Class 9 Geography Chapter 6 – Economic Activities or Occupation Complete Solutions | Assam Board (ASSEB) | Latest Syllabus | English Medium
Class 9 Geography Chapter 6 – Economic Activities or Occupation Complete Solutions (Assam Board – ASSEB – English Medium)
This chapter provides a detailed overview of different economic activities and occupations that people engage in. It covers the classification of economic activities into primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary sectors, explaining the role of each in the economy. The solutions are designed to help students understand the link between occupations and economic development.
✅ What you will learn:
- Definition of economic activities and occupation
- Classification of occupations: Primary, Secondary, Tertiary, and Quaternary
- Examples and characteristics of each type of activity
- Factors influencing the choice of occupation
- The role of economic activities in a country’s development
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Class 9 Geography Elective English Medium | Latest Syllabus Chapter-wise Solutions PDF
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Chapter-6
Economic Activities or Occupation
1. What do you mean by occupation?
Answer: Occupation refers to the various activities undertaken by people to earn their livelihood. It is essentially the work done by human beings to fulfil their needs and desires. In other words, any activity performed by a person for survival and for the socio-economic development of the society in which he lives is known as occupation.
2. Mainly how many types of occupation are there? State them with examples.
Answer: Occupations are generally classified into four main types:
(i) Primary occupation: The type of occupation that helps human beings meet their basic necessities such as food, clothing, and shelter is called primary occupation. These are the activities people carry out to obtain essential goods directly from nature for their survival. Human civilisation began with primary occupations before progressing to secondary and tertiary ones.
Examples: agriculture, animal husbandry, fishing, hunting, forestry, mining, quarrying, etc.
(ii) Secondary occupation: When products obtained from primary occupations are used as raw materials to manufacture new or finished goods, the activity is termed as secondary occupation. Such occupations increase the value of primary goods through various processes. Secondary occupations mainly include manufacturing and industrial activities.
Examples: production of sugar from sugarcane, cloth from cotton, steel from iron ore, shoes from leather, furniture from wood, flour from wheat, etc.
(iii) Tertiary occupation: Occupations that help in distributing or providing services related to primary and secondary goods, thereby connecting producers with consumers, are called tertiary occupations.
Examples: transport, communication, trade, education, health services, distribution of goods, etc.
(iv) Quaternary occupation: Occupations that require intelligence, skill, and specialised knowledge are known as quaternary occupations. These are advanced activities of the tertiary sector.
Examples: banking, insurance, administration, media, research, tourism, journalism, and other financial services.
These occupations play a crucial role in linking and supporting the other three sectors. The effects of globalisation have further increased the importance of quaternary occupations in modern society.
3. Write the meaning of primary occupation.
Answer: Primary occupation refers to the economic activities directly concerned with obtaining natural resources from the environment. Most products derived from these activities are used after some processing.
Examples: agriculture, fishing, lumbering, quarrying, mining, hunting, and collecting food from forests.
4. Mention the difference between primary and secondary occupations.
Answer: The differences between primary and secondary occupations are:
Sl. No. | Basic of Difference | Primary Occupations | Secondary Occupations |
|---|---|---|---|
(i) | Meaning | Essential for human survival. | Not essential for human survival. |
(ii) | Objective | Involved in collecting resources from nature. | To give ‘value addition’ to primary goods. |
(iii) | Supply | Supplies raw-materials for secondary sector. | Supplies machines for primary activities. |
(iv) | Development | The first sector to get developed is the primary sector. | Secondary sector gets developed as the economy improves. |
(v) | Importance | Today in most countries the importance of primary sector is declining. | Today in most countries the importance of secondary sector is increasing. |
5. Which of the economic activities are included in tertiary occupation? State them with examples.
Answer: The economic activities that come under the tertiary sector include various types of services that help in the distribution and use of goods. Examples of such activities are:
(i) Transport and communication systems involved in the distribution of goods and services.
(ii) Educational services such as schools, colleges, and other institutions.
(iii) Health-related services like hospitals, clinics, and dispensaries.
(iv) Information technology services such as online booking, billing, and data management.
(v) Tourism and related services.
6. Write about the importance of quarternary occupation.
Answer: Due to rapid advancements in transport and communication, there have been major transformations in both secondary and tertiary occupations. Producers can now easily connect with international markets and consumers, leading to a highly competitive economic environment. This compels producers to focus more on product quality and acceptance, giving rise to the quaternary occupation.
