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SAI INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL, BHUBANESWAR.

Class VIII: SOCIAL STUDIES – GEOGRAPHY
CHAPTER - 3- MINERAL AND POWER RESOURCES

(VIRTUAL CLASSES)

NOTES FOR CHAPTER-3- Mineral and Power Resources

SUBTOPIC- Power Resources

 Power resources are required for industrial and domestic use, agriculture, transport,
communication and defence.
 Power resources are of two types:- A] Conventional B] Non-Conventional Sources

A. Conventional Sources
 The energy resources which have been in common use for a long time are
known as conventional sources.Firewood and fossil fuels are two main
conventional energy sources.
 Fossil fuels comprises of:-
1. Coalalso known as buried sunshine
 The major coal producing countries in the world are China, the USA, Germany,
Russia, South Africa, and France. In India, the major coal producing areas are
Raniganj, Jharia, Dhanbad and Bokaro in Jharkhand.
 About 80% of coal is mined from the Damodar Valley.
 Disadvantages of using coal as fuel are that it
 is bulky to transport
 is a source of pollution

2. Petroleum
 also known as black gold
 The word petroleum means rock oil and is found between layers of rocks in the
form of a thick black liquid.
 Petroleum in its raw form is called crude oil which is drilled from oil fields located
in off-shore and coastal areas.
 The major petroleum producing countries in the world are Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia
and Qatar.
 A major advantage of petroleum is that it can be easily transported in tankers.

3. Natural Gas
a. is found with petroleum deposits
b. is released when the crude oil is brought to the surface

4. Hydroelectricity
a. is also generated from the energy of flowing water; also called hydropower.
b. The electricity generated from hydropower is called hydroelectricity.
c. Norway was the first country in the world to develop hydroelectricity.
d. The leading producers of hydro power in the world are Paraguay, Norway,
Brazil, and China.