Meaning of land use and why it differs
In your house the kitchen, bedroom and bathroom each have a fixed place. If everything were mixed up, you could not move around. A region's land is arranged in the same way.
Land use (भूमी उपयोजन) is the purpose for which land in a region is used. It results from the interaction between geographical factors and man.
Rule 1: Meaning and change — Land use changes with time; as human needs grew, the uses of land also grew. Mineral-rich land is used for mining and fertile plains for agriculture.
In the figure : In the figure house activity: just as every part of a house has a fixed place and purpose, the land of a region is put to fixed uses.
- Easy : Easy: Kitchen has a fixed place.
- Medium : Medium: Coal land → mining; river plain → farming.
- Exam-type : Exam: Why does land use change with time?
Rule 2: Board and chit activity — Boards: Commercial, Industry, Residential, Transport, Open ground, Entertainment, Agriculture, Institute, Mixed. Chits such as shop, bank, school, bus stop, cinema house and hockey field are matched with the right board.
In the figure : In the figure board and chit activity: each chit (shop, bank, school, bus stop, cinema house, hockey field) is matched with the board of its land use, such as Commercial, Transport or Institute.
- Easy : Easy: Shop → Commercial.
- Medium : Medium: Bus stop → Transport; school → Institute.
- Exam-type : Exam: Match a hockey field and a cinema.
Rule 3: Different countries — The percentage of land under each use depends on availability of land, population, quality and needs. Japan: more land under forests, very little under permanent agriculture. India: forests low, permanent agriculture high. Land is classed as: suitable for agriculture, permanent agriculture, forest, permanent pastures, others.
In the figure : In the figure land use differs from country to country: Japan has more land under forests and very little under permanent agriculture, while India has the opposite (the bars show sample values).
- Easy : Easy: India has more farmland.
- Medium : Medium: If forests are 68% in Japan, the rest is 100 − 68 = 32%.
- Exam-type : Exam: Why do countries differ?
Land use = purpose of land; changes with time; differs by country.
Thinking land use is fixed forever. It changes with needs.
Memory clue: "जमीन + गरज + काळ = उपयोग".
Spot the difference
| Country | Forest | Permanent agriculture |
|---|---|---|
| Japan | More | Very low |
| India | Low | High |
Practice questions
- 1What is land use?
- 2What is it the result of?
- 3Mineral land is used for what?
- 4Fertile plains are used for what?
- 5Which country has more forest land: Japan or India?
- 6Name three factors deciding land-use percentage.
- 7A region has 40% farm, 25% forest, 10% pasture. How much is "others"?
- 8Why should a house plan resemble land-use planning?
Show answers (try them yourself first)
- 1The purpose for which land is used.
- 2Interaction of geographical factors and man.
- 3Mining.
- 4Agriculture.
- 5Japan.
- 6Availability of land, population, needs.
- 7100 − 75 = 25%.
- 8Both give each activity a fixed place.
Rural land use
A village has fields all around, a pond, a grazing ground and a few houses. Everything is spread out because there is plenty of land and few people.
Rural land use (ग्रामीण भूमी उपयोजन) is mainly agriculture and agro-based work, with arable, fallow, forest and grazing lands.
Rule 1: Settlements — In rural areas land is more and population less, so the population is sparse and the residential area is small. Settlements are near fields and forests; those of miners near mines and of fishermen near the seashore.
In the figure : In the figure rural settlements lie close to agricultural fields and forests, the settlements of miners near the mines and those of fishermen near the seashore; the population is sparse.
- Easy : Easy: Fishermen live near the sea.
- Medium : Medium: Few people on much land → sparse.
- Exam-type : Exam: Why is rural population sparse?
Rule 2: Kinds of rural land — Arable land (कसणारी): under cultivation, usually individually owned. Fallow land (पडीक): temporarily not used for one or two seasons to restore fertility. Forest land: demarcated area with trees, bushes, creepers, grass; gives firewood, gum, grass. Grassland (गायरान): owned by the village Panchayat or government for grazing, belongs to the whole village.
In the figure : In the figure rural land use: arable land (under cultivation, individual ownership), fallow land (rested for one or two seasons), forest land (firewood, gum, grass) and grassland (Panchayat or government, grazing).
- Easy : Easy: Grassland is for grazing.
- Medium : Medium: Arable is private; grassland belongs to the village.
- Exam-type : Exam: Why is land left fallow?
In the figure : In the figure a farmer may leave a part of the land fallow for one or two seasons to improve the fertility of the soil (here 3 of the 15 sample plots are resting).
- Easy : Easy: 3 of 15 plots rest.
- Medium : Medium: 3 ÷ 15 × 100 = 20% is fallow.
- Exam-type : Exam: How many plots are cultivated?
Arable, fallow, forest, grassland. Sparse settlements near fields.
Thinking fallow land is wasted. It is resting to regain fertility.
Memory clue: "कसणारी = खाजगी; गायरान = गावाचे".
