1

1) Harbour: - A harbour is the

protected parking space of
storage space for ships on the
sea-coast. It protects the
ships from waves, storms and
bad weatheric conditions. It
is generally man-made.

2) Port: - A port is a point on

the coast where loading and
unloading of cargo on ships is
done. They can be man-made
or natural. Ships load and
unload commodities here.
Mumbai port is the biggest
port in India.

3) Hinterland: - Hinterland is a
German word meaning "the
land behind" (a city, a port,
or similar). Hinterland is an
area behind a coast or the
shoreline of a river or a sea
that serves both for imports
and for exports.
 2

Q. 1 Give two reasons for the increase in difference between value of import and export trade of India.
(NCERT Page No. 124) (3)
 Answer Key Points: -
1) In 1950-51, India’s external
trade was worth Rs. 1,214
crore, which rose to Rs. 44,
29, 762 crore in 2016-17.
2) There are numerous reasons
for this sharp rise in overseas
trade, such as the
momentum picked up by the
manufacturing sectors, the
liberal policies of the
government and the
diversification of markets.
3) The nature of India’s foreign trade has changed over the years. Though there has been an increase in
the total volume of import and export, the value of import continued to be higher than that of
exports, due to the hike in prices on the world level and the declining value of Indian rupee in the
world market.
Q. 2 Describe the changes in composition of India’s exports. Or
Describe the composition of export and import trade of India. (NCERT Page No. 125-126) (3)
 Answer Key Points: -
Products of Export are: -
1) Agricultural Goods: - The
share of agriculture and allied
products has declined,
whereas, shares of petroleum
and crude products and other
commodities have increased.
Amongst the agricultural
products, there is a decline in
the export of traditional
items, such as coffee, cashew,
etc., though an increase has
been registered in
floricultural products, fresh fruits, marine products and sugar, etc.
 3

2) Manufactured Goods: -

Manufacturing sector alone

accounted for 73.6 % of

India’s total value of export

in 2016-17. Engineering

goods have shown a

significant growth in the

export.

3) Ores and Minerals: - The

shares of ore minerals and
manufactured goods have
largely remained constant
over the years from 2009-10
to 2010-11and 2015-16 to
2016-17. Gems and jewellery
contributes a larger share of
India’s foreign trade.

Products of Import
are: -
1) Petroleum and

Petrochemicals: - They are

the major products of import.
These are used not only as a
fuel but also as an industrial
raw material.
 4

2) Capital Goods: - Due to

increasing demand of
industrial and domestic
sectors the import of capital
goods include non-electrical
machinery, transport
products, manufacturers of
metals and machine tools.
Import of food and allied
products declined with a fall
in imports of edible oils.

3) Other Products: - Other

products include pearls and
semi-precious stones, gold
and silver, metalliferous ores
and metal scrap, non-ferrous
metals, electronic goods, etc.
during 2016-17.

Q. 3 Explain the changing pattern of the international trade of India. Or

‘India’s international trade has changed in recent years in terms of volume, composition and direction.’
Support the statement with examples. Or
The composition of commodities in India’s international trade has been undergoing a change over the
years. (NCERT Page No. 125-126) (3)
 Answer Key Points: - The nature of India's foreign trade has changed in recent years in
terms of volume composition and direction.
1) The share of agricultural and allied products had declined but share of petroleum and crude products
and other products have increased.
2) The shares of ore minerals and manufactured goods have largely remained constant over the years
from 2009-10 to 2010-11 and 2015-16 to 2016-17.
3) The export of agricultural products like tea coffee spices pulses has declined but export of products
like fruits marine products and floriculture products has increased.
4) Manufacturing products accounted for about 73.6 % of India's total volume of exports, it mainly
include engineering goods.
 5

5) India’s direction of foreign trade has also changed. Great Britain was the biggest buyer of Indian
goods. Our trade increased with U.S.A. and Russia during the last decade. Now, Japan is the biggest
purchaser of Indian goods.

India aims to double its share in the international trade within the next five years. It has already
started adopting suitable measures such as import Liberalisation, reduction in import duties,
delicensing and change from process to product patents.

Q. 4 Why does India import edible oil and pulses in spite of being an agriculturally rich country?
(Value ßased) (3)
 Answer Key Points: -
India imports edible oil and pulses in spite of being an agriculturally rich country due to the
following reasons: -
1) More demand due to rapid
growth of population.
2) Most of the cultivated land is
under food crops.
3) Per hectare productivity of
pulses is low as compared to
other crops.
4) The ‘package technology’
was not given for the
promotion of pulses & oil
seeds production. So their
production did not increase
the desired amount.
5) Risky farming due to high
vulnerability.
6) Increase in the purchasing power of the individuals.

