1. Choose the right answer from the four alternatives given below.
(i) A landmass bounded by sea on three sides is referred to as
(a) Coast
(b) Island
(c) Peninsula
(d) None of the above
Answer:
(c) Peninsula
(ii) Mountain ranges in the eastern part of India forming its boundary with Myanmar are collectively called
(a) Himachal
(b) Uttarakhand
(c) Purvachal
(d) None of the above
Answer:
(c) Purvachal
(iii) The western coastal strip, south of Goa is referred to as
(a) Coromandel
(b) Konkan
(c) Kannad
(d) Northern Circar
Answer:
(c) Kannad
(iv) The highest peak in the Eastern Ghats is
(a) Anai Mudi
(b) Kanchenjunga
(c) Mahendragiri
(d) Khasi
Answer:
(c) Mahendragiri
2 Answer the following questions briefly.
(i) What is the bhabar?
Answer (i):The Northern plains can be divided into four regions. The rivers, after descending from the mountains deposit pebbles in a narrow belt of about 8 to 16 km in width lying parallel to the slopes of the Shiwaliks. It is known as bhabar. All the streams disappear in this bhabar belt.
(ii) Name the three major divisions of the Himalayas from north to south.
Answer (ii): - The northern-most range is known as the Great or Inner Himalayas or the Himadri.
- The range lying to the south of the Himadri forms the most rugged mountain system and is known as Himachal or lesser Himalaya.
- The outer-most range of the Himalayas is called the Shiwaliks.
(iii) Which plateau lies between the Aravali and the Vindhyan ranges?
Answer (iii): Malwa plateau.
(iv) Name the island group of India having coral origin.
Answer (iv): Lakshadweep islands.
3. Distinguish between
(i) Bhangar and Khadar
Answer (i):
(ii) Western Ghats and Eastern Ghats
Answer (ii):
4. Which are the major physiographic divisions of India? Contrast the relief of the Himalayan region with that of the Peninsular plateau.
Answer 4: The physical features of India can be grouped under the following physiographic divisions
(1) The Himalayan Mountains
(2) The Northern Plains
(3) The Peninsular Plateau
(4) The Indian Desert
(5) The Coastal Plains
(6) The Islands
5. Give an account of the Northern Plains of India.
Answer 5: The northern plains are the granaries of the country. They provide the base for early civilisations. They are one of the most recent landforms. The northern plain has been formed by the interplay of the three major river systems, namely — the Indus, the Ganga and the Brahmaputra along with their tributaries. This plain is formed of alluvial soil. The deposition
of alluvium in a vast basin lying at the foothills of the Himalaya over millions of years formed this fertile plain. It spreads over an area of 7
lakh sq. km. The plain being about 2400 km long and 240 to 320 km broad, is a densely populated physiographic division. With a rich soil cover combined with an adequate water supply and favourable climate, it is agriculturally a productive part of India.
6. Write short notes on the following.
(i) The Indian Desert
Answer (i):
The Indian desert lies towards the western margins of the Aravali Hills. It is an undulating sandy plain covered with sand dunes. This region receives very low rainfall below 150 mm per year. It has an arid climate with low vegetation cover. Streams appear during the rainy season. Soon after they disappear into the sand as they do not have enough water to reach the sea. Luni is the only large river in this region.
(ii) The Central Highlands
Answer (ii): The part of the Peninsular plateau lying to the north of the Narmada river, covering a major area of the Malwa plateau, is known as the Central
Highlands.
The Vindhyan range is bounded by the Satpura range on the south and the Aravalis on the northwest. The further westward extension gradually merges with the sandy and rocky desert of Rajasthan.
The flow of the rivers draining this region, namely the Chambal, the Sind, the Betwa and the Ken is from southwest to northeast, thus indicating
the slope.
The Central Highlands are wider in the west but narrower in the east. The eastward extensions of this plateau are locally known as the Bundelkhand and Baghelkhand
(iii) The Island groups of India
Answer (iii): India has two groups of islands (i) The Lakshadweep islands, and, (ii) Andaman and Nicobar islands.
The Lakshadweep Islands group lying close to the Malabar coast of Kerala. This group of islands is composed of small coral islands. It covers a small area of 32 sq km. Kavaratti Island is the administrative headquarters of Lakshadweep. This island group has a great diversity of flora and fauna. The Pitti island, which is uninhabited, has a bird sanctuary
The elongated chain of islands located in the Bay of Bengal extending from north to south. These are the Andaman and Nicobar islands. They are bigger in size and are more numerous and scattered. The entire group of islands is divided into two broad categories – The Andaman in the north and the Nicobar in the south. It is believed that these islands are an elevated portion of submarine mountains. These island groups are of great strategic importance for the country. There is a great diversity of flora and fauna in this group of islands too. These islands lie close to equator and experience.
