natural resources

grassland- wheat crop

The red Indians led a primitive life on the grasslands. Tbey lid in camps and their main occupation was hunting. When Europeans settled there, they with the help of technology changed the whole place. The grasslands soon became the leading producers of wheat in the world.

This earth is a vast storehouse of what we know as 1natural substances’. It is when these `substances’ are of use to man do we call it a natural resource. During the time of early man or even the medieval age there were vast stores of petroleum. However, as these were no technology to utilize it, we may say that in those ears, petroleum was not a natural resource. To day, thanks to great advance in technology and new inventions, petroleum has become one of the most important natural resources.

The utilization of natural resources depends upon technology. Africa was know as the `dark continent’ because so little was know about it, it was vast storehouse of minerals, especially gold and diamonds. Not until coming of the Europeans were these minerals extracted to become resources. It was the use of technology that helped to tap resources.

Similarly, for the red Indians who inhabited North America, the vast grasslands, or extensive forests were a source of livelihood. Their main occupation was hunting. The European settlers, with their new technology, soon turned the grasslands into the world’s leading wheat- producing area. The warm southern parts were developed into rich cotton fields and lumbering became an important occupation of the northern coniferous forests.

A region may be rich in natural resources but if man does not step in to develop it, the region may remain underdeveloped and backward. India has numerous streams originating from the snow – clad Himalayan Mountain. But only a very miniscule part has been harnessed for hydroelectricity. We do not utilize even one – fourth of this natural resources. The U.S.A. on the other hand has harnessed the energy of the short, swift rivers that rush down the Appalachian Mountains. With the help of modern technology, they have converted this natural resource into electric energy and people of the U.S.A. are one of the highest consumers of electricity. We thus see how closely resources are associated with technology. Natural resources in fact go a long way in building up the culture of the people in that region.