Q. 5 Describe the importance of sea routes in handling India is foreign trade. Or

‘Most of India, foreign trade is carried through sea routes’. Explain the statement by giving reasons.
(NCERT Page No. 127) (3)
 6

 Answer Key Points: -

1) India is surrounded by sea
from three sides and is
blessed with a long coastline.
2) Indian ports are all weather
ports having good harbour
facilities.
3) Most of India is foreign trade
is carried through the sea
routes.
4) Sea routes act as receiving
points of foreign consignment
coming to India for
distribution.
5) India centrally located by sea
routes which provides cheap transportation.
Q. 6 What are the advantages of sea port? Why are they termed as gateways of International trade? Or
What is the role of sea ports in the foreign trade of India? (NCERT Page No. 128) (3/5)
 Answer Key Points: -
1) Sea ports act as collection centres of commodities from hinterland for further shipment to foreign
destinations.
2) Ports act as receiving points
of foreign consignment
coming to India for
distribution.
3) Ports are the gateway for
foreign trade as these handle
exports and imports.
4) Water transport is the best
way to transport heavy and
bulky goods and sea ports
plays very important role in
it.
5) Connecting the global trade
markets is an essential part
of ocean shipping.
6) Seaports support the coastal defense and security of a country based on political, economic and
technical means.
7) Seaports can also be used as storehouse of cargo.

Q. 7 What steps have been taken for modernization of Indian ports? Or

Despite this major setback, Indian ports continued to grow after the Independence. Explain the
Statement. (NCERT Page No. 128) (3)
 Answer Key Points: -
Due to partition India lost two very important ports, i.e., Karachi port went to Pakistan and Chittagong
port to the erstwhile east-Pakistan and now Bangladesh. To compensate the losses, many new ports,
 7

like the Kandla in the west and the Diamond Harbour near Kolkata on river Hugli in the east were
developed. Despite this major setback, Indian ports continued to grow after the Independence.
1) Today, Indian ports are handling large volumes of domestic, as well as, overseas trade.
2) Most of the ports are
equipped with modern
infrastructure.
3) Previously, the development
and modernization was the
responsibility of the
government agencies, but
due to increase in function
and need to bring these ports
according to with the
international ports, private
entrepreneurs have been
invited for the modernisation
of ports in India.
4) The capacity of Indian ports
increased from 20 million tonnes of cargo handling in 1951 to more than 837 million tonnes in 2016.
Q. 8 Distinguish between a major and a minor port. (NCERT Page No. 128) (3)
 Answer Key Points: -

A port which handles traffic of ten lakh metric A port which handles traffic less than ten lakh
1
tonnes every year is known as a major port. metric tonnes every year is a minor port.
These ports are handled by Port Trusts and the
2 These port as are managed by the Stale Govt.
Central Govt.
 8

These ports have all the facilities to handle
3
international trade of the country.
4 There are 12 major ports of India.
5 It regulates foreign trade at international level.
These ports handle the regional and coastal
trade of a country
There are 200 minor working ports.
It manages trade at national or inter-state
level.

Q. 9 Describe the location, characteristics and commercial importance of major ports of India. Or
Why Mumbai is called a unique port? Explain three reasons. Or
Why has Kolkata seaport lost its significance considerably? Give three reasons.
Explain the features of Kandla Port. (NCERT Page No. 128-130) (3/5)
 Answer Key Points: -
An ideal port should have indented coast line, deep water, rich hinterland and good climate. India has a
coastline of 7,517 km long. At
present, India has 12 major
ports and 200 minor or
intermediate ports.
 Ports on the Western
Coast: -
1. Kandla Port: -
1) Kandla Port situated at the
head of Gulf of Kuchchh.
2) It is located on the Suez Canal
route.
3) It is a tidal port and has been
developed to take the place of
Karachi.
4) It is a natural and safe harbour developed as a major port to cater to the needs of western and north
western parts of the country and also to reduce the pressure at Mumbai port.
5) The port is specially designed to receive large quantities of petroleum and petroleum products and
fertiliser.
6) The offshore terminal at Vadinar has been developed to reduce the pressure at Kandla port.
 9