This category includes banking, finance, media, insurance, administration, research, and similar activities. These play a crucial role in supporting and developing the other three sectors, especially the secondary and tertiary ones. In the modern world, industries and trade cannot progress properly without strong banking and insurance systems. The growing influence of globalisation on production, trade, and distribution has further increased the importance of quaternary occupations in the present economy.
7. Write how economic development causes occupational change.
Answer: It is well known that economic development brings about occupational change. As a nation progresses economically, the proportion of people engaged in the primary sector decreases, while employment in the secondary and tertiary sectors rises. At present, around 65% of India’s working population is engaged in agriculture, compared to about 70% in 1971. Two main reasons explain this shift:
(i) There may be more workers engaged in agriculture than required.
(ii) The secondary sector offers higher and more stable income than the primary sector. Hence, many people shift from agriculture to industry and services.
As industries develop, tertiary occupations such as transport, communication, education, health, and information technology also grow. Industrial progress demands efficient transport and communication systems, trained managers, skilled workers, and healthcare personnel—all supplied by the tertiary and quaternary sectors. Thus, with industrial and service expansion, people gradually move from primary and secondary occupations to tertiary and quaternary ones, leading to widespread occupational change in line with economic development.
8. Write a brief note on the occupational changes in Assam.
Answer: Before the arrival of the British, most people in Assam were engaged in primary occupations such as agriculture, fishing, collecting forest resources, and home-based weaving. In the 1830s, the British introduced tea, coal, and petroleum industries in Assam, providing new employment opportunities and leading to the rise of secondary occupations.
After India’s independence, these industries grew further, resulting in the expansion of the secondary sector. This, in turn, promoted the growth of the tertiary sector, where many people found employment in administrative offices, trade, education, transport, and communication.
With the growth of the tertiary sector, the quaternary sector also began to develop. In recent decades, banking, financial institutions, research organisations, and media centres have increased significantly. Sectors such as journalism, tourism, and administrative services have shown notable progress, marking a clear transformation in Assam’s occupational structure.
9. State the factors responsible for bringing about change in the field of occupation.
Answer: The main factors responsible for occupational change are:
(i) Economic development: The most important factor behind occupational change is the country’s economic progress. As industries and trade grow, new employment opportunities emerge, prompting people to shift from the primary to secondary and tertiary sectors for better and more reliable income.
(ii) Growth in the educational sector: Economic growth leads to educational advancement, producing skilled and semi-skilled workers. This enables many young people to find jobs in trade, commerce, banking, health, and other service sectors.
(iii) Expansion of urban centres: Globalisation has encouraged urbanisation. As towns and cities expand, services such as business, banking, finance, health, education, mass media, and administration grow too, providing employment to a large number of people. Many rural youths migrate to urban areas, acquire skills, and find jobs in various urban services.
(iv) Improvement in living standards: With a higher standard of living, people demand more than basic necessities—they seek comfort, recreation, and entertainment. This creates new business and service opportunities, attracting more people to such occupations.
(v) Low income from agriculture: Since agricultural income is often uncertain and low, many people leave farming to seek better and more stable earnings in towns and cities through various non-agricultural occupations.
10. With which of the occupations are the people of your locality associated? Classify the people according to their occupation.
Answer: In my locality, people are engaged in different types of occupations depending on their skills, resources, and opportunities available. A large number of people are involved in agriculture and related activities such as fishing, dairy farming, and poultry, while others are engaged in trade, education, transport, and various services.
The people of my locality can be classified according to their occupations as follows:
(i) Primary occupation: Many people depend on agriculture, animal husbandry, fishing, and collection of forest products for their livelihood.
(ii) Secondary occupation: Some people work in small-scale industries, handloom weaving, carpentry, pottery, and other manufacturing activities that use locally available raw materials.
(iii) Tertiary occupation: A considerable number of people are engaged in teaching, transportation, shopkeeping, medical services, and other service-related activities that help in distribution and public welfare.
(iv) Quaternary occupation: A few educated individuals are employed in banking, administration, research, insurance, and information technology-related fields.
Thus, people in my locality are engaged in a mix of all four types of occupations, though the majority still depend mainly on primary activities such as agriculture and allied sectors for their livelihood.
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