Spot the difference
| Type | Use | Ownership |
|---|---|---|
| Arable | Crops | Individual |
| Fallow | Rest 1–2 seasons | Individual |
| Forest | Firewood, gum, grass | Government |
| Grassland | Grazing | Panchayat/government |
Practice questions
- 1What is the main rural occupation?
- 2What is arable land?
- 3What is fallow land?
- 4What does forest land give?
- 5Who owns grassland?
- 6Where do miners settle?
- 7A farm has 20 plots and 4 are fallow. What percent is fallow?
- 8Why is grassland not individually owned?
Show answers (try them yourself first)
- 1Agriculture.
- 2Land under cultivation.
- 3Farmland temporarily not used.
- 4Firewood, gum and grass.
- 5Village Panchayat or government.
- 6Near mining areas.
- 74 ÷ 20 × 100 = 20%.
- 8Everyone in the village needs it for grazing.
Urban land use, suburbs and planned cities
A big city bus stand at 9 a.m. is packed with people, vehicles and shops. Land is so scarce that every square metre must do some job.
Urban land use (शहरी भूमी उपयोजन) puts limited land to maximum use: residential, commercial, transport, public utility, recreational and mixed.
Rule 1: Kinds of urban land use — Urban areas grew in the twentieth century; land is limited, so population is dense. Residential: houses. Commercial: shops, banks, offices; gives the Central Business District (CBD) such as the Fort area or BKC in Mumbai. Transport: bus stops, railways, metro, roads, petrol pumps, depots. Public utility: hospitals, post offices, police stations, schools, colleges. Recreational: grounds, gardens, pools, theatres. Mixed: several uses together.
In the figure : In the figure on land-use maps red shows residential areas, blue commercial areas, yellow agricultural land and green forest.
- Easy : Easy: Red = residential.
- Medium : Medium: Blue = commercial; yellow = agriculture.
- Exam-type : Exam: Give the four map colours.
Rule 2: Transitional area and suburbs — The transitional area (संक्रमण क्षेत्र) lies between the city boundary and the villages, with a blend of rural and urban use. With time it becomes urban and forms suburbs, e.g. Bandra and Bhandup in Mumbai.
In the figure : In the figure the Central Business District (CBD) is in the centre of a city with the residential area around it; the transitional area between the city and the villages becomes a suburb with time (for example Bandra and Bhandup).
- Easy : Easy: CBD is in the centre.
- Medium : Medium: Suburbs grow out of the transitional area.
- Exam-type : Exam: Why are industries rare in the CBD?
Rule 3: Planned cities — After the industrial revolution cities grew haphazardly. A planned city (नियोजित शहर) fixes land use before it grows. Examples: Singapore, Seoul, Zurich, Washington D.C., Brasilia, Chandigarh and Bhubaneswar.
In the figure : In the figure planned cities (Chandigarh, Brasilia, Singapore) fix their land use before they grow, while unplanned cities grew haphazardly after the industrial revolution.
- Easy : Easy: Chandigarh is planned.
- Medium : Medium: Two Indian planned cities: Chandigarh, Bhubaneswar.
- Exam-type : Exam: Why are planned cities better organised?
Urban: residential, commercial (CBD), transport, public utility, recreation, mixed. Colours: red, blue, yellow, green.
Thinking suburbs are far villages. They grow from the transitional area of the city.
Memory clue: "लाल = राहणे, निळा = व्यापार, पिवळा = शेती, हिरवा = वन".
Spot the difference
| Colour | Land use |
|---|---|
| Red | Residential |
| Blue | Commercial |
| Yellow | Agricultural |
| Green | Forest |
Practice questions
- 1Why is urban population dense?
- 2What is CBD?
- 3Give an example of CBD in Mumbai.
- 4Give two public utility uses.
- 5What colour shows forest on maps?
- 6What is a transitional area?
- 7A city map has 60 squares: 24 red, 12 blue, 18 green. How many are other?
- 8Why do planned cities avoid mixing factories with homes?
Show answers (try them yourself first)
- 1Land is limited.
- 2Central Business District.
- 3Fort or BKC.
- 4Hospitals and schools.
- 5Green.
- 6Area between city boundary and villages with mixed use.
- 760 − (24 + 12 + 18) = 6.
- 8To avoid pollution and noise near homes.
Ownership of land: 7/12 extract and property card
A school admission needs your birth certificate. In the same way, a piece of land has its own paper that shows who owns it.
The 7/12 extract (सातबारा उतारा) records agricultural land; the property card (मिळकत पत्रिका) records urban non-agricultural land.
Rule 1: The 7/12 extract — Ownership can be private or public; registration is under the revenue department. The 7/12 extract ('Satbara') combines Village Form 7 and Form 12, kept by the village talathi. It is a mirror of the land: it records ownership rights, debts and loans, transfer of ownership and area under crops. Occupant class 1: ancestral ownership. Occupant class 2: government land given to marginal or landless farmers; it can be sold or transferred only with the district collector's sanction. Assessment is the land tax; other rights list joint holders and loan status.
In the figure : In the figure the 7/12 extract, a mirror of the land, records ownership rights, the area under crops, the assessment (tax) and other rights (joint holders, loans).