2. Mumbai Port: -
1) Mumbai is a natural harbour
and the biggest port of the
country. It stands on an
island connected with the
mainland.
2) Mumbai has developed as a
port for historical reasons.
The British Colonial interests
were the major forces for its
development.
3) It is the only natural deep-
water harbour of India. It is a
20 km. long and 6-10 km. wide port. It is connected with Europe through Suez Canal.
4) It has rich productive hinterland of black cotton soil region. It is a spacious and safe port with natural
facilities for the big ships.
5) It has 54 docks and many warehouses. It is also known as the ‘Gateway of India’. It is an important
industrial and commercial town of India.
6) M.P., Maharashtra, Gujarat, U.P. and parts of Rajasthan constitute the main hinterlands of Mumbai
ports.
 10

3. Jawaharlal Nehru Port: -

Jawaharlal Nehru Port at

Nhava Sheva was developed

as a satellite port to relieve

the pressure at the Mumbai

port. It is the largest

container port in India.

4. Marmagao Port: -
1) It is situated at the entrance
of the Zuari estuary, is a
natural harbour in Goa. It
gained significance after its
remodeling in 1961 to handle
iron-ore exports to Japan.
2) Construction of Konkan
railway has extended the
hinterland of this port.
Karnataka, Goa, Southern
Maharashtra constitutes its
hinterland.
 11

5. New Mangalore Port: -

1) New Mangalore Port is
located in the state of
Karnataka and caters to the
needs of the export of iron-
ore and iron-concentrates.
2) It also handles fertilisers,
petroleum products, edible
oils, coffee, tea, wood pulp,
yarn, granite stone, molasses,
etc. Karnataka is the major
hinterland for this port.
 12

6. Cochin Port: -
1) Kochchi Port, situated at the
head of Vembanad Kayal,
popularly known as the
‘Queen of the Arabian Sea’,
is also a natural harbour.
2) It lies on the Malabar Coast
in Kerala. It has a large
sheltered back waters
formed by lagoons.
3) This port has an
advantageous location being
close to the Suez-Colombo
route.
4) It caters to the needs of Kerala, southern- Karnataka and south western Tamil Nadu.

 Ports on the Eastern Coast: -

7. Kolkata Port: -
1) Kolkata Port the second biggest port of India, is located on the Hugli River, 128 km inland from the Bay
of Bengal.
2) Like the Mumbai port, this port was also developed by the British. Kolkata had the initial advantage of
being the capital of British India.
3) The port has lost its significa nce considerably on account of the diversion of exports to the other
ports such as Vishakhapatnam, Paradwip and its satellite port, Haldia.
4) Kolkata port is also confronted with the problem of silt accumulation in the Hugli River which provides
a link to the sea.
 13

5) Its hinterland covers U.P.,

Bihar, Jharkhand, West
Bengal, Sikkim and the
north-eastern states.
6) It also extends ports facilities
to our neighboring land-
locked countries such as
Nepal and Bhutan.
7) It has a rich hinterland of
productive agricultural
Ganges-Brahmputra delta
and Chhottanagpur region
rich in minerals.

8. Haldia Port: -
1) Haldia Port is located 105 km
downstream from Kolkata.
2) It has been constructed to
reduce the congestion at
Kolkata port.
3) It handles bulk cargo like iron
ore, coal, petroleum,
petroleum products and
fertilisers, jute, jute
products, cotton and cotton
yarn, etc.
 14

9. Paradwip Port: -
1) Paradwip Port is situated on
the Odisha coast on
Mahanadi Delta, about 100
km from Cuttack.
2) It has the deepest harbour
especially suited to handle
very large vessels.
3) It is a new major port
provides facilities for the
stay of big ships.
4) It has been developed
mainly to handle large-scale
export of iron-ore.
5) Odisha, Chhattisgarh and
Jharkhand are the parts of its hinterland.
 15

10. Vishakhapatnam Port: -

1) Visakhapatnam Port in
Andhra Pradesh is a land-
locked harbour, connected to
the sea by a channel cut
through solid rock and sand.
2) It is a new major port on the
east coast of India.
3) It has the largest shipyard of
India.
4) An outer harbour has been
developed for handling iron-
ore, petroleum and general
cargo.

11. Chennai Port: -

1) Chennai Port is one of the
oldest ports on the eastern
coast.
2) It is an artificial harbour built
in 1859.
3) It is not much suitable for
large ships because of the
shallow waters near the
coast.
4) Tamil Nadu and Puducherry
are its hinterland.

