Economic activities and primary activities
Our parents and relatives farm, run shops or teach. Such work done to earn money for family needs is called economic activity.
The various work humans do to meet their needs, such as occupations, industries and trade, are called economic activities. Activities whose products come directly from nature are called primary activities; e.g. farming, animal husbandry, fishing, mining, forest produce.
Key idea 1 : Primary activities — These depend on nature and give raw material, e.g. sugarcane and cotton from fields, fish from the sea, coal from mines. So they are occupations that depend on nature.
Key idea 2 : Examples of primary activities — Farming, animal husbandry (cows, buffaloes, goats), fishing, mining and collecting forest produce are the main primary activities. Most people in rural areas do this work.
Key idea 3 : Every work is important — Every family member does different work and all of it meets needs. So no work should be looked down upon.
- Easy : Digging coal? — Primary activity.
- Medium : Fishing? — Primary activity.
- Exam-type : Rearing cows and buffaloes? — Primary activity.
In the figure: Examples of primary activities.
Straight from nature.
Farming is not the only primary activity; fishing, mining and animal husbandry are included too.
Memory clue: Straight from nature = primary. Memory clue: "Primary = first, first goods from nature".
Spot the difference
| Point | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Economic activity | Work to earn money | Occupation, trade |
| Primary activity | Goods directly from nature | Farming, mining |
| Raw material | Goods before processing | Sugarcane, cotton |
Practice questions
- 1What are economic activities?
- 2What are primary activities?
- 3Give five examples of primary activities.
- 4What is raw material? Give two examples.
- 5Why are primary activities more common in rural areas?
- 6Write three economic activities in your area.
- 7Why should no work be looked down upon?
- 8Which occupation would you choose in future? Give reasons.
Show answers (try them yourself first)
- 1Work done to earn money to meet needs.
- 2Depend on nature; products directly from nature.
- 3Farming, fishing, mining, animal husbandry, forest produce.
- 4Unprocessed goods; sugarcane, cotton.
- 5There farming and nature-based work is more.
- 6Student writes own.
- 7All work together meets needs.
- 8Student writes own.
Secondary and tertiary activities
We drink sugarcane juice as it is; but when sugar or jaggery is made from the same cane it lasts longer and sells at a higher price. Making such products is called a secondary activity.
Activities that process raw material from primary activities to make new products are secondary activities; e.g. food processing, construction, dairy industry. Activities that provide services instead of making goods are tertiary activities; e.g. transport, banking, health, education.
Key idea 1 : Secondary activities — Processing makes goods durable, of better quality and useful, and raises their value. E.g. sugarcane → sugar, jaggery; milk → ghee, butter. These industries depend on primary activities. Growth of industries increased production and employment and changed lifestyles.
Key idea 2 : Tertiary activities — Transport of sugarcane from farm to factory and sugar to market, bank dealings, doctors, teachers and shopkeepers are services. No goods are produced directly, so this is called the service sector.
Key idea 3 : Link among the three types — Primary activities give raw material, secondary activities process it and tertiary activities take it to people and provide services. All three support each other.
- Easy : Sugar factory? — Secondary.
- Medium : Bank employee? — Tertiary.
- Exam-type : Truck driver? — Tertiary (transport service).
In the figure: Sugarcane to market — three kinds of activities.
As per several sources the Industrial Revolution began in England in the 18th century and machines allowed large-scale production in factories; the book gives this reference for growth of secondary activities (as per several sources; check with the book).
Goods, processing, service.
Secondary activities are not independent; they need raw material of primary activities.
Memory clue: Primary = get goods; secondary = make goods; tertiary = give service. Memory clue: "Get – Make – Give".
Spot the difference
| Type | Work | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Primary | Getting goods from nature | Farming, fishing |
| Secondary | Processing raw material | Sugar, dairy processing |
| Tertiary | Providing services | Bank, education, transport |
Practice questions
- 1What are secondary activities? Give an example.
- 2What are tertiary activities? Give an example.
- 3Why does processing increase the value of a product?
- 4Identify all three activities in the sugarcane-to-sugar chain.
- 5Identify the odd one: farming, mining, factory, fishing.
- 6What is the service sector?
- 7State the difference between textile industry and transport service.
- 8Write in your words all three activities in making one product.
Show answers (try them yourself first)
- 1Processing raw material; e.g. making sugar.
- 2Giving services; e.g. banking.
- 3It becomes durable, better quality and useful.
- 4Cane – primary; making sugar – secondary; transport/sale – tertiary.
- 5Factory (secondary); others are primary.
- 6The sector giving services instead of making goods.
- 7Textile industry makes goods; transport gives service.
- 8Student writes own.
