Asia has a population that is heavily dependent on agriculture for livelihood. The main types of agriculture include intensive subsistence farming, extensive commercial farming, plantation farming, and shifting agriculture. Chief crops grown in Asia include rice, wheat, millets, pulses, oilseeds, sugarcane, and tea. Manufacturing industries have developed in countries like Japan, China, Russia, and India in sectors like steel, chemicals, textiles, machinery, and electronics. Asia is the most populous continent, containing around 60% of the world's population concentrated in eastern and southern parts.
2. Occupations
• About three-fourth of the population in Asia
depend on agriculture for their livelihood.
• Farming – China-Because of good soil and climate
• Nomadic herders- South-West Asia and Central
Asia
• Lumbering-Coniferous belt in Siberia
• Fishing –Coastal regions around Japan
• Mining & Manufacturing- Japan, China, India and
Asiatic Russia.
3. Agriculture
• The most common type of agriculture is the
intensive subsistence agriculture.
• Small plots
• Manures and irrigation is practised for yield.
• Rotation of crops to maintain fertility of soil.
• Lot of manual labour
• Involvement of family members and very less
surplus crops are grown.
• Found in China, India, Southeast Asia
4. Extensive Commercial Agriculture
• Large farms
• Use of machines for ploughing and harvesting
• Small number of labour.
• Crops meant for sale.
• Practised in steppe grasslands of Siberia and
irrigated lands of central Asia.
5. Plantation Agriculture
• Large area planted with same crop
• Work is organised as in industry.
• They have factories to process the product for
sale.
• Eg. Tea, Coffee, Rubber are grown in
plantations.
• These crops continue to yield for 30-40 years
or more.
6. Shifting Agriculture
• Practised by the tribal people of India,
Malaysia and Indonesia.
• Forest are cleared by setting fire to the trees
and clearings are used for growing mainly root
crops.
• The land regains its fertility after 2 to 3 years.
• The tribal people again migrate to these land.
7. Chief Crops
• Rice- India, China, Indonesia and Countries of
Southeast Asia.
• Wheat- Tropical regions such as north India,
parts of China, Russia, North China and South-
west Asia.
• Millets, pulses and oil seeds- rain-fed crops
• Tropical crops- Sugarcane and Tea plant
• Non-food crops- Cotton, Jute, Silk
9. Industries
• Manufacturing industries have been developed in
Japan, Russia, China and India.
• Japan produces wide range range of
manufactured goods from iron and steel to
electronic goods and computers.
• Asiatic part of Russia has a few industries in
western Siberia, China has diversified industries
based on agricultural and mineral raw materials.
• Rapid growth shown in China in last 20 years.
10. • India has established number of modern
industries like steel plants, Chemical
industries, textiles, fertilisers, cement, thermal
power, atomic power, heavy engineering,
electrical and electronic industries.
• Industries not developed in South-west and
South-east Asia.
• Singapore has grown as large business,
industrial and tourism centre.
11. Population
• Asia has about 60 per cent of the world’s
population, making it the most populous
continent.
• Concentration of people in eastern and
southern parts of Asia.
• Most populous countries of the world are also
located here.