Primary Activities class 12

By / September 2, 2025

Primary Activities

(Class 12 Geography – CBSE, 2025–26)

1. Introduction

  • Human beings engage in a wide variety of economic activities to fulfill their needs.
  • Economic activities are generally classified into four categories:
    πŸ”Ή Primary β†’ Directly dependent on natural resources.
    πŸ”Ή Secondary β†’ Manufacturing/industrial activities.
    πŸ”Ή Tertiary β†’ Services like trade, transport, communication.
    πŸ”Ή Quaternary/Quinary β†’ Knowledge-based and high-level decision-making activities.

πŸ‘‰ Primary Activities are the most basic and ancient. They involve production close to nature.

Examples: Agriculture, fishing, forestry, mining, hunting, gathering, pastoralism.

2. Meaning of Primary Activities

Definition:
Primary activities are economic activities that rely directly on the exploitation of natural resources for production.

  • πŸ”Έ Nature-based (land, water, forests, minerals).
  • πŸ”Ή Provide raw materials for secondary activities.
  • πŸ”Έ Oldest form of economic activity, starting with hunting-gathering.

3. Types of Primary Activities

(i) Hunting and Gathering

  • Earliest human activity (Paleolithic age).
  • People collected fruits, roots, nuts, hunted animals, and fished.
  • Still practiced by some indigenous communities.

Examples:

  • Bushmen of Kalahari Desert (Africa).
  • Pygmies of Congo Basin.
  • Aborigines of Australia.
  • Tribes in Amazon Basin.

Features:

  • Primitive tools (sticks, stones, bows, arrows).
  • Subsistence activity.
  • Small groups, nomadic lifestyle.
  • Environmental dependence.

(ii) Pastoralism

Pastoralism = rearing animals for food, trade, and livelihood.

Two types:

  1. Nomadic Pastoralism
    • Movement of herders with livestock in search of pastures.
    • Animals β†’ cattle, sheep, goats, camels, yak.
    • Examples:
      πŸ”Ή Maasai of East Africa.
      πŸ”Ή Bedouins of Arabia.
      πŸ”Ή Gaddi shepherds of Himachal Pradesh.
  2. Sedentary Pastoralism
    • People stay at one place and rear animals.
    • Example: Dairy farming in Denmark, Netherlands, New Zealand.

(iii) Agriculture

Most widespread primary activity.

  • Provides food, raw material, employment.
  • Nearly half of world’s population engaged in agriculture.

Types of Agriculture:

  1. Subsistence Agriculture
    • Farming for self-consumption.
    • Features: small plots, family labour, low productivity.
    • Examples: India, Africa, parts of Asia.
    • Shifting Cultivation β†’ also called Jhum, Milpa, Ladang.
      πŸ”Ή Farmers clear forest β†’ burn β†’ cultivate β†’ abandon.
      πŸ”Ή Practiced in NE India, Amazon, SE Asia, Africa.
    • Intensive Subsistence Agriculture
      πŸ”Ή High labour input, high productivity.
      πŸ”Ή Rice, wheat, pulses.
      πŸ”Ή Example: Ganga–Brahmaputra plains, SE Asia.
  2. Commercial Agriculture
    • Farming for sale in markets.
    • Features: mechanized, modern inputs, large farms.
    • Examples: USA, Canada, Australia.
    • Plantation Agriculture
      πŸ”Ή Single crop on large estates.
      πŸ”Ή Requires capital & migrant labour.
      πŸ”Ή Examples: Tea (Assam, Sri Lanka), Coffee (Brazil), Rubber (Malaysia), Sugarcane (Hawaii).

(iv) Fishing

Fish β†’ source of food, employment, trade.

  • 60% of world population depends on fish for protein.

Types of Fishing:

  • Commercial Fishing
    πŸ”Ή Large-scale, mechanized boats, modern technology.
    πŸ”Ή Examples: Japan, Norway, Iceland, USA.
  • Subsistence Fishing
    πŸ”Ή Small boats, traditional nets.
    πŸ”Ή Examples: Kerala, West Bengal, Indonesia.

Major Fishing Grounds:

  • North-East Atlantic.
  • North-West Pacific.
  • Great Lakes of North America.
  • Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal.

(v) Forestry

  • Forests β†’ provide timber, fuel, paper, medicinal plants, raw material.
  • Also regulate climate, water cycle, biodiversity.

Types of Forestry:

  • Tropical forests (Amazon, Congo).
  • Temperate forests (Canada, Russia).
  • Commercial forestry (Sweden, Finland, Canada).

(vi) Mining

Extraction of minerals from Earth.

