Geography got you stressed? Feeling lost in Chapter 4: Primary Activities of "Fundamentals of Human Geography"?
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| Class | 12 |
| Board | CBSE & State Boards |
| Subject | Geography |
| Book | Fundamentals of Human Geography |
| Chapter No. | 4 |
| Chapter Name | Primary Activities |
| Content Type | Important Questions and Answers |
Primary Activities Class 12 Important Questions & Answers
Q. No. 1) Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)
i. Consider the following statements and choose the correct answer with the help of given option:
- The resource intensive approach of modern expensive agriculture has become unmanageable for marginal and small farmers due to very meager or no saving to invest in agriculture.
- Most of such farmers have resorted to availing credit from various institutions and money lenders but crop failures and low returns from agriculture have forced them to fall in the trap of indebtedness.
Options
a. Both the statements are true.
b. Only statement 1 is true.
c. Only statement 2 is true
d. Both the statements are wrong.
Ans. Option (a)
ii. Consider and evaluate the following statements and choose the correct option from the given options for the same.
- Products of gathering cannot compete in the world market.
- Synthetic products often of better quality and at lower prices.
a. Only statement 2 is correct
b. Both statements 1 and 2 are correct and statement 2 is the true cause behind statement 1.
c. Both statements are incorrect.
d. Only statement 1 is true.
Ans. Option (b)
iii. In Himalayan regions which of the following tribes are linked with the activity of Transhumance?
a. Bheels
b. Gonds
c. Bakarwals
d. Santhals
Ans. Option (c)
iv. Which one of the following is a region of North America practicing subsistence gathering?
a) Great Lake
b) Prairies
c) North Canada
d) Mexico
Ans. Option (c)
v. Which one of the following is a region of commercial grain farming practiced in Europe?
a) Pampas
b) Steppes
c) Downs
d) Prairies
Ans. Option (b)
vi. Which of the following colonial super power had monopoly over sugarcane plantation in Indonesia?
a) British
b) French
c) Dutch
d) Americans
Ans. Option (c)
vii. “Each community occupies a well-identified territory as a matter of tradition”. Above mentioned line is an important characteristic of which of the following activities?
a) Subsistence agriculture
b) Nomadic herding
c) Plantation agriculture
d) Collective farming
Ans. Option (b)
viii. Which of the following column is not matched correctly?
| Options | ACTIVITY | CHARACTERISTICS |
| a. | Truck farming | Growing of vegetables |
| b. | Factory farming | Rearing of poultry and cattle |
| c. | Market gardening | Growing of flowers |
| d. | Viticulture | Rearing of fish |
Ans. Option (d)
ix. Which one of the following is not a plantation crop?
a) Coffee
b) Sugarcane
c) Rubber
d) Wheat
Ans. Option (d)
x. Which one of the following types of cultivation was developed by European colonists?
a. Kolkhoz
b. Mixed Farming
c. Viticulture
d. Plantation
Ans. Option (a)
xi. Coffee Plantations in Brazil are known as:
a) Downs
b) Campos
c) Fazendas
d) Pampas
Ans. Option (c)
xii. Which one of the following does not follow Monoculture?
a. Commercial Grain Farming
b. Plantation Agriculture
c. Mixed Farming
d. Dairy Farming
Ans. Option (c)
xiii. Consider the following statements and choose the correct option for the same:
- Grape cultivation is the specialty of the Mediterranean agriculture.
- Wines are produced from high quality grapes and the inferior grapes are dried into raisins and Currants.
Options:
a) Only 1 is correct
b) Both 1 and 2 are correct
c) Only 2 is correct
d) Both are incorrect
Ans. Option (b)
xiv. What kind of farming does the image given below DEFINITELY depict?
