A Must for Civil Services (Pre) Examination,

State PCS & Other Competitive Exams

INDIA
AND WORLD
GEOGRAPHY
Topical Coverage of Syllabus and Previous Years’ Questions
with more than 3000 MCQs and 5 Practice Sets
 A Must for Civil Services (Pre) Examination,
State PCS & Other Competitive Exams

INDIA
AND WORLD
GEOGRAPHY
Topical Coverage of Syllabus and Previous Years’ Questions
with more than 3000 MCQs and 5 Practice Sets

Authored By
Vivek Sharma, Deepika Singh

Arihant Publications (India) Ltd.

 Arihant Publications (India) Ltd.
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 CONTENTS
INDIA & WORLD GEOGRAPHY 5. Climatology 40-52
Atmosphere
1. The Universe and The Solar System 1-9 Atmospheric Pressure
The Universe Atmospheric Circulations
Big Bang Theory Condensation
Pulsating Theory Clouds
Age of the Universe Humidity
Components of the Universe Rainfall
Galaxies Air Masses
Stars Fronts
The Solar System Cyclone
The Sun
The Planets 6. Oceanography 53-58
Asteroids Oceans
Comets Relief Features of the Ocean
Meteors Temperature of Ocean
Meteorites Salinity of Ocean
Meteor Showers Ocean Currents
Ocean Tides
2. The Earth 10-18 Coral Reefs
Shape and Size of the Earth
Measurement of Earth’s Age 7. Biogeography 59-67
Motions of the Earth Soil
Effects of Earth’s Motion Classification of Soil
Distribution of Date and Time Natural Vegetation
International Date Line (IDL) Major Biotic Regions
The Earth and the Moon Agro-Forestry
The Earth’s Magnetic Field
8. Human Geography 68-78
3. Geomorphology 19-31 Evolution of Man
Introduction Races
Interior of the Earth Classification of Human Races
Constituents of Earth Population
Earth Movements Distribution of Population
Mountain System Population Density
Plateaus Population Growth
Plains Human Development Report
Landforms Produced by Different Processes Settlement

4. Geomorphology II 32-39 9. Economic Geography 79-96

Geomorphic Processes Agriculture
Endogenetic Forces Types of Farming
Volcanism Modern Agricultural Practices
Earthquakes Major Crops
Weathering Cereal Crops
Erosion Fibre Crops
Cycle of Erosion Cash Crops
 Beverage Crops 15. Industrial Features of India 158-163
Food Security Industries
Fishing Classification of Industries
World Forest Resources Major Industries in India
Types of Forests Industrial Regions of India
Minerals Resources
Types of Minerals 16. Transport, Trade and
Metallic Minerals
Communication in India 164-173
Energy Resources
Roadways
Industries
Railways
Major Industrial Belts
Water Transport
Transportation : Roadways, Railways, Waterways
Pipeline Transport
10. Continents 97-108 Air Transport
Africa Tele Communication
Antarctica International Trade
Asia
Australia 17. India-cultural Settings 174-181
Europe Scheduled Tribes
North America Population of India
South America
18. Urbanisation In India 182-187
11. India : Physical Aspects 109-131 Urban Social Process
Geographic Profile Evolution of Towns in India
Geological Structure Census Definitions of Urban Places in India
Physiography of India Urban Settlements According to Census of India
Drainage Trends and Patterns of Urbanisation in India
Island Drainage
Climate of India
Natural Vegetation and Wildlife ENVIRONMENT, ECOLOGY &
BIODIVERSITY
12. Indian States And Union Territories 132-138
States 19. Ecology : Basic Concepts 188-195
Union Territories Levels of Studying Ecology
Components of Ecosystem
13. Resources 139-147 Ecosystem Structures
Mineral Belts of India Functions of Ecosystem
Distribution of Minerals Food Web
Conventional Resources Food Chain
Coal Water Cycle
Petroleum Carbon Cycle
Oil Refineries in India Oxygen Cycle
Non-conventional or Renewable Resources Nitrogen Cycle
Wind Energy Phosphorus Cycle
Solar Energy Ecosystem Patterns
Nuclear Energy Types of Ecosystem
Water Resources
Marine Resources 20. Environment 196-204
Types of Environment
14. Indian Agriculture 148-157 Atmosphere
Agriculture Hydrosphere
Features of Indian Agriculture
Lithosphere
Green Revolution
Biosphere
Major Crop Types and Distribution
Types of Pollution
Food Security
Air Pollution
New Initiatives in Agriculture Sector
Water Pollution
Irrigation
Noise Pollution
Types of Irrigation Technique
Land Pollution
Multi-purpose Projects in India
Marine Pollution
21. Biodiversity and Its Conservation 205-214 Recovery
Mapping Diversity Natural Disasters
Biodiversity Man-made Disasters
Hotspots Disaster Management in India
International Conventions on Biodiversity Conservation World’s Major Conferences on Disasters Reduction
Biodiversity in India
Protected Area Network in India 24. Sustainable Development 229-236
Concepts of Sustainable Development
22. Climate Change 215-222 International Initiatives Towards Sustainable
Causes of Climate Change Development
Greenhouse Effect Earth Summit, 2002
Ozone Depletion Rio + 20, 2012
Impact of Global Warming Sustainable Agriculture
Effects of Climate Change Agro-forestry
Parties to UNFCCC Organic Farming
Kyoto Protocol Crop Rotation
Rio Declaration Bio-Fertilizers
Biotechnology
23. Disaster Management 223-228
Prevention Practice Set 1-5 237-256
Mitigation Previous Years’ Solved Papers Set 1 257-270
Preparedness
Previous Years’ Solved Papers Set 2 271-276
Response
 TOPICS FOCUS &
TREND OF QUESTIONS

The Universe and Solar System Biogeography

Some of the important topics from examination perspective In this chapter, the components of biosphere, ecosystem and
are various theories regarding the origin and evolution of the ecology explained that will help student to cope up the
universe. After in-depth analysis of the previous year’s questions of evaluative perspective. Although, majority of
question paper. This topic is very much important for the basic questions inclined towards this chapter.
understanding of cosmology and Space technology.
Human Geography
The Earth This chapter is major sub-fields of the discipline of
This is one of the important sections of the geography and geography that covers the world, its people, communities
questions relates this chapter to another chapter that consists and cultures.
of Earth’s interior, drainage pattern and landforms. This topic
also concern of the mostly asked topics like-question of
international date line and distribution of time and date.
Economic Geography
This chapter covers the location, distribution and
spatial organisation of economic activities across the world. It
Geomorphology helps students to understand the economic aspect of
This chapter cover important aspects that is Earth file, geography. Economy is the bases of all the discipline and this
landforms history, tectonic uplift which is very important from topic broaden the student’s horizon to understand the
examination point of view. If we analyse the pattern of economic aspects of the geography.
question in previous years, most of them are related Earth
movements, land forms produced by different processes,
constituents of Earth and also geomorphic processes.
Continents
This is one of the important chapter from examination point
of view, in which the large landmass on Earth is explain
Climatology according to their characteristics, features and extent.
This chapter cover important points that help student to
discover and explain the impacts of climate, so that society
can plan its activities, design its builidings and infrastructure
India : Physical Aspects
This is one of the important topic from examination point of
and anticipate the effects of adverse condition. In the past the
view. It covers India’s frontier, relief features, i.e., mountains,
questions have been asked regarding the important
plateaus, plains, islands. Apart from this, Indian geography
atmospheric pressure and circulations, Air Masses, fronts and
should be given move emphasis because it is common for
cyclone. Most of the competitive examination give special
both prelim and mains while Indian geography is important
weightage to this chapter and question will asked by relating
for prelims, but the nature of question earlier it used to be
other topics of geography, so it is very important topics on the
mapped based or location based Indian geography, but
examination point.
current trends is mostly related with agriculture,
environment angles.
Oceanography
This chapter consist of diverse topics reflect multiple blend of Indian States And Union Territories
knowledge of the ocean world such as salinity and This topic deals with important aspects of States and UTs
temperature, ocean ridge, currents, the living oceans and about their location, features and extent. Questions are
coral reefs that will help student to tackle multidisciplinary frequently asked almost all exams about Jharkhand, Andhra
questionnaires. This topic provides information to the very Pradesh, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.
common asked question related to ocean tides, coral reefs
and ocean current.
Resources master trivial compilation of every aspects related ecology,
environment and biodiversity like other topics, environment
The topic deals with the resources distribution about minerals,
and biodiversity can be classify into two heads.
industry, energy which very much important for examination.

Statis
Indian Agriculture Basic theoretical and static stuff such as biomes, in-situ, ex-situ
This topic deals with the India’s agriculture patterns, modes of wildlife conservation.
distribution and contribution in GDP.

Current Based
Industrial Features of India IPCC report, kyotoprotcol supreme court order on xyz issue,
This topic deals with industrial development, pattern of cleaning of yamuna, Ban on minning etc.
industries, agro-based industries and major industrial cluster
from examination point of view.
Climate Change
This topic deals with significant and lasting change in
Transport, Trade and Communication statistical distribution of weather patterns over period ranging
in India from decades to millions of years. It is become international
This topic consisted the major topics from which questions topic of discussion then how can examination would be
are frequently asked such as trends in transports, major ports destituted. It is one of impudent topic after environment and
trade regions and network of communication. biodiversity which has given special weight age because it is
the only regulating factor of the sub-field of the geography.
Every competitive examination asked question by the factor
India-Cultural Settings of the climate change relate with other topics through affects.
This topic deals how regional variation formed India’s distinct
cultural setting. Chapter 18 (Demographic Features of India)
This chapter is sub-part of human geography, which deals Disaster Management
with the distribution of India’s population. This topic deals with environmental impacts on using
resources, disaster prevention, disaster preparedness, relief,
recovery.
Settlement Geography of India
This topic deals with rural settlement, urbanisation and urban
agglomeration. Sustainable Development
This is very important topic from examination point of view.
This topic covers the various facets of sustain ability and also
Ecology; Environment; Biodiversity describe an economy in equilibrium with basic ecological
This is the major important topic from examination point of support system. As far as the new syllabus, a significant
view. It covers some important topics such as importance of number of questions are being asked from on these topic
environment, affect of climate on environment, global every year and also in creases the number of question day by
warming, tropic, food chain, species variation and biome or day. Apart from examination, this topic became world wide
planet. This topic is given special weightage by the UPSC and agenda. Hence, it became prominent and important for any
other competitive examination. The level of question had examination point of View.
asked was pro-concept and current based. Hence, the topic is
Note : In this book, we are unable to update some new facts. Given below is the page
numberwise updation of such facts.

PAGE 124
India State of Forest Report 2017
! The India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2017 states that India’s forest and tree cover has increased by 8,021 sq
km. The majority of the increase in forest cover has been observed in open forest category (mainly outside
forest areas), followed by Very Dense Forests.
! India follows a policy of keeping one-third of the country’s total land area under forest and tree cover.
! Various Class of Forest – Very dense forest 2.99%, Moderate dense forest – 9.38%, Open forest – 9.8%, Shrub-
1.48% and Non-forest – 77.06%.
! Among all the States and Union Territories, Lakshadweep (90.33%) has the highest forest cover in terms of
percentage of its geographical area, followed by Mizoram (86.27%) and Andaman and Nicobar Islands
(81.73%). However, North-Eastern states of Mizoram, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura and Meghalaya
have experienced a decline in forest cover.
! The mangrove cover in India has increased by 112 sq km following acute conservation in the Sunderbans
and Bhitarkanika forest.

PAGE 166
! Indian railways is divided into 18 zones, in this zones 18 is South Coast Railway (Vishakapatnam).

PAGE 220
! Climate Change Summit (Marrakech, Morocco) 2016 (COP 22 )
The twenty second session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 22) took place in November 2016, at Bab
lghli, Marrakech, Morocco. The Marrakech Partnership for Global Climate Action was adopted at this
conference. It aims to mobilise climate actions quickly and to reap the benefits in efficiency and
effectiveness through partnerships and coordination between different actors.
! Climate Change Summit (Bonn, Germany) 2017 (COP 23 )
23 annual COP under UNFCCC was held at Bonn. It was presided over by Fiji’s PM Vorege Fronk Baini Marama
who called for a sense of urgency in implementing the 2015 Paris accord on combating climate change. The
purpose of this summit was to form plan for reaching the targets set under Paris Agreement of 2015.
! Climate Change Summit (Katowice, Poland) 2018 (COP 24 )
The 24th session of COP under UNFCCC was held in Katowice, Poland. It established the Accounting
Guidance Rules to guide the countries for their INDCs, to compare them and add them up as a global
aggregate. It also established market mechanisms which provides for the trading of carbon credits. It sets up
Overall Mitigation in Global Emissions (OMGEs) under the Paris Agreement.
 India & World Geography

Chapter one
The Universe and the
Solar System
Universe The Big Bang Theory
— All the heavenly bodies i.e. stars, — It is the most acclaimed theory proposed
Universe is the sum total planets, satellites, asteroids, meteors by Georges Lemaitre in 1930s and later
strongly evidenced by George Gamow,
of all the potentially comets dust and gases are called
celestial bodies, which together form the which explained the modern Big Bang
knowable objects. The theory.
universe. The science of studying these
study of universe on a heavenly bodies is known as astronomy — Theory states that, at the beginning, all
grand scale is called and the scientists who practice matter forming the universe existed in one
cosmology. The universe astronomy are called astronomers. place in the form of a tiny ball (singular or
primeval atom) with an unimaginably
includes planets, stars,
galaxies, the contents of
Theories about Universe small volume, infinite temperature and
— Universe has been fascinating since indefinite density.
intergalactic space, the ancient times. Various scholars have — Around 15 billion years ago, a vast
smallest sub-atomic presented their views on universe. These explosion occurred and the primeval atom
particles and all matter theories can be put into two categories: disintegrated giving rise to space and time
and the expansion of the universe that
and energy. (i) Early Theories still continues till today and will be further.
— Geocentric Theory The theory is — The expansion of matters further formed
proposed by Ptolemy in AD 140, which galaxies and these galaxies are
states that the Earth is the centre of the continuously expanding and moving away
universe. from each other in an accelerated velocity
— Heliocentric Theory The theory is and in the process cooling the universe.
proposed by Copernicus in AD 1543, — The Big Bang or the expanding universe
according to which the Sun is the centre is now proven by the discovery of the
of the universe. Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation
— In 1805, British astronomer Hershel (CMBR) and Wilkinson Microwave
studied universe with the help of Anisotropy Probe (WMAP).
telescope and stated that the solar — Another important astronomic observation
system is merely a small part of a galaxy. called red shift also proved the expansion
— An American astronomer, Edwin P of universe.
Hubble in 1925 said that the universe — The recent experiments at the Large
has a diameter of 2.5 billion light years Hadron Collider (LHC), built by the
and is composed of several galaxies. European Organisation for Nuclear
Research beneath the Franco-Swiss
(ii) Modern Theories
border near Geneva, Switzerland, aims to
There are four main modern theories put recreate conditions just after big bang to
forward to explain the origin and evolution of have a better understanding of the
the universe: phenomenon.
2 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

Red Shift Theory — The fate of the universe is determined by a struggle

between the momentum of expansion and the pull of
— Light is formed of a band of colours called spectrum. Violet
gravity. The rate of expansion is expressed by the Hubble
colour has the shortest wavelength and lies at one end of
Constant (Ho) while the strength of gravity depends on
the spectrum and red light has longest wavelength and lies
the density and pressure of the matter in the universe.
at another end.
— If the pressure of the matter is low then the fate of the
— The movement of a star or galaxy affects its light as seen
universe is governed by the density. If the density of the
by the observer. When the star is approaching the observer
universe is less than the ‘critical density’, which is
the light shifts to the blue end of the spectrum and the
proportional to the square of the Hubble Constant, then
light shifts to the red end when the star recedes away.
the universe will expand forever.
— This is known as the doppler effect or doppler shift. The
— If the density of the universe is greater than the ‘critical
doppler shift of the galaxies show that they are receding
density’, then gravity will eventually, win and the universe
and that the universe is in a state of rapid and accelerated
will collapse back on itself, which is called big crunch.
rate of expansion. This astronomical observation is known
as red shift. — This strange form of matter is now referred as dark
energy. If dark energy infact plays a significant role in the
Steady State Theory evolution of the universe, then in all likelihood the
— Bondi, Gold and Fred Hoyle developed this theory. universe will continue to expand forever.
According to this theory, the number of galaxies in the
observable universe is constant and new galaxies are Components of the Universe
continuously being created out of empty space, which fill — Our universe has a foamy structure. Considering only the
up the gaps caused by those galaxies, which have crossed largest structures the visible universe is made up of
the boundary of the observable universe. As a result of it, filaments, superclusters and galaxy groups and clusters.
the overall size of mass of the observable universe remains The galaxy groups and clusters in combined form are
constant. Thus, a steady state of the universe is not called superclusters, which are on turn form part of
disturbed at all. walls, which are also parts of filaments.
Pulsating Theory — The visible part of universe is concentrated in certain
parts in a complex scaffold that surrounds a network of
— According to this theory, the universe is supposed to be
enormous cosmic voids or vast empty spaces.
expanding and contracting alternately i.e. pulsating. At
present, the universe is expanding. — In addition to the ‘normal’ matter that makes up the
visible parts of the universe, scientists have discovered
— According to Pulsating theory, it is possible that at a certain
that there are vast amounts of unseen matters called
time, the expansion of the universe may be stopped by the
dark matters. In proportion
gravitational pull and it may contract again. After it has
— Dark energy : 68%
been contracted to a certain size, explosion again occurs
— Dark matter : 27%
and the universe will start expanding. The alternate
— Visible matter : 5%
expansion and contraction of the universe give rise to
pulsating universe. The visible matter of the universe are composed of:
Hydrogen : (72-75%)
Age of the Universe Helium : (23-26%)
Other elements : <2%
— Astronomers estimated that the Big Bang occurred
between 12 and 14 billion years ago and the age of the — The process of nuclear fusion has very slightly increased
universe is now accepted to be 13.7 billion years on the the quantities of helium, but the proportional composition
basis of measurements made on the Cosmic Microwave is practically unchanged since, the earliest years of our
Background Radiation (CMBR). Our solar system is universe.
thought to be 4.5 billion years old. — Dark matters cannot be seen by any of the
Astronomers estimate the age of the universe in two ways: electromagnetic spectrum such as radiowaves, x-ray etc,
(i) By observations made on globular clusters which are a but certain phenomena such as gravitational lensing,
dense collection of roughly a million stars having many temperature distributions, orbital velocities and rotational
old stars. speeds of galaxies etc, evidence of a missing mass and
justify the probable existence of dark matter. Another
(ii) By measuring the rate of expansion of the universe called
invisible entity known as dark energy, is believed to be
Hubble Constant (Ho) and extra polating back to the Big
the reason why galaxies are speeding away at an
Bang.
accelerated rate.
Magbook ~ The Universe and the Solar System 3

Galaxy — Pulsars are variable stars which emit regular pulses

of electro-magnetic waves of very short duration
— A large group of stars is called galaxy. There are billions of
whereas quasars are powerful quasi-stellar sources
galaxies having different sizes regular and irregular shape.
of radio radiations.
Galaxies can be divided into two categories:
— Stars form when enough dust and gas clump
(i) Normal Galaxies together because of gravitational forces. Nuclear
— These galaxies emit comparatively small amount of radio reactions release energy to keep the star hot. Planets
radiations as compared to the total radiations emitted. form when smaller amounts of dust and gas clump
— These galaxies are bright from the centre and gradually dim together because of gravitational forces.
towards the edges. Each normal galaxy contains billions of stars — Stars like the Sun change their form into other forms
in the form of a band, travelling together in the universe. of stars, such as red giants, white dwarfs, neutron
Depending upon their shapes, the normal galaxies may be stars and black holes during their lifetime. The fate
divided into three groups namely: of a star depends upon how much matter it
— Elliptical galaxies contains.
— Spiral galaxies — High mass stars are much brighter than low mass
— Irregular galaxies stars, thus, they rapidly burn through their supply of
— About 18% of the galaxies are elliptical, 80% of the galaxies are hydrogen fuel. A star has enough fuel in its core to
spiral and only 2% of the galaxies are irregular galaxies. The burn which makes it bright. e.g. the Sun has enough
irregular galaxies are youngest, spiral galaxies are middle aged fuel to keep it bright for approximately 9 billion
and elliptical galaxies are quite old. years.
(ii) Radio Galaxies — A star that is twice as massive as the Sun will burn
through its fuel supply in only 800 million years.
— These galaxies emit million times more radio radiations than
A 10 solar mass star, a star that is 10 times more
normal galaxies. The radio radiations do not come from the
massive than the Sun, burns nearly a thousand
galaxy itself, but are believed to be coming from two large radio
times brighter and has only a 20 million year fuel
sources.
supply. Conversely, a star that is half as massive as
— There are 170 billion galaxies in the observable universe. The the Sun burns slowly enough for its fuel to last
largest galaxies have nearly 400 billion stars and our galaxy more than 20 billion years.
‘Milky Way’ has about 100 billion stars.
— Life Cycle of a Star Stars are born in nebulae.
A nebula is a cloud of gas (hydrogen) and dust in
Milky Way space. Huge clouds of dust and gas collapse under
It is the name of the galaxy to which our Earth belongs. If gravitational forces, forming protostars. These young
one looks at the sky on a clear night, a hazy band of white stars undergo further collapse, forming main
light stretching across a great circle is seen, which is sequence stars.
called the Milky Way or Akash Ganga. It is a spiral — Stars expand as they grow old. As the core runs out
galaxy. of hydrogen and then helium, the core contracts and
Recently a super massive black hole known as the outer layers expand, cool and become less
sagittarius. ‘A’ found in the core of the Milky Way. bright. This is a red giant or a red super giant
(depending on the initial mass of the star). It will
Stars eventually, collapse and explode, then becomes either
— A star is a fiery luminous heavenly body that has own light and a black dwarf, neutron star or black hole.
heat energy. Sun is the nearest star to our planet Earth and it — (Transformation of stars) → Red giant → White dwarf →
takes 8.3 minute (500 second) for light to reach Earth from Black dwarf.
Sun. Proxima centauri is the nearest star beyond our solar — (Transformation of stars) → Red supergiant →
system that is at a distance of 4.3 light years from the Earth. Supernova → Neutron star or Black hole.
— Stars may exist as single star, but are very few in the universe — White Dwarf This is very small, hot star, the last stage
(only 25%). They may also occur in pairs called binary stars in the life cycle of a star like the Sun. White dwarfs
(about 33%) and the rest are multiple stars. Alpha centauri have a mass similar to that of the Sun, but only 1% of
consists of three stars. the Sun’s diameter; approximately the diameter of the
— Variable stars are stars that show varying degrees of luminosity. Earth.
Luminosity fluctuates between periods. Delta cephei is an — Supernova This is the explosive death of a star and
example. Stars of fluctuating luminosity are called cepheid often results in the star obtaining the brightness of
variables. 100 million Suns for a short time.
4 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

There are two general types of supernova: Some Facts of Universe

(i) Types I These occur in binary star systems in which gas — Universe was very hot when young. Within minutes of
from one star falls on to a white dwarf, causing it to expansion the temperature was billions Kelvin whereas
explode. the average temperature of the universe is now only
(ii) Types II These occur in stars ten times or more as 2.725 kelvin.
massive as the Sun, which suffer run away internal — As time grows the universe is cooling and marching towards
nuclear reactions at the ends of their lives, leading to a big freeze also known as Heat Death, when the universe
an explosion. They leave behind neutron stars and will be devoid of any usable heat energy. Such prediction is
black holes. Supernova are thought to be main source supported by the measurements made by the Wilkinson
of elements heavier than hydrogen and helium. Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) on the current
— Neutron Stars These stars are composed mainly of geometry and density of the universe.
neutrons and are produced when a supernova — The universe spans a diameter of over 150 billion light years
explodes, forcing the protons and electrons to combine and is flat not spherical. The universe is ever expanding and
to produce a neutron star. having no centre as each galaxy is away from one another.
— Typical stars having a mass of three times the Sun, but — Some scientists predict that such expansion may fate with a
a diameter of only 20 km. radically catastrophic ending in a Big Rip, that everything
— If its mass is any greater, its gravity will be so strong would be forced to be ripped apart.
that it will shrink further to become a black hole.
— Pulsars are believed to be neutron stars that are Our Changing View about the
spinning very rapidly. Universe
— Black Holes These are believed to form from massive — 2000 years ago, the Greek astronomers thought that the
stars at the end of their life times. The density of matter Earth was at the centre of the universe and the Moon, the
in a black hole cannot be measured. planets, the Sun and stars were orbiting around it. In the 6th
— The gravitational pull in a black hole is so great that century, it was Aryabhatta who stated that the rotation of the
nothing can escape from it, not even light. It can often heavenly bodies as observed by us is due to the rotation of
engulf neighbouring matters including stars and planets the Earth around its axis.
etc. — Aryabhatta discovered that the day and night are occurred
due to the rotation of the Earth. He also established that the
Black Hole and Gravitational Waves lunar and solar eclipses were caused due to the shadows of
When two black holes orbit each other and merge, it could the Earth and the Moon respectively. In the 15th century
cause ripples in space. These ripples would spread out like Nicholas Copernicus, the polish scientist showed that the
the ripples in a pond when a stone is tossed in. Scientists Sun was at the centre of the Solar System and planets
call these ripples of space, gravitational waves. Gravitational revolve around it. So, the Sun became the centre of the
waves are invisible. They travel at the speed of light universe.
(186,000 miles per second). — In the 16th century, Johannes Kepler discovered the laws of
The first direct observation of gravitational waves was made planetary orbits, but the Sun still remained at the centre of
September 14, 2015 at LIGO. the universe.It was only in the beginning of the 20th century,
The Chandrasekhar Limit that a picture of our own galaxy became clear. The Sun was
found to be located in a corner of the galaxy.
It is an upper bound on the mass of bodies made from
electron-degenerate matter such as white dwarf. The Discovery of Gravitational Waves
calculation of the maximum mass of 1.44 solar masses for In February 2016, scientists from Laser Interferometer
a white dwarf was done by Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar. Gravitational– wave Observatory (LIGO) revealed that they had
This implied that for masses above 1.44 solar masses there detected gravitational waves. Previously gravitational waves had
could be no balance between electron degeneracy and the only been understood indirectly, via their effect on the timing of
crushing gravitational force and that the star would pulsars in binary star systems.
continue to collapse. First proposed in 1916 by Albert Einstein, gravitational waves are
The collapse will continue until it is stopped by neutron ripples in space and time that are produced when whole black
degeneracy with the formation of a neutron star. But even holes collide and stars explode. Through these waves scientists
that is not the ultimate limit, since neutron degeneracy can hope to gain valuable insight into the universe because these
also be overcome by masses greater than three solar masses waves experience no barriers, unlike electromagnetic waves
and the ultimate collapse is toward a black hole. such as radio waves, visible light, infrared light, X-rays and
gamma rays.
Magbook ~ The Universe and the Solar System 5

The Solar System — The temperature of the bright disc is about 6000 K. At the
centre of the Sun, the temperature is about 15 million K.
— The Solar System is dominated by the Sun, which accounts The pressure is also extremely high. All these conditions
for almost 99.9% of the matter of the whole system. It is the are right for fusion reactions. In the Sun, four protons
source of light and heat to us. Scientists believe that the (nuclei of hydrogen atoms) combine to form a helium
Sun has been formed from a moving cloud of gases, which nucleus.
is called nebula. The Sun and the planets were born out of
— The mass of the helium nucleus is slightly smaller than
this cloud. The force of gravity has created them.
the combined mass of four protons. So, there is a loss of
— For over millions of years, these balls of dust and gas are mass in the process. This loss of mass is the source of
moving around the Sun. The Sun by virtue of its mass and Sun’s energy.
weight, controls the movement of the planets. This force
— The Sun is about 150 million km away from the Earth.
is called the force of gravity.
Light travels at a speed of 300000 km/s. So, the light of
— Sun is at the centre of the Solar System with eight planets the Sun takes about 8.3 light minutes to reach us. The
(i.e. Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus light of the nearest star (Proxima or Alpha centuari) to the
and Neptune) and their satellites, dwarf planets, Sun reach Earth in about 4.3 light years.
asteroids, meteors and comets that move around the Sun. — In August, 2018 NASA has launched first planned robotic
— Till 2006, there were nine planets in the Solar System. spacecraft to study outer corona of Sun. The goal of the
Pluto was the farthest planet from the Sun. In 2006, the probe is to determine structure and dynamics of magnetic
International Astronomical Union (IAU) adopted a new fields at sources of solar wind. It will also trace flow of
definition of a planet. Pluto and other celestial bodies like energy that heats corona and accelerates solar wind.
Ceres, 2003 UB 313 does not fit this definition. It is no
longer considered as a planet of the Solar System. Process of Fusion
The Sun According to Einstein’s equation E = mc 2 , E is the energy
— It is believed that the Sun was born about 5 billion years
produced when a mass (m), is lost. The quantity (c) is the
velocity of light. Most stars produce their energy by the
ago. Since that time, it is continuously emitting huge
process of fusion.
amount of heat and light and it is expected to glow in a
similar manner for the next 5 billion years or so on. The
Sun is the nearest star from us.
— The Sun is the source of almost all energy on the Earth. In
The Planets
— Planets are actually revolving around the Sun. They have
fact, the Sun is the main source of heat and light for all
their own elliptical path of movement known as the orbits.
the planets.The radius of the Sun is almost 100 times of
Movement around its own axis is called rotation and
the radius of the Earth and its mass is about a million
times the mass of the Earth. around the Sun is revolution. They have their own speed
also.
— The Sun is essentially a sphere of hot gases. The disc is
— Planets, unlike stars, have no light or heat of their own.
also called the photosphere. The layers of gas above the
They are lit by the light of the stars. Stars twinkle whereas
photosphere are extremely hot, but their densities are
planets do not. The word planet comes from the Greek
extremely low. These layers are very faint and are not
word Planetai, which means wanderers. Planets keep
visible in the presence of strong light from the disc of the
changing their positions with respect to the stars.
Sun.
At the time of the total solar eclipse, when the light of the
—

Sun’s disc is completely cut off, the outermost layer

Inner and Outer Planets
becomes visible. It appears like a crown round the Sun.
— The first four planets namely Mercury, Venus, Earth and
This layer is called Corona. Mars are much nearer to the Sun than the other four
planets. They are called the inner planets. The inner
— Solar flares are charged particles overcome from Sun’s
planets have very few Moons.The planets outside the orbit
gravity and comes into the outer space. When these solar
of Mars namely Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune are
flares reach the Earth atmosphere, collide with the
much farther off than the inner planets. They are called
gaseous particles and produces a colourful effect. In
the outer planets. They have a ring system around them.
South pole region, these effects are known as Aurora,
The outer planets have more number of Moons.
Australis and in North pole Aurora Borealis.
6 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

Terrestrial and Jovian Planets Goldilock Zone

— Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars are also called the The Goldilocks zones an area of space in which a planet is
terrestrial planets because their structure is similar to the just the right distance from its home star so that its surface is
Earth. The common features of these planets are as follows: neither too hot nor too cold. The Earth occupies what
— a thin rocky crust
scientists sometimes call the Goldilocks zone. Its distance
— a mantle rich in iron and magnesium
from our star means it is neither too hot, nor too cold to
— a core of molten metals
— have thin atmospheres.
support liquid water–thought to be a key ingredient for life.
— the planets outside the orbit of the Mars are called Jovian Just because a planet or moon is in the Goldilocks zone of a
planets because their structure is similar to that of Jupiter. star, it doesn’t mean it’s going to have life or even liquid
The common features of these planets are as follows: water. Venus and Mars are also in this habitable zone, but
— these are all gaseous bodies. aren’t habitable because of lack of atmosphere and solidified
— they have rings, which are belts of small debris around them core.
and
— have large number of satellites.
The Earth (Prithvi)
Mercury (Buddha) — Our Earth rotates from West to East. Our Earth is more
— It is nearest to the Sun. It is the smallest planet of the Solar or less like a sphere, which is slightly flattened in the
System, nearly of the same size and mass as the Moon. North and South. The Earth is best to be described as
Mercury takes 88 days for one orbit around the Sun and 59 geoid which means Earth like shape.
days for one spin on its axis. It has no satellite. — Earth is the third nearest planet to the Sun. In size it
— There is no atmosphere on mercury. The surface of mercury ranks fifth. In size and make up the Earth is almost
is rocky and mountainous. One side of the surface facing the identical to Venus. Due to presence of water and
Sun receives maximum heat and light. The surface of this landmasses, the Earth appears blue-green in colour
planet does not receive sunlight or heat on its other side. One from the space. Therefore, it is called blue planet.
part of Mercury, therefore, is very hot while the other part is — The Earth is the only planet where some special
very cold. environment conditions are responsible for the
— As Mercury is very close to the Sun, it is difficult to observe existence and continuation of life.
it, as most of the time it is hidden in the glare of the Sun.
However, it can be observed in September and October just Our Only Natural Satellite-the Moon
before sunrise in the Eastern sky as a morning star. It is also A small body revolving around a bigger body is called its
seen in the Western region of the sky immediately after satellite. The Moon is a satellite of the Earth. Planets are the
sunset in March and April as an evening star. satellites of the Sun. These are natural satellites. Like planets,
Venus (Shukra) satellites also have no light or heat of their own.
As the Moon revolve round the Earth and also around the Sun
— Venus has no Moon or satellite of its own. It rotates on its
its position changes daily in relation with the Sun. As a result,
axis is somewhat unusual i.e. from East to West. Venus
the relative positions of the Moon keep on changing everyday.
shows phases just like the Moon. Its size is nearly the same
i.e. Moon appears different each night. The various shapes of
as that of the Earth. The mass of Venus is nearly 4/5 times the bright part of the Moon as seen during a month are called
that of the Earth. It takes 224.7 days for one orbit around phases of the Moon.
the Sun and 243 days for one spin on its axis.
The Moon takes almost the same time, 27 days and 7 hours to
— Venus has an atmosphere that consists of mainly carbon
complete both the movements i.e. rotation and revolution.
dioxide. Minute quantities of water vapour and oxygen have Thus, it always presents the same side towards our Earth. The
also been found on Venus. The cloudy atmosphere of Venus Moon has no atmosphere. It has no water.
sends back almost 3/4th of the sunlight that falls on it. That
The diameter of the Moon is only 1/4th of that of the Earth.
is why Venus could be seen as the brightest object in the
The Moon is about 384400 km away from the Earth. The light
sky after the Sun and the Moon.
reflected by the Moon reaches us in just one and a quarter
— Sometimes, Venus appears in the Eastern sky before sunrise seconds. Neil Armstrong, Edwin Aldrin and Collins set foot on
and sometimes it appears in the Western sky just after the Moon for the first time on 21st July, 1969. They found that
sunset. Therefore, it is often called a morning or an evening the Moon’s surface is dusty and barren. There are many
star. However, the surface of Venus is much hotter than the craters of different sizes. It also has a large number of steep
Earth, but not as hot as that of Mercury. Though Mercury has and high mountains. These cast shadows on the Moon’s
no atmosphere, Venus is the hottest planet in our Solar surface.
System.
Magbook ~ The Universe and the Solar System 7

Mars (Mangal) Uranus (Arun)

— It is almost half the size of the Earth. The diameter — It was the first planet to be discovered with the help of a
of Mars is slightly more than half of that of the Earth, telescope. William Herschel discovered the planet in 1781.
but its mass is only 1/10th of that of the Earth. It Hydrogen and methane have been detected in the atmosphere
takes 687 days for one orbit around the Sun and 1 of Uranus. Except Venus and Uranus, all other planets rotate in
day for one spin on its axis.The atmosphere of Mars the same direction in which they revolve.
is much thinner than that of the Earth. — Like Venus, Uranus also rotates from East to West. The most
— It perhaps consists mainly nitrogen and argon. remarkable feature of Uranus is that it has highly tilted
Traces of oxygen have also been found. It appears rotational axis. As a result, in its orbital motion it appears to roll
slightly reddish and therefore, it is also called the on its side. It takes 84 years for one orbit around the Sun and
red planet. Mars has two small natural satellites 17 hours, 14 minutes for one spin on its axis. It has
named Phobos and Deimos. 27 satellites.
— The Mars is visible from the Earth for most part of Neptune (Varun)
the year. However, it is best situated for observation,
when it is opposite the Sun’s position in the sky with
— This discovered by Sir William Herschel on the basis of the law
respect to the Earth. On these days, it is closer to of gravitation given by Sir Issac Newton which he gave almost
the Earth as well. 180 years before it. It takes 164 years for one orbit around the
Sun and 16 hours 7 minutes for one spin on its axis. Uranus
Jupiter (Brihaspati) and Neptune are quite faint and cannot be seen with the naked
— It is the largest planet of the Solar System. It takes eye. That is why only 6 planets were known in ancient times.
11 years and 11 months for one orbit around the These two planets have been discovered only after telescopes
Sun and 9 hours, 56 minutes for one spin on its came into use in astronomy. It has 8 satellites.
axis. It has 67 satellites. It also has faint rings
around it. Its most distinguishing feature is the great Pluto
red spot. It is believed that it is a complex storm in Discovered in 1930 by Clyde Tombaugh, Pluto was long considered our
the atmosphere of the planet ranging for a few solar system’s ninth planet. But after the discovery of similar
hundred years. fascinating planets deeper in the distant Kuiper Belt, Pluto was
— Its mass is more than the combined mass of all reclassified as a dwarf planet in 2006.
other planets. Because of its large mass, Jupiter It takes 248 years in revolution and 155 hours in rotation. Pluto has
exerts a strong gravitational pull on other objects five known moons. Charon (the largest), Styx, Nix, Kerberos and Hydra.
which pass by it. A comet passing close to it is likely Pluto and Charon are sometimes considered as a binary star system.
to experience this pull and stray from its original New Horizons is a NASA’s spacecraft that was the first to visit dwarf
path. In 1994, the comet, shoemaker-levy, actually planet Pluto in July 2015. Its flyby images of the dwarf planet’s icy
broke up into several pieces when it came too near surface, as well as observations of Pluto’s moon Charon, are
this planet. The pieces then collided with the planet. revolutionizing our understanding of solar system objects far from the
— Jupiter’s bright appearance in the sky after Venus sun.
and occasionally Mars is due to its thick atmosphere The mission is now enroute to an object deeper in the Kuiper Belt,
that reflects most of the sunlight falling on it. It is called 2014 MU69. It will reach this object on 1st Jan, 2019.
believed that Jupiter mainly consists of hydrogen
and helium in gaseous form. Its cloud like outer Boundary of the Solar System
regions consists of methane in gaseous form while
— The orbit of Pluto does not mark the boundary of the Solar
ammonia is present in crystalline form.
System. It extends much beyond it. Its size has been estimated
Saturn (Shani) to be about 105 AU (Astronomical Unit which is equal to the
— Beyond Jupiter is Saturn which appears yellowish in mean distance between the Earth and the Sun i.e.
colour. What make it unique in the Solar System are 150 million km). At the edge of the Solar System, there exist
its three beautiful rings. It takes 29 years, 5 months billions of very small objects.
for one orbit around the Sun and 10 hours, 40 — These objects were formed very early in the gas cloud from
minutes for one spin on its axis. It has 62 satellites. which the Solar System evolved. Occasionally, paths of these
Saturn is the least dense among all the planets. Its bodies are disturbed by accidents, such as a star passing
density is less than that of water. It is similar in size, nearby, causing some of them to move towards the Sun, which
mass and composition to Jupiter. It is however, appears as comets. Comets are of great interest to scientists.
cooler than the Jupiter. This is because the material of comet presents a sample of the
original material from, which the Solar System was formed.
8 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

Asteroids (Starlike)
— There are numerous tiny heavenly bodies found between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter, which revolve around the Sun.
These bodies are called asteroids. Each asteroid has its own orbit and the orbits of all of them are spread over a large
distance forming a band. A few asteroids have elongated orbits going beyond the orbit of Jupiter.
— The size of asteroids varies from barely a pebble to a few 100 km. The largest asteroid is Cere, has a diameter of about
1000 km. Scientists believe that asteroids are the pieces of matter that somehow could not get assembled in the form of a
planet. The asteroids are small rocky bodies.
— While making their rounds the asteroids often collide and break into smaller pieces. These smaller pieces or meteorites
sometime fall on to the Earth. They crash to the ground and create craters. Meteor crater in Arizona, USA and Lonar lake
in the State of Maharashtra, India are good examples of craters.

Comets
— It revolves around the Sun in highly elliptical orbits. However, their period of revolution round the Sun is usually very long.
They become visible from the Earth only when they come close to the Sun. A comet appears generally as a bright head
with a long tail. The length of the tail grows in size as it approaches the Sun. The tail disappears again, when the comet
move away from the Sun. The tail of a comet is always directed away from the Sun.
— Many comets are known to appear periodically. One such comet is Halley’s comet, which appears after nearly every 76
years. It was last seen in 1986.The study of comet tails has shown the existence of molecules of carbon, nitrogen and
hydrogen.
— Since, these molecules can help to form complex molecules necessary for the origin of life, some scientists have
suggested that the seeds of life on the Earth were brought by comets from the outer space.

Meteors, Meteorites and Meteor Showers

— Meteors are very small stone-like objects that are revolving around the Sun. Their existence becomes known only, when
some of them occasionally enter the Earth’s atmosphere. At that time, it has a very high speed. Due to the friction in the
atmosphere it heats up. It glows and evaporates quickly.
— The path of the meteor, therefore, appears as bright streaks of light in the sky. The bright steak lasts for a very short-time.
These are commonly known as shooting stars, although they are not stars.
— Some meteors are large and, so they can reach the Earth before they evaporate completely. The body that reaches the
Earth is called a meteorite. They can be examined in the laboratory. They give us an idea of the composition of the
material from which the Solar System was formed.When the Earth crosses the tail of a comet, swarms of meteors are
seen. These are known as meteor showers. Some meteor showers occur at regular intervals each year.

New Discovery of Exoplanets

NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope has revealed the first known system of seven Earth-size planets around a single star. Three of
these planets are firmly located in the habitable zone, the area around the parent star where a rocky planet is most likely to
have liquid water. This exoplanet system is called TRAPPIST-1, named for the Transiting Planets and Planetesimals Small
Telescope (TRAPPIST) in Chile.
 Self Check Build Your Confidence
1. Which of the following statements are helpful in probing Which of the above statement(s) is/are correct?
the Big Bang theory? (a) Only 2 (b) Only 3
1. Study of Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation (CMBR). (c) 1 and 2 (d) All of these
2. Measurement by Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe 7. Consider the following statements
(WMAP). 1. Pulsars emit regular pulses of electromagnetic waves.
3. Red shift observation. 2. Quasars emit radio radiations.
4. Informations of large Hadron Collider. 3. Origin of stars are traced back to nebulae.
Select the correct answer using the codes given below 4. It is predicted that after 5 billion years the Sun may
(a) 1 and 3 (b) 1, 2 and 3 (c) 3 and 4 (d) All of these expand enough to engulf all its planets and collapse
2. Consider the following statements regarding Solar itself.
System Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
1. All the planets constitute less than 2% of the total matter (a) 3 and 4 (b) 1 and 2
of Solar System. (c) 1, 2 and 3 (d) All of these
2. All the Jovian planets have rings. 8. Which of the following is/are the measures of
3. At the edge of the Solar System, there are numerous small astronomical distances?
celestial bodies. 1. Light year 2. Astronomical unit
Which of the above statements are correct? 3. Per second 4. Orbital length
(a) 1 and 2 (b) 2 and 3 Select the correct answer using the codes given below
(c) 1 and 3 (d) All of these (a) 1 and 2 (b) 1, 2 and 3
3. Consider the following statements (c) Only 2 (d) All of these
1. Our galaxy ‘Milky way’ is a spiral galaxy. 9. Consider the following statements regarding Moon of
2. Our Solar System is located in approximate centre of the Earth
Milky way. 1. In terms of size Moon is similar to planet Mercury.
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? 2. In terms of mass, Moon is about 2/3 of the planet Mercury.
(a) Only 1 (b) Only 2 Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 (a) Only 1 (b) Only 2
4. Which of the following statements are correct? (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
1. Most of the stars in our universe exist single. 10. Consider the following statements
2. High mass stars has shorter duration of life span. 1. When a star moving away from the observer then the light
3. In future, ‘Sun’ may become a black dwarf not a black hole. coming from it looks red gradually shifting from white.
4. Chandrasekhar limit deals with the finding of black holes. 2. This observation is useful to explain the origin of the
Select the correct answer using the codes given below universe.
(a) 1 and 4 (b) 1, 2 and 3 (c) 2 and 3 (d) All of these Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
5. Consider the following statements regarding Mercury (a) Only 1 (b) Only 2
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
1. One part of the planet is very hot while other is very cold.
2. Its surface is rocky and mountainous. 11. Which of the following statements is/are correct?
3. It can be seen in sky in September and October ‘just after 1. Supernova is a stage when star explode and cost its
sunset’. characteristics.
Which of the above statements are correct? 2. Stars having similar mass like our Sun have similar
(a) 1 and 2 (b) 2 and 3 rotational speed.
(c) 1 and 3 (d) All of these 3. Stars having mass lower than the Sun never explode.
6. Consider the following statements about the Pluto 4. Once a star turns to white dwarf, it is rapidly converted to
black hole.
1. Pluto is largest dwarf planet in our Solar System.
Select the correct answer using the codes given below
2. Pluto is located in Kuiper belt.
(a) Only 1 (b) 1 and 2 (c) 1, 2 and 3 (d) All of these
3. Pluto has no natural satellites.

1. (d) 2. (d) 3. (a) 4. (c) 5. (a) 6. (a) 7. (d) 8. (b) 9. (a) 10. (a)
11. (a)
Chapter two
The Earth
Of all the planets in our solar system,
Shape and Size of
—
the Earth has the greatest density
approximately 5.52 grams cm 3 , second
the Earth in line is Mercury.
The Earth was formed — The Earth is an oblate spheroid, bulges at — There is an antipodal arrangement of
approximately the equator and is flattened at the poles. land and water on directly opposite
For such shape, the Earth is called as side of the Earth, means land is
4.54 billion years ago
geoid. Geodesy is a branch of science opposite to water and vice-versa on the
and is the only known that deals with measuring the Earth’s size globe.
planet to support life. In and shape. — Even, the North Arctic ocean is
ancient culture, Earth — Due to rotation of Earth, centrifugal force opposite to the Antarctic landmass.
was considered flat. The is generated which is greatest at the Only a few landmass has antipodal to
equator that causes a slight outward landmass, such pairs are like New
paradigm of a spherical bulge there, so the equatorial Zealand-Spain, Bermuda-Perth,
Earth was developed in circumference is larger than polar Jakarta-Bogota, China-Argentina,
Greek astronomy, circumference. Lima-Bankok etc.
beginning with — Gravitational pull is strongest at the — Antipodal points on Earth of a location
Pythagoras (6th century flattened poles and gradually weaken can be calculated by converting North
towards the equator. So, our weight is latitude to South latitude and
BC). Aristotle accepted lowest at the equator and highest at the subtracting longitude value from 180°
the spherical shape of pole. Earth is the third nearest planet to the and reversing East to West or
the Earth on empirical Sun and in size, it is the fifth largest planet vice-versa.
grounds around 330 BC. and largest among the 4 inner planets.
— The equatorial circumference is
83 miles more than polar circumference
and equatorial diameter is 26 miles
(~ 42 km) greater than its polar diameter.
— The spherical shape of the Earth is also
marked by the intervening highlands and
oceans on its surface.
— The surface area of the Earth is
approximate 510 million km 2 among
which water is 361 million km 2 (70.8%)
and land is about 149 million km 2 . Water
is more concentrated in Southern
hemisphere and the landmass is more
concentrated in Northern hemisphere of
the Earth considering equator as the
boundary line.
Magbook ~ The Earth 11

different rocks and comparing the amount of uranium

Facts about Earth still in the rock to the amount of lead that has been
◆
Mass 5.97 × 1024 kg formed, they have measured the age of the Earth about
◆
Equatorial Diameter 12756 km 4.5 billion years.
◆
Polar Diameter 12714 km
◆
Equatorial Circumference 40030 km Carbon-14 Dating
◆
Known Satellites 1, the Moon — All organic life forms have some amount of carbon-14 in
◆
Orbit Distance 149598262 km (1 AU) them. When they die, no more carbon-14 is produced,
but instead the carbon-14 begins to slowly break down.
◆
Orbit Period 365.26 Earth days
Scientists think it takes 5600 years for half of a piece of
◆
Surface Temperature -88°C to 58°C
carbon-14 to break down.
◆
Average Atmospheric Temperature
— The fossil remains of creatures that had carbon-14 in
14.2°C
them are found in sedimentary rock. By comparing the
◆
Earth’s Atmosphere Nitrogen (78%),
amount of carbon-14 in a rock to the amount of other
Oxygen (21%), Argon (0.93%) and Carbon
substances that have been formed, as a result of the
dioxide (0.03%)
breaking down of the carbon-14, scientists can date the
◆
Earth’s Orbital Speed 29.8 km/sec rock.
◆
Density 5.52 g/cm 3
— Carbon-14 dating is used to find the age of rocks upto
15000 years old and the radioactive method is used for
Measurement of Earth’s Age older rocks.

