Natural resources :

• Natural resources are the elements of nature that man uses. These natural resources are utilised by man to meet his requirements.
• Natural resources include air, water, soil, land, minerals, plants, and animals.
• The majority of natural resources are limited. As a result, they are invaluable.

Air :

• Air is available in plenty. This natural resource never depletes.
• We need air for the various purposes right from breathing to burning.

Soil :

• Soil is used all over the world. It is a very important natural resource for agriculture.
• Soil formation mainly depends on the original rock, climate, organic components slope of the land and time.
• A long period is required for the formation of mature soil, as it is a very slow process.

Water :

• The entire living world depends on water.
• Water is available in huge quantities on the earth. However, a very meagre quantity (0.003 %) of the total water on the earth is actually available for use.

Plants :

• Plants are divided into four categories: grass, herbs, shrubs, and trees. Man has successfully experimented with several grasses in the past to obtain food grains. As a result, towns surrounding river basins grew in popularity.
• From the equator to the poles, the following types of vegetation can be found on the planet: equatorial evergreen, deciduous, tropical grassland, prickly shrubs, temperate grassland, mixed forest, broadleaved, coniferous, and tundra.
• It is highly feasible that in the future, we will have to rely on aquatic plants to meet the needs of a growing human population.

Animals :

• Man makes use of animals for a variety of reasons.
• Animals are used for ploughing, riding, transporting goods and for obtaining food items.

Minerals :

• We get different metals and chemicals from the minerals.
• Some chemicals are used in preparing different medicines
• Minerals are inorganic substances that are formed by naturally occurring chemical processes.
• Minerals are generally classified as metallic minerals and non-metallic minerals.
• Metallic minerals are used for obtaining different metals such as iron, bauxite etc. and non-metallic minerals are used in obtaining various chemicals like gypsum, rock salt, calcite, etc.

Land :

• Most of the human activities of obtaining natural resources (except fishing) are being carried out on land. Land is an invaluable natural resource.
• Land is sold or bought. Obtaining land at strategic locations, using it for construction as Well as trade, etc. are other uses of land.
• The land is used for various purpose according to characteristics like physiography, soil, climate, minerals and availability of water, etc.
• Thus, land is used for various purposes as per the availability of other natural resources.

Nature of distribution of living organisms including humans :

• Depending on the characteristics of land and climate, various living things are found on the land in different proportions. The distribution of these living organisms, including humans, is not uniform.
• The factors like a rocky terrain, steep slopes, flat plains, mountainous region, forest cover areas, river basins, etc. affect distribution of living organisms including humans.

Necessary to conserve natural resources :

• Most of the natural resources are limited in nature.
• Initially, man with the help of his intellectual power Started using natural resources for himself.
• Later, the increase in human population and the greed of humans led to exploitative use of natural resources
• This began to upset the balance of nature. Therefore, it is necessary to conserve natural resources.