Looking for complete, textbook-verified solutions for SEBA Class 10 Social Science Geography Chapter 1 (Economic Geography: Subject Matter and Resource / অৰ্থনৈতিক ভূগোল: বিষয়বস্তু আৰু সম্পদ) for the 2026–27 academic session? Access step-by-step solutions to all textbook exercises—including Very Short Answer (VSA), Short Answer (SA), and Long Answer (LA) questions. Master high-scoring answers covering the definition, scope, and branches of Economic Geography (Agricultural, Industrial, Transport, Marketing, Tourism, and Resource Geography); George Chisholm’s foundational contributions; the concept of resource, its dynamic nature, and Zimmerman’s famous dictum; classification of resources based on origin (biotic vs. abiotic), durability (renewable vs. non-renewable), and ownership (individual, national, and international); the relationship between resources, human welfare, and environmental degradation; resource conservation, sustainable development, the 3R principle (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle), and structured model answers designed strictly according to the Assam Board (SEBA) HSLC curriculum.
1. What is Economic Geography? What is its main subject matter? Mention the important branches of Economic Geography.
Answer: Economic Geography: It is an important branch of Human Geography that studies human activities associated with the production, distribution, consumption, and exchange of resources in spatial and temporal contexts.
Main Subject Matter: The distribution of human economic activities, the factors and processes associated with them, and the relationship between man’s productive activities and environmental conditions.
Important Branches: Agricultural Geography, Industrial Geography, Geography of Resources, Transport Geography, Marketing Geography, Geography of Planning and Development, and Geography of Tourism.
2. Write briefly about the scope of Economic Geography.
Answer: The scope of economic geography is mainly based on five basic questions:
Where is the economic activity located?
What are the characteristics of the economic activity?
To what other phenomena is it related?
Why is the economic activity located where it is?
Would it not be better if located elsewhere?
Traditional economic geography focused on the first three questions, while modern economic geography (founded by George Chisholm) focuses on the latter two, aiming to determine economic development trends and directions of places.
3. What do you mean by the economic activities of man? What are such economic activities?
Answer: Meaning: The different types of work and occupations that humans perform to earn their livelihood and satisfy their material needs by using natural and man-made resources are called economic activities.
Types of Economic Activities:
Primary Occupation: Collecting resources directly from nature (e.g., agriculture, fishing, mining).
Secondary Occupation: Transforming natural commodities into usable forms using technology (e.g., manufacturing, construction).
Tertiary Occupation: Distributing goods produced by primary and secondary sectors to consumers (e.g., transport, marketing, tourism).
Quaternary Occupation: Intellectual services that support secondary and tertiary sectors (e.g., banking, education, research, administration).
4. Write briefly about the subject matter of the important branches of Economic Geography.
Answer: Agricultural Geography: Studies factors associated with farming, crop production, types of agriculture, and agricultural trade.
Industrial Geography: Studies factory location factors, types of industries, industrial distribution, and manufacturing goods.
Geography of Resources: Studies resource types, regional distribution, exploration, conservation, and resource-development relationships.
Transport Geography: Studies transport systems, their types, and their role in economic development and human movement.
Geography of Marketing: Studies market demand, types and distribution of markets, and related theories.
Geography of Planning and Development: Studies economic development factors, planning strategies, and sustainable development.
Geography of Tourism: Studies tourism growth factors, types of tourism, and planning processes.
5. Why is ‘Resource Geography’ known as an important branch of Economic Geography?
Answer: Resource Geography is known as an important branch because the economic development of any country directly depends on the quality, availability, exploration, and proper management of its resources. Every economic activity and production process relies entirely on resource utilization.
SEBA Class 10 Economic Geography Resource Conservation Notes
6. What is meant by ‘Resource’? Mention its main characteristics.
Answer: Meaning: All materials essential for human living and satisfying human needs—obtained from nature and transformed using human skills—are known as resources.
Main Characteristics:
They must possess functionality and utility (according to Zimmermann).
They are formed through interactions among nature, man, and culture (science and technology).
They are dynamic (their meaning changes with time and place).
They bring about human welfare and socio-economic progress.
7. ‘Resource is Dynamic’ – Explain.
Answer: Resources are dynamic because their utility and value change with time, place, and human knowledge.
Materials that are useless or harmful today (Neutral Stuffs or Resistances) can turn into valuable resources in the future with the advancement of science and technology. For example, coal and mineral oil were neutral stuffs until humans learned how to use them for power. Similarly, a flooded river can become a resource after building a dam for hydroelectricity.