Several methods to determine the age of the Earth are:

Motions of the Earth
Erosion — As a celestial body, Earth has different varieties of
— Scientific observation shows that erosion takes place at spatial motions. It may include rotation, revolution, axial
about 1 ft in every 5000 years. Knowing this method, we precession, change in tiltation of axis, changes in the
can estimate the age of rock formations like the Grand ellipticity of the orbit (spin motion).
Canyon.
Rotation
Sedimentation — Rotation is the motion of the Earth along its axis, around
— Another method used is to measure the rate at which the imaginary line passes through North pole and South
sediment is deposited. Scientists think it takes between 500 pole. Earth rotates from West to East i.e. anti-clockwise.
and 10000 years to deposit 1 foot of sediment. This method So, Sun, Moon and other stars rises in the East and set
is not as accurate as the erosion method. on the West.
— Rotational motion causes day and night, so, called daily
Salinity of the Oceans motion. Speed of the rotation decreases from equator to
— Some geologists try to measure the age of the Earth by the poleward i.e. the speed is about 1670 km/h at equator
amount of salt in the ocean. and about 1120 km/h at 45° latitude.
— First, they need to find out how much salt is in the oceans. — Solar Day It is found when the duration of Earth’s
Then, they find out how much salt rivers pour into the revolution around the Sun is calculated in terms of
oceans each year. days, while taking Sun as stationary. Duration of a solar
— By comparing how much salt there is in the oceans now to day is exactly 24 hours. It is the average interval
how much is carried in by rivers each year, scientists can between two successive midnights. It is also called
estimate the age of the oceans. synodic day.
— Sideral Day The duration between the passage of a
Radioactive Method particular star over a meridian twice is called sideral
— It is the method to study the uranium in igneous and day. Its duration is of about 23 hours and 56 minutes. It
metamorphic rocks. Uranium is a mildly radioactive is smaller than Solar day.
substance that breaks down very slowly to form other — Rotation causes deflation of ocean currents and winds
elements and eventually into lead and cannot be influenced differently in different hemisphere, popularly known as
by temperature and pressure. coriolis force. It also causes alternate rise and fall in
— Scientists calculate that it takes about 5 billion years for a ocean waves twice daily. Rotation of Earth creates a
half of a piece of uranium to become lead. By looking at
12 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

centrifugal force that causes a bulge at the equator circular motion of the rotational axis, the tilt changes
and reduces the gravitational pull there. periodically also from about 24.5° to 21.5° over a period of
about 40000 years. So, as the rotational axis wobbles, it also
Revolution tilts back and forth.
— Revolution is the motion of the Earth on its elliptical — This motion provides no insight into the Earth’s internal
orbit around the Sun. Earth revolves at about 18.5 properties, but it turns out to be very important as an influence
miles per second or 29.6 km per second. It is on the Earth’s climatic changes.
responsible for experience of seasons on Earth. One
complete revolution is called a year and can be Changes in the Earth’s Orbit
called synodic/solar year/tropical year or sideral year — The Earth revolves around the Sun in an elliptical orbit every
as per the relative calculation. 365 days with the Sun at one focus. This orbital state too is not
— The sideral year is defined to be the time for the Sun static. The ellipticity of the orbit, changes, also in a periodic
to return to the same position with respect to the way, with this period being the longest at around 100000 years,
stars. Whereas, the tropical year is the time for the the ellipticity changes from 0.01 to 0.007.
Sun to return to the same position relative to the — In summary, these three motions can be thought of as a
Earth’s axis, which is normally calculated from one 100000 years stretch of the orbital ellipse, a 40000 years tilt of
vernal equinox (summer solstice) to another. The the rotational axis, together with a 26000 years wobble of the
solar year is shorter than the sideral year by about 20 rotational axis. Wobble and stretch are actually coupled, if one
minutes and 23 seconds because of the precession. changes the other is also forced to change alongwith it.
— Hipparchus was the first man to take exact
Seasons
observations of the length of the year and later
Ptolemy also made the similar one. — The imaginary surface on which Earth orbits around the Sun is
called as the plane of the ecliptic. The Earth’s axis is inclined
— The average distance between Earth and Sun is
at 66.5° to the plane of the ecliptic (or 23.5° from the
approximately 93 million miles or 150 million km, but
perpendicular to the plane of the ecliptic). The Earth maintains
it varies as the orbit of Earth is elliptical not circular.
its orientation with respect to the stars. Thus, the North pole
— The position at which Earth is closest to the Sun is points in the same direction to Polaris, the North star, as it
called perihelion (about 147 million km) likely occur revolves around the Sun. Consequently, the Northern
about 3rd January, every year. Similarly, the farthest hemisphere tilts away from the Sun during one-half of Earth’s
position of the Earth from the Sun is called orbit and towards the Sun through the other half.
apehelion, likely occur about 4th July every year
— If the Earth would not have been tilted on its axis, the days and
(152 million km).
nights would have been of same duration, always. Moreover, if
the Earth would not have been revolving around the Sun, one
Axial Precession of the hemispheres would have long days and short nights,
— The rotational axis of the Earth is tilted with respect whereas the other one would have short days and long nights.
to the normal to the plane of the ecliptic, presently at
an angle of about 23.5°. Because of the oblate shape Earth’s Orbit around the Sun
of the Earth and the tilt, the Sun exerts a gravitational N
pull that differs in force at the two poles. The effect is Vernal (Spring) Winter Solstice
to attempt to set the Earth up straight i.e. to try to N Equinox ~21st December
right the axis to be normal to the ecliptic. ~21st March

— However, instead of straightening, the Earth’s rotation Summer Solstice

~21st June
axis precesses, i.e. it exhibits a slow, conical motion
Autumnal (Fall) Equinox
around the orbital axis. Infact, the ‘righting force’ has ~21st September
the effect of causing the rotational axis to execute a
Revolution of Earth
circular, wobbling motion, like a spinning top. The
precession of the equinoxes is responsible for the — The Earth moves not only on its axis, but also in its orbit
difference between the Julian and Gregorian around the Sun. Therefore, the Earth changes its position
calendars. continuously with respect to the Sun. There are four major
positions of the Earth, while it revolves around the Sun and
Changes in Tilt these positions bring different seasons on the Earth:
(i) Position on 21st June In this position, the Sun shines
— While the inclination of the Earth’s rotational axis is
perpendicularly over the Tropic of Cancer. This position is called
presently 23.5°, it has moved a little in the past. Like
the summer solstice. Infact, from 21st March, the Sun starts
the precession of the equinoxes that reflects the
Magbook ~ The Earth 13

shifting towards the North, gradually. It is the time of summer 1

Antarctic Circle (66 °S), North Pole (90° N) and
season in the Northern hemisphere, while in the Southern 2
hemisphere, it is winter season. The day in the Northern South Pole (90° S).
hemisphere is longest on 21st June. From 21st June, the Sun — The average latitudinal distance of 1° is about 69
starts retreating towards the equator and hence, the heat of miles or 111 km. As the Earth is slightly flattened
summer gradually decreases. On this date Sun does not set below at the poles, the linear distance of a degree of
the horizon at the arctic circle. latitude at the pole is little longer than that at the
(ii) Position on 22nd December In this position, the Sun shines equator.
perpendicularly over the Tropic of Capricorn. This position is called
North Pole
winter solstice. During this period, days are long and nights are short in 90°
75° 75° North
the Southern hemisphere and vice-versa in Northern hemisphere. 60° 60° Latitude
(iii) Position on 21st March The Sun starts shifting towards North 45° 45°

gradually from 21st March. This position marks the summer in the 30° 30°

Northern hemisphere and winter in the Southern hemisphere. On this 15° 15°

day, the Sun also shines directly overhead the equator. It is called Equator 0° 0° Equator
spring equinox. 15°
15°

30°
(iv) Position on 23rd September The Sun shines directly overhead the 30°

equator. Therefore, half part of all latitudes receives the sunlight at 45° 45°

these times. Hence, everywhere the duration of the day and night is 60° 60° South
75° 75° Latitude
equal. Seasons are also similar in both the hemispheres. It is called 90°

autumn equinox. South Pole

Latitudes on Earth
Effects of Earth’s Motion — During the winter and summer solstices, the area
— Alongwith creating day-night and seasons, the motions also create on the Earth between the Arctic circle (at 66.5° N
spatial temperature variations on the Earth. latitude) and the North pole has 24 hours of
darkness and daylight, respectively.
— Sun oscillates overhead regions within the tropics. Sunlight is
concentrated time-to-time over these regions, but it becomes — The same phenomena occurs for the area
gradually oblique and faint towards the poles. So, tropical regions between the Antarctic circle (at 66.5° S latitude)
are net gainers of heat during respective summer seasons and and the South pole, except that the seasons are
beyond these regions are permanent net looser of heat on Earth. reversed in the Southern hemisphere. At the
Whereas the equatorial region is always net gainer of heat on poles, the Sun is below the horizon for 6 months
Earth. of the year.
— For those living outside, the tropics (poleward of
Latitudes 23.5° North and South latitude), the noon Sun will
— The points at which the rotational axis intersects the Earth’s never shine directly overhead.
surface are called North pole and South pole. Latitude which
divides the Earth into two equal halves is called equator. Its value Longitudes
is 0°. The position of all the latitudes is either to North or to South — Since, the equator is a circle, it can be divided
of the equator. The Northern half of the Earth from the equator is into 360 divisions and the imaginary line joining
known as the Northern hemisphere and the Southern half is both the poles passing through such divisional
known as the Southern hemisphere. points on the equator are like semi-circles and
— The latitude of a place is the angular distance of a place North or called meridians.
South of the equator, as measured in degrees from the center of — Unlike the equator, which is centrally placed
the Earth. between the poles, any meridian could have been
— The line of latitude are drawn parallel to the equator in circles, so taken to begin the numbering. It was finally
called parallels and grow smaller towards the poles. Thus, latitude decided in 1884, to choose as the zero meridian,
of the great circle or equator is the largest and nearly a point at the one which passes through the Royal
the poles. Astronomical Observatory at Greenwich, near
London.
— Total number of latitudes are 181 and the most important lines of
1
0 — This is the Prime Meridian (0°) from which all
latitude are the Equator (0°), the Tropic of Cancer (23 N), the other meridians radiate Eastwards and Westwards
2
10 1° upto 180°.
Tropic of Capricorn (23 S), the Arctic Circle ( 66 N) and the
2 2
14 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

— Less conventionally, the part of the Earth on the Eastern side of the Prime
Important Facts on
Meridian is called Eastern hemisphere and that on the Western side of it is
called Western hemisphere.
Longitude and Latitudes
— These meridians shows the longitude of a place on the globe at its angular The Equator passes through 13 countries:
distance, East or West of the Prime Meridian. Ecuador, Colombia, Brazil, Sao Tome and
Principe, Gabon and Republic of the Congo,
— The Prime Meridian and the 180° longitude that lies just opposite to the
Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda,
Prime Meridian together form one complete circle. From Prime Meridian, Kenya, Somalia, Maldives, Indonesia and
Eastward longitudes are marked as ‘E’ upto 179°E and Westward longitudes Kiribati. Among physical features, the
are marked as ‘W’ upto 179°W, but 180° is left unlabelled. So, there are equator passes through Andes, Mouth of
total 360 longitudes. Amazon, Congo basin, Lake Victoria, Mouth
— Like latitudes, longitudes also can be sub-divided into minutes (′) or seconds of R Juba (Somalia), Sumatra, Borneo.
(′′ ) for precise locational analysis. As the parallels of latitude become shorter The Tropic of Cancer at 23 ½° N runs
polewards, so the meridians of longitude which converge at the poles,
through Mexico, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, India,
enclose a narrower space. The degree of longitude therefore decrease in
Bangladesh, Myanmar, South China and
length towards pole. For this reason, they are not used for calculating Taiwan. Among physical features, it passes
distances. through Gulf of Mexico, Mexican plateau,
North Pole
165° 180° 165°
Saharan desert, river Nile, Red sea,
150° 150°
135° 135°
Arabian peninsula, Arabian sea,
120° 120° Ganga-Brahmaputra-Meghna confluence,
105° 105°
90° 90°
Indo-China peninsula and Red river in
75° 75°
China.
60°
45°
60° Tropic of Capricorn at 23½ S runs through
45°
30°
15° 15°
30° Chile, Northern Argentina, Paraguay,
0°
Southern Brazil, Botswana, Northern South
Africa, Madagascar, Australia etc among
Meridian

Meridian
Prime

Prime

major countries. Among major physical

features, it passes through Andes,
West East Granchaco, Brazilian highlands, Namib
Longitude Longitude desert, Kalahari desert, Mozambia channel,
South Pole Great Dividing range etc.
Longitudes on Earth
Antarctic Circle (66½ N) passes through
entirely over ocean except some part of
Great Circles and Small Circles Antarctica Arctic circle (66½ N) passes
— A great circle is a circle, which divides the Earth into two equal parts or through Bejing strait, Alaska, Davis strait,
hemispheres. Greenland, Scandinavia and Siberian
— A great circle is the longest circle that can be drawn on the globe. plateau.
Conversely, a circle on the surface of the Earth, that does not pass through Prime Meridian passes through United
the center of the Earth and thus, divides the Earth into two unequal parts is Kingdom, Paris, Spain, Algeria, Mali,
called a small circle. Ghana etc.
— Among the parallels of latitude, only the equator is a great circle and all
other parallels are small circles. However, among the meridians of longitude,
all are semi-circles and form great circle alongwith meridian running
Distribution of Date
opposite side. Apparently, an infinite number of great circles can be drawn and Time
on the surface of Earth. — To eliminate the confusion of time and
date at local and international level, the
world is divided into standard time
belts. Prime Meridian is used as the
basis for reckoning of international time,
which is the reference of local time or
noon of Greenwich Meridian.
— Earth rotates from West to East, hence,
places situated in the East of Prime
Magbook ~ The Earth 15

Meridian experience Sun rise earlier than the places in the 180°
West.
— Earth takes 24 hours for one complete rotation of 360°, it
implies the Sun appears to move at the rate of 15° in 1 hour
or 1° in 4 minutes. Sun is overhead each meridian after

International Date Line

4 minutes, such position can be taken for calculation of local
time.
— Taking Greenwich Meridian as standard time zone (GMT), the
whole world has been divided into 24 standard time zones,
each of which differs from the next by 15° in longitude or 1
hour in time.
— Every 15° we go Eastwards, local time is advanced by 1 hour International Date Line
and conversely if we go Westward, local time is retarded by 1
hour. Places East of Prime Meridian see the Sun earlier and
gain time, whereas places West of it see the Sun later and lose Daylight Saving Time (DST)
time. A simple memory technique may be East Gain Add In summer time in several countries, there is a practice of
(EGA) and West Lose Subtract (WLS) for finding the local time advancing clocks, so that, evenings have more daylight and
of a region if GMT is known. mornings have less. Typically, clocks are adjusted forward
1 1 hour near the start of spring and are adjusted backward
— Indian Government has accepted the meridian of 82 E for in autumn.
2
the standard time, which is 5 hours 30 minutes ahead of GMT. Although, an early goal of DST was to reduce evening
Nepal and Sri Lanka also follow the same standard time. usage of incandescent lighting, formerly a primary use of
— Some larger countries adopt several time zones for practical electricity, modern heating and cooling usage patterns
purposes i.e. Russia has 11 time zones, USA and Canada has differ greatly.
5 time zones, Australia has 3 time zones, but China has only 1 Daylight Saving Time begins in the Northern hemisphere
time zone. between March-April and ends between
September-November. Daylight Saving Time begins in the
International Date Line (IDL) Southern hemisphere between September-November and
ends between March-April.
— The Prime Meridian also helps in establishment of the
International Date Line, which is congruent with 180°
longitude. The Earth and the Moon
— When we count the time of the 180° longitude from Eastern — The Moon has size about 27% of the Earth. Its
side of GMT, it will be 12 hours ahead and when it is counted diameter is about 3474 km in comparison to Earth’s
Westward, it is 12 hours behind the GMT. That means, 12742 km. The surface area of Moon is 37.9 million
difference of 24 hours or a complete day occur on the either km 2 and that is about only 7.4% of Earth and less
side of the meridian. When the longitude is crossed from one than Asia. The volume of Moon is only 2% of Earth’s
side to another, the date is changed exactly 1 day. So, it is volume and mass of the Moon is only 1.2% of the
called International Date Line. mass of the Earth.
— A traveller crossing the date line from East to West losses a — The Moon orbits the Earth in an elliptical path and the
day (the time he made) and gains a day when travels West to closest position of Moon to Earth is called perigee and
East (the gain of time he encountered). the farthest distance is called the apogee. Its average
— 180° meridian was chosen as IDL because it passes through distance from the Earth is about 3.844 × 105 km or
the middle of Pacific ocean and there is practically no 0.00243 AU.
landmass and wherever there is landmass, a deviation has — Highest point on the Moon’s surface is Mount
been taken to avoid confusion of time and date. Leibnitz (35000 ft) situated on the South pole of the
— Samoa was previously located East of the IDL, but in 2011 it Moon. Moon’s orbital velocity is about 3680.5 km/h or
moved the IDL to the East of the country, so that Samoa would 1.02 km/sec. Its orbital eccentricity is about 0.0554
lie to the West of the date line for better trading with its and orbital inclination is about 5.16°. Its density is
neighbours. about 3.344 g / cm 3 (about 0.607 of Earth) and
1
— The IDL curves 8 times from the normal 180° meridian at surface gravity is about th of Earth, so has lower
8
Bering strait, Fiji, Tonga and other islands to prevent confusion
escape velocity of about 2.376 km/sec (about 0.2% of
of day and date. Some of them keep Asiatic or New Zealand
Earth).
standard time, others follow the American date and time.
16 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

— Moon’s sideral rotation period is synchronous with its — Solar eclipse occurs near the New Moon position, when
orbital period and about 27.322 Earth days, so observers the Moon is between the Sun and Earth, thus, obscuring a
on Earth only see one side of the Moon. part of whole of the Sun as viewed from the Earth.
— Lunar eclipse occurs near the Full Moon position, when
Phases of the Moon the Earth is between the Sun and the Moon and Earth’s
— The changing angles between Earth, the Sun and the Moon shadow obscure the Moon as viewed from the Earth.
determine how much of the Moon’s illuminated surface can — Moon’s orbital plane inclined 5° to the orbital plane of the
be seen from Earth and cause the phases of the Moon. As Earth, so eclipses do not occur every Full Moon or New
the Moon orbits the Sun and we see different amounts of its Moon positions.
sunlit side, its shape seems to change, which is called — Syzygy is the position of alignment when Earth comes in
phases of the Moon.
between Sun and Moon on a straight line; in such
— Phases of Moon starts from the New Moon every month position, lunar eclipse occurs and conjunction is the
when Moon does not look at all because the complete position when Sun and Moon lie on one side of the Earth
dark past of the Moon faces the Earth. Then only a small and then solar eclipse occurs.
part of the Moon is seen bright which is called (recent and — The portion of the Sun or Moon covered by the vertical
it gradually becomes half Moon when half of the Moon lit,
shadow of any celestial body like Earth or Moon is called
then when the increasing brighter portion match upto
Umbra and it is deep dark whereas the faint shadow
3/4th of the Moon it is called Gibbous and then it
region is called Penumbra.
converted to full Moon.)
— During a total eclipse, as the Moon’s shadow is short
— After Full Moon or the complete brightness, the Moon lit
enough to cover the whole of the Sun then the outer
starts receeding through the stages of gibbous, half Moon,
region of the Sun still glow and looks bright as a ring as
Crescent and finally becomes invisible as new Moon.
observed from the Earth. Such phenomena is called
— Nearly, 59% of the Moon’s surface permanently seen from diamond ring.
the Earth as its rotational period is synchronous with its
— Unlike a solar eclipse, which can only be viewed from a
orbital period. Such surface is called the near side of the
certain relatively small area of the world, a lunar eclipse
Moon whereas other 41% are called the far side of the
may be viewed from anywhere on the night side of the
Moon. Moon’s apparent size in our sky varies by 13% as
Earth.
its distance from Earth varies.
— A lunar eclipse lasts for a few hours, whereas a total solar
Eclipse eclipse lasts for only a few minutes at any given place,
due to the smaller size of the Moon’s shadow.
— An eclipse is a complete or partial obscuration of light
from a celestial body as it passes through the shadow of — Lunar eclipses are more frequent than solar eclipses.
another celestial body.
Umbra
The Earth’s Magnetic Field
Moon
— The Earth has a substantial magnetic field quite similar to
Sun Earth a simple bar magnet. The axis of the magnetic field is
tipped with respect to the rotation axis of the Earth. The
axis of Earth’s magnet and the geographical axis do not
Penumbra
Solar Eclipse coincide. The axis of the Earth’s magnetic field is inclined
1°
at an angle of about 11 with the geographical axis.
2
Penumbra
Thus, true North (defined by the direction to the North
Moon
rotational pole) does not coincide with magnetic North
(defined by the direction to the North magnetic pole).
Sun Earth Umbra — The South pole of the Earth’s magnet is in the
geographical North because it attracts the North pole of
the suspended magnet and vice-versa. Thus, there is a
Lunar Eclipse magnetic S-pole near the geographical North and a
Penumbra
magnetic N-pole near the geographical South. The
Magbook ~ The Earth 17

positions of the Earth’s magnetic poles are not well — The solar wind is a stream of ionised gases that blows
defined on the globe; they are spread over an area. The outward from the Sun at about 400 km/sec and that
magnetic field is strongest near the magnetic poles and is varies in intensity with the amount of surface activity on
weakest near the equator. the Sun. The Earth’s magnetic field shields it from much
— The magnetic poles of the Earth are defined as the of the solar wind. When the solar wind encounters Earth’s
location of the strongest vertical magnetic field. This magnetic field, it is deflected like water around the bow of
places the magnetic North pole just West of Northern a ship.
Greenland (about N80° W70°) and the magnetic South — The imaginary surface at which the solar wind is first
pole near the coast of Antarctica South of Australia (about deflected is called the bow shock. The corresponding
S75° E150°). The magnetic equator does not circle the region of space lying behind the bow shock and
Earth as a smooth line like the geographic equator, but surrounding the Earth is termed the magnetosphere. It
instead it meanders North and South. represents a region of space dominated by the Earth’s
— The magnetic field lines usually dip towards or come out magnetic field in the sense that it largely prevents the
of the Earth’s surface at some angle. This angle is called solar wind from entering. However, some high energy
the magnetic inclination or the magnetic dip at that charged particles from the solar wind leak into the
place. At the magnetic poles, the angle of dip is 90°. magnetosphere and are the source of the charged
— The line on the Earth’s surface passing through the places particles trapped in the Van Allen belts.
having angle of dip 0° is called the magnetic equator, it
passes through Thumba in South India, where the space Van Allen Radiation Belts
research centre is located. — A fundamental property of magnetic fields is that they
exert forces on moving electrical charges. Thus, a
Origin of the Magnetic Field magnetic field can trap charged particles such as
— Magnetic fields are produced by the motion of electrical electrons and protons as they are forced to execute a
charges. The origin of the Earth’s magnetic field is not spiraling motion back and forth along the field lines. It was
completely understood, but is thought to be associated discovery in the late 1950s that the Earth is surrounded
with electrical currents produced by the coupling of by two regions of particularly high concentration of
convective effects and rotation in the spinning liquid charged particles called the Van Allen Radiation belts.
metallic outer core of iron and nickel. This mechanism is — The radiation belt has inner and outer belts. The primary
termed the dynamo effect, but it is not constant in source of these charged particles is the stream of particles
direction. emanating from the Sun known as solar wind. The
— Rocks that are formed from the molten state contain charged particles trapped in the Earth’s magnetic field are
indicators of the magnetic field at the time of their responsible for the aurora (Northern and Southern lights).
solidification. — The belts are extending from 650 km to 65000 km above
— The study of such ‘magnetic fossils’ indicates that the the Earth. The inner belt is mainly protons with some
Earth’s magnetic field reverses itself every million years or electrons whereas a outer one mainly has electrons. A
so the North and South magnetic poles switch. part of a belt dips into the upper region of the atmosphere
over the South Atlantic to form the Southern Atlantic
The Earth’s Magnetosphere anomaly. This can present a dangerous hazard to satellites
orbiting the Earth.
 Self Check Build Your Confidence

1. Consider the following statements [IAS 2005] 7. Earth’s axis is now focusing towards the Polar axis or
1. The axis of the Earth’s magnetic field is inclined at 23rd Pole star. What are the benefits we draw from such
and half to the geographic axis of the Earth. celestial phenomena?
2. The Earth’s magnetic pole in the Northern hemisphere is 1. It helps us finding the direction in our travel route even in
located on a Peninsula in Northern Canada. vast oceans.
3. Earth’s magnetic equator passes through Thumba in 2. It helps us finding our apparent location on the globe.
South India. 3. It acts as a counter force to the combined gravitational
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? force of Sun and Moon, so that our atmosphere still exist
(a) Only 3 (b) 2 and 3 without escaping away.
(c) Only 2 (d) All of these Select the correct answer using the codes given below
(a) Only 1 (b) 1 and 2
2. Who amongst the following was the first to state that
(c) All of these (d) None of these
the Earth was spherical? [IAS 2005]
(a) Aristotle (b) Copernicus 8. Through which one of the following groups of countries,
(c) Ptolemy (d) Strabo does the equator pass? [IAS 2006]
(a) Brazil, Zambia and Malaysia
3. If the stars are seen to rise perpendicular to the horizon
(b) Colombia, Kenya and Indonesia
by an observer, he is located on the [IAS 2001]
(c) Brazil, Sudan and Malaysia
(a) Equator (b) Tropic of Cancer (d) Venezuela, Ethiopia and Indonesia
(c) South pole (d) North pole
9. Which of the following statement does not explain the
4. Consider the following statements [IAS 2005] difference between solar eclipse and lunar eclipse?
1. Total land area of Earth is approximately 1475 lakh km2. 1. Solar eclipse occur during the New Moon position
2. Ratio of land area to water area of Earth is approximately whereas lunar eclipse occur during Full Moon position.
1:4. 2. A lunar eclipse lasts for a few hours whereas a total solar
3. Maximum percentage of Earth’s water is in the Pacific eclipse lasts for only a few minutes.
ocean. 3. Lunar eclipses are less frequent than solar eclipses.
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? 4. Solar eclipse may be viewed from everywhere, but lunar
(a) 1 and 3 (b) 2 and 3 eclipse can be seen from a particular relative place.
(c) Only 1 (d) Only 3 Select the correct answer using the codes given below
5. Variations in the length of day time and night time from (a) 1 and 3 (b) 2 and 4 (c) 3 and 4 (d) 1 and 2
season to season are due to [IAS 2013] 10. Consider the following statements
(a) the Earth’s rotation on its axis 1. Normally, the antipodal places of land surfaces on Earth
(b) the Earth’s revolution around the Sun in an eliptical are water bodies.
manner 2. Sideral day is smaller than the solar day and simultaneously
(c) latitudinal position of the place Sideral year also smaller than the Solar year.
(d) revolution of the Earth on a tilted axis
3. The precession of the equinoxes is responsible for the
6. Find the effects of rotation of Earth difference between the Julian and Gregorian calendars.
1. Formation of day and night. 4. Earth’s climate change may be correlated with the
2. Deflation of ocean currents. changes in the axial tiltation of Earth.
3. Deflation of cyclones in temperate regions. Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
4. Bulging shape of Earth at equator. (a) Only 2 (b) 1 and 4 (c) 1, 3 and 4 (d) All of these
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? 11. Which of the following country decided to change the
(a) Only 1 position of International Dateline for better trading with
(b) 1 and 4 its neighbours?
(c) 1, 2 and 4 (a) Fiji (b) New Zealand
(d) All of the above (c) Tonga (d) Samoa

1. (b) 2. (a) 3. (a) 4. (a) 5. (d) 6. (d) 7. (b) 8. (b) 9. (c)

10. (c) 11. (d)
Chapter three
Geomorphology
Introduction Evolution of Life
Geomorphology is a — Geomorphology may be defined as the
— It is now assumed that life evolved on
tangle of physics, scientific study of surface features of the Earth around 3800 million years ago
Earth’s surface involving interpretative and mostly confined to the oceans.
chemistry, biology and
description of landforms, their origin, — Microscopic living organisms closely
history. It is also similar to blue green algae have been
development, nature and mechanism of
geometry, as the geomorphological processes which evolve evolved at first phase.
geomorphology plays the landforms. An understanding of — Then fishes are developed followed by
out in a complex geomorphology and its process are essential amphibians, reptiles, flowering plants
to the understanding of physical geography. and at last, mammals and later homo
geographic.
sapiens developed.
Topographic setting in Evolution of Earth
which both the tectonic — The approximate age of the Earth is around Geological Time Scale
and climate processes 4.578 billion years. The very first logical (GTS)
responsible for driving hypothesis for the origin of the Earth was — The GTS is a system of chronological
given by the French scientist, measurement that relates stratigraphy
evolution of the
Caste-de-Buffon in AD 1749. to time and is used by geologists,
topography change in The planet Earth initially was a barren, rocky
— paleontologists and other Earth
style and intensity. and hot object with a thin atmosphere of scientists to describe the timing and
hydrogen and helium and lacks oxygen relationships between events that have
which emerges markebly after emergences occurred throughout Earth’s history.
of floral species that make out oxygen — The estimation of the Earth’s age,
through photosynthesis. Gradually, the Earth based on the study of radioactive
turns into a beautiful planet with abundance elements, is believed to be the most
of water and conducive atmosphere suitable authentic.
for existence of life.
— The geological history of the Earth is
— The Earth has a layered structure from the divided into several eras. These eras
center to the upper atmosphere. Materials are further divided into epochs, which
that exist (inside and on the Earth) are not are sub-divided into periods.
uniform and their density go on
decreasing, so the atmosphere has least Pre-Palaeozoic Era
density and core of the Earth has more — The rocks of this era are completely
density. devoid of fossils.
— The land portion of Earth is lithosphere, the — Soft-skinned invertebrates originated in
water portion of Earth is hydrosphere the warm seas.
and the air portion of Earth is atmosphere. — The land area remained lifeless.
20 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

Palaeozoic Era Cretaceous Period

Cambrian Period — Angiosperm plants developed during the cretaceous period.
Giant tortoise also evolved during this period.
— Main Caledonian period of mountain-building occurred
in this period. Seas intruded into the land area for the — In this period, there was lava eruption in the Peninsular
first time. The oldest sedimentary rocks were formed plateau of India which resulted into the formation of Deccan
during the Cambrian period. plateau and black soil.
— During this period, flora and fauna originated on the — At the end of this period, extinction of dinasours to place.
Earth for the first time. These animals were Cenozoic Era
invertebrates. — During the different periods of this era, Alpine orogeny took
Devonian Period place and Alps, Himalayas, Rockies, Andes etc., mountain
— The shark came into existence, therefore, this period is ranges originated.
also known as the Fish Age. Amphibians also originated Paleocene Period
during this period along with ferns and other plants. — Alpine orogeny started in this period.
Ordovician Period — Mamalians covered completely the land areas.
— First trace of invertebrates. Eocene Period
— Land still remained lifeless.
— Reptiles disappeared from the land in this period.
Carboniferous Period — Several primates of modern mammals were evolved on land
— Primary reptiles, early amphibians, insects and early areas. e.g. elephants, horses, rhinoceros, pigs etc.
fishes.
Oligocene Period
— Hundred feet tall trees too emerged during this period,
— Apes were originated which are called as the ancestors of
hence this period is called Age of Tall Trees.
man.
— Rocks of Gondwana were formed which have large
— This is the main active period of the origin of the Greater
deposits of coal formed by the trees that fell into rifts
Himalayas.
during this time.
Miocene Period
Silurian Period
— The present elephant developed in this period.
— The vertebrates and fish originated for the first time in
the Silurian period. Silurian period is, therefore, also — The second upheaval of the Himalayas resulted in the origin
known as the Age of Vertebrates. of Llesser Himalayas.
— Leafless plants developed over the land for the first time. Pliocene Period
— Coral also originated. — Ancestors of man developed.
Permian Period — Modern mammals evolved.
— Shiwalik mountain was formed.
— Hercynian episodes of mountain-building occurred
during this period. Many species of plants and animals — Deposition of sediments into the geosyncline, existing
were witnessed on land during this period. between the Himalayas and the Peninsular plateau, resulted
into the formation of the Great Plain of the North India.
— The potash reserves of Earth were formed due to
evaporation of the intrusive lakes which were earlier Neozoic Era
formed due to faulting.
Pleistocene Period
Mesozoic Era — Glaciations during this period, were Gunz, Mindel, Riss and
Triassic Period Wurm. There were different inter-glacial ages between
different glaciations, which were relatively warmer periods.
— This period is also known as the Age of Reptiles, as
large size of reptiles evolved in this period. — Flying birds originated on the Earth during this period.
— Mammals evolved from reptiles on land areas. Pangaea — Human beings and other mammals also developed during
(super continent) began to break during this period. this period.

Jurassic Period Holocene Period

— Jura mountains were formed in this period. — Due to rise in temperature during this period, the glaciation
ended and the world reached to its present stage.
— Dinosaur appeared on large scale. For the first time,
flowering plants were evolved during this period. — The aquatic life reached to its present stage.
— Man started agriculture and domestication of animals.
Magbook ~ Geomorphology 21

Interior of the Earth Indirect Sources

— It is not possible to know exactly how the Earth was formed
— It is known as that temperature and pressure, which
about 4500 million years ago, but from the evidences of increases with the increasing distance from the surface
volcanic eruptions, earthquake waves, deep-mines, towards the interior of the Earth and density of the
operations and crustal boring, it is evidented that the Earth material also increase with depth. Considering the rate
forming materials have been distributed in the form of several of change of characteristics and thickness of the Earth,
concentric layers with differential characteristics. scientists have estimated the values of temperature,
pressure and the density of materials at different
— The Earth’s radius is 6370 km and the knowledge about the
depths.
interior of the Earth is largely based on estimates and
inferences.
— Study of meteors which are also created as Earth in
similar manner and of almost same age.
Direct Sources — The study of gravity anomaly gives us information
about the distribution of mass of the material in the
— From mining areas, we get different solid Earth materials and
crust of the Earth’s gravity values differ according to
mining is not possible after a depth due to increase in
the mass of material. The uneven distribution of mass
temperature. Besides, mining exploration projects like ‘Deep
of material within the Earth influences this value and
Ocean Drilling Project’ and ‘Integrated Ocean Drilling Project’
other factors also influences its value, so such
gave us knowledge about the interior structure of the Earth.
deviation of value is called gravity anomaly.
Magma coming out of the surface also gives direct
information about the interior, though it is difficult to ascertain — Magnetic surveys also provide information about the
the depth of the source of such magma. distribution of magnetic materials in the crustal portion
and thus, provide information about the distribution of
Vulcanicity Study materials in this part. Seismic activities also are the
— The molten lava coming out of the volcanoes during volcanic one of the most important sources of information about
eruption indicates that there is at least a layer below the the interior of the Earth.
Earth’s crust which is in liquid or semi-liquid state.
Density Studies
Seismic Studies — Using the spherical shape, mean radius and mass of
— The study of seismic waves or earthquake waves is called the Earth, it is possible to determine the average
seismology. Seismic waves are caused due to release of density of the Earth as 5.5 g/cm 3 . The surface layer of
energy from Earth’s interior, which generate waves that travel the continents, composed of ‘sial’ (Silica and
in all directions. An instrument called seismograph records aluminium) or graphite rocks, has density about
the waves reaching the surface i.e. a graph shows 2.7 g cm 3 which infers that in the core, the density
earthquake curves of three distinct sections; each must be much more.
representing different types of wave patterns. — The density goes on increasing with depth. At the
— Earthquake waves are of three types; P-waves or Primary middle layer sima, (silica and magnesium), the density
waves, S-waves or secondary waves and L-waves or Surface is about 4.3 g/cm 3 and at the core, it is probably 10 to
waves. P and S waves in combined called body waves, which 12 times heavier than water (11g/ml 3 ) which consists
travels through the body of the Earth and reveals many facts of nickel and iron.
about the interior.
Pressure Studies
— P-waves are similar to sound waves that travels through
— Though the density increases with increasing pressure.
gaseous, liquid and solid materials and gives information
yet, every rock has a critical limit beyond which its density
about the core of the Earth.
cannot be increased in spite of the increasing pressure.
— S-waves are similar to light waves which vibrate perpendicular
— It shows that the high density in the core is the result of
to the direction of propagation. S-waves can travel only
its constituting heavy metallic materials of high density.
through solid materials and not through liquid materials, so
these waves cannot pass through mantle and we get — Pressure increases with increase in depth of the
information that there is a semi-liquid or molten sphere in the interior. At the depth of 2500 km, the pressure is about
Earth. 1 million atmospheric pressure and at the core,
pressure may be about 3.5 million atmospheric
— Reflection causes waves to rebound whereas refraction
pressure. Such a high pressure in the interior exerts a
makes waves move in different directions. The variations in
powerful influence on the temperature and physical
the direction of waves are inferred with the help of their
state of Earth, i.e. it does not allow the matters to melt
record on seismograph and help scientists to understand the
down at the core.
structure of the interior of the Earth.
22 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

Temperature Studies Mantle

— Normally, the temperature increases by 1°C for every — The portion of the interior beyond the crust is called the
32 m of depth. At this rate, temperature at the depth of mantle and extends upto a depth of 2900 km. The density
48 km would be between 1200°C and 2000°C where of this layer is about 3.4 g/cm 3 . This layer composed
rocks and materials cannot be remained in solid state, mainly of very dense rocks rich in olivine.
which inferred that source of lava eruption from — The upper portion of the mantle is called asthenosphere or
volcanoes is at the depth of about 48 km. In this rate, the weak layer that extend upto 400 km and is the main
temperature at the centre or core of the Earth can be source of magma eruption that come out to the surface as
calculated to be more than 4000°C. lava. The lower mantle extends beyond the asthenosphere
— Earth scientists now found that the rate of increase of is in solid state and also called mesosphere.
temperature inside the Earth undergoes a sharp decrease — Through liquid mantle layer, S-waves cannot travel and
at greater depths from the surface. It is evident that in other seismic waves slower down, so it is also called as the
the upper layer of the Earth, an important source of heat zone of low velocity.
is the radioactive minerals like uranium and thorium. The — Large convective cells in the mantle circulate heat and
minerals are more abundant upto a depth of about may drive plate-tectonic processes.
100 km, below which they are formed in much less
— The rock materials in mantle is rich in magnesium and iron
amount. This implies the rate of increase in temperature
silicates along with substantial qualities of sulphides in the
decreases with increase in depth.
upper mantle and nickel and iron in the lower mantle. This
— Relatively higher temperature is found in the tectonically
layer is called peridotite shell.
active regions.
— Heat flows outwards from the interior of the Earth and Core
takes place in the form of thermal convection currents. — The innermost layer is called core which extends from
2900 km to 6370 km. The core is divided into two layers of
Chemical Composition of Earth differential characteristics. The outer core is in liquid state
— According to the study of the Earth’s interior, it is now and twice as thick as the inner core which is in solid state.
conformed that Earth has three broad concentric zones — The density of the inner core is about 14 g/cm 3 whereas it
based on chemical compositions and differential is about 11 g/cm 3 in outer core.
characteristics. These are crust, mantle and core. — The core is made up of very heavy material mostly
constituted by nickel and iron, so referred as ‘nife’ layer.
Crust
— The core has a temperature as high as 4000°C at the inner
— The outermost layer of the Earth is the crust or skin and
core and subject to extremely high pressure which results
brittle in nature. The thickness of the crust varies along
into a solid inner core. Earth’s magnetic field is believed to
oceanic and continental areas. Its total thickness is about
be controlled by the liquid outer core.
100 km.
— Oceanic crust is thinner as compared to the continental
Discontinuities
crust. The mean thickness of oceanic crust is 5 km and
varies upto 10 to 12 km whereas the mean thickness of — Seismic discontinuities or discontinuities are the
the continental crust is around 30 km and varies upto boundaries between the different layers of the Earth where
70 km thick in the areas of major mountain systems like seismic waves show markable and sudden change in their
Himalayas. characteristics like speed etc.
— The upper continental crust is composed mainly of silica — These represents the difference in the physical and
and Aluminium and popularly called sial. Granites are chemical properties of the Earth’s interior.
predominantly found in the sial, layer which floats on the Location Discontinuity
‘sima’, that is rich in Silica and Magnesium.
Between upper crust and lower Conrad discontinuity
— ‘Sima’ is continuous and has an average density and crust (‘sial’ ‘sima’)
composition similar to that of the common black volcanic Between lower crust and upper Mohorovicic or moho
lava called basalt. mantle discontinuity
— The density of ‘sial’ is about 2.7 g/cm 3 and density of Between upper mantle and lower Repetti discontinuity
Sima is about 2.95 g/cm 3 . mantle
— The oceanic crust is made up of igneous rocks rich in Between lower mantle and outer Weichent-Gutenberg
iron and magnesium, such as basalt and peridotite like core discontinuity
heavier rocks. The average density of the crust is about Between outer core and inner core Lehmann discontinuity
2.7 g/cm 3 .
Magbook ~ Geomorphology 23

Mechanical Composition of Earth Rocks

— Interior of Earth can be separated into layers based on — Earth’s curst is made up of various types of rocks
mechanical properties or strength like resistance to flow or differing from one another in texture, structure,
deformation in addition to composition. permeability, mode of occurrence and degree of
— The uppermost layer of the Earth is the lithosphere or sphere of resistance to denudation.
rocks which comprises the solid crust and the solid portion of — Any naturally occurring agglomeration of mineral
the upper mantle. Lithosphere is divided into many plates and particles together form rock in the geological sense,
shows tectonic tendencies continuously. there are also few rock substances of organic origin
— The solid lithosphere contains both continents and oceans e.g. coal, peat.
beneath which are floating on semi-liquid asthenosphere, On the basis of the mode of origin, rocks are of
enabling the lithosphere to move around. three types:
— Compared to the lithosphere above, asthenosphere is more (i) Igneous Rocks
plastic or less viscous, i.e. it is softer, more pliable and capable
— As a result of tectonic movements, crustal loading or
of bending or deforming without breaking.
density differences, the magma is forced upwards
— Earth’s zone lies below asthenosphere comprises the whole of through the crust along lines of weakness, until it
mantle is called mesosphere whereas the whole core is termed spills out on the surface as lava. This soon cools
as barysphere. and consolidates to form extrusive igneous rocks.
Sialic continents
— The magma, which does not find an outlet,
Mid-Atlantic Form the eventually, solidifies in cavities and fissures within
ridge where Basaltic
lithosphere the crust to form intrusive igneous rocks.
new basaltic (sima) plates
rocks are — Igneous rocks are granular and crystalline rocks.
forming ca Ara
Afri bia These are also known as primary or basic rocks
because of the fact that these rocks were first to be
formed and supply material for other types of rocks
In
d

Mantle
ia

to be formed.
n

(mesophere)
ea

Based on the mode of occurrence, igneous rocks

Oc

Burm

are classified into the following:

a

— Plutonic or Intrusive rocks Rocks where cooling has

been deep-seated.
— Hypabyssal rocks Intruded rocks occurring at shallow
depths.
tic
an

— Volcanic rocks Extruded crystalline or glassy rocks.

a
Atl

Oce

Core-inner and outer — Pyroclastic rocks The accumulated material of

(barysphere)
explosive volcanic activity, e.g. lava clot, ash and dust.
M
ex

Rate of cooling decides the granular size of the

ic

—
o

Pacific
crystals , rapid cooling forms smaller crystals and
slow cooling form larger crystalline igneous rocks in
A thin envelope The oceans and deep-seated condition in between, at moderate
of air forms the seas form the
atmosphere hydrosphere depth, pheno rystalline igneous rocks are formed.
Mechanical composition of Earth Based on the mineralogical and chemical
composition, igneous rocks are classified into.
— Felsic or Silsic rocks Acidic in nature with over 66% of
Constituents of Earth silica content e.g. granite and granodiorite. These are
less dense and lighter in colour.
— Only four elements i.e. iron, oxygen, silica and magnesium — Intermediate rocks Silica percentage is between
constitute 90% of total mass of the Earth whereas nickel, 52-66% e.g. trachite, andesite and diorite.
sulphur, calcium and ammonium constitute another 9% of mass — Mafic or Basic rocks Basic in nature with 44-52% of
of the Earth. silica content e.g. gabro basalt, dolerite. These are
— On the other hand, the eight most abundant elements which denser and darks in colour.
constitutes 99% of total mass of the crust are oxygen, silica, — Ultrabasic or Ultramafic rocks Less than 44% silica
aluminium, iron, magnesium, calcium, potassium and sodium. content. e.g. peridotite.
24 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

(ii) Sedimentary Rocks Metamorphosis of Metamorphic Rocks

— Phyllite from slate — Schist from phyllite
— Rocks formed on the surface of the Earth due to the
— Serpentine from gabbro
erosion and deposition of igneous and metamorphic rocks
are known as sedimentary rocks.
— Sedimentary rocks are formed through a series of Earth Movements
processes. First, weathered materials are transported by
exogenic agents and further, deposited at lower gradient Continental Drift Theory
and suitable climatic regions as unconsolidated debris or — The Continental Drift Theory hypothesised the distribution
sediments. of the oceans and continents on Earth surface.
— Lithification process converts the sediments into — The idea of lateral movement of continents or continental
consolidated sedimentary rocks, which further by the drift was put forward in 1912 by a German Climatologist
process of cementation, forms a whole mass of highly Alfred Wegener in a book The Origin of Continents and
bound rock structure. Oceans.
— Sedimentary rocks are found over about 75% area of the — This theory claimed that the changes in the appearances
crust, but they contribute only 5% in the formation of the of the Earth were largely due to the shifting of continents.
crust. These rocks contain fossils. It states that the continents are floating over the oceans.
On the basis of the nature of the sediments, sedimentary — About 250 million years ago, there was only one
rocks are classified into the following super-continent called Pangaea and one super-ocean
— Mechanically formed sedimentary rocks such as sandstones, called Panthalassa.
conglomerates, clay rocks, shale and loess. — Pangaea consisted of North America (with Greenland
— Organically formed sedimentary rocks such as limestones, attached) and Eurasia (minus Arabia and India) in the
coal and peat. extreme North and below it, South America and Africa
— Chemically formed sedimentary rocks such as chalk rocks, (with Arabia attached and further down Antarctica,
gypsum and salt rock. Australia and India).
— Shale, limestone and sandstone make up over 99 % of all — About 200 million years ago, the Pangaea was broken into
sedimentary rocks. Shale is most abundant because of two parts. One of the parts started floating Northward
the abundance of feldspars. whereas the other part Southwards. The Northern part
was known as Angara land (Laurasia) and the Southern as
(iii) Metamorphic Rocks
Gondwana land.
— Metamorphic rocks are formed due to complete — The intervening space between these two giant continental
alternation in the appearance and constituent of
blocks was filled up with a narrow and shallow water body
pre-existing rocks due to change in mineral composition
known as Tethys sea.
and texture through temperature, pressure and volume.
— Laurasia consisted of present North America, Greenland
These are hardest rocks and do not contain fossils.
and Eurasia (without India and Arabia), while Gondwana
Metamorphism includes various independent processes,
land consisted of Africa with Arabia attached, South
those are like
America, Australia and India. South pole was located near
— subduction of rocks to deep into lithosphere by tectonic
Durban, in South Africa.
processes.
— come in contact with molten magma called contact
— Later on, the further disruption of the Gondwana land
metamorphism. occurred during Jurassic period. The Northward movement
— greater pressure by overlying rocks called regional was caused by gravitational forces i.e. because of intense
metamorphism. gravitational pull of the poles.
— Mechanical disruption and reorganisation of the original — The Northward movement of India and Africa caused the
minerals within rocks due to breaking and crushing sediments deposited in the Tethys to be crumpled and
without any appreciable chemical change is called deformed and thus, the Alpine and Himalayan mountain
dynamic metamorphism. ranges were formed.
— The Westward movement was caused by tidal forces. The
— Metamorphic rocks are formed from all the types of rocks.
Westward movement of Americas led to the formation of
Metamorphosis of Sedimentary Rocks Andes and Rockies and the Caribbean island.
— Slate from shale — Marble from limestone — The forces responsible for drifting of continents that
— Quartzite-from sandstone and conglomerate suggested by Wegener were polar-fleeing forced related to
— Marble-from chalk and dolomite the rotation of the Earth and tidal force caused by the
Metamorphosis of Igneous Rocks attraction of the Moon and the Sun. Most scholars
— Gneiss from granites — Amphibolite from basalt considered these forces inadequate for continental
— Schist from basalt drifting.
Magbook ~ Geomorphology 25

Evidences in Support of the Theory Plate Tectonics

— Jigsaw-fit matching of continents of Africa and South — After the evolution of the concept of ‘Continental Drift
America.
Hypothesis’ and ‘Sea-Floor Spreading’, a broader concept of
— Rocks of same age across the oceans. ‘Plate tectonic’ was developed in 1967 and the three in
— Tillites or glacial deposits sedimentary rocks found combined is called ‘Global Plate Tectonics.’
across the continents, that gives paleoclimatic — The term was first coined by JT Wilson in 1965 and other
evidences. important thinkers like Morgan, Mckenzie, Parker and Holmes,
— Placer deposits i.e. occurrence of rich placer independently contributed to this concept.
deposits of gold in Ghana coast with absence of — The theory explains the large-scale motions of Earth’s
source rocks in the region, which are abundant in lithosphere due to tectonic plates. A tectonic plate is a massive
Brazil evidented the fixing of continents in past. irregularly shaped slab of solid rock, composed of both
— Distribution of identical species, fossils and similar continental and oceanic lithosphere . Earth’s lithosphere is
lemcess in Madagascar, India and Africa are divided into 7 major plates and about 20 minor plates. The
evidences of union of continents in the past. plates have thickness between 5-100 km in oceanic parts and
— Evidence of glacial striation. about 200 km in the continental areas. Depending upon the
— Similar coal deposits in either side of Atlantic ocean large occupance, a plate may be continental or oceanic.
and coal deposits in continental interior. Pacific plate is the largest oceanic plate whereas Eurasian
plate is the largest continental plate.
— Later, Plate Tectonics Theory developed over the idea
of continental drift hypothesis and found continents Major Plates
not floating over oceans, but plates containing both — Eurasia and the adjacent oceanic plate.
continent and ocean floor float over aesthenosphere. — Antarctica and the surrounding oceanic plate.
— North American plate.
Conventional Current Theory — South American plate.
— Arthur Holmes explained the possibility of forces for 1
drifting of continents. He stated that there is a
— Pacific plate (largest and cover th of Earth surface)
5
possibility of permanent convection current operating — India-Australia New Zealand plate.
in the whole mantle portion generated due to
— Africa with the Eastern Atlantic plate.
radioactive elements that drive the continents
continuously. On this basis, scientists discarded the Important Minor Plates
Continental Drift Theory. — Cocos plate between Cental America and Pacific plate.
— Nazca plate between South America and Pacific plate.
Concept of Sea-Floor — Arabian plate mostly Saudi Arabian landmass.
Spreading — Philippines plate between Asiatic and Pacific plate.
— Post Wegener studies revealed that ocean floors are — Caroline plate between the Philippine and Indian plate.
also spreading apart which was evidenced by
— Fuji plate North-East of Australia.
mapping of the oceans floors and paleomagnetic
studies of rocks from oceanic regions. — The plates are continuously in motion with respect to each
other. The paleomagnetic study of mid-oceanic floor helps
— The theory states that mid-oceanic ridges are the
scientists to determine the rates of plate movements. The
areas of continously forming new crust. The molten
Arctic ridge has slowest rate (less than 2.5 cm/yr) and East
magma rises along the fractures and solidifies to form
Pacific rise has fastest rate (more than 15 cm/yr). Indian plate
new rocks and pushes the older ones towards the
moves with a rate about 5 cm/yr.
margins.
— Hary Hess proposed the concept of Sea-Floor Force Behind Plate Tectonics
Spreading in 1961. — Magmatic convection current is the driving force behind plate
— Hess proposed that ocean floors that get pushed due tectonics. Below rigid plates, there is a dynamic layer which is
to volcanic eruption at the crust of oceanic ridges, continuously moving in a circular manner. The heated
sinks down at the oceanic trenches and get materials rises to the surface, spreads and begins to cool and
consumed. So, spreading of one ocean does not then sink into deeper depth at subduction zones at the
cause the shrinking of the other. convergent margins completing the cycle.
26 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

— This is revealed by the study of density of rocks in the The convergent plates can interact with each other in the following
ocean surface from mid-oceanic ridges to the margin; three different ways:
rocks get denser gradually which shows the Oceanic-Continental Plate Boundary When one of the
movement of plates and its evolution. converging plates is an oceanic plate and the other one is a
— The slow movement of hot, soften mantle called continental plate, the oceanic plate gets subducted below the
convection cell or convective flow is the driving force continental plate because of being denser. In this process, a
behind plate movements. The heat within the Earth trench is formed. Mostly, the continental plate margin get
comes from two main sources: radioactive decay and crumbled, folded and uplifted to form fold mountains like Rockies
residual heat. This idea was first considered by Arthur and Andes mountains. Volcanoes are formed in the Benioff zone
Holmes in 1930s and later by Harry Hess in 1960s. due to accumulation and upwelling of excessive magma, which
come out breaking the weak part of the crust. e.g. the Western
Plate Movements side of the American plate, where the Pacific plate is subducted
— There are three fundamental types of plate below the American plate, is the zone of active volcanoes.
movements forming special plate boundaries and Oceanic-Oceanic Plate Boundary When both the converging
plate margins. On the basis of effects, plate margins plates are oceanic, the relatively denser plate gets subducted and
may be constructive, destructive or conservative and in the process, oceanic trenches and volcanic islands are formed.
on the basis of nature, tectonics plates have Convergence of the Pacific and the Japan or Philippines plates
convergent, divergent and parallel or transform plate explains the formation of island festoons and chain of volcanoes in
that region.
boundaries.
Continent-Continent Plate Boundary When both the plates are
Constructive Margin or Divergent Plate Boundary continental, the subduction at the Benioff zone is not so effective
— When two plates move away from each other, a crack that it can give rise to vulcanicity in that region. But, these regions
develops between them, from which the molten lava are geographically unstable and long chains of fold mountains are
from asthenosphere comes out to the surface formed here. The Himalayas are a striking example of the
continuously and after solidification forms a new convergence of two continental plates.
crust. Hence, such plate boundaries are called Conservative Margin or Parallel Boundary
constructive plate margins and the plates are termed — Parallel plates, as they slide past each other along a common
as divergent plates. boundary, do not create new crust or destroy the old, but
— The divergence brings in two results: experiences heavy earthquakes and transformation of rocks.
(i) The formation of a new crust. — They butt and jostle against each other and produce what are
(ii) Formation of submarine mountains or ridges. called transform faults. e.g. the Sanandreas fault in California
— The mid-Atlantic ridge, the East-Pacific ridge and the marks the meeting place of two parallel plates, one carrying
Chagos-Laccadive ridge in the Indian ocean and North America and the other carrying the Pacific ocean.
other oceanic ridges have come into being in this Transform faults are the planes of separation generally
manner. perpendicular to the mid-oceanic ridges.
— The rifts in the ocean floor may sometimes extend
into the adjoining continents and split the continent Formation of Himalayas
into two. e.g. the rift, which broke, Arabia away from Indian plate was like a large island, situated off the Australian coast,
African and grafted it on to Asia, changed the in a vast ocean and separated from Asian continent by Tethys sea till
appearance of both the continents and opened up about 225 million years ago. India started its Northward journey
new seas, i.e. the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. about 200 million years ago when Pangaea broke. About 140 million
years before the present, the sub-continent was located at 50°S
Destructive Margin or Convergent Plate Boundary latitude. About 60 million years ago, huge lava eruption took place
— When two plates collide with each other, the denser from Deccan Trap making it weigher.
one is subducted below the lighter one. The region,
About 40-50 million years ago, India collided with Asian plate
where the subduction takes place is called Benioff
causing rapid uplift of the Himalayas. Asian plate was lighter and
zone. get crumbled and folded to form this young mountain and Indian
— This plate margin is also known as consuming plate plate subducted little to form a trench at its foothill, which is now
margin, as the subducting plate is lost in the mantle sedimented by many rivers and transformed into Great Indian Plain.
and convergent plate boundary as two plates Himalaya mountain-building was done in phases and still continuing.
converge here.
Magbook ~ Geomorphology 27