Workforce and development of a country
In some countries most people farm while in others most work in services such as banking, education and health. The share of people in each kind of work shows the economic condition of a country.
All three types of activities exist in every country in varying proportions. The workforce in each decides the national income, international trade and whether the country is developed, developing or underdeveloped.
Key idea 1 : Share of tertiary activities — A country where more workers are in tertiary (service) activities is considered developed. Education, health and banking services are better, so income is higher.
Key idea 2 : Share of primary activities — A country where more workers are in primary activities like farming is considered economically backward or underdeveloped. A country dominated by primary and secondary activities is considered developing.
Key idea 3 : Reading the graph — By looking at a pie or bar graph of workforce one can tell which activity has more people and state the development level of the country.
- Easy : 60 % workers in services: which country? — Developed.
- Medium : 70 % workers in farming: which country? — Underdeveloped/developing.
- Exam-type : National income depends on? — Workforce share.
In the figure: Workforce share and development.
More services = developed.
It is not that farming ends when the service sector is large; farming remains equally necessary.
Memory clue: More tertiary → developed; more primary → backward. Memory clue: "Services rose, country rose".
Spot the difference
| Type of country | Dominant activity | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Developed | Tertiary | High income, good services |
| Developing | Primary + secondary | Progressing |
| Underdeveloped | Primary | Low income |
Practice questions
- 1What does the workforce share decide for a country?
- 2Which activities dominate in a developed country?
- 3How will you identify an underdeveloped country?
- 4What is a developing country?
- 5Why is India considered a developing country?
- 6How are tertiary activities supplementary to primary and secondary ones?
- 7In a country workers are primary 60, secondary 20, tertiary 20 %. Which country is it?
- 8Estimate percentages of work of people in your village and draw a graph.
Show answers (try them yourself first)
- 1National income, international trade, development level.
- 2Tertiary (services).
- 3Most workers in primary activities.
- 4A country dominated by primary and secondary activities.
- 5Here primary and secondary activities are still big and progress continues.
- 6Services deliver goods and help other activities.
- 7Underdeveloped (more primary).
- 8Student does own.
Changing nature of economic activities
In our grandparents’ time one had to stand in a bank queue; today mother pays by mobile and also shops online. So the nature of economic activities has changed.
Due to education, infrastructure and technology, even traditional occupations are becoming modern; this is the changing nature of economic activities. Dealings, communication and economic activities differ in villages and cities.
Key idea 1 : Then and now — Earlier farmers farmed by hand and with oxen; today they use machines, drip irrigation and mobile apps. Banking, shopping and education have gone online. To be successful a person needs knowledge and technology.
Key idea 2 : Village and city — In villages most work is based on farming and nature, while in cities industries, trade and services are more. How people earn and spend shows the progress of society.
Key idea 3 : Your own business idea — To start a new business you must decide its name, whether it gives goods or services, who the customer is and what technology will be used.
- Easy : Paying electricity bill by mobile? — A change in tertiary activity.
- Medium : Spraying with a drone in the field? — Technology in a primary activity.
- Exam-type : Online shopping? — Tertiary activity.
In the figure: Economic activities change with time.
As per the textbook about 90 per cent of the people of Ajanale village in Sangola taluka of Solapur district depend on pomegranate; in 1972 the village was selected for the ‘Krushi Pandhari’ scheme and water-conservation works made pomegranate orchards flourish (as per the textbook; check with the book).
As per several sources Bhiwandi is known for powerlooms and has the largest number in Maharashtra; recently warehousing and logistics business has also grown there, which shows how economic activities change (as per several sources; check with the book).
Education + technology = change.
It is not that traditional occupations vanish; they become modern with technology.
Memory clue: Education + facilities + technology = changing occupations. Memory clue: "EFT": Education, Facilities, Technology.
Spot the difference
| Point | Earlier | Today |
|---|---|---|
| Banking | Queue at bank | Mobile, online |
| Shopping | Going to shops | Online |
| Farming | Oxen, manual work | Drip, drone, app |
Practice questions
- 1What is the changing nature of economic activities?
- 2Write three reasons for the change in economic activities.
- 3State the difference between economic activities in villages and cities.
- 4Compare one occupation of your grandparents’ time with today.
- 5What is the economic activity of Ajanale village?
- 6Write two advantages of online banking.
- 7Write your own business idea in four points.
- 8Make a field visit to a business in your area and write a report.
Show answers (try them yourself first)
- 1Occupations becoming modern due to education and technology.
- 2Education, infrastructure, technology.
- 3Farming in village; industry-services in city.
- 4Student writes own.
- 5Pomegranate production (as per book).
- 6Saves time, dealings possible from anywhere.
- 7Name, goods/service, customer, technology.
- 8Student does own.