Essay on India occupies an important place in Asia

India occupies an important place in Asia as regards area, population numbers, natural resources and economic development.

Area:

Asia is the largest continent of the world with a total area of about 44 million sq km, i.e., 29-72% of earth. The largest political territory is still occupied by Russia (12 million sq km) while China stands second with a territory of 9-5 million sq km. India is third with a territory of 3-2 million sq km.

It means that Russia is about 4 times and China 3 times as large as India. Japan which is economically a giant occupies only 3, 72,313 sq km i.e., ten times smaller than that of India. However, the smallest country in Asia is Maldives Islands occupying only 300 sq km which is ten thousand times smaller in area than that of India.

India is the largest country in the Indian Ocean north of Equator and occupies a dominant strategic location. It is almost in the middle of Eastern Hemisphere.

It is connected with Northern-Western, Eastern and Southern Europe via Suez Canal on one hand and Eastern Africa, South Asia, South-East Asia, Far East and Oceania on the other. This location is remarkable for the advancement of international trade.

India has plateau area in the Peninsula. Russia, China and Saudi Arabia have large areas as plateaus. These plateaus have differences in climate, vegetation, drainage and economic and human development.

The Indian Plateau is crowded with people due to favorable climate, availability of minerals etc. whereas plateaus of other countries are dry and inhospitable for human habitation.

Climate:

Monsoons cause heavy rainfall over large parts of India. Japan, Southern China, Indo-China and other countries of South-East Asia also get heavy rainfall. West Asia and Northern Asia receive very scanty rainfall.

India is tropical whereas Asia is dry and semi-temperate while Northern Asia experiences temperate and polar type climate with very low rainfall. China is dry and temperate in western and northern parts whereas its southern part is semi-tropical.

Only a part of India (Southern tip) comes close to equatorial climate and reflects the climate similar to that of Indonesia to some extent.

Thus India enjoys a favorable climate on the whole while other countries of Asia have this type of climate only in small selected parts.

Vegetation:

Due to different types of climatic areas India has a large variety of vegetation. The desert of Rajasthan has Xerophytes vegetation, i.e., scrubs, succulents, thorny cactus with deep roots, date palm, dry grassy patches, etc.

In the north, India has modified Mediterranean type of vegetation, i.e., fruits, oak, olives, conifers, firs, pines, deodar etc. In the Western Ghats and Shillong Plateau the vegetation is of modified equatorial type, i.e., mahogany, sandalwood, bamboos and other wet evergreens.

These are lofty trees. In the Upper Ganga Plain, most of M.R and eastern T.N., the vegetation is tropical dry deciduous. In Bengal, and N.E. and a narrow belt on the wind ward side of Western Ghats, the vegetation is tropical, deciduous moist which is a type of monsoon forest.

The monsoon forest of wet evergreen variety covers eastern Asia from Vladivostok to Gulf of Thailand embracing eastern China and eastern Indo-China.

The Western China and a narrow belt of the northern coast of Asia have little vegetation. The northern vegetation is of Tundra type while that in China, is cool and dry which is sparse as well.

The mountain vegetation covers the Himalayas and areas from Pamir to Kamchatka peninsula in a northward extension. In the Siberian region, coniferous forests grow. While in the south-west of it are grasslands.

In Central Asian arid type of vegetation is seen which continues in most of South-West Asia. Thus, India has a varied type of vegetation.

Wheat:

India stands third in Asia in wheat production. China ranks first (about 90 million tonnes) and Siberia (Russia) second with about 72 million tonnes.

All other countries are far behind India. So far as per hectare yield of wheat is concerned, China steals a march over India.

Rice:

India is part of the rice-bowl which extends from South Asia to South-East Asia. China leads Asia in rice production with 188 million tonnes in 1997 while India is second with 112-0 million tonnes.

Indonesia with 30 million tonnes, stands a poor third. Thailand is at 4th position. It produces 19 million tonnes. Japan produces 13 million tonnes. South Korea, Philippines, etc. grow less than 10 million tonnes of rice per year.

So far as proficiency is concerned India is far below Japan, S. Korea, Indonesia, Myanmar, Vietnam and even Philippines. Japan produces more than 2-5 times that of India. Even Indonesia’s per h.a. yield of rice is 1-5 times that of India.

Maize:

China is the leader in maize production in Asia. India is a poor second. Other countries like Pakistan, Iran, etc. are poor producers. China’s per hectare production (4140) is more than two and a half times that of India.

Millets:

India is Asia’s leading producer of millets with 11-5 million tonnes production in 1997. While China is second with only 4-4 million tonnes. India contributes 70% of Asia’s millet production.

