultivated at a time.
- Cheap labour and good transportation system which links the estates to the factories and markets for the export of products are essential.
Different Europeans started plantations in different areas of the world. For example:
- The French They established cocoa and coffee plantations in West Africa.
- The British They established large tea gardens in India and Sri Lanka, tea plantations were cultivated on slope of hills because of favourable geographic conditions. They also established rubber plantations in Malaysia and sugarcane and banana plantations in West Indies.
- The Spanish and the Americans They set-up coconut and sugarcane plantations in the Philippines.
- The Dutch Once they had monopoly over sugarcane plantations in Indonesia.
- Still there are some coffee fazendas (large plantations) in Brazil which are managed by Europeans.
After the independence of the colonies, ownership of the majority of plantations has passed into the hands of the government or the nationals of the countries concerned.
Extensive Commercial Grain Agriculture
The interior parts of semi-arid lands of the mid-latitudes are suitable for this cultivation and the principal crop of this cultivation is wheat. It is accompanied by other crops like corn, barley, oats and rye.
Due to larger area of the farm, the complete operation of cultivations are mechanised from ploughing to harvesting. Machines such as combine crews are able harvest several hectares of land in a day. There is low yield per acre but high yield per person. Important are the and American Prairies, the Pampas of Argentina, the Velds of South Africa, the Australian Downs and Canterbury Plains of New Zealand.
Mixed Farming
In this farming along with crop cultivation, animal husbandry is also practised. Important animals are cattle, sheep, pigs and poultry animals.
It is also characterised by high capital expenditure on farm, machinery and building. The chemical fertilizers and green manures are used extensively in this farming This farming also needs skills and expertise of farmers
The important characteristics of mixed farms are given below:
These farms are not extensive but moderate in size.
Important crops grown here are wheat, barley, oats, rye, maize, fodder and root crops.
Fodder crops are an important component of mixed farming as they are used to feed the animals.
Here, crop rotation and intercropping maintain the soil fertility.
Important regions where mixed farming is practised are the highly developed parts of the world.
e.g. North-Western Europe, Eastern North America, parts of Eurasia and the temperate latitudes of Souther continents.
Dairy Farming
This type of farming is the most modernised and efficient type of rearing of milch animals. It is highly capital intensive. Big investments are required in this farming for animal sheds, storage facilities for fodder, feeding and mulching machines, etc. which makes this costly activity.
Cattle breeding, healthcare and veterinary services are given more attention in this type of farming. This activity is highly labour intensive as it requires extensive care in feeding and mulching.
There are three important regions of commercial Farming:
(I) North-Western Europe It is the farming is practised. largest region where dairy farming is practised.
(II) Canada It is the second largest region where dairy
(iii) South-Eastern Australia, New Zealand and Tasmania It is the third largest region where daily farming is practised.
Mediterranean Agriculture
This is a highly specialised commercial agriculture. en fruits. The speciality of this region is viticulture or Mediterranean region is an important supplier of citrus grape cultivation, Various countries of this region produce high quality grapes which are used to make the best quality wines of the world with different flavours. The remaining inferior quality grapes are dried into In winters, demands for fruits and vegetables in European and North American markets are fulfilled by this agriculture.
It is practised in the countries on either side of e Mediterranean Sea in Europe and in North Africa from Tunisia to Atlantic Coast, Southern California, Central Chile, South-Western parts of South Africa and South and South-Western parts of Australia. 1
Market Gardening and Horticulture
It is a specialised form of agriculture where high value crops such as vegetables, fruits and flowers are grown mainly for urban centres. Generally, farms are small in size. These are located near such urban centres where there is good connectivity due to transportation and high demand due to high income group consumers.
It is highly labour and capital intensive activity. It requires irrigation, HYV seeds, fertilisers, insecticides, greenhouses and artificial heating in colder regions.
This type of agriculture flourishes in the densely populated industrial districts of North-West Europe, North-Eastern United States of America (USA) and Mediterranean regions. The Netherlands specialises in growing flowers and horticultural crops, especially Phillips are supplied to all major cities of Europe.
Truck Farming
There are some regions where farmers only specialises in vegetables. This type of activity is known as truck farming. The name truck farming is given due to the fact that the distance of the farm where crops are grown (truck farm) from the market is governed by the distance that a transportation truck can cover overnight.
Factory Farming
It is a modern type of farming where livestock, particularly poultry and cattle rearing are done. The animals are kept in stalls and pens, fed on manufactured feedstuff and are protected against diseases.
Infrastructure and machinery are required in this farming which includes building, machinery for various operation, veterinary services and heating and lighting. This infrastructure adds to a heavy capital investment in this activity. The main feature of poultry farming and cattle rearing is breed selection and scientific breeding.
Types of farming can also be classified according to the organisation of farming and farmers. The organisation of farming and farmers depends upon the way in which farmers own their farmland and government policies that help to run these farms.
Co-operative Farming
This farming is done mainly for more efficient and profitable farming. In this farming, a group of farmers form a co-operative society by pooling/sharing their resources voluntarily. In this farming, Individual farms remain unbroken and farming is a matter of humus Together to promote sustainable again. I benefits co-operative initiative.
Co-operative societies help farmers to buy all important inputs necessary for farming. These societies also help farmers to sell the products at the most favourable terms. Farmers also get help from these societies in processing of quality products at cheaper rates.
Co-operative movement started over a century ago. It is successful in many Western European countries like Denmark, Netherlands, Belgium, Sweden, Italy, etc. The movement for cooperatives has been most successful in Denmark where every single farmer is a member of a cooperative.
Collective Farming (kolkhoz)
In this type of farming, there is emphasis on social ownership of the means of production and collective labour. It is based on the model of Kolkhoz that was introduced in USSR
The main aim of this type of farming was to boost agriculture production by improving the earlier methods of farming that were inefficient. The aim was to become self-sufficient.
The farmers used to share their resources such as land, livestock and labour with each other to improve production. Farmers were allowed to retain a small plot of land growing crops for their daily needs
Mining
Mining is a form of primary activity which involves extraction of commercially valuable minerals deep under the earth's surface. Mining depends upon economic and physical factors. We can trace many evidences of minerals from the human development history through many ages like copper age, bronze age and iron age. People of ancient times mainly used minerals for making tools, utensils and weapons. The actual development of mining began with the industrial revolution.
Factors Affecting Mining
There are two important factors on which the entire mining process and its profitability is dependent:
(i) Physical Factors These include the size, grade and mode of occurrence of the deposits.
(ii) Economic Factors These include the demand for the mineral, technology available and used, capital to develop infrastructure and the labour and transport costs.
Methods of Mining
There are two types of mining depending upon the mode of occurrence and the nature of the ore.
Surface Mining
It is also known as open-cast mining. It is considered the easiest and the cheapest way of mining minerals that lies near the surface. It does not need much capital investment. Overhead cost is very low in safety precautions and equipment used. It is characterised by large and rapid output.
Underground Mining
It is also known as shaft mining method. It is used in the case when ore lies deep below the surface. In this method, vertical shafts have to be sunk from where underground galleries radiate to reach the minerals. Minerals are extracted and transported to the surface through these passages.
It requires specially designed lifts, drills, haulage vehicles, ventilation system for safety and efficient movement of people and material. This method of mining is very dangerous because poisonous gases, fires, floods and caving in lead to fatal accidents. There are many cases of mining fires and flooding of coal mines in India.