Economic Geography - Questions and Answers

Economic Geography is a branch of geography that studies the location, distribution, and spatial organization of economic activities across the world. Its main subject matter includes the study of how people and societies use Earth's resources, how they produce goods and services, how they distribute and consume these goods, and how these activities vary across different regions.

Important branches of Economic Geography:

• Resource Geography
• Agricultural Geography
• Industrial Geography
• Transport Geography
• Geography of Trade and Commerce
• Geography of Services

The scope of Economic Geography is very wide and includes:

• Study of spatial distribution of economic activities
• Analysis of location factors for different economic activities
• Study of resource utilization and conservation
• Examination of regional economic development patterns
• Analysis of global economic systems and trade patterns
• Study of environmental impacts of economic activities
• Examination of transportation and communication networks

Economic activities refer to all those human activities that are undertaken to earn a living, generate wealth, and satisfy human wants and needs through the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services.

Types of economic activities:

• Primary Activities: Extraction and production of natural resources (farming, fishing, mining, forestry)
• Secondary Activities: Processing and manufacturing of raw materials (industries, construction)
• Tertiary Activities: Provision of services (transport, trade, banking, education, healthcare)
• Quaternary Activities: Knowledge-based activities (research, information technology)
• Quinary Activities: High-level decision making and advanced services (government, top management)

Subject matter of important branches:

• Resource Geography: Study of distribution, utilization and conservation of natural resources
• Agricultural Geography: Study of spatial patterns of agriculture, farming systems, and land use
• Industrial Geography: Study of location, distribution and spatial organization of industries
• Transport Geography: Study of transportation networks, routes and their economic significance
• Geography of Trade: Study of patterns of trade, markets and commercial activities

Resource Geography is considered an important branch of Economic Geography because:

• Resources form the foundation of all economic activities
• It studies the spatial distribution and availability of resources
• It examines the relationship between resources and economic development
• It deals with sustainable utilization and conservation of resources
• It helps in understanding regional disparities in economic development
• It provides basis for resource planning and management

A resource is any substance, material, or factor that can be used to satisfy human needs and wants. Resources can be natural, human, or man-made.

Main characteristics of resources:

• Utility: Must have the capacity to satisfy human needs
• Accessibility: Must be accessible and available for use
• Transferability: Can be transferred from one place to another
• Interchangeability: Can often be substituted by other resources
• Dynamic Nature: Resources change over time with technology and knowledge
• Cultural Value: Value depends on cultural and social factors

The statement "Resource is Dynamic" means that the concept of what constitutes a resource changes over time due to various factors:

• Technological Progress: With new technologies, substances that were not useful earlier become valuable resources (e.g., uranium for nuclear energy)
• Knowledge Development: As human knowledge increases, new uses for existing materials are discovered
• Cultural Changes: Changing human needs and preferences alter what is considered valuable
• Economic Factors: Changes in market demand and prices affect resource status
• Environmental Awareness: Growing environmental concerns have changed how we value certain resources

For example, petroleum was once considered useless, but with the invention of internal combustion engines, it became a vital resource.

Resources are essential for human survival and development. Their necessities include:

• Basic Survival: Air, water, food for sustaining life
• Shelter and Clothing: Wood, minerals, fibers for housing and clothing
• Energy Requirements: Coal, petroleum, solar energy for power
• Economic Development: Minerals, capital, technology for industries
• Transportation: Petroleum, iron for vehicles and infrastructure
• Communication: Silicon, copper for electronic devices
• Healthcare: Medicinal plants, minerals for medicines

The relationship between resource and man is interdependent and complex:

• Humans depend on resources for survival and development
• Human knowledge and technology transform neutral stuff into resources
• Population growth increases resource demand
• Human activities can both deplete and conserve resources
• Cultural factors influence how resources are valued and used
• Economic systems determine resource allocation and distribution

Science and technology have a profound relationship with resources:

• Resource Discovery: Technology helps in discovering new resources
• Resource Extraction: Advanced technology enables efficient extraction
• Resource Utilization: Science finds new uses for existing resources
• Resource Conservation: Technology develops methods for sustainable use
• Resource Substitution: Science finds alternatives for scarce resources
• Waste Reduction: Technology minimizes resource wastage

Classification of Resources:

• Based on Origin:
  • Biotic Resources: Forests, animals, marine life
  • Abiotic Resources: Minerals, rocks, water, air
• Based on Exhaustibility:
  • Renewable Resources: Solar energy, wind, water
  • Non-renewable Resources: Coal, petroleum, minerals
• Based on Ownership:
  • Individual Resources: Private land, house
  • Community Resources: Village ponds, grazing lands
  • National Resources: Minerals, forests, water resources
  • International Resources: Ocean resources beyond EEZ
• Based on Development Status:
  • Potential Resources: Resources not yet utilized
  • Developed Resources: Resources surveyed and utilized
  • Stock Resources: Resources with known technology but not utilized
  • Reserve Resources: Part of stock that can be used with existing technology

Natural resources are materials or substances that occur in nature and can be used for economic gain or to satisfy human needs. They are not created by human beings but are available in the natural environment.

