Which term describes a farming system with minimal labor input per unit area, typically on vast lands?

• A. Extensive agriculture
• B. Intensive agriculture
• C. Nomadic herding
• D. Clustered settlement pattern

Answer: (A)

Extensive agriculture describes farming on large tracts of land with relatively little labor or capital input per unit area. Because the land is abundant, effort is spread over a wide area, resulting in lower yields per hectare but potentially large total production when enough land is available. This system often depends on natural fertility and rainfall rather than heavy irrigation or inputs. It’s common in regions with low population density or abundant land, such as ranching or large-scale grain farming. In contrast, intensive agriculture uses more labor and inputs on smaller plots to maximize yield per unit area, and nomadic herding is a related but mobile, low-input use of vast landscapes rather than settled farming. Clustered settlement patterns describe how farms and communities are arranged, not the farming method itself.