Question

Write notes on the following (Any Three):
(1) Problems of urban settlements.
(2) Intensive Subsistence agriculture.
(3) Importance of artificial satellites in telecommunication.
(4) Occupational structure of a population.
(5) Role of transport in development of industries.

Hint:

Urban problems often stem from rural-urban migration; efficient transport is key to industrial clustering.

Answer 1

(1) Problems of urban settlements:
Urban settlements face challenges like overcrowding, leading to housing shortages and slums; traffic congestion and pollution from vehicles and industries; inadequate infrastructure (e.g., water supply, sanitation); unemployment due to rapid migration; and social issues like crime and inequality.
Examples include Mumbai's slums and Delhi's air pollution.
(2) Intensive Subsistence agriculture:
This is a traditional farming method in densely populated regions (e.g., Asia), where farmers cultivate small landholdings intensively using family labor, multiple crops per year, and organic manure to maximize output for subsistence. It includes rice paddies in India and China, with high yields but low mechanization and vulnerability to weather.
(3) Importance of artificial satellites in telecommunication:
Artificial satellites enable global communication by relaying TV/radio signals, internet, and phone calls via geostationary orbits (e.g., INSAT in India).
They facilitate remote broadcasting, disaster management, and connectivity in rural areas, reducing reliance on ground cables and enabling real-time global data transmission.
(4) Occupational structure of a population:
It refers to the distribution of the workforce across primary (agriculture, ~50 percent in developing countries), secondary (manufacturing), and tertiary (services) sectors.
Developed nations have a high tertiary share (e.g., 70 percent in USA), indicating advanced economies, while developing ones are primary-dominant (e.g., India), reflecting economic development levels.
(5) Role of transport in development of industries:
Transport facilitates raw material supply, product distribution, and labor mobility, reducing costs and enabling market access (e.g., railways in Ruhr region).
It promotes agglomeration of industries (e.g., ports like Mumbai) and economic integration, boosting industrialization and regional development.