Agriculture, Industries,

and Human Resources

Grade 8
Class Notes

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Agriculture

02
 Agriculture

1 Economic activities
1.1 Primary activities
1.2 Secondary activities
1.3 Tertiary activities

2 Agriculture
2.1 Types of farming
2.2 Major crops
2.3 Agricultural development

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 1 Economic Activities
The activities that generate income are called economic activities.

The transformation from plants to a finished product involves

three types of economic activities, namely primary, secondary and tertiary activities.

Types of economic activities

1.1 Primary Activities 1.2 Secondary Activities 1.3 Tertiary Activities
It is known as the
It is known as the industrial or It is known as the service
agricultural and allied
manufacturing sector​. sector​.
sector.
It includes the activities ​in
This includes the activities
which natural products ​are These activities provide
that produce goods by
converted into other useful support to primary and
exploiting natural
forms through ways ​of secondary activities.​​
resources.​
manufacturing.​
It includes manufacturing Banking, transport, ​
Activities in this sector
units, small-scale units, large insurance, trade, and
consist of agriculture,
firms, and multinational communications fall ​
forestry, and mining.​
corporations.​ under this sector.​

2 Agriculture

Agriculture is the science and practice of cultivating the soil,

producing crops, and raising livestock.​​

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 2.1 Types of Farming

Subsistence farming
• Farming practised on a small plot
of land for self-consumption
• Uses low levels of technology and
household labour to produce small
output

Types of subsistence farming

• Farming practised on small plots of

land Intensive subsistence farming
• Uses simple tools and a large amount
of labour
• More than one crop cultivated
annually
• Practised in densely populated areas

• A plot of land is cleared by felling

Shifting cultivation trees and burning them.
• The ashes are mixed with the soil,
and crops like maize, yam, and
cassava are grown.
• After the soil loses fertility, the
land is abandoned, and a new plot
of land is selected for farming.

• It is practised in semi-arid and arid

Nomadic herding
regions.
• Herders migrate from one place to
another with their animals for
fodder and water in response to
climatic constraints and terrain.
• Animals like sheep, yak, and goats
are reared for milk, meat, wool,
and hides.

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 Commercial farming
• Farming practised on a large plot of
land for selling in the market
• Uses modernised tools and
technology to produce large output​

Types of commercial farming

• Crops grown for commercial

Commercial grain farming
purposes
• Mainly practised on temperate
grasslands of North America,
Europe, and Asia
• Usually, a single crop is grown
annually

Mixed farming
• The land is used for growing food
Food and fodder crops Animal rearing and fodder crops and rearing
livestock.

Plantation farming
• Cultivation of a single crop on
large estates for the market
• It is labour and capital intensive.
• Examples: Tea, coffee, rubber,
and coconut

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 2.2 Major Crops

Food Crops Requisites Leading Producers

• High temperature
Rice China, India, Japan, Sri Lanka,
• High humidity and rainfall
(kharif crop) Egypt, and Bangladesh
• Alluvial clayey soil
• Moderate temperature
• Rainfall during growing
Wheat USA, Canada, Argentina, Russia,
season and bright sunshine at
(rabi crop) Ukraine, Australia, and India
the time of harvest
• Well-drained loamy soil
• High-moderate temperature
Millet • Low rainfall India, Nigeria, China, and Niger
(kharif crop) • Less fertile and sandy soil
• Moderate temperature North America, Brazil, China,
Maize • Moderate rainfall Russia, Canada, India, and
(kharif crop) • Well-drained fertile soil Mexico

Cash Crops Requisites Leading Producers

• High temperature
• Light rainfall, two hundred
Cotton China, USA, India, Pakistan,
and ten frost-free days, and
(fibre crop) Brazil, and Egypt
bright sunshine for its growth
• Black and alluvial soil
• High temperature
Jute • Heavy rainfall and humid
India and Bangladesh
(fibre crop) climate
• Alluvial soil

Coffee • Warm and wet climate

(beverage • Hill slopes Brazil, Columbia, and India
crop) • Well-drained loamy soil
• Cool climate
Tea • Well distributed high rainfall Kenya, India, China, and Sri
(beverage • Gentle slopes Lanka
crop) • Well-drained loamy soil

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 2.3 Agricultural Development

Agricultural development refers to the efforts made to increase farm

production to meet the growing demand of the increasing population.