  • Minerals = backbone of industries.
  • Two types:
    πŸ”Ή Metallic (iron, copper, bauxite).
    πŸ”Ή Non-metallic (coal, petroleum, limestone).

Types of Mining:

  • Open-cast mining.
  • Underground mining.
  • Drilling (oil, gas).

Examples:

  • Coal (Jharkhand, USA, China).
  • Petroleum (Saudi Arabia, Russia, India).
  • Gold (South Africa, Australia).

4. Importance of Primary Activities

  • Provide food (agriculture, fishing, pastoralism).
  • Supply raw materials for industries.
  • Generate employment (major source in developing countries).
  • Basis of trade and commerce.
  • Influence settlement patterns (agriculture β†’ villages, mining β†’ mining towns).

5. Regional Examples of Primary Activities

  • Amazon Basin β†’ shifting cultivation, hunting, fishing.
  • Sahara Desert β†’ nomadic pastoralism (camels, goats).
  • Scandinavia β†’ commercial forestry.
  • Russia & USA β†’ mining (coal, oil, natural gas).
  • India β†’ agriculture (rice, wheat, sugarcane), fishing (Kerala, Bengal), mining (Jharkhand).

6. Factors Affecting Primary Activities

  • Physical β†’ soil, climate, relief, water.
  • Technological β†’ tools, machinery, irrigation, biotechnology.
  • Economic β†’ market demand, transport, investment.
  • Social & Cultural β†’ traditions, land ownership, labour.
  • Political β†’ government policies, subsidies, land reforms.

7. Problems Related to Primary Activities

  • Overexploitation of resources.
  • Deforestation, soil erosion, desertification.
  • Overfishing, declining fish stocks.
  • Land degradation and salinization.
  • Displacement due to mining projects.
  • Climate change affecting agriculture and pastoralism.

8. Sustainable Practices

  • Organic farming.
  • Afforestation and social forestry.
  • Sustainable fishing limits.
  • Renewable energy instead of coal/petroleum.
  • Eco-friendly mining practices.
  • Integrated watershed management.

9. Case Studies

  • Green Revolution (India) β†’ Boosted food production but caused ecological issues.
  • Tea Plantations (Assam & Sri Lanka) β†’ Example of plantation agriculture.
  • Norway Fishing Industry β†’ Advanced mechanized fishing, export-oriented.
  • Amazon Shifting Cultivation β†’ Deforestation threat.
  • Oil Extraction in Middle East β†’ Foundation of global energy economy.

10. Key Terms

  • Primary Activities β†’ economic activities dependent on natural resources.
  • Shifting Cultivation β†’ slash-and-burn farming.
  • Nomadic Pastoralism β†’ moving with animals for pastures.
  • Plantation Agriculture β†’ single-crop, large-scale farming.
  • Commercial Fishing β†’ mechanized fishing for markets.
  • Mining β†’ extraction of minerals.
  • Sustainability β†’ meeting present needs without harming future generations.

11. Sample Answer Frames

(i) 3 Marks Question: Define primary activities with examples.

Answer Frame:
Primary activities are economic activities that depend directly on natural resources. They include agriculture, fishing, forestry, mining, hunting, and pastoralism. For example, tea plantations in Assam, coal mining in Jharkhand, and fishing in Kerala.

(ii) 5 Marks Question: Explain types of agriculture under primary activities.

Answer Frame:

  • Subsistence agriculture β†’ self-consumption.
    πŸ”Ή Shifting cultivation β†’ slash and burn (NE India, Amazon).
    πŸ”Ή Intensive subsistence β†’ rice, wheat (Asia).
  • Commercial agriculture β†’ market-oriented.
    πŸ”Ή Mechanized farming (USA, Canada).
    πŸ”Ή Plantation farming (tea, coffee, rubber).

(iii) 6 Marks Question: Discuss the importance of primary activities.

Answer Frame:

  • Provide food (agriculture, fishing).
  • Supply raw materials (forestry, mining).
  • Generate employment (major sector in developing countries).
  • Basis for industries & trade.
  • Influence settlement & cultural practices.
    Thus, primary activities form the foundation of human economic life.

12. FAQs

Q1. What is the oldest primary activity?
A: Hunting and gathering.

Q2. Name two examples of plantation crops.
A: Tea (Assam, Sri Lanka), Coffee (Brazil).

Q3. Which countries are leading in commercial fishing?
A: Japan, Norway, USA, China.

Q4. What is shifting cultivation called in India?
A: Jhum.

Q5. Which is the most important mineral resource for energy?
A: Petroleum (also called β€œliquid gold”).

Q6. Why are primary activities still important in modern times?
A: Because they provide food, raw materials, and employment for billions.

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