(a) market gardening
(b) collective farming
(c) factory farming
(d) truck farming
Ans. Option (c)
xv. Which of the following is not an important factor affecting the mining activity?
a. Economic factor such as demand for the mineral
b. Political factor such as changing government every five years
c. Physical factor such as mode of occurrence of deposits
d. Economic factor such as technology available and used
Ans. Option (b)
xvi. Which one of the following is not a method of mining?
a) Shaft mining
b) Opencast mining
c) Underground mining
d) Refining
Ans. Option (d)
Q. No. 2) State the areas where intensive subsistence agriculture practiced in the world. What are its two types? Describe any two characteristics of each type.
Ans. Intensive subsistence agriculture is largely found in densely populated regions of monsoon Asia.
There are two categories practiced in the world:
- Intensive subsistence agriculture dominated by wet paddy cultivation.
- Intensive subsistence agriculture dominated by crops other than paddy.
1. Characteristics of intensive subsistence dominated by wet paddy cultivation are:
- It is characterized by the dominance of rice crop. The landholding is very small due to the high density of the population.
- Use of machinery is limited and most of the agricultural operations are done by manual labour.
2. Characteristics of intensive subsistence dominated by crops other than paddy are:
- Wheat, soybean, barley and sorghum are grown in Northern China Manchuria, North Korea and North Japan. In India, wheat is grown in western parts of the Indo-Gangetic Plains and millets are grown in dry parts of Western and Southern India.
- Irrigation systems are used frequently as this type of agriculture is practised in dry area.
Q. No. 3) State three points of difference between Co-operative farming and Collective farming.
Ans.
| Co-operative Farming | Collective Farming |
| 1. Cooperative farming takes place when farmers pool their resources voluntarily for efficient and profitable farming. | 1. Collective farming takes place when there is collective labour and there is the social ownership of means of production. |
| 2. Co-operative societies help farmers in buying farm inputs and selling the products at the most favourable terms. | 2. In collective farming, farmers used to pool in all farm inputs and farm products are sold to the state at a fixed price. |
| 3. Co-operative farming has been successful in many European countries and that is why it is practised in many Western countries. | 3. Collective farming was introduced in the former Soviet Union but after its disintegration, the system of farming has been modified. |
Q. No. 4) Substantiate the evidences to prove that Subsistence Agriculture is still practised in different parts of the globe.
Ans. Subsistence agriculture is one in which farming areas consume all, or nearly so, of the products locally grown. It can be grouped into two categories – Primitive Subsistence Agriculture and Intensive Subsistence Agriculture.
Primitive Subsistence Agriculture or Shifting cultivation is widely practiced by many tribes in tropics, especially in Africa, south and central America and southeast Asia. The vegetation is usually cleared by fire and the ashes add to the fertility of the soil. It is thus, also called Slash and Burn Agriculture. The cultivated patches are very small and cultivation is done with very primitive tools such as sticks and hoes. After the soil loses its fertility, the farmer shifts to another parts and clears other patches of forests for cultivation. One of the major problems of shifting cultivation is that the cycle of Jhum becomes less and less due to loss of fertility in different parcels.
Intensive Subsistence agriculture is largely found in densely populated regions of monsoon Asia. There are two types of intensive subsistence agriculture – intensive subsistence agriculture dominated by wet paddy cultivation. Land holdings are very small due to the high density of population. Farmers work with family members leading to intensive use of land. Use of machinery is limited and most work is done manually. Farm yard manure is used. Yield per unit area is high but per labour productivity is low. Intensive subsistence agriculture dominated by crops other than paddy. Due to difference in relief, climate, soil and some other geographical factors, it is not practical to grow paddy in many parts of monsoon Asia. Wheat, Soyabean, barley and sorghum are grown in northern China, Manchuria, North Korea and North Japan. In India, Wheat is grown in western parts of Indo-Gangetic plains and millets are grown in dry parts of western and southern India. Most of the characteristics of this type of agriculture are similar to those dominated by wet paddy except that irrigation is often used.