- Easy : Easy: Talathi keeps the village forms.
- Medium : Medium: 7 and 12 are two village forms.
- Exam-type : Exam: What does the 7/12 show?
Rule 2: Property card — The property card shows ownership of non-agricultural (urban) land: city survey number, plot number, tax amount, area and right of access. Ownership rights are legal rights; the owner decides how the property is used.
In the figure : In the figure the 7/12 extract is for agricultural land (village forms kept by the talathi); the property card gives the ownership of non-agricultural (urban) land with the city survey number.
- Easy : Easy: Property card is for urban plots.
- Medium : Medium: Farm → 7/12; city plot → property card.
- Exam-type : Exam: Compare 7/12 and property card.
7/12 = farm land (talathi). Property card = urban land.
Thinking class 2 land can be sold freely. It needs the collector's sanction.
Memory clue: "शेत = सातबारा; शहर = पत्रिका".
Spot the difference
| Document | For | Kept by |
|---|---|---|
| 7/12 extract | Agricultural land | Talathi |
| Property card | Urban land | City survey office |
Practice questions
- 1Which department registers land?
- 2What is the 7/12 extract?
- 3Who keeps it in the village?
- 4Name two things it records.
- 5What is occupant class 1?
- 6Who sanctions the sale of class 2 land?
- 7Which document proves ownership of a city plot?
- 8Why is the 7/12 called a mirror of the land?
Show answers (try them yourself first)
- 1Revenue department.
- 2A revenue record of agricultural land.
- 3The talathi.
- 4Ownership and crop area.
- 5Ancestral ownership.
- 6District collector.
- 7Property card.
- 8It shows full information without visiting the land.
Factors affecting land use and its change over time
A new highway makes farmland near the city turn into shops and flats within years. What happens to land depends on what is around it.
Factors (घटक) such as climate, soil, transport and policy decide land use, and land use changes over time.
Rule 1: Factors — Rural: climate, soil, type of slope, irrigation, natural resources and government policy. Urban: location and site, natural resources, housing policy, transport routes, industry, trade, playgrounds and entertainment, and government policy. Natural resources and policy affect both.
In the figure : In the figure rural factors: climate, soil, slope, irrigation; urban factors: location and site, housing policy, transport, industry, trade, playgrounds; both: natural resources and government policies.
- Easy : Easy: Soil affects rural land use.
- Medium : Medium: Transport affects urban use more.
- Exam-type : Exam: Which factors affect both?
Rule 2: Change over time — Jobs in cities caused large-scale migration, so land availability there is a serious problem. Satellite images of Mondha village (Taluka Hingna, District Nagpur) for 2003, 2010 and 2017 show changing land use. Public-utility land eases pressure of a growing population.
In the figure : In the figure satellite images of Mondha village for 2003, 2010 and 2017 show land use changing with time (the squares here are a schematic picture: farmland giving way to built-up land).
- Easy : Easy: Images from 3 years are compared.
- Medium : Medium: 2017 − 2003 = 14 years of change.
- Exam-type : Exam: Why is land scarce in cities?
Rural factors: climate, soil, slope, water. Urban: site, transport, industry. Both: resources, policy.
Thinking only nature decides land use. People and policy decide too.
Memory clue: "ग्रामीण = निसर्ग; शहरी = सोयी".
Spot the difference
| Area | Main factors |
|---|---|
| Rural | Climate, soil, slope, irrigation |
| Urban | Site, housing, transport, industry |
| Both | Resources, policy |
Practice questions
- 1Name two rural factors.
- 2Name two urban factors.
- 3Which factors affect both?
- 4Why do people migrate to cities?
- 5What do satellite images of Mondha show?
- 6Which years are compared?
- 7A village has 100 ha farm in 2003 and 70 ha in 2017. What is the fall in percent?
- 8Why is public-utility land vital in cities?
Show answers (try them yourself first)
- 1Soil and irrigation.
- 2Transport and industry.
- 3Natural resources and government policy.
- 4For jobs.
- 5Change in land use over time.
- 62003, 2010 and 2017.
- 730 ÷ 100 × 100 = 30%.
- 8It eases the pressure of a growing population.
Quick revision
- Land use = purpose for which land is used; result of geography and man; changes with time. Mining on mineral land, agriculture on fertile plains. Japan: more forest, little permanent agriculture; India: the opposite.
- Rural: arable, fallow (rested for 1–2 seasons), forest (firewood, gum, grass), grassland (Panchayat or government, grazing). Settlements near fields, mines, sea.
- Urban: residential, commercial (CBD – Fort, BKC), transport, public utility, recreational, mixed. Colours: red, blue, yellow, green. Transitional area → suburb (Bandra, Bhandup). Planned cities: Chandigarh, Brasilia, etc.
- 7/12 extract (Forms 7 and 12, talathi, revenue department): ownership, loans, crops, assessment, other rights; occupant class 1 and 2. Property card: urban non-agricultural land.
- Factors: rural – climate, soil, slope, irrigation, resources, policies; urban – location and site, housing policy, transport, industry, trade, playgrounds, resources, policies.