Mountain System (ii) Block Mountains

— Mountains are significant relief features of the
— Block mountains are formed by tensional or compressional forces
second order on the Earth’s surface. Generally, the produced on crustal part led to faulting. Tensional forces tend to
mountains are more than 1000 m high. pull the crust apart and developed the blocks enclosed the fault
looks as risen parts and called block mountains.
— The mountains whose height is less than 1000 m,
called hills.
— The block mountain or horst represents the upstanding parts of
the ground between two faults or on either side of a rift valley or
— Cordillera includes a general highland of several
a graben.
mountain groups and systems formed in different
periods and by different processes. e.g. Cordillera
— The Vosges in France, Black Forest Mountains in Germany and
of the Western United States and British Columbia. Sierra Nevada in North America are the typical example of block
mountains.
— Mountain system refers to mountain formed in a
single period, which includes many mountain
ranges and groups of single mountains, e.g.
(iii) Dome Mountains
Appalachian. . — Sometimes, the Earth’s crust does not break into block, but rises
upwards as a result of Earth movements. The region where it
— Mountain range refers to mountain formed in the
raises upwards, a dome-like structure is formed. They are called
same age and with the same process, but having
dome mountains. The Henry mountain in North America is one
structural differences arranged in narrow belt. e.g.
such example.
Himalayan mountain range.
— Volcanic mountains also looks like dome mountain as it is formed
— Mountain groups are highlands composed of
by accumulation of ejected materials from fissures in the Earth’s
different mountains with unsystematic pattern, e.g.
crust. These ejected materials flows from the vent in layers and
Juan mountain group.
forms a conical peak. Volcanic mountains are often called
— Mountain ridges are mountains formed due to local mountains of accumulation.
folding and faulting and rise abruptly from the
adjoining region. e.g. Blue Ridge Mountains (USA). (iv) Relict Mountains
— They are the remnants of former old mountains and plateaus,
Types of Mountains which have been subjected to severe denudation, thus, exposing
Based on their mode of formation, there are four main the base of mountains.
types of mountains: — Vindhyas, Aravallis, Satpura, Western Ghats, Eastern Ghats are
examples of relict mountains.
(i) Fold Mountains
Major Mountain Ranges
— Fold mountains formed when a thickly bedded
sedimentary layer is subjected to horizontal Range Location Length (km)
compressional forces for millions of years. The Andes South America 7200
sediments get bent into up and down-folds. This
leads to the formation of anticlines and synclines. Himalayan Asia 2400
— These are the highest and most extensive Rockies North America 4800
mountains of the world. These mountains are Great Dividing Range East Australia 3500
characterised by more developed system of
anticlines and synclines wherein folds are arranged Atlas North-West Africa 2400
in a wave-like pattern. Western Ghats Western India 1610

Types of Fold Mountains Caucasus Europe 1200

— Young Fold Mountains The Himalayas, the Alps, Alaska USA 750
the Rockies, the Andes etc.
Alps Europe 1100
— Mature Fold Mountains The Pennines, the
Appalachians and the Cape Range of South Africa
were formed during the Carboniferous age. Plateaus
— Old Fold Mountains The high mountains of — The term ‘plateau, is applied to any fairly flat high-level region’ a
Scotland and Norway, the Sayan and Stanovai table or elevated tract of comparatively flat or level land. The
mountains of Russia and the Aravalli and the surface may be uniformly levelled or have broad summit heights
Mahadeo mountains of India. of fairly uniform elevation. These are also called tablelands.
28 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

Plateaus are extensive upland areas

—
characterised by at least one side of very steep
Dissected Plateaus
slope standing well above the neighbouring — By the continuous action of exogenic agents, high and extensive
surface. Plateaus have average elevation more plateaus are gradually weathered, eroded, making their surface
than 300 m from sea level. irregular. These plateaus are called dissected plateaus. In humid
regions, active agents are river and glaciers which form valleys, in
Plateaus can be classified as follows:
arid regions, wind action cut the plateaus into table-shaped steep
sided blocks called mesas and buttes intersected by deep
Intermontane Plateaus canyons. Scottish highland, semi-arid area of South-Western USA
— These plateaus are enclosed by hills and etc., are some examples.
mountains. Geosyncline theory explained that
when a sedimented geosyncline compressed by Famous Plateaus of the World
internal forces, then edges of the geosyncline
Plateau Location
squeezed and crumbled into a series of
mountains on both sides keeping the middle Tibetan plateau Between Himalayas and Kunlun mountains
portion least ruptured, undulated and raised as a Deccan plateau Southern India
plateau. Arabian plateau South-West Asia
— The Tibetan plateau, with a height of about 5000 Plateau of Brazil Central Eastern South America
mts, is the most striking example of this type.
Plateau of Mexico Mexico
Other examples are Bolivian plateau, Peruvian
plateau, Columbian plateau, Mexican plateau. Plateau of Colombia USA
Plateau of Madagascar Madagascar (Africa)
Piedmont Plateaus Plateau of Alaska North-West North America
— Plateau formed at the foothill of extensive Plateau of Bolivia Andes mountains (South America)
mountains is called piedmont plateau. These are
Great Basin plateau South of Colombia Plateau, USA
formed due to slope decline.
Colorado plateau South of Great Basin Plateau, USA
— Piedmont plateau is surrounded by mountain
ranges on one side and by plain or ocean on the
other side e.g. Eastern margins of the Plains
Appalachian mountains (USA) and Patagonian — Plains are areas of lowlands, either level or undulating, sometimes
plateau of South America.
have rolling topography. Plains have average elevation upto 300 m
from mean sea level and regions of densely populated and
Dome-Shaped Plateaus intensively cultivated.
— These plateaus are formed when the landmass is
uplifted in such a manner that the middle portion Types of Plains
is raised and the sides are rounded, e.g. Chota
Nagpur plateau, Ozark plateau. Structural Plains
— They are structurally depressed areas, which are largely formed by
Continental Plateaus horizontally bedded rocks relatively undisturbed by crustal
movements e.g. the Great Plains of the USA, Central Lowlands of
— These plateaus are formed either due to the
Australia. These are sometimes formed due to uplift of a part of
upliftment or extensive spreading of lava on the
the sea floor as in case of the Great Plain of USA.
Earth surface. These are very extensive plateaus
and are generally away from mountainous areas, Erosional Plains
but are surrounded by oceanic coasts or plains — They are formed by the action of various erosional events that work
e.g. Siberian shield, Canadian shield, Brazilian
to bring an elevated region near to the sea level.
shield.
— Riverine erosion Plains It will form peneplains, which are characterised
by residual hills known as monadnocks.
Volcanic Plateaus — Glaciated Plains It forms ice-scoured plain e.g. ice scoured plains of
— These plateaus are formed due to accumulation North-Western Europe and North America.
of thick layers of basaltic lavas. Fissure eruption — Wind eroded plains In arid and semi-arid regions, wind deflation will
from volcanoes is the main cause for the blow desert materials, lowering the level of land and forming extensive
formation of these plateaus. Deccan plateau of plains e.g. the Reg of Africa.
India and Columbian plateau of USA are the best — The process of weathering and erosion make peneplains in humid
examples. climates and pediments or pediplains in arid or semi-arid regions.
Magbook ~ Geomorphology 29

Depositional Plains Fluvial Action

— The plains formed by the filling up of sediments carried by Valleys
agents of erosion like wind, rivers, glaciers and underground — These are initially develop as narrow rills and in course
water into depressions are called depositional plains. of time, gradually broaden and widen by river cutting to
— Riverine alluvial plains are formed by the deposition of sediments form large features like V-shaped valley, gorge, canyon
brought down by rivers. It includes piedmont alluvial plains, flood etc.
plains and delta plains.
— A gorge is a deep valley with very steep to straight
— Glacial plains are formed by the depositon of unsorted sands and
gravels brought down by glaciers. Glacial plains are divided into sides and has almost equal width throughout its depth
three types on the basis of composition and structure: Till plains, from top to bottom whereas a canyon is characterised
Morainic plains, Outwash plains. by steep step-like side slopes as deep as gorge, but is
— Loess plains are formed due to the deposition of sand and clay wider at the top than its bottom.
brought by the winds. These plains lack in layers, but are highly
porous. The soil of these plains is very fertile. e.g. the Great Plain
River Terraces
of Northern China. — These are steps-like surfaces making old valley floor or
— Lacustrine plains are the plains formed by lakes filled up by the flood plains levels. These are product of vertical
sediments brought down by the rivers. The Valley of Kashmir is erosion by the stream into its own depositional flood
an example of this type. plain.
Alluvial Fans
Landforms Produced by — These are formed when streams flowing from higher
Different Processes levels break into foot slope plains of low gradient,
because the loose grains carried by river in the higher
Volcanic Activities slope is now unable to be carried in gentle slopes and
— Volcanic activities form intrusive features within the deposited as cone-shaped called alluvial fans.
lithosphere when lava could not erupt and accumulate inside Other Features
and when erupt on the surface form various extrusive
— Deltas these are like alluvial fans, but form at the
features.
mouth of the rivers. These deposits are very well sorted
Intrusive Features with clear stratification.
Lopoliths — Flood plains are also a major landform of river
— Saucer-shaped bodies concordant to the structure of the deposition. Flood plains in a delta are called delta
rocks into which they are intruded. plains.
— Natural levees are found along the banks of large
Batholiths rivers and are low, linear and parallel ridges of coarse
— Largest intrusive bodies of elongate, oval or isometric shape deposits along the bank that hold the river not to
that are usually found in central parts of folded regions. breach its course.
Sills — In low lying areas, oxbow lakes are formed by
— Thin sheet-like intrusions of light fluid basaltic magmas meandering of rivers.
injected between bedding planes which separate layers of
sedimentary rocks. Groundwater
— Pools, sinkholes, swallow holes, lapies and limestone
Laccoliths
pavements are formed by action of groundwater; these
— Huge masses of igneous rocks bent upward to form dome are erosional landforms.
and a level base fed by pipe-like structure called conduit
— When sinkholes collapse they forms doline. Large scale
from below.
merger of dolines form pavements separated by ridges
Dykes or lapies.
— Formed when magma squeezes into fractures of the — Caves are also formed by solution action of ground
surrounding rock and cools vertically cutting across the water in horizontal bedding plains. Caves having
bedding planes. opening at both end are called tunnels.
Extrusive Features — Landform formed by groundwater on limestone regions
— Flood basalts, shield volcanoes, cinder cone, shields, strata also called karst topography. Dolines when combined
cone or composite cone, parasitic cone, craters and caldera and subside form large depression called uvala and
etc., are the extrusive features of volcanic activities. when partly deformed by faulting, form polje.
30 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

— Among depositional features are stalactites having from cave — Deflation hollows These are erosional landforms made
roofs, stalagmites rise up from the floor of the cave and both by wind action. Sometimes, wind erosion in deflation
stalactite and stalagmites eventually fuse to give rise to hollows make the water to come out and form oases or
columns and pillars of different diameters. swamps in the desert. Shallow lakes in desert plain or
pediplain are called playa lake, which has centripetal
Glaciers or inland drainage system.
— Cirques are the erosional landforms of deep, long and wide — Dunes are depositional landform formed by wind’s
troughs or begins with vary steep concave to vertically action. These are well represented in the Erg deserts.
draping high walls at its head as well as sides. These are — The crescentic or moon-shaped dunes occur
quite often found at the heads of glacial valleys. When water transversely to the direction of wind with windward side
accumulated in cirques and glaciers disappears, a lake is convex and gentle sloping and leeward side being
formed, these lakes are called tarn lakes. When several concave and steep are called barchans.
glaciers make head ward erosion of the cirque walls, they — Seifs The longitudinal dunes forming parallel to the
form horns i.e. Mount Everest, Matterhorn of Alps etc. The direction of wind are called seifs.
divides between cirque walls are like zig-zag narrow ridges
— Loess The fine dusts blown beyond the desert limit and
called aretes.
deposited on neighbouring lands form loess, which are
— Erosional landform : Cirque, aretes, hanging valleys etc. yellowish and quite fertile. Sometimes, streams cut
— Depositional landform : Eskers, kame, drumlins, moraines etc. deep valleys in loess plain forming badland
topography.
Wind Action
— Mushroom Rocks The sand blasting effect of winds against Seawaves
rocks curve out its surface and form pillar-like structure — In high rocky coasts, wave cut platforms, sea cliffs,
called rock pedestals and further erosion of the base make fiords, dalmatian coasts are formed by waves and
the mushroom rocks in desert or arid areas. ocean currents.
— Zeugen These are ridge and furrow land scapes formed by — Barrier bass, spits and lagoons are also formed in this
mechanical weathering and abrasion of wind action. When coast. In low sedimentary coasts, sandbars, spits,
layers of soft rocks lies between layers of hard rocks, wind lagoons and tidal creeks are formed.
erodes soft rock much faster and the structure zeugen is — Blow holes, geos, gloups, cave, arch stack and stump
produced. etc., are coastal landforms. The pillar-like remnants in
— Yardang When soft and hard rocks arranged vertically instead the coastal water are called stakes and further
of horizontally like in zeugen, unequal erosion makes corridor detached and eroded stacks are called stumps. Geo is
like structure separated by steep-sided over, having ridges of a deep, narrow and long cleft form by collapse of the
hard rocks are formed, called yardang. These are used by cave roof due to wave actions.
caravans in deserts and commonly found in Atacama desert. — Beaches are temporary features of shoreline
— Inselberg These are isolated residual hills rising abruptly from depositions. Just behind the beach, the sands lifted as
the level ground and made up of very resistant granite rocks. sand bars and when elongated parallel to the coast are
The low lying eroded areas around the inselberg are called called spits (hook-shaped) and called tombolo, when
pediments or pediplains, formed by wind erosion. joins two landmasses enclosing a portion of the sea.

Types of Topography and their Agent

Topography Agent of Gradation Action Erosional Topography Depositional Topography
Desert Wind Deflation, attrition, Deflation hollows, desert pavements, Sand dunes barchans, transverse
abrasion ventifacts mushroom, rocks, zeugens, ridge, parabolic Wadi, alluvial
yardangs, inselbergs fan, bajada, bolson, pediment
Riverine Running water Attrition, abrasion, V-shaped valleys, gorge-canyon, rapids, Slip off slopes, flood plains,
hydraulic action, cataract, waterfalls, meanders, potholes, levees, ox-bow lake, deltas,
corrosion river cliff alluvial fans, alluvial cones
Karst Groundwater Corrosion, abrasion, Terra rossa, lapies, sinkholes, dolines, Dripstone, stalagmites,
attrition, hydrolysis uvalas, polje, blind valley, semi-blind valley, Stalactites, drapes or curtains
karst valley, caves, hums
Marine Seawater Hydraulic, attrition, Cliff, notch, wave-cut platform, caves and Wave built platform, beaches,
corrosion bays, hanging valleys, sea caves, sea arch, sandbars, mudflats, spits,
stack, stump, blow hole, geos tombolo
 Self Check Build Your Confidence
1. Consider the following [IAS 2015] 6. Consider the following statements
1. Electromagnetic radiation 1. Igneous rocks shows crystalline structures.
2. Geothermal energy 2. Igneous rocks have less amount of fossils.
3. Gravitational force 3. No rock on the Earth surface ever turn into igneous rock
4. Plate movements by any exogenic process.
5. Rotation of the Earth 4. Granite rocks are quite heavier than basalt rocks.
6. Revolution of the Earth Which of the statement(s) given above is/are incorrect
Which of the above are responsible for bringing dynamic about igneous rocks?
changes on the surface of the Earth? (a) 1 and 2 (b) 1, 2 and 3
(a) 1, 2, 3 and 4 (b) 1, 3, 5 and 6 (c) Only 2 (d) 2 and 4
(c) 2, 4, 5 and 6 (d) All of these 7. Consider the following statements regarding rocks on
2. Which of the following phenomenas might have Earth
influenced the evolution of organisms? [IAS 2014] 1. Sedimentary rocks are predominant on Earth’s crust.
1. Continental drift 2. Shale is the most abundant sedimentary rocks on Earth.
2. Glacial cycles 3. Marble is an igneous rock.
Select the correct answer using the codes given below 4. Both igneous and sedimentary rocks may be
(a) Only 1 (b) Only 2 metamorphosed.
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 Which of the statements given above are correct?
(a) 1 and 2 (b) 1, 2 and 4
3. Earth has evolved through a series of geological (c) 1, 3 and 4 (d) All of these
processes and the features on Earth now is a result of
geological developments. Which of the following are true 8. Consider the following statements regarding Plate
about the chronological development of Earth? Tectonics Theory
1. Primary oceans and continents are formed in pre-Cambrian 1. The plates are continuously in motion with respect to
era about 4000 million years ago. each other.
2. Coal beds are formed first during carboniferous period 2. Convectional magmatic current is the driving force for
about 300 million years ago. such movement.
3. Formation of Deccan plateau and black soil in India during 3. Lands are destroyed at divergent plate boundaries.
Permian period about 260 million years ago. 4. Benioff zone eats up the landmasses.
4. Alpine orogeny was started in Paleocene period about Which of the statements given above are correct?
60 million years ago. (a) 1 and 2 (b) 1, 2 and 4
Select the correct answer using the codes given below (c) 2 and 4 (d) All of these
(a) 1 and 2 (b) 1, 2 and 3
9. Consider the following statements
(c) 1, 2 and 4 (d) All of these
1. There is a oceanic ridge between Indian plate and
4. Which of the following studies are useful in finding the Antarctic plate.
information about the interior of Earth? 2. Tethys sea was previously a part of Indian plate which
1. Study of meteors 2. Study of gravity anomaly now extinct.
3. Magnetic survey 4. Seismic studies 3. The Indian plate collide with Eurasian plate about 40-50
Select the correct answer using the codes given below million years ago.
(a) 1 and 2 (b) 1, 2 and 3 4. About 140 million years ago, Indian plate was in
(c) 2, 3 and 4 (d) All of these Southern hemisphere.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
5. In the structure of planet Earth, below the mantle, the core
(a) 1 and 2
is mainly made up of which one of the following?
[IAS 2009] (b) 1, 2 and 3
(a) Aluminium (b) Chromium (c) 1, 2 and 4
(c) Iron (d) Silicon (d) All of the above

1. (d) 2. (c) 3. (c) 4. (a) 5. (c) 6. (d) 7. (b) 8. (b) 9. (c)

Chapter four
Geomorphology II
vertical and horizontal movements and lead to
Geomorphic production of primary landforms, i.e.
Processes mountains, plateaus etc. All processes that
— Geomorphic processes are broadly move, elevate or build up portions of the
Geomorphic processes classified as endogenic processes, Earth’s crust come under diastrophism.
are the conceptual driven by forces of inside the Earth Epeirogenic Movements
understanding of surface or internal forces and exogenic — These are vertical movements, caused by
processes, driven by forces of outside radial forces and are characterised by slow,
geomorphology, that is, the Earth surface or external forces. widespread, large-scale upliftment,
the general outlook of Endogenic processes are of thermal subsidence or submergence and emergence
the Earth and its and mechanical origin whereas of land areas. The evidences of both
changes in the course exogenic processes are of mechanical, downward and upward movements are visible
chemical and physical origin. in all the continents since Pre-Cambrian.
of time. Endogenic and
exogenic processes are Endogenetic Forces Orogenic Movements
rather continuous and — Endogenic geomorphic processes have — These are horizontal movements, caused by
their source of the energy emanating tangential forces and involve intense folding,
constructive in their
from within the Earth. This energy thrusting, faulting and uplift of narrow belts.
own essence. mostly generated by radio activity, These tangential forces belong to two
rotational and tidal friction and categories—compressional forces and tensional
primordial heat from the origin of the forces. Compressional forces results in folding
Earth. whereas the tensional forces results in faulting.
— This energy due to geothermal Folding
gradients and internal heat flow — Due to compressional forces, the rock strata
induces diastrophism and volcanism in get folded. Upfolded rock beds are called
the lithosphere. Endogenetic processes anticlines and the downfolded rock strata are
are uneven due to variation in called synclines. Due to difference in
geothermal gradients, internal heat compressional forces, folding also varies a lot.
flow, crustal thickness and strength.
The different types of foldings are as follows:
So, tectonically controlled original
— An anticline is formed when the strata is bent
crustal surface is uneven.
upward into simple upfold.
— Endogenic processes are of two types: — A syncline results from the strata being bent
diastrophic movements and sudden downward.
movements. Sudden movements take — A monocline results when horizontally laid beds
much time to prepare within the Earth, dip and then flatten out producing simple flexure.
but appear suddenly on the surface — In a symmetrical fold, both the limbs are equal
and create certain relief features on and inclined at same angle.
the Earth’s surface and are also called — Asymmetrical fold is one where one limb in a
constructive processes. These are fold structure is steeper than the other.
earthquakes, volcanic eruptions etc. — An overturned fold is formed when one limb
— Diastrophism are the gradual changes occupies the normal position while the other
of the Earth surface that include both bends more than 90°.
Magbook ~ Geomorphology II 33

— An isoclinal fold results from the continued lateral — Volcanic activity is closely connected with crustal
compression upon an overturned fold and crowding it upon disturbances, particularly where these are zones of
the adjacent overfold. Here, both the limbs dip at equal weakness due to deep faulting or mountain folding. Near
angles in the same direction. the subduction zone, volcanic activities are frequent.
— Recumbent fold is literally a fold lying down, resulting from
— The magma includes huge amount of gases such as carbon
the continuation of pressure. The axial plane and both limbs
of a fold lie roughly and horizontally.
dioxide, sulphuretted hydrogen and small proportions of
nitrogen, chlorine and other volatile substances. The gases
— Nappe results when the pressure exerted upon a recumbent
fold is sufficiently great to cause it to be torn from its roots and vapour increase the mobility and explosiveness of the
and to be thrust forward. lavas. Lava is raised up through conduit or pipe and erupt
at the vent which later grows to become a crater.
— Folding structures are found in every continents. Some
examples are Himalaya mountain in Asia, Atlas mountain — Basic lava is hottest and highly fluid lava. It flow quietly
in Africa, Rockies in North America and Andese in South and is not very explosive whereas acid lava is highly
America. viscous because of having a high percentage of silica. It is
most explosive and forms volcanic mountains, whereas
Faulting basic lava forms shields.
— Faults are formed due to the combined effect of both the — Hot Springs Groundwater, coming in contact with the
compressional and tensional forces, but the tensional magma, gets heated beyond 37°C and when comes to
forces play a significant role. Excessive stresses and the surface is known as hot spring. e.g. Ladakh,
strains produce fracturing and is usually accompanied by Manali, volcanic regions of Iceland, Yellow Stone
dislocation. National Park.
— Such relatively rapid movement produce crustal blocks — Geyser It is a special type of hot spring, which ejects
(horsts) on the margin of which, is a fault scarp, rift valley steam and superheated water from an underground
or depression (graben) bounded by faults. Horsts and source through a hole in the ground intermittently e.g. Old
grabens are found in association with one another. Faithful Geyser in the USA, which erupts ‘faithfully’ after
— In the faulting, there may be an occasion when the middle every 66 minutes.
portion gets slip down and form a rift valley like the Great — Fumaroles are characterised by full-scale continuous
Rift Valley of Africa Sometimes, the side blocks may be jet-like emission of hot water from a vent.
raised while the mid portion remain unaltered and formed
block mountain and valley within like Brahmaputra valley Types of Volcanoes
in Assam, India. According to their activities volcanoes can be classified as
— Normal faults are formed due to the stress. In this fault, follows:
the rock blocks are displaced in opposite directions and — Active Volcanoes Frequently erupt in recent time,
one of the blocks moves downwards. The surface gets dormant volcanoes have been known to erupt in near past
stretched during a normal fault. and show the signs of eruption in future, whereas extinct
— Reverse faults are formed due to compressional forces. In or dead volcanoes have not erupted at all in historical
this type of faults, the rock blocks move towards each time, but retain the features of volcanoes.
other and one rock block overrides the other. During the — Dormant volcanoes are most dangerous at the time of
reverse fault, the faulted area gets compressed. These are eruption is not known. Mount Vesuvius and Mount
also called thrust faults. Krakatau are two dormant volcanoes erupted most
— Tear faults are caused by lateral movement of the crust or violently, killing in thousands.
movement parallel to the fault. When the rocks or landmass — Extinct Volcanoes All volcanoes pass through active,
are compressed from two opposite directions, the land dormant and extinct stage, but it is not sure when a
blocks move forward or backward (horizontal movements) volcano will be extinct. Pelean type and Vesuvius type
instead of vertical movements. Such faults are also called volcanoes are most violent whereas Hawaiian types are
strike slip fault e.g. San Andreas fault in California. least violent and fissure erupted.

Volcanism Classification of Volcanoes

— Volcanism or volcanicity includes all the phenomena Shield Volcanoes
associated with movement of molten material (magma) — These volcanoes are formed by basaltic lava flow and are
from the interior of the Earth to the surface. the largest of all the volcanoes on the Earth, after flood
— Magma is a molten silicate material. It is not entirely liquid basalt provinces. These are not steep as basalt flows
but a combination of liquid, solid and gas mixture which is readily after eruption and are low eruptive, but explosive
complex. Silica (SiO2 ) and water (H2O) are the two when the vent is poured by water. Hawaiian shield is an
constituents which control the properties of magma. example of this.
34 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

Cinder Core — The source of an earthquake is called focus or

— It is a special type of shield volcano when lava moves in hypocenter. The waves travel in all directions from the
the form of fountains with the vent rest as a core on the focus, which is located below the Earth’s surface. The
middle i.e. Paricutin of Mexico. area on the Earth’s surface directly above the focus is
called the Epicenter of the earthquake, where earthquake
Composite Volcanoes waves are experienced at first.
— These volcanoes have several subsidiary or feeder vents — Earthquakes are occurred due to release of energy along a
along with the main vent. Eruptions are explosive with fault. Along the fault, rocks tend to move and at a certain
more viscous lava than basalt and a large quantity of point of time the tectonic tendency overcomes the
pyroclastic materials and ashes. The materials frictional inertia, as a result blocks get deformed and
accumulated near the vent and forms layers of eventually, slide past one another abruptly. This causes
accumulation which looks like a composite structure. e.g. release of energy and emergence of earthquake waves.
Pinatubo of Philippines and Fuji of Japan.
Caldera ves L-waves
-wa
&L Epicenter
S-waves
— These are the most explosive among all volcanoes. They P, S P-waves
12
Focus 0
collapse themselves into the vent after eruption and forms S-waves

00
km
not transmitted
a large depression called caldera, because the magma
chamber supply huge lava and lies in the vicinity. They do

Waves
Earth's surface
not form any large and tall structure. P-waves
105° CORE
refracted
Flood Basalt Provinces
105°

km
These are the series of volcanic eruption with most fluid

e
—

n
P

00

zo
sh
basaltic lava that can flow and cover thousand square Mantle

50

ow
ad

ad
ow

kilometers. Series of eruption and flow make thick

sh
zo

S
n

distinguishable layers. e.g. Deccan traps of India.

e

145° P waves only 145°

Mid-Oceanic Volcanoes Types of seismic waves and shadow zones
— Such volcanic eruptions occur within the oceanic surface
and stretches as long as 70000 km in all oceans. Central Earthquake Waves
portion of these ridges experiences frequent eruptions. — There are two types of seismic waves : Body waves and
The mid-oceanic ridge in Atlantic is markable of ‘S’ Surface waves. Body waves consists of P-waves and
shaped. These are formed in both sides of divergent plate S-waves and Surface waves constitute with L- waves.
margins in the ocean floor. Some ridge peaks are taller
— P-waves or Primary waves are fastest moving waves and
than Mount Everest also.
first wave to reach the surface. These waves can travel
through all types material, i.e. solid liquid and gases, even
Earthquakes the dense center of the Earth, but their speed is reduced
— An earthquake is a vibration or oscillation of the surface of
through liquid layer. These waves have short wavelength
the Earth caused by the elasticity or the isostatic
and high frequency are longitudinal waves.
adjustment of the rocks, beneath the surface of the Earth.
— S-waves or Secondary waves are waves similar to light
— The most common type of earthquakes are the tectonic
waves that have perpendicular propagation and has
earthquakes which are generated due to sliding of rocks
medium velocity and reach the surface after P-waves.
along a fault plane. Volcanic earthquakes are confined to
These waves cannot pass through liquid layers. These
areas of active volcanoes and areas of subduction zones.
waves are transverse in nature and have less speed than
Reservoir induced earthquakes are also occurring in the
P-waves.
area of large reservoirs where huge water pressure create
— Surface waves or L-waves are anologous to water waves
crustal disturbances.
and travel along the Earth’s surface. These waves are
— The study of earthquakes are called seismology. The
originated from the epicenter not from focus due to the
Richter scale measures the magnitude of an earthquake
secondary effect of body waves. These are last one to
whereas the Mercalli scale measures the intensity of the
report on seismograph and has slower velocity, but has
earthquake in terms of visible damage caused by the
higher destructive capacity.
event.
— The lines joining the regions of same seismic intensity are
— Richter scale is expressed in absolute number on the
called as isoseismal lines and the line joining the places
range 0 to 10 which is a logarithmic scale, whereas the
which experience the earthquake tremors at the same
Mercalli scale has range from 1 to 12. The instrument
time is called homoseismal lines.
used to record earthquake waves is called seismograph.
Magbook ~ Geomorphology II 35

Shadow Zones Distribution of Earthquakes Distribution of Volcanoes

— In seismographs, earthquake waves are recorded, but Mid-Continental belt (20% of Mid-Continental belt
there exist some specific areas where the waves are not earthquake) includes the (volcanic zones of convergent
reported, such zone is called the ‘shadow zone’ and it Mediterranean-Himalayan belt. continental plate margins).
varies among earthquake events. includes volcanoes of Alpine
— Upto 105° from the epicenter, both P and S-waves are Mountain chain, the
Mediterranean sea and the
recorded, but beyond 145° from epicenter, only P-wave is
fault zone of Eastern Africa
recorded not the S-waves.
of Stromboli, Vesuvius, Etna,
— This zone between 105° to 145° is called shadow zone for Kilimanjaro etc.
P-waves and the entire zone beyond 105° does not receive
S-wave and the region is called shadow zone for S-waves. Mid-Atlantic ridge (10% of Mid-Atlantic belt, in which
earthquake) includes the the volcanoes are fissure
The shadow zone of S-waves is much larger than that of the
earthquakes of New Madrid, eruption type. e.g. iceland,
P-waves and covers a little over 40% of the Earth’s surface.
Charleston, Boston and Koyna Canary Islands, Cape Verde,
Propagation of Earthquake Waves etc. Azores etc.
— Different type of waves propagate in different manner. Intra plate fault zones include Highest volcanic peaks
P-waves vibrate parallel to its direction of propagation like the earthquakes along the inter Cotopaxi (South America),
sound waves, whereas S-waves and L-waves vibrate continental or Intraplate fault Fujiyama (Japan), Valley of
vertically up and down along the line of propagation. zones, i.e. main boundary thrust Ten Thousand Smokes
in India from Kachchh to (Alaska).
— As waves move or propagate, they cause vibration in the
Haridwar etc.
body of the rocks through which they pass. P-waves
exerts pressure on the material in the direction of the
propagation. As a result, it creates density differences in
Exogenetic Forces
— These Forces are the external forces act upon the Earth
the material leading to stretching and squeezing of the
and continuously deform the landfoms developed by
material.
endogenetic forces into level plain. Exogenetic forces are
— As the other two waves vibrate perpendicular to the continuous and gradual forces.
direction of propagation, they create troughs and crests in
— Wind action or aeolian force, river action or fluvial force,
the material through which they pass.
glacial force, underground water movements, atmospheric
— Surface waves are considered most damaging as they phenomenons like cyclones etc.
cause displacement of rocks and collapse of structures.
— Erosion and weathering are the two major phenomena of
— Earthquake is a natural hazard and has effects like, denudation of geomorphic features by exogenetic forces.
ground shaking, differential ground settlement, land and Eroded materials also act as an eroding agent with the
mud slides, soil liquefaction, ground lurching, avalanches, help of exogenetic forces.
ground displacement, floods from dam and levee failures,
— Fluvial forces are active in humid regions and is the most
fires, structural collapse and tsunami etc.
important single agent of denudation. Fluvial action has
— With increase in magnitude, the intensity of damage done erosion by lubricating action and mass movements.
increases, however, not all the parts of the globe Runoff not only denude the features, but transport the
necessarily experience major shocks. Earthquakes of eroded materials and dislocate them forming azonal
magnitude 8 are quite rare and occur once in 1-2 years, features like alluvium deposition and delta etc. Soil creep,
whereas those of smaller magnitudes occur almost every landslide etc. are done by fluvial action.
minute.
— The intensity of fluvial action depend on the volume of
Distribution of Earthquakes and Volcanoes water, the velocity of the flow and weight of the load.
Distribution of Earthquakes Distribution of Volcanoes — Among major river actions, corrosion or abrasion is the
Circum-Pacific areas (70% of Circum-Pacific belt (Fire mechanical grinding, corrosion or solution the chemical or
earthquakes) with most frequent Girdle of the Pacific or the solvent action, hydraulic action is the mechanical
occurrence along the ‘Pacific Fire Ring of the Pacific). loosening and dislocation by river itself and attrition is the
Ring of Fire’. Extends across the wear and tear of transported materials themselves.
Kamchatka Peninsula, Kurile — Glacial action is the action of glaciers in the permanent ice
islands, the Islands of Japan,
bound regions. Glaciations generally gives rise to erosional
Philippines, New Guinea, New
Zealand and the Soloman features in the highlands and depositional features on the
islands. It also passes through lowlands. Though, these processes are not mutually exclusive
the Antarctica and the because a glacier plays a combined role of erosion,
Western coast of America. transportation and deposition throughout its course. Plucking
and abrasion are two major erosional actions of glaciers.
36 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

— In arid regions, wind action is the major exogenetic force Factors Affecting Weathering
in action than fluvial action due to insufficient rainfall. — Rock type and its mineralogical composition are the
Deserts cover about one-fifth of the Earth surface, so determining factors affecting rate of weathering.
aeolian action is a major exogenetic force. — Structure Rocks of massive character are more likely to
— Deflation or lifting and blowing away of loose material, have a greater resistance to weathering than those which
abrasion or sand blasting or grinding of surface by sand are bedded.
particles and attrition or collision of sand particles against — Aspect Slopes which are exposed to wind and rain are
each other are the major erosional action of aeolian force.
more prone to the act of weathering.
Wind action makes its depositional features towards the
humid front whereas erosional actions are predominant in
— Temperature Range of temperature both diurnal and
arid core. annual, subjects the surface layers to exposed rocks to
expansion and contraction. Temperature also increases
— Groundwater is an active exogenetic force act on
the rate of chemical reaction.
limestone or chalk regions. Solution is the major erosional
work of ground water as an exogenetic force.
— Climate and Weather These are the most important factor
in weathering. In tropical areas, precipitation and sunlight is
— In coastal regions, waves, tides and ocean currents are
received more, so weathering is more and deeper into the
major exogenetic forces that act on the surface. The most
lithosphere which is quite low and limited in subtropical dry
powerful agent of marine erosion are waves. Corrosion,
region and further moderately high in temperate region and
attrition, hydraulic action and solvent action are major
further low and has a statement rate of weathering at polar
action of waves. These forces also shows depositional
and subpolar region. Dynamicity of the weather is directly
action.
proportional to dynamicity in weathering.
Weathering — Water Many chemical changes cannot go alone and
require the presence of water.
— It is defined as mechanical disintegration and chemical
decomposition of rocks through the actions of various — Organisms Organism acts in many ways to assist weathering.
elements of weather and climate. In weathering, rocks Types of Weathering
and minerals are breakdown or altered near the surface — Weathering can be divided into three major group of
into more equilibrium products. processes as follows:
— In weathering, very little or no motion of materials takes (i) Chemical weathering
place, so, it is an in-situ or on-site process. Though (ii) Physical or Mechanical weathering
climate is the most important factor of weathering, other (iii) Biological weathering
factors like complex, geological, topographic and — Even though, one process may quite often dominate a
vegetative factors also conditioned the process. region, but impression of other processes are also visible and
— The process of weathering not only differ from climate to rarely, anyone process ever operate completely by itself.
climate, but also in depth of lithosphere. Most rocks and
minerals are formed within the crust where temperatures Chemical Weathering
and pressures differ greatly from the surface and are — It involves the alteration of the chemical and mineralogical
characteristically in disequilibrium to the surface composition of the weathered material.
condition. When these exposed to surface are easily — For chemical weathering, water, oxygen and carbon dioxide
undergo physical and chemical changes due to interaction along with heat must be present to speed up all chemical
of various exogenic agents and get eroded and reactions. In this process, rocks may undergo solution,
decomposed. hydrolysis, carbonation, hydration, oxidation and reduction
— Weathering is a base to other geomorphic and to decompose and dissolve into five classic states.
biogeochemical processes and fundamental to many Major Chemical Weathering Processes
aspects of hydrosphere, lithosphere and biosphere.
— Solution It is the dissolution of contents with water or acid
Product of weathering is a major source of sediments to
and involves removal of solids in solution. It depends upon
form sedimentary rocks, plains, formation of soil, nutrient
solubility of material in water or weak acids.
supplement to plants and salinity to oceans, etc.
Soluble rock forming minerals like nitrates, sulphates and
— Weathered and altered materials become nutrient ions to potassium etc, are affected by this process; these are
be taken up by plants or released to the atmosphere as easily leached out without leaving any residue in rainy
gas; some less resistant products like alumino-silicate climates and accumulate in dry climates.
minerals form clays and other altered materials Minerals like calcium carbonate and calcium magnesium
reconstituted by sedimentary or metamorphic processes bicarbonate present in limestones are soluble in water
to become new rocks and minerals. The most common containing carbonic acid and common salts in the rocks
unaltered residue is quartz. are susceptible to this process of solution.
Magbook ~ Geomorphology II 37

— Hydrolysis It is a special process of solution when water is — Here, fractures develop roughly parallel to the ground
the solvent where hydroxide ions are release when surface. Exfoliation of rock layers are example of such
minerals dissolve in water and pH of the solution process. Majority of igneous rocks are undergone such
increased. In this process, a chemical reaction occur process, as they form deep under the Earth surface at
between mineral ions and ions of water (OH− and H + ) and greater pressure and temperature and on exposition gets
rock surface decomposed to form new compounds. exfoliated.
Hydrolysis is especially effective in the weathering of — Temperature Changes and Expansion Every mineral and
common silicate and alumino-silicate minerals because of rock has a limit to expand and contract. By divisional
their electrically charged crystal surfaces. changes in the temperatures, the inter-granular forces
— Hydration In hydration, minerals take up water and varies with the repeated expansion and contraction which
expand which causes expansion or increase in volume of results in exfoliation and disintegration of rocks.
the material itself or rocks. This volume changes in — This type of processes are quite effective in dry climates
minerals due to hydration also, which helps in physical and high elevations where divisional temperature changes
weatherings through exfoliation and granular are drastic.
disintegration. Calcium sulphate when hydrates forms
— Freezing, Thawing and Frost Wedging In higher latitudes
more unsustainable gypsum. This process is long and
of permafrost regions, ice grows in the rock pores and the
reversible, but continued repetition of such hydration
rock expands and in summer, ice melts and the rock now
makes rocks weak and lead to disintegration.
contracts forming cracks and fractures in the rock and in
— Carbonation It is the reaction of carbonate and the process rocks get disintegrated. In this process, rate
bicarbonate with minerals. Such processes are helpful in of freezing is important.
breaking of feldspars and carbonate minerals. Carbonation
— This process is most effective at high elevations in
is main process involved in cave formation. Calcium
mid-latitudes where freezing and melting are repeated.
carbonates and magnesium carbonates are dissolved in
Glacial areas are subject to frost wedging daily.
carbonic acids, which is a weak acid formed by absorption
of carbon dioxide from soil and atmosphere in water. — Salt Weathering Salts like calcium, sodium, magnesium,
potassium and barium gets expanded due to thermal
— Oxydation and Reduction In weathering, oxidation is the
action, hydration and crystallisation and results in grain
combination of a mineral with oxygen to form oxides or
splitting within rock near surface regions are called
hydroxides in the presence of abundant oxygenated water and
granular disintegration or granular foliation.
open air. Addition of oxygen breakdown the rocks and
sometimes changes its colour. Iron, magnesium and sulphur
— Such processes are predominant in desert regions. Salt
etc, are common minerals affected by this chemical process. crystallisation is most effective of all salt weathering
In tropical regions of high temperature and pressure, iron processes. Sodium chloride and gypsum crystals in desert
and aluminium oxidised and turn brown or yellow, so red and areas heave up overlying layers of materials and results in
yellow staining of soil is quite common in tropical regions. polygonal cracks.
— Crystallisation of salt and water are two dominant form of
Physical Weathering crystallisation that results disintegration of rocks.
— It is the breakdown of mineral or rock material by entirely — Abrasion occurs when some force causes two rock
mechanical methods brought about by a variety of causes surfaces to come together, causing mechanical wearing or
with application of external forces. grinding of their surfaces.
The applied forces could be :
— Collision between rock surfaces normally occurs
— Gravitational forces i.e. overburden, pressure load and
through the erosional transport of material by wind, water
shearing stress.
or ice.
— Expansion forces due to temperature changes, crystal growth
or animal activity. Biological Weathering
— Pressure of water-seasonal variability in wet and dry cycle. — It involves the disintegration of rock and mineral due to
— Most of the physical weathering processes are caused by the chemical and/or physical actions of an organism. The
thermal expansion and pressure release; these processes types of organisms that can cause weathering range from
are slow, but in long-term, weaken the rocks by repetition bacteria to plants to animals.
of expansion and contraction. — Burrowing and wedging by organisms like earthworms,
Major Physical Weathering Processes rodents etc, help in exposing the new surface to chemical
attack and assists in penetration of moisture and air.
— Unloading and Expansion When underneath layers of
Anthropogenic activities like irrigation, ploughing,
rocks exposed because of erosion of upper layer, the
devegetation etc, causes biological weathering.
vertical pressure on the rocks releases and the rocks
underneath now expand and as a result, disintegrate. — Decaying of plant and animal matter help in the
production of humic, carbonic and other acids which
38 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

enhance decay and solubility of some elements. Plant finer ones later. Erosions degrade the relief structure and
roots exert a tremendous pressure on Earth materials, depositions make aggradational work get the depressions
mechanically breaking them apart. filled. So, the Earth surface get changing continuously with
the simultaneous process of erosion and deposition.
— Organisms influences the moisture regime in soils and
pH level of the soil that enhance weathering. Respiration Cycle of Erosion
from plant roots releases carbon dioxide which form — The whole process of the formation of relief features by
(carbonic acid with water and lowers soil) pH and carbon the endogenic processes and their deformation by
exchange occur during absorption of nutrients from the soil exogenic processes is called cycle of erosion. This is a
also cause pH changes and change in characteristics of simplified conceptualisation of landform development
the soil. throughout the geological history of the surface.
— Chelation is a biological process where organisms — It states the relief features that forms originally as primary
produce organic substances, known as chelates, that feature of landform undergo erosion to make the surface
have the ability to decompose minerals and rocks by the levelled and ready for another era or cycle of landform
removal of metallic cations. development. But such simplified and ideal model of
— Respiration from plant roots releases carbon dioxide which landform development is not occur on Earth, landform
mix with water to form carbonic acid; it accelerate the development is more complex, rejuvenation, variation and
process of solution. disruption in the cycle is more common on Earth, but one
thing is clear that landforms get through erosional
Erosion processes once relief structure is formed and it is not
— Large-scale transportation of the weathered materials is reversible, only the stages or phases of landform
termed as erosion. development may altered or rejuvenated.
Different activities, which take part in the process of
erosion are as follows : Davis’s Concept
— Abrasion or Corrosion When any agent of erosion moves — According to the American geomorphologist, William
ahead loaded with sand, pebbles and fragments of rocks, the Morris Davis, there are sequential changes in landforms
rocks coming in contact of these particles are degraded by the through time. During these sequential changes, the
friction, the process is known as Abrasion. landform passes through the youth, mature and old
— Attrition When the particles flowing with an agent of stages.
degradation get reduced in their sizes due to mutual friction,
— Various landforms are the result of the combined effect of
the process is known as Attrition.
the structure of the rocks, agents of denudation (process)
— Corrosion When soluble rocks like dolomite, limestone, chalk
and time (various stages).
etc, are separated from the rocks by the action of water, the
process is called corrosion. — According to Davis, geographical cycle of erosion is the
— Hydraulic Action When rocks are broken into pieces by the period of time during which an uplifted landmass
action of fast flowing water, the process is known as hydraulic undergoes its transformation by the process of land
action. sculpture ending into a low, featureless plain, i.e.
— Water Pressure When any rock is eroded by the pressure ‘peneplain’. The convex-concave landforms, which remain
exerted by water, it is called water pressure activity. This is as residue after the completion of the cycle of erosion are
mainly carried out by sea-wave. termed as monadnocks.
— Plucking This occurs by the action of glaciers. In this process,
Penck’s Concept
the glacier drags, along with it the rocks which come on its
way, making them weak enough to disintegrate into large — The German scientist Walther Penck criticised the
fragments. Davision Model of Erosion Cycle based on time dependent
— Deflation This is the process by which wind removes or blows series of landform development and presented his own
away the unconsolidated sand, silt and clay from the land Model of Morphological System. He held that the landforms
surface, especially in arid and semi-arid regions. are the result of the intensity of endogenetic processes
— Erosion is the application of the kinetic energy associated with (rate of upliftment) and the magnitude of displacement of
the agent to the surface of the land along which it moves. materials by the exogenetic processes (the rate of erosion
— Except groundwater and wave erosion, all other erosions and removal of materials). Penck used the term
are controlled by climate. primarumpf, for the uplifting landform. He called the final
— Deposition is a consequence of erosion when erosional agents landform created after the complete cycle of erosion
loose their velocity and energy and materials get settle on the Endrum professor LC King gave the concept of
gentler slopes. The coarser materials get deposited first and Pedeplanation Cycle for the semi-arid regions.
 Self Check Build Your Confidence

1. Consider the following statements regarding the 5. Which of the following pairs are correctly matched?
general geomorphological informations 1. V-shaped valley : Fluvial agent origin
1. The same physical processes that operate today, 2. U-shaped valley : Glacial origin
operated throughout geological time. 3. Cirque : Aeolion origin
2. Earth surface is changing due to various geomorphic 4. Mushroom rock : Wind origin
processes, but retain the imprint of older process, even Codes
the recent processes are dominant. (a) 1 and 2 (b) 1, 2 and 4
3. Landforms are always follows a cyclic process of (c) 1, 2 and 3 (d) All of these
development.
6. Consider the following statements [IAS 2006]
4. Little of the Earth’s topography is older than tertiary and
most of it, no older than Pleistocene. 1. The Richter scale is a logarithmic scale and so an
Which of the statements given above are correct? increase of 1 magnitude unit represents a factor of 10
(a) 1 and 2 (b) 1, 2 and 4 times in amptitude.
(c) 2, 3 and 4 (d) All of these 2. Each integer reading of the Richter scale has an energy
100 times that the previous integer reading.
2. Consider the following statements about seismic waves Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
1. P-waves are fastest moving waves and reduces their (a) Only 1 (b) Only 2
speed while moving through liquid medium. (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
2. S-waves get slower in liquid mediums like P-waves also.
7. Which of the following forces are acting as destructing
3. L-waves are analogous with water waves.
agents over Earth surface?
4. Isoseismal line connects places experiencing earthquake
1. Wind
tremors at the same time.
2. Glacier
Which of the statements given above are correct?
(a) 1 and 3 (b) 1, 2 and 3 3. Earthquake
(c) 2 and 4 (d) All of these 4. Sea waves
Select the correct answer using the codes given below
3. Consider the following statements (a) 1, 2 and 3 (b) Only 3
1. Weathering is deeper and extensive in tropical zone on (c) 1, 2 and 4 (d) All of these
Earth.
2. Climate is the most important factor of weathering.
8. Consider the following statements.
3. Weathering processes are generally in-site processes. 1. Fluvial action is more pronounced in warm and humid
climates.
4. Gravitational force has no role in the process of
weathering. 2. Aeolian actions are more pronounced in cold and dry
climates.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 and 2 (b) 2 and 4
(c) 1, 2 and 3 (d) All of these (a) Only 1
(b) Only 2
4. Which of the following are landforms of volcanic origin? (c) 1 and 2
1. Sills 2. Dyke (d) None of these
3. Cinder cone 4. Crater 9. Excessive folding results in
5. Rift valley 6. Doline (a) nappe formation
Select the correct answer using the codes given below (b) block disintegration
(a) 1, 2 and 4 (b) 1, 2, 4 and 6 (c) geosyncline
(c) 1, 2, 3 and 4 (d) All of these (d) reverse fault

1. (b) 2. (a) 3. (c) 4. (c) 5. (b) 6. (a) 7. (c) 8. (a) 9. (a)

Chapter five
Climatology
Atmosphere Structure
Climatology is the study
— The atmosphere is a thick gaseous of Atmosphere
envelope which surrounds the Earth from — Atmosphere of Earth has different
of the myriad factors all sides and attached to the Earth’s layers vary from one another with
that influence weather surface by gravitational force. density and temperature. Density is
and the influence of — The atmosphere also serves as a shield highest near the surface of the Earth
weather on the blocking out much of the Sun’s ultraviolet and decreases with increasing altitude.
radiation as well as protecting us from — Temperature is habitable around 15°C
environment. It
showers of meteors. It contains life giving in the lower atmosphere contagious to
considers the past and gases like oxygen for creatures and carbon the surface and very high temperature
can help predict future dioxide for plants. at the upper atmosphere near to outer
climate change. — The atmosphere allows the short wave space.
insolation to pass through it, but becomes On the basis of uniformity, atmosphere
opaque for the outgoing long wave can be divided into two zones:
terrestrial radiation.
— In this way, it acts as a huge greenhouse
(i) Homosphere
and maintains an average 15°C — This is the zone where uniform mixing
temperature on the Earth surface. and composition of gases and other
constituents are found. Major gases
Principle Gases of Dry Air are nitrogen, oxygen, argon, carbon
Constituent Per cent Concentration in dioxide Water vapour and particulates
by Volume Parts Per Million are also found here with uniformity in
(PPM) distribution. The layer extends up to
88 km from surface of Earth and
Nitrogen (N2 ) 78.084 780840.0
includes troposphere, stratospheres
Oxygen (O2 ) 20.946 209460.0 and mesosphere.
Argon (Ar) 0.934 9340.0 — The concentrations of the major gases
Carbon dioxide 0.036 360.0 in the homosphere remain relatively
(CO2 ) constant due to convective currents
and effects of heat and moisture on
Neon (Ne) 0.002 18.2
airflow patterns near the Earth’s
Helium (He) 0.000524 5.24 surface.
Methane 0.00015 1.5
(CH 4 ) (ii) Heterosphere
Krypton (Kr) 0.000114 1.14 — The layer extends from 88 km above
to about 10000 km and includes both
Hydrogen (H2 ) 0.00005 0.5
lonosphere and exosphere, air is no
Xenon (Xe) 0.00009 0.9 longer uniform in this zone.
Magbook ~ Climatology 41

— The heterosphere is characterised by variable chemical Thermosphere

composition with regions that are dominated by only a — Thermosphere extends from mesopause to about 640 km
few atomic or molecular species. Due to the lack of altitude. Its lower layer is called ionosphere due to presence
convective heating at this height, the material found in of free radicals or ionic particles.
the heterosphere is layered according to its mass. — In the lower thermosphere above mesosphere, low
— The lower levels are dominated by nitrogen and oxygen Earth-orbit spacecraft fly and astronauts conduct space
molecules, oxygen atoms are found in the next layer walks from space shuttle. In this layer, temperature increases
and then helium and free hydrogen atoms near the rapidly with altitude due to interaction of ionosphere and
boundary of the Earth’s atmosphere. electromagnetic radiations from outer space of Sun. But
— The lower heterosphere consists of a small area molecules are, so far spread apart that we wouldn’t feel the
dominated by ionic elements or free radicals and free heat of the atmosphere.
electrons called ionosphere.
Ionosphere
On the basis of thermal conditions, atmosphere can be
divided into six different layers
— Ionosphere extends from 80 km to 640 km above
mesopause. Radiowaves transmitted from the Earth are
Troposphere reflected back to the Earth by this layer and temperature
— Troposphere is the lowermost layer of atmosphere with starts increasing with altitude. Ionosphere has many thermal
average altitude 13 km and extends roughly up to 8 km layers i.e. D-layer, E-layer etc, and separated from each other
near the poles and about 18 km at the equator. This by gradients called pause.
layer contains 75% of the total gaseous mass, dust Exosphere
particles and water vapours.
— It represents the uppermost layer of the atmosphere extends
— The layer experiences gradual decrease in temperature beyond 640 km where gases are most rarefied and
with increase in altitude in a constant rate at 1°C for abundance in electrically charged particles. Molecules in the
every 165 m (6.5°C/km) called normal lapse rate. All exosphere have enough kinetic energy to escape the gravity
weather and climatic phenomenous are occurred in and fly off into space. Helium disappears here.
this layer. The troposphere is separated from next layer
stratosphere by tropopause, which shows nearly
constant temperature and of course shows temperature
Thermal Radiations
inversion as its temperature near pole is –45°C and at — In atmosphere, two types of thermal radiations are observed.
equator is about –80°C. One coming to the atmosphere from outer space as lower
wavelength radiations mainly from Sun are called as
Stratosphere insolation and another one is the thermal radiation from the
— Stratosphere extends above the tropopause to about 50 Earth’s surface as high wavelength radiations called
km high and lacks any atmospheric turbulence, so jet terrestrial radiations.
airways are flown in this layer. The lower stratosphere
sometimes have cirrus clouds. Insolation
— The air temperature is steadily increased with altitude — The amount of incoming solar radiation through short waves
due to absorption of UV rays by ozone layer, but is termed as insolation (incoming solar radiation). The
temperature never go above the melting point of water amount of insolation received on Earth’s surface is 1.92
(0°C). Stratosphere is separated from mesosphere by calories per square centimeter per minute. The amount of
stratopause which has stable thermal condition. insolation is not uniform on the Earth, it varies from place to
— The lower portion of the stratosphere having maximum place and time to time.
concentration of ozone is called ozonosphere.
Factors affecting insolation are
Mesosphere Angle of the Sun Rays
— Mesosphere is the frigid atmospheric layer with coldest — At equator Sun rays are more or less vertical, the angle of
atmospheric conditions extends upto 80 km from incidence is more resulting high amount of insolation
stratopause. Temperature decreases here with altitude received. Towards poles, Sun rays become more and more
and reaches upto -100° C. oblique, the incidence is low resulting low amount of
— Meteors burn up in mesosphere as shooting stars. It is insolation received.
separated from the thermosphere by mesopause. Distance Between the Earth and the Sun
— The upper layer of mesosphere is marked by — Earth receives minimum insolation at the time of aphelion
mesopause. and it receives maximum insolation at the time of perihelion.
42 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