Examples of natural resources:

• Air and atmosphere
• Water resources (rivers, lakes, groundwater)
• Minerals (iron ore, bauxite, gold)
• Forests and wildlife
• Fossil fuels (coal, petroleum, natural gas)
• Solar energy, wind energy
• Land and soil

Man-made resources are those resources that are created by human beings through the application of technology, skill, and knowledge. They are not naturally occurring but are manufactured or developed by humans.

Examples and uses of man-made resources:

• Buildings and Infrastructure: Houses, roads, bridges for shelter and transportation
• Machinery and Equipment: Tractors, computers, industrial machines for production
• Technology: Software, communication systems for information processing
• Processed Materials: Steel, plastic, chemicals for manufacturing
• Financial Resources: Money, credit systems for economic transactions

Differences between Renewable and Non-renewable Resources:

Conservation of resources refers to the sustainable use and management of natural resources to prevent their depletion, destruction, or degradation, ensuring their availability for future generations.

Necessity of resource conservation:

• To ensure availability for future generations
• To maintain ecological balance and biodiversity
• To prevent environmental degradation and pollution
• To achieve sustainable development
• To reduce economic costs of resource scarcity
• To maintain quality of life and human well-being

Methods of resource conservation:

• Reduction in Consumption: Using resources efficiently and avoiding wastage
• Recycling: Reusing materials like paper, glass, metals, plastics
• Substitution: Using abundant resources instead of scarce ones
• Renewable Energy Use: Shifting to solar, wind, hydro power
• Afforestation: Planting trees to conserve soil and water
• Legal Protection: Laws and regulations for resource protection
• Public Awareness: Educating people about conservation
• Technology Development: Creating efficient resource-use technologies

Organizations for resource conservation:

• IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature): Works on biodiversity conservation and sustainable development
• WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature): Focuses on wildlife conservation and reducing human ecological footprint
• UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme): Coordinates UN's environmental activities
• FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization): Works on sustainable agriculture and forest management
• Greenpeace: Campaigns against environmental degradation
• National Governments: Implement conservation policies and laws

(a) Resource: Any substance, material or factor that can be used to satisfy human needs and wants. Resources can be natural, human or man-made.

(b) Human Resource: The knowledge, skills, abilities and health of human beings that enable them to be productive. Human resources are essential for economic development.

(c) Wealth: The accumulation of valuable economic resources that can be measured in terms of money. Wealth represents stored economic value.

(d) Renewable Resource: Resources that can be replenished naturally over time, such as solar energy, wind energy, water resources, and forests.

(e) Personal Resource: Resources owned by individuals, such as private land, houses, personal savings, and skills.

(f) National Resource: Resources owned by the nation as a whole, such as minerals, forests, water resources, and air space.

(g) Biotic Resource: Resources obtained from the biosphere, such as forests, animals, birds, fish, and other marine organisms.

(h) Resource Conservation: The sustainable use and management of natural resources to prevent depletion and ensure availability for future generations.

(i) Resource Recycling: The process of collecting and processing waste materials to create new products, reducing the need for virgin resources.

(j) IUCN: International Union for Conservation of Nature - a global organization that works on nature conservation and sustainable use of natural resources.

(a) Resource and Wealth:

• Resource refers to materials that satisfy human needs, while wealth is the accumulation of valuable resources
• All wealth comes from resources, but not all resources constitute wealth
• Resources have utility, while wealth has exchange value

(b) Economic Geography and Resource Geography:

• Economic Geography studies all economic activities, while Resource Geography focuses specifically on resources
• Resource Geography is a specialized branch of Economic Geography

(c) Resource and Neutral Stuff:

• Resources have utility and can satisfy human needs, while neutral stuff has no current utility
• Neutral stuff becomes resource with technological advancement and human knowledge

(d) Biotic and Abiotic Resource:

• Biotic resources are obtained from biosphere and have life (forests, animals), while abiotic resources are non-living (minerals, rocks)
• Biotic resources can reproduce and regenerate, while abiotic resources cannot

(e) Renewable and Non-Renewable Resource:

• Renewable resources can be replenished (solar, wind), while non-renewable cannot be replenished (coal, petroleum)
• Renewable resources are generally unlimited, non-renewable are limited

(f) Personal resource and National resource:

• Personal resources are privately owned, national resources are owned by the state
• Personal resources benefit individuals, national resources benefit the entire nation

(g) Man-made Resource and Human Resource:

• Man-made resources are physical objects created by humans (machinery, buildings), while human resources refer to human capabilities (skills, knowledge)

(h) Recycling of Resource and Innovation:

• Recycling involves reusing existing materials, while innovation creates new ways of using resources
• Both contribute to resource conservation but through different approaches

(a) Which of the following is man-made resource?
(1) Rivers (2) Mineral Oil (3) Irrigation Canal (4) Forest
Answer: (3) Irrigation Canal

(b) Which one of the following is abiotic resource?
(1) Air (2) Plants (3) Animals (4) Fungus
Answer: (1) Air

(c) Which one of the following is non-renewable resource?
(1) Air (2) Water (3) Crops (4) Coal
Answer: (4) Coal

(d) Which one of the following animals is about to be extinct?
(1) One-horned Rhino (2) Pygmi Hog (3) Giraffe (4) Gayal (Mithun)
Answer: (2) Pygmi Hog

(e) The organization IUCN is under which of the following organizations?
(1) UNESCO (2) UNO (3) WWF (4) UNEP
Answer: (2) UNO