Q. No. 5) Compare the features of Subsistence and Plantation agriculture in five points each.
Ans.
| Subsistence Farming | Plantation Agriculture |
| 1. It is done on a small plot of land | 1. It is done on large estates/plantations |
| 2. The produce is just enough for the subsistence of the farmer’s family The farmer and his family constitute the labour. | 2. The produce is for gaining profit and is in bulk. |
| 3. Primitive tools are utilized. | 3. There is large capital investment and scientific methods are used. Cheap labour is also employed at a large scale. |
| 4. Proximity to markets and thus, transportation is not essential | 4. Proximity to markets and good system of transport is very important. |
| 5. One or more crops can be grown on single piece of land. | 5. Single crop specialisation is observed. |
| 6. Areas 1) Primitive subsistence- Malaysia, Indonesia, Northeast India. 2) Intensive subsistence- ● Wet paddy dominated Myanmar, India, Indonesia ● Other than paddy- North Korea, Manchuria, North Japan | 6. Areas ● French established cocoa and coffee plantations in West Africa ● British set up tea gardens in India and Sri Lanka ● Spanish and Americans grew coconut and sugarcane in the Philippines |
Q. No. 6) Describe the main characteristics of Intensive Subsistence Agriculture. In which parts of the world this type of agriculture is practiced?
Ans. This type of agriculture is largely found in densely populated regions of monsoon Asia.
There are two types of intensive subsistence agriculture.
(i) Intensive subsistence agriculture dominated by wet paddy cultivation:
- This type of agriculture is characterised by dominance of the rice crop.
- Land holdings are very small due to the high density of population.
- Farmers work with the help of family labour leading to intensive use of land.
- Use of machinery is limited and most of the agricultural operations are done by manual labour.
- Farm yard manure is used to maintain the fertility of the soil. In this type of agriculture, the yield per unit area is high but per labour productivity is low.
(ii) Intensive subsistence agriculture dominated by crops other than paddy:
- Due to the difference in relief, climate, soil and some of the other geographical factors, it is not practical to grow paddy in many parts of monsoon Asia.
- Wheat, soyabean, barley and sorghum are grown in northern China, Manchuria, North Korea and North Japan.
- In India wheat is grown in western parts of the Indo-Gangetic plains and millets are grown in dry parts of western and southern India.
- Most of the characteristics of this type of agriculture are similar to those dominated by wet paddy except that irrigation is often used.
Q. No. 7) Highlight the features of Commercial Livestock Rearing, practised in the developed and developing countries.
Ans. Unlike nomadic herding, commercial livestock rearing is more organised and capital intensive. Commercial livestock ranching is essentially associated with western cultures and is practiced on permanent ranches. These ranches cover large areas and are divided into a number of parcels, which are fenced to regulate the grazing. When the grass of one parcel is grazed, animals are moved to another parcel. The number of animals in a pasture is kept according to the carrying capacity of the pasture. This is a specialised activity in which only one type of animal is reared. Important animals include sheep, cattle, goats and horses. Products such as meat, wool, hides and skin are processed and packed scientifically and exported to different world markets. Rearing of animals in ranching is organised on a scientific basis. The main emphasis is on breeding, genetic improvement, disease control and health care of the animals. New Zealand, Australia, Argentina, Uruguay and United States of America are important countries where commercial livestock rearing is practised.
Q. No. 8) "There is low yield per acre but high yield per person in the interior parts of semi-arid lands of the mid-latitudes in the world." Support the statement with suitable examples from different parts of the world.
Ans.
- The interior parts of semi-arid lands of the mid-latitudes in the world are the areas where extensive commercial grain cultivation takes place.
- Here the size of farms is very large and population is in small number.
- Operations of cultivation, right from ploughing to harvesting is mechanised.
- Yield per person is high as the number of people working in farms is less and lot of machines is used.
- The size of the farms is very large due to which per acre production or yield is low even though the total production is high.