Effect of Atmosphere — The maximum and minimum temperatures are

— The atmosphere absorbs and scatters short wave. Absorption measured by the maximum and minimum
reduces direct bean radiation and scattering reduces direct thermometers, it is a U-shaped thermometer filled
beam, adds diffuse beam. with alcohol. The mean daily temperature is the
average of maximum and minimum temperature.
Length of the Day
Diurnal range of temperature is the difference
— The longer the length of the day ensures larger amount of
between maximum and minimum temperatures of a
insolation received. Length of the day varies with the
day and annual range of temperature is the difference
latitudes and the position of Earth on its orbit during the
between the hottest month (July in Northern
revolution around Sun.
hemisphere) and coldest month (January in Northern
hemisphere).
Terrestrial Radiations — Al-Azizia in Libya is the warmest place and Vostok in
— Terrestrial radiation is the energy emitted from the Earth and
Antarctica is the coldest place on Earth. Dalof of
detectable in both day and night. These radiations are
Ethiopia has maximum annual average temperature
thermal infrared wavelengths (long wave). These radiations
and pole of cold Antarctica has lowest mean annual
are much responsible for greenhouse gas effect as absorbed
temperature.
by the atmosphere.
Factors Affecting Temperature Distribution are:
— Insolation and terrestrial radiations are the sources of heat in
— Insolation Regions with direct insolation has higher
the atmosphere and the heat is transferred from one region temperature and heat surplus.
to another through various processes i.e. radiation, — Latitude Temperature decreases from lower latitude to
convection, conduction and advection. higher latitude.
— Nature of Surface Rough surfaces has lower specific heat
Heat Balance than smooth surfaces and heated easily and has higher
temperature. So, water gets much time to heat up than its
— The concept of equilibrium, which refers to the incoming solar neighbouring land surface and it is the basic cause of wind
radiation received by the atmosphere and the Earth in relation flow driven by thermal gradient. Snow cap regions reflects
to the outgoing reradiated or reflected heat. The heat balance much insolation than sands, so has less temperature than
varies both seasonally and with altitude. In general, those sands regions.
areas of the Earth which lie between 40° N and 40° S to the — Altitude As the surface and lower atmosphere heated by
equator have a positive regime, i.e. they receive more radiation terrestrial radiation, which goes decreasing with altitude
then they lose, while those areas, which lie poleward of 40° N and so the temperature of the place goes decreasing with
altitude.
and 40° S receive less than they lose.
— Distance from Sea Places near the coast has moderating
— As a result of this imbalance, heat is transferred from low to effect of sea and places away from sea in the interior has
high latitudes by air masses and ocean currents. So, tropic higher range of temperature.
do not progressive get heated and high latitudes do not — Air Masses and Winds Wind and airmass transport the
permanently frozen due to excess deficit. heat and thermal condition on Earth, so places coming
under warm airmass get warmed and those coming under
Heat Budget of the Planet Earth cold airmass get cool faster. Wind also effect much part of
Earth by transporting cool or warm conditions.
— Earth as a whole does not net gain or loss heat, but it
— Ocean Currents It influences the coastal regions greatly.
maintains its temperature by equalising the amount of Places in higher latitude can be remain warm due to
insolation or heat received with terrestrial radiation or heat presence of warm oceanic currents and cold currents bring
loss. The account of this heat balance is called heat budget. the temperature of coastal areas down.
Due to this heat balance, Earth neither warms up nor cools
down despite the huge transfer of heat taken place in the Horizontal Distribution of
system. Temperature
— The horizontal distribution of temperature on the Earth
Temperature surface is represented with the help of isotherms.
— Insolation interact with the atmosphere and Earth surface These isotherms are generally parallel to latitudes.
and create heat which is measured in terms of temperature. — The gap between isotherms represents the temperature
It is calculated in Celsius scale, Fahrenheit scale or Kelvin gradient and it is steep increase of closely spaced
scale normally. The instrument used for calculation of isotherms and indicate meteorological turbulence,
temperature is called thermometer. The line joining regions where as widely spaced isotherms shows gentle
of equal temperature is called isotherms. thermal gradient and indicate fair weather.
Magbook ~ Climatology 43

— The isothermal deviation is more pronounced in January — An area of almost uniform pressure between two highs
than July, especially in Northern hemisphere because of and two lows is known as col. Lines joining places with
presence of much land surface. equal barometric tendency, where the pressure is rising
— There is a definite Northward movement of all isotherms or falling by the same amount in a given period of time
between January and July. This movement of the isotherms are known as isobars.
is greater over the land than the oceans. The highest — Wind moves from high pressure areas to low pressure
temperature for both January and July are over the areas. The distribution of air pressure is controlled by
continents. altitude, temperature, rotation of the Earth, water
vapour, air circulation etc. The rate of change of
Vertical Distribution of pressure per unit horizontal distance is called pressure
Temperature gradient.
— The average rate of decrease of temperature upward in the — The amount decrease to about 1 mb for each 10 mb
atmosphere is 6.5°C/km. This vertical gradient of increase in elevation, but it does not always decreases
temperature is commonly referred to as normal lapse rate. at the same rate. The vertical gradient force is much
The vertical distribution of temperature is influenced by the larger than that of the horizontal pressure gradient.
nature of the underlying surface, e.g. temperature
decreases most rapidly with altitude over continental areas Pressure Belts
in summer. — The pressure in the atmosphere has a combined effect
of latitudinal variation, effect of temperature and effect
Spatial or Zonal Distribution of rotation and shows a general pattern of pressure
The globe can be divided into three broad zones throughout the Earth.
(i) The torrid zone (tropical region) — Earth can be divided into regions of broader pressure
(ii) The temperate zone (mid-latitude region) belts, even though have regional anomalies or
deviations.
(iii) Frigid zone (polar region)
— There are seven pressure belts on the globe. These are
— In torrid zone, the temperature remains high, in temperate
high and low alternate pressure in Northern and Southern
zones, the temperature remains moderate and in frigid
hemisphere and one common equatorial low pressure
zone, the temperature remains low. The high temperatures
belt.
in the tropical or torrid zone is a result of nearly vertical rays
of Sun throughout the year. Equatorial Low Pressure Belt
— In the mid latitude areas, the Sun rays are never vertical nor (Thermal in Origin)
they too slanting except for in the winter season of the — It is located on either side of the geographical equator in a
respective hemisphere, so temperature remains moderate. zone extending between 5°N and 5°S latitudes and may
The polar areas have low temperature because of extremely shift to higher latitudes during summers in respective
slanting rays of the Sun. hemisphere.
— The equatorial low pressure belt represents the
Atmospheric Pressure convergence zone of North-East and South-East trade
— Air pressure or atmospheric pressure is defined as total winds. This belt is also called doldrums because of
weight of a mass of column of air above per unit area at sea frequent calm conditions. This belt is caused due to
level. The air pressure is equivalent to 76 cm high mercury intense heat leading to low pressure.
column, i.e. 1013.25 mb is the atmospheric pressure at the
Sub-Tropical High Pressure Belt
sea level.
(Dynamic in Origin)
— The horizontal distribution of mean sea level pressure is
— It extends between the latitudes of 25° to 35° in both
shown by means of isobars, which are lines connecting
the hemisphere. The convergence of winds at higher
places with equal pressure. When isobars are above normal
altitude above this zone results in the subsidence of air
value, form clustering around in a circular manner are
from higher altitudes. This zone is characterised by
known as high pressure region. When there is clustering of
anti-cyclonic conditions, which cause atmospheric
isobars belonging to less than the normal value, they are
stability and aridity because of result of descent winds
known as low pressure region.
in the contraction of their volume and ultimately, causes
— An outward extension of high pressure into a region of high pressure over surface. This zone of high pressure
predominantly low pressure is known as ridge, while an is called horse latitude because of prevalence of
extension of low pressure into a region of high pressure is frequent calms. The belt is dynamic in origin.
known as trough.
44 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

Subpolar Low Pressure Belt (Dynamic in — The instrument widely used for measuring wind direction is
Origin) called weather cock or wind vans. The speed of the wind is
— It extends between the latitudes of 60° to 65° in both measured by a anemometer and is estimated by Beaufort
the hemisphere. The subpolar low pressure belt is wind scale, which has measures from 0 to 12. Zero indicates
more developed and regular in the Southern calm wind when smoke rises vertically, 12 shows the speed
hemisphere, while it is broken in the Northern of hurricane type devastative cyclonic conditions.
hemisphere because of over dominance of water in the
former. There are well defined low pressure centre or Planetary Winds
cells over the oceans in the Northern hemisphere. e.g. — The winds blowing almost in the same direction throughout
in the neighbour of Aleutian Islands in the Pacific the year are called planetary winds. Trade winds, Westerlies
ocean and between Greenland and Iceland in the and polar winds are included under it.
Atlantic ocean.
Trade Winds or Easterlies
Polar High Pressure Belt
— The winds that blow from sub-tropical high pressure areas
(Both Thermal and Dynamic in Origin)
towards equatorial low pressure areas are called trade or
— Because of prevalence of very low temperature, high
Easterly winds.
pressure persists at the poles throughout the year. Both
the factors thermal and dynamic, operate at the poles.
— Because of the coriolis effect, the trade winds deflected in
Here, high pressure is produced due to very low clockwise direction or to the right to become North-East
temperature. trades in the Northern hemisphere and to the left to become
South-East trades in the Southern hemisphere.
Shifting of Pressure Belts — The source or sub-tropical high pressure belt air subside and
the trade winds are dry and stable, when they pass over
Pressure belts is normally shifted along with the position of
water bodies, collect moisture and become unstable, so
overhead Sun. In Northern hemisphere, pressure belts
Eastern margin gets much rainfall.
shifted to North in summer and shifted towards South in
winter season. — The Western margin of each continents have dry hot deserts
because the regions are blown by offshore trade winds
Diurnal change of thermal condition alters the pressure
associated with high pressure belt and become dry
condition and so, wind shifts its course regionally.
throughout the years.
— The doldrums are region of calm weather located in the Inter
Atmospheric Circulations Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), centered on the equator
and extending 5° to the North and South of the equator.
— The direction of surface winds is usually controlled by
the pressure gradient, rotation and friction of the Earth. — They are dominated by low pressure and rising air. Air
Because of the rotation of the Earth along its axis, the converges here, so it is forced to rise, as a result, there is
winds are deflected and do not blow in a straight very little surface wind.
direction. The force, which deflects the direction of Westerlies
winds is called coriolis force. Winds are always named
— They blow from the horse latitude (high pressure belt) to the
from the direction they blow.
temperate low pressures. In the Northern hemisphere, they
— The winds in the upper atmosphere are free from are deflected to the right to become South Westerlies and in
frictional effect of the surface and controlled mainly by the Southern hemisphere, they are deflected left to become
pressure gradient and coriolis force. Frictional forces North Westerlies.
are effective generally upto an elevation of 1-3 km and
— They blow strongly and more constantly in the Southern
over the ocean/sea surface, frictional force is minimal.
hemisphere because uniform water expanses predominates
— Wind circulation around a low pressure is called landmasses.
cyclonic circulation and around a high pressure is
— Westerlies can be termed as roaring forties, furious fifties and
called anti-cyclonic circulation. Wind circulation at the
shrieking sixties in the Southern hemisphere and Westerlies
Earth's surface around low and high are closely related
also steam extra-tropical cyclones.
to the wind circulation at higher level.
Magbook ~ Climatology 45

Polar Easterlies Jet Stream

— They blow from polar high pressure regions to the Jet stream is a region of long, narrow, high speed wind that
subpolar low pressure regions. flow North-Eastward, Eastward and South-Eastward directions,
— Their direction in the Northern hemisphere is from in the middle and upper troposphere or lower stratosphere.
North-East to South-West and from South-East to The jet streams have speed of up to 90 m/second (200
North-West in the Southern hemisphere. miles/hour) along hundreds of kilometers at their centres, but
— These winds are extremely cold, stable and almost dry. velocities fall off very sharply both laterally and vertically, so
Whatever precipitation they cause, it is in the form of the that the high speeds are limited to narrow bonds at heights
snow. Because there is no barrier in their path, they blow between 6 and 14 km.
long distances and affect the climate of the regions The Earth’s rotation is responsible for the jet streams as well.
through which they pass. As the Earth rotates at differential speed i.e. equator moves
faster than poles, so to conserve the momentum, upper air
Seasonal Winds starts flowing equator to pole in Easterly direction and the
— The winds, which change their direction of blowing with speed increases to wards the pole.
the changing seasons are called seasonal winds. Types of Jet Stream
Monsoon Winds Polar front jet streams are found where tropical and polar
— The entire surface winds, which change their directions air interact between 40° and 60° latitude. The polar front jet
with changing seasons are called monsoon winds. These stream is very irregular in its longitudinal section and is
winds blow from sea to land in summer and from land to discontinuous.
sea in winter. This is because of the differential heating of Westerly sub-tropical jet stream runs from West to East
land and water. These winds originate in the belt of trade and is more persistent. over India and Africa during summer.
winds lying between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic Easterly tropical jet stream runs in the upper troposphere.
of Capricorn. These winds are ideally found in the South Polar jet streams is also known as stratospheric subpolar
and South-East Asia. jet stream. These are found in both hemispheres and develops
Land and Sea Breezes above the troposphere in winter nights.
— Land is heated more quickly than the adjacent sea during
the day time. As a result, a low pressure area is created Local Winds
over land and a high pressure over the adjacent sea. The — The local winds blow due to local variation in the
pressure gradient causes the air to blow from the high
temperature and pressure and influence a very small
pressure to the low pressure areas, from the sea to the
area. These local winds blow in the lower layers of the
land. This is called sea breeze.
troposphere.
— In the night, land becomes cooler than the adjacent sea — Chinook (snow-eater) This is the hot and dry wind blowing
due to rapid loss of heat. Hence, a high pressure is
along the Eastern slope of the rockies and covers an area
created over the adjacent land and the wind starts blowing
from the Southern part of Colorado in the South to British
from land to the sea. It is called land breeze.
Columbia in Canada in the North. Due to its effect, the
Katabatic Wind and Anabatic Wind snow melts and green grass sprouts even in the winter.
(Mountain Breezes and Valley Breezes) — Foehn This is similar to Chinook and blows along the
— Katabatic wind is the downhill wind, usually cold, which Northern slope of the Alps. It melts the snow, makes the
blows down valleys at night and outwards from large weather pleasant and helps in early ripening of the
ice-caps, such as Antarctica and Greenland. It is caused grapes.
by ground-surface cooling (often nocturnally) as a result of — Sirocco It blows in Northerly direction from the Sahara
radiation, which in turn cools the lower air layers. The desert and after crossing over the Mediterranean sea
falling temperature increases the density of the air, which reaches Italy, Spain etc where it is also known as blood
then moves downhill by gravity flow. rain because of its reddish sand brought along with it
— Anabatic wind is an upslope wind formed, when air on from Sahara desert.
hill-sides is heated by insolation conduction to a greater — There are different local names for Sirocco in Africa, e.g.
extent than air at the same horizontal level, but vertically ‘Khamsin’ in Egypt, ‘Gibli’ in Libya and Chilli, in Tunisia. In
above the valley floor. This causes convectional rising of Spain and Canary, and Madeira islands, it is known as
the heated air, which is replaced by cooler air from the Leveche and Leste respectively.
valley floor. — Yoma This is the warm and dry wind blowing in Japan.
46 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

— Simoom Warm and dry wind blowing in the Arabian desert. — The fall in temperature causes increase in the relative
— Samoon Wind blowing in the Kurdistan region of Iran and humidity when relative humidity reaches 100%. Water
Iraq. vapours starts condensing and form dew, fog, clouds
— Haboob This is the fast blowing wind full of dust and sand, and mist. When the dew point is below the freezing
blowing in the Northern parts of Sudan, especially near point, it forms frost, snow, cirrus clouds etc, whereas,
Khartoum. when it is above, the freezing point, it results into the
formation of dew, fog, mist and clouds.
— Karaburun Winds in the Tarim basin in the Central Asia.
These winds blow towards the North-East.
— Heat energy is released at the time of condensation
and is called latent heat of condensation.
— Harmattan Winds blowing from North-East and East to the
West in the Sahara desert. The weather becomes suddenly
dry and pleasant in the Western coast of Africa, at the arrival
Types of Condensation
of Harmattan. Therefore, it is called doctor in the Guinea
— Dew When the temperature of the air falls below the
coastal. dew point, the water vapour present in it starts
condensing and gets accumulated on the leaves of
— Brick Fielder This is the warm and dry wind blowing in the
plants and trees in the form of small water droplets, it
Victoria province of Australia.
is called dew. Dew is formed on a night with clear sky
— Norwester This is the warm, dry and gusty wind blowing in as the outgoing longwave terrestrial radiation cools the
Northern New Zealand. surface and brings the temperature to dew point. If
— Loo This is a hot and dry wind blowing in the Northern India longwave terrestrial radiation is unable to escape, dew
and Pakistan from the North-West and West to the East. It will not be formed.
raises the temperature abruptly and expose to it may threat a — Fog It consists of small microscopic water droplets
sunstroke. which are kept in suspension in the air near the ground
— Mistral This is the cold local wind blowing in Spain and surface. If the temperature of the air falls below the
France from North-West to South-East direction. Mistral dew point due to contact with a cold surface and
causes sudden drop in air temperature to below freezing provided the air is still and contains hydroscopic
point. nuclei, then a fog develops. Fog are formed due to
— Bora It is an extremely cold and dry North Easterly wind radiation, conduction and mixing of warm and cold air
blowing along the shore of the Adriatic sea. masses near the Earth’s surface. A light fog called as
— Blizzard These winds affect polar regions of Canada and mist, is that when visibility is restricted to 2 km. Fog
USA. On the arrival of Blizzards, the air temperature drops occurs during winters in sub-tropical regions, but it
below the freezing point. In the Tundra and Siberian regions occurs in all seasons in the regions beyond 35°
of Russia, it is known Purga and Burren respectively. latitudes.
— Pampero These are the cold polar winds blowing very fast in — Frost If the dew point temperature is below freezing
the Pampas region of South America. point water vapour turns directly into its solid form
through the process of condensation. Frost consists of
— Levanter It is a strong Easterly cold wind in Southern Spain.
tiny ice-crystals.
— Papagayo These are the fast blowing North-Easterly cold and
— Smog It is a type of fog (mixture of fog and smoke).
dry winds in the coastal region of Mexico.
Smog used to be quite common in industrial areas
— Puna This is the cold local wind in the Andes region. which experience normal fog.
— Haze It is caused by smoke and dust particle, low
Condensation humidity of less than 75%, visibility less than 2 km.
— The process of conversion of vapour into liquid and solid — Air Frost It occur when the temperature of whole layer
form (ice, snow and frost), condensation takes place when of air near the ground also falls below the freezing
three conditions are satisfied. point.
These are as follows
— There must be nuclei i.e. micro particles of matter such as salt
and smoke.
Clouds
— The air temperature must fall to and below the dew point. — Clouds are defined as aggregates of innumerable tiny
— There must be sufficient water vapour molecules in the air. water droplets, ice particles or mixture of both in the
air, generally much above the ground surface.
— The process of condensation depends upon two factors
— Clouds are formed due to condensation of water vapour
(i) Temperature deficiency
around hygroscopic nuclei caused by cooling due to
(ii) Relative humidity of air
lifting of air, generally known as adiabatic cooling.
Magbook ~ Climatology 47

Types of Clouds Vertical Clouds

High Clouds (Height 6000-12000 m) Cumulus
— These are dense, widespread and dome-shaped clouds
Cirrus
with flat horizontal bases and rounded top, but it is a fair
— The high altitude detached clouds having fibrous weather cloud. They are typically occur in humid tropical
(chain-like) or silky appearance. They are composed of regions uprising convectional current is observed in the
tiny ice-crystals and do not cause rainfall. These clouds atmosphere.
are seen first when cyclones arrive. It is often called
mares tails and indicate fair weather. Cumulonimbus
Cirrocumulus — They are dark, heavy and dense with vertical
development. They show great vertical development and
— These are white-coloured clouds having patches of small
spread over large areas. These are overgrown cumulus
white flakes or small globules which are arranged in
cloud and its top is looks like a cauliflower and often
distinct groups or wave like form, so called and appear as
spread like an anvil. These are frequently seen in
sand ripples.
tropical afternoon especially in summer. These clouds
Cirrostratus are referred to as thunder cloud and brings conventional
— These clouds are generally white in colour and spread in heavy down pour accompanied by thunder, lightening
the sky like milky thin sheets. These are transparent and hailstorms.
clouds and create halos around the Sun and the Moon.

Middle Clouds (Height 2000-6000 m) Humidity

— Moisture in the atmosphere is referred to as humidity.
Altostratus
Water vapour is concentrated in the lowest 10 km of the
— These are thin sheets of grey or blue clouds having
atmosphere. Humidity capacity refers to the capacity of an
fibrous or uniform appearance. When they become thick
air of certain volume at certain temperature to retain
sheets, the Sun and Moon are obscured and they appear
maximum amount of moisture content. The air having
as bright spots behind the clouds.
moisture content equal to its humidity capacity is called
Altocumulus saturated air.
— Characterised by white and grey wavy layers or globular — Humidity capacity of air is directly proportional to the
forms. They form fairly regular patterns of lines, groups or temperature, i.e. higher the temperature, higher the
waves. High globular groups of alto-cumulus are humidity capacity of the air. The temperature at which the
sometimes called as sheep clouds or wool pack clouds. air becomes saturated is called dew point.

Low Clouds (Height up to 2000 m) Measurement of Humidity

Stratus — Specific humidity is the ratio of the weight of water
— These are dense, low lying fog-like clouds of dark grey vapour (gm) to the weight of the air (kg) expressed as
colour, but are seldom close to the ground surface. They grams per kilogram of air. It represents the actual amount
are composed of several uniform layers, capable of of moisture present in the air.
producing only light drizzle. — Relative humidity is the amount of moisture, which the air
Stratocumulus can hold at a given temperature and the amount it
— They are generally composed of globular masses or rolls actually holds. It is expressed as a percentage.
which are arranged in lines, waves or groups and waves — Absolute humidity is the weight of water vapour per unit
are more pronounced than altocumulus. Generally, they volume of air expressed as gram per cubic meter of air. It
cover entire sky in winter season. They are generally varies with expansion and contraction of air even though
associated with fair or clean weather. the amount of water vapour remains constant.
Nimbo-stratus
— These are low clouds of dark colour, very close to Rainfall
the ground surface. They create darkness because Sun — Rainfall occurs only when water droplets become so large
light is obscured due to presence of its high thickness. due to coalescence that the air becomes unable to hold
These clouds increase the humidity in the atmosphere. them. The presence of warm, moist and unstable air and
Consequently, the precipitation starts soon. These are also sufficient number of hygroscopic nuclei are prerequisite
known as rain cloud. conditions for rainfall.
48 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

Types of Rainfall — The slope which faces the warm and moist wind and
receives heavy rainfall, is called windward slope. But, as
Convectional Rainfall the wind starts descending along the slope of opposite
— It occurs when the warm and moist air rises due to side, it becomes warm and dry and due to decreased
convection. When the land surface is heated, the air in its humidity, a little rainfall occurs. This region is called rain
contact rises up and in this way, convectional currents are shadow region or leeward slope.
produced. When this warm and moist air reaches at
certain height, it becomes saturated and forms dark Distribution of Precipitation
cumulonimbus clouds, which cause heavy rainfall. This — The world pattern of the distribution of precipitation is
type of rainfall is termed as convectional rainfall. This type based on number of factors such as latitude, temperature,
of rainfall occurs in the equatorial belt. moisture, atmospheric disturbances, landform barriers,
frontal activity, air mass movement and differential
Cyclonic or Frontal Rainfall
heating.
— It is caused due to ascending of moist air and adiabatic
— The average annual precipitation over the whole Earth is
cooling caused by convergence of two extensive air
about 80 cm (30 inches). Equatorial regions and monsoon
masses of entirely different physical properties.
areas of South-East Asia record the highest rainfall.
— In the temperate region where Westerlies and polar winds
Temperate regions, on the other hand, receive moderate
meet, warm air is lifted upward along the front. whereas
amount of precipitation. The dry regions of sub-tropical
cold air being heavier settles down.
high pressure belt and polar regions receive little
— The warm air lying over cold air is cooled and gets precipitation.
saturated and condensation begins, resulting ultimately — Precipitation decreases from coast to the continental due
into rainfall.
to dissipation of moisture. Eastern margin of continents
get more precipitation than Western margin of the
continents. Most of the regions gets seasonal rainfall
Warm air especially with summer maximum, but Mediterranean
regions get winter maximum and equatorial and Western
Cold air margin of cool temperate gets rainfall throughout the year.

Equatorial Regions
Frontal Rainfall
— The equatorial zone is generally an area of abundant
— In tropical region, is type of rainfall is called cyclonic precipitation (over 200 cm annually). This high level of
rainfall and in temperate region, this rainfall is called precipitation is due to high temperature, high humidity,
depression rain or frontal rain. highly unstable air, convergence of the trade winds from
— Depressional rains are usually lighter than convectional both the hemispheres, a general upward motion of air.
rain and is as much greater duration, cyclonic rains occur — Larger part of precipitation in this region falls as heavy
throughout the doldrum where trade winds meet. intermittent convective showers accompanied by thunder
and lighting. The ascending air currents become
Orographic Rainfall
intensified locally in the tropical storms that procure
— When warm and moist air is obstructed by any hill or
abundant precipitation in the Caribbean, South-West
plateau, it starts ascending along the slope of the hill or
Pacific ocean, Indian ocean and China sea.
plateau and gets cooled. As a result, it gets saturated and
the process of condensation starts. Sub-Tropical High Pressure Belt
— The rainfall caused in this process is called orographic — Besides, the upwelling of cold water along the West coasts
rainfall. This type of rainfall occurs more frequently where of the continents cools the air from below and increases
hills or mountains are situated near and parallel to the the stability on the Eastern sides of these anticyclones.
coast. Since those, anticyclones are found on the Eastern side of
an ocean, the Western sides of the continents in the
vicinity of these sub-tropical high tend to become very
arid.
— The Sahara desert (North Africa), the Atacama (South
America) and the Great Desert (Australia) are typical
examples. On the contrary, the Eastern regions of
Orographic Rainfall continents in sub-tropical high pressure belt receive
abundant precipitation.
Magbook ~ Climatology 49

— Sub-tropical anticyclones and associated subsidence is — However, as the air mass extends through main latitudes
not so marked as on the Eastern side and the and covers hundreds of thousands to millions of square
convergence with associated ascending air is more kilometers, the horizontal homogeneity is far from
pronounced. achieved and small differences in the physical properties,
such as temperature and humidity exist from one point to
Temperate Mid-Latitudes another at the same level.
— In middle latitudes, the weather and precipitation are
— The nature and degree of uniformity of an air mass is
largely controlled by travelling extra-tropical cyclones and
determined by the nature of the source area (from which
fronts. These give plenty of rainfall in most places, except
the air mass obtains its original qualities) and the direction
for the regions located in the far interiors of Asian and
of its movement changes that occur in the constitution of
North American continents.
an air mass, as it moves over long distances and the age
— Since, this region is the site of the polar front, there is of the air mass.
convergence of cold polar air and the warm and moist
Westerlies. It is along the polar front that temperate Origin of Air Masses
cyclones often form.
— In order to acquire these properties, the air mass must
— However, because of the seasonal migration of wind belts, stagnate for a time on the source region which itself
a narrow belt between 30° and 40° latitudes experience a should have:
marked seasonal variability in precipitation. — fairly homogeneous surface condition (e.g. large land or
— During winter, this narrow zone is visited by a number of water area with evenly distributed insolation over a very
depressions as the polar front moves equatorward and large area).
these moving depressions produce frontal precipitation. — light divergent winds, ensure that the air may stay over the
But during summer, this belt is marked by subsiding air source region for longer period of time and may attain
physical properties of the source region. Thus, the most
associated with sub-tropical anticyclones and hence, there
notable centres for its development are anti-cyclonic areas,
is little precipitation. characterised by high pressure and low pressure gradients.
Polar High Latitudes
— At high latitude and especially in the polar regions, the low
Classification of Air Masses
precipitation is partly due to subsidence of air in the high Arctic and Antarctica Air Masses
pressure belts and partly due to the low temperatures of — These air masses form over large areas of snow and ice,
the air which holds little moisture. Throughout the year, typically near the poles in both hemispheres. These air
there is only meager precipitation in this region. masses tend to form during winter i.e. December to
— Even in summer, these snow bound areas are dominated March in the Northern hemisphere and June to
by anticyclonic conditions that block the movement of September in the Southern hemisphere, when the poles
poleward travelling depressions that are few in numbers. are quite and without much insolation.

Polar Air Masses

Air Masses — The source regions for polar air masses lie roughly
— An air mass may be defined as a large body of air whose between 55° and 65° latitudes in both hemispheres.
physical properties, especially temperature and humidity There are a number of source regions for polar air masses
are more or less uniform horizontally for hundreds of in the Northern hemisphere, Siberia in winter, Gulf of
kilometres. Alaska, Northern Canada, the North Pacific to the South
— Air masses modify the temperature and moisture content of Atlantic and West of British Isles.
of the path, in which they move and also get themselves
Tropical Air Masses
modified. Air mass forms when the air remains over a
homogeneous area for a sufficiently longer time and — There is a chain of tropical air mass source regions that
acquire the characteristics of that area. encircles the Northern hemisphere and another in the
Southern hemisphere in the vicinity of Tropic of Cancer
Characteristics of Air Masses and Capricorn. These sources are found to be associated
with sub-tropical high pressure belt and large scale
An air mass has two basic characteristics:
subsidence, which in turn, causes adiabatic warming.
(i) Vertical temperature distribution i.e. lapse rate, a measure These high pressure belts are responsible for the world’s
of warmth or coldness, which affects its stability. deserts. Tropical air masses are formed in regions over
(ii) Homogeneous moisture content which is an indication of Sahara, Azores, South-West USA (summer), Northern
latent heat. Mexico (summer).
50 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

Equatorial Air Masses — As the cold front normally travels more quickly than the
— The trade winds converge at the equator forming Inter warm front, it slowly reduces the area of the warm
Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), which is a trough of low sector, until it merges with the preceding front to
pressure. At some places, there are regions of stagnant air complete the occlusion process. The occlusion is
that serve as a source of air mass formation. Equatorial air therefore, a compound zone with warm and cold front
masses are formed only over water in these latitudes. characteristics.

Fronts Cyclone
— A narrow zone of transition, dividing two air masses of — A cyclone is a low pressure area surrounded by high
differing temperature and humidity characteristics, pressure areas from all sides, having elliptical or circular
intersecting the Earth’s surface. shape. They assume anti-clockwise direction in the
Northern hemisphere and clockwise direction in the
— Fronts are most clearly developed in middle latitudes where
Southern hemisphere due to coriolis effect.
two air masses i.e. polar cold air mass and tropical warm
air mass converge. They are characterised by steep — The cyclones move in different directions and affect the
gradient in temperature and pressure. They bring abrupt weather conditions of the areas which fall in their path of
changes in temperature and cause the air to rise to form movements. Cyclones are also termed as atmospheric
clouds and cause precipitation. disturbances when the velocity of wind increase to such
an extent, that they attain great force, the atmospheric
Classification of Fronts disturbance or cyclone is called a cyclonic storm.
Cyclones are classified into two principal types
Stationary Front
— When the front remains stationary, it is called a stationary (i) Temperate Cyclone
front. In this front, no such weather disturbances noticeable — Temperate cyclones are also termed as extra tropical
because two different air masses stand front to front cyclones or wave cyclones or simply depressions or low
without gyration and ascent. Later, it may convert into other or troughs. They are formed in the regions extending
type of front. between 35°- 65° latitudes in both the hemispheres, due
Cold Front to convergence of two contrasting air masses e.g. warm,
moist and light tropical air masses with cold and dense
— The clearly defined boundary between a warm and a cold
polar air masses.
air mass, where the latter is advancing and undercutting
the warm air (as the rear of the warm sector of a frontal — After their formation, temperate cyclones move in
depression). Easterly direction under the influence of Westerly winds
and control the weather conditions in the middle
— The gradient of the cold front is usually much steeper than
latitudes. The vertical extent of an average cyclone is
that of the warm front. The rapid ascent of warm moist air
about 10-12 km. The average velocity with which these
at the front causes rapid cooling, condensation and the
cyclones travel is around 32-48 km/hr.
development of cumulonimbus clouds. An extreme form of
a cold front is a squall line. Life Cycle of a Temperate Cyclone
Warm Front There are six stages of life cycle of a temperate cyclone
(i) First stage involves the convergence of two air masses
— The well-defined boundary between a warm and cold air
of contrasting physical properties and directions.
mass where the former is advancing and overriding the cold
Initially, the air masses (warm and cold) move parallel to
air, as the leading edge of the warm sector of a depression.
each other and a stationary front is formed. This is
— The gradient of the warm front is much less steep than that
called initial stage.
of the cold front and the relatively slow ascent of warm
(ii) Second stage is also called as incipient stage, during
moist air at the front, thus results in cooling and
which the warm and cold air masses penetrate into the
condensation over a wide area and the development of
territories of each other and thus, a wave-like front is
nimbus clouds.
formed.
Occluded Front (iii) Third stage is the mature stage when the cyclone is
— A front that develops during the later stages of the evolution fully developed and isobars become almost circular.
of a depression when the air of the warm sector is no (iv) Fourth stage warm sector is narrowed in extent due to
longer at the ground surface. Here, warm air mass is the advancement because cold front comes nearer to
uplifted completely by the cold air mass in the rear of the warm front.
depression.
Magbook ~ Climatology 51

(v) Fifth stage starts with the occlusion of cyclone when the — The tropical cyclones are limited to a small area and
advancing cold front finally overtakes the warm front and usually travel from East to West. The temperate cyclones,
an occluded front is formed. on the other hand, occupy areas measuring a couple of
(vi) Sixth stage warm sector completely disappears, occluded thousands of kilometres and move from West to East.
front is eliminated and ultimately, cyclone dies out. It is — The wind speed in a tropical cyclone is 100 km/hr or
also called frontolysis. more and may reach upto 1200 km/hr. The temperature
at the centre is almost equally distributed. In a temperate
(ii) Tropical Cyclone cyclone, wind speed is low and all the sectors of the
— Tropical cyclone includes all cyclonic circulations cyclone have different temperatures.
originating over tropical waters. Tropical cyclones usually — The rainfall, in a tropical cyclone, is heavy, but does not
develop in summer season in the vicinity of ITCZ over last beyond a few hours. If the cyclone stays at a place,
warm ocean surface. Later, it shifts to 5° to 30° of the rainfall may continue for many days. In a temperate
Northern latitudes. The tropical cyclones form over ocean cyclone, rainfall is slow and continues for many days.
basins in lower latitudes of all oceans except South Sometimes, heavy showers take place.
Atlantic and South-East Pacific. It is also develop over the — The tropical cyclone derives its energy from the latent
warm water of the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian sea. heat of condensation and the difference in densities of the
— The extensive tropical cyclones surrounded by several air masses does not contribute to the energy of the
closed isobars are called hurricanes in the USA and cyclones. The energy of a temperate cyclone depends on
typhoon in China. They are also called Willy Willy in the densities of air masses.
Australia, cyclones in Indian Ocean, baguio in Philippines — The relationship between tropical cyclones and the upper
and Taifu in Japan etc. They move with average speed or level air-flow is not very clear. The temperate cyclones, in
more than 120 km/hr. Though hurricanes and temperate contrast, have a distinct relationship with upper level air
cyclones look similar in appearance, but they may be flow (jet streams, rossby waves etc).
different.
— Tornado Differing from tropical cyclones, tornadoes are Anti-Cyclones
formed over land and are more destructive than a — It is a high pressure area surrounded by low pressure
cyclone. Wind often exceed 320 km/hr, but are only a few areas on all sides. Winds blow from the centre to outward.
hundred metres across. When tornado passes over a sea Due to the rotation of the Earth and the winds blowing
or lake, water is sucked up towards its center and a water from the centre, they move in clockwise direction in the
spout is formed. Tornadoes are frequent in USA. Northern hemisphere and anti-clockwise direction in the
— Only those cyclones reach the sustained wind speed of 39 Southern hemisphere. The isobars in an anti-cyclone are
miles per hr are given names. If the storm’s speed more or less circular in shape.
reaches or crosses 74 mph, it is classified into a They are characterised by the following properties:
hurricane, cyclone or typhoon. — They are usually circular in shape, but sometime they also
assume V shape. The difference of pressure between the
Comparison Between Tropical and centre and periphery of anti-cyclone ranges between 10 to 20
Temperate Cyclones mb and sometime, it becomes 35 mb. Anti-cyclones do not
— Tropical cyclones are produced and develop mainly over have fronts.
the sea and during summer. Temperate cyclones are — Winds descend from above at the centre and thus, weather
produced both on land and on sea. Moreover, temperate becomes clear and rainless because the descending winds
cause atmospheric stability.
cyclones are produced in winter than in summer.
— Temperature in anti-cyclones depends on weather, nature of
— The isobars of tropical cyclones are usually complete air mass and humidity in the air. They record high
circles and the pressure gradient is steep. In case of temperature during summer season due to development of
temperate cyclones, the isobars are usually ‘v’ shaped and warm air masses.
the pressure gradient is low. — The average velocity of anti-cyclones is 30 to 50 km/hr.
 Self Check Build Your Confidence
1. The annual range of temperature in the interior of the 7. The formation of ozone hole in the Antarctic region has
continents is high as compared to coastal areas. What been a cause of concern. What could be the reason for
is/are the reason/reasons? [IAS 2013] the formation of this hole? [IAS 2011]
1. Thermal difference between land and water. (a) Presence of prominent tropospheric turbulence and in
2. Variation in altitude between continents and oceans. flow of chlorofluorocarbons
3. Presence of strong winds in the interior. (b) Presence of prominent polar front and stratospheric
4. Heavy rains in the interior as compared to coasts. clouds and inflow of chlorofluorocarbons
(c) Absence of polar front and stratospheric clouds and
Select the correct answer using the codes given below
inflow of methane and chlorofluorocarbons
(a) Only 1 (b) 1 and 2 (c) 2 and 3 (c) All of these
(d) Increased temperature at polar region due to global
2. ‘‘Climate is extreme, rainfall is scanty and the people warming
used to be nomadic herders.’’
8. Westerlies in Southern hemisphere are stronger and
The above statement best describes, which of the
persistent than in Northern hemisphere. Why? [IAS 2011]
following regions? [IAS 2013]
1. Southern hemisphere has less landmass as compared to
(a) African Savannah (b) Central Asian Steppe
Northern hemisphere.
(c) North American Prairie (d) Siberian Tundra
2. Coriolis force is higher in Southern hemisphere as
3. During a thunderstorm, the thunder in the sky is compared to Northern hemisphere.
produced by the [IAS 2013] Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
1. meeting of cumulonimbus clouds in the sky. (a) Only 1 (b) Only 2
2. lighting that separates the nimbus clouds. (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
3. violent upward movement of air and water particles. 9. Consider the following statements [IAS 2008]
Select the correct answer using the codes given below
1. The albedo of an object determines its visual brightness
(a) Only 1 (b) 2 and 3
when viewed with reflected light.
(c) 1 and 3 (d) None of these
2. The albedo of mercury is much greater than the albedo of
4. Normally, the temperature decreases with the increase of the Earth.
in height from the Earth's surface, because [IAS 2012] Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
1. the atmosphere can be heated upwards only from the (a) Only 1
Earth’s surface. (b) Only 2
2. there is more moisture in the upper atmosphere. (c) Both 1 and 2
3. the air is less dense in the upper atmosphere. (d) Neither 1 nor 2
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? 10. What causes wind to deflect toward left in the Southern
(a) Only 1 (b) 2 and 3 (c) 1 and 3 (d) 1, 2 and 3 hemisphere? [IAS 2010]
5. Which one of the following is the characteristic climate (a) Temperature (b) Magnetic field
of the Tropical Savannah region? [IAS 2012] (c) Rotation of the Earth (d) Pressure
(a) Rainfall throughout the year 11. Consider the following statements regarding the
(b) Rainfall in winter only inter-relation between temperature and pressure on the
(c) An extremely short dry season atmosphere
(d) A definite dry and wet season 1. When air sinks, temperature rises with rising pressure.
6. A layer in the Earth's atmosphere called ionosphere, 2. When air rises, temperature also rises with rising pressure.
facilitates radio communication. Why? [IAS 2011] 3. When air heats and expands, pressure decreases with
1. The presence of ozone causes the reflection of radiowave increase in temperature.
to Earth. 4. When air cools down pressure increases with decrease in
2. Radiowaves have a very long wavelength. temperature.
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? Which of the statements given above hgare correct?
(a) Only 1 (b) Only 2 (a) 1, 2, and 3 (b) 1, 3 and 4
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 (c) 2, 3 and 4 (d) All of these

1. (a) 2. (b) 3. (a) 4. (c) 5. (d) 6. (b) 7. (b) 8. (a) 9. (c) 10. (c)
11. (b)
Chapter six
Oceanography
Oceans Relief Features of the
Oceanography is the
— Nearly 71% of Earth’s surface is Ocean
covered by seas, among which Pacific — Ocean relief features are measured by
study of ocean, ocean comprises 35.4%, Atlantic SONAR, eco-sounder etc. The vertical
structure, feature and ocean comprises 18.4%, Indian ocean distribution of ocean reliefs are
also the interaction 14.5%, Arctic ocean 3% and land represented in hypsometric graph or
surface covers about 29%. hypsometric curves.
between ocean and
— The Northern hemisphere is called Oceanic surface is heavier and denser
atmosphere. Oceans are —
continental hemisphere as it contains than their continental counterpart. From
the major stakeholder of about 40% of continents and 60% continent to ocean floor, the relief
hydrological cycle, so, it ocean, whereas Southern hemisphere features can be divided into four major
is quite important to is called oceanic hemisphere as parts on the basis of angle of slope.
oceans cover about 81% of the total These are:
study the oceans.
surface.
(i) Continental Shelf
— The largest constituent in oceans
water is chloride followed by sodium, — The continental marginal areas
sulphate, magnesium etc. The average submerged under oceanic water with
depth of the oceans is 2.65 miles or average depth of 150-200 m and gentle
4.3 km. Pacific ocean has highest slope of 1° to 3° towards the oceans, are
average depth, followed by Indian called continental shelves. The ocean
ocean, Atlantic ocean and Arctic ward margin of continental shelf is called
ocean. shelf break, where rapid increase in
slope angle is occur.
— The deepest part in the world lies in
Pacific ocean in Mariana trench called — These are not the parts of oceanic crust
challenger deep, is about 11.033 km. and are composed of continental crust,
deepest point of Atlantic ocean is i.e., granite and sediment, derived from
Puerto Rico trench, which is about erosion of land. Its average width is
8.65 km deepest point of Indian ocean 70 km. The width of the shelf is often
is Java trench 7.72 km; and deepest related to slope of the adjacent land, so
part of Arctic ocean is Eurasia basin that, it is wide along low lying coasts
5.45 km. (e.g. coasts of Arctic Siberia) and narrow
along mountainous coasts (e.g. Western
— Oceans are nearly circular whereas the
coasts of North America and South
enclosed water body forming an angle
America).
of about 45° (more enclosed) is called
gulf, when the angle of opening is — Wide and shallow continental shelves are
about 90°, it is termed as bay, it is rich grounds for the growth of plankton.
called bight; when angle of opening is These are regions of one of the richest
about 135° and when it is 180° or fishing grounds of the world e.g. Grand
more, it is called sea, but enclosed sea Bank (off the Newfound land) and
in the land are almost circular. Dogger Bank (North Sea).
54 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

(ii) Continental Slope Temperature of Oceans

— The zone of steep slope, extending from the continental — Temperature of the ocean water is one of the basic
shelf to the abyssal plain is called continental slope, physiochemical factors that influences sedimentation and
which varies from 2° to 5° at different places. The marine organisms. Mean annual temperature is about
depth of water over continental slopes, varies from 17.4°C. Mean temperature of Pacific ocean is 19.1°C,
200 m to 2000 m. Indian ocean is 17.0°C and Atlantic ocean is 16.9°C.
— Continental slopes are indented by numerous — Warm ocean currents carry higher temperature to higher
submarine canyons and mounds. The boundary line colder latitudes and cold currents increases coolness to
between the continental slope and the shelf is called lower warmer latitudes. More the density, more temperature
andesite line. is absorbed and will take much time to warm. Insolation
(iii) Continental Rise influences the temperature directly. More the salinity will be
the more temperature absorbing capacity.
— It is a sudden rise of the bed land which gives a
— Ocean water freezes at a lower temperature than fresh water,
V-shaped notch. The bottom of ‘V’ is known as the
e.g. at –1.872°C instead of 0°C. Water that is saltier than
trench and the slope is a continental.
ocean water freezes at an even lower temperature. The
(iv) Ocean Basin freezing of ocean water forces the saltions out of the water,
— The ocean basins are composed of abyssal floor, so the ice that forms is almost fresh water ice. Ocean ice is
tectonically inactive rises and seamounts. Broad, generally no thicker than 3 m.
relatively smooth surfaces are known as abyssal floor. — The ice insulates the water under it from the colder air
These are the gentle sloping areas of ocean basin and temperature above, therefore, the water below the ice never
are the flattest and smoothest regions of the world. gets cold enough to freeze. The water immediately below the
— It consists of two sections: the abyssal plains and the ice is not only cold, but it also contains a high concentration
abyssal hills. Seamounts and guyots are isolated of salt. This high concentration of salt makes the water
submarine volcanic features, 2-100 km wide and more denser than surface water.
than 1000 m high whose surface lie less than 2000 m — The denser water sinks to the bottom of the ocean, causing
below the sea level. a vertical circulation of the ocean water. This type of
— They form volcanic islands like Hawaii and Azores. circulation is called thermohaline, referring to both
Many seamounts are sharply pointed, but others are temperature (thermo) and salinity (haline). Because of this
flat-topped hills, whose summits lie more than 200 m circulation, the deep water of the oceans has about the
below the sea level. These are called guyots. same temperature as the coldest surface water.
— Guyots have steep sides (12°-35°) and are considered — In tropical regions, the ocean is warmed by the Sun. Ocean
to be levelled platforms, submerged largely by sea floor waters near the equator may have a surface temperature as
subsidence and also by post-glacial rise of sea level. high as 30°C. Near the poles, the average surface water
Guyots are commonly capped by coral growth in the temperature is about 0°C.
tropics. Horizontal Distribution of Temperature
(v) Ocean Deeps or Trenches — On an average, the temperature of surface water of the
— These are the deepest parts of the ocean and are oceans is 26.7%. The rate of decreases of temperature with
relatively steep-sided, narrow basins. They occur at the increasing latitudes is generally 0.5°F per latitude.
bases of continental slopes and along island arcs and — The ocean in the Northern hemisphere record relatively
are associated with active volcanoes and strong higher average temperature than in the Southern
earthquakes. hemisphere.The temperature of the surface water of the
— Mariana trench, Japan trench, Peru-Chile trench etc., ocean is higher that, the air temperature above the ocean
in Pacific ocean; Puerto Rico in Atlantic ocean Java surface.
trench in Indian ocean are major trenches. About 32 Vertical Distribution of Temperature
trenches are in Pacific, 19 in Atlantic and 6 in Indian — The maximum temperature of the oceans is always at their
ocean.
surface and it keeps on decreasing with increasing depths.
(vi) Submarine Canyons — The temperature falls very rapidly upto the depth of 200 m
— These are deep valleys, sometimes found cutting across and thereafter, the rate of decrease of temperature is slowed
the continental shelves and slopes, often extending down. At the depth of 4000 m, it is about 1.6°C.
from the mouths of large rivers. e.g. Hudson canyon.
Magbook ~ Oceanography 55

Salinity of Ocean — Following are the various factors which cause and
influence ocean currents.
— Salinity is the total amount of the solid material, in grams
— Rotation of the Earth create the oceanic water to bulge out at
contained in one kilogram of seawater and is expressed as
the equator due to centrifugal force and so, a gradient is
parts per thousand %. generated in the water level from the equator to the poles, so,
— The salinity of water affects the waves, currents, ocean currents starts moving from the equator to poleward in
temperature, fishes, organisms, plan tetons etc. surface and from polar region to the equator to compensate
the surface flow. In such, ocean currents make a cyclic
— Isohaline is the imaginary line drawn on map to show
movement.
places with same salinity. Salinometer is the instrument
— High pressure causes lowering of the sea level and low
used to measure the salinity.
pressure causes the sea level to rise. Water moves from low
— The average salinity of oceans is 35.2%. Salinity decreases pressure to high pressure area. At high pressure, air diverse
the rate of freezing and rate of evaporation and increases and in oceanic surface, diverting air lower the sea level, so,
density. Salinity causes water current and ocean current the cold current in lower level now come out to surface, called
moves from lower saline area to higher saline area. upwelling and in low pressure region downwelling occur.
— Evaporation increases salinity, so tropical water has higher — Salinity difference creates osmotic pressure and water
salinity. movement takes place from lower saline water to saltier water
at surface and from higher salinity to lower salinity at lower
— Precipitation decreases salinity, that’s why, equatorial level.
water has lower salinity than tropical water due to heavy — Precipitation dilutes salinity and density, so influence the
precipitation that dilute the salinity. current in oceans.
— Influx of river water decreases salinity, so at the mouth of — Direction, shape, configuration of coastlines and bottom reliefs
big rivers, low salinity condition persist. also influence the ocean current, but never be the cause of
— Isolation or enclosed sea has higher salinity than open current. They only creates secondary waves in the ocean.
ocean, so Lake Von, Dead sea etc., have very high salinity. — Drifts are movements of water in oceans having lesser
— High pressure zones has higher salinity and oceanic velocity than currents and are driven by prevailing surface
circulations distributes the salinity. winds. Ocean streams are like larger rivers in ocean
having higher velocity than currents. e.g. gulf stream etc.
World’s highest Saline bodies The current flowing under the surface current in reverse
— Lake Van (Turkey) – 33.8% direction is called under current.
— Dead sea – 33.7% — Ocean currents flow from East to West direction at the
equator due to rotation of the Earth and divide into both
— Great Salt lake – 32.0%
the hemispheres after striking the continents in Western
Distribution of Salinity directions. In both the hemisphere currents after dividing
move in a circular and cyclic manner.
— Generally, salinity decreases from equator towards the
poles, but highest salinity is at sub-tropical high pressure
— There are two types of oceanic currents: warm and cold
belt because of high temperature, high evaporation and currents. Warm currents orginate in equatorial region
low rainfall. whereas cold currents orignate in polar regions.
— Zone of low salinity (31%) is observed along the subpolar Effects of Ocean Currents
region between 40°-60°N and S latitude, which further
decreases towards the polar regions because of melting of ice. — Ocean currents carry equatorial heat with them, so,
In the equatorial regions, salinity is low at the surface while it modify cold local weather conditions at higher latitudes.
increases below and again decreases at the bottom. In Warm oceanic currents increases evaporation and
mid-latitude, salinity increases from 200 fathoms depth. In increase precipitation at Eastern side of the continents
high latitudes, salinity increases with increase in depth. whereas at Western side of the continents, desertification
— Salinity increases with increasing depth at the equator, but occur due to the presence of cold current that inhibit
again starts decreasing with increasing depth as one move to evaporation.
deeper parts.
— Ocean currents influence monsoon in Indian
sub-continent. Currents distribute temperature and
Ocean Currents salinity in the ocean. They carry nutrients and oxygen for
— Currents are the movements of oceanic water in a fairly fishes and other neritic organism.It has also great
defined direction under the influence of various forces. potential for generation of electricity, where warm and
The currents carry both heat and density along with the cold ocean current meet dense fog generate and create
water across the latitudes, both in vertical and horizontal obstacle to navigation, but become condusive for fishing
direction. activities.
56 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

