Mining:
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| Mining |
Mining means to take out various metals, coal, oil, natural gas, stones of various kinds, demands and scores of other things lying under the surface of the earth. Mining as an Occupation: Mining is a very old occupation. Mining as an occupation depends on the presence of mineral wealth in a country.
Methods for taking out Different Kinds of Minerals
Various methods are used for taking out different kinds of minerals and for making them fit for use.However two following methods are mostly in use. Open Sites Some minerals, like gypsum, lime, marble, building stones etc. can be had from open sites. By Making Tunnels: However, most of the mineral deposits lie buried under the surface of earth.
To haul them out, tunnels have to be dug. This is how coal, iron, copper, gold, silver and salt are taken out Drilling: Oil fields and gas fields are embedded in the deep layers of the earth. They are reached by drilling and driving pipe-lines deep below, the surface of the earth. Different Stages in Mining of Minerals: The mining of most of the minerals passes through three stages: prospecting, extracting and refining.
Prospecting is first stage of mining
The first stage in mining is the location of deposits. Most of the minerals are buried deep below the surface of the earth. Or they may lie in places not easily approachable. The pin-pointing of mineral deposits calls for great skill and hard work. Extracting: The extraction of minerals lying on open sites is no problem. But most of the minerals have to be taken out of deep layers of the earth. Tunnels are dug to reach the deeper layers of rock and machines are used to cut them.Special arrangements have to be made to allow fresh air to circulate in the mine. Rail tracks are laid to haul out the ore (crude minerals) from the mines in trolleys. Refining: For the purpose of refining it, the ore is transported to factories. Here impurities are removed and the mineral is made fit for use. Good transport between the mine and the factories is basic to efficient refining. Oil and gas are transported by means of pipelines.
Western countries led the way to scientific mining
Western countries like Germany, England and the United States have led the way to scientific mining. The gold and diamond mines of South Africa and the oil-fields of Saudi-Arabia follow mining techniques developed in the West. Reasons for Different Kinds of Cultivation: Climatic Conditions: , Agriculture is not equally developed in all the countries of the world. The climatic conditions and the physical features of different parts of the world differ greatly.People are not equally hardworking:
Moreover, people of all the lands are not equally hardworking and hardy. These factors account for different kinds of cultivation. ’ Different Kinds of Cultivation: . There are four types of cultivation going on round the world. A brief description is given underneath:Temporary Cultivation:
The ‘equatorial region’ never lacks moisture and heat. Therefore, wild plants and trees grow everywhere in this region. The creeping forest rapidly covers any patch of bare ground that lies within its reach. This makes it quite difficult to get land for cultivation. Peopl^ living in the region clear small patches 1 of the forests and start cultivating crops. But after two or three years they find the weeds reappearing with a vengeance yield of the land begins to fall. In despair, the poor farmers give up their fields to the forest. They move on to some other part of the forest. Here, they again clear patches of land and start cultivation, gv This drama goes on all the time. Sometimes a whole village has to move to a new place.
Traditional Cultivation:
Outside the ‘equatorial region’, peasants have permanent headings of land in most countries of the world. They grow cereals like rice, wheat, millet and fibres like cotton and jute or fruits and vegetables. This kind of traditional cultivation only meets the needs of the cultivator and his family and the needs of the local community. The yield of these lands is limited and hence plays no role in the foreign trade of the country.Mechanized Cultivation
The advanced countries of the world have mechanized agriculture. Machines till the soil, sow the seeds, spray insecticides/pesticides, harvest crops and haul them to the market. Mechanized cultivation has revolutionized. Saindak copper project is of immense importance. It will yield large amounts of copper, silver and gold when completed. agriculture. It has boosted per acre yield of various crops.Collective Farming: Mechanized cultivation can be successful only if it is done on a large scale.. In the old world, the average peasant did not have a holding big enough for the use of machinery. The answer to it has been suggested by introducing ‘collective farming’ which is a form of co-operative farming. There is a plan to encourage people to set up co-operative farms of their own free will. Co-operative Cultivation: In co-operative cultivation, all members of the co-operative society pool their lands.
This gives them a tract of land, large enough to justify use of the heavy agricultural machinery. Against the security of this land they can borrow sufficient money to buy necessary machinery and fertilizers. Run on sound lines, co-operative farming can change the very fate of our countryside.
Plantations:
The large scale cultivation of certain crops of fruits in a specially suitable area, for commercial purposes is known as a plantation. Rubber, tea, coffee, sugar-cane and bananas are examples of crops grown on plantations Plantations were set up by European settlers in Asiatic and African Colonies for the supply of raw materials on a large scale to their industry.They were set up in tropical and sub-tropical regions, mostly on coastal strips or islands. Rubber plantations in Malaysia proved a singular success. Factories preparing sugar, textiles, flour, shoes and other articles of daily use are called ‘light industry’. Machines used in light industry are not light. With the help of machines and the labour force they turn the raw material into finished goods on a very large scale.
Cottage Industry:
These are industries carried on by a few individuals or by the members of a family on a small scale. Machines used in cottage industries are generally light such as power looms, paper-cutting and printing machines and tool-making machines etc. Heavy Industry: Factories which make machines etc. are known as heavy industry.To make machines we need metals and fuel. So the preparation of steel and the refining of mineral oil are basic to heavy industry. Countries that have developed heavy industry manufacture heavy machines like railway engines, electric machines, ships, aeroplanes and the like. To make these heavy machines, a country needs to have its own steel mills and its own oil refineries. Heavy industry also needs the services of a large number of skilled technicians and experts.
This is why heavy industry is looked upon as the index of . a country’s progress. Sound industrial development depends on the development of heavy industry. Light Industry and Foreign Markets: Besides meeting the country’s own needs, light industry tries to capture foreign markets.
This it 'can do if it gets a plentiful supply of raw materials and can sell its products at moderate prices. The developing countries of Asia and Africa provide a big market for such goods. However, these countries are now trying to set up their own industries and turn their raw materials into finished goods themselves. This is just what Pakistan has done.
Formerly it imported cotton and woollen textiles as well as sugar. Now it does not. Thus it has created thousands of jobs for its youth. It is also saving millions of rupees in the form of foreign exchange.
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