Steps taken

Increasing the Increasing number Improving irrigation Use of fertilisers Use of machines
cropped area of crops grown facilities and HYV seeds

Farming in Developing Countries Farming in Developed Countries

(India) (USA)

Crops grown in small farmlands Crops grown in large farmlands

Subsistence farming Commercial farming

Use of hi-tech machinery and methods like

Use of primitive tools and methods like tube
monitoring land using satellites, soil testing
wells, bullock ploughing, and more
in laboratories, and more

Lack of storage facilities; farmers forced to Large facilities for storage; crops sent to
sell crops to nearby vendors for low prices market agencies, earning great money

Important Questions

Question 1: What are economic activities? Explain their types.

Question 2: Explain the various types of farming.
Question 3: Differentiate between subsistence farming and
commercial farming.
Question 4: What is agricultural development, and what is its
aim?
Question 5: What are the major crops grown in India?

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Industries

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 Industries

1 Classification of industries

1.1 Based on raw materials

1.2 Based on size
1.3 Based on ownership

2 Factors affecting location of industries

3 Industrial regions
3.1 Industrial regions
3.2 Industrial disaster
3.3 Risk-reduction measures

4 Distribution of major industries

4.1 Iron and steel industry

4.2 Cotton textile industry

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 1 Classification of Industries
Industry refers to the economic activity concerned with the production
of goods, extraction of minerals or the provision of services.

1.1 Based on raw materials

Agro-based industries
• Use plant- and animal-based products as raw
materials to manufacture goods
• Examples: Food processing, vegetable oil, cotton
Cotton T-shirt
textile, and dairy products

Mineral-based industries
• Use mineral ores as raw material
• Iron from iron ores used for manufacturing heavy
Iron Railway
coaches
machinery, building material, and more

Marine-based industries
• Use products from sea and oceans as raw materials
• Examples: Processed seafood, fish oil
Fish Fish oil manufacturing units, and more

Forest-based industries
Use forest-based products such as wood, wood pulp,
and plant extracts in industries such as paper,
Tree Paper pharmaceuticals, and more.

1.2 Based on size

Small-scale industries
• Very few workers working with very less
technology and capital
• Example: Rice mills, silk weaving, and more

Large-scale industries
• Focus on a large investment, large labour
force, and advanced technology
• Examples: Iron and steel, automobiles, heavy
tools, and more

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 1.3 Based on ownership

Public sector Private sector Joint sector Co-operative sector

Ownership Owned by Ownership shared Owned by producers
shared between individuals or firms between public and suppliers of raw
public sector sector agencies material
agencies and and private groups
public groups

2 Factors Affecting Location of Industries

Capital Labour Power Climate

Factors that affect industrial location

Raw materials Government policies Market Transport

3 Industrial Regions

3.1 Industrial regions

Major industrial regions of the world
The major industrial regions of the world are eastern North America, western
and central Europe, eastern Europe, and eastern Asia.

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 Major industrial regions of the world
Petersburg
Urals Kuzbos
Manchuria
Moscow Beijing
Vancouver Donbas
Fergana
Seattle Valley Korea
San Francisco Denver
Iran Ganga Japan Shanghai
Bay Israel Valley
Angio-American Iraq Wuhan Region
Phoenix Manufacturing Bet Cairo
Los Angeles San Kuwait Guangzhou-Hong
Diego Tijuana Gulf Coast Kong Region
Mumbai
Mexico City Nigeria Khartoum Manila
Chennai
Central America
Ghana
Nairobi
Ecuador
Java
Bahia
Lima Coast
Brisbane
Durban Perth
Southeast Brazil Cape town Sydney
Santiago Montevideo Melbourne
Buenos Aires

World industrial belt

Industrial region

Major Industrial Clusters of the India

• Mumbai-Pune cluster
Gurugram-Delhi-Meerut

• Bengaluru-Tamil Nadu belt

• Hugli region
Ahmedabad-Vadodara Hugli belt

• Ahmedabad-Vadodara region
Chota Nagpur Plateau region
• Chota Nagpur industrial belt
Mumbai- Pune
• Vishakhapatnam-Guntur belt
Vishakhapatnam-Guntur belt
• Gurugram-Delhi-Meerut region
• Kollam-Thiruvanathapuram cluster
Bengaluru-Tamil Nadu belt

