📘 Short Questions and Answers — Economic Activities Around Us

Section A: Understanding Economic Activities (Q1–Q15)

Q1. What are economic activities?
Economic activities are actions people do to earn their livelihood. They include farming, trade, industry, and services. These activities involve the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services.

Q2. Why are economic activities important for society?
They provide food, goods, and services necessary for life. They also generate income and employment. Without economic activities, societies cannot survive or grow.

Q3. Name the three main categories of economic activities.
The three categories are:

• Primary activities (like farming, mining, fishing).
• Secondary activities (like industries and manufacturing).
• Tertiary activities (like banking, transport, education).

Q4. What are primary activities? Give examples.
Primary activities are directly dependent on natural resources. Examples include agriculture, fishing, forestry, and mining. They form the base of all other economic activities.

Q5. What are secondary activities? Give examples.
Secondary activities involve processing and manufacturing raw materials. Examples include textile mills, steel plants, and food processing industries. They add value to raw materials.

Q6. What are tertiary activities?
Tertiary activities provide services rather than goods. Examples include transport, education, banking, healthcare, and tourism. They support both primary and secondary activities.

Q7. How do natural resources affect economic activities?
Natural resources determine what people can produce in a region. For example, fertile plains encourage farming, while mineral-rich areas support mining and industries. Thus, geography shapes economic opportunities.

Q8. What is the difference between goods and services?
Goods are physical products like rice, clothes, or machines. Services are activities that provide support, like teaching, transport, or banking. Both are essential parts of economic life.

Q9. Why do people in different regions engage in different economic activities?
Geography, climate, and resources vary across regions. Farmers in fertile plains grow wheat and rice, while people in coastal areas depend on fishing. Each region specializes in what suits its environment.

Q10. What is the role of climate in economic activities?
Climate decides what crops can grow and what industries can develop. Tea grows in rainy hilly areas, while cotton grows in warm regions. Climate also affects tourism and trade routes.

Q11. How are economic activities linked to survival?
They ensure people get food, clothes, shelter, and services. Farming provides food, industries make goods, and services connect everything. Without these, survival would be impossible.

Q12. How do economic activities build cooperation?
Farmers, traders, and service providers depend on one another. A farmer sells crops, traders distribute them, and transporters deliver them. This interdependence builds cooperation in society.

Q13. Give one example of interdependence between farming and industry.
Farming produces cotton, which industries use to make cloth. Without farming, industries lack raw material, and without industries, farmers have fewer buyers. Both depend on each other.

Q14. What is meant by livelihood?
Livelihood is the way people earn income to meet their needs. It may come from farming, business, jobs, or services. Every family depends on some form of livelihood.

Q15. Why are economic activities studied in Social Science?
They show how humans interact with resources and geography. They also explain society’s growth, trade, and cultural exchange. For students, it builds awareness of how economies function.

Section B: Farming – The Primary Activity (Q16–Q30)

Q16. What is farming?
Farming is the cultivation of crops and rearing of animals for food and raw materials. It is the most common primary activity and essential for survival.

Q17. What are the types of farming?

• Subsistence farming (for family needs).
• Commercial farming (for sale).
• Mixed farming (crops + animals).
• Shifting cultivation (forest-based farming).

Q18. What is subsistence farming?
Subsistence farming is growing crops mainly for one’s family. Farmers use simple tools and depend on rain. Very little surplus is left for markets.

Q19. What is commercial farming?
Commercial farming is done to sell crops in markets. It uses modern machines, fertilizers, and irrigation. Examples are cotton, sugarcane, and tea cultivation.

Q20. Explain mixed farming with examples.
Mixed farming combines crop cultivation with animal rearing. Farmers may grow wheat and also keep cows for milk. This provides both food and income.

Q21. What is shifting agriculture?
In shifting cultivation, land is cleared, farmed for a few years, and then abandoned. It is common in forested areas. Farmers move to new land once fertility decreases.

Q22. Why is farming called the backbone of the economy?
Farming provides food for all, raw materials for industries, and jobs for rural people. It sustains the largest section of the population.

Q23. How does irrigation support farming?
Irrigation provides water when rainfall is insufficient. Canals, tube wells, and dams help farmers grow crops year-round. It increases productivity.

Q24. Why do plains support farming?
Plains have fertile soil, flat land, and rivers for irrigation. This makes them suitable for large-scale farming. Examples: Indo-Gangetic plains.

Q25. How does farming differ in hills?
Hills support crops like tea, coffee, and fruits. Terrace farming is used to stop soil erosion. Heavy rainfall helps these crops grow.

Q26. Name crops grown in the Deccan Plateau.
Cotton, sugarcane, and groundnut are grown in the plateau. Black soil and warm climate make the region ideal for these crops.