Currents of Pacific Ocean Currents of Indian Ocean

— In Northern hemisphere, Pacific current starts as the — Indian ocean is the only region on Earth where currents
North equatorial warm current, then it flows as the changes their direction seasonally in North Indian Ocean.
Kuroshio warm current at China and Japan coast, the — South equatorial current originate around 10 o S and
Tsushima current and the Aleutian current are strengthened by Pacific equatorial current entering Indian
offshoot of the Kuroshio current. The Kuroshio current Ocean through Indonesian archipelago. South Indian
meets the Oyashio cold current coming from the equatorial current turns South as Madagascar current or
Bejing strait near Honshu Island of Japan and creates Mozambique current or Agulhas current, then merges with
a major fishing ground. Then it moves South and West-wind drift flowing Eastward, then turn equatorward as
develop the California cold current at the West coast West Australian cold current completing an anti-clockwise
of USA and responsible for California, Mojave deserts circular motion in South Indian ocean.
etc in USA. Then it meets North equatorial current — In summer with the dominance of South-West monsoon, the
completing the cycle. currents in North Indian ocean flow from South-Westernly
— In the Southern hemisphere, Pacific currents start its direction as the South-West monsoon drift, but it reverses its
journey as the South equatorial warm current and direction in winter as North-East monsoon drift coming under
striking with the North-Eastern coast of turns South as the influence of North-East monsoon. Effect of wind is
the Australia. East Australian current meet West wind convincingly observed in North Indian ocean.
drift at South that moves parallel to Antarctica
continent. Then it moves to North and emerge as the Ocean Tides
Peruvian or Humboldt cold current and finally meet to — The periodic rise and fall of the sea level due to the combined
the South equatorial current completing the cycle. The effect of attraction of Sun and Moon and Earth’s centrifugal
Humboldt cold current is responsible for Atacama force is called tide. It may happen once or twice daily, but in
desert formation and also is a major factor in El-nino enclosed places like Gulf etc., it is more in frequency.
and La-nina oceano-atmospheric circulation. In — Moon’s attraction is more than that of Sun and centrifugal
between the North equatorial current and the South
force acts as counter balance to these gravitational pull. The
equatorial current, there is the counter equatorial
resultant forces are responsible for creating two major tidal
current from West to East.
bulges on the Earth. One bulge is due to direct attraction in
the places facing the Moon and other bulge is observed at
Currents of Atlantic Ocean opposite of it where centrifugal force is dominant. Tide
— In the Atlantic ocean, currents move in equatorial generating force is the difference between these two forces.
region in pair as the North and South equatorial
— Tidal bulges have greater height at wide continental shelves
current in between having an equatorial counter
and low mid-oceanic islands. At bay or estuaries, intensity of
current. Then equatorial current strikes at North-East
tides also magnified by the shape of the water body. Here, the
Brazil coast and split into two parts-in North, it is
tide is called tidal current.
called Cayenne current and in South, it is called
Brazilian current. — Unlike tides, surges are non-regular and non-periodic
movement of water caused by meteorological effects e.g.
— Cayenne warm current flows as Florida current in the
winds and atmospheric pressure changes.
Gulf of Mexico and emerges as Gulf stream, one of the
strongest ocean current and flows North to meet Types of Tides
Labrador cold current, then it moves South forming Different types of tides are discussed below occur because of
canaries cold current West coast of Africa whereas one different positions of the Sun and the Moon with relation to the Earth:
part of Gulf stream still move further Scandinavian
Spring Tides
coast as North Atlantic drift. As the ocean currents in
North Atlantic forms as cyclic movement, the central — These are the highest amplitude tides which occur twice every
part remain stable with no markable current which is month at New Moon and Full Moon because Sun, Moon and
called sargasso sea, now flourished with algal bloom. Earth lie on a straight line or in syzygy position in these days
and put a combined highest gravitational pull on ocean
— In South Atlantic, Brazilian current moves South and
waters.
are drifted by West-wind drift cold current and then
emerge as cold Benguela current at South-West coast — When Sun and Moon are on same side of the Earth, the
of Africa forming Kalahari desert. Falkland cold position is called conjunction and when they lie in opposite
current originating from Antarctic ocean meet the side of the Earth, the position is called opposition. In both
Brazilian warm current forming a minor fishing situation, spring tide occurs and are of same magnitude.
ground. — Spring tides has 20% higher magnitude than normal tides.
Magbook ~ Oceanography 57

Neap Tides (ii) Barrier Reefs A wide coral platform separated from the
— These are the lower magnitude tides produced in first and coast by a wide deep lagoon. The best known barrier
third quarter of the month when the Sun and the Moon reef is the Great Barrier Reef of the coast of Queensland
situated relatively at right angle to each other and the (Australia).
position is called quadrature. Due to such position, (iii) Atoll A circular coral reef which encloses a lagoon
gravitational pulls neutralise each other and neap tide occur. without any land with center. e.g. Fiji Atoll, Funfetti Atoll
etc.
— Neap tides are 20% lower than normal tides.
Periodic Tides Areas of Coral Reefs
— Coral reefs are estimated to cover 284300 km2, just under
— Apogean tides and perigean tides occur when Moon’s
0.1% of the ocean’s surface area. The Indo-Pacific region
position is at apogee (farthest) or perigee (nearest) to the
(including the Red sea, Indian ocean, South-East Asia and
Earth. These are monthly tides. During aphelion and
the Pacific) account for 91.9% of this total. South-East
perihelion, tides varies their nature and are called yearly
Asia accounts for 32.3% of that figure, while the Pacific
tides. Equinoctial spring tides occur every 6 months.
including Australia accounts for 40.8%, Atlantic and
Coral Reefs Caribbean coral reefs account for 7.6%.
— These are the regions of high biodiversity, that are formed
— Coral reefs are rare along the American and African West
due to accumulation and solidification of skeletons of tiny coasts. This is due primarily to upwelling and strong cold
lime secreting organisms known as coral polyps. They are coastal currents that reduce water temperatures in these
lime dominating rocks. It is a symbiotic association areas (respectively the Peru, Benguela and Canary
between coral polyps and algae. streams). Corals are seldom, found along the coastline of
South Asia from the Eastern tip of India (Madras) to the
— Coral reefs are colonies of various types of reef-building
Bangladesh and Myanmar borders.
stony hard corals.
— In India, these are found in Gulf of Kachchh,
— Each coral colony is composed of polyps. Polyps stay
Lakshadweep islands, Gulf of Mannar and Andaman and
fixed in one place to create a colony that provides a home
Nicobar islands.
to symbiotic algae.
— The Great Barrier Reef is the largest reef comprising over
— Each polyp slowly secretes a hard calcium carbonate
2900 individual reefs and 900 islands stretching for over
skeleton, which serves as the base or substrate for the
2600 km off Queensland, Australia.
colony. The living animal or polyp attaches itself to the
skeletal base that it creates. The skeleton provides Importance of Coral Reefs
protection for the polyps and algae as predators approach. — Coral reefs provide a source of food and shelter for a large
— Calcium carbonate is continuously deposited by the corals variety of species including fish, shellfish, fungi, sponges,
in the living colony, adding to the size and structure of the sea anemones, sea urchins, sea snakes, sea stars, worms,
reef. It is these slow-growing hard skeletal structures that jellyfish, turtles and snails.
build up coral reefs over long periods of time. — Living coral reefs are the foundation for many marine
— Often called rainforests of the sea, coral reefs form some species and thus, a crucial support for human life. Coral
of the most diverse ecosystems on Earth. Coral reefs are reefs are the homes of many species including crabs,
fragile ecosystems, partly because they are very sensitive shrimp, oysters and clams.
to water temperature. — Coral reefs protect coastlines from ocean storms and
— Coral Bleaching It is negative phenomena associated with floods. Coral reefs are environmental indicators of water
health of corals. Corals have their colour due to the algae quality because they can only tolerate narrow ranges of
present in it. Loss of these algae cause whitening of corals temperature, salinity, water clarity and other water
and ultimately, to their death. It is evident that there is an conditions.
increase in coral bleaching due to the global warming. — Coral reefs make important contributions to local
Types of Coral Reefs economies because they attract millions of tourists every
year to enjoy beaches, water sports and other activities.
Coral reefs are of three types, which are as follows:
— Coral reefs are important sources of new medicines that
(i) Fringing Reefs A narrow coral platform lying close to the
can be used to treat diseases and other health
shore and separated from the coast by a lagoon, which
may disappear at low water. e.g. Gulf of Mannar (India), problems.
Southern Florida (USA) etc.
 Self Check Build Your Confidence
1. Tidal range denotes the [IAS 2009] (c) Tidal bore occurs when a tide enters the narrow and
(a) rise of sea water and its movement toward the coast shallow estuary of a river
(b) fall of sea water and its movement toward the sea (d) The tidal nature of the mouth of the river Hooghly is of
(c) rise and fall of sea water due to gravitational forces crucial importance to Kolkata as port
(d) difference between high and low tides 7. Consider the following statements [IAS 2007]
2. Consider the following statements [IAS 2007] 1. The fall of sea water and its movement away from the
1. The annual range of temperature is greater in the Pacific coast, i.e. toward the sea is called tides.
ocean than that in the Atlantic ocean. 2. Very high tidal ranges caused by the combined
2. The annual range of temperature is greater in the Northern gravitational attraction of the Sun and Moon, when they
hemisphere than that in the Southern hemisphere. are in one side of the earth in a straight line are called
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? spring tides.
(a) Only 1 (b) Only 2 Which of the statement (s) given above is/are correct?
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 (a) Only 1 (b) Only 2
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
3. The annual range of temperature in the interior of the
continents is high as compared to coastal areas. What 8. The important fishing grounds of the world are found in
is/are the reason/reasons? [IAS 2013] the regions where [IAS 2011]
1. Thermal difference between land and water. (a) warm and cold atmosphere currents meet
2. Variation in altitude between continents and oceans. (b) rivers drain out large amounts of fresh water into the
season
3. Presence of strong winds in the interior.
(c) warm and cold currents meet
4. Heavy rains in the interior as compared to coasts.
(d) continental shelf is undulating
Select the correct answer using the codes given below
(a) Only 1 (b) 1 and 2 9. Which of the following are cold ocean currents?
(c) 2 and 3 (d) All of these 1. Humbol current 2. Brazil current [UPPCS 2009]
3. Oyashio current 4. Canary current
4. What explains the Eastward flow of the equatorial
counter-current? [IAS 2015] Select the correct answer using the codes given below
(a) 1 and 2
(a) The Earth’s rotation on its axis
(b) 2 and 3
(b) Convergence of the two equatorial currents
(c) 1, 3 and 4
(c) Difference in salinity of water
(d) 2, 3 and 4
(d) Occurrence of the belt of calm near the equator
10. Which one of the following is a warm ocean current?
5. The largest coral reef in the world is found near the coast
of which one of the following countries? [IAS 2007] (a) East Australian current [UPPCS 2009]
(b) West Australian current
(a) Australia (b) Cuba
(c) Benguela current
(c) Ghana (d) Philippiness
(d) Peru current
6. Which one of the following statements is incorrect?
11. Surface currents in the oceans are primarily caused by
[IAS 2004]
(a) temperature differences
(a) Gulf with narrow fronts and wider rears experience high
(b) density differences
tides
(c) wind action
(b) Tidal currents take place when a Gulf is connected with
(d) coriolis effect
the open sea by a narrow channel

1. (d) 2. (b) 3. (a) 4. (a) 5. (a) 6. (c) 7. (b) 8. (c) 9. (c) 10. (a)
11. (c)
Chapter seven
Biogeography
Soil Biotic Activity
— Plants and animals are the instruments of
Biogeography is the The loose material or the upper layer
— biotic activity. Plants form a part of the soil
study of the of the rock (regolith layer of loose, profile in the form of humus, which is
distribution of plants, heterogeneous material covering the basically decayed plant material.
solid rock) consisting mainly of very
animals and related Topography
small particles and humus that can
ecosystems and the support the growth of plants is known — Various aspects of topography have their own
geographical as soil. influence on the process of soil formation. On
relationship with — In other words, soil is a dynamic steep slopes, thinner soils are formed because
natural body made up of the materials of the inability of soil constituents to lodge
related environments themselves. Location also has its influence, e.g.
covering the Earth’s surface in which
over time. a flat surface on the hill top may be a material
plants grow. It is composed of both
mineral and organic matter. exporting site, whereas a flat surface in a valley
may be a material receiving site.
— Soils may be transported by the
running water, wind or other agents of Time
erosion or may remain in the original — A more porous rock-like sandstone or a less
position. massive rock-like glacial till, may take less
— When the soil remains in its original time in soil formation than an impervious rock
position, it is said to be in in-situ and or a more massive rock-like dark basalt.
in that state, it is further modified by
the climate, particularly moisture Soil Fertility
supply, plant growth and bacterial — It is the ability of soil to sustain plants. Soil
activity dependent on these factors. has fertility when it contains organic
substances and clay minerals that absorb
Factors Influencing water and certain elements needed by plants.
Soil Formation The boundary between horizons is usually
visible in the field, using the properties of
Parent Rock colour, texture, consistency, porosity, the
— It is in the texture and fertility, which presence or absence of certain minerals,
the parent rock contributes, that the moisture and chemical processes. Soil
soil formation is controlled by the horizons are the building blocks of soil
parent rock. classification.
Climate Soil Profile
— The climate exercises influence, — It is the vertical series of soil horizons from the
through temperature and rainfall. High ground surface to the parent rock. The profile
temperature facilitates more bacterial results from the same parent rock having
activity, more physical and chemical similar horizons and soil profiles, but with
weathering, but little or no humus, low varying characteristics according to their
temperature, on the other hand, helps location. All the soils are, however, not having
in formation thicker, organic layers. a well developed soil profile.
60 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

— The various layers exposed in a pedon; roughly parallel to Soil Acidity

the surface and identified as O, A, E, B and C are known
— The degree of acidity is measured on the logarithmic pH
as soil horizon.
scale, which ranges from 0 (extreme acidity) to 14
They are mentioned below (extreme alkalinity).
O-Horizon — A pH value of about 6.5 is normally regarded as the most
— It is a surface horizon that is comprised of organic favourable for the growth of cereal crops.
material at various stages of decomposition. It is most — Soils deficient in lime are acidic in character and they
prominent in forested areas where there is the develop in areas of heavy rainfall.
accumulation of debris fallen from trees.
Minerals of the Soil
A-Horizon
Following are the two classes of minerals abundant in soils:
— It is a surface horizon that largely consists of minerals
(sand, silt and clay) and with appreciable amounts of
organic matter. This horizon is predominantly the surface (i) Primary Minerals
layer of many soils in grasslands and agricultural lands. — Primary minerals are mostly silicate minerals, compounds
of silicon and oxygen with varying proportions of
E-Horizon
aluminium, calcium, sodium, iron and magnesium. But,
— It is a sub-surface horizon that has been heavily leached. they play no important role in sustaining plant or animal
The horizon is typically light in colour. It is generally found life.
beneath the O-horizon.
(ii) Secondary Minerals
B-Horizon
— Clay minerals, mineral oxides etc, are essential for soil
— It is a sub-surface horizon that has accumulated from the development and for soil fertility.
layer(s) above. It is a site of deposition of certain minerals
— The nature of the clay minerals in a soil determines its
that have leached from the layer(s) above.
base status. If the clay minerals can hold abundant base
C-Horizon ions, the soil is of high base status and generally will be
— It is sub-surface horizon. It is the least weathered horizon. highly fertile and vice-versa.
It is also known as the saprolite; it is made-up of — Humus colloids have a high capacity to hold bases, so
unconsolidated loose parent material. that the presence of humus is usually associated with
potentially high soil fertility.
Soil Structure — In soils, 2 atoms of aluminium are combined with 3 atoms
— The character of a soil expressed in terms of its mode of of oxygen to form the sesquioxide of aluminium.
aggregation or the binding properties or ability of its — In soils, aluminium oxides form the mineral bauxite.
individual particles, to form a secondary unit. Since, — Sesquioxide of iron, again held in combination with water
structure affects other soil properties, e.g. porosity, it has molecules, is limonite.
an important effect on soil fertility.
— Limonite and bauxite occur in close association in soils of
warm and moist climates in low latitudes.
Soil Texture
— A measure of different particle size characteristics of soils Soil Forming Processes
achieved by passing the samples through a succession of
series. Weathering
— 2 mm diameter is termed gravel and very coarse sand; 2 — The process that results in the breakdown and chemical
to 0.2 mm is coarse sand; 0.2 to 0.02 mm is fine sand; changes of the parent rocks in-situ.
0.02 to 0.002 mm is silt;< 0.002 mm is clay. Translocation
The Organic Content — It refers to the material movement within the soil body.
The processes of translocation are as follows:
The humus content of the soil is determined by vegetation, — Eluviation consists of the downward transport of fine particles,
animal and bacterial activity. The chemical make up of the particularly the clays and colloids, from the uppermost part of
vegetation contributes to the acidity or alkalinity of the soil the soil.
solution. e.g. broad leaf trees tend to increase alkalinity — Illuviation is the accumulation of materials that are brought
whereas needle leaf trees tend to produce higher acidity. downward, normally from E-horizon to the B-horizon.
Magbook ~ Biogeography 61

— Decalcification is the leaching of calcium carbonate from

the entire soil. It generally happens in moist climates.
Zonal Soil
— Calcification occurs in dry regions where due to lack of — Zonal soils are formed at the site of their parent rocks and the
excessive moisture, the soil accumulates considerable influence of parent rock and climate is clearly visible and are
amount of soluble materials of calcium carbonate and major determining factors. They are mature, have distinct
magnesium in the B-horizon. profile and clear horizons. e.g. Tundra soil in Arctic,
— Salinisation or Alkalisation takes place in the case of Mediterranean soil in Mediterranean climate, red yellow soil in
extreme evaporation where calcium or sodium salts desert and latosols in equatorial climates are zonal soils.
accumulate on the soil surface, as a result of the capillary
— On the basis of chemical compositions, soils are broadly
action of water from a water table.
classified as follows: pedalfer and pedocal soils. Pedalfer
— Desilication In this process, silica is more mobile than iron
soils have abundance of aluminium and iron and pedocals
and aluminium oxides. Desilicified soils are known as
ferralsols. have abundance of calcium.
— Podzolisation refers the process in which the iron and Pedalfer
aluminium oxides are more mobile. As a result, the upper
Podzol
horizons of the soil become rich in silica. Podzol profiles
are usually associated with coniferous and heathland — Podzols are develop in the regions where precipitation exceeds
vegetation. evapotranspiration. These soils are sandy and develop in cooler
— Gleying normally occurs in waterlogged or permanent water climate or Tundra region and coniferous forest is found there.
areas. Leaching is intense, humus acidic and horizons are bleached
as iron, aluminium and organic matter is removed. Soils are
Stages in the Soil Development
acidic and not encourage earthworm.
Initial Stage Unweathered parent material.
Grey Podzol
Juvenile Stage Weathering started.
— This soil is found in the Taiga coniferous region of the
Virile State Weather material largely decomposed, clay sub-Arctic climatic zone.
content increase.
— A-horizon is eluviated— bleached grey appearance (silica
Senile State Decomposition arrived in final stage, most accumulation).
resistant minerals survived.
— B-horizon is illuviated— hard clayey pan, sesquioxide rich,
Final Stage Soil development has been completed and
nodules and concertion of brown colour.
soil is weathered under the prevailing
conditions. — This is acidic in nature (pH = 4) because of slow
decomposition of organic matter and hence, unsuitable for
agriculture.
Classification of Soil
Grey-Brown Podzol
— The soil classification was first done by Russian — This soil is found in the deciduous forest region of the
pedologist, Dokuchaev. mid-latitudes, rich in humus.
On the basis of parent rocks and location of formation, — It can be fertile by the use of manures and fertilisers and
soils can be classified as follows: crop rotation. It is suitable for dairy farming and mixed
farming practices.
Azonal Soil
Red-Yellow Podzol
— Azonal soils are of recent origin and soil forming
processes have not been operation for long. They are — This soil is formed by the processes of podzolisation and
not linked to climate prevail their and horizons are not laterisation in the sub-tropical climatic region. Pronounced
distinct. These are immature soils as a result of high leaching because of high rainfall.
altitude, low temperature and slow decay of organic — It is devoid of humus since warmer region enhances
matter. e.g. volcanic soil, till, loess sand etc. pronounced bacterial activity. Productivity fertiliser
responsive and high crop yield.
Intrazonal Soil Red Podzol or Terra Rossa
— Soils found within the climatic belt, but different from — This soil found in the Mediterranean and Lime regions, is
normal because of dominance of any local factor. e.g. red in appearance due to presence of Fe2O3 .
calcimorphic or calcareous soils are develop on
— It is devoid of humus because moist conditions enhance
limestone, hydromorphic soils develops in water
bacterial activity. Deeply weathered, but lack distinct
abundance regions and halomorphic soils are saline in
horizons. Low fertility and can be productive if used
nature due to high salt level and found in dry regions.
scientifically.
62 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

Laterite Soil USDA Soil Classification

— This soil is formed in the regions of high temperature, — CF Marbut of USA gave an extensive scheme, called
abundant rainfall and equatorial forests, where the USDA System (US Department of Agriculture), for the
process of leaching is dominant. classification of world soils in 1938. Under USDA system,
— Though humus is available in ample amount, yet due to world soils are divided into 10 orders, 47 sub-orders and
consumption by microbes and the process of leaching, 185 great soil groups.
very little of it is left.
Alfisols
— Salts of Al and Fe2O3 are found in the upper layers of this
— The soils in this order have markers of processes that
soil. Crust formation near the surface, nodular
translocate silicate clays without excessive depletion of
concretions, induration.
bases and without dominance of the processes that lead
— When dry, it becomes hard and forms a useful building to the formation of a mollic epipedon.
material.
Andisols
Pedocals — The unique property of andisols is a dominance of short
Brown Earths range order minerals or Al-humus complexes that result
— These are moderately or well-drained soil, found where from weathering and mineral transformation with a
precipitation exceeds potential evapotranspiration and minimum of translocation.
particles move downward through the soil. They are main — The characteristics common to most andisols include a
soil of UK and other warm temperate climate. The soil is high phosphorus retention, available water capacity and
reasonably fertile. cation-exchange capacity.
Chernozem Gelisols
— It is the most fertile soil. It needs very little fertilisers and — The unique property of gelisols is the presence of
irrigation. It is found in the Steppe region. It is black in permafrost and soil features and properties associated
colour due to abundance of humus. Lime is found in with freezing and thawing. These features include irregular
abundance in its lower layers. or broken horizons and incorporation of organic materials
Chestnut in the lower horizons, especially along the top of the
— It is dark brown soil found in the drier parts of Chernozem permafrost table.
region. It contains less humus than the Chernozem. — Freezing and thawing produce granular, platy and
Lighter colour than Chernozem. Formation of CaCO3 nodule vesicular structures in surface and sub-surface horizons.
in B-horizon. The increase in soil volume on freezing are considered a
— Red chestnut and red-brown soil is found in semi-arid major soil forming process in gelisols.
parts of the Savanna region. Aridisols
Prairie Soil — The unique properties common to aridisols are a
— This is the soil having properties both of Chernozem and combination of a lack of water available to mesophytic
grey-brown podzol and found in the wet temperate tall plants for very extended periods, one or more pedogenic
grass region. Its colour is brown-black due to abundance horizons, a surface horizon or horizons not significantly
of humus. It is a fertile soil. It is found in the Prairie region darkened by humus and absence of deep, wide cracks
of USA, Pampas of South America, Pustaz of Hungary and andic soil properties.
and Downs of Australia. Histosols
Sierozems — The unique properties of histosols are a very high
— This is a basic soil (pH>8) found in the hot deserts of the content of organic matter in the upper 80 cm of the soils
mid-latitudes. Lime forms a deposition over the upper and no permafrost. The amount of organic matter is at
layer of the soil. Thin soils having poor horizonizalian. least 20% to 30% in more than half of this thickness, or
Near absence of humus or low humus content. the horizon that is rich in organic matter rests on rock or
rock rubble.
Red Desert Soil
Inceptisols
— This is the soil of hot deserts in the tropical region. It is
characterised by deposition of lime near the surface and — Inceptisols have a wide range in characteristics and occur
absence of humus. Moderate to high fertility depending on in a wide variety of climates. They can be formed in
nitrogen (N) content. Productive if abundant irrigation is almost any environment, except for an arid environment
available and salt removed. and the comparable differences in vegetation are great.
Magbook ~ Biogeography 63

Entisols Mollisols
— The unique properties common to entisols are dominance — The unique properties of mollisols are a combination of a
of mineral soil materials and absence of distinct very dark brown to black surface horizons (mollic
pedogenic horizons. The absence of features of any major epipedon) that makes up more than one-third of the
set of soil forming processes is itself an important combined thickness of A and B-horizons.
distinction. — Mollisols characteristically form under grass in climates
— Entisols are soils in the sense that they support plants, but that have a moderate to pronounced seasonal moisture
they may be in any climate and under any vegetation. deficit.
Vertisols — Some mollisols, however, formed under a forest ecosystem
— These soils have markers of processes related to the and a few formed in marshes or in humid climates.
failure of soil materials along shear planes (slickensides). — Mollisols are extensive soils on the steppes of Europe,
Because the soil material moves, the diagnostic properties Asia, North America and South America.
have many accessory properties.
— Among them are a high bulk density when the soils are
Soil Erosion
dry, low or very low; hydraulic conductivity when the soils — Geologic erosion or Natural erosion is the action of the
are moist, an appreciable rise and fall of the soil surface wind, water, ice and gravity in wearing away rock to form
as the soils become moist and then dry and rapid drying soil and shape the ground surface. Except for some
as a result of open cracks. stream and shore erosion, it is a relatively slow,
— The unique properties common to vertisols are a high continuous process that often goes unnoticed. The natural
content of clay, pronounced changes in volume with erosion of soil is accompanied by formation of new soils
changes in moisture, cracks that open and close as the nature always maintains the universal equilibrium
periodically and evidence of soil movement in the form of and harmony.
slickensides and of wedge-shaped structural aggregates — Accelerated erosion is the speeding up of erosion due to
that are tilted at an angle from the horizontal. Black soil of human activity. Farming, construction, logging and mining
Deccan plateau is a type of vertisol. are the principle causes of accelerated erosion. These
activities radically upset the delicate balance that nature
Oxisols
has developed between rainfall and runoff.
— The unique properties of oxisols are extreme weathering of
— Runoff water is a major factor for soil erosion. Runoff
most minerals other than quartz to kaolin and free oxides,
water includes sheet erosion that ripped off top fertile soil,
very low activity of the clay fraction and a loamy or clayey
rill erosion, gully erosion that erode the soil and form
texture (sandy loam or finer).
badland topography and slip erosion that are caused by
— Oxisols characteristically occur in tropical or sub-tropical hydraulic pressure existed by moisture penetrating into
regions, on land surfaces that have been stable for a long the soils during the heavy rains.
time.
Spodosols Soil Conservation Methods
— Spodosols have markers in at least an upper sequum of No-Tillage Farming Growing of crops without removing the
dominant processes that translocate humus and existing plant cover and previous crop residues.
aluminum or humus, aluminium and iron, as amorphous Minimum Tillage Farming Shallow ploughing only to the depth
materials. needed to ensure quick seed germination and leaving crop
— The unique property of spodosols is a B-horizon, residues and ground litter to protect the soil.
consisting of an accumulation of black or reddish Contour Cropping Ploughing and planting along the contours of
amorphous materials that have a high cation exchange the land, so that water cannot runoff the soil as easily.
capacity. Strip Cropping Alternating strips of close growing plants (such
Ultisols as grass or clover) and regular crops (such as corn, cotton,
— Ultisols, like alfisols, have markers of clay translocation, potatoes). The strips of close growing plants, slow water
but they also have markers of intensive leaching that are runoff and when combined with contour cropping can reduce
absent in alfisols. soil erosion by 75%.
— The unique properties common to ultisols are an argillic Terracing Developing flat, step-like terraces to reduce water
horizon and a low supply of bases, particularly in the runoff on very steep slopes.
lower horizons.
64 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

Soil Conservation Methods — Roots are shallow due to availability of much water and
allows to tap the abundant nutrients found in the ground
Crop Rotation and Cover Crops Planting fields periodically with layer. These forests are shrinking.
close growing secondary crops that allow less soil erosion
and planting dense growing cover plants when no crop is — Temperate coniferous forests found in Japan, China,
being grown. Europe, North America etc (only in Northern hemisphere).
These are cone-shaped to adopt snowfall. These are
Gully Reclamation Seeding gullies with quick-growing plants
evergreen and forests are having only one variety of tree in
and using check dams of manure and straw to reduce erosion.
each area i.e. pine, fir, spruce etc.
Windbreaks ( Shelter belts) Planting rows of shrubs and trees
— Benefits of forest includes contribution of oxygen to
as wind-breaking barriers along the windward edges of
atmosphere, formation of rains, providing natural
croplands to reduce soil loss from wind. Replanting trees on
resources, have medicinal value and provide place for
land no longer used to grow crops.
recreational activities. It also provide natural habitat,
Not Planting Marginal Land Raising crop yields on good land to
prevent soil erosion, provide catchment area for drainage
reduce pressure on farm marginal land.
basins.
Land Classification and Zoning Classifying land according to its
suitability for cultivation and using land use zoning and Biotic Regions of the World
controls to prevent the loss of good cropland and the planting
— Biome is a biotic community characterised by
of marginal land.
distinctiveness in life forms of the important climax
species. Trewartha, on the basis of availability of soil,
Natural Vegetation water and temperature, has divided the biomes of the
world into the following five categories:
— Natural vegetation refers to plants which have grown
naturally and not planted by human beings. Primary (i) Tropical Rainforest (Selva)
vegetations are untouched, unspoiled forests that exists in — Unchanging climate of high temperatures and very heavy
its original condition. Secondary vegetations are the rainfall. Luxuriant growth, evergreen variety. Light is the
forests that has been disturbed in someway, naturally or limiting factor, not nutrients. Trees consist of several layers
artificially and have fewer varieties of plants. and little undergrowth.
— Three major types of natural vegetation are forest, — Contain a large number of epiphytes (stranglers). Climbers
grassland and deserts with many sub-groups. Forest types including lianas are numerous. Trees have buttress or stilt
can be classified as tropical rainforests, temperate roots and drip trips.
deciduous forests and temperate coniferous forests. — Abundance of detritivorous, particularly ant and termites.
Grasslands can be classified as tropical savannas and Insects are very large; moths have wingspan of 30 cm;
temperate grasslands. Desert vegetations can be divided spiders are large enough to eat small birds. Dominated by
into hot desert vegetation and cold tundra vegetation. snakes (anaconda) and reptiles.
— Tropical rainforests are found mainly along the equator
between tropics, temperate forests are found mainly
(ii) Tropical Savanna
between tropics and sub-Arctic circles in both the — Long dry warm season and short rainy season, water is
hemisphere and coniferous forests are only found in the limiting factor. Dominated by grasses and water
Northern hemisphere between 60°N and 70° N. availability determines tree growth. Trees exhibit various
drought resistant features consist of spines (Acacia),
— At lower temperature less than 6°C, few plants can grow
baobab is bottle-shaped.
and at warm temperature above 20°C, allow abundant
plant growth. — Vegetation shows many adaptations to fire. Most trees are
fire resistant, therefore, species diversity is low. Some
— Precipitation also influence to vegetation positively. Most
seeds are covered with hard shell, which breaks at 80°C
forests grow with high rainfall above 1000 mm a year and
only. Most of the trees reproduce themselves by throwing
in moderate rainfall regions between 200 mm and
up suckers not many by seed germination. Possess thick
1000 mm, grasslands are found and precipitation below
bark and thick bud scales.
200 mm only.
— High productivity and abundance of easily digestible food
— Tropical rainforests are very dense and has three distinct
has led to large number of first order consumers.
layers i.e. emergent, canopy and undergrowth, found
Encourages large numbers of herds of growing
mainly in Amazon basin, South-East Asia, Central Africa
mammals–Lions, big cats, hunting dogs, jackals and
etc. Epiphytes and lianas are predominants in this forests
hyenas.
to overcome shortage of sunlight.
Magbook ~ Biogeography 65

— Dominated by hoofed mammals adopted to running on flat — Except for ptarmigan, tundra birds are migratory using the
plain–wild beast zebra, giraffe. The largest animals are short period of reproduction and surviving the rest of the
conspicuous related to size–elephant, giraffe, rhinoceros; year elsewhere–geese, shore-birds and songbird.
related to mobility–gazelles, ostriches, other flightless birds Subcutaneous fat-insulator prevents heat from body.
such as emus.
— Various adaptations—some ants and termites survive in Major Biotic Regions
intense fire by moving underground; most animals display — The biomes are determined by the degree to which
remarkable camouflage, ungulates are agile and swift-footed moisture is available to plants in a scale ranging from
to escape sharp-clawed sharp-toothed predators. abundant (forest biome) to almost none (desert biome).
But, within each biome, conditions of temperature are
(iii) Tropical Desert vastly different from low to high latitudes.
— Extremely hot with unreliable and scarce rainfall. Plant life
Forest Biome
adapted to aridity.
— A forest is defined as a plant formation consisting of trees
— Two general classes of vegetation are:
growing close together and forming a layer of foliage that
— Perennials succulents adjust to aridity by various avoiding
largely shades to ground. The forest biome spans a great
mechanisms–extensive root system, transpiration reduction,
dying back of leaves as in many grasses, heavy cuticular and climatic range, from wet equatorial to cold sub-Arctic.
epidermal layers, waxy coating on leaves, sunken stomata. — Forest biome includes following forest types:
— Ephemerals have short life cycle and may form a fairly dense The Equatorial Rainforest
stand after rainfall. They evade drought develop vigorously
and produce large number of fruits and flowers during rain.
— It extends over the Amazon lowland of South America,
Congo lowland of Africa, a coastal zone extending
— Animals show various adaptations–escape involves
Westward from Nigeria to Guinea and in South-East Asia
aestivation or dormancy, seasonal migration, nocturnal
from Sumatra on the West to the islands of the Western
habit, kangaroo rat seals its burrow by day to keep
Pacific on the East.
chamber moist, obtains water by own metabolic process
and from hygroscopic water in food, liberates The Tropical Rainforest
concentrated urine. — Areas include Southern and South- Eastern Asia in
Western ghats of India, coastal Myanmar, coastal Vietnam
(iv) Taiga Biome and the Philippines, Eastern Brazilian coast, the
— Winters are long and severe, summers are cool and brief, Madagascar coast and North- Eastern Australia.
very low mean annual temperature. Conical shape,
smooth leaf surface, needle leaf, sunken stomata.
The Temperate Rainforest
— Covers South-Eastern USA, Southern Japan, Southern
— Evergreen and needle is a design that helps active useful
Brazil, Uruguay and Northern Argentina, South-Eastern
working temperatures in temporarily productive periods at
South Africa, European highland from France in the West
minimum cost of maintenance.
to Slovakia in the East, Eastern Chinese coast,
— Large mammalian herbivores (deer and bear) are adapted
South-Eastern coast of Australia and New Zealand.
to make use of regenerating forest in burned areas for
browse. Migratory animals—aestivation, dormancy. The Monsoon Forest
— Presents a more open tree growth than the equatorial and
(v) Tundra Biome tropical rainforests. The most important feature of the
— Extremely cold and dry. Limiting factors are severe cold monsoon forest is the deciduous nature of most plant
and shortage of radiant energy. Adapted short growing species.
season and extreme cold climate. Lack of tall plants as a
consequence of the requirement to balance a heat budget Savanna Biome
and conserve moisture. — This biotic region consists of a combination of trees and
— Summer thaw turns it into a quagmire of puddles, bogs grassland in various proportions. The appearance of the
and shallow lakes. Surface is covered with a mat of vegetation can be described as park-like, with trees spaced
lichens, mosses, grasses, sedges. singly or in small groups and surrounded by or interspersed
— During short summers, large number of migratory birds, with surfaces covered by grasses or by some other plant life
especially waterfowl invade the tundra to feed on. form, such as shrubs or annuals in a low layer.
66 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

Grassland Biome — Carbon credit earning through Clean Development

Mechanism (CDM) will be an additional income benefit by
— This biotic region consists of an upland vegetation largely
social forestry for afforestation/reforestation and wasteland
or entirely of herbs, which may include grasses, grass-like
development. It’s a community based work on massive
plants and forbs (broadleaf herbs).
plantation through panchayat/ village assembly involving
— The important formation classes of grasslands are:
farmers, village workers, government and private bodies
1. Prairies 2. Steppe 3. Pampas etc, under Joint Venture Programme.
4. Veld 5. Downland
Agroforestry
— Prairies are characterised by tall, deep rooted grasses of
the interior North American plains. The Steppes cover a — Agroforestration is an integrated approach of combining
belt extending from Hungary in the West to Mongolian and agricultural and forestry technologies to create more
Eastern Chinese plains in the East. Other important diverse, productive, profitable, healthy and sustainable
grassland areas include Pampas of South America, Veld land use systems. It is also helpful in soil conservation
plateau of South Africa, Northern and Central African and and increasing ecological aspects. Agroforestry is well
the Downland in Australia. practiced in Bangladesh and India.
— Agri Silviculture System It refers to that type of system in
Desert Biome
which the agricultural crops and forest tree species are
— The desert biome, associated with the climates of extreme grown on same piece of land at unit period of time. e.g.
aridity, has thinly dispersed plants and hence a high growing of teak and onion.
percentage of bare ground exposed to direct insolation and — Silvo Pastoral System It refers to that type of system in
the forces of wind and water erosion or freeze-thaw action. which the silvicultural tree species are grown in
combination with pastoral grass. e.g. growing of teak and
Social Forestry berseem grass for fodder purpose.
— Social forestry is a management and protection of forest — Agri Slivo Pastoral System It refers to the system that
and afforestation on the degraded land with the purpose combines agricultural crops, silvicultural tree species and
of helping in the environment, social and rural grasses on same piece of land at a unit period of time.
development.
 Self Check Build Your Confidence

1. Consider the following characteristics 8. In which of the following soil forming processes,
1. Long and severe winter. organic acids of soluble chelates are formed?
2. Conical shape smooth leaves. (a) Leaching (b) Podzolisation
3. Low species diversity. (c) Laterisation (d) Salinisation
4. Large mammalian herbivores. 9. The nature of vegetation in the world changes
Which type of biome has above characteristics? according to
(a)Taiga biome (a) latitude (b) climate
(b) Tundra biome (c) nature of soil (d) All of these
(c) Selvas
(d) Tropical savanna
10. Chernozems are
(a) silica rich temperate grassland soils
2. Contour bunding or cropping is a method of soil (b) iron rich humid upland soils
conservation used in [IAS 2013] (c) humus rich dark brown colour soils in semi-arid region
(a) desert margins, liable to strong wind action (d) humus rich tropical grassland soils
(b) low flat plains, close to stream courses, liable to flooding
(c) scrubland, liable to spread to weed growth
11. Hard pan and clay pan in soil are found in
(d) None of the above (a) A- horizon (b) B- horizon
(c) C- horizon (d) D- horizon
3. Which of the following is/are unique characteristic(s) of
equatorial forest? [IAS 2013] 12. If a tropical rainforest is removed, it does not
regenerate quickly as compared to a tropical
1. Presence of tall, closely set trees with crowns forming a
deciduous forest. This is because [IAS 2011]
continuous canopy.
(a) the soil of rainforest is deficient in nutrients
2. Co-existence of a large number of species.
(b) propagules of the trees in a rainforest have a poor
3. Presence of numerous varieties of epiphytes.
viability
Select the correct answer using the codes given below (c) the rainforest species are slow growing
(a) Only 1 (b) 2 and 3 (d) the exotic species invade the fertile soil of rainforest
(c) 1 and 3 (d) All of these
13. In dry regions, the leaf size becomes smaller due to
4. Which one of the following pairs is correctly matched?
(a) reducing metabolism
(a) Latosols : Scrubs (b) maintaining growth
(b) Chernozem : Savannas (c) reducing transpiration
(c) Sierozem : Selvas (d) protecting plant from animals
(d) Podzsol : Conifers
14. Soil water available to plants is maximum in
5. In the hot and humid regions of the tropics, the
(a) clayey soil (b) silty soil
characteristic soil is
(c) sandy soil (d) loamy soil
(a) laterite (b) pedocal (c) pedalfer (d) alluvial
15. The capacity of a soil to hold water against the pull
6. Which of the following regions are characterise by little of gravity is called as
undergrowth trees of several layers?
(a) storage capacity
(a) Tropical savanna (b) Tropical rainforest (b) wilting capacity
(c) Tropical desert (d) Taiga (c) wilting point
7. Which of the following soils is formed in the regions of (d) hygroscopic capacity
ample rainfall and is characterised by abundance of 16. Which type of soil retains maximum amount of
aluminium and iron? water?
(a) Pedocal (b) Pedalfer (a) Loam (b) Sandy
(c) Peat (d) Histosols (c) Clay (d) Red

1. (a) 2. (d) 3. (c) 4. (d) 5. (a) 6. (b) 7. (b) 8. (b) 9. (d) 10. (c)
11. (b) 12. (a) 13. (c) 14. (a) 15. (d) 16. (c)
Chapter eight
Human Geography
Evolution of Man Characteristics of Races
Human beings are — Scientists believe that the gradual The best marked race characters are as follows:
vertebrates and belong evolution of man on the Earth started Colour of the Skin
to class Mammalia. in the Tertiary period. Paleontological
— The colour of the skin has always been held
evidences show that the first ancestors
Within the class as specially distinctive. The coloured race
of man lived in the African continent,
portraits of ancient Egypt remain to prove
Mammalia, man belongs 65 million years back.
the permanence of complexion during a
to the order primates, a — Ramapithecus is the oldest fossil lapse of a hundred generations,
group that originated ancestor of man in the direct line of distinguishing coarsely, but clearly the types
evolution. It lived for a short period of the red-brown Egyptian, the yellow-brown
about 65 million years
between 16 and 18 million years ago. Canaanite, the comparatively fair Libyan and
ago and includes not
— Australopithecus (African ape-man) the black Negro.
only monkeys and apes, lived in Africa about 5 million years — These broad distinctions have the same kind
but also the lorises, ago that ultimately gave rise to genus of value as the popular terms describing
lemurs and tarsiers. homo, about 2 million years ago. white, yellow, brown and black races, which
Humans belong to the — Homo Habilis (the handy man) lived in often occur in ancient writings and are still
Africa about 2 million years ago. Homo used.
family Hominidae, in
erectus appeared about 1.7 million — The varieties of the human skin may be
which homo sapiens is years ago and is believed to have followed from the fairest hue of the Swede
the only living species. migrated to Asia and Europe. and the darker tint of the Provencal, to the
— Neanderthal man (Homo sapiens withered leaf brown of the Hottentot, the
neanderthalensis), a primitive form of chocolate brown of the Mexican and the
homo sapiens, was common in Europe brown-black of the West African.
and Asia. They resembled the modern
Hair
human being though they were
relatively short, stocky and well built — Hair’s structure and arrangement is a better
physically. indication of race than its tint.
— The Neanderthal man was wiped out — The hair differs in quantity between
and gave way to the more efficient scantines of the body of the Mongol and
Cro-Magnon about 34000 years ago. profusion on the body of Aino while as to the
arrangement on the scalp, the tufts of the
— Homo sapiens began to spread all over
Bushman contrast with the more equal
the world after the last glacial period.
distribution on the European head.
Races — The straight hair of the North American or
Malay is recognisable at once as different
— Race is a term used for large group of from the waving or curling hair of the
people with some basic inherited European and both from the naturally freezed
physical characteristics in commons, hair of the Negro.
e.g. skin colour, hair, facial features and
head shape etc. Three major racial Stature
stocks are Caucasoid, Mongoloid and — Stature is by no means a general criterion of
Negroid. race and it would not, for instance, be
Magbook ~ Human Geography 69

difficult to choose groups of Englishmen, — Thyroid Gland Due to inactivity of this gland, people of Mongolian race have
Kafirs and North American-Indians, whose flat face, small forehead.
mean height should hardly differ. — Adrenal Gland This gland influences the complexion.
— Proportions of the limbs, compared in length — Besides these, adaptation, mutation and migration are also important
with the trunk, have been claimed as factors influencing the racial differences.
constituting peculiarities of African and Physical Characteristics of Races
American races; and other anatomical points,
Characteristic Caucasoid Negroid Mongoloid
such as the conformation of the pelvis, have /Races
speciality. But inferences of this class have
Skin colour Light reddish Brown to Light yellow to
hardly attained to sufficient certainty and white to olive brown-black. yellow-brown.
generality to be set down in the form of rules. brown. Some are Some are Some are reddish
brown. yellow-brown. brown.
Skull
Head hair Light blonde to Brown-black in Brown to
— The conformation of the skull is second only dark brown in colour. Coarse in brown-black in
to the colour of the skin as a criterion for the colour. Fine to texture. Curly to colour. Coarse in
distinction of race. medium in texture. frizzly or woolly in texture. Straight
Straight to wavy form. in form.
Classifications of Human Races in form.
— Different ethnologists have classified human Body hair Moderate to Slight. Sparsely
profuse. distributed.
races differently. Among these, the most
Eye colour Colour is light Brown to Brown to dark
important are as follows: blue to dark brown-black. brown.
— Caucasoid Nordic, Alpine, Mediterranean brown.
— Mongoloid Mongolian, Melanesian and Special eye Lateral eye-fold. Vertical eye-fold. Epicanthic fold.
American Indian features
— Negroid Negro, Melanesian, Pygmy Black. Head form Dolichocephalic to Predominantly Predominantly
— Capoid Bushmen/Hottentots. brachycephalic. dolichocephalic. brachycephalic.
Height is medium Height is low to Height is medium.
— Australoid Australian Aboriginal and Papuans.
to very high. medium.
Face Narrow to medium Medium broad to Medium broad to
Denisovan broad. narrow. Strong very broad.
The Denisovan are extinct species or sub-species of prognathism is Cheekbones are
archaic humans of the genus Homo. Scientists have very often present. high and fat.
discovered jawbone of this ancient species from the Nose Leptorrhine to Platyrrhine, Mesorrhine to
Tibetan Plateau. It was identified on the basis of the mesorrhine. usually bridge is platyrrhine.
analysis of protein. This species existed 1,60,000 Usually bridge is low. Usually bridge is
years ago. Earlier its evidences were found in the high. low to medium.
Denisova Cave in the Altai mountains in Siberia.

Factors Influencing the Racial

Population
Differences — Population geography is closely related to demography (the study of
population statistics and trends). Population Geography is concerned
Climatic Changes with the understanding of the regional differences in the Earth’s
— A unique race evolves due to living in the covering of people.
same climatic conditions for very long time.
e.g. white races in the colder regions or Distribution of Population
Negroid races in the Mediterranean tropical
— World population distribution is uneven. There are places having
region. Due to change in climate, racial
sparse population and dense population. Sparsely populated places
characteristics are also changed. e.g. brown
tend to be difficult places to live. These are usually places with hostile
complexion of Mestizo.
environments, e.g. desert areas of the world. Places, which are
Hormonal Influence densely populated are habitable environments, e.g. Europe. Less than
— Hormones also influence the differences in 10% of the world’s population lives in the Southern hemisphere, and
races 80% lives between 20° degrees and 60° North latitude.
— Pituitary Gland Due to higher activity of this
Factors Affecting Distribution
gland, people of Caucasian race are tall, well
built, with beautiful and proportionate nose and Physical Factors
broad chin. — Landforms, climate (temperature, amount of precipitation and length
of crop growing season), vegetation, soils and water supplies.
70 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

Climatic Conditions Means of Transport and Communication

— Climate influences growth of population. Moderate climate — Highly developed means of air, surface and water add to
leads to the growth of population because it is pleasant and the density of population in a particular region because
refreshing. In these regions, density of population is high. there the people can manage and carry on agricultural,
On the other hand, people do not like to live in too hot and commercial as well as industrial activities.
too cold climates. — Economic Factors Resources, accessibility, diseases and
Natural Resources pests, stage of development of economy etc.
— The regions having rich wealth of natural resources like coal, — Political Factors Stability of government, political scope
water, minerals and forest wealth, promote economic growth for development, efficient bureaucracy, restrictions of
and income, thus, favour the growth of population. This is international boundaries etc.
the reason why North-West Europe, Bihar and West Bengal
have high density of population.
Densely Populated Regions
— Important areas in the world where the average density
Soils
of population is 200 or more persons per square km.
— Rich and fertile soil always help in the growth and
— These highly dense regions usually coincide with either
development of agricultural activities with substantially high
fertile river valleys or urban conurbations.
yield per hectare. This is so, because fertile lands produce a
variety of crops to support dense population, so East and — While the regions of East Asia and South Asia
South Asian region and Northern plains of India are densely correspond to agriculturally exploited river plains and
populated. It must be noted here that all the river valleys of deltas, the regions of North-West Europe and Eastern
the world are densely populated regions of the world. North America correspond to industrial agglomerations.

Important Tribes of the World

Aborigines Australoids, native people of Australia. Kamba Bantus of Central Kenya.
Ainu Caucasoids of Japan. Kikuyu Agricultural tribes of Kenya belonging to Negroid
Red-Indian Mongoloid racial stock distributed in various parts of racial stock.
North, Middle and South America. Lapp Caucasoid group of people found in Northern
Bantu Negritoes of Central Africa. Scandinavia, Sweden, Northern Finland, Norway and
North-Western region of Russia.
Beduoins Pastoral tribes in Arabia, Syria and North Africa. Black
fellow Australian aborigines. Semang Group of Negroes having a well proportioned sturdy
built body with mesocephalic head, round face, short
Bushmen A group of Negroid racial stock known as khuai or
flattened and very broad nose, but without thick
san, confined mainly to the Kalahari desert.
everted lips, found in Malayan Peninsula and East
Characterised by presence of steatopygia.
Sumatra.
Chukchi Mongoloids inhabiting Chukchi Peninsula.
Shan Inhabitants of South China, Assam, Myanmar.
Dravidian Caucasoid racial stock in Peninsular India.
Vedda Short statured inhabitants of Sri Lanka with the
Fellah Agricultural labourers of Nile valley in Egypt. smallest heads.
Han Original inhabitants of China. Yuit Inhabitants of Siberia and St Lawrence island of
Hausa Original inhabitants of Nigeria. Alaska.
Inca Inhabitants of Peru in Kulko valley. Zulu Bantu speaking people of South Africa’s Cape
Jarawa Inhabitants of Andaman. Province.

Endangered Tribes of the World

Hadza They live in Tanzania. Their number is merely 200. Yukagir Population of this tribe of Siberian region is merely
They speak the language similar to Bushman. 2000. They are hunters and hunt the reindeers.
Kung This tribe lives in Kalahari region. Genetic and Chukchi This Palco-Asian language speaking tribe lives in
Paleontological evidences show that once they lived in North-Eastern Siberia and North America.
extensive area of Africa. Onge This tribe of Negrito group, living in Andaman, has only
Apache The population of this tribe, living in the plains of Oklahoma 100 members. This fast disappearing tribe migrated in
of USA is 1000. They had migrated here from Siberia. this region from Africa, thousands of years back.
Yanomami This nearly extinct tribe found at the boundary of Brazil Sentinali This is also an endangered tribe of Andaman and
and Venezuela. Nicobar islands.
Magbook ~ Human Geography 71

Sparsely Populated Regions Factors Affecting Population Density

— Over 70% of the land surface is sparsely populated i.e. less — Following are the factors that affect population density:
than 50 persons per square kilometre.
In general, the hot, cold, arid and mountainous areas are Physical Factor High Density Low Density
sparsely populated, which may be classified under the Relief (shape Lowland which is flat, e.g. Highland that is
following categories: and height of Ganges valley in India. mountainous, e.g.
— Deserts and arid lands land) Himalayas.
— Ice caps and cold regions Resources Areas rich in resources Areas with few
(e.g. coal, oil, wood, resources tend to be
— Mountainous regions
fishing etc) tend to sparsely populated,
— Tropical rainforests densely populated, e.g. e.g. The Sahara.
Western Europe.
Moderately Populated Areas
Climate Areas with temperate Areas with extreme
— Tropical savannas climates tend to be climates of hot and
— Temperate grasslands densely populated as there cold tend to be
— Tropical coastlands is enough rain and heat to sparsely populated,
grow crops, e.g. UK. e.g. the Sahara
— Temperate coastlands Desert.
Political Countries with stable Unstable countries
Important Facts of the World Population governments tend to have tend to have lower
a high population density, population densities
Nearly 75.5% of the total population of the world lives in less e.g. Singapore. as people migrate,
developed regions of Latin America (8.4% of world’s e.g. Afghanistan.
population), Africa, Asia, Polynesia, Melanesia and Social Groups of people want to Other groups of
Micronesia. All these regions are passing through the first or live close to each other people prefer to be
the second stage of demographic transition. for security, e.g. USA. isolated, e.g.
58.2% of the total population of the world live in Asia Scandinavians.
(erstwhile USSR excluded), 5.8% in erstwhile USSR; 20% and Economic Good job opportunities Limited job
16.7% of world’s population are found in China and India, encourage high opportunities cause
respectively. After these, USA, Indonesia, Brazil, Pakistan, population densities. some areas to be
Bangladesh, Russia, Japan and Nigeria etc come in that order. Particularly in large cities sparsely populated,
in MEDCs and LEDCs e.g. Amazon
80% of the world’s population concentrated in 20% of the around the world. rainforest.
world’s total land area. 90% of the world’s population is
distributed in the Northern hemisphere. Carrying Capacity
— Carrying capacity is the maximum population size that a
Population Density species can maintain indefinitely in a given area, without
— Population density is the degree of compaction in a diminishing the capacity of the area to sustain the same
population or the closeness of persons living on a given population size in the future. It is function of both the
surface. resource requirements of the organism and the size and
It may be assessed in the following various ways and resource richness of the area. Biologists distinguish
using various techniques: between biophysical carrying capacity and the maximum
— Crude density or Arithmetic density is the most common population size that could be sustained bio-physically
method. It is a straight measurement of the total number of under given technological capabilities and social carrying
people per unit of land. capacity.
— Nutritional or Physiological density is the number of persons
per unit of area of cultivated land. It is a refined method of
Kinds of Population on the Basis of Growth
calculating man land ratio. There are three kinds of populations:
— Agricultural density is a density of agricultural population over (i) Rapidly growing population is a population, which has high
cultivated area. It is an useful index of man-land relationship birth rate and low death rate, so there are more number of
in primarily an agrarian context. young individuals in the population.
— Economic density is the ratio between the requirements of (ii) Stationary population is a population, which has equal birth
population and the resources made available to it by and death rates, so population shows zero population growth.
population in the areas it occupies. (iii) Declining population is a population, which has higher death
— Room density is most commonly used in urban studies. It is rate than birth rate, so the population has more numbers of
older individuals.
the average number of people per room in a given area.
72 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

1000 live births or that 15% of children die before age 5.

