Primary economic activities

Question 1

Hunting

Answer 1

Hunting was a primitive activity of man to get food; as a result, many animal species have become extinct.
Even today hunting is practised in some parts of the world. Example: Bushmen of Kalahari Desert, Pygmies of Equatorial Selvas, Boras, Eskimos of Tundra, etc.
Commercial hunting is banned all over the world and many laws have been passed to protect animals.

Question 2

Gathering

Answer 2

Gathering depends on forest products, such as fruits, roots, tubers, leaves, flowers, medicinal plants, gum, lac, honey, wax, rubber, etc., which are carried out in all the forest-covered areas.
In the equatorial rainforests, the climate is humid and unhealthy.
Due to the presence of reptiles and insects, collection of forest products on a large scale becomes difficult.

Question 3

Lumbering

Answer 3

Amongst all other activities going on in the forest, lumbering is one of the most important activities.
The trees in the tropical forest have hardwood. Also, these forests are evergreen and hence commercial lumbering cannot be done in these forests. Tropical deciduous or monsoon forests are not dense. Many bushes grow at the base of these forests. Since these forests are near agricultural lands and densely populated regions, they have been deforested for agricultural purpose on a large scale. In the coniferous forests, only one species of trees is found in an area. These trees grow tall. That’s why in the world, the lumbering activity is mostly practised in the coniferous regions

Question 4

Fishing

Answer 4

Though fishing started as a subsistence activity, it is now one of the major primary economic activities in coastal areas

Question 5

Factors affecting fishing

Answer 5

1. It requires broad continental-shelf, where sunlight can reach easily for the growth of plankton.
2. It requires good storage facilities like refrigetation and transportation
3. Meeting of cold and warm currents help in increasing plankton population
4. Traditional skills for fishing such as The chinese and japanese
5. Japan has a lack of land and a high population therefore fish is a staple food in japan
6. The use of technology has increased fishing activity
7. Broken coastline helps in developing portal facilities
8. Forests nearbly provide wood for ship building

Question 6

Animal husbandry

Answer 6

Considering the latitudinal extent, it is largely carried out in the temperate region. Climate is one of the most influencing factors.
It is laregly carried out in the northern hemisphere.
It is influenced by technology, market and availability of large estates.
It is developed in North, South America and Australia

Question 7

Mining

Answer 7

The distribution of minerals is highly uneven in the world. This activity depends solely on the presence of minerals and not related to latitude directly. Even though the minerals may be present, actual mining depends on several factors. These factors may be the geology of the region, the value of the minerals, climate, capital investment, technology, skilled labour, etc. Due to mechanisation, this occupation has developed on a large scale. Many industries related to minerals locate near mining areas. Improved transportation facilities are very important for development of mining occupation. This, in turn, increases industries which in turn leads to economic development of the country

Question 8

Agriculture

Answer 8

the proportion of people engaged in agriculture is maximum in Africa and then in Asia. Though the area under agriculture is more extensive in Europe, the Americas and Australia; the percentage of population engaged in this activity is very less. Generally, the developed countries of the world have less population engaged in agriculture while the share of population engaged in agriculture is higher in developing countries.
Various crops are produced in the different parts of the world. Various physical and socioeconomic factors influence the development of agriculture. Major physical factors that influence agriculture are climate, topography, soils and biotic factors. The economic and social factors include labour, market, capital,
transportation facilities, storage facilities, government policies, population, ownership of land etc