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activity cannot compete in the world market. Pastoral nomadism is associated with Moreover, synthetic products often of better three important regions. The core region quality and at lower prices, have replaced manyextends from the Atlantic shores of North Africa itemssuppliedbythegatherersintropicalforests. eastwards across the Arabian peninsula into MongoliaandCentralChina. Thesecondregion PASTORALISM extends over the tundra region of Eurasia. In At some stage in history, with the realisation the southern hemisphere there are small areas in South-west Africa and on the island of that hunting is an unsustainable activity, human beings might have thought of Madagascar (Fig. 4.4) domestication of animals. People living in Movement in search of pastures is different climatic conditions selected and undertaken either over vast horizontal domesticated animals found in those regions. distances or vertically from one elevation to another in the mountainous regions. The Depending on the geographical factors, and technological development, animal rearing process of migration from plain areas to today is practised either at the subsistence orpastures on mountains during summers and at the commercial level. again from mountain pastures to plain areas during winters is known as transhumance. In Nomadic Herding mountain regions, such as Himalayas, Gujjars, Nomadic herding or pastoral nomadism is a Bakarwals, Gaddis and Bhotiyas migrate from primitive subsistence activity, in which the plains to the mountains in summers and to the herdersrelyonanimalsforfood,clothing,shelter, plains from the high altitude pastures in winters. Similarly, in the tundra regions, the tools and transport. They move from one place nomadic herders move from south to north in to another along with their livestock, depending on the amount and quality of pastures and summers and from north to south in winters. water. Each nomadic community occupies a The number of pastoral nomads has been well-identified territory as a matter of tradition.easing and the areas operated by them shrinking. This is due to (a) imposition of political boundaries; (b) new settlement plans by different countries. Commercial Livestock Rearing Unlike nomadic herding, commercial livestock rearing is more organised and capital intensive. Commercial livestock ranching is essentially associatedwithwesternculturesandispractised on permanent ranches. These ranches cover large areas and are divided into a number of parcels,whicharefencedtoregulatethegrazing. When the grass of one parcel is grazed, animals are moved to another parcel. The number of Fig. 4.3: Nomads taking their sheep up to thanimals in a pasture is kept according to the Mountains at the onset of summer carrying capacity of the pasture. A wide variety of animals is kept in This is a specialised activity in which only different regions. In tropical Africa, cattle are onetypeofanimalisreared. Importantanimals the most important livestock, while in Sahara include sheep, cattle, goats and horses. and Asiatic deserts, sheep, goats and camel Products such as meat, wool, hides and skin are reared. In the mountainous areas of Tibet are processed and packed scientifically and and Andes, yak and llamas and in the Arctic exported to different world markets. and sub Arctic areas, reindeer are the most Rearing of animals in ranching is important animals. organised on a scientific basis. The main 24 Fundamentals of Human Geography Reprint 2026-27