Population Growth
— Change in population can be measured both in terms Factors Affecting Population Growth
of absolute numbers and in percentage. Birth Rate
— The natural rate of growth of population is the ratio of — Demographic Structure Regions with a high proportion of adults
the difference between births and deaths by will tend to have high birth rates.
population to the total population at the beginning of
— Education With education come knowledge of birth control,
the period and multiplying it with hundred.
greater social awareness and a wider choice of action.
— The negative rates of natural increase results from an
— Religion Many of the world’s religions, like the Muslim and
excess of deaths over births. Positive rates of natural
Roman Catholic, encourage large families in order to safeguard
increase results from an excess of births over deaths.
the continuance of their beliefs. Some, actively oppose any
— Basic components of population growth are fertility,
form of contraception.
mortality and migration. These three components are
precisely measured to calculate the magnitude of — Social Customs In some places, polygamy is practiced and this
change in population. adds greatly to levels of fertility. Certain cultures attach great
importance to a male heir, so that large families are common in
Fertility the hope of male child or in order to ensure the survival of at
— Fertility refers to the occurrence of birth. It least one boy.
is different from fecundity, which refers to — Diets and Health The poorest and most under-nourished people
reproductive capacity of women during her entire of the world tend to have the highest birth rates.
reproductive period.
Death Rate
— Crude Birth Rate (CBR) is the number of live births
— Demographic Structure Countries where there is a high
on per thousand births in a year.
proportion of aged people will have generally high death rates.
During a year
= × 1000 — Medicine The better medical services and supplies, the lower
Population (mid - year) will be the death rates.
— It is the simplest measure of fertility which is — Social Class Poorer sections of population usually have higher
expressed in terms of number of live births in a year death rates than do richer sections.
per 1000 of mid-year population. It bringing out exact — Occupations Certain occupations are more dangerous than
rate at which the population increases through birth. others and therefore, lead to a greater number of deaths.
— Fertility Ratio (FR) is expressed in terms of children
below 5 years of age per 1000 females of World Population Prospects 2017
reproductive age group.
The World Population Prospectus : The 2017 Revision,
Population of children below 5 years
FR = × 1000 published by UN Department of Economic and Social
Female population between 15 to 49 years Affairs, provides a comprehensive review of global
Mortality demographic trends and prospects for the future.
— Mortality refers to the occurrence of death. Crude The current world population of 7.6 billion is expected to
Death Rate (CDR) is the ratio between the number of reach 8.6 billion in 2030, 9.8 billion in 2050 and 11.2 billion
deaths in a single year and the total population and is in 2100 according to United Nations report.
expressed as a number per thousand.
Theories on Population Growth
Infant and Child Mortality Rate
— In order to explain the nature of population growth and the
— Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) measures the probability relationship between population and resources, many theories
of death in the first year of life, are the sum of have been proposed, which are as follows:
neonatal mortality rate (from birth to age 28 days)
and post- neonatal mortality rate (from 1 to 11 Malthusian Theory
months of age). — According to Thomas Malthus, a British demographer, there was
— Child Mortality Rate (CMR) or Under-5 Mortality a finite optimum population size in relation to food supply and
Rate (U5MR) refers to deaths from birth up to a that an increase in population beyond that point; would lead to a
child’s 5th birthday. Each rate is calculated as the decline in living standards and to war, famine and disease. His
number of deaths in the specific age group per 1000 theory was based on two principles:
live births. e.g. a U5MR of 150 indicates that there (i) Human population, if unchecked, grows at a geometric or exponential
are 150 deaths before the 5th birthday for every rate.
i.e. 1 —> 2 —> 4 —> 8 —> 16 —> 32 etc.
Magbook ~ Human Geography 73
(ii) Food supply, at best, only increases at an arithmetic rate. — Third Stage This is the stage of declining population growth.
i.e. 1 —>2 —>3 —>4 —>5 etc. Due to spread of education, consciousness about the small
— Malthus considered that this must be so because families and development in the social and economic
yields from a given field could not go on increasing structure, the birth rate declines alongwith the death rate.
forever and the amount of land available is finite. The This stage is evident in Eastern Europe, Central Asia and
positive and preventive checks which occur in human China etc. India has also entered into this stage, since 1991.
populations to prevent excessive growth relate to — Fourth Stage In this stage, both the birth and death rates
practices affecting mortality and fertility respectively. are at their lowest. This is the stabilised stage of population
— According to him, Preventive (or negative) checks were growth. Countries of G-8, Singapore, Hong Kong and
methods of limiting population growth and included Western Europe etc., are in this stage.
abstinence from or a postponement of marriage, which — Fifth Stage This stage is termed as the stage of negative
would lower the fertility rate. population growth by Collin Clarke because in this stage,
— Positive checks were ways in which the population though the death rate is very low, yet due to falling value of
would be reduced in size by such events as a famine, institutions like family and marriage, birth rate is even lower
disease and war, all of which would increase the than the death rate. Switzerland, Belgium and Iceland etc.,
mortality rate and reduce life expectancy. are in this stage.
Optimum Population
Population Structure
— A country is said to have an optimum population when
the number of people is in balance with the available
— One of the most commonly used methods for analysing
resources. Optimum conditions can only be population structure is the age and sex grouping which is
maintained if the exploitation of new resources or the represented by age and sex pyramid or population pyramid.
development of other forms of employment keeps pace Age-Sex Pyramid
with increases in population.
— Vertical axis of such pyramids represent the age structure of
— If the population becomes too large, the law of a population by showing age group at a regular interval. e.g.
diminishing. returns begins to operate. On the other 10 years, while the horizontal axis show the population of
hand, if there are not enough people to develop all the males or females separately either in number or in
resources of an area, its standard of living may remain percentage.
lower than it could be when its full potential is realised.
— Horizontal axis of the pyramid is divided vertically into two
— Under population or overpopulation, therefore must be halves to represent males and females separately, in which
considered mainly in terms of the stage of right side representing the females and left side males.
development of the country concerned.
— Generally, the population is categorised into three broad age
Demographic Transition Theory groups: the young (under 14), adults (15 to 59 inclusive) and
— The demographic transition of Thompson and the aged (60 and over). It is said that age structure reflects
Notestein suggests a relationship between the demographic and socio-economic history of a population
population change and socio-economic development. over a period of about a century.
The result is a 5-Stage Model demonstrating the — Certainly, it is the result of various and interrelated factors
relationship between birth and death rates as such as fertility, mortality and migration, which have operated
modernisation takes place. during the life time of the oldest inhabitants. Four main types
of age- sex pyramids have been identified
— First Stage In this stage, both birth rate and death rate
are high. It can be termed as the unstable stage. 1. Progressive This is one in which both birth and death rates are
high. Pyramid shape—typical of first stage of demographic
Since, birth rate and death rate are dependent on the transition with very broad base, but rapidly tapering.
natural causes, population growth is sometimes
2. Regressive This is one in which birth and death rates are low and
positive and sometimes negative. Ethiopia, Somalia, declining. Pyramid shape Narrower base with equally wide
Laos, Papua New Guinea and Cambodia etc., subsequent age groups tapering off gradually.
countries can be placed under this stage. 3. Stationary This is one in which birth and death rate unchanged
— Second Stage This stage is also called population over a long period of time. Pyramid shape - regularly tapering.
explosion or transition. Higher birth rate and low death 4. Intermediate This may vary in character and is most common in
countries that are passing through stages of development. Such
rate are the characteristics of this stage. Death rate
countries may once have had progressive structures and may, in
has been reduced considerably due to improved health future, have regressive structures.
facilities, but birth rate is still high. Most of the
developing countries are in this stage.
74 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

Sex Ratio — Causes of Migration Both pull and push operate

— This is an expression of male- female proportions in a total simultaneously in the same area. Sometimes it is difficult
population. to differentiate between push and pull factors.
— Push factors are those that operate in areas of outmigration
Three types of sex ratio are:
and compel the people to move to other areas. It can be
— Primary Sex Ratio Ratio between two sexes at the time of further divided and subdivided into physical (natural
conception. hazards); economic (unemployment); social (discrimination)
— Secondary Sex Ratio Ratio between two sexes at the time political (civil unrest); planning decisions of the government.
of birth. — Pull factors are those that operate in areas of in-migration
and attract the people to these areas. It includes high living
— Tertiary Sex Ratio Ratio of the two sexes at the time of
standards; resource exploitation opportunities; marriage and
enumeration. freedom of speech.
Factors Affecting Sex Ratio
— Biased against males of every age group for a combination Human Development
of biological, environmental and socio-economic reasons.
— Development means a qualitative change, which is
— Only in few countries of South-East Asia and Africa, where always value positive. This means that development
female death exceed those of males because of low status cannot take place unless there is an increment or
and heavy work. Otherwise men are the 'weaker sex' and addition to the existing conditions. Development occurs,
have lower longevity. The effect of war has also been when positive growth takes place. Yet, positive growth
significant in the preponderance of male death. does not always lead to development.
— Literacy Proportion of literate population of a country is an — Development occurs, when there is a positive change in
indicator of its socio-economic development as it reveals quality. e.g., if the population of a city grows from 1 lakh
the standard of living, social status of females, availability to 2 lakh over a period of time, we say the city has
of educational facilities and policies of government. As per grown. However, if facilities like housing, provision of
the HDR 2011 Report, the world average adult literacy rate basic services and other characteristics remain the same,
is at 80.1%. The developed nations are placed well above then this growth has not been accompanied by
the world average whereas developing nation are yet to development. Therefore, development occurs only when
catch up. The least developed nations are far below this the changes occur in the life of the people.
mark.
— The Concept of Human Development was introduced by
Migration Dr Mahbub-ul-Haq. Dr Haq has described human
— Migration is the permanent, seasonal or temporary shift of development as development that enlarges people’s
residence for substantial duration. Migration is an choices and improves their lives. These choices are not
important component of population change and involves fixed, but keep on changing.
spatial movement so, holds a place of prominence in — The basic goal of development is to create conditions,
a geographical analysis of population change than mortality where people can live meaningful lives. It must be a life
and fertility. with some purpose. This means that people must be
healthy, be able to develop their talents, participate in
society and be free to achieve their goals.
Types of Migration
On the Basis of Habitat Rural – Rural, Rural – Urban, Urban – The Four Pillars of Human
Urban, Urban – Rural. Inter-Nation, Inter-Regional, Inter-Urban, Development
Intra-Urban.
The idea of human development is supported by the
On the Basis of Time Temporary or permanent.
concepts
On the Basis of Distance Long or short.
On the Basis of Number Individual or mass. Equality
On the Basis of Social Organisation Family, clan or individual. — It refers to making equal access to opportunities available
Immigration is movement into or in-migration. to everybody. The opportunities available to people must
Emigration is movement away or outmigration across the be equal irrespective of their gender, race, income and in
international border. the Indian case, caste. Yet this is very often not the case
and happens in almost every society.
Magbook ~ Human Geography 75

Sustainability Measuring Human Development

— It means continuity in the availability of opportunities. To — The Human Development Index (HDI) is a summary
have sustainable human development, each generation measure of human development. It measures the average
must have the same opportunities. All environmental, achievements in a country in 3 basic dimensions of
financial and human resources must be used keeping in human development a long and healthy life (health),
mind the future. Misuse of any of these resources will lead access to knowledge (education) and a decent standard of
to fewer opportunities for future generations. living (income). These rankings are based on a score
Productivity between 0 to 1 that a country earns from its record in the
key areas of human development.
— Here, productivity means human labour productivity or
productivity in terms of human work. Such productivity — The closer a score is to one, the greater is the level of
must be constantly enriched by building capabilities in human development. Therefore, a score of 0.983 would
people. Ultimately, it is people who are the real wealth of be considered very high while 0.268 would mean a very
nations. Therefore, efforts to increase their knowledge or low level of human development.
provide better health facilities ultimately leads to better — It reflects, what has been achieved in the key areas of
work efficiency. human development. Yet it is not the most reliable
measure. This is because it does not say anything about
Empowerment the distribution.
— It means to have the power to make choices. Such power — The Human Poverty Index is related to the Human
comes from increasing freedom and capability. Good Development index. This index measures the short fall in
governance and people oriented policies are required to human development.
empower people. The empowerment of socially and
economically disadvantaged groups is of special Human Development Report
importance.
— The Human Development Report (HDR) is an annual
Approaches to Human milestone publication by the Human Development Report
Office of the United Nations Development Programme
Development (UNDP).
There are many ways of looking at the problem of human — The report was first launched in 1990 by the world
development, some of the important approaches are: renowned Pakistani Economist Mahbub-ul-Haq and
Approache Description
Indian Nobel laureate Amartya Sen.
— Several new indices have been introduced over the years
Income This is one of the oldest approaches to human
in different reports including the human development
Approach development, human development is seen as being
linked to income. The idea is that the level of income index, the gender related development index, the gender
reflects the level of freedom, as individual enjoys empowerment measure, the human poverty index. The
higher the level of income, the higher is the level of gender related development index, the gender
human development. empowerment measure and the human poverty index
Welfare This approach looks at human beings as beneficiaries were removed in 2010.
Approach or targets of all development activities. The approach — The 2010, Human Development Report introduced 3 new
argues for higher government expenditure on indices the inequality adjusted human development index,
education health, social secondary and amenities.
the gender inequality index and the multidimensional
People are not participants in development, but only
passive recipients. The government is responsible for poverty index. Each report has its own focus drawn from
increasing levels of human development by contemporary debate.
maximising expenditure on welfare. — The Inequality Adjusted Human Development Index
Basic Needs This approach was initially proposed by the (IHDI) The 2010, Report examined HDI data through the
Approach International Labour Organisation (ILO) 6 basic lens of inequality, adjusting HDI achievements to reflect
needs i.e., health, education, food, water supply, disparities in income, health and education.
sanitation and housing were identified. The question
— The Gender Inequality Index (GIl) The 2010, Report
of human choices is ignored and the emphasis is on
the provision of basic needs of defined sections. introduced a new measure of gender inequities, including
maternal mortality rates and women’s representation in
Capability This approach is associated with Professor Amartya
Parliaments.
Approach Sen. Building human capabilities in the areas of
health, education and access to resources is the key — The GIl Calculated National HDI losses from gender
to increasing human development. inequities, from the Netherlands (the most equal in GIl
terms) to Yemen (the least).
76 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

The Multi-Dimensional Poverty Index (MPI) The 2010,

—
Report featured a new multi dimensional poverty measure
Factors Involved in the Formation
that complements income based poverty assessments by of Settlement
looking at multiple factors at the household level, from — Few settlements have grown up at random and the site on
basic living standards to access to schooling, clean water which people choose the build their town or village always
and healthcare. has some particular advantages.
— About 1.7 billion people fully a third of the population in Site It refers to the actual piece of ground on which
the 104 countries included in the MPI are estimated to the settlement is built.
live in multi dimensional poverty, more than the estimated Situation It also called position refers to the location of the
1.3 billion who live on $ 1.25 a day or less. village or town in relation to the surrounding
areas.
Human Development Report, 2016 Functions Chief function or role played by the village, town
The Human Development Report, 2016 was released by or settlement.
United Nations Development Programme with title ‘Human
Development For All’. The key points of this report are Rural Settlement
following — In rural settlement, siting factor is most important as the
— It recognizes that in every society certain groups are for needs of village folks lies around the basic requirements of
more likely to suffer disadvantages than others and food, water, shelter and protection.
identifies deep-rooted and often unmeasured, barriers to — Siting factors of rural settlements are water supply land,
development. dry, shelter, defence.
— The report also looks to what societies should do to
advance human development for everyone. Urbanisation
— It sets forward policy recommendations at the national — It is the physical growth of urban areas as a result of rural
level and also looks at ways in which the global migration and even suburban concentration into cities,
development landscape could be made more effective in particularly the very largest ones. It closely linked to
the fight to leave no one behind and achieve the 2030 modernisation, industrialisation and the sociological
Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). process of rationalisation.
— Urbanisation can describe a specific condition at a set of
Settlement time, i.e. the proportion of total population or area in cities
or towns or the term can describe the increase of this
— Settlement refers to the cluster of houses of different
proportion over time.
sizes and types. Form of settlement in any region reflects
man’s relationship with the environment. Settlement have — So, the term urbanisation can represent the proportion of
gradually grown up and evolved over a long period of time urban population relative to overall population.
and by studying the site, pattern and arrangement of — Each country has their own parametres to define any
settlement. dwelling as urban or non-urban, but broadly, urban area
— We can see something of the history of man’s exploitation could be defined as those where secondary and tertiary
of the surrounding land. Settlements reflect not only activities are in prominence.
man’s response to his environment, but also the religions — Study of urban areas is conducted under two heads
and social customs of his society. (i) Spacing between cities (ii) Internal structure of cities
Settlements can be classified by their shape:
Stages of Urbanisation
— Dispersed In some areas, large members of scattered farms
or homes are spread over an area to produce dispersed — Epolis This is first stage of human growth when permanent
pattern of settlements. settlement starts. It gives birth to small industries and
— Nucleoid In some areas, farms and homes are built close to shops. This becomes the centre of town.
one another to form compact or nucleoid settlements. — Metropolis It is a very large city or urban area which is a
Settlements can be classified according to their patterns: significant economic, political and cultural centre for a
— Rectangular pattern country or region and an important hub for regional or
— Linear pattern international connections and communications. The term
— Circular and semi-circular pattern is Greek and means the mother city of a colony (in the
— Star like pattern ancient sense) i.e. the city which sent out settlers.
— Triangular pattern — This was later generalised to the city regarded as a centre of
— Nebular pattern a specified activity or any large important city in a nation.
Magbook ~ Human Geography 77

— Tokyo is the capital of Japan. The centre of Greater — Housing Problems Population growth both from natural
Tokyo area is the largest metropolitan area of the world increase and from rural-urban migration is always ahead of
with upwards of 35 million people and the world’s the housing supply. As a result, the poor are forced to crowd
largest urban agglomeration economy with a GDP of US into slums or squatter settlements.
$ 1.479 trillion at purchasing power parity in 2008. The — Water and Sewage Problems Sewage facilities are often
city hosts 47 of the Fortune Global 500 companies, the ancient and inadequate. Very little of the sewage collected is
highest amount of any city. treated and is left to flow, untreated, into local waterways.
— Urban areas of fewer than 1 million people are rarely Solid waste disposal services are also often inadequate. In
considered metropolises in contemporary contexts. Big many cities, the recycling of solid waste has become and
cities belonging to a larger urban agglomeration, but important source of income for the very poor.
which are not the core of that agglomeration, not — Providing the infrastructure for the collection and treatment
generally considered as a metropolis, but a part of it. of solid and liquid waste is often beyond the resources of
— Megalopolis (sometimes called a megapolis or many megacities. Initiatives promoting the recycling of waste
megaregion) is typically defined as a chain of roughly materials not only contribute to a reduction in solid waste,
adjacent metropolitan areas. The term was used by but provide a source of income for the urban poor.
Oswald Spengler in his 1918 book, The Culture of — Health and Nutrition Problems Infectious and parasitic
Cities, which described it as the first stage in urban diseases associated with deficiencies in the physical
over development and social decline. environment, such as overcrowded, housing air pollution;
— Later, it was used by Jean Gottmann in 1957, to uncollected garbage and dangerous workplaces. Food
describe the huge metropolitan area along the Eastern contamination associated with poor food preparation
seaboard of the US extending from Boston through New conditions and storage leads to the occurrence and
York City; Philadelphia. Pennsylvania; Baltimore, transmission of infectious diseases. Rats, fleas and the
Maryland and ending in Washington DC. bubonic plague (associated with rat infestations) are another
— Tyranopolis The tyranopolis is the town or city which factor in urban environmental health.
shows drastic deteriorating situation e.g. the trade — Air, Water and Noise Pollution One of the major challenges
depression or military may occur with different war for developing world mega cities is to clean up the pollution
lords. resulting from years of uncontrolled, unregulated industrial
— Nekropolis In this state, city comes at the stage to die. growth. Such air pollution is commonly associated with
Famine, wars etc are responsible factors for this stage acute and chronic illnesses, such as asthma.
of city. In this condition, cities carry their name, but — Responses to Challenges The major needs for the future,
functioning in the city disappears due to many political according to the UN, are
reasons. — To strengthen local government and to make it more effective. To
implement new approaches for alleviating poverty through local
Problems of Urbanisation job promotion. To develop supporting communities.
— The challenges include high rates of unemployment and — To make cities more environmentally friendly.
under employment lack of adequate housing and
shelter health and nutrition problems; inadequate Advantages and Disadvantages of Urbanisation
sanitation and water supplies; air, water and noise Advantages of Urbanisation Disadvantages of Urbanisation
pollution; municipal budget crises; rising crime; a
general deterioration of perceived quality of urban life; Growth in Industrial Productions
and damage to the ecosystem and cultural heritage. The production in various The rapid inflows or rural
industrial sectors like cement, population to urban places give
— Unemployment High levels of unemployment and under iron and steel, textile, fertilizers rise to housing problem and thus,
employment are characteristic of all the developing etc are helping in the economic slums are developed in these
world’s megacities. Because there are so few jobs in the growth of the country. places.
formal economy, many of the urban poor are forced to
Growth in Trade and Commerce
choose, or create their own employment within the
Urbanisation helps the nation’s The decrease in rural population
informal sector. With such a large surplus of labour, the business sector. Rural people effects the agricultural
potential for exploitation is great, e.g. wages can be kept came to the urban places with productions due to shortage of
low and working conditions poor. The exploitation of their goods. workers in rural areas.
child labour often takes place in the informal sector.
 Self Check Build Your Confidence
1. Population distribution in Australia is mostly peripheral. 2. Migration
Find the correct reasons for this from the following? 3. Urbanisation
1. The interior is in accessible. 4. Emancipation of women
2. The immigrants who come to Australia settled near the 5. Increase in tertiary sector of economy
coast. 6. Improvement in education
3. The coastal region have a favourable climate. Select the correct answer using the codes given below
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? (a) 1 and 2 (b) 1, 2, 3 and 5
(a) Only 1 (b) 1 and 2 (c) 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6 (d) All of these
(c) 2 and 3 (d) All of these
7. As per the UN’s– Habitat’s Global Report on Human
2. Consider the following statements Settlements 2009, which one among the following
1. Lowlands are the most favoured site for population regions has shown the fastest growth rate of
concentration. urbanisation in the last three decades.
2. All highlands repel human habitation . (a) Asia
3. Lowlands or highlands, climate has a greater role to play (b) Europe
in the distribution of population. (c) Latin America and Caribbean
4. Pre-cambrian areas because of their richer resources (d) North America
have a higher density of population. 8. Which of the following are population problems
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? observed in developed countries?
(a) 1 and 2 (b) 1 and 3 1. Ageing population
(c) 1, 2 and 3 (d) 1, 2 and 4 2. Small workforce
3. Which of the following is the correct meaning of counter 3. Rural depopulation
stream effect? 4. Gradual depletion of quality of life
(a) The country imports as much as it exports Select the correct answer using the codes given below
(b) The high density of population means more migration (a) 1 and 2 (b) 1, 2 and 3
(c) Tendency of those places which have high rate of inward (c) 2, 3 and 4 (d) All of these
migration also have high rate of outward migration
(d) All of the above 9. Which of the following statements are true about tribes
in the world?
4. ‘Cephalic index’ is an indicator that gives 1. Pygmy tribes are found in Western Africa.
anthropological classification of mankind. ‘Cephalic 2. No indigeneous tribes are found in USA.
index’ is associated with which part of human body? 3. Bhutia and Lepcha tribes are found in Sikkim of India.
(a) Colour of the skin (b) Hair
4. Except some, the main occupation of tribes are traditional
(c) Stature (d) Skull
farming hunting or fishing.
5. Consider the following statements regarding the races Select the correct answer using the codes given below
and tribes in the world. (a) 1, 2 and 3 (b) Only 1
1. Mongoloids are mostly found in Asia. (c) 1, 3 and 4 (d) All of these
2. Negroids are mostly found in Scandinavian countries. 10. Conurbation is a megaurban agglomeration shows the
3. Bushmens are short stature tribes found in Kalhari desert. apex features of urbanisation. Which of the following
4. Melanesion races are the tribes found in Indian ocean are the conurbations in the world?
islands. 1. Yangtze River Delta of China
Which of the statements given above are correct? 2. National Capital Region of India
(a) 1, 2 and 3 (b) 1and 3 3. South-East Queensland of Australia
(c) 2 and 4 (d) All of these
4. Durban of South Africa.
6. Which of the following factors are effecting population Select the correct answer using the codes given below
changes in any nation? (a) 1, 2 and 3 (b) 1, 3 and 4
1. Birth rate and death rate (c) Only 2 (d) All of these

1. (d) 2. (b) 3. (c) 4. (d) 5. (b) 6. (a) 7. (a) 8. (b) 9. (c) 10. (a)
Chapter nine
Economic Geography
Agriculture — Major nomadic herders are: Fulani
of the West African savannas, the
Economic activities of — It is the most fundamental form of economic Masai in East Africa, the Nuba in
any nation much depend activities in any nation. In every continents, Ethiopia and Sudan, the Bantu and
practically, exists all form of agricultural Hottentots of Southern Africa in
on the geographical
activities simultaneously. Before the advent of Botswana, the Tuareg of the
accessibility. According agriculture, all human beings were hunterers, Sahara, Bedouins of Saudi Arabia,
to the geographical gatherers or fishers. The earliest agriculture Kirghiz, Kazakhs and Kalmyks of
viability, variation of called vegeculture was probably first practiced Central Asia. Yakuts, Samoyeds,
in South-East Asia. Kordaks and Lapps in Scandinavia.
economic specialisation
— Agriculture is practiced under multiple
is observed throughout Shifting Cultivation
combinations of physical and socio- economic
the world. Study of such conditions, which gives rise to different types — It is now-a-days practiced in hilli
economic activities on of agriculture systems. areas and tribal dominated regions
throughout the world.
the basis of geographical
specialisation is known
Types of Farming — They create an agricultural land
from forest land and leave it for
as economic geography. Nomadic Herding
another one after some year when
— It is a primitive type of occupation, also seen the land lost its fertility. This is also
today throughout the world in pockets. called slash and burn cultivation.
— Simplest form of livestock raising in which — In this practice, inhabitants burn
herds and flocks graze chiefly on natural the forests or woodlands for
vegetation. Such occupations are practised creating agricultural field. Burning
mainly in dry regions having extensive grazing removes vegetation and release a
lands. pulse of nutrients to fertilize the
— The camel is the most desired animal followed soil.
by sheep and goats in North Africa and the — Ash also increases the pH of the
middle East. Horses, yaks, reindeers and soil for a short duration and provide
llamas are other important animals. Which certain nutrients i.e. phosphorus
reaved in different parts of the world. more. Burning also temporarily
The pattern of movement can be three types eliminate pests and micro
as follows: organisms.
(i) Constant pattern of movements from one area
of pasture to another.
— A number of different crops are
(ii) Movement in the desert from one water hole to simultaneously grown in the same
another. plot i.e. cereals, roots and shrubs
(iii) Seasonal pattern of livestock movement etc. Crops are mostly subsistence
between mountains and lowland pastures and the land is cultivated for a short
(transhumance). period of about 3 to 4 years.
80 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

Subsistence Farming Mediterranean Agriculture

— In case of rudimentary sedentary tillage, crop rotation — In the bordering areas of Mediterranean sea, the two most
rather than field rotation is practised and greater important cash crops are olives and grapes. Two-thirds of the
attention is paid to the land and the crop sown. world’s wine is produced in these countries especially Italy,
— The crops are grown basically by traditional methods France and Spain. Greece specialises in producing raisins and
and use of manure is predominant instead of fertilizer wine and Spain in oranges, olive oil and wine.
and mechanisation. Crops cannot satisfy the — In acreage, cereal crops are the most important in
commercial purpose and consumed only for Mediterranean agriculture. Wheat, especially hard winter
sustainance. Most of the crops grown under wheat is the principal foodgrain and barley is grown in the
rudimentary sedentary tillage belong to the tuber and poorer areas.
cereal family, such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, maize
Livestock Ranching
and sorghum, cassava, banana etc.
— It is the commercial grazing of livestock over an extensive
— Mostly confined to the tropical lands of Central and
area which is associated with a very large land requirement
South America, Africa and South-East Asia.
and modest input of capital and human resources. The major
Intensive Subsistence Farming types of livestock are sheep, cattle, goats and horses.
— It is practised in areas of high population pressure on — The Western United States and the adjacent parts of Canada
land. It is labour intensive farming and use of high and Mexico; the Llanos of Venezuela; the Sertao of Brazil, the
doses of biochemical inputs and irrigation is Pampa of Uruguay, the South-Eastern part of Argentinean
predominant for obtaining higher production to sustain Pampa, the Chaco and Patagonia; the Karoo of South Africa;
the huge population. It is also called oriental the arid interiors of Australia and the high country of South
agriculture and mostly practiced in monsoonal Asia. Island in New Zealand. Ranching is rare in Europe, except in
— There are two types of intensive subsistence: tillage, one Spain and Portugal. With the exception of humid Pampa and
dominated by wet paddy and the other dominated by South Island of New Zealand, all regions are semi-arid.
the crops without paddy. Commercial Livestock and Crop Farming
— Crop rotation is widely practised under which rice is (Mixed Farming)
commonly rotated with wheat and other crops. Animal — Holdings are of Variable Size The farms have individual and
farming is of little significance as the main
family ownership and are operated by family labour. The ratio
concentration is on cultivation of food crops.
of cropland to total agricultural land, is undoubtedly, very
— Core areas of intensive subsistence tillage with paddy high, but at the same time the intensity of livestock
dominance are Kwangtung in China, the Tonkig delta production is much higher. Most of the crops grown on a
in North Vietnam, lower Mekong flood plain in mixed commercial farm are fed to the animals rather than
Cambodia, the Mekong delta in South Vietnam, the consumed directly by humans.
lower Menam in Thailand, the lower lrrawaddy in — Characterised by high expenditure on machinery and farm
Myanmar, the delta of the Ganga-Brahmaputra and the
buildings, extensive use of manures and fertilizers and also by
coastal plains of Odisha in India.
the input of technical skill by the farmers. Cereals dominate the
Commercial Grain Farming crop land use; the leading grain varies with climate and soil.
— Farms are very Large, Ranging from 240 to 16000 — Mixed commercial farming is found in Europe from Ireland to
Hectares The most important crop grown is wheat. Russia; in North America, West of the Appalachians and East
— Two types of wheat is grown: spring wheat and the of the 98th meridian; in South Africa; in North-Eastern
winter wheat. Argentina, in South-Eastern Australia and in New Zealand.
— Cultivation is Highly Mechanised Farmers invest Commercial Dairy Farming
heavily in labour saving devices such as tractors, — It is a capital intensive type of farming.
ploughs, drills and combine harvesters. The output per — The business of keeping animals is labour intensive and
unit of land is always low as compared to offers great scope for intensive employment of labour.
regions where intensive cultivation is the common
practice. Despite low yields per unit of land, the — In North-Western Europe, dairy farms occupy coastal and
farming is commercial because of a large surplus (the low-lying meadowlands of abundant precipitation, warm
per capita production is high). summers and cool and cold winters (50° to 60°N latitudes).
— Large scale commercial grain cultivation is found in Other regions of dairy farming are the Eastern states of the
only 5 countries: the United States, Canada, CIS, South-Eastern part of Australia and the North Island of
Argentina and Australia. New Zealand (30° to 40°S latitudes).
Magbook ~ Economic Geography 81

Horticulture (Market Gardening or Truck Farming) — It involves two key issues i.e. bio physical issues that is
the long-term effects of various practices on soil properties
— The market gardens are located just outside the city in
and processes essential for crop productivity,
suburban areas or in areas where climatic and soil
socio-economic issues those involve long-term ability of
conditions are particularly favourable.
farmers to obtain inputs and manage resources.
— Farmers in these regions specialise either in particular
fruits or vegetables: the scale of farming is small and Industrial Agriculture
intensive. The farming is capital intensive and scientifically — It is a form of modern farming that refers to the industrial
managed. production of livestock, poultry, fish and crops.
— In addition to market gardening, a modern development in — The methods include innovation in agricultural machinery
the industrial regions of Western Europe and North and farming methods, genetic technology, techniques for
America is factory farming. achieving economies of scale in production and global
— Livestock, particularly poultry and cattle are raised entirely trade etc. These methods are prevalent in developed
under one cover. This type of farming is called truck countries and now disseminating world wide.
farming because trucks are used to transport the fruits
and vegetables from the farm to the buyers.
Precision Agriculture
— Precision farming is a new technology that allows farmers
Plantation to look at their fields more site specifically than before and
— These crops are generally raised on large estates of more apply inputes in a manner more specific than a blanket
than 40 hectares. It is large scale, capitalised and often application. This technology is cost effective and enhance
highly centralised cultivation of cash crops for export. yield and reduce environmental pollution.
Among the most important crops grown in plantations are
—
cotton, sugarcane, coffee, rubber and tobacco.
Major Crops
— Plantation is a form of commercial agriculture found in the — There are several types of crops grown throughout the
tropics and the subtropics of Latin America, Africa and world. Cereal crops include rice, wheat, maize etc; cash
Asia. Latin American plantations are most likely to grow crops include, sugarcane and oilseeds etc; fiber crops
coffee, sugarcane and bananas while Asian plantations include cotton, jute etc and beverage crops include
may provide rubber and palm oil. coffee, tea, tobacco etc.
Collective Farming Cereal Crops
— The land of a collective farm is the state property, but it is Rice
leased to the association of the farm workers and is
— 20° to 27°C temperature, rainfall of 80′′ to 120′′ , soils of
worked in the direction of a committee selected by the
heavy clay or loamy, intensive labour.
members farm. The collective farms are highly
mechanised. — Fields should be submerged in water during growing
period and drained before the crop is harvested.
— Collective farming are called kolkhoz in Soviet Union,
communes in China and kibbutzims in Israel. Wheat
— Warm and moist weather during early stages of growth
Modern Agricultural Practices and sunny and dry weather during later stages and
Organic Agriculture harvest.
— It is production system that sustains the health of soils, — Temperature 15.5°C, 100 frost- free days Rainfall 15′′ 40′′
ecosystems and people. It relies on ecological processes, Soils-Light or heavy loam. Winter wheat sown in late
biodiversity and cycles adapted to local conditions, rather autumn of early winter and harvested in early summer.
than the use of inputs with adverse effects. Spring wheat sown in spring and harvested in late summer
— Organic farming combines tradition, innovation and and late autumn.
science to benefit the shared environment and quality of — USA, Canada, Argentina and Australia are the main
life. exporters of wheat.

Sustainable Agriculture Maize

— It refers to the ability of a farm to produce food — Temperature Ranging from 18° to 27°C during the day
indefinitely, without causing severe and irreversible and 14°C during the night, 140 frost-free days, annual
damage to ecosystem health. rainfall of 25 to 45 inches, nitrogen rich, well drained soil.
82 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

— World’s 70-90% corn production is used as animal feed. It Grapes

is a sub-tropical plant and grows well between the 50° N — Viticulture is a specialised type of agriculture for
and 40° S latitudes. Nearly half of the world’s production
cultivation of grape vines.
of maize comes from USA.
— Sunny summers and warm wet winters are ideal for
Fiber Crops viticulture. Growing season 170 days, cannot stand very
Cotton cold season, prolonged droughts are harmful and required
plenty of sunshine. Slopes are preferred for good drainage.
— Warm climate with moderate rainfall, plenty of sunshine
during growing period, but cooler condition during — Temperature Ranging from 21° to 24°C, rainfall-30 or 40′′,
harvest. Well drained black cotton soil and irrigated fairly deep well-drained calcareous soil.
alluvial soil are best suitable for this.
Tobacco
— Temperature Ranging from 21-27°C, 210 frost-free days. — It is a tropical and sub-tropical zone crop. The tobacco is
— Rainfall Moderate to light rainfall 20 to 40. Rain just a broad-leaved annual growing plant. It is grown in warm
before the harvest damages the crop. temperate, sub-tropical or tropical climate.
— Long Staple Cotton medium staple cotton and short staple — Temperature exceeding 18°C in the warmest month is
cotton are different types of cotton grown in different parts ideal. The crop requires moderate rainfall and rich,
of the world. regularly fertilised soil. The plant requires a frost-free
Jute period of 120 to 180 days and a warm growing season.
— It is the fibre obtained from certain species of the — China is the largest producer of tobacco followed by Brazil
corchorus family. It is a coarse rather soft fibre and is and India.
thus, the 2nd most important vegetable fibre. Beverage Crops
— Jute grows well in hot, tropical condition with plenty of Tea
moisture and heavy rainfall. It requires rich soils and
thrives on river alluvium, especially where annual floods — Warm summer with greater frequency of rainfall.
renew the fertility of the soil. — Temperature 13° to 24°C.
— India is the largest producer of jute followed by — Rainfall 125 to 205 cm.
Bangladesh and China. — Grown in highlands because tea plants cannot tolerate
stagnant water.
Cash Crops
— Soils Acidic soil without calcium and rich in iron and
Sugarcane manganese, well-drained, deep and friable loam.
— Hot climate with abundant rainfall, dry sunny season — China is the largest producer of tea followed by India,
during harvest. Temperature-Ranging from 21° to 27°C Kenya and Sri Lanka.
throughout the year, Rainfall-50′′ and well-drained soil.
Coffee
— Soil-medium heavy soil, red loamy soil, limon or loess soil
of Northern Europe and in India black cotton soil is — Temperature 14° to 26°C growth rapid during hot rainy
suitable. season.
— Perennial crop, but not produced for many years to
— Rainfall-40 to 80 inches, upland areas (2000 ft to 6000 ft),
maintain the fertility of soils. Grown as monoculture crop, shelter from direct sunlight specially for young plants.
sugar mill must be near the field. — Soil Sandy loam to clay loam, well-drained, rich in organic
— Cuba is known as sugar bowl of the world. Brazil is the matter. Newly cleared forests give best yield. Terra Roxa of
largest producer and exporter of sugar. It has the highest Brazil is most suitable.
per capita consumption of it. — Brazil is one of the important coffee’s producer and Sao
Paulo is the coffee trade centre with Santos as export port.
Rubber
— It is widely found in the tropical forest of Amazon and Food Security
Zaire basins.
— According to UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation
— Equatorial climate is best suited for it. It requires high (FAO) and the United States Department of Agriculture
temperature of about 27°C and rainfall of 150 cm evenly (USDA), food security exists when all people, at all times,
distributed throughout the year. Deep, friable, well-drained have physical, social and economic access to sufficient,
soils are ideal and acidic soils are also suitable. safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and
— Liberia claims to have the world’s largest single plantation. food preferences for an active and healthy life.
Magbook ~ Economic Geography 83

The Problems of Food Insecurity — Green Revolution Techniques also heavily rely on
— Nutritional consequences of insufficient food or chemical fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides, some of
under-nutrition include protein energy malnutrition, which must be developed from fossil fuels, making
anaemia, vitamin A deficiency, iodine deficiency and iron agriculture increasingly reliant on petroleum products.
deficiency. — Hybridisation, genetic engineering and loss of biodiversity.
— Food insecurity and malnutrition result in catastrophic Loss of agriculture land due to soil erosion. Expansion of
amounts of human suffering. urban areas.

The World Health Organisation estimates that approximately

—
60% of all childhood deaths in the developing world are Fishing
associated with chronic hunger and malnutrition. — Fishes are found in saline marine ecosystem, fresh water,
Causes of Food Insecurity in tropical as well as freezed zones.

Household Level Factors Affecting Fish

— Low income — Poor health Distribution
— Poverty — Low levels of education
— Shallow coastal waters are ideal to fish since, there is
— Unemployment
plentiful food supply from the erosion of continents, which
National Level provide mineral and organic matter and there is enough
— Internal conflict or external vulnerability, insufficient sunlight penetration.
agricultural development, buffer stocks, import — In areas of coastal upwelling high rates of primary
dependence for food, available and acceptability of production take place. Conventional mixing provides
alternative food resources. plenty of oxygen to sustain life in coastal zones as well as
— Corruption, national policies that do not promote equal assuring a favourable dispersion of nutrients.
access to food for all. — Mixing of warm and cold water as on the Newfoundland
— Population growth, low levels of education, social and banks and the Sea of Japan.
gender inequality, poor health status, cultural insensitivity — Broken coastline with numerous indentations provides
and natural disasters. Migration of young generation to excellent berthing facility.
urban areas.
— Climatic condition, temperate climate with temperature
— Infrastructure lack of transportation facility, problems with
less than 20°C is best regions for marine life.
marketing and storage, lack of buffer stocks, warehouse
facilities. Major Fishing Ground
— Inequitable allocation of food resources, food is not
available where it is required. Government Policy — Coastal margins of middle latitudes are the biggest fish
encouraging commercial crops. producing areas where the largest concentrations of
marketable species are found. The tropical waters
— Land usage, major portion of land held by minor group.
produce many fish as well, but they are less desirable
International Level because of their higher oil content.
— International food price level. North-West Pacific Region
— Private ownership.
— Region extends from the outer Aleutian islands in the
— Disparities in development.
North to the Central Pacific, North of the Philippine
— Environmental degradation. islands.
— Barriers to trade.
— Salmon, herring, halibut, cod and king crab are important
— Treating food the same as other internationally traded catches.
commodities.
North-East Atlantic and Adjacent Waters of
General Causes the Arctic
— Fossil Fuel Dependence While agricultural output increased — Extending from Iceland to Mediterranean including the
as a result of the Green Revolution, the energy input into
European countries especially Norway, Denmark, Spain,
the process (i.e. the energy that must be expended to
Iceland and the United Kingdom. Shallow waters of the
produce a crop) has also increased at a greater rate, so
North sea especially the most exploited Dogger Bank are
that the ratio of crops produced to energy input has
important areas where fishing is carried out all round the
decreased over time.
year.
84 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

North-West Atlantic Region Types of Forests

— It includes Grand Bank and the Georges Bank area of the
North-West Atlantic. The convergence of the Gulf stream and
Tropical Rainforest
the Labrador current in that region enhances productivity. The — It is also called as selvas.
major fish is the cod, but halibut, herring, mackerel are also — Climatic Conditions High and uniform temperatures
important. of 25 – 26 °C, uniformly distributed precipitation of
North - East Pacific Region 150 cm-200 cm.
— From Alaska to California along the Western shores of North
— Evergreen, broad-leaved trees of luxuriant growth, stilt
roots, drip trips, layer arrangement, diverse in terms
America. Comprises the world’s best cod fishing ground
of species, little undergrowth.
alongwith herring and haddock. Salmon is the most valuable
fish of this region, but tuna, halibut and sardines are also — Mahogany, meranti, chengal, ebony, greenheart,
important. orchids, lalang are the important species.
— Distribution Amazon Basin of Brazil, Zaire basin and
South-East Pacific the coastal land of Ecuador, West Africa, extreme
— Off the coast of South America is known for the anchovy South-East Asia.
harvest off the coast of Peru. The Northward flowing Peru
current provides an ideal environment for the anchovy
Tropical Monsoon Forest
culture because it is associated with a coastal upwelling of — Climatic Conditions Temperature 27°C marked by
nutrient rich colder water laden with plankton on which the seasonal variation and rainfall 100-200 cm with
anchovy feeds. seasonal variation of rainfall.
— More open forest with bamboo thickets—deciduous
Fishing in Tropical Waters trees—denser under growth. Highly varied in
— Factors which are hindering the development of fishing in characteristics features, ranging from forests to
tropical latitudes are, a large variety of species all mixed up, thickest and from Savanna to Scrubland. Teak, sal
which reduces the scope for large-scale commercial sandalwood, bamboo, casuarina are important trees.
exploitation.
— Distribution Lowlands bordering the Gulf of Guinea
— High temperature, which does not support plankton population. from Sierra Leone in the West to Cameroon and
The very warm climate does not allow fish preservation and the Gabon in the East, the Zaire basin, India, Myanmar,
fish must be consumed quickly. Most of the tropical countries Thailand and Indo- China.
have inefficient and inadequate transportation and refrigeration
facilities. The demand for fish is also very low in these Mediterranean Forest
countries. — Climatic Conditions Temperature–16°C, Precipitation
– 80–100 cm, winter rainfall.
World Forest Resources — Transitional Vegetation Evergreen trees, Mediterranean
shrubs, wiry grass and semi-arid shrubs.
— Forestry is an important economic activity in the present
world. Wood, gatherings and extraction from forests are used — Cork oak, Jarrah and Karri, Cedar and Sequoia shrub,
for variety of purposes. It fulfils the fuel requirements of a Oleander, Laurel, Maquis, Chaparral etc.
large number people and also the need of industrial purposes. — Distribution Mediterranean region, California (USA),
— They provide timber for house building, railway carriages, Central Chile (South America), Cape Province (South
furnitures etc supply fire wood and charcoal for domestic and Africa) and parts of Southern Australia.
industrial fuel use, provide wood pulp for paper and rayon Temperate Broad Leaved Mixed Forest
industries, provide honey and medicines, provides canes for — Climatic Conditions Temperature–16°C, Precipitation–
mats, chair and other soft furnitures etc provide soft wood for 60-105 cm. Found in areas having moderate rainfall
various fine goods and match sticks, provide animal products and temperature, marked by dry winter and wet
etc. summer, just to the South of the coniferous forests.
— They contributes to rainfall by evapotranspiration and causes — Region beyond the limit of maritime influences bear
as a barrier to rain bearing winds. They minimise extreme the resemblance with steppe, hence the term mixed
variation in climatic condition and make more equable forest is appropriate. Oak, birch, beach, ash,
climate, control flood, prevent soil erosion and help in flow of chestnut, maple elm and walnut etc.
rivers and streams. Provide shelter to wildlife, improve air — Distribution North-Eastern USA, West Central and
quality, act as carbon sequestration sink, provide O 2 to South Europe, East Central Asia (China, Manchuria,
biosphere and provide employment to many indigenous Japan), isolated patches of Patagonia, Tasmania, Chile
peoples. and New Zealand.
Magbook ~ Economic Geography 85

Coniferous Forest Metallic minerals may be of the following

— Climatic Conditions Temperature–14°C — Ferrous Minerals Like iron ore, manganese and chromites contain
Precipitation– 53.3 cm. iron.
— Non-Ferrous Mineral That does not contain iron, but may contain
— Evergreen coniferous forests, conical shaped, slim
some other metals such as gold, silver, copper or lead.
straight trunks, needle-shaped leaves, little
undergrowth. Non-Metallic Minerals
— The trees usually occur in pure stands consisting of — These minerals do not contain metals. Limestone, mica, salt,
one particular species. Pine, fir, spruce and larch. potash, nitrates, sulphur, asbestos and gypsum are examples of
— Distribution Poleward side of 60°N in Eurasia and such minerals. The mineral fuels like coal and petroleum are
North America, at high altitudes in more temperate also non-metallic minerals.
latitudes and in Southern Chile.
Important Minerals
Deforestation Iron Ore
— It is the reckless and large scale felling or cutting of — The iron makes up 5% of the Earth’s crust. All ores are not of
trees for commercial purpose and other purposes. equal value as their content of metal is varied.
FAO defines deforestation is the change of forest The major ores of iron are as follow:
with depletion of tree crown cover more than 90%. — Magnetite It is the finest iron ore with a very high iron content of
— Desertification, soil erosion, natural disasters, upto 70%. Some magnetite deposits are called lodestones are
actually natural magnets.
changes in climatic conditions are consequences of
— Haematite It is the most important industrial iron ore in terms of
deforestation.
quantity used. It has 50% to 65% iron content.
— Prevention of human settlement encroaching
— Limonite It is a brown ore with less than 50% iron content. It is also
forests, checking expansion of agricultural area, known as bog iron when occurs in swamps.
regulation of damming and mining activities, — Siderite This is a carbonate of iron and is found inter-bedded with
controlling overgrazing, stopping slash and burn sedimetary rocks, especially with carbonaceous rocks where it is
agricultural practices, promoting social forestry, agro known as black band ironstone. It is a residual ore like limonite. Iron
forestry, better forest management and conservation content is usually between 20% to 30%.
policies would help in checking deforestation.
Iron Ore Distribution
Minerals Resources — In Africa, Liberia, South Africa and Algeria are important iron ore
producers. In China, there are large iron ore reserves in the
— A naturally occurring substance that has a definite Shenyang (Mukden) region of Manchuria. Wuhan and Tai-ye
chemical composition is a mineral. Minerals are not in the Chang-Jiang valley, Hainan island, Shandong Peninsula
evenly distributed over Earth’s surface. They are etc are some other important centres for iron ore.
concentrated in a particular area or rock formations. — Australia is an important producer and exporter of iron ore. Its
Minerals are formed in different types of geological reserves are found in Western Australia. Pilbara region is the
environments, under varying conditions. They are largest producer of iron ore in Australia. Other important iron ore
created by natural processes without any human areas are Mount Goldsworthy, Mount Tom Price, Mount
interference. They can be identified on the basis of Newman, Koolanooka and Koolyanob.
their physical properties such as colour, density,
— In South America, Brazil has the largest reserves of it. Carajas
hardness and chemical property such as solubility.
in Para district is the main centre. In North America, USA and
Types of Minerals Canada are important iron ore producing countries where lake
superior region (USA) and Canada is the most important
— There are over 3000 different minerals. On the basis
region.
of composition, minerals are classified mainly as
metallic and non-metallic minerals. — In Canada, Schefferville, Sept Isles and Wabush city are main
centres of iron ore production.
Metallic Minerals — Former USSR has been the largest producer of it. Krivoy Rog,
— Metals are hard substances that conduct heat and Kursk Magnetic Anomaly and Kerch Peninsula are centres of
electricity and have a characteristic luster or shine. high quality iron ore. Ural region has also large iron ore
Iron ore, bauxite, manganese ore are some deposits. Yekaterinburg, Nizhny Tagil and Magnitogorsk are
examples. major centres of Ural region.
86 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

— Europe, Sweden and France are the major iron ore Tin
producing countries. Kiruna, Gallivare, Dannemora and — The principle ore of tin is cassiterite or tins tone (SnO2 ),
Grangesberg of Sweden and Lorraine, Normandy and which contains as much as 75% of tin. Tin plating
the Pyrenees of France are famous for iron ore. consumes about 40% of the world’s tin output. Tin plating is
— Scunthorpe, Frodingham in UK, Siegerland in Germany done in South Wales and other industrial regions in the USA,
and Bilbao, Santander and Oviedo in Spain are other Japan, the USSR and Australia.
iron ore producing countries. — As much as 80% of the world’s supplies come from alluvial
Bauxite deposits.
— The world’s greatest bauxite producers and exporters — In tin reserves, China has the largest deposits. It is followed
are in the tropical and sub-tropical lands, but by Brazil, Malaysia and Peru. China is the largest producer
aluminium is manufactured in developed countries of tin in the world. It is followed by Indonesia, Peru and
where cheap electric energy is abundantly available. Bolivia. Thailand’s tin is mined in the South, in the Kra
Peninsula and off-shore islands such as Phuket.
— Bauxite occurs quite near the surface and is generally
mined by highly mechanised open cast methods. — Malaysia is the major tin producer and exporter. All tin fields
are in Peninsular Malaysia and the Kinta valley alone
— Bauxite is the ore of aluminium, which makes up 8% of
accounts for half the annual output. Outside Eastern Asia,
the Earth’s crust.
Bolivia and Peru are the major tin producer. Peru is the third
Distribution of Bauxite largest tin producer in the world.
— Australia, Guinea, Jamaica and Brazil have major — In Africa, Nigeria and Zaire are important tin producers. The
reserves of bauxite. Bauchi plateau, Jos and Zaria are tin producing regions of
— In Australia, bauxite is abundantly found in Nigeria. Manono and Maniema are mining centres of Zaire.
Northern-Western Australia and in the Cape York Mica
Peninsula.
— This mineral occurs in Igneous, Sedimentary and
— Some bauxite of Australia is used within Australia and Metamorphic rocks formed under different geological
surplus is exported to Japan. conditions. Natural mica forms hexagonal crystals of varying
— The USA has bauxite reserves in Arkansas, Alabama size.
and Georgia. — Owing to its excellent dielectric strength, low loss power
— France has large bauxite deposits at Brignoles, factor and insulating properties. Mica is one of the
North-East of Toulon. indispensable minerals used in electrical and electronics
— The Russian bauxite deposits are located in the Urals. industry.
Copper Producing Areas
— In its original form, it is found in veins of Igneous rocks — USA (North Carolina, New-hemisphere, Ukraine, Russia
with little (4%) copper content. It is found in sulphide (Northern Siberia, Murmansk, Muscovite), Brazil
and oxide form (Cuprite, Malachite, Chalcocite and (Santa-Lusia, Juatero and Penkha mines in North-East),
Bornite). Republic of South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, Norway,
— Copper is a non-ferrous, soft brown metal. Due to low Canada, Malagasi.
resistance, high conductivity, ductility and non-corrosive — India, Malagasi, Brazil, Tanzania are the exporting countries
nature, it is now indispensable in electrical industry. while USA, Great Britain, Germany, Poland, France,
— Copper and tin ore mixed to make bronze and copper Belgium, Russia, China, Japan, Australia are the importing
and zinc make brass. Copper often occurs together countries.
with other minerals e.g. gold silicon, lead or zinc. Tungsten
Most copper mines are operated by the Open Caste — It is a heavy metal and is used in making steel alloys.
Method.
Filament of electric bulbs are made of tungsten.
Distribution of Copper — Tungsten is highly resistant to electric shock and has very
— Chile, Peru, USA, Canada, Zaire and Zambia. high melting point that enables it to convert electricity into
— Exporting countries are Chile, Peru, Zambia and light most efficiently.
Canada. — Wolframite is the chief source of tungsten, mainly occurs in
— Importing countries Japan, USA, Germany, UK and veins in association with tin cassiterites. Scheelite and
Italy. hubnerite are the other chief sources of tungsten.
Magbook ~ Economic Geography 87

