ECONOMIC GEOGRAPHY (HONS./PG.) SYLLABUS

ECONOMIC GEOGRAPHY (HONS./PG.)CODE – 40
A. Concept: Resource perception – economic and environmental; Concept and classification of
resources; Resource creating factors and processes, utilization processes, technology and
environmental quality; economic activities- Primary, Secondary, Tertiary and Quaternary; Ranking
of World Economics.
B. Resources Management: Conservation and management of land, water and biotic resources; Energy
resources- renewable and non-renewable; Energy efficiency and their development; Concept and
significance of economic development and sustainable development.
C. Principal Natural Resources of the World:
(a) Forest- Importance, types, utilization and conservation; Social Forestry, Agro-forestry and
Participatory Management of forest;
(b) Animals- Cattle and Sheep rearing and their products;
(c) Marine- Resources potential of the ocean; Important marine fisheries; Concept of Exclusive
Economic Zone (EEG).
D. Minerals and Energy Resources:
(a) Minerals- Distribution of producing belts and uses of metals Iron ore, Bauxite, Manganese and
Copper as well as non-metals-Mica and Salt;
(b) Energy- Conventional uses and producing belts coal, petroleum, of natural gas, hydel power and
atomic energy; Non-conventional-solar, wind, tidal and bio-gas.
E. Agriculture: Farming types- Intensive farming of price, Commercial grain farming of wheat, Plantation
farming of tea, coffee and rubber, Mixed farming, Horticulture and Contract farming; Agricultural
regions- Concept, techniques and delineation; Cropping intensity and cropping incidence; Critical
appreciation of green revolution and white revolution; Rural and peri-urban land use models- Von
Thunen and Synclair.
F. Manufacturing Industries: Classification of industries; Theories of industrial location- Weber, Hoover
and fosch; Selected industries: Metal- based- Iron and steel, Agro-based-Cotton and Food
processing, Forest based- Paper, Mineral oil based- Petro-chemical, Engineering- Automobile and
Information technology; Industrial policy of India and role of WTO.
G. Transport and Port Facilities:
(a) Transport- Concept of distance, connectivity and accessibility; Railways, Road transport, Navigation
and Aviation- Comparative cost advantage and other facets; Trans- continental railways; Importance
of Suez and Panama canals;
(b) Ports- Required conditions for port development; Major ports of India and their hinter lands; Some
important International ports- New York, Amsterdam, London, Humburg, Singapore, Tokyo and Sao
Paolo.
H. Trade: Trade as an index of economic development; Bases of international trade; Significance of trade
in National and International economic; Role of WTO and TRIPS; Major trading bloes of the world;
Concept of Export Processing Zone (EPZ), Special Economic Zone (SEZ) and their significance.
I. Human Resources: Concept; Man-land ratio and population density; World distribution of population;
Population growth- recent trends and their impact on economic development; Theories of population
growth- Matthus, Marx and Neo-Matthus; Demographic transition; Theories of
migration-Ravenstein and Lee; Age- sex structure; Measures of birth and death rate; Human
development- HDI, GDI and GEM.
J. Economic Geography of West Bengal: Physical bases of West Bengal; Agriculture, mineral and power
resources; Land reform and changing rural economy; Traditional and emerging industries; Kolkata
and Haldia port, deep sea port; Transport and communication network; Demographic characteristics
of West Bengal.
Note: Candidates with Honours/ Post-Graduate degree in Geography will be eligible to appear in WBSSC
Examination in Economic Geography.