Country Report #3
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University of Missouri, Columbia *
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1200
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Geography
Date
Dec 6, 2023
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docx
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7
Uploaded by JusticeMask25655
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Professor Larsen
Geography 1200
16 February 2022
Country Report #3 – Natural and Cultural Resources
Section 1: Resources & Economy:
1.
How is your resource extracted/processed/manufactured/exported? (1 pt)
a.
Coal is extracted using large machines to remove the topsoil and layers of rock that tend to be overburdened, exposing the coal seams. The use of dynamite may also be needed to remove the tops of mountains to access these coal seams. In order to extract coal, surface mines may utilize electrical shovels or drag lines. However, underground mining for coal may also be necessary. For this type of mining, there are tunnels that extend out from vertical mine shafts for thousands of feet. The coal is then processed by having it sent to a nearby preparation plant that cleans and processes the coal to remove any unwanted materials, which increases the heating value of the coal. After the coal is processed, the coal is transported from the mines and processing plants through the usage of trains, barges, and ships.
2.
Is it a finished, value-added product, or is it a raw material or unfinished product? (1 pt)
a.
My country’s resource is coal. A raw material is defined as an unfinished material,
or a natural resource used to produce or manufacture finished products for sale. These materials can be used in their unprocessed or processed form as found suitable. Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black rock used as fuel to
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generate energy or power. Furthermore, it can be used immediately after mining. Therefore, coal is a raw material/unfinished product.
3.
How dependent is your country on this resource? (2 pt)
a.
India is highly dependent on this resource. Coal production currently leads the Indian mining industry, accounting for 78% of its total production. India is also considered to be the third-largest producer of coal. Furthermore, the state-owned enterprise Coal India is the largest coal mining company in the world. The coal sector is a major source of revenue for states and the central government. Also, while renewable energy capacity is dramatically increasing, coal still provides around 70% of the country’s electricity due to India being a coal-dependent economy and is home to many towns and cities whose entire economy is directly or indirectly based on coal. Many Indian states have suffered from this renewable energy by facing power cuts from the lack of coal supply to the thermal power plants. The production of this resource also allows its citizens to have cheap, reliable power and provides jobs coal offers and trillions of rupees, taxes, rents, and royalties to its citizens. Jobs and livelihoods for coal miners and plant workers in some of India’s poorest states are highly dependent on this resource to maintain employed.
4.
Is your country subject to the “resource curse” because of it? (2 pt)
a.
The “resource curse” refers to the failure of many resource-rich countries to benefit fully from their natural resource’s wealth. India is known for its large abundance of mineral deposits and is the third-largest producer of coal. Therefore,
you would expect India to have high economic growth and wealth. However, in
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various parts of India, this does not appear to be the case. For example, according to the article “View: Breaking the Resource Curse,” “... the resource-rich regions in India – the states of Jharkhand, Odisha, and Chhattisgarh – have some of the lowest per capita incomes in the country” (Kapoor, 2019). Therefore, my country suffers from the “resource curse” due to there being a high abundance of resources being associated with poor development outcomes of these regions. Furthermore, research has shown that there exists a negative correlation between an abundance of natural resources and sustained economic growth.
5.
What is the future outlook for the profitability of this resource? (2 pt)
a.
In the near future, the profitability of this resource will start to either plateau or decline. With carbon emissions being correlated to the event of global warming and pollution in the environment, many technologies such as solar energy (solar panels), wind energy (windmills), and various other types of clean energy technologies are starting to grow in popularity. Furthermore, this sector is known for being under constant financial stress due to poor business decisions and financial distress. This major resource has also inflicted the “resource curse” on various regions of its country. Furthermore, according to the article “How Long Will Coal Remain King in India,” “In 2019, the states of Gujarat and Chhattisgarh, the latter of which is home to India’s third-largest coal reserves, announced that they will not build any new coal generating facilities” (Pyper, 2021). Instead, they plan to replace their retired coal-fired power plants with renewable generating capacity at an attempt to cut the nation’s carbon emissions. Furthermore, India aims to meet 40% of its energy requirement from non-fossil
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fuel sources by 2030 and is currently targeting 175 GW of renewable-based installed power capacity by 2022. They also plan to have 25 GW per annum for solar cells and modules. As a result, the future outlook for the profitability of this resource will be that it will no longer be a major tangible resource in India due to the country’s attempt to cut carbon emissions.
Section 2: Resources & National Pride:
1.
Does your country have any National Parks? How many, and do any stand out or are well-known around the world? (2 pts)
a.
India has over 103 national parks in its country. One national park that is well-
known are the world is the Nanda Devi or Valley of Flowers National Park located in Uttarakhand, India. This national park is universally famous for its meadows of endemic alpine flowers, endangered animals, and variety of flora. This park is in the cradle of the Himalayas that protect or ‘guard’ the meadow of flowers. The Valley of Flowers is attractive to tourists due to its inevitable beauty and isolation. This park is in Bhyundar Valley in the Chamoli district and is about 8 kilometers long and 2 kilometers wide. 2.
What does your Country’s Flag look like? Does it have a meaning or explanation? Include a photo of it here (3 pts)
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a.
My country’s flag, India, has three stripes. An orange stripe at the top, a white stripe in the middle, and a green stripe at the bottom of the flag that are all going horizontally. There is also a navy-blue wheel that represents chakra in the middle of the flag (in the white stripe). The orange (saffron) stripe is meant to represent courage and sacrifice, the white stripe represents peace, unity, and truth, and the green stripe represents faith and fertility. The color of the wheel, blue, is meant to represent the sky and the ocean. However, the wheel itself symbolizes Dharma Chakra. This wheel has 24 spokes and is known as the “Wheel of Law” in the Sarnath Lion Capital. Furthermore, it symbolizes the continuing progress of the nation and the importance of justice in life. This center symbol is a Buddhist symbol that dates to the 200
th
century BC.
3.
Are there any major cultural events or traditions that your Country is known for? (2 pts)
a.
One major cultural event or traditions that India is known for is Diwali. Diwali is known as the “festival of lights”. In this tradition, the citizens on India place light clay lamps outside of their homes to symbolize the inner light that protects them from the spiritual darkness. This is considered to be an important holiday for the religion of Hindus, Jains, and Sikhs. Another world-famous tradition is Holi. Holi
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is known as the “festival of colors” that is celebrated by people throwing colored powder and water at each other. This tradition is meant to mark the arrival of spring and the end of winter. It is also an occasion meant to symbolize the beauty of life with new people and to forgive past wrongs and leave the past behind.
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Works Cited:
Pyper, Julia. “How Long Will Coal Remain King in India?” Greentech Media
, Greentech Media, 20 Jan. 2021, https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/coal-king-india
.
Amitkapoor. “Breaking the Resource Curse.” Institute for Competitiveness
, 30 Dec. 2019,
https://competitiveness.in/breaking-the-resource-curse/
.
“How a Just Transition Can Make India's Coal History.” BBC Future
, BBC, https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20211103-india-how-a-just-transition-can-make-coal-
history#:~:text=have%20also%20faced%20power%20cuts,from%20coal%2Dfired
%20power%20plants
.