Producing Areas Major Mining Centres

— USA, Bolivia, Argentina, Brazil, Rocky mountain — USA Appalachian coal region.
region, Zaire, Rwanda, Burundi, Australia (King — CIS Donetz basin (Ukraine), Kuznetsk basin, Karaganda.
Islands), Spain, Portugal, France, Sweden. — China Shansi, Shensi, S Zechwan.
— In China, Nanking mountains of South China, Hunan, — Australia New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria state.
Kiangsi Provinces — produce 22% to 25% of the — Germany Ruhr basin and Westphalia.
global output of tungsten. Other regions are Eastern — South Africa Transvaal and Natal states.
Siberia, Central Asia, Kazakhstan and
Petroleum
North-Caucasus region.
— It is a natural resource of energy. It is limited and confined to
Zinc only few generations. So, it should be used sustainability.
— This comes from two main sources: Zinc blende (or — Petroleum is an inflammable mixture of oily hydrocarbons with
zinc sulphide) and Calamine. very complex properties.
— It is often found together with lead, silver and some Three grades of crude oil (according to gasoline yields) are as follow:
other minerals. Mining is usually done by Open Cast (i) Paraffin Base oil (highest yields)
Methods, the ores being found close to the surface. (ii) Naphthenic Base oil (intermediate yield)
Distribution of Zinc (iiii) Asphalt Base oil (lowest yield)
— Besides China, Canada, Russia, Peru, Australia and Major Mining Centres
USA have been major producing countries. — USA Appalachian region, Gulf coast region, California region.
— The most productive zinc mines are the Sullivan — Saudi Arabia Dammam, Ghawar and Dhahran (oil refinery
mines of British Columbia in Canada. centre at Rasantura).
— The Russian zinc comes mainly from the Central and — Kuwait Burghan hill (world’s largest reserve).
Southern Urals. — Erstwhile USSR Volga-Ural region, Baku region (Caucasus
— Australia’s main zinc deposits are at Broken hills, region).
Mount Isa and in Tasmania. — Iraq Kirkuk, Mosal, Basra, Tikrit.
— In the USA, the leading states for zinc are Missouri, — Iran Lali, Karamshah, Naff Safid, Haft Khel, Gach Saaran (The
Oklahoma and Kansas. oil from these regions are refined at the refinery at Abadan,
which is one of the largest oil refineries in the world).
Energy Resources — Venezuela Lake Maracaibo region, Orinoco basin and A pure
basin.
— The pace of industrialisation of contemporary third
world countries is absolutely reflected in their pattern Natural Gas
of production and consumption of energy. — This is acquired from the same places where mineral oil is
found. Apart from this, it is found in independent form as well.
Types of Energy Resources — The largest natural gas reserve in the world is under the
Coal Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).
— It is a solid, black mineral made up of carbon, — Major Producer Countries Russia, USA, Canada, Norway,
hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen in varying proportions. Turkmenistan, Algeria, Iran, Qatar and Netherlands.
In terms of fixed carbon, coals are classified into Hydroelectricity
— Anthracite (> 95%) As gas coal, it is used for the
manufacture of city gas with coke as a by-product. Major Producer Regions
— Bituminous (42%-83%) 80% world’s coal output. As — USA Niagara falls, St Anthony falls, the fall-line from
cooking coal, it is used in coke ovens for the Pennsylvania to Alabama in Appalachian mountains,
manufacture of metallurgical coke, with gas as a Tennessee Valley Project, Grand Coolie dam and Bonville dam
by-product. (on river Columbia), Hoover dam (river Colorado) and San
— Lignite or Brown Coal (38%) About 15% world’s coal Joaquin dam (California).
output from lignite. Having low heating capacity, it is — Canada Niagara falls.
sometimes used in steel plant’s.
— Africa Akosombo dam on river Volta (Ghana), Sennar dam
— Peat (< 38%) It has a high percentage of moisture and
(Sudan), Aswan dam on Nile (Egypt), Kariba dam (Zambezi)
volatile matter and carbon only constitutes about 1/3 rd
and Owen falls (Uganda).
of its bulk.
88 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

Atomic Energy — Gas stations shut down because of shortages. Gas ‘eating’
— Main sources are uranium and thorium. Canada, USA, cars became undesirable. Carpooling and mass transit
Zaire and South Africa are the major producers. became popular topics.
— Cheap imported oil was recognised as vulnerable and oil
Major Mining Centres
in general, was acknowledged as unrenewable.
— Canada Uranium city near lake Athabaska and port — Market forces as well as government intervention resolved
Radium near lake Great Bear.
the crisis.
— USA Colorado plateau. — People began to consider the causes of environmental
— South Africa Wit waters and hills. degradation and not just the effects. Long-term scarcity
— Zaire Katanga plateau. instilled questioning of resource exploitation.
More Awareness and Exploration of
Energy Crisis Alternatives
— US oil consumption was high in the early 1970’s, while US — Solar energy (commercial, solar thermal conversion,
oil production declined. In 1973, 36% of energy photovoltaic cells)
consumption was in foreign oil, while in 1970, it had been — Wind power
22%. — Tidal power
— Arab-Israeli conflicts had already produced a growing — Ocean thermal conversion
tension between US and Arab countries. Year 1973 — Biomass
brought widespread panic to the nation, with the onset of
— Geothermal energy
an international oil embargo.
— Conversion of coal into gas
— Middle Eastern countries, brought with long standing
— Extraction of oil from tar sands
religious and political conflict, cut off exports of petroleum
to many Western nations, including the United States and — Efforts at tertiary recovery from oil deposits
the Netherlands, in anger over their involvement in the
Arab-Israeli conflicts. The Organisation of Petroleum Industries
Exporting Countries (OPEC) cartel led to rising gas prices — All economic activities namely primary, secondary, tertiary
in early 1970’s. and quaternary, revolve around obtaining and utilising
— The Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries was resources necessary for survival.
organised in 1960 to enable its member nations to — Among all, these secondary activities add value to natural
formulate a common policy, to set certain trade rules and resources by transforming raw materials into valuable
to establish prices for their tremendous fuel supplies. Its products. These products get their optimum utilisation
members produce more than half the world’s oil and through tertiary and quaternary sector contribution. All
supply about 80% of the oil imported by non-member these activities involves human resource and natural
nations. resources in a processing unit generally called industry.
— OPEC has become one of the most influential groups in
world politics because of its great supply of oil. Its Classification of Industries
member nations are Algeria, Ecuador, Gabon, Indonesia, — Industries can be classified in many ways: size, nature of
Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and products, raw materials and ownership.
Venezuela. More than half of its members are middle
— According to size or capital investment, it may be
Eastern countries.
categorised as cottage or household industry, small scale
— US policy flaws were recognised as a major cause of the industry and large scale industry.
crisis. The Arab oil embargo alone was not the cause.
— According to the size of operation and the nature of
Effects products, industries may be classified as heavy industries.
Such as Iron and steel and light industries such as
— World’s attitude toward the sources of energy changed
electronics.
drastically. Similarly, an incredible anxiety towards the
supply of non-renewable natural resources grew. — On the basis of outputs, industries are classified as basic
industries which uses raw natural resources and produce
— Prices for gas rose significantly, longer lines appeared at
base for other industrial set-up and consumer goods
the filling stations and fear of OPEC’s control over the
industries which produce for direct consumption.
economy grew quickly.
Magbook ~ Economic Geography 89

— On the basis of raw materials used for the industry they Distribution
may be classified as agro based, forest, based, mineral — USA Pittsburgh, Great lake region (Chicago-Gary, Erie,
based industries and chemical industries. Cleveland Buffalo and Duluth), Atlantic coast (Sparrows
— On the basis of ownership, pattern and management Point and Morrisville), Alabama.
practices, industries can be classified into government or — UK Scunthorpe, Port Talbot, Birmingham and Sheffield.
public, private and joint sector. — Germany Duisburg, Dortmund, Dusseldorf and Essen.
On the basis of activities, industries generally classified as
— France Le Creusot and St Etienne.
follows:
— Russia Moscow, St Petersburg, Lipetsk and Tula.
Primary Industries — Ukraine Krivoy Rog, Donetsk.
— It is the simplest form of industry which consists of the — Japan Nagasaki and Tokyo-Yokohama.
first processing of raw materials, e.g. the production of — China Shanghai, Tienstin, Wuhan.
metal from mineral ores and the processing of agricultural
commodities to form food-stuffs or industrial raw Cotton Textile Industry
materials. — This is most widely spread industry throughout the world.
Secondary Industries It is a labour intensive and agro based industry. Cotton
textile industry has three sub-sectors i.e. handloom,
— Basically, they include all re-processing of partially powerloom and mill sectors.
manufactured goods to make more complex products, — Handloom sector is labour intensive, powerloom sector
e.g. the use of cloth in clothing, the use of iron parts in introduces machines and becomes less labour intensive.
the manufacture of machinery. Cotton textile mill sector is highly capital intensive. It
Tertiary Industries requires good quality cotton as raw material.
— It consists of service industries such as trade, Distribution
transportation, commerce, entertainment, personal — UK Scottish lowland, Nottingham, Ireland, Lancashire.
service, tourism, administration and so on.
— Germany Great Rhur industrial region, Frankfurt, Munich,
Quaternary Industries Bremen, Chemnitz, Hamburg.
— These activities involve the collection, production and — France Bedford, Kolman, Nansi.
dissemination of information or even the production of — Italy Naples, Milan.
informations. — Brazil Rio de Janeiro, Sao-Paulo, Rio-Grande.
— Quaternary activities centre around research, development — Japan South Kyushu, Kwanto plain, Nagowa, Kinki plain,
and may be seen as an advanced form of services Northern coast.
involving specialised knowledge and technical skills.
— China Shanghai, Manchuria, Tienshan, Beijing Chuang,
Factors Influencing the Location of Industries
Nanchang, Lanchow.
— Raw materials — Fuel and power
— Human resources — Transport — USA New England and adjacent areas, Georgia, Florida,
— Markets — Capital Carolina, Alabama, Virginia, Tennessee and Kentucky.
— Government policies — Industrial inertia — CIS Moscow-Tula Ivanova and Oblast alongwith Ukraine,
— Other factors (land, climate, water supply) Caucasus, Kazakh uplands, Crimea, Tashkent, Stalingrad,
Kirovagrad and Georgia.
Important Industries of the World Woollen Textile Industry
Some of the important industries are mentioned below
— It is developed at local and cottage industry level. The
Iron and Steel Industry bulk of the wool is produced by a handful of developed
— It is called basic industry because it provides raw material countries. Raw wool is prepared in temperate and
for other industries such as machine tools used for further sub-tropical areas.
production. Iron is extracted from iron ore by smelting in a Distribution
blast furnace with carbon (coke) and limestone.
— USA New-England region, Massachusetts and Rhode
— The molten iron is cooled and moulded to form pig iron,
island are the reputed centres, the other centres are
which is used for converting into steel by adding
Pennsylvania.
strengthening materials like manganese.
— Japan In Japan, major woollen goods producing centres
— The large integrated steel industry is traditionally located
are located within Tokyo-Yokohama, Nagoya, Kobe,
close to the sources of raw materials or at places, where
Hemaji, Osaka and Nagasaki.
these could be easily brought e.g. near ports.
90 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

— UK In United Kingdom, Yorkshire was the leading Distribution

centre of woollen goods production, subsequently new — USA Petro-chemical Industries in USA mainly located near
centres were developed in Midland and Lancashire, the coast as oil is mostly imported from Latin American
later on in Scottish lowland, South Wales land Ireland. countries and West Asia. Insider locations are supplied with
— CIS In CIS, early centres of woollen industries were pipelines and tankers.
developed around Volga basin and Moscow. — Major Locations Chicago, Toledo, Philadelphia, Delaware and
— Germany Saxony, Westphalia and Great Ruhr. Los Angeles.
— Italy Naples and Po river valley. — Europe The European petro-chemical complexes are located
— China Shanghai and Canton. mainly near the market.
Paper Industry — Major Locations Coasts of Southern-North sea and English
channel region (Antwerp, Rotter dam and Southampton Ruler
— The round wood and processed wood is converted into
region in German and Le Havre-Rouen-Marseilles region in
wood pulp, a principal raw material of paper industry,
France).
waste paper and fibres board are also used. These raw
materials after washing, soaking and processing give — Central Asia Central Asian Republics and Russia.
rise to paper. — West Asia Abadan, Ras Tanura in Saudi Arabia and
— The paper mills are confined in United States within Mina-el-Ahmadi in Kuwait.
the Northern half of the country. The paper mills are — East Asia Beijing in China, Seoul in South Korea. Tokyo,
more or less distributed over four principal regions as Minato-kee and Chiyoda-Ku in Japan and Taipein in Taiwan.
follow — South-East Asia Bangkok in Thailand, Kuala Lumpur in
(i) The North-Eastern forest regions Malaysia and Indonesian Islands.
(ii) The Great lakes regions
(iii) The Western coastal regions Major Industrial Belts
(iv) The Southern districts
— The world’s, major manufacturing regions are found in North
— Japan It is a giant producer of paper in the world. America. Europe and East Asia. Other manufacturing centres
Kwanto plain which includes Tokyo, Kawasaki, are also found elsewhere.
Yokohama, Ise bay Nagoya and Kitakyushu region are
the leading centres of paper industry. North America
— Canada Due to immense soft wood coniferous forests, — Manufacturing in North America is concentrated in the
cheap and available power resources, large and North-Eastern quadrant of the United States and in
extensive market and water transportation, the South-Eastern Canada (called the North American
paper mills were developed at Quebec, Ontario, British, manufacturing or rust belt).
Columbia. — Early settlement gave Eastern cities an advantage to become
— Germany Most of the paper mills are located at Great the country’s dominant industrial centre. First settled in the
Ruhr-Westphalia region and middle Rhine region. 17th and I8th century, it is lined by a transportation system
Dortmund, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Ludwigshafen etc are that includes the St Lawrence river and the Great
the important centres while in Eastern part Leipzig, lakes,connected to the East coast and the Atlantic ocean by
Dresden are the minor centres. the Mohawk and Hudson rivers.
— China In China, small cottage industries also contribute — The North-East also had essential raw materials and good
substantial amount of paper. Here, the paper mills are transportation. The Great lakes and major rivers were
raw material oriented. Important among these are supplemented in the 1800s by canals, railways and
Yangtze lowland, Chekiang-Kiangsu and Tientsin. highways.
— Russia Leningrad, Ivanova, Oblast, Ural, Moscow have — In modern times, the New England district is developed for
large concentration of paper plants. availability of highly skilled labour from nearby universities
in Boston. Computer manufacturing is now having greatest
Petro-Chemicals Industries concentration in California.
— Alongwith refining of mineral oil, a large number of
Europe
industries based on petroleum have developed around
mineral-oil refineries, these are normally located near — Location of manufacturing is in a North-South linear pattern
the markets or the ports. Fertilizers, plastic and from Scotland through England, through the mouth of the
artificial fibres such as rayons are some example of Rhine River valley, through Germany and France, to Northern
such industries. Italy.
Magbook ~ Economic Geography 91

— In reality, four distinct districts have emerged, primarily East Asia

because European countries competed with one another — Many industries in China are clustered in three centres
to develop their own industrial areas. near the East coast. In Japan, production is clustered
— Eastern Europe has six major industrial regions. Four are along the South-East coast.
entirely in Russia, one is in Ukraine and one is Southern
Poland and Northern Czech Republic.
Globalisation of World Manufacturing
Rhine-Ruhr Valley Belt The decline began with the Great Recession in 1974-75 after
— Western Europe’s most important industrial area is the the first oil shock in 1973, the manufacturing output of advanced
Rhine-Ruhr valley in North-Western Germany, Belgium, countries show slowed dramatically in the 1970s and actually
France and the Netherlands. Within the region, industry is fell in Great Britain. The highest rate of manufacturing decline
dispersed rather than concentrated in one or two cities. in the US was in the mid West or Rust Belt, but manufacturing
— Iron and steel manufacturing has concentrated in the actually increased in the late 1970s and 1980s in low conflict,
Rhine-Ruhr valley because of proximity to large coalfields. low wage states, including Sun Belt states.
Access to iron and steel production stimulated the The most rapid growth in manufacturing output occurred in East
location of other heavy metal industries, such as and South Asia, including Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong
locomotives, machinery and armaments. Kong, Malaysia and Singapore. Manufacturing growth has been
slower in Africa and South Asia.
Mid-Rhine Belt
The second most important industrial area in Western
—
Europe includes South-Western Germany, North-Eastern
Industrialisation in the
France and the small country of Luxembourg. Developing World
— In contrast to the Rhine-Ruhr valley, the German portion — Industrialisation in the West hemisphere in the 1970s and
of the mid-Rhine region lacks abundant raw materials, but 1980s was not matched by industrialisation of all
it is at the centre of Europe’s most important consumer countries in the developing world. Rather in 1990, a
market. relatively few newly industrialised countries dominated
— The French portion of the Mid-Rhine region-Alsace and world exports of industrial commodities. (Four South-East
Lorraine-contains Europe’s largest iron- ore field and is the Asian countries-Hong Kong, South Korea, Singapore and
production centre for two-thirds of France’s steel. Taiwan accounted for one-third of industrial commodity
— Tiny Luxembourg is also one of the world’s leading steel exports).
producers, because the Lorraine iron-ore field extends into — Other countries, like Mexico and Argentina, primarily
the Southern part of the country. exported traditional manufactured goods favoured by raw
material conditions. Countries with few natural resources
United Kingdom Region (East Asian countries) tailored their industrial bases to
— The United Kingdom lost its international industrial world economic needs.
leadership in the 20th century saddled with outmoded
and deteriorating factories. World Industrial Problems
— The United Kingdom expanded industrial production in
— Decreasing demand for industrial products since
the late 20th century by attracting new high-tech
mid-1990s as world has approached saturation for many
industries that serve the European market.
consumer goods, changing technology has lowered the
— Today, British industries are more likely to locate in
demand for some products and there is greater emphasis
South-Eastern England near the country’s largest
on quality of products that last longer.
concentrations of population, wealth and the channel
— Excess production capacity has been developed as many
tunnel.
countries want to develop their own capacity (steel
Northern Italy Region industry, e.g.) as a hedge against world inflation and
— Modern industrial development in the Po Basin began dependence on foreign imports.
with establishment of textile manufacturing during the — Developed countries are challenged to find new markets
19th century because of two key assets: numerous for their industrial output the solution in competition is to
workers and inexpensive hydroelectricity. increase productivity.
— Developing countries have a special set-of problems
Eastern Europe and Russia
including accessibility to distant world markets, lack of
— Major manufacturing centres are clustered in real investment capital, lack of trained labour capable of
European Russia and the Ukraine. Other centres were producing a manufacturing class and lack of surrounding
developed East of the Urals. infrastructure.
92 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

— Recent worldwide attention has developed from ‘sweatshops’ — Trans-Asiatic Railway Line The United Nations Economic
in developing countries affecting human rights of workers and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific
and the Asia’s ‘financial meltdown’ based on over investment (UNESCAP) first proposed in the 1960’s. It will connect 28
and corruption that spread to other countries. countries of Asia including China, Thailand, Bangladesh,
India, Pakistan, Iran and Turkey. This network will further

Transportation boost the commercial transaction between South-East and

middle Asia and Europe.
— Transport is considered to be the life of economy. It helps to — It will pass through Bangladesh entering India through the
link the remotest parts of the country to one another and border of Myanmar. Again it will enter India near Zede and
given an impetus to resource development. will pass Attari to enter Pakistan. It will be similar to
Oriental Express Railway network in Europe.
— Industrialisation itself is encouraged by the expansion of
— The Union and Pacific Railway Connects New York on
transport facilities. The traditional systems of transportation
the Atlantic coast to San Francisco on the Pacific coast.
was revolutionised with the innovation of steam and powerful
— The Orient Express It connects Paris with Istanbul.
combustion engines.
— Trans Andean Railway This most important rail route of
Roadways South America connects Valparaiso in Chile with Buenos
Aires in Argentina through Uspallata Pass.
— They are the most universal and varied form of
communication. First country to establish a nationwide Waterways
highway network of this kind was Germany. — It is the most suitable and cheapest for the
— German Autobahns are straight cutting directly across international trade.
country and have a good surface. Major Sea Routes
— The highway network of France is Autoroutes, Italy — North Atlantic Oceanic Route This waterway joins the
Autostrades and England motor ways. developed regions of Western Europe with the
— Trans-Canadian highway links Vancouver with St John city. developed region of North America.
— Alaskan Highway connects Anchorage city of Alaska with — There are many important ports of the world on this
Edmonton city of Canada. oceanic route e.g. Glasgow, Manchester, Southampton,
— Pan American Highway Links cities of South America, London, Rotterdam, Bremen, Bordio, Lisben, Quebec,
Central America and the United States of America. Montreal, New York, Charleston, Galveston, New
Orieans and Havana. The maximum goods are
— Stuart Highway is the largest highway in Australia. It
transported through these waterways of the world.
connects Birdum city, situated in Northern Australia, to
Melbourne, situated in Southern Australia passing through — South Atlantic Oceanic Route South Atlantic oceanic
Alice Spring and Tennant creek. routes join North America and Europe with South
— India-Myanmar-Thailand (IMT) Highway This trilateral America.
highway is under construction under India’s Act East Policy — Through this waterway the industrial goods from North
that will connect Moreh, India with MaeSot, Thailand via America and Europe are transported to South America.
Myanmar. The highway is expected to boost trade and — North Pacific Oceanic Route These waterway join East
commerce in ASEAN-India Free Trade Area, as well as with Asia and North America with each other. This waterway
rest of Southeast Asia. is very long. From this route the countries like China,
Railways Korea, Japan, Philippines Islands, Indonesia, Malaysia,
Singapore and Hongkong etc takes maximum benefits.
— The rail route which connects one part of a continent to its
other part is called Trans-continental railway. — South Pacific Oceanic Route Joins Australia, New
Major railway routes of the world are as follows Zealand, North America and Western Europe with each
other. Through, this oceanic route Australia exports
— Trans-Siberian Railway Line (9332 km, longest in the world) It is
wool butter, cheese, skins, rubber etc and industrial
in Russia from St Petersburg in the West to Vladivostok on the
Pacific ocean in the East passing through Moscow. products are imported.
— Trans-Canadian Pacific Railway (7050 km) Connects Halifax in — Routes of Indian Ocean Indian oceanic waterways are
the East to Vancouver on the West on Pacific ocean, carries wheat, used by the countries which fall in the vicinity of Indian
meat, milk, iron and steel and timber. ocean exports tea, jute products mineral ores and
— Canadian National Railway Runs between Halifax city of Novo imports industrial products.
Scotia and Prince Rupert of British Columbia. — Routes of Mediterranean Sea This waterway joins
— Australian Trans Continental Railway It connects Sydney on the Asia and Australia continents with North Atlantic ocean
East with Perth on the West coast.
Magbook ~ Economic Geography 93

routes. Mediterranean waterway join together the — In this group, pipelines are usually short a couple of hundred
maximum number of countries of the world. metres and with small diameters. Also sub-sea pipelines for
collecting product from deep water production platforms are
— Through, this waterways the raw material of Eastern
considered gathering systems.
countries are being transport to Western countries and
— Transportation Pipelines Mainly long pipes with large diameters,
transport industrial products to Eastern countries.
moving products (oil, gas, refined products) between cities,
— Cape of Good Hope Route Sea route joins Eastern Asia countries and even continents. These transportation networks
and Europe to Southern parts of Africa. This oceanic include several compressor stations in gas lines or pump
route has last its importance with the construction of stations for crude and multi-product pipelines.
Suez canal.
— Now-a-days only large sized ships loaded with heavy and Major Canal Systems of the World
cheap goods sail through this ocean route.
Suez Canal This is the largest canal of the world, connecting
Airways Red sea and Mediterranean sea, where ship navigation is
— International Air Transport Authority (IATA) is an possible. This canal, completed in 1869, separates the lower
international trade body, created over 60 years ago by a
part of the Nile basin and the Sinai Peninsula.
The Northern most port on this canal Port Suez. This canal is
group of airlines. Today, IATA represents some 240
162 km long. The canal connects 4 big lakes: Manjala, Timsha,
airlines comprising 84% of total air traffic. The
Great bitter lake and little bitter lake.
organisation also represents, leads and servers the
airline industry in general. Panama Canal This canal has been constructed by cutting
across the Panama isthmus, connecting the Pacific ocean
Air Transport and the Caribbean sea. On the Pacific coast there is
— The greatest amount of air traffic is found in the USA. Panama port and on the Caribbean coast there is Colon
The USA is served by 4 large air corporations the United port.
Airlines, World Airlines, Pan American Airlines and Volga Canal System This is an important navigable canal
Eastern Airlines. The largest Airlines company in Canada system of the world, with 11200km navigable waterway.
is the Trans Canada Airlines. Volga river drains into the Caspian sea. Moscow region has
Pipeline Transport been connected to this waterway through Volga- Moscow
canal. Navigation is possible up to Black sea through
— It is the transportation of goods through a pipe. Volga-Don canal.
Commonly, liquids and gases are sent, but pneumatic
St Lawrence Waterway This is connected with the Great
tubes using compressed air can also transport solid
lakes and makes possible 3760 km inland navigation for the
capsules. As for gases and liquids, any chemically stable
sea-going ships in USA and Canada. It is due to this
substance can be sent through a pipeline. Therefore
waterway that the ports of the Great Lakes region have
sewage, slurry, water or even beer pipelines exist, but
been developed as full-fledged Seaports.
arguably the most valuable are those transporting crude
Soo Canal This canal joins the Lake Superior and Lake
pertroleum and refined petroleum product including,
Huron.
natural gas and biofuels.
Erie Canal In USA, this canal connects Lake Erie and Lake
— The Big Inch Pipeline is petroleum pipelines constructed
Huron.
from Texas to New Jersey in USA. Petroleum products
Wellend Canal This canal reduces the distance between
had been transported from the oil fields of Texas to the
Lake Erie and Lake Ontario.
North-Eastern United States.
Kiel Canal This canal in Germany connects the North Seat
— The Trans-Afghanistan Pipeline also known as with the Baltic sea.
Turkmenistan- Afghanistan -Pakistan-India Pipeline, Stalin or White-Baltic Canal This Canal joins Baltic sea
(TAPI) is a proposed natural gas pipeline being with the Arctic ocean.
developed by the help of Asian Development Bank. The
Rhine-Maine-Danube Canal This canal connects North sea with
pipeline will transport Caspian Sea natural gas from
Black sea.
Turkmenistan through Afghanistan into Pakistan and
then to India.
— In general, pipelines can be classified in three categories — Distribution Pipelines Composed of several interconnected
depending on purpose pipelines with small diameters, used to take the products to the
— Gathering Pipelines Group of smaller interconnected final consumer. Feeder lines to distribute gas to homes and
pipelines forming complex networks with the purpose of businesses downstream. Pipelines at terminals for distributing
bringing crude oil or natural gas from several nearby wells to products to tanks and storage facilities are included in this
a treatment plant or processing facility. group.
94 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

Trade amplifies the signal and sent it back to the receiver’s

antenna present on the Earth’s surface. So, all the
Basis of International Trade signal transferring is happening in space. Thus, this
type of communication is known as space
— Difference in National Resources The world’s national communication.
resources are unevenly distributed because of differences in Two methods/sources which are commonly used in
their physical make up i.e. geology, relief soil and climate. satellite communication are as follow:
— Population Factors The size, distribution and diversity of
people between countries affect the type and volume of goods Passive Source
traded. — It is just a plastic balloon having a metal coated over
— Cultural Factors Distinctive forms of art and craft develop in it. This sphere reflects the coming microwave signals
certain cultures which are valued the world over, e.g. China coming from one part of the Earth to other part. This
produces the finest porcelains and brocades. Carpets of Iran is also known as passive sphere. Our Earth also has a
are famous while North African leather work and Indonesian passive satellite i.e. Moon.
batik cloth are prized handicrafts.
— Stage of Economic Development At different stages of Active Source
economic development of countries, the nature of items — It basically does the work of amplifying the microwave
traded undergoes changes. In agriculturally important signals coming. In active satellites an antenna system,
countries, agro products are exchanged for manufactured transmitter, power supply and a receiver is used.
goods whereas industrialised nations export machinery and These satellites are also called as transponders. The
finished products and import foodgrains and other raw transmitters fitted on the Earth generate the
materials. microwaves.
— Extent of Foreign Investment Foreign investment can boost — These rays are received by the transponders attached
trade in developing countries which lack in capital required for to the satellite. Then after amplifying, these signals
the development of mining, oil drilling, heavy engineering, are transmitted back to Earth. This sending can be
lumbering and plantation agriculture. done at the same time or after some delay.
— Transport In olden times, lack of adequate and efficient
means of transport restricted trade to local areas. Only high GPS (Global Positioning System)
value items, e.g. gems, silk and spices were traded over long — It was created and realised by the US Department of
distances. With expansions of rail, ocean and air transport, Defense (DoD) and was originally run with 24
better means of refrigeration and preservation, trade has satellites. It became fully operational in 1994. GPS is
experienced spatial expansion. a space-based satellite navigation system that
provides location and time information in all weather,
Types of International Trade anywhere on or near the Earth, where there is an
International trade may be categorised into two types unobstructed line of sight to 4 or more GPS satellites.
(i) Bilateral Trade It is done by two countries with each other. They The maintenance is done by the United States
enter into agreement to trade specified commodities amongst them. Government and is freely accessible to anyone with a
(ii) Multi-Lateral Trade As the term suggests multi-lateral trade is GPS receiver.
conducted with many trading countries.
The same country can trade with a number of other countries. GIS (Geographical Information System)
The country may also grant the status of the Most Favoured — It is a system designed to capture, store, manipulate,
Nation (MFN) on some of the trading partners. analyse, manage and present all types of geographical
data. The acronym GIS is sometimes used for
Satellite Communication Geographical Information or Geospatial Information
— In satellite communication, signal transferring between the Studies to refer to the academic discipline or career of
sender and receiver is done with the help of satellite. In this working with Geographical Information Systems. In the
process, the signal which is basically a beam of modulated simplest terms, GIS is the merging of cartography,
microwaves is sent towards the satellite. Then the satellite statistical analysis and database technology.
 Regional Blocks and their Commodities

Regional Blocks Head Quarter Member Nations Origin Commodities Other Areas of Co-operation

ASEAN (Association Jakarta, Brunei Indonesia, Malaysia, August, 1967 Agro products rubber, palm oil, rice, Accelerate economic growth, cultural
of South-East Asian Indonesia Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam copra, coffee, minerals-copper coal, development, peace and regional
Nations) nickel and tungsten. Energy petroleum stabillty.
and natural gas and products.

CIS (Commonwealth of Minsk Armenta, Azerbaijan, Belarus, — Crude oil, natural gas, gold, cotton, fibre, Integration and co-operation on
Magbook ~ Economic Geography

Independent States) Belarus Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, aluminium. matters of economics, defence and
Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, foreign policy.
Turkmenistan, Ukraine and
Uzbekistan.

EU (European Union) Brussels Austria, Belgium, Denmark, EEC- March, Agro products, minerals, chemicals, Single market with single currency.
Belgium France, Finland, Ireland, Italy, the 1957 wood, paper, transport vehicles, optical
Netherlands, Luxemburg, EU-Feburay, instruments, clocks-works of art,
Portugal, Spain, Sweden and UK. 1992 antiques.

LAIA (Latin American Montevideo Argentina, Bolivia Brazil, 1960 — —

Integration Uruguay Columbia, Ecuador, Mexico,
Association) Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and
Venezuela.

NAFTA (North USA, Canada and Mexico 1994 Agro products, motor vehicles, —
American Free Trade automotive parts, computers, textilles.
Association).

OPEC (Organisation of Vienna Algeria, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, 1949 Crude Petroleum Co-ordinate and unify petroleum
Petroleum Exporting Austria Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar, policies.
Countries). Saudi Arabia, UAE and Venezuela.

SAFTA (South Asian Bangladesh, Maldives, Bhutan, January, — Reduce tariffs on inter-regional
Free Trade Agreement). Nepal, India, Pakistan and Sri 2006 trade.
Lanka
95
 Self Check Build Your Confidence
1. Which of the following countries is the leading producer 2. It advocates inter-culture.
of Uranium? [IAS 2006] 3. It recommends higher inputs of chemical fertilizers.
(a) United States of America 4. It recommends integrated pest management.
(b) Canada Which of the statements are correct?
(c) Germany (a) 1, 2 and 4 (b) 1, 2 and 3
(d) Zambia (c) 2, 3 and 4 (d) All of these
2. Which of the following is/are unique characteristic/ 8. Which of the following statements about the cultivation
characteristics of equatorial forests? of rice is correct?
1. Presence of tall, closely set trees with crowns forming a 1. Average annual temperatures 24° to 37°C are ideal for its
continuous canopy. growth and maturity.
2. Co-existence of a large number of species. 2. For its proper cultivation it needs tropical climate with
3. Presence of numerous varieties of epiphytes. more water.
Select the correct answer using the codes given below 3. For its cultivation it needs cheap and large number of
(a) Only 1 (b) 2 and 3 labours.
(c) 1 and 3 (d) All of these 4. For its cultivation special type of soil is not required.
Select the correct answer using the codes given below
3. Which of the following is the chief characteristics of
‘mixed farming’? (a) 1, 2 and 3 (b) 2, 3 and 4
(c) 1, 2 and 4 (d) All of these
(a) Cultivation of both cash crops and food crops
(b) Cultivation of two or more crops in the same field 9. Consider the following statements regarding extensive
(c) Rearing of animals and cultivation of crops together commercial grain farming
(d) None of the above 1. It is practiced in great plains of USA.
4. Consider the following statements [IAS 2014] 2. It has low yield per acre but high yield per man.
3. Generally monoculture crop practice is observed.
1. Maize can be used for the production of starch.
4. Large amount of labour and capital is necessary.
2. Oil extracted from maize can be a feedstock for biodiesel.
Which of the following statements is/are correct?
3. Alcoholic beverages can be produced by using maize.
(a) 1 and 2 (b) 1, 2 and 3
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
(c) 1, 3 and 4 (d) All of these
(a) Only 1 (b) 1 and 2
(c) 2 and 3 (d) All of these 10. Availability of skilled labour has been the basic
locational factor for which of the following industry?
5. Which of the following is/are included in manufacturing
(a) Iron and steel industries in Germany
industries?
(b) Textile industries in Great Britain
1. Crop production 2. Fish production (c) Diamond cutting industries in the Netherlands
3. Plantation 4. Sugar production (d) Jute industries in India
Select the correct answer using the codes given below
11. With reference to the usefulness of the by products of
(a) 1 and 2 (b) 1, 2 and 3
sugar industries, which of the following statements
(c) Only 4 (d) All of these
is/are correct?
6. The Stilwell road, built in 1940s connects which of the 1. Bagasse can be used as biomass fuel for the generation
following? [IAS 2007] of energy.
(a) Agartala in India and Yangon in Myanmar via Bangladesh 2. Molasses can be used as one of the feedstocks for the
(b) Ledo in India and kunming in China via Myanmar production of synthetic chemical fertilizers.
(c) Kalimpong in India and Lhasa in Tibet via Bhutan 3. Molasses can be used for the production of ethanol.
(d) Imphal in India and Bangkok in Thailand via Myanmar Select the correct answer using the codes given below
7. Consider the following statements about organic (a) Only 1
farming. (b) 2 and 3
1. It insists on exploiting the ecological processes for plant (c) 1 and 3
growth. (d) All of the above

1. (b) 2. (d) 3. (c) 4. (d) 5. (c) 6. (b) 7. (a) 8. (a) 9. (b) 10. (c)
11. (c)
Chapter ten
Continents
In Africa, there is a long chain of rift
Africa —
valleys running from the South of
World has been divided — Africa stands next only to Asia in size and lake Malawi, Northward to the Red
second in the world. It occupies about 20% sea and then through the Gulf of
into 7 continents. Each
of land area of the Earth i.e. 30335000 sq Suez and the Gulf of Aqaba to the
continent has its unique km; it has a coastline of 30539 km. It Dead sea. It is known as the Great
physical features. These extends between 37° 31’ N to 34° 52’ S Rift Valley.
features upto some latitude and 17° 31’ W to 51° 24’ E — Many of these valleys are filled with
extent, decide the longitude. Its North-South extent is 7623 km water called lake. Lake Victoria, the
and its East-West extent is 7260 km. largest lake of Africa is the source of
political and economic
— The equator passes almost the middle, river Nile, which is the longest river
geography of that cutting Africa into two equal halves. Both in the world. It rises in the rainy
continent. Innovations in the Tropic of Capricorn and Tropic of Cancer equatorial region and flows
transport and pass through it, so most of it lies in the Northward. After a long journey
Torrid zone. The Prime Meridian passes carries through the Sahara desert, it
communication sectors
through Morocco, Algeria, Mali, Burkina reaches the Mediterranean sea.
have been making these Faso and Ghana in the West. So, most part — Zaire in Central Africa is also known
continents increasingly of Africa lies in the Eastern hemisphere. as Congo in later part. It drains a
interdependent. — It is situated to the South of Europe and large area and discharges a huge
South-West of Asia. It is bound by the amount of water into the Atlantic
Mediterranean sea in the North, the Atlantic ocean. It carries the greatest volume
ocean in the West and South-West, the of water among all the rivers of
Indian ocean in the East and the Red sea in Africa. Victoria Fall on the river
the North-East. Zambezi is about 2 km width.
— The continent ‘Africa’ is separated from — About one-third of Africa is a desert
Europe by the Mediterranean sea and from land. The Sahara is the largest
Asia by the Red sea. However, it almost desert in the world. It is located in
touches Eurasia at three different points: at the Northern part of Africa. The
the straits of Gibraltar in the North-West, at Kalahari desert in the Southern
the Suez canal in the North-East at the Africa is another great desert.
straits of Bab-el-Mandeb in the East.
Climate
Physical Features — The temperature is very high almost
— In Africa, plateaus are higher in the South throughout the year. The highest
and in the East. A few volcanic mountain temperature in the world has been
peaks rise above the plateau in the Eastern recorded at Al-Aziziyah (Libya) as
part near the equator. Mount Kilimanjaro, 58°C.
the highest peak of Africa is located in this — The belt lying along the equator on
highland region. It is 5895 m and remains both sides has a hot-wet climate
snow-covered throughout the year. The throughout the year. It rains almost
lowland areas are in the Western and daily and there is only one season,
Northern parts and along the coast. namely the hot-wet summer.
98 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

This is known as the equatorial type of climate. Most of

the region is covered with thick forests called tropical Antarctica
rainforests. — It is the fifth largest continent of the world covering an area
— To the North and South of the rainforests, there are of 14000000 sq km. The only continent which is devoid of
regions of warm summer and mild winters. In these permanently settled human population. It is called a white
belts, most of the rain occurs in summer. There is a continent because it is permanently under a thick cover of
distinctive dry period. Total rainfall is also much less ice. It is extremely cold and windy.
than that in the tropical rainforests. This climate is — Since the beginning of 20th century, people from different
known as the Sudan type of climate. parts of the world have started exploring this continent. Some
— Sudan type of climate is found in a very large part of countries have established permanent stations where a few
the continent. Its vegetation is mostly grasses. The people live throughout the year to conduct scientific studies.
region covered with tall and coarse grasses is known as India has also established two base camps known as
the Savanna. Beyond the Savanna, both in Northern Dakshin Gangotri and Maitri and has also named a point
and in the Southern parts of Africa, there are extensive called Mount Indira.
deserts. — It is surrounded by Southern ocean, which is formed from
— The Northern and the Southern coasts of Africa have the Southern waters of Pacific, Indian and Atlantic oceans.
mild and rainy winters and warm and dry summers. Southern ocean is a cold ocean. The surface temperature of
This is called the mediterranean type of climate. The water rarely rising above 4° C. Antarctica is 960 km far from
climate is cooler in the highlands of Southern and South America, 2700 km from Australia and 4000 km from
Eastern Africa. South Africa.
— It lies entirely in the Southern hemisphere with the South
Soil and Vegetation pole almost in its center. It is the highest of all the
— In Africa, only 16% of the soil is suitable for crops. It continents, averaging 6000 ft in elevation. Queen Maud
includes the volcanic soils of East Africa, the alluvial Range divides the continent almost into two equal parts.
soils of the Nile valley and certain soils of the Savanna — Except for the deep indentations of the Ross and Weddell
lands which are very fertile. seas and the projecting peninsula, this continent is roughly
— In other parts of the continent, climate conditions and circular in shape. Much of Antarctica is rugged and
the nature of the landforms have not been suitable for mountainous. Shores are steep and there is no coastal plain
the formation of good soil. However, a very large part of worth the name. A few isolated valleys exposed to high
Central Africa is under forest cover. velocity winds are bare.
— Africa has many valuable trees such as mahogany, — Ellsworth mountain, fringing the coast, contains Antarctica’s
ebony and kapok. Rubber trees grow wild in Central highest peak, the Vinson Massif (4897 m). One of the most
African forests, though they are native to South picturesque landmarks on the continent is Mount Erebus,
America. Three different types of palm trees are found which is the only live volcano on it. Vegetation in this part
in Africa. They are coconut, oil palm and date palm. consists of mostly lichens and mosses.
Coconut palms are found in the tropical islands (such — At the South pole, the lowest temperature has been recorded
as Zanzibar and Pemba) and along the equatorial as-95° C during winter. Mid-summer temperature normally
coasts such as Tanzania. They yield copra from which does not rise above 0° C. It is summer in Antarctica from
coconut oil is obtained. December to February. The Sun never sets during this
— In the tropical region of Africa, banana, pineapple, period. On the other hand, during winter, i.e. in May, June
papaya, jack fruit and mango are common. Citrus fruits and July, the Sun never rises.
such as lemon, orange and lime are also grown here. — Curtained of bright coloured lights appear on the dark winter
The mediterranean regions grow olives, apples, nights which is caused by magnetic storms in the upper
peaches and grapes. East Africa produces atmosphere. They are called Aurora Australis in the South
cashew-nuts. and Aurora Borealis in the North.
— Wind blows at a high speed throughout the year. At the
Drainage center of this continent, the air is relatively calm.
— Though most of the rivers of Africa cannot be used for Precipitation occur in the form of snow equal to 5 cm of rain
shipping but these can however be used for the making Antarctica, one of the Earth’s great desert.
development of hydro-electricity. The Kariba dam on — About 70% of the world’s supply of fresh water is stored in
the Zambezi is the largest producer of water power in the ice caps and ice sheets of this continent. Huge masses
Africa. The Aswan dam on the Nile in Egypt is another of these ice caps break away and float in the surrounding
very big dam. area. These are called icebergs.
Magbook ~ Continents 99

— Penguins, sea birds and seals are abundant. Whales are — A small part of this plain to the South of the Urals is
also found in the surrounding areas. The only resource different from the rest as it is a basin of inland drainage
which has some potential of development is krill. They are known as the Turan plain, which is drained by two rivers,
found in swarms extending upto 100 m or more. namely, Syr Darya and Amu Darya. The interior heartland
— Some amounts of coal, iron and copper have been found. of Asia is landlocked and desolate, surrounded by
Scientific studies have shown this continent to be rich in mountains and deserts; it is a world apart from the rest of
gold, platinum, nickel and petroleum. There is an Asia.
international agreement that Antarctica is used for only to — The Central Mountains To the South of the Northern
study the climate of the Earth and the origin of its crust. lowlands, there are fold mountains and plateaus. Pamir
So, it is called continent of science. plateau is a meeting place of several ranges which form
the Pamir Knot. This plateau is also known as the roof of
the world because it is the highest plateau in the world.
Asia — The Hindu Kush extends to the West, the Tien Shan
— Occupying about one-third of the land area of the world, towards the North-East, the Kunlun to the East and the
Asia is the largest continent in the world both in terms of Karakoram and the Himalayas to the South-East. Each
size and population. Its latitudinal extent is between 10° mountain chain consists of a series of ranges.
11’S and 81° 12’N latitudes. Its East-West extension is — Two groups of mountain ranges diverge to the West of the
between 26° 2’E and 169° 40’W longitudes. The Hindu Kush. The Northern group forms the Elburz
Northernmost part of the continent lies within the frozen mountains, which skirts the Southern shores of the
Arctic region. Equator, Tropic of Cancer and Arctic circle, Caspian sea and continues Westwards. The Southern
all are passing through this continent. Except some of the group forms the zagros mountains extends along the
islands of Indonesia, Asia is situated entirely in the Arabian sea and overlooks the Persian Gulf. They enclose
Northern hemisphere. Its North-South extent is 6440 km the plateau of Iran. Moving Westward, these two ranges
and its East-West extent is 9650 km. converge at the knot of Mount of Ararat.
— To the North of Asia lies the Arctic ocean, to the — Two groups of mountain ranges diverge Westward from
South-the Indian ocean, to the East-the Pacific ocean and Mount Ararat. The Pontic mountains in the North and the
the Mediterranean sea lies to the West. It is separated Taurus mountains in the South enclose the plateau of
from Europe by the Ural mountains, the Caspian sea, the Anatolia, formed of ancient rocks.
Black sea and the Caucasus mountains and the strait of
— The Karakoram and the Himalayan Ranges Running to the
Dardanelles in the West. Red sea and the Isthmus of Suez
South-East of the Pamir Knot, contain some of the highest
separate it from Africa. Bering strait separates it from
peaks of the world. Mount Everest and K 2 belong to the
North America.
Himalayas and the Karakoram ranges respectively.
Some of the largest glaciers of the world are also found in
Physical Features —

Karakoram range. Between these two ranges in the South

According to relief, Asia may be divided into five major and Kunlun range in the North, is the Tibetan plateau.
physical divisions, they are as follows: Further North, Tarim basin is located between the Kunlun
— The Northern Lowlands (plains) Extending between the in the South and the Tien Shan in the North.
Ural mountains in the West and Lena river in the East, — Eastern part of the Tibetan plateau has a complicated
there is vast lowland in the Northern part of the continent, relief. All mountain ranges turn Southwards forming
sloping towards the Arctic ocean. It is called the Siberian parallel chains. To the South-East of Tibetan plateau lie
plain. While the Western half of this plain is a flat area mountain ranges with a North-South trend. Some of these
made of sedimentary rocks and the Eastern part is an ranges continue Southwards through Myanmar.
eroded plateau. It is drained by the rivers such as Ob, — One of these ranges continues through Andaman and
Yenisei and Lena. They originate from the highlands and Nicobar islands up to Sumatra and Java. Some, ranges
mountains of Central Asia and flow Northward. continue through Malay Peninsula before turning into
— Due to prolonged winter in the polar region, the lower Borneo and extending up to Philippine islands.
courses and mouths of these rivers remain frozen for — In between the Tien Shan mountains in the West and the
several months. As such the water flowing from the upper mountain chains of North-East Siberia, there is a broken
course gets blocked and spreads over a large area making crescent of ancient fold mountains—the Altai, the Yablonoi
the land marshy. Lake Baikal, the deepest lake of the and the Stanovoy ranges. In between these ranges, there
world is located in Siberia. It holds about 20% of the are huge desert basins viz., the Tarim basin and the vast
world’s total unfrozen fresh water reserve. cold desert of Gobi.
100 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

— The Southern Plateaus To the South of the central — The central mountains and inter-montane plateaus are
mountain belt, there are some plateaus made of very old cold and covered with snow throughout the year.
metamorphic rocks. They form the major part of the Mawsynram in Meghalaya is the wettest place in the
peninsulas projecting Southward from the mainland of world. Asia also contains the largest area in the world with
Asia. They are the plateau of Arabia, the Deccan plateau very low rainfall extending from the Red sea to Mongolia.
and the plateau of Yunnan, together known as the plateau — The warm Kuroshio current moderates the winters of
of Indo-China. All three jut into the sea forming South Japan and cold Oyashio makes the winters of North
peninsulas. The Deccan and Yunnan plateau are called Japan and Kamchatka very cold. Verkhoyansk in the
dissected plateaus because they have been eroded by North-East Siberia is the coldest place in the Northern
monsoon rains and cut into deep river valleys. The hemisphere recording a mean January temperature of
Arabian plateau is a hot desert. -45°C. During summer several places in the North-West
— The Great River Valleys In between mountains and India and in the Persian Gulf, area record about 33°C
plateaus, there are some of the most fertile river valleys of temperature.
the world viz., the Tigris-Euphrates, the Indus, the
Ganga-Brahmaputra, the Irrawaddy, the Mekong, the Natural Vegetation and Wildlife
Sikiang, the Yang-Tse-Kiang and the Hwang Ho. — Almost all vegetation belts can be seen in Asia in some
— The Island Groups This is the location of most of the part or the other.
islands to the East and South-East of the continent. There — Tundra or Polar Forests Along the Northern coast of Asia
are three major island groups, i.e., Indonesia, Philippines is the Tundra belt. This area is covered with snow for a
and Japan. Most of these islands have mountainous core major part of the year. Precipitation is about 30 cm
surrounded by narrow coastal plains. annually and winter precipitation occurs mostly in the
— Earthquakes and volcanoes occur frequently in this region form of snow.
because of the Pacific Ring of Fire. Volcanic ash from — Summer is short and cool whereas winter is long and
past eruption provides extremely fertile soil in some areas severe. Under such conditions, the plants do not attain
like Sumatra and Java. Some islands still have active much height. Vegetation consists mainly of mosses and
volcanoes. The violent volcanic eruption of Krakatau blew lichens. The reindeer is the most important animal.
up an island and raised a cone out of the sea in the — Siberian Forest To the South of the Tundra, there is a
Sunda strait between Sumatra and Java. much broader belt of coniferous forests called Taiga. They
form a wide belt of coniferous forests that stretch across
Climate the continent.
— In winter, the interior part of Asia becomes extremely cold. — Precipitation varies between 25 and 50 cm. Winters are
Temperature falls below freezing point due to the great long and severe and summers are warm and last for only
distance from the sea. Hence, the air contacts and about three months.
becomes dense and heavy, forming high pressure area
— As evaporation is little, even small amount of precipitation
over Mongolia.
is sufficient for the growth of trees. This region is known
— Winds blow outward, since they blow from land, they are for the softwood trees such as pine, fir and spruce.
dry. As a result, most parts of Asia do not get rain during Fur-bearing animals such as fox, sable and mink are
winter. But while blowing over the sea, these winds pick found here.
up moisture and may cause rainfall in some areas. Tamil
— Temperate Forests Temperate grasslands, known as the
Nadu part of India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines,
Steppes, form the next belt South to the Taiga. It is known
Japan, Vietnam and Sri Lanka get winter rain due to this
as dry grassland. It is a narrow belt from the Lake
moisture.
Balkhash and Siberia in the East to Ukraine in the West.
— From Mediterranean coast of West Asia to Punjab, plains
— These forests are found in North and Central China, South
get winter rain because of depressions over the
Japan and South Korea.
Mediterranean sea. In summer, summer monsoon winds
bring life-giving rain to most parts of South and South-East — Winters are cold and summers are fairly hot. Annual
Asia. In South-East Asia, South China and Japan monsoon rainfall varies between 20 and 40 cm as evaporation is
winds blow in the South-East direction from the Pacific high, so rainfall is not sufficient for the growth of trees.
ocean which lies to the East, but in India, South-West Hence, grasslands are luxuriant, but treeless. Grass eating
winds bring summer monsoon rain. animals such as antelopes are most common.
Magbook ~ Continents 101

Desert Forests Large parts of South-West and Central Asia

—
are deserts. While deserts of Arabia and Thar in Australia
South-West Asia are hot, Gobi and Tibet in Central Asia are — Being the world’s largest island, Australia is the smallest
cold. This region is characterised by desert vegetation. continent, which is also known as Island continent or
— Due to unfavourable conditions for plant growth like Southern continent. It is the only country in the world that
scanty rainfall, only shrubs, thorny bushes and poor covers the entire continent. Australia together with New
quality of grasses can grow here. The yak is found in the Zealand and other islands is known as Oceania or
high plateau regions. Australasia.
— Monsoon Forests South, South-East and East-Asia have — It stretches West to East from 112° 09’ E to 154° E
monsoon forests. Summer is hot and humid here. Rainfall longitude and North to South from 10° S to 44° 30’ S
varies between 60 and 1250 cm and takes place mostly in latitudes. It lies entirely South of the equator and to the
summers. Winter is mostly mild and dry. South-East of Asia. The Tropic of Capricorn passes almost
— Monsoon forests have many useful trees such as teak, through the middle of the continent. Its total area is
sal, bamboo and sandalwood. Elephants are found in 8112000 sq km, covered 5.3% land area of the Earth. Its
these forests. In North-East Asia, the climate is generally greatest extent from North to South is 3200 km and from
cooler and hence monsoon forests give way to temperate East to West is 4000 km.
woodlands. — It lies between the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is
— Equatorial Forests Extreme Southern portions of Asia, surrounded by the Timor sea in the North-West, Arafura
which are closer to the equator, have equatorial rain sea and Gulf of Carpentaria in the North, Great Barrier
forests e.g. Malaysia, Indonesia, Southern Sri Lanka and Reef in the North-East and Great Australian Bight in the
the Philippines. South. To the South-East of mainland lies the mountainous
island of Tasmania.
— The climate is always hot and wet, so plants and trees are
tall with broad leaves. These forests are dense and
contain a variety of trees, plants and bushes. Apes,
Physical Features
monkeys and various types of animals are found in these — Australia lies at the center of its own plate, the Australian
forests. plate. New Zealand, younger and less stable, lies at the
— Coniferous Forests These forests are associated with convulsive convergence of the Pacific and Australian
temperate climate. They are found in Russia, Japan and in plates. Australia divided into three major physical
the Himalayan region at an altitude between 1600-3300 m divisions. They are the Western plateau, Central lowland
above the sea level. They provide softwood which is used and the Eastern highlands.
as timber and for making paper-pulp and rayon. The Western Plateau
It is a vast plateau occupies nearly two-third of the
Drainage System —

continent. Mostly, it is flat and covered with small shrubs.