12. Ennore Port: -

1) Ennore port has been
developed in Tamil Nadu.
2) It has been constructed 25
km north of Chennai to
relieve the pressure at
Chennai port.
 16

13. Tuticorin Port: -

1) Tuticorin Port was also
developed to relieve the
pressure of Chennai port.
2) It deals with a variety of cargo,
including coal, salt, food grains,
edible oils, sugar, chemicals and
petroleum products.
 17

Q. 10 Why has the west coast more seaports than the east coast of India? (Value ßased) (3)
 Answer Key Points: -
West sea coast has more ports than east coast because: -
1) Availability of
indented (दाांतेदार)
coastline.
2) Depth of sea
water is
relatively more
near coast.
3) Early arrival of
European traders
and Arabs etc.
4) British
encouraged
establishing and
promoting the
ports along the
west coast to
strengthen the
connectivity
from Europe.
5) Opening of Suez
Canal also
promoted and
encouraged the
emergence of
seaports along
the west coast.

Q. 11 Explain the importance/ features of air transport in India. (NCERT Page No. 130) (3)
 Answer Key Points: -
1) The air travel, today, is the fastest, most comfortable and prestigious mode of transport.
2) It can cover very difficult
terrains like high mountains,
dreary deserts, dense
forests, and long oceanic
stretches with great ease,
serving India (varied relief
and terrain) adequately.
3) In India, it is because of air
travel that visits to the
northeastern part of the
country marked by dissected
relief, big rivers, dense
forests, frequent floods and
international frontiers has
 18

become much convenient and easier.

4) Air transport is essential in providing for import and export of various goods.
5) It also provides for quick relief measures and rescue operations in difficult times of natural calamities
and disasters.

Q.1. Draw bar diagram to show the trends of exports of all items given in the table.
 Answer: -

Q.2. Study Table 11.3 and select major commodities exported in 2016-17 and draw bar diagram.
 Answer: -

Q.3. Arrange the items in ascending or descending order and write the names of the first five major items
of India’s import list of 2016-17.
# Commodities 2016-17
1 Fertilisers and fertiliser manufacturing 33726
2 Edible oils 73048
3 Pulp and waste paper 6537
4 Non-ferrous metals 262961
5 Iron and steel 55278
6 Petroleum, oil and lubricants 582762
7 Pearls, precious and semi-precious stones 159464
8 Medicinal and Pharma products 33504
9 Chemical products 147350

 Answer: -

# Commodities 2016-17
1 Petroleum, oil and lubricants 582762
2 Non-ferrous metals 262961
3 Pearls, precious and semi-precious stones 159464
4 Chemical products 147350
5 Edible oils 73048

Q.4. Why does India import edible oil in spite of being an agriculturally rich country?
 Answer: -

Q.5. Select five most important and five least important items and represent them by bar diagram.
 Answer: -

Q.6. Can you identify some items of imports for which substitutes can be developed in India?
 Answer: -
 19

Q.7. Draw a multiple bar diagram to represent the major trading partners.
 Answer: - .

Q.8. Can you find out the reasons for the variations in the location of ports along the two coasts?
 Answer: -

Q.9. Name the nearest domestic and international airports from your place. Identify the state with
maximum number of domestic airports.
 Answer: - Gujarat is the state which has most number of domestic airports (10) in India.

Q.10. Identify four cities where maximum number of air routes converges and also give reasons for this.
 Answer: - Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai and Chennai are the four cities in India where
maximum number of air routes converges.
1) Air transport has the advantage of taking the least time for carriage and handling high value or
perishable goods over long distances.
2) Valuable cargo can be moved rapidly on a world-wide scale.

Q. 1 Multiple choice questions.

(i) Trade between two countries is termed as
(a) Internal trade (b) External trade (c) International trade (d) Local trade

(ii) Which one of the following is a land locked harbour?

(a) Vishakhapatnam (b) Mumbai (c) Ennore (d) Haldia

(iii) Most of India’s foreign trade is carried through

(a) Land and sea (b) Land and air (c) Sea and air (d) Sea

Q. 2 Answer the following briefly in not more than 30 words.

(i) Mention the characteristics of India’s foreign trade.
 Answer: -

(ii) Distinguish between port and harbour.

 Answer: -

(iii) Explain the meaning of hinterland.

 Answer: -

(iv) Name important items which India imports from different countries.
 Answer: -
Petroleum and petroleum products are the major imports of India. Capital goods are also important
items which include non-electrical machinery, transport equipment, manufacturers of metals and
machine tools which India imports from different countries.

(v) Name the ports of India located on the east coast.

 20

Answer: -
Q. 3. Write the answers of the following questions in 150 words.
(i) Describe the composition of export and import trade of India.
 Answer: -

(ii) Write a note on the changing nature of the international trade of India.
 Answer: -

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