Q27. Why is rice a staple food in coastal areas?
Coastal areas have high rainfall and fertile soil. Rice requires plenty of water. Thus, it grows well in states like Kerala, West Bengal, and Odisha.

Q28. How does farming support industries?
Farming provides raw materials like cotton, sugarcane, and jute. These are used by textile mills, sugar mills, and rope industries. Farming and industry are interconnected.

Q29. What role do farmers play in society?
Farmers feed the entire nation by producing food. They also support industries and trade. Their work is essential for survival and economic growth.

Q30. Why do farmers face challenges?
Farmers depend on monsoon rains, face crop failures, and get low prices. They also struggle with debts and lack of modern equipment.

Section C: Trade – Exchange of Goods and Services (Q31–Q45)

Q31. What is trade?
Trade is the buying and selling of goods and services. It connects producers and consumers and distributes resources.

Q32. What are the types of trade?

• Local trade (within a village/town).
• National trade (within a country).
• International trade (between countries).

Q33. What is local trade?
Local trade happens in small areas like villages or towns. Example: weekly markets, shops selling vegetables or clothes.

Q34. What is national trade?
National trade connects states and regions within a country. Example: rice from Punjab is sold in Kerala.

Q35. What is international trade?
International trade is between countries. India exports tea, cotton, and spices, and imports oil and machinery.

Q36. Why is trade important?
It provides income, distributes goods, and connects regions. It also encourages specialization and cultural exchange.

Q37. How does geography affect trade?
Regions near coasts and rivers become trade centers. Desert or remote areas face difficulties due to poor transport. Geography shapes trade opportunities.

Q38. What role do ports play in trade?
Ports like Mumbai and Chennai connect India with global markets. They enable export and import of goods. Ports are vital for international trade.

Q39. Why are weekly markets important in villages?
Weekly markets supply essential goods locally. Farmers and artisans sell products directly. They strengthen local economies.

Q40. How does trade support farmers?
Trade allows farmers to sell their surplus crops. It gives them income and connects them with distant markets.

Q41. What does India export to other countries?
India exports tea, cotton, jute, spices, and IT services. These exports earn foreign exchange.

Q42. What does India import from other countries?
India imports crude oil, machinery, fertilizers, and electronic goods. Imports meet needs not produced in sufficient quantity.

Q43. How does trade promote cultural exchange?
Along with goods, ideas and traditions spread through trade. Example: Indian spices became famous worldwide.

Q44. What is the role of traders?
Traders act as a link between producers and consumers. They buy goods from farmers or industries and sell them to customers.

Q45. How does transport support trade?
Transport moves goods from producers to markets. Railways, trucks, ships, and planes make trade possible.

Section D: Industry and Services (Q46–Q60)

Q46. What is industry?
Industry is the process of making goods from raw materials. It includes small workshops to large factories.

Q47. What are agro-based industries?
Industries that use agricultural raw materials. Examples: textile mills, sugar mills, paper industries.

Q48. What are mineral-based industries?
Industries that use minerals as raw materials. Examples: iron and steel plants, cement, aluminum industries.

Q49. What are small-scale industries?
Small industries like pottery, weaving, and handicrafts. They require little investment and provide local employment.

Q50. What are large-scale industries?
Big industries like automobiles, petrochemicals, and heavy machinery. They require large investments and many workers.

Q51. Why are industries important?
Industries provide jobs, make goods for daily life, and earn foreign exchange. They also support farming and services.

Q52. How does geography affect industries?
Industries grow near raw materials, water, and transport. Example: steel plants near iron ore mines.

Q53. What is the role of IT and software industries?
IT industries provide digital services and jobs. Cities like Bengaluru and Hyderabad are global IT hubs.

Q54. What are services in the economy?
Services are activities that support society and production. Examples: banking, education, transport, tourism.

Q55. Why are services important?
They connect farming, industry, and trade. Services improve quality of life and create employment.

Q56. Give examples of transport services.
Railways, buses, trucks, ships, and airplanes. They move people and goods from one place to another.

Q57. What role does banking play in economic life?
Banks provide loans, store money, and support trade. They help farmers, traders, and industries grow.

Q58. How does tourism contribute to the economy?
Tourism creates jobs in hotels, transport, and guiding. It also promotes cultural exchange and earns foreign currency.

Q59. How are farming, industry, trade, and services interdependent?
Farmer grows crops → Industry makes products → Traders sell them → Services support the chain. Each depends on the other.

Q60. Why is studying economic activities important for students?
It helps students understand how societies survive and grow. It builds awareness of jobs, geography, and resources. It also prepares them for exams and practical life.

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