8. Briefly discuss the necessities of resources with examples.
Answer: Resources are necessary because they fulfill basic human needs—such as food, shelter, and clothing—and drive overall socio-economic development and living standards.
Examples: Water and soil are necessary for agriculture and food production; minerals and coal are necessary for energy and industrial growth; forests provide timber and oxygen.
9. Write briefly about the relationship between resources and man.
Answer: Man is closely associated with resources in two main ways:
As a Producer: Humans use their knowledge, intelligence, skills, and technology to explore, collect, and transform natural materials into usable resources. Humans themselves also act as Human Resources.
As a Consumer: Humans consume and utilize natural and man-made resources to fulfill their daily requirements and improve their living conditions.
10. Briefly discuss the relationship between resources and science-technology.
Answer: Resources are not just gifts of nature; they are formed through the interaction of nature, man, and technology.
Science and technology provide the tools, skills, and knowledge required to explore hidden natural materials, measure their utility, and transform neutral stuffs (like crude oil or raw minerals) into valuable finished goods. Without technology, many natural elements remain unrecognized neutral stuffs.
SEBA Class 10 Geography Chapter 1 Solutions
11. Write about the classification of resources with examples.
Answer: Resources are classified into various categories:
By Origin: Natural (water, soil), Man-made (roads, paper), Human (skilled population).
By Composition: Biotic (plants, animals) and Abiotic (rocks, minerals).
By Renewability: Renewable (solar energy, water) and Non-renewable (coal, petroleum).
By Ownership: Individual (personal land), National (Kaziranga National Park), and International (oceans, atmosphere).
By Distribution: Ubiquitous (air, sunlight) and Localized (uranium, iron ore).
12. What is meant by natural resource? Write briefly with examples.
Answer: Meaning: Resources that occur naturally on Earth and are provided directly by nature without human creation are called natural resources.
Examples: Sunshine, air, water, soil, plants, animals, and minerals. They exist in solid, liquid, or gaseous states and are used directly or as raw materials for industries.
13. What is man-made resource? Write briefly about its use with examples.
Answer: Meaning: Materials produced or transformed from natural raw materials through human effort, skill, and technology are called man-made resources.
Use and Examples: Humans use technology to convert raw materials into more consumable forms. Examples include paper made from bamboo, cloth made from cotton, and constructed items like roads, houses, bridges, vehicles, and machinery.
14. What are the differences between renewable and non-renewable resources? Discuss briefly with examples.
Answer: Renewable Resources: These resources do not get permanently exhausted after use because they can regenerate naturally over time. (Example: Solar energy, wind, crops, water).
Non-renewable Resources: These resources cannot be regenerated after use and get completely exhausted forever once consumed. (Example: Coal, mineral oil, natural gas, iron ore).
15. What is meant by ‘Conservation of Resources’ sublattice? What is its necessity?
Answer: Meaning: The complete and proper utilization of resources without any destruction, wastage, or misuse so that we can continue to benefit from them for a long time is called conservation.
Necessity: Due to rapid population growth and heavy industrial use in developed countries, non-renewable resources (like coal and oil) are getting exhausted. Conservation is necessary to prevent environmental pollution, protect biodiversity, maintain ecological balance, and ensure sustainable development for future generations.
Economic Geography Textual Questions SEBA 2026-27
16. Write briefly about the methods of resource conservation.
Answer: (a) Search for Alternative Resources: Finding substitutes (e.g., solar/wind energy instead of coal; synthetic rubber instead of natural rubber).
(b) Recycling: Reusing disposed items like plastic bottles, paper, and metal scraps to reduce raw material extraction.
(c) Innovation: Developing better methods to convert natural materials with minimal waste and using organic fertilizers.
(d) Waste Control: Utilizing industrial waste (e.g., using wood waste in paper mills to make secondary products).
(e) Expansion of Knowledge and Education: Building public awareness to prevent unnecessary resource wastage.
(f) Execution of Conservation Acts: Implementing strict government laws and transparent rules for environmental protection.
(g) Proper Assessment of Reserve: Evaluating available resource reserves to plan future use and find alternatives.
(h) Assessment of Future Requirement: Determining future demands based on population growth to curb excess consumption.
17. Write briefly about the organizations associated with resource conservation and their role.
Answer: IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature): Formed in 1948 under Julian Huxley, it conducts study and research on global environmental conservation and biodiversity.
WWF for Nature & World Conservation Monitoring Centre: Established with IUCN’s initiative to protect specific species and natural habitats.
Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (India): Formulates national laws for environmental protection and resource conservation.
ICFRE (Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education): Formed in 1986 as an autonomous institute for forestry research.