Kollam-Thiruvanathapuram

3.2 Industrial disasters

Disasters and accidents in industries mainly occur due to technical failure or
irresponsible handling of hazardous materials.​

3.3 Risk-reduction measures

• Separate residential areas from industrial
areas​.
• Ensure that people are aware of toxins and
hazardous industrial substances.​
• Improve the fire warning system.
• Limit the storage capacity of toxic substances.
• ​Improve the pollution dispersion in industries. ​

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 4 Distribution of Major Industries

4.1 Iron and steel industry

• Feeder industry: Products are used as raw materials for

other industries.
• Inputs: Raw materials (iron ore, coal, and limestone, along
with labour, capital, site, and other infrastructure)
• Process of converting iron ore into steel: Raw material
is put in the blast furnace, where it undergoes smelting and
is then refined.
• Output: Steel (used as raw material by other industries)

Steel: Backbone of modern industry

Characteristics: Tough, malleable, ductile, and making alloys
Important steel-producing centres:
Bhilai, Durgapur, Burnpur, Jamshedpur, Rourkela, Bokaro(spread over West Bengal,
Jharkhand, Odisha, and Chhattisgarh), Bhadravati and Vijayanagar in Karnataka,
Vishakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh, and Salem in Tamil Nadu

Jamshedpur
• Before independence: Tata Iron and Steel Company Limited (TISCO), the only iron and
steel plant in the country, was privately owned.
• After independence: The government took the initiative to start other iron and steel plants.
• TISCO started in 1970 at Sakchi, which was then renamed Jamshedpur.
Benefits of the place:
• Only 32 km away from Kalimati station on the Bengal-Nagpur railway line
• Close to the deposits of iron ore, coal, and manganese as well as to Kolkata, which
provided a large market
• Jharia coalfields and iron ore, limestone, dolomite, and manganese from Odisha and
Chhattisgarh were easily accessible.
• The Kharkai and Subarnarekha rivers ensured sufficient water supply.

Pittsburgh: Steel city of USA

The steel industry in Pittsburgh enjoys local advantages:
• Some raw material, such as coal, is available locally, while the iron ore comes from
Minnesota, about 1500 km from Pittsburgh.
• Between these mines and Pittsburgh is one of the world’s best routes for shipping ore
cheaply, the famous Great Lakes waterway.
• Rivers Ohio, Monongahela and Allegheny provide adequate water supply.
• Finished steel is transported to the market by both land and water routes.

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 4.2 Cotton Textile Industry

On the basis of raw materials:

• Natural fibres: Obtained from wool, silk, cotton, linen,
and jute
• Synthetic fibres: Nylon, polyester, acrylic, and rayon

Important textile centres in India:

Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Kolkata, Ludhiana, Kanpur, Panipat, Puducherry,
Chennai, and Coimbatore

Ahmedabad (Manchester of India) Osaka (Manchester of Japan)

• Location: Gujarat, on the banks of the • Location: Japan
Sabarmati river Favourable location factors:
• First mill established in 1859 • Availability of extensive plain
• Second largest textile city in India after • Warm and humid climate for spinning
Mumbai and weaving
Favourable location factors: • Sufficient water supply from river Yodo
• Easy availability of raw materials • Easy availability of labour
• Ideal climate for spinning and weaving • Port facilities for the import and export
• Flat land and easy availability of land of materials
• Availability of skilled and semi-skilled Cons:
labour • Dependency on imported raw materials
• Well-developed road and railway • Replacement by other industries like
network iron and steel, machinery, automobiles,
• Import and export of materials through electrical equipment, cement, and more
the nearby Mumbai port Pros:
Problems faced: • Export of finished products
• Closing down of textile mills due to the • Good market value due to good quality
emergence of new textile centres and and low price
the use of outdated machines and
technology

Important Questions
Question 1: How is the classification of industries done based on raw
materials, size, and ownership? Explain.
Question 2: Which factors affect the location of an industry?
Question 3: Why was the Tata Iron and Steel Company (TISCO) set up at
Sakchi, in Jamshedpur? Give reasons.
Question 4: Give examples of industrial regions in India and the world.
Question 5: Why is Osaka known as the Manchester of Japan?