- This type of agriculture is practised in Eurasian Steppes, Canadian and American Prairies, Pampas of Argentina, Velds of South Africa, Australian Downs and the Canterbury Plains of New Zealand.
Q. No. 9) Compare the features of Mixed farming and Dairy farming in five points each.
Ans.
| Mixed Farming | Dairy Farming |
| 1. Equal emphasis is laid on crop cultivation and animal husbandry. | 1. Special emphasis is laid on cattle breeding, health care and veterinary services. |
| 2. Wheat, Barley, oats, rye, maize, fodder, and root crops are grown in mixed farming. | 2. It is most advanced and efficient type of rearing of milch animals. |
| 3. Mixed farming is found in the highly developed parts of the world- North Western Europe, North Eastern America, parts of Eurasia and temperate latitudes. | 3. Three main regions of commercial dairy farming are North Western Europe, Canada and South Eastern Australia, New Zealand and Tasmania of southern continents. |
| 4. Mixed farming is characterised by high capital expenditure on farm machinery, building, extensive use of chemical fertilizers, green manure and the skill and expertise of the farmers. | 4. Dairy farming is highly labour intensive as it involves rigorous care in feeding and milching. |
| 5. There is crop rotation and intercropping that maintain the soil fertility. | 5. There is no off season during the year as in the case of crop raising. |
Q. No. 10) How does the nature of agricultural practices in a country evolve as the country undergoes economic development over time? Elucidate in the context of India.
Ans.
- In the initial stages of economic development, agriculture may be predominantly subsistence-based, with small-scale farms and traditional farming methods. However, as the economy progresses, there is a shift towards commercial agriculture, mechanisation, and the adoption of modern farming techniques.
- The emphasis may also shift from staple food crops to cash crops and high-value agricultural products. Additionally, agricultural practices may become more specialised, relying on advanced technologies, irrigation systems, and improved infrastructure.
- Historically, India relied mostly on traditional subsistence farming, where agriculture primarily catered to the local consumption needs of the population. However, with economic progress, there has been a shift towards commercial agriculture.
- In recent years, India has embraced modern agricultural practices and technologies to improve productivity and meet the growing demands of a developing economy and there has been a focus on diversifying agricultural production by cultivating high-value cash crops such as fruits, vegetables, spices, and floriculture.
- All this has led to a shift from India being a predominantly subsistence farming economy to increasingly adopting more commercial and market-oriented approaches to agriculture.
Q. No. 11) Observe the given map and answer the questions that follow.
i. Which type of farming is prevalent in the shaded area of the map?
ii. Mention the environmental concerns related to the agricultural activity practiced in the region.
iii. Which category of nations would these regions largely fall in- developed or developing? Give reason.
Ans. i. Primitive subsistence agriculture
ii. Environmental pollution due to burning and soil degradation
iii. The countries would fall in the category of developing nations
Developed nations largely practice more profitable agriculture based on modern methods.
Agriculture is also not the mainstay of the developed nations.
Q. No. 12) Why is dairy farming practiced near urban and industrial centers? Name two regions of commercial dairy farming and write two reasons for their high capital requirements.
Ans.
- Dairy is the most advanced and efficient type of rearing of milch animals.
- It is practiced mainly near urban and industrial centres which provide neighbourhood market for fresh milk and dairy products. The development of transportation, refrigeration, pasteurization, and other preservation processes have increased the duration of storage of various dairy products.
- It is highly capital intensive. Animal sheds, storage facilities for fodder, feeding and milching machines add to the cost of dairy farming. Special emphasis is laid on cattle breeding, health care, and veterinary services.
- It is highly labour intensive as it involves rigorous care in feeding and milching. There is no off season during the year as in the case of crop raising.
There are three main regions of commercial dairy farming. The largest is North Western Europe, the second is Canada, and the third belt includes South Eastern Australia, New Zealand, and Tasmania.
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