UPSC Prelims 2019 Q21: Geography – Indian Agriculture & Land Use
- (a) Tobacco, cocoa and rubber
- (b) Tobacco, cotton and rubber
- (c) Cotton, coffee and sugarcane
- (d) Rubber, coffee and wheat
Answer: (a) Tobacco, cocoa and rubber
Explanation
New World Domesticates Introduced to Old World
| Crop | Native to | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| Tobacco | New World (Americas) | Native to South America; introduced to Old World post-1492 |
| Cocoa (cacao) | New World (Central/South America) | Domesticated by Olmec/Maya; introduced to Europe by Spanish |
| Rubber (Hevea brasiliensis) | New World (Amazon Basin) | Native to Brazilian Amazon; transplanted to SE Asia in 19th c. |
| Cotton | Both Old & New World species | Mixed origin - trap! |
| Coffee | Old World (Ethiopia) | NOT New World |
| Sugarcane | Old World (New Guinea/India) | NOT New World |
| Wheat | Old World (Fertile Crescent) | NOT New World |
All three of tobacco, cocoa and rubber are New World domesticates. Answer: (a).
Answer: (a) Tobacco, cocoa and rubber.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) CORRECT. Tobacco, cocoa and rubber are all Native American (New World) domesticates transferred to the Old World post-Columbian exchange.
- (b) Incorrect. Cotton has both Old and New World species - mixed origin, not exclusively New World.
- (c) Incorrect. Cotton (mixed origin), coffee (Ethiopia - Old World), and sugarcane (New Guinea/India - Old World) - all wrong for this question.
- (d) Incorrect. Coffee and wheat are Old World crops; rubber is New World but the group is mixed.
Key point
New World gifts to Old World: Tobacco, cocoa, rubber, maize, potato, tomato, chili, sweet potato, pineapple, cassava, sunflower, groundnut. Old World to New World: Wheat, rice, sugarcane, coffee, banana, horse, cattle, pig.
Remember
Tobacco, cocoa and rubber are all domesticated in the New World (the Americas) and were introduced to the Old World after 1492. Coffee is Old World (Ethiopian), sugarcane is Old World (New Guinea/Indian origin), and cotton has both Old and New World species.
Common mistakes
- Confusing cotton origin - there are Old World (Africa/India) and New World (Mesoamerica) cotton species.
- Assuming coffee is New World (Latin America produces it heavily) - it originated in Ethiopia (Old World).
- Missing that rubber was smuggled from Brazil to Kew Gardens, then to Sri Lanka/Malaya in the 1870s.
Exam tip
Columbian Exchange mnemonic: New World -> Old World = 'Potatoes, Tomatoes, Maize, Chili, Chocolate, Tobacco, Rubber'. Old World -> New World = 'Wheat, Rice, Horse, Cow, Sugarcane, Coffee'.
Sources
- NCERT Class 11 - Fundamentals of Physical Geography
- Alfred Crosby - The Columbian Exchange (biological consequences)