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 Human
Resources

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 Human Resources

1 Human resources

2 Distribution of population

3 Density of population

4 Factors affecting distribution of population

3.1 Geographical factors
3.2 Social factors
3.3 Cultural factors
3.3 Economic factors

5 Population change

4.1 Birth rate

4.2 Death rate
4.3 Migration

6 Population composition

5.1 Population pyramid

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 1 Human Resource
Natural Resources

Useful
• People who make use of their special abilities to convert
natural resources into something useful are termed human
resources.
• Human demands and abilities lead to the development and
utilisation of natural resources.
People

2 Distribution of Population
Population distribution refers to the pattern in which people are spread across the world.

• More than 90% of the world’s population lives on about

30% of the land surface.
• Population distribution is uneven.

Dense population Sparse population

South and Southeast Asia, Europe, and High-altitude areas, deserts, high
north-eastern regions of North America mountains, and dense equatorial forests

• More population lives in the Northern Hemisphere

as compared to Southern Hemisphere.
• 60% of the world’s population lives in just 10
countries.

3 Density of Population
Population density is the number of people residing per square kilometre of the Earth’s surface.

85 people 100 people

• The average population density of the world is 51
people per sq km.
• As per the 2011 census, India has 382 people per sq
1 sq km 1 sq km km.
Land A Land B

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4 Factors Affecting Distribution of Population

4.1 Geographical factors

Topography
• Hilly and mountainous areas are sparsely
populated, while plains are overpopulated.
• Plains are suitable for farming and setting up
houses and industries.

Climate
• Places with extreme climates are difficult to live in.
• Places with neither too hot nor too cold climates
are preferred.

Soil
• Regions with fertile soil have a dense population,
while infertile areas attract very few people.

Water
• People prefer areas where fresh water is easily
accessible, like river valleys.

Minerals
• Regions with mineral deposits attract people as
they provide more employment opportunities.

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 4.2 Social factors

• Areas with better housing, education, and health

facilities are densely populated.

4.3 Cultural factors

• Areas with cultural and religious significance such

as Varanasi and Jerusalem attract people.

4.4 Economic factors

• Industrial areas attract people due to huge

employment opportunities, leading to a dense
population​.

• Examples: Osaka in Japan and Mumbai in India​

5 Population Change
Population change refers to the change in the number of people during a specific time.
Factors of population change: Birth rate, death rate, and migration

5.1 Birth rate 5.2 Death rate

Population

Population
death rate

decreases
High birth

increases

High
rate

The number of live births per 1,000 people The number of deaths per 1,000 people

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 The difference between the birth rate and the death rate of
a country is called the natural growth rate.

Population Steady

Birth Rate
Death Rate
Birth Rate Death Rate
Birth Rate Death Rate

Birth rate more than Equal birth rate and death Death rate more than birth
death rate: Population rate: Population stays same rate: Population decreases
increases

5.3 Migration

• Movement of people in and out of an area

• Immigration: People enter into a population
• Emigration: People move out of a population

6 Population Composition
Population composition refers to the population structure concerning aspects
like age, sex, literacy rate, health condition, occupation, and income level.

6.1 Population pyramid

Population Pyramid/Age-Sex Pyramid
Shows the division of the population of a country into
Elderly
different age groups and sex
Dependents Helps to understand the population dynamics:
• Birth and death rates
• Dependent and working population
Working • Below 15 years: Young population (young
Population
dependents) at the bottom of the pyramid
• 15-64 years: Working population
Young • Above 65 years: Old population (elderly
Dependents
dependents) at the top of the pyramid
Male Female

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 Types of population pyramids

Population pyramid of Kenya

Widen at the base due to high birth rates and
rapidly narrows at the top, indicating that even
though many children were born, a large
percentage of them die as they mature

Population pyramid of India

Broaden at the base due to high birth rates and the
decreasing death rates in the younger age group
indicate most of the infants survive till adulthood

Population pyramid of Japan

Narrow at the base due to low birth rates and
broadened at the top due to decreasing death rates

Did You Know?

India is the second most

populated country ranking
seven in terms of area.
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh is the most
populous state in India,
contributing to 17 % of India’s
total population.

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 Important Questions

Question 1: Describe how various factors affect population

distribution.
Question 2: What are the factors that influence population
change?
Question 3: What are population pyramids? How do they help in
understanding the population of a country? Explain with examples.

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