Cotton:

China ranks first in cotton production in Asia with 4-4 million tonnes in 1997 while Central Asian Republics are second (2-6 million tonnes). India is third (1-8 million tonnes) and Pakistan fourth (1-5 million tonnes). As far as per hectare production is concerned Vietnam, Thailand, China, etc. are much ahead of India.

Jute:

India is the leader of jute production in Asia. It produces 44% of Asia’s jute. The second producer is Bangladesh which produces about 23% of Asia’s jute. China is third with 20%. The fourth producer is Thailand with 5%.

Natural Rubber:

India is 5th in Asia in the production of rubber while Malaysia (27%), Indonesia (25%), Thailand (21%), China (6%) are ahead of India.

India accounts for 5-5%. Other producers whose production is half or less than half of that of India are Philippines, Sri Lanka and Vietnam. The rest of the Asian countries do not produce rubber because of inhospitable climate.

Groundnut:

India is the leader in groundnut production in Asia (7-2 million tonnes). China is second with 6-5 million tonnes. Other countries of Asia are insignificant producers.

Tea:

80% of world’s tea is grown in Asia and India leads by producing more than 35%. China is second with 21%. The third largest producer is Sri Lanka about 9%. Other minor producers are Indonesia (6%), Turkey (5%), Japan (3%), Bangladesh (1-5%) etc.

India is also famous for the yield of tea. India produces 1720 kg per hectare while Indonesia (1500), Japan (1500), Turkey (1500) and Bangladesh (1070) follow India. The rest of Asian countries do not produce tea.

Coffee:

Coffee is a crop which India produces mainly for home consumption. Other producers are Yemen, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, etc. Now India has started exporting coffee (nearly 40% of its production).

Tobacco:

China leads in tobacco production. Production of tobacco in India is only 0-490 million tonnes. Turkey, Philippines, Japan, Pakistan are other tobacco producing countries of Asia.

Sugarcane:

India is the largest producer of sugarcane in Asia. Out of Asia’s total sugarcane production of 426-0 million tonnes, India produced 222-6 million tonnes, i.e., 52-3% in 2000 of Asia’s production.

China about 49 million tonnes (11-4%). Pakistan is closer to China and produced 35-5 million tonnes (8-3%). Thailand produced 27 million (6-3%) and Indonesia 25-5 million tonnes (5-9%).

It means India produces 45 times more than that of China and 62 times more than that of Pakistan. So far as yield is concerned Indonesia tops producing 1260 kg/ hectare while India’s yield is around half of that of Indonesia.

It is because Indonesia has fertile volcanic soil and more favorable climate. Yields of other countries are lower than that of India.

Cattle:

Climate of Asia is not conductive to the development of livestock farming, yet animals are reared in different countries. India has the largest livestock population in Asia, but per capita yield of milk is low.

Central Asian Republics and China have largest number of sheep in Asia. These are primarily for wool purpose. India, Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, have large sheep population in their dry and semi-dry regions.

Fish:

Most of Asia’s coast has warm climate because of its tropical location. The fish in these areas are of poor quality and the catch is nominal. The coastal areas are not much indented. It puts hurdles in fishing.

This is why India, Pakistan, South-West Asian and Arabian Sea countries are not known for quality of fish. Japan, China (central and northern), Koreas, Philippines etc. have extensive fishing activity.

Japan ranks first, China and India are second and third important fishing countries respectively in Asia.

Forests

Asiatic Russia has Siberian Coniferous forests (Taigas) which are a great wealth. It leads all other countries in forest wealth. Its exploitation has been poor because the population is very space and economic activities are poor. However, the area is a veritable storehouse of fine softwood. Pine, fir, larch, spruce, etc. are important trees.

Japan has rich forests resources. Japan has 66% forest coverage. Lumbering is an important activity in Japan. India is poor in forest cover. However, different parts of this large country of varied relief grow different types of trees.

The Himalayan ranges and Western Ghats, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and North Eastern states have luxuriant forest growth.

Indonesia, Malaysia, Indo-china, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Myanmar also have thick growth of different types of forests.

Minerals

Iron Ore:

Asiatic Russia has the highest reserves of iron ore in Asia. Second position in iron ore potentials is occupied by India while China has one-third of the reserves of India. Other countries of Asia have poor reserves of iron ore.

So far as production is concerned, Asiatic Russia produces about 150 million tonnes while China comes second with 100 million tonnes.

India produces half of that of China. Among other countries Korea, Turkey and Iran together produce one- seventh of that of India’s production.

Manganese:

It is used as a ferro alloy. China is the largest producer of manganese in Asia (2-7 million tonnes) while India produces half of that of China. Asiatic Russia is a poor third, producing slightly more than half of that of India.

Chromium:

India has a modest reserves of chromium. It produces 400 thousand tonnes per annum, while Asiatic Russia and Kazakhistan are second.