NGOs (e.g., CSE, Greenpeace India, Aaranyak, Assam Science Society): Work at regional and national levels to raise awareness, protect biodiversity, and fight environmental pollution.
18. Write short notes on the following:
Answer: (a) Resource: All essential materials found in nature or created by humans that possess functionality and utility to satisfy human needs.
(b) Wealth: Materials that have exchange value, limited supply, a market price, and can be transferred through money (e.g., land, machinery).
(c) Human Resource: The human population equipped with education, skills, knowledge, and desire, acting as the creator and producer of all other resources.
(d) Renewable Resource: Resources that can be kept unexhausted after use through natural or artificial regeneration (e.g., solar energy, water).
(e) Personal Resource: Resources possessed privately by individuals, such as personal land, houses, education, and working skills.
(f) National Resource: Resources under the possession and responsibility of a country, such as transport networks, rivers, and wildlife sanctuaries.
(g) Biotic Resource: Living resources derived from the biosphere that possess life, such as plants, crops, and animals.
(h) Resource Conservation: The rational, proper, and non-wasteful utilization of resources to ensure long-term benefits for human society.
(i) Resource Recycling: The process of reusing disposed garbage and waste materials (like plastic, paper, and metal) to manufacture new products and save raw materials.
(j) IUCN: An international environmental organization established in 1948 to research and execute global natural environment and biodiversity conservation.
19. Write the differences between the following:
Answer: (a) Resource and Wealth: All wealth has exchange value and market price (e.g., machines, company shares), whereas many essential resources (like air, sunlight, rivers) are free gifts of nature without market value. Therefore, all wealth is resources, but all resources are not wealth.
(b) Economic Geography and Resource Geography: Economic Geography broadly studies all human economic activities (production, consumption, trade), whereas Resource Geography is a specialized branch focused specifically on resource types, distribution, exploration, and conservation.
(c) Resource and Neutral Stuff: Resources are useful and have utility for human welfare, while Neutral Stuffs are materials found on Earth that are neither useful nor harmful at present (e.g., petroleum before its energy use was discovered).
(d) Biotic and Abiotic Resource: Biotic resources have life (plants, animals, fish), while abiotic resources are non-living (rocks, water, air, minerals).
(e) Renewable and Non-Renewable Resource: Renewable resources can regenerate and stay unexhausted after use (solar energy, crops), while non-renewable resources get completely exhausted after use and cannot be regenerated (coal, petroleum).
(f) Personal Resource and National Resource: Personal resources are owned by individual humans (private land, personal skills), whereas national resources belong to an entire country for public use (national parks, public transport networks).
(g) Man-made Resource and Human Resource: Man-made resources are physical items created by humans using technology (paper, roads, buildings), whereas human resources refer to human beings themselves who possess the knowledge and skills to create those resources.
(h) Recycling of Resource and Innovation: Recycling reuses disposed waste items (like plastic bottles and metal scraps) to save raw materials, whereas innovation involves research and new ideas to convert natural materials into better, more efficient usable forms.
Class 10 Social Science Geography Chapter 1 Question Answer Assam Board
20. Choose the correct answer:
Answer: (a) Which of the following is a man-made resource?
(1) Rivers
(2) Mineral Oil
(3) Irrigation Canal
(4) Forest
Answer: (3) Irrigation Canal
(b) Which one of the following is an abiotic resource?
(1) Air
(2) Plants
(3) Animals
(4) Fungus
Answer: (1) Air
(c) Which one of the following is a non-renewable resource?
(1) Air
(2) Water
(3) Crops
(4) Coal
Answer: (4) Coal
(d) Which one of the following animals is about to become extinct?
(1) One-horned Rhino
(2) Pygmy Hog
(3) Giraffe
(4) Gayal (Mithun)
Answer: (2) Pygmy Hog
(e) The organization IUCN is under which of the following organizations?
(1) UNESCO
(2) UNO
(3) WWF
(4) UNEP
Answer: (2) UNO
🌍 HSLC Class 10 Social Science Solutions Notice: This page features the complete SEBA Class 10 Social Science (Geography Section) Chapter 1: Economic Geography — Subject Matter and Resource Official Textual Questions and Answers updated for the 2026–27 academic session. Formatted strictly according to the Assam Board evaluation marking scheme, every geographic concept—from the classification of human economic activities (Primary, Secondary, Tertiary, Quaternary) to Zimmerman’s functional resource theory, non-renewable resource depletion, and sustainable conservation strategies—is presented with clear definitions, diagrams, flowcharts, and point-wise layouts to help you secure full marks in your 2-mark, 3-mark, and 5-mark board exam questions.
💡 Master SEBA Class 10 Geography Textual Solutions:
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