Natural Resources are free gifts provided by nature. These include land, water, soil, forests, wildlife, minerals, etc.

1. Soils: The main types of soils are :

• Alluvial soils
• Black soils
• Red soils
• Laterite soils
• Forests and Mountain soils
• Desert soils.

Importance: Soil is a valuable resource. It is required for cultivation of crops. Fertile soil is the basis of developed agriculture. It becomes more important for a country like India which is an agricultural country. Many types of soils are found in India and many types of crops are grown on it.

2. Vegetation: The following types of vegetation is found in India :

• Evergreen forests
• Deciduous forests
• Desert forests
• Mountain forests .
• Delta forests.

Importance of Forests: Forests are a valuable resource like a river system, it is a multiple resource. Forests provide mankind with a number of products. Forests have greatly influenced human activities. Modem civilization depends more and more on forests.

Following are the direct and indirect advantages of forests :

• Forests provide many things to meet our food requirements like wild fruits, nuts, berries, etc. Many tribes are dependent on gathering of these products in forests.
• Forests are a source of timber for house-building, furniture-making, ship-building, etc.
• Forests supply about 40% of fuel of the world. Wood has been the major source of fuel in house smelting industries and running locomotives.
• Soft wood trees supply raw materials, wood pulp, paper, rayon industries.
• Many products like rubber, pitch, gum, tanning materials, cork, camphor, fir, herbs, etc. are gathered from forests.
• Forests provide plywood and fibre wood for packing purposes