Introduction
- Air, water, soil, coal, petroleum, natural gas and minerals are obtained directly from nature; therefore, they are known as natural resources.
- Plastics, synthetic fibres, steel, drugs, and explosives are all manufactured by man.
- Anything in the environment which can be used is called a resource.
- Natural resources can be broadly classified into two kinds:
(i) Inexhaustible Natural Resources: The resources which are present in unlimited
quantity in nature and are not likely to be exhausted by human activities. Examples are sunlight, and air.
(ii) Exhaustible Natural Resources: The resources whose amount in nature is
limited. They can be exhausted by human activities. Examples: forests, wildlife, minerals, coal, petroleum, natural gas etc.
CLASS 8 CHAPTER 3- Coal and Petroleum