Copper:

India produces about 52 thousand tonnes of copper every year which is less than one-tenth of that of China. Philippines is second and produces more than four times that of India. However, Malaysia, Japan, etc. trail behind India.

The biggest producers of copper are Central Asian Republics which together produce 20 times that of India.

Aluminum:

Bauxite ore provides aluminium. India mines bauxite to the tune of 5 million tonnes while China produces about 60% of that of India and Indonesia produces about 37% of that of India. Malaysia, Turkey etc. trail behind India.

Mica:

India is the leading producer of mica in Asia and produces about 10 million tonnes annually which is 80% of world’s production. The Asiatic part of Russia produces some mica.

Power Resources

Coal :

Asia’s coal reserves are largest ncaring45% of total world’s coal resources. Asiatic Russia in Siberia has the largest coal resources.

China comes next. India produces about 20% of production of coal of China and other Asian countries.

India’s coal is of medium variety and is the bases of Indian economy. Other Asian countries have to import coal from different countries.

Petroleum:

Middle East has the biggest reserves of petroleum in Asia. India trails far behind Middle East, Asiatic Russia, China and Indonesia. India has only 0-75% of Asian reserves.

India’s production is about one-fourth of that of China but only 14% of Saudi Arabia, the largest producer in Asia. India produces one-third of that of Iran and one-half of what Kuwait produces. China, Indonesia and Myanmar are other oil producers.

Electricity:

India’s electricity production is less than that of Japan. Coal, water and uranium are the major sources of generating electricity.

Industry

Iron and Steel Industry:

India’s place is 5th in Asia in iron and steel industry. The first position is occupied by Japan with a production of 8T4 million tonnes, the second by China with 64-5 million tonnes, third by Asiatic Russia and fourth by Republic of Korea. Other countries in Asia arc far behind India.

Cotton Textile:

India occupies second place in cotton textile production. It is second to China which produces three times cotton textile as compared to India. Pakistan is third and manufactures 2/3 of Indian production. Japan is fourth with one- third of India’s production.

Jute Industry:

India is the leader in jute manufacturing. Its annual production is to the tune of one million tonnes.

It is followed by Bangladesh, which is second with annual production of 500,000 tonnes, i.e., one-half of that of India. The production of other countries is negligible.

Rayon Textile:

Japan is the largest manufacturer of rayon in Asia while India is second.

Machine-Tool Industry:

Japan is the leader in this field followed by India and China. Other countries are poor in machine tool manufacturing.

Agricultural Machinery:

China is the leader because it has a vast agricultural area and the efforts to mechanize its agriculture are laudable. Asiatic Russia stands second and Japan third. Japan is known for manufacturing small sized tractors which are used for rice cultivation.

They are in demand the world over. India has also made head way in manufacturing farm machines for different agricultural operations.

Tractors manufactured in India are very popular due to their usefulness and durability. Similarly China and Korea also manufacture different farm machines and implements.

Automobiles:

This industry has made rapid progress all over the world. Japan is known for manufacturing cheap, durable, high speed, comfortable, luxurious, automobiles of different shapes, sizes and types.

Cars, jeeps, trucks, buses, motorcycles, scooters etc. are the major items manufactured by the industry. India, China and Korea are other major automobile manufacturing countries in Asia.

Ship-building Industry:

Japan is the leader and is followed by Republic of Korea in the production of merchant vessels.

After independence, ship building industry has developed in India also where different types of cargo, naval, fishing boats etc are manufactured. China has also a well-developed ship building industry.

Chemical Industry:

It is a very useful and indispensable industry of the modern industrial world. It manufactures a long list of items like petro-chemicals, dyes, paints, fertilizers, explosives, toiletries, plastics etc.

Japan is far ahead of other Asian countries in the development of this industry. However, India and China have also come up. India has well-developed, highly organized chemical industry in different parts of the country.

Sugar Industry:

India leads in production of sugar in Asia. It is extracted from sugarcane. Pakistan, China, Indonesia, Turkey also have a well developed sugar manufacturing industry.

Paper Industry:

The industry draws raw material from soft wood coniferous trees, rags etc. China, India, Japan arc at the top in Asia. However, other countries also make paper for their use.

Transportation

Road Transport:

The road length in India is only 18 km/100 sq km while that of Japan is 275 km. The density of all roads per 100,000 population is 75 km which is again lower than that of Japan.

India has the largest road network in Asia with a total length of 2 million km. China and Japan come next but the quality of roads in these countries is superior.

Railway Transport:

It is fast coming up. India, China, Japan and Indonesia are the main countries who depend on railways for their long distance transport. India’s railways account for 62,000 km and are Asia’s largest, followed by China and Japan.

Airways Transport:

Japan and India have 70% of the traffic of South-East Asia which accounts for 3/4th of Asia’s air-transport. China trails behind these two countries. All Asian countries are well connected through Air.