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NCERT Solutions For Class 12 Geography Chapter 5 Secondary Activities

Access accurate NCERT Solutions For Class 12 Geography Chapter 5 Secondary Activities. These Class 12 Questions And Answers are useful for effective preparation for the board exams.

authorImageAnshika Agarwal13 Mar, 2026

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NCERT Solutions For Class 12 Geography Chapter 5 Secondary Activities

 

For the CBSE Class 12th board exams, students must focus on chapters that carry conceptual and descriptive weightage. CBSE Class 12th Geography Chapter 5 Secondary Activities explains industrial processes and manufacturing systems, which are key components of economic geography.

Board exam questions from this chapter are often direct but require clear explanations and proper terminology. Preparing through NCERT Solutions For Class 12 Geography Chapter 5 helps students understand industrial classification, factors affecting location of industries, and modern manufacturing methods. Practicing structured Secondary Activities Class 12 Questions And Answers ensures clarity and better presentation in the exam.

Class 12 Geography Chapter 5 Secondary Activities

Class 12 Geography Chapter 5 Secondary Activities explains how raw materials are transformed into finished goods through manufacturing. These activities are known as secondary activities and form the backbone of industrial development.

The chapter covers the meaning and importance of manufacturing, classification of industries based on raw materials, size, and ownership, factors influencing the location of industries, traditional vs modern manufacturing systems, and growth of footloose industries

For board exams, students should focus on industrial classification, location factors, and clear definitions.

Secondary Activities Class 12 NCERT Solutions

The chapter highlights how industries transform raw materials into usable products and contribute significantly to economic development. While preparing Secondary Activities Class 12 Questions And Answers, students should pay attention to definitions, examples, and location factors.

Below are the Secondary Activities Class 12 NCERT Solutions for board revision: 

1. Choose the right answer from the four alternatives given below.

(i) Which one of the following statements is wrong?

  • (a) Cheap water transport has facilitated the jute mill industry along the Hugli.

  • (b) Sugar, cotton textiles and vegetable oils are footloose industries.

  • (c) The development of hydro-electricity and petroleum reduced, to a great extent, the importance of coal energy as a locational factor for industry.

  • (d) Port towns in India have attracted industries.

Answer: (b) Sugar, cotton textiles and vegetable oils are footloose industries.

(ii) In which one of the following types of economy are the factors of production owned individually?

  • (a) Capitalist

  • (b) Mixed

  • (c) Socialist

  • (d) None

Answer: (a) Capitalist

(iii) Which one of the following types of industries produces raw materials for other industries?

  • (a) Cottage Industries

  • (b) Small-scale Industries

  • (c) Basic Industries

  • (d) Footloose Industries

Answer: (c) Basic Industries

(iv) Which one of the following pairs is correctly matched?

  • (a) Automobile industry ... Los Angeles

  • (b) Shipbuilding industry ... Lusaka

  • (c) Aircraft industry ... Florence

Answer: (a) Automobile industry ... Los Angeles

2. Write a short note on the following in about 30 words.

(i) High-Tech industry

Answer: High-tech industries are those that apply intensive research and development to produce advanced scientific and engineering products. They feature highly skilled (white collar) workers, use of robotics, computer-aided design, and are often found in planned business parks known as technopolies.

(ii) Manufacturing

Answer: Manufacturing is the process of transforming raw materials into finished goods that have higher value. It encompasses a range from handicrafts to assembly-line mass production in factories, involving machinery, labour, and power to produce standardized products.

(iii) Footloose industries

Answer: Footloose industries are those that can be located anywhere, as they are not dependent on specific raw materials. They rely on easy transportation of components, produce in small quantities, employ fewer workers, and are usually non-polluting. Accessibility by road is a key factor.

3. Answer the following in not more than 150 words.

(i) Differentiate between primary and secondary activities.

Answer: Primary activities are those which depend directly on nature for extraction of resources. These include activities like agriculture, fishing, forestry, mining, and gathering. They provide raw materials and are predominant in less developed regions. Their products often need further processing to increase value.

Secondary activities, on the other hand, convert raw materials obtained from primary activities into finished goods of higher value. They encompass manufacturing, processing, and construction industries. Secondary activities are mainly located in developed and urban areas. They involve modern machinery, specialized labour, and large-scale production, contributing significantly to economic development and urbanization.

(ii) Discuss the major trends of modern industrial activities especially in the developed countries of the world.

Answer: Modern industrial activities in developed countries show trends such as the growth of high-tech industries, automation, and mechanization. There is a focus on research and development, technological innovation, and quality control.

Industries concentrate in planned industrial regions or technopolies (like Silicon Valley). Developed regions are shifting from traditional manufacturing to high-technology and service-based industries, leading to geographically concentrated and highly specialized production hubs. There is also a trend towards offshoring and establishment of agglomeration economies to maximize efficiency and reduce costs.

(iii) Explain why high-tech industries in many countries are being attracted to the peripheral areas of major metropolitan centres.

Answer: High-tech industries are attracted to the peripheral areas of metropolitan centres due to several reasons: availability of large areas for setting up modern office and plant complexes, lower land and operation costs compared to city centres, proximity to urban infrastructure and services, and accessibility to a skilled workforce.

These areas allow companies to benefit from urban amenities while avoiding congestion and high property prices. Additionally, planned business parks provide a suitable environment for innovation and collaboration among high-tech firms.

(iv) Africa has immense natural resources and yet it is industrially the most backward continent. Comment.

Answer: Africa is rich in natural resources such as minerals and agricultural products. However, several factors contribute to its industrial backwardness: lack of developed infrastructure, limited skilled labour, political instability, and weak government policies.

Industries suffer from inadequate transport and communication networks, lack of capital, and technological backwardness. These issues hinder the development and efficient utilization of resources for industrial growth, resulting in Africa lagging behind other continents in industrialization despite its resource wealth.

High-Scoring Topics from Secondary Activities for CBSE Boards

For the 12th board exams, students should focus more on high-return topics rather than reading the entire chapter repeatedly. In Class 12 Geography Chapter 5 Secondary Activities, certain areas are asked more frequently in board exams.

  1. Factors Affecting Location of Industries

  2. Classification of Industries

  3. Footloose Industries

  4. Modern Manufacturing Methods

NCERT Solutions for Class 12 Geography Chapter 5 FAQs

Is Chapter 5 Geography important for CBSE Class 12 boards?

Yes, it is an important chapter and often contributes 5–8 marks.

What are Secondary Activities in Class 12 Geography?

Secondary activities involve processing raw materials into finished goods through manufacturing and industrial processes.

Are long-answer questions asked from Secondary Activities?

Yes, especially from industrial location factors and types of industries.

Is NCERT enough for Secondary Activities Class 12 NCERT Solutions?

For CBSE Class 12th board exams, NCERT-based preparation is sufficient if revised thoroughly.
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