TEXT QUESTIONS :
1. Choose the correct alternative :
1) Mount K2 (Mt. Godwin Austin, 861 1m) is in the ___________ .
a) Zaskar
b) Karakoram
c) Siwaliks
d) Ladakh
2) The Himalayas are __________ shaped mountain ranges .
a) Arc
b) Circular
c) Square
d) Straight
3) The height of the northern mountain region gradually decreases___________ .
a) Eastwards
b) Southwards
c) Northwards
d) Westwards
4) The largest river in the Thar Desert is ____________ .
a) Sabarmati
b) Chambal
c) Luni
d) Tapi
5) The fertile plain formed between two rivers is __________ .
a) Doab
b) Strait
c) Bay
d) Delta
6) The Eastern Ghats are known as ___________ in its Southern stretch .
a) Konkan
b) Kalinga
c) Coromandel
d) Nilgiris
Ans :
1) (b) Karakoram range 2) (a) Arc 3) (a) Eastwards
4) (a) Luni 5) (a) Doab 6) (c) Coromandel .
2. Answer the following questions briefly :
1) What are tectonic plates ?
Ans: Tectonic plates are massive irregular shaped slabs of solid rock composed of both oceanic and continental lithosphere .
2) What are the different types of plate movements ?
Ans: The different types of plate movements are :
i) Divergent Boundaries : Pulling apart .
ii) Convergent Boundaries : Crashing .
iii) Transform Boundaries : Sideswiping .
3. Explain the continental drift theory .
Ans: The continental drift theory was proposed by Alfred Wegner in the year 1912. According to him all the continents were together in the past, in the form of a single continent(Pangea) and a mega ocean(Panthalassa) surrounded the same. Around 200 million years ago the super continent began to split. First it was broken into two continents that is Eaurasia and Gondwanaland. Later on they broke into a number of smaller units or continents. The continents were drifted apart by various forces .
4. What are Bhabar and Terai regions ?
Ans: At the lower Himalayan area where the Himalayas join the plains, there are deposits of coarse sand and pebbles in a wide narrow belt extending over 8 to 16kms. They form two sections known as Bhabar and Terai .
5. Name the three major divisions of the Himalayas from the north to the south .
Ans: The Himalayas comprises of three parallel mountain ranges from North to South known as :
(a) The Greater Himalayas also called the Inner Himalayas or Himadri .
(b) The Middle Himalayas ranges and are also known as Himachal .
(c ) The outer Himalayas called the Shiwaliks .
6. What do you mean by Bhangar and Khadar ?
Ans: The Bhangar is an upland formed by the deposition of older alluvium. It contains calcareous deposits known as Bangar and Khadar. It is a lowland formed by the deposits of new finer alluvium which is renewed every year .
3. Answer the following questions :
1) Describe the geographical and economic importance of the Himalayas .
Ans: The Himalayan ranges act as a natural protective wall for India. The mountain provides rain-water for the plains by catching the moisture-bearing clouds of the south –west monsoon. It protects the great Indian Plains from cold winds coming from the polar areas. It gives birth to the mighty rivers like the Indus, the Ganga, the Brahmaputra and their numerous tributaries. The lesser and outer Himalayas are very rich in forests and animals. There are extensive tea gardens in the outer Himalayas in Assam and the northern parts of West Bengal (Darjeeling) .
World famous Duns are found here. Kashmir valley famous for its scenic beauty also lies on the Himalayas. Besides this Badrinath, Kedarnath, Vaishnovi devi are the other sacred places in the Himalayas .
2) Compare the Himalayan region with the Peninsular Plateau.
Ans: Himalayan Region Peninsular Plateau
- The Himalayas are young fold 1. They are a part of the oldest structures
mountains of recent origin. of the Indian subcontinent
- They are the highest mountains in 2. The Central Highlands are formed of
the world. low hills.
- Many great rivers like – the Indus, 3. Very few rivers like- the Narmada
the Ganges and the Brahmaputra and the Tapi originate from these hills.
originate from the Himalayas.
- The Himalayas are formed of 4. They are formed of igneous and
sedimentary rocks. metamorphic rocks.
- They are formed at the edge of the 5. It is an extension of the Deccan Plateau.
Indo- Gangetic Plain.
3) Explain the important characteristics of the Great Plains of India .
Ans:
(a) The Great Northern Plains :
They extend over a distance of 2400 kms in the east west direction and 250 to 320 kms between the Himalayas and the Indian Plateau in the north south direction. This plain covers an area of 7 lakh sq kms. This region was formed by filling of a vast depression by the silt brought down by the rivers- the Indus, Ganga and Brahmaputra and their tributaries. This region has rich alluvium soils .
(b) The Western or Rajasthan Plains :
They are also known as the Thar Desert. This region has several salt lakes like the Sambhar .
(c) The Indus Plain :
Most of it lies in Pakistan. It is drained by five rivers namely Ravi, Beas, Chenab, Jhelum & Sutlej and other tributaries .
(d) Ganga Plain :
The Ganga Plain is formed by the fertile plains between the Ganga and Yamuna rivers .
(e) Brahmaputra Plains :
They extend from the foothills of the Himalayas to the northern parts of Bengal. The great plains of India are important because they have (i) highly fertile soil (ii) favourable climate (iii) flat land helpful for the construction of roads and railways (iv) many rivers for irrigation (v) inland and water transportation .
4) Explain in brief the characteristic features of the Peninsular Plateau .
Ans: The Peninsular Plateau is the Indian plate from the original Gondwana land that moved north to form the Himalayas and the Northern plains. This plateau forms the oldest landmass in India. It is made up of crystalline, igneous and metamorphic rocks .
-The plateau is divided into two broad divisions; Central Highlands and Deccan Plateau .
5) Explain in brief the characteristic features of the Deccan Plateau .
Ans: Deccan Plateau is the area to the south of Narmada. The Satpura range forms its northern boundary. The Mahadeo, Kaimur and Maikal ranges shape up its eastern extension. The other three ranges of the Deccan Plateau are the Garo, Khasi and Jaintia hills. A fault separates the Deccan plateau from the Chotanagpur Plateau. To the north and northwest margin of the Deccan Plateau are the highly eroded and broken Aravali hills. The Ghats are the distinctive features of the Deccan Plateau .
6) Differentiate between the characteristics of the Eastern Coastal Plain and the Western Coastal Plain of India.
Ans: Eastern Coastal Plain Western Coastal Plain
- It lies between the Western ghats and 1. It lies between the mouth of Ganga and
the Arabian sea. Kanyakumari.
- It is known as Konkan in Maharashtra 2. It is known as the Circars or Kalinga in
and Goa, Kannada coast in Karnataka the northern stretch and as Coromandel
and Malabar in Kerala. coast in the southern stretch.
- They are noted for spices areca nuts, 3. They are known for food grains and
coconuts, palms, etc. fisheries.
7) Differentiate between the island groups :
Ans: The islands can be grouped into two :
|
Bay of Bengal 1. These are the Andaman and Nicobar island . |
Arabian Sea island 1. These are the Lakshadweep islands . |
8) Write any three features of the Indian Desert .
Ans:
(i)The Indian Desert or the ‘Thar Desert’ lies along the western margins of India .
(ii) The desert has longitudinal sand dunes which change their shape .
(iii) The region receives less than 150 mm of rain and has an arid climate with scarce vegetation .