Class 8 Social Science Notes for Geography Chapter 1 Resources
RESOURCES-
- All materials available in our environment which satisfy our needs are called as Resources.
- All resources have some value. Value means worth. Some resources have economic value and some do not, but both are important and satisfy human needs.
- Some resources can become economically valuable with time.
- Time and technology are the important factors that change substances into People themselves are the most important resource. It is their ideas, knowledge, inventions and discoveries that lead to the creation of more resources.
- Each discovery or invention leads to many others. For example-
- Discovery of fire led to the practice of cooking
- Invention of the wheel resulted in the development of newer modes of transport.
TYPES OF RESOURCES:
- Resources are categorized into natural, human-made and human.
1. Natural resources are those resources that are drawn from nature and are used without much modification-air, water, soils, minerals are the natural resources.
- Natural resources are classified into different groups depending upon their level of development and use, origin, renewability and distribution
- Natural resources also called as ‘gifts of nature’.
(i) On the basis of level of their development and use, natural resources can be classified into –
| ACTUAL RESOURCES | POTENTIAL RESOURCES |
| Those resources whose quantity is known. | Those resources whose entire quantity may not be known |
| These resources are being used in the present. | These are not being used at present and could be used in the future. |
| For e.g. Coal of Germany, Petroleum in the West Asia | For e.g. The Uranium in Ladakh |
(ii) On the basis of origin, the natural resources can be
| BIOTIC RESOURCES | ABIOTIC RESOURCES |
| It includes all the living things. | It includes all the non-living things. |
| For example- Plants & animals | For example- Soil, rocks, minerals |
(iii) On the basis of renewability, natural resources can be categorized into
| RENEWABLE RESOURCES | NON-RENEWABLE RESOURCES |
| Those which can get renewed or replenished quickly are called as Renewable resources. They are also called as Inexhaustible resources. | Those which have a limited stock. Once the stocks are exhausted it may take thousands of years to be renewed or replenished are called as Non-renewable resources. They are also called as Exhaustible resources |
| For e.g. solar and wind energy. | For e.g. such as coal, petroleum and natural gas. |
(iv) On the basis of distribution, natural resources can be classified into-
| UBIQUITOUS RESOURCES | LOCALIZED RESOURCES |
| Ubiquitous resources are found everywhere on the earth. Land, water, air are ubiquitous resources. | Localized resources are found only in certain places, like copper and iron ore. |
(v) The distribution of natural resources depends upon, number of physical factors like terrain, climate and altitude(height).
(vi) The distribution of resources is unequal across the earth.
2. Human Made Resources:
Human resource refers to the number(quantity) and abilities (mental and physical) of the people.
(i) The resources which are created from the natural resources by the human resources by the human beings to produce useful products are known as Human made resources. Like roads, machinery, vehicles, etc.
(ii) Technology is also a human made resources.
3. Human Resources:
(i) Human resources refers to the number and abilities of the people. People can make the best use of nature to create more resources when they have the knowledge, skill and the technology.
(ii) People are human resources.
(iii) Improving the quality of people’s skills so that they are able to create more resources is known as Human resource development.
CONSERVING RESOURCES:
(i) Conservation of resources refers to using natural resources carefully so that they could be renewed and continue to be used in future.
(ii) Sustainable use of resources refers to carefully utilizing resources and balancing the need to use resources and also conserve them for the future generation.
(iii) It is our duty to ensure that all uses of renewable resources are sustainable.
(iv) The diversity of life on the earth should be conserved.
(v) The damage to natural environmental system should be minimized.
(vi) There are many ways of conserving resources.Each person can contribute by reducing consumption, recycling and reusing things.
NCERT SOLUTIONS
1. Answer the following questions.
(i) Why are resources distributed unequally over the earth?
Ans: The distribution of resources depends upon a number of physical factors like terrain, climate and altitude. All these factors are not same everywhere and vary from place to place on the earth. Hence, the distribution of resources is unequal.
(ii) What is resource conservation?
Ans: Resource conservation means using resources carefully and giving them time to get renewed.
(iii) Why are human resources important?
Ans:
- People are human resources and human resources are important because they can make the best uses of nature to create more resources.
- Also, the development of other resources solely depend upon human resources as they do so by applying knowledge, skill and technology.
(iv) What is sustainable development?
Ans: Balancing the need to use resources and also conserve them for the future is called sustainable development. In other words, carefully utilizing resources so that besides meeting the present requirements it also takes care of the need of future generations is what is known as sustainable development.
2. Tick the correct answer.
(i) Which one of the following does NOT make substance a resource?
(a) utility (b) value (c) quantity
Ans: (c) Quantity
(ii) Which one of the following is a human-made resource?
(a) medicines to treat cancer
(b) spring water
(c) tropical forests
Ans: (a) Medicines to treat cancer
(iii) Complete the statement.
Biotic resources are
(a) derived from living things
(b) made by human beings
(c) derived from non-living things
Ans: (a) Derived from living things
3. Differentiate between the followings.
(a) Potential and actual resources
Ans:
| Sr No. | Potential resource | Actual resource |
| 1. | A resource whose entire quantity is not known. | A resource whose quantity is known. |
| 2. | They are not being used at present. | They are being used in the present. |
| 3. | As technology improves their use in future is possible. | Available technology is used to use these resources. |
| 4. | The present level of technology is not advanced enough to utilise it. | The present level of technology is advanced enough to utilise it. |
| 5. | The uranium found in Ladakh, which could be used in the future is an example of potential resource | The dark soils of the Deccan plateau in Maharashtra Rich deposits of coal in Ruhr region of Germany is an example of actual resources. |
(b) Ubiquitous and localised resources
Ans:
| Sr. No. | Ubiquitous resource | Localised resource |
| 1. | A resource which is found everywhere. | A resource which is found only in certain places. |
| 2. | Its presence is not governed by physical conditions. | Its presence is governed by physical conditions. |
| 3. | The air we breathe is an example of ubiquitous resources | Mineral-like Copper is an example of localised resources. |