Drainage system of Asia is grouped according to the seas they The plateau is made up of old rocks. It is rich in minerals
flow into, which are as following such as coal and iron ore.
— The Arctic Ocean The rivers such as Ob, Yenisei and Lena — Most of the plateau is a desert or a semi-desert. Ayers
flows into the Arctic ocean.
rocks is the largest monolith in the world, found in the
— Inland Drainage Syr Darya and Amu Darya flow into the Aral
central desert. The Pinnacle desert has pointed limestone
sea amd river Jordan flows into the Dead sea.
pillars jutting out from the desert.
— The Indian Ocean River Indus, Ganga, Brahmaputra,
Irrawaddy and Salween flow into branches of the Indian ocean — The MacDonnell and Musgrave Ranges are low mountains
and river Tigris and Euphrates flow into the Persian Gulf. that rise from the plateau. The Nullarbor plain is a treeless
— The Pacific Ocean The Mekong, the Menam, the Sikiang, the plain in the Southern part of this plateau. It rises out of the
Yang-Tse-Kiang, the Amur and the Hwang Ho flows into the Great Australian Bight which is a wide bay to the South.
Pacific ocean.
Central Lowland
Sea and their Bordering Countries — It extends from the Gulf of Carpentaria in the North,
Sea Bordering Countries across the continent to the Southern shore of Australia.
The average elevation of the region is less than 150 m. At
Adriatic Sea Albania, Italy, Croatia
Lake Eyre, it is about 12 m below sea level.
Black Sea Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine
Caspian Sea Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Russia — The Murray and the Darling are the major rivers of
Mediterranean Sea Morocco, Italy, Egypt Australia flowing through the Southern part of the Central
Red Sea Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Eritrea lowlands. All the rivers flowing through this lowland are not
able to reach the sea. Most of them fall into the inland
102 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

lakes. Thus, a great part of Central lowland around the — Forests are found near the coast where rainfall is heavy.
Lake Eyre is a region of land drainage. The grasslands and scrublands are found in the drier
— Owing to the scanty range, most of the lowland is very interior parts. Trees like palm, bamboo, birch and cedar
dry. Fortunately, some water is obtained from the grow in the forests of the North-Eastern coastal region. The
artesian wells. These wells are dug deep into the ground forests of Tasmania and the South-Eastern and
and the water flows out continuously and automatically. South-Western parts of Australia are of the temperature
type. They have mainly eucalyptus trees.
Eastern Highlands — The grasslands of Australia are of two types : tropical and
— These are found nearly parallel to the East coast of temperate. The tropical grasslands are found in the North.
Australia. They extend from Cape York Peninsula in the They are called Savannas. The temperate grasslands found
North to Tasmania in the South. They form a long belt of in the Murray-Darling basin are called Downs. The
elevated plateaus and are known as the Great Dividing vegetation of semi-arid regions consists of salt-bush and
Range. They, are broad and low in the North whereas in mulger plants. Cactus and thorny grass plants are found in
the South they are narrow and high. more arid parts.
— Mount Kosciuszko with a height of 2228 m is the highest — Many of the animals of Australia are marsupials. These
peaks in Australia. Some of the peaks in this part are animals have a pouch-like fold of skin near the stomach in
covered with snow in winter. which they can carry their young ones. The kangaroo,
— Most of the rivers of Australia rise from the Eastern wallaby and koala are well known examples of marsupials.
highlands. Those flowing towards the East are short and Dingo is a wild dog. Platypus is a strange animal. It is an
swift. Their valleys form useful routes to the interior. animal-bird that survives under water, walks on the ground
These valleys are used by the railways. and digs tunnels under the ground. It is a four-legged
— Off the North-East coast of Australia extends a very long animal that lays eggs like a bird.
ridge-like feature known as the Great Barrier Reef. This — The emu is a large-sized bird which cannot fly but can run
world famous reef is more than 1900 km in length and fast, like the ostrich of Africa. The kookaburra is called the
its distance from the coast varies from 30 to 240 km. laughing jackass because of its peculiar laugh-like call. The
lyrebird is a great mimic.
Climate
— Most of the Australia is dry. The Eastern, North-Eastern, Europe
South-Eastern and South-Western parts of the country — Europe is a small continent ranks sinth in area i.e,
come in the way of winds blowing from the sea. These 10498000 sq km. It covers from 34° 51’ N to 81° 47’ N
parts receive heavy rainfall. latitude and 24° 33’ W to 69° 03’ E longitude. Its
— The Eastern highlands act as a great barrier to these North-South extent is 4300 km and East-West extent is
rain-bearing winds. The rainfall, therefore, decreases 5600 km. It is bounded with the Arctic ocean in the North,
considerably towards the West. A large part of Central the Atlantic ocean in the West and the Mediterranean sea in
and Western Australia has scanty or no rain at all. Thus, the South. In the East, it is separated from Asia by the Ural
a hot, desert type of climate is found in the vast interior mountains, the Caucasus mountains and the Caspian sea.
of Australia. — Europe is made up of several peninsulas and islands. Most
— The Southern coast of Australia enjoys the of its land is within a few hundred km of the sea, as large
Mediterranean type of climate. The island of Tasmania arms of sea have penetrated deep into the land. Its
receives plenty of rain from the winds blowing from the coastline is indented. It provides good sites for natural
West throughout the year. harbours and ports. Many of the bays and seas surrounding
— The Northern part of Australia receives rains from the this continent are shallow.
monsoon winds in summer. These are winds that change — They offer one of the best fishing grounds in the world.
their direction with the change in season. This region is Europe is drained by many navigable rivers that flow in every
cool and dry in winter, and warm and wet in summer. direction.

Forests, Grasslands and Wildlife Political Divisions

— Eucalyptus is the most common tree in Australia. They — In the Northern part, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and
are evergreen trees and are known most commonly as Denmark are collectively known as Scandinavian countries.
the gum trees. Some of the varieties such as Jarrah and A large part of Russia and nine independent republics of
Karri are valuable for their timber. Some eucalyptus trees the former Soviet Union are parts of Europe. Of these
produce oil. Wattle is a tree bears golden flower in Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia are together known as the
summer. Baltic states.
Magbook ~ Continents 103

— Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxemburg are called the low The Central Uplands
countries. Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro), Slovenia, — It consists of mountains, hills and plateaus. The Meseta
Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Macedonia, Bulgaria, Greece, in Spain and Portugal, the Massif Central and Jura
Romania and Albania are known as the Balkan states. Italy mountains in France, the Black forest in Germany and
and Greece situated in Southern Europe. Vatican City is a several low ranges in the Czech and Slovak republics
small and independent state in a part of Rome. It is the seat are parts of this region.
of the Pope and the headquarters of the Roman Catholic
— Two major rivers; i.e. Rhine and Rhone, flow through
Church.
this region have broad valleys. Rhine flows Northwards
— The British Isles include the two main islands of Ireland whereas the Rhone flows Southwards. A canal connects
(comprising Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic) and the two rivers making it possible to cross the continent
Great Britain (Scotland, Wales and England) as well as a through waterways.
number of small islands. Europe and Asia as one common
landmass, known as Eurasia. The Alpine System
— This is a chain of high mountains located in the South.
Physical Features The age of these is the same as that of the Atlas
Europe may be divided into four major physical divisions , which mountains in Africa and the Rocky mountains in North
are as follows: America. This chain stretches from the Atlantic ocean in
the West to the Caspian sea in the East from where it
The North-Western Highland further extends into Asia.
— It extends from Finland through Sweden, Norway and the — These mountains have high peaks, steep slopes and
British Isles to Iceland. The Northern part of this highland is deep valleys. Mount Blanc (4807 m) is the highest peak
called the Fenno scandian Shield. These shield rocks are of the Alps. The other important mountain ranges are
the oldest exposed rocks in Europe, where glaciers have the Pyrenees, the Carpathian and the Caucasus. The
scraped off the sedimentary rocks. The area is fairly rich in highest mountain peak of Europe is Mount Elbrus (5633
metallic minerals such as iron and copper. But it is almost m) in the Caucasus.
without fossil fuels such as coal, oil and natural gas, which
— These mountain systems generally have a series of
are associated with sedimentary rocks.
ranges that run parallel to one another forming folds.
— The soils are coarse and least fertile in this shield. The Such fold mountains develop when the land is gradually
Western edge of the shield is buckled into mountains. Along compressed from two opposite sides, as a result of
the Norwegian coast, they reach into the Atlantic ocean internal movements beneath the Earth’s crust.
creating fjords. These are deep valleys cut by glaciers and
now filled with sea water. Climate
The North European Plain — A major part of the continent lies in the temperate zone.
But considering its latitudes, Europe’s climate is
— It extends from the Urals in the East to the Atlantic coast in
described as mild. Several factors like relief, its
the West. Its Westward extension may be seen in the British
proximity to the seas, the Westerlies and the North
Isles. This plain is broadest in the Eastern part and narrows
Atlantic drift influence the climate of Europe and make
down towards the West.
it mild. Europe lies in the region of the Westerlies. As
— This plain is bounded in the North by the White sea and
such, most of the time, the wind blows from the
North-Western highlands and in the South by the Central
South-West. Since there is no mountain system from the
uplands. Its landscape is low, flat and gently rolling. It has
North to the South, there is no obstruction for these
long been an important farming area. In some cases, hills
winds. As a result, these winds blow deeper into the
have been eroded into basins such as the London and Paris
land and modify the temperature.
basins.
— The warm waters of the North Atlantic drift keep the
— This plain is drained by large navigable rivers. The Seine
seas along Western Europe ice-free. The Westerlies
and the Rhine are the important rivers joining the English
blowing over these currents carry warmth further inland.
Channel and the North sea respectively. The Danube, the
On their way, they also pick up moisture and cause a
Dnieper, the Don and the Volga are other important rivers.
fair amount of rainfall. Since, these are permanent
— In several places, this plain is underlaid with deposits of winds, rainfall is also fairly well distributed all throughout
high grade fossils such as coal, oil and natural gas. These the year. It is generally heavy in the West and decreases
deposits extend into the North sea where oil exploration and towards the East.
production on a large scale is now taking place.
104 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

— The moderating influence of the Westerlies and nearness — 49° N latitude forms the boundary between Canada and
to the seas and oceans keep summers warm and winters USA and the 100° W longitude divides North America into
cool in Western Europe. In winter, fogs are common. This more or less two equal parts. The Tropic of Cancer and
type of climate is typically maritime and is known as the the Arctic Circle pass through this continent. Five time
West European type. zones are found in this continent. There are seven small
— The moderating influence of the ocean is reduced states of Central America situated in this continent along
Eastward. As a result, in Central and Eastern Europe, with Canada, USA and Mexico. A group of islands known
summers are hot and winters are very cold and rainfall is as West-Indies are also included in this continent.
also less. Such a climate with wide variation in the annual — The Atlantic ocean surrounds North America in the East,
range of temperature and moderate rainfall is called Pacific ocean in the West and Arctic ocean in the North. It
continental climate. Southern Europe comes under the stretches between Alaska in the North-West and Labrador
influence of offshore winds during summer. Hence, in the North-East. In the North-West, the Bering strait
rainfall is confined to winter alone. Summers are hot, long separates it from Asia and in the South-East, the Isthmus
and dry. Winters are warm and wet. This type of climate is of Panama joins it to the South America. The continent
called the mediterranean type. breaks off into a series of cold and barren islands to the
— The area North of the Arctic Circle has an extremely cold North.
climate. Precipitation is very scanty and mostly in the form — The largest island in the North-East is Greenland, which is
of snow. Summers are short with long and warm days. under the control of Denmark. In the South, continent
The Sun is visible even at midnight for a brief period. The tappers to a narrow strip of land known as Central
land is covered with snow for the major part of the year. It America, which connects North America and South
is called Tundra climate. America. Northern part like Greenland, Alaska and
Canada belong to the cold frigid zone. In the Southern
Vegetation part, the warm beaches of the tiny Caribbean islands and
— In the mediterranean region, trees are required to stand a the tropical rainforests of Central America lie in the
long summer drought. Hence, they are small in size, but tropical zone.
have deep roots. Their leaves are small, thick and glossy.
Olive, fig, grapes and oranges are the most common fruits Physical Divisions
of this region. North America can be divided into four major physical
— In the Northern part, beyond the Arctic Circle, the divisions as follows
vegetation is of the Tundra type consisting of lichens, The Canadian Shield
moss and a few stunted trees. South of the Tundra lies the
— It covers nearly half of Canada in the North. It is formed of
Taiga region. It is a region of coniferous forests. Pine,
ancient hard rocks. Due to continuous erosion and
spruce and fir are common trees. It has some coniferous
weathering, its average height has been reduced to less
trees and mostly broad-leaved deciduous trees which
than 300 to 400 m. A large part of it is covered with
shed their leaves in winter. Oak, ash and poplar are the
swamps and a number of lakes like the Great Bear,
most common trees of this region.
Winnipeg and the Great Lakes (Lake Superior, Lake
— In the South-East part of Europe, there are extensive Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake Erie and Lake Ontario).
grasslands called the steppes. Compared to the prairies of
— Its Northern part remains covered with snow and ice for
North America, these grasses are shorter. This region
most of the year. The Southern parts of the shield are the
extends from the Danube valley in Romania to Ukraine,
lowlands of the Great Lakes and the St Lawrence river.
where grasses are taller. The plains of Hungary are an
The famous Niagara falls is located between the lake Erie
extension of this plain.
and lake Ontario. The shield is a treasure house of
mineral resources like gold, silver, nickel, iron, copper,
North America platinum, radium, cobalt and uranium.
— North America occupies 16% of the total area of the The Eastern Highlands
world. It is the third largest continent after Asia and Africa,
— These are fold mountains that stretched from the valley of
covering an area of 24474000 sq km including Greenland
river St Lawrence to South USA. The height of these
and Caribbean Lslands. Its latitudinal extent is from 7° 12’
mountains varies from 1000 m in South-Western
N to 83° 38’ N latitude and longitudinal extent is from 12°
Pennsylvania to 1800 m in Mount Washington. They are
08’ W to 172° 30’ W longitude. Its North-South extent is
not continuous as the Cordilleras.
7400 km and East-West extent is 5700 km.
Magbook ~ Continents 105

— These highlands known as the Laurentian highlands in — The summers are hot except in the Northern parts. Only
Canada and the Appalachians highlands in the USA. the Arctic zone and the Western Cordilleras are very cold.
Their Eastern slopes facing the Atlantic ocean are very The Atlantic and the Pacific coasts, especially where they
steep causing waterfalls flows to the coast. A number of are washed by the cold currents are less hot than the
mineral resources like coal, copper and lead are found interior. However, places like New York suffer from heat
here. waves when warm air moves up from the South. Ocean
currents also influence temperature and rainfall in North
The Central Lowland America.
— It lies between the Western Cordillera and the Eastern — The Western coast in the North faces the winds coming
highlands which is extending over a distance of 2000 km. from the West known as the Westerlies. The winds bring
From the delta of river Mackenzie in the North to the edge heavy rainfall to the Pacific coast throughout the year.
of the coastal plain in Texas in the South, its extension is However, parts of South-West United States and
more than 6000 km. North-West Mexico remain extremely dry. For instance,
— In the West, they are known as high plains because of the Arizona has less than 25 cm of annual rainfall. Hence,
greater altitudes. Canadian shield is its Northern part. The this area is a desert.
Central and Southern parts are a vast low and flat river — The South-Eastern coast comes under the influence of the
basin of the Missouri-Mississippi. This river basin has very trade winds. The North-East trade winds bring equally
fertile soil and is rich in agricultural resources. heavy rainfall to the highlands of East Central America and
The Western Cordilleras the West Indies.
— The Western part of the continent is a mountainous region — In winter, there are wider regional variations in
known as the Western Cordilleras. Parallel ranges of temperature than in summer. Winters are cold over much
young fold mountains stretches from Alaska in the North of North America. Winter temperature is much below the
to Andes in the South along the entire length of the freezing point in the Northern and central parts. Cold
continent. waves are sometimes experienced even on the Northern
shores of the Gulf of Mexico. Rainfall decreases in the
— The Western Cordilleras consist of several parallel ranges.
interior parts. In the extreme North of the continent, the
The rocky mountain is most prominent among them. The
winters are long and snow covers the ground for 8 to 9
Coastal range and the Sierra Nevada are the two other
months. This is an area of permafrost, i.e., permanently
ranges. These ranges enclose a few inter-montane
frozen sub-soil.
plateaus. The Great Basin is the largest inter-montane
plateau of this continent. As the waters of its rivers do not — The summers are short and comparatively cool. During
reach the oceans, it forms an area of inland drainage. this period, only mosses, lichens, grasses etc grow. This
region is known as Tundra. Polar bear, caribou, musk-ox
— South of the Great Basin is the Colorado plateau. The
and reindeer are the important animal of this region.
Colorado river and its tributaries have deep cut valleys in
the soft rocks of this region. At places, many of the gorges — To the South of Tundra region is a wide belt of coniferous
are as much as 1800 m deep. Such very long and deep forests known as the Taiga. The Taiga stretches from
gorges with wall-like sides are known as canyons. The Atlantic to the Pacific across Canada. The forest consists
Grand Canyon of Colorado is the largest. of balsam, fir and white and red pines, which produce
softwood.
— The Western Cordilleras also have many active volcanoes
in Alaska and Mexico. In these areas, heat from the — Similar forests are also found on the higher slopes of the
interior of the Earth penetrates through the cracks to boil Western Cordilleras in the United States. These areas
the ground water and sends it up to the surface in hot experience severe winters and short, warm summers.
springs called geysers. The most famous geyser is the ‘Old Precipitation is less and that too mostly in the form of
Faithful’ in the Yellow Stone National park.The Western snow. The top of mountains are always covered with snow
Cordilleras are covered with forests of fir spruce and and permanent ice.
cedar. The area is also rich in coal, lead, zinc, gold and — South of the Taiga region is the zone of mixed forests lies
copper. in South-East Canada and North-East United States. Here,
rainfall is moderate, winters are cold and summers are
Climate and Natural Vegetation fairly warm. This belt has coniferous as well as deciduous
— The Western highlands and the Appalachian mountain forests. They have trees like beech, birch, maple and oak.
play an important role in shaping the climate of the — Tropical forests are found in Central America, Eastern
continent. These relief features leave the central plains parts of Mexico and the West Indies. Here, rainfall is very
open to the influence of both the cold winds from the heavy and the temperature is always high. The common
North and the warm winds from the South. trees of this forest are palm, mahogany and log wood.
106 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

Grasslands are found in the interior plains of North

—
America. They are known as the prairies. The prairies are
Physical Features
known for tall and nutritious grasses. This zone has very South America can be divided into four physical regions,
cold winters and hot summers. Rainfall is light, occur which are as follows:
mostly in summer.
The Western Coastal Strip
— The extreme South-West part of the United States and
— There is a narrow strip of lowland along the Pacific coast
North-Western Mexico receive very scanty rainfall. They
in the Western part of South America between the
form a rocky and sandy desert. Winters are cold and
oceans and Andes. It stretches from North to South with
summers are hot here. The natural vegetation consists of a
great variations in its width ranging from 80 km to 8 km.
variety of cactus plants and thorny bushes.
It is the longest coastal plain in the world. The coastline
— The mediterranean type of climate is found on the West of South America is smooth and regular. The
coast of California. Here, summers are hot and dry and South-Western coast of the continent has fiords or deep
winters are mild with moderate rainfall. Trees consist of inlets of the sea into mountainous land.
olive, pine, orange and cork oak.
The Western Mountains
Drainage Pattern — Along the Western part of South America, mountains
— Drainage pattern of North America can be grouped run from the Caribbean sea to the very Southern tip of
according to the seas the rivers drained into. River St South America i.e. Magellan’s strait. These are called
Lawrence falls into the Atlantic ocean. It is the busiest the Andes. They formed the second highest mountain
inland water way in North America. The Hudson river flows systems in the world next to the Himalayas. They are
through the Appalachian mountain. It is joined to the Great fold mountains.
Lakes by the Erie canal. — There are three main ranges in the Andes. Two of them
— Swift flowing rivers from the Appalachians have been used on the Eastern side are very high. These ranges come
for hydro-electric power generation. St Lawrence and the closer at a few points and separated again. In between
Great Lakes provide the largest inland waterways in the these ranges, there are high plateaus. The Bolivian
world as they link the highly industrialised parts of USA and plateau is one of them. Lake Titicaca, one of the largest
Canada. lakes of South America, is located in this plateau region.
— The Mackenzie river flows Northward to the Arctic ocean — The Andes have several lofty peaks. Mount Aconcagua is
and passes through a very thinly populated forested region. the highest peak of Andes. It is 7021 m high above sea
The Mississippi river flows Southwards through level. Being a part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, the Andes
well-developed farmlands. It is used to carry goods such as have several volcanic peaks. Some of them are active,
cotton, timber and petroleum.
which others are dormant or extinct. Mount Cotopaxi in
Ecuador and Mount Chimborazo are the highest active
South America volcanoes in the world.
— It is the fourth largest continent and roughly triangular in
shape. It is 12% of Earth’s land, covering an area of
The Central Plains
17819000 sq km. Its latitudinal extent is from 12° 28’ N to — They lie between the Andes and the Eastern highlands.
55° 59’ S and longitudinal extent from 28° 51’ W to 82° W. The Central plains mainly consist of the basins of
The 60° meridian divides the continent length-wise into two Orinoco, the Amazon and the Plata. At the river mouths,
halves. Its East-West extent is 4990 km and North-South there are inlets which are used as harbours.
extent is 7640 km.
— It lies to the South of North America. It is surrounded by
The Eastern Highlands
the Caribbean sea in the North, Atlantic ocean in the East, — The Guyana highlands in the North and the Brazilian
Antarctic ocean in the South and Pacific ocean in the West. highlands in the South along the Eastern coast form the
Most part of the continent lies in the Southern hemisphere. Eastern highlands. The river Amazon separates them.
The equator passes through the Northern part of the They are made of hard old rocks and have steep cliffs
continent. The Tropic of Capricorn runs roughly through the along the East coast and slope, gently towards the
middle. So, about two-third of the continent, lies in the Central plains. Towards the Central lowlands, the Eastern
tropical belt South of the equator. It lies to the West of highlands is known as the plateau of Matogrosso.
Prime Meridian.
Magbook ~ Continents 107

llanas. In the South, in Central Brazil they are

Drainage System known as campos. In this region, there is a
Four major drainage basins are found in South America. They are : distinct dry period and the rain occurs mainly in
The Amazon Basin summer.
— The Amazon is the largest river in the world as it discharges the — In the lowlands of Northern Argentina and
greatest volume of water. It rises in the Andes and after flowing Western Paraguay, it is dry during winter and
through the entire width of Brazil falls into the Atlantic ocean. It is wet during summer. Rains are heavy. This region
6280 km long. The major tributaries of this river are river Caquetá, is covered with thick forests and grasslands,
the Jurua, the Madeira and the Negro etc. locally known as the Gran Chaco.
— Parts of Southern Peru and Northern Chile have a
The Plata Basin
typical hot desert type of climate. This region is
— It is second in size to that of Amazon, having an area which is more
known as the Atacama desert. Its natural
than 4.1 million sq km. Main rivers like Paraguay, Uruguay and the
vegetation consists of scrubs, prickly pear and
Parana form the basin of this Plata river.
cactus. Further South, that is in central Chile,
The Orinoco Basin there is the mediterranean type of climate. This
— It is the third largest drainage system of South America having its region has rainy winters and warm and dry
drainage area of 947940 sq km. It rises in the Guiana highland and summers. Its vegetation consists of evergreen
traverses 2740 km to meet the Atlantic ocean. The Angel Falls is forests with trees having thick and shining leaves,
the highest water fall in the world which is situated on river Churn, which are able to resist to summer droughts.
which is a tributary of river Caroni, which is further a tributary of — In the extreme South, i.e. in the Southern Chile,
river Orinoco. there is the oceanic or marine type of climate.
Rainfall occurs here all the year around. As the
San Francisco Basin region lies in the temperate zone, the climate is
— It is about 2914 km in length flows within Brazil. It originates cool. Its vegetation consists of mixed forests
North-West of the city of Belo Horizonte. where beech and pine are the valuable trees.
— South of the tropical grasslands of Southern
Climate and Vegetation Brazil lies the region of temperate grassland.
— The climate is generally hot due to its situation in the tropic zone. This region has a warm climate with rain all
The Amazon basin which lies close to the equator has an equatorial through the year, although, it rains more in
type of climate. It is hot and wet all the year round. Therefore, this summer than in winter. These grasslands in
region is covered with equatorial rain forests locally known as the Central Argentina are known as the pampas.
selvas. Further South, on the Eastern side of Andes, the
— On either side of the Amazon, forests lies the belt which has the desert of Patagonia lies. Its climate is dry
Savanna type of climate. This is the region of grasslands. In the because it lies in the rain-shadow area of the
North, in the Orinoco river basin, they are locally known as the Western mountains.
 Self Check Build Your Confidence
1. Which one of the following pairs is correctly matched? 7. Consider the following statements
[IAS 2013] 1. Bosphorus strait divides Asia and Europe and is situated
Geographical Feature Region
in Turkey.
(a) Abyssinian plateau : Arabia
2. Ural mountain is the geographical division between
(b) Atlas mountains : North-Western Africa
European Russia and Asian Russia.
(c) Guiana highlands : South-Western Africa
(d) Okavango basin : Patagonia 3. The largest island in the world—Greenland is an
autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, but
2. Which one of the following is the correct sequence of physiographically, a part of the continent of North
the given continents in the decreasing order of their America.
percentage of Earth’s land? [IAS 2005] 4. Africa is the second largest continent in terms of both
(a) North America, Africa, South America, Europe area and population.
(b) Africa, North America, South America, Europe Which of the statement (s) given above is/are correct?
(c) North America, Africa, Europe, South America (a) 2 and 4 (b) 1, 2 and 4
(d) Africa, North America, Europe, South America (c) Only 2 (d) All of these
3. Which one of the following can one come across if one 8. Arrange the following major and famous mountains in
travels through the strait of Malacca? [IAS 2010] European continent from East to West.
(a) Bali (b) Brunei 1. Alps mountain 2. Pyrenees mountain
(c) Java (d) Singapore 3. Carpathian mountain 4. Caucasus mountain
4. Which one of the following countries of South-West Asia Codes
does not open out to the Mediterranean sea? [IAS 2015] (a) 1, 2, 3, 4 (b) 4, 3, 1, 2
(a) Syria (b) Jordon (c) 1, 4, 2, 3 (d) 2, 3, 4, 1
(c) Lebanon (d) Israel
9. Consider the following statements about the Great
5. Consider the following countries Plains of USA
1. Australia 2. Namibia 1. Great plains of USA is situated between Rocky mountain
3. Brazil 4. Chile and Appalachian mountain.
Which of the above countries does the Tropic of Capricorn 2. Mississippi and Missouri river system drains the Great
pass? Plains from North to South.
(a) Only 1 (b) 2, 3 and 4 3. Great Plain is devoid of any mineral resources like Ganga
(c) 1, 2 and 3 (d) All of these Plain of India.
4. It is extensively cultivated for rice and wheat.
6. Match the following [IAS 2009]
Which of the statements given above are correct?
List I List II (a) 1 and 2 (b) 2 and 4 (c) 1 and 3 (d) All of these
(Geographic Feature) (Country) 10. Consider the following statements regarding South
A. Great Victoria Desert 1. Australia American continent
1. Llanos is the fertile plain of Savanna climate situated in
B. Grand Canyon 2. Canada
Eastern Brazil.
C. Lake Winnipeg 3. New Zealand 2. Patagonia desert is a hot desert situated in the Western
D. Southern Alps 4. USA margin of South American continent.
3. Pampas is the temperate grassland of South America
Codes
that is famous for pastoral industry.
A B C D
4. Pantanal is the world’s largest wetland of any kind lies in
(a) 1 2 4 3
Central South America.
(b) 1 4 2 3
Which of the statements given above are correct?
(c) 3 2 4 1
(a) 1 and 2 (b) 3 and 4
(d) 3 4 2 1
(c) 1 and 3 (d) All of these

1. (b) 2. (b) 3. (d) 4. (b) 5. (d) 6. (b) 7. (d) 8. (b) 9. (a) 10. (b)
Chapter eleven
India : Physical Aspects
Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Maldives,
Geographic Profile Bhutan, Sri Lanka and sometimes, even
India is a country of great geographical Afghanistan. Indian Standard Time is
The land of India is —
extent. It stretches from the calculated on the basis of 82.5° E
characterised by great longitude. It passes near Allahabad. It is
snow-capped Himalayas in the North to
diversity in its physical Sun-drenched coastal villages of the 5 hours 30 minutes ahead of Greenwich
features. The North has a South, the humid tropical forests on the Mean Time (GMT).
vast expanse of rugged South-West coast, the fertile
topography consisting
Brahmaputra valley on its East to the Geological Structure
Thar desert in the West.
of a series of mountain — The geological structure, which includes
— Lying entirely in the Northern
ranges with varied hemisphere, the mainland extends the arrangement and deposition of rocks
peaks, beautiful valleys between 8°4’ N and 37°6’ N latitudes in the Earth’s crust, plays a dominant role
and 68°7’ E and 97°25 ’ E longitudes and in determining the relief of land and
and deep gorges. The nature of soil.
measures about 3214 km between North
South consists of stable It also helps in knowing about the vast
and South extreme latitudes and about —
tableland with highly 2933 km between East and West mineral wealth buried beneath the Earth’s
dissected plateaus, extreme longitudes. surface. Some rocks are badly deformed
denuded rocks and — It has a land frontier of about 15200 km. and metamorphosed, while others are
The total length of the coastline of the recently deposited alluvium that has yet
developed series of to undergo diagenesis.
mainland, Lakshadweep islands and
scarps. In between these Indian rocks can be divided into following
Andaman and Nicobar islands is —
two, lies the vast 7516.6 km. categories based on their formation in
North-Indian plain. — Countries having a common border with different periods of the Geological Time
India are Afghanistan and Pakistan to the Scale (GTS):
North-West, China, Bhutan and Nepal to
the North, Myanmar to the far East and
The Archaean Rock
Bangladesh to the East of West Bengal. System
Sri Lanka is separated from India by a — These are the oldest rocks of the Earth
narrow channel of sea formed by the crust. They have been found at the
Palk Strait and the Gulf of Mannar. bottom of the stratified (sedimentary)
— The country can be divided into six deposits in all countries of the world.
zones, mainly North, South, East, West, — They are often called as the fundamental
Central and North-East zone. It has 29 complex or the basement complex. They
states and 7 union territories. form the foundation of all ancient
— The terms ‘Indian sub-continent’ and plateaus and core of all remove folded
‘South Asia’ are often used mountain ranges of the world, including
interchangeably. It includes India, Great Himalayas.
110 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

— Distribution in India The Archaean rocks are found The Dravidian Rock System
enormously in the Peninsular India— Odisha, Madhya Pradesh,
Chhattisgarh, Chota Nagpur plateau, Meghalaya plateau, (Palaeozoic : 600-300 Million Years Age)
Bundelkhand from North of Vadodra (Baroda) to the Aravallis — This system consists of the following:
of Rajasthan and the whole length of the Himalayas with the — Cambrian rocks Best developed in North-West
exception of Sikkim. Himalayas, Spiti valley, Kullu and Lahaul (Himachal
— Archaean systems are devoid of any form of life, they are all Pradesh) Baramulla (Kashmir) and Kumaun hills
(Uttaranchal). Sandstone, shales and dolomite are the
azoic or unfossiliferous.
main rocks.
The Dharwar System — Ordovician rocks Developed in spiti valley, Lidder valley,
Kumaon region. Quartzite, sandstone, grits and
— In The state of Karnataka is the district of Dharwar where these limestones are the main rocks.
rocks were first studied. — Devonion rocks Developed in Spiti valley and Kumaon.
— These are the most ancient metamorphosed sedimentary Quartzite is the main rock.
rocks. — Carboniferous rocks Developed Spiti valley, Kashmir,
— The major rocks of the Dharwar system are hornblende, schist, Shimla, Pir-Panjal, Kumaon, Chotanagpur plateau and
quartzite, slates and dolomite. Chhattisgarh. Sandstone, limestone, clay, shale and coal
are the main rocks.
— They are highly metalliferous and rich in ironore, manganese,
lead, zinc, gold, silver, mica, copper, precious stones and
building material. The Dharwar rocks are also found in Bellary
Gondwana System
and Mysore (Karnataka). — First discovered in Gond region of Madhya Pradesh,
consists of sandstones, shales and clay. They also
— Kolar Gold Fields are located in Kolar district of Karnataka,
have rich deposits of iron ore, copper, uranium,
where mining is done to the depth of more than 3.5 km, which
antimony, sandstone, slate and conglomerates.
is one of the deepest in world.
— The Gondwana rocks are found in the Damodar
— These rocks are also found in Jharkhand, Bastar
valley, Mahanadi valley and along Godavari from
(Chhattisgarh), Sundergarh, Keonjhar (Odisha), Jaipur,
Nagpur to its delta. Most of the good quality of coal
Palanpur (Rajasthan) and Meghalaya plateau.
deposits (bituminous and anthracite) are found in
The Cuddapah System this area. About 98% of the coal of India is found in
them. In the Himalayas, they are found in Kashmir,
— These rocks are typically found in the Cuddapah district of Darjeeling and Sikkim.
Andhra Pradesh. Apart from Cuddapah district, they are also
found in Kurnool district (Andhra Pradesh), Chhattisgarh, The Deccan Trap
Singhbhum (Jharkhand), Kalahandi and Keonjhar (Odisha) and
Aravallis.
(Cretaceous Period)
— Sprawling over Kachchh, Kathiawar, Gujarat, Madhya
— The Cuddapah rocks are rich in iron, copper, manganese,
Pradesh, Maharashtra and parts of Andhra Pradesh.
cobalt, nickel, asbestos, jasper and quartzites.
It is made of lava deposits and has a thickness of
— These rocks are also generally without fossils. The metallic about, 3000 m and covers over 5 lakh sq km of area.
contents in the ores of Cuddapah are low and at places
uneconomical for extraction.
— It is the result of intense volcanic activity, in which
The Vindhyan System large quantity of basaltic lava outpoured slowly
(placid or Hawaiian type), which assumed such a
— The Vindhyan system extends from Sasaram and Rohtas in
great thickness. Basalt obtained from here are used
Bihar to Chittorgarh in Rajasthan. The mountains form the
for building road.
boundary line between the Ganga plain and the Deccan
plateau. — The regur soil developed on it, Which is good for
cotton cultivation.
— They are also found in Bastar, Bhima valley (Karnataka) and
Kurnool district (Andhra Pradesh). Recent Formations (Pleistocene)
— The metallic minerals are not found in them, but are rich in — The Indo-Gangetic plain, Valley of Kashmir, Dun
durable stones like flagstone, ornamental stones, valley, Brahmaputra valley (massive beds of clay,
diamondiferous (well known diamond mines of Panna and sandy or calcareous silt, mud and sand). Recent
Golconda), limestone, pure glass making sand, red sandstone, formations are divided into Bhangar-old alluvium and
sandstone, building material and raw material for cement and Khadar–new alluvium.
chemical industries.
Magbook ~ India : Physical Aspects 111

The width of the mountain chain decreases from the

Physiography of India —
West to East, but its height goes on increasing in the
The Indian mainland can be divided into five physiographic units same direction.
as follows:
The Greater Himalayas or the
(i) The Great Himalayas of North
Higher Himalayas
(ii) The Great Plains of North India
(iii) The Peninsular Plateau — This is the highest range of Himalayas. The average
(iv) The Coastal Plains height of this range is 6000 m whereas its width is
(v) The Islands 120-190 km. Most of the world’s important peaks are
located in this range. Major peaks are Mount Everest
The Great Himalayas of North (8848 m), Kanchenjunga (8586 m), Mount Nanga
— Regarding the evolution of Himalayas, the Geosynclinal Parbat, Nanda Devi, Kamet and Namcha Barwa. The
Theory of Kober and the Plate Tectonics Theory of Harry highest peak of the world is Mount Everest, located in
Hess are considered most acceptable. this range (in Nepal).
According to the Plate Tectonic Theory of Harry Hess — Moreover, the Greater Himalayas are separated from the
— There was a marginal sea called Tethys sea in place of the Lesser Himalayas by the main central thrust.
Himalayas and it separated the Angara land in the North and
Gondwana land in the South. The Indian plate was attached to
The Lesser Himalayas or the
the Gondwana land. About 70 million years ago, the Indian Lower Himalayas
plate in the South moved in the North-Eastern direction towards — The average height of this range is 3700 - 4500 m and
the Eurasian plate. About 20-30 million years ago, these two its average width is 80-100 km. This range includes the
landmasses got very close, due to which the sediments in the peaks such as Pir Panjal, Dhauladhar, Mussoorie, Nag
Tethys sea got folded and Himalayas were evolved. Tibba and Mahabharat.
— By about 10 million years before present, all the ranges of
— The Lesser Himalaya is famous for its scenic and healthy
Himalayas got fully developed. The Greater Himalayas were
formed in the Eocene and Oligocene periods of the Cenozoic
hill stations, e.g. Shimla, Kullu-Manali, Mussoorie and
era. The Lesser Himalayas were formed due to folding of the Darjeeling etc. Moreover, the Lesser Himalayas are
Potwar sediments in the Miocene period. The Shiwaliks were separated from the Shiwaliks by the main boundary
formed in the Pliocene period due to the sediments brought fault.
from the Greater and the Lesser Himalayas.
Shiwaliks (The Outer Himalayas or the
— The evolution process continued in the Pleistocene and
Sub-Himalayas)
Holocene period of the Neozoic or Quaternary era. Himalayas
are in fact young mountains, which are still in the evolutionary — This range is 10-50 km wide and 900-1200 m high.
process. The earthquakes in this region, continuous change of Unlike above two ranges, this range is not continuous.
course by the Himalayan rivers and the lake deposits called This is the most recent part of Himalayas.
Karewas found in the Pir Panjal range at a height of 1500-1850 — Between Shiwalik and Himachal, there are several
m indicate towards the on-going process of the evolution of
valleys, e.g. Kathmandu valley. In the Western side,
Himalayas.
these valleys are called as Duns and Duars in Eastern
The Trans-Himalayas side. e.g. Dehradun and Haridwar. Since, these valleys
— These ranges have been formed even before the formation have fertile soils, so they are densely populated. The
of Himalayas. These are especially found in the Western lower parts of Shiwalik are called Terai. It is a marshy
part of Himalayas. area covered with thick forest covers. To the South of the
Terai region is found the Great Boundary Fault, which
— It includes the Karakoram, Ladakh, Zanskar ranges etc.
extends from Kashmir to Assam.
Mount K2 or Mount Godwin Austen (8611 m) is the highest
peak of India, situated in the Karakoram range. Moreover, The Eastern Hills or Purvanchal
Trans-Himalaya is separated from the Great Himalaya by — These highlands consists of hill ranges which passes
the Suture zone. through Eastern Arunachal Pradesh and states having
— The Himalayas extends from Nanga Parbat in the West to common border with Myanmar (Burma).
Namcha Barwa or Mishmi hills in the East. There are two — In the North, lies a high mountainous land called Dapha
syntaxial bends like Hair-pin Turns. Bum (highest point 4578 mts). The Patkai Bum starts
— These bends have been formed due to the pressure exerted from the Southern end of the Dapha Bum, after running
by the Peninsular plateau in the North-Eastern direction. for some distance along the Indo-Burma boundary. It
These ranges have convex slope towards the Peninsular merges into Naga range. Saramati (3826 mount) is the
Plateau and concave slope towards the Tibetan Plateau. highest peak of the Naga range.
112 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

— The Patkai Bum and Naga Range forms the water shed state, the Mizo Hills (previously known as Lushai hills)
between India and Burma. in Mizoram and Tripura hills in Tripura. Height of the
— Further South, this mountainous belt is called Manipur range falls gradually Southwards. The range and the
Hills (generally less than 2500 m in elevation) in Manipur valleys runs generally in North-South direction.

Mountain Passes of India

Name State Features

Banihal Jammu and Kashmir This is a pass across the Pir Panjal range at 2832 m. This mountain range separates the
Kashmir valley in the Indian State of Jammu and Kashmir from the outer Himalaya and plains
to the South.

Chang La Jammu and Kashmir Highest mountain pass in Ladakh. The Chang La is on the route to Pangong lake from Leh.

Fotu La Jammu and Kashmir It La is a mountain pass on the Srinagar-Leh highway in the Himalayas Zaskar range in India.

Khardung La Jammu and Kashmir It is historically important as it lies on the major caravan route from Leh to Kashgar in Central
Asia.

Namika La Jammu and Kashmir It is one of two high passes between Kargil and Leh, the other is Fotu La pass, which is highest
point on the highway.

Zojil La Jammu and Kashmir This is a high mountain pass in India, located on the Indian National Highway-1 between
Srinagar and Leh in the Western sections of mountain range.

Bara-Lacha Himachal Pradesh Also known as Bara-Lacha pass, it is a high mountain pass in Zaskar range connecting Lahaul
La district in Himachal Pradesh to Ladakh in Jammu and Kashmir.

Rohtang Himachal Pradesh It is a high mountain pass on Eastern Pir Panjal range of the Himalayas, around 51 km from
Manali. It connects the Kullu of Himachal Pradesh, India.

Shipki La Himachal Pradesh The river Sutlej enters India through this pass.

Jelep La Sikkim It is a high mountain pass between India and Tibet in East Sikkim district of Sikkim. The
famous Menmecho lake lies below the Jelep La pass.

Lipulekh Uttarakhand It is a Himalayan pass connecting the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand in the Pithoragarh
district in India with the old trading town of Talakot in Tibet.

The Great Plains of North India (i) Bhabar region This region is found along the foothills of
— It is also called the Indus-Ganga Brahmaputra plain. It Shiwaliks from Indus to Tista without any break. Its width
extends for a distance of about 3200 km and its width is 8-16 km. Since, it is made up of stones and pebbles, it
is highly porous which make rivers disappear beneath
varies from 150 km to 300 km. The Great Plains of North
the ground in this region.
India were formed in the Pleistocene and Holocene periods
of the Neozoic or Quaternary era. This is the most recent (ii) Terai region This region is found to the South of the
Bhabhar region. The underground streams of the
geographical unit of India. These plains have been formed
Bhabar re-emerge on the surface and give birth to
by the process of Tethys sea becoming narrower and
marshy area. The speed of river flow in this region is
shallower and by the deposition of sediments brought by slow. This is the region of dense forests and high
the peninsular rivers. biological diversity.
— These plains are almost featureless and attains a maximum (iii) Khadar region It is made up of new alluvium. In this
height of 204 m. The land around Ambala acts as the water region, floods bring new alluvium every year. Khadar
divide in this plain, because the rivers on its Eastern side region is generally found in the delta regions. e.g. the
drain into the Bay of Bengal and those on its Western side Ganga-Brahmaputra delta spread in India and
drain into the Arabian sea. Bangladesh is a Khadar region.
— On the basis of characteristics of the alluvium, surface (iv) Bhangar region It is that higher part of the plains,
gradient, drainage channels and regional traits, this plain is where the flood water cannot reach. It is made up of old
divided into the following four parts: alluvium. It is often seen in the structure of a terrace.
Magbook ~ India : Physical Aspects 113

Difference Between Ganga Plain

Bhabar and Terai Regions — It is very vast and the largest unit of the Great Plain of
Bhabar Terai India. According to conveniece it is divided into three
sub-divisions, namely, Upper Ganga Plain, Middle Ganga
Lies along the foot of Shiwvaliks Lies South of Bhabar and runs Plain and Lower Ganga Plain. Upper Ganga Plain
and runs parallel to it. parallel to it.
comprises course of Yamuna river, Middle Ganga Plain
8-16 km wide. 20-30 km wide. comprises Eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar and Lower
Comprise of pebble and finer Composed of comparatively Ganga Plain covers some districts of Bihar and whole of
alluvium. finer alluvium. West Bengal.
Stream of water disappear and Underground stream of bhabar Rajasthan Plain
flow underground. re-emerge on the surface and
give birth to marshy areas.
— Thar or Great Indian Desert covered by sand dunes is the
Westernmost region of Great Indian Plains in the Western
Not much suitable for Most part of Terai area is Rajasthan. A semi-arid plain, lying to the East of Thar
agriculture. reclaimed for agriculture.
desert is known as Rajasthan Bagar. The Luni is the only
It extended from Sindhu to Tista The water flowing below the South-West flowing river of this region. The Sambhar
continuously. surface of Bhabar comes out. (largest), the Kuchaman and the Didwana are important
The river in it disappear due to It is low level plain where the lakes situated to the North of Luni Basin.
permeability of soil and other water of river spread over and
particle found in Bhabar. Only makes it swampy land. It is a Brahmaputra Plain
big river flows on surface. malaria affected area. — The low plains formed by the Brahmaputra river system is
situated between Eastern Himalaya (Arunachal Pradesh) in
Difference Between the North, Patkai and Naga hills in the East,
Bhangar and Khadar Regions Garo-Khasi-Jaintia and Mikir hills and lower Ganga plain
and Indo-Bangladesh border in the West.
Bhangar Khadar

Old alluvium, always above the New alluvium, flooded almost

The Peninsular Plateau
level of flood plain. every year characterised by clay — Covering an area of about 16 lakh sq km, the peninsular
Impregnated with calcareous soil which is fertile intensive uplands form the largest physiographic divisions of India.
concretions known as Kankar, agriculture is practised. It is It is a part of the ancient Gondwana land and is in
Not suited for cultivation called Bet in Punjab. triangular in shape. With a general elevation between
known as Dhayas in Punjab.
600-900 m, the region constitute an irregular. traingle with
its base lying between Delhi ridge in the West and
Rajmahal hills in the East, with a part of its Northern
Doab portion buried under the alluvilium of Ganga and Yamuna.
It refers to a tract of land lying between two converging or — It is bounded by the Aravallis in the North-West,
confluent rivers. In the Western region of seven rivers, where Hazaribagh and Rajmahal in the North-East, the Western
Aryan settled first, the sequence of doabs from West to East are ghats (Sahayadri) in the West and Eastern ghats in the
is Sindhu Sagar doab of Indus and Jhelum, Chhaj doab of East.
Jhelum and Chenab, Rechna doab of Chenab and Ravi, Bari — The Peninsular plateau of India is divided into several
doab of Ravi and Beas, Bist doab of Beas and Sutlej. parts Central highlands, Deccan plateau, Eastern plateau,
Western ghats and Eastern ghats.
The Northern Plain — Central Highlands The Central highlands are a wide tract
of hilly country that includes the Rajasthan uplands, the
— This lies to the West of the Indus river. It is mainly made up
Madhya Bharat plateau, the Bundelkhand uplands, the
of the old alluvium i.e. Bhangar. Dhoros and Dhands are
Malwa plateau bounded by Aravalli range in the West and
important feature here. Dhoros are depressions formed by
the Satpura range in the South. The highest peak of
the former rivers and Dhands are alkaline lakes.
Aravallis is Gurushikhar (1722 m) near Mount Abu
Punjab-Haryana Plain (1158), being the only hill station of Rajasthan.
— This plain is located to the East and North-East of the — Vindhyan range flanking the Narmada-Son Rift is an
Great Indian Desert (Thar) and West of the Yamuna river. escarpment trending East-West, acts as a watershed
A part of this plain is made-up of doabs from East to between the Ganga system and the river system of
West. Intensive agriculture is practiced in this region. South-India and forms the Northern boundary of Deccan.
114 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

— Satpura range lies between the valley of Narmada in the plateau except for a small portion is included in the
North and the Tapti in the South. Dhupgarh (1350 m, near Deccan Lava region.
Pachmarhi) is the highest peak of Satpura. Amarkantak — The Eastern part of the Karnataka plateau region is
(1064 m) is another important peak of Satpura. moderately large in size and low in elevation. It is known
— Eastern plateau consists of Chota Nagpur plateau, as Maidan whereas the Western part, which is lying close
Meghalya plateau, Mahanadi basin and Dandakarnya. The to the Western ghats is known as Malnad.
rivers, which drain the Chotanagpur plateau are Damodar, — Western ghats run in North-South direction, parallel and
Subarnarekha, Barkar and Koel (North Koel and South close to Arabian sea coast from the Tapi valley to a little
Koel). North of Kanniya kumari.
— The Damodar river divide the plateau into two parts: — The important peaks of Western ghats include Kalsubai
Northern part is called Hazaribagh plateau and the (1646 m), Salher (156 m)’ Kudermukh, Doda Betta (Nilgiri
Southern part is called Ranchi plateau. Highest point of hills), Anaimudi (Annamalai Hills).
the Hazaribagh plateau is Parasnath (1366 m).
— Eastern ghats bordering the Eastern edge of the Deccan
— Meghalaya plateau the Western part of is called the Garo plateau, runs. almost parallel to the East coast of India
hills and the Central part—the Khasi-Jantia hills. In the leaving broad plains between their base and the coast. It
North, it is bounded by Mikir and the Rengma hills. is a chain of highly broken and detached hills starting
Shillong (1961 m) is the highest elevation of this plateau from the Mahanadi in Odisha to the Vaigai in Tamil
Norkek peak (1515 m) is the highest of Garo Hills. Nadu. It is only in the Northern part, between the
— Sahyadris or the Western Ghats occupy most of the Mahanadi and the Godavari, that the Eastern ghats
Maharashtra plateau while Archean crystalline are spread exhibit true mountain character.
over rest of the Deccan. The entire region of Karnataka
Difference Between Western and Eastern Ghats

Western Ghats Eastern Ghats

It runs parallel to the Western coast in a North-South It runs in North-East to SW, parallel to the Eastern coast from
direction from Tapi river to Kanniya Kumari. Odisha to the Nilgiri hills.

Average elevation—900- 1100m. Average elevation—600m.

Average width—50 to 80 km. Width varying from 100 to 200m.

Stands like a continuous wall and can be crossed through Divided into several parts by large rivers.
passes only.

It has structural unity. Structural unity is lacking.

Source of many large rivers from it. No big river originates.

Almost perpendicular to the monsoon and therefore, It is almost parallel to South-West monsoon coming from the Bay
causes heavy rainfall in the West coastal plain. of Bengal and does not cause much rainfall.

The Coastal Plains include Mahanadi delta and Chilika lake. Andhra plain
— The Indian Peninsular plateau is fringed with narrow extends from South of Utkal plain and continue upto
coastal plains. Eastern coastal plains runs from Tamil Nadu Pulicat lake. Tamil Nadu plain extends from Pulicat lake
to West Bengal in the East. Western coastal plains extends to Kanniyakumari.
from Gujarat in the West to Maharashtra, Goa and Kerala. — The Western coastal plain lies between Kerala and
Eastern coastal plains lies between the Eastern ghats and Gujarat and stretches from the Arabian sea to the
the Bay of Bengal, and is more extensive and wider than its Western ghats. These plains feature plentiful rivers and
Western counterpart. They represent an emergent coast, backwaters which result in forming estuaries. The Gulf
while its Western counterpart is an example of submergent of Kachchh and the Gulf of Khambat lie on the
coast. Northern part. The Western coastal plain is separated
— The Northern Circars, amidst the Krishna river and the into three major parts: the Malabar coast, the Konkan
Mahanadi river is the Northern part of Eastern coastal coast and the Gujarat coast.
plains. While the Southern part, the Coromandel coast, Difference Between
runs between the Cauvery and Krishna river. Utkal plains Western and Eastern Coastal Plains
Magbook ~ India : Physical Aspects 115

Western Coastal Plains Eastern Coastal Plains in Great Nicobar Island 6.7° N 93.8°E. Barren island, the
only active volcano in South Asia, is a part of Andaman
Located between the Western ghats Located between the Eastern
and the Arabian sea coast. ghats and the Bay of Bengal group of island.
coast. — Narcondam island, a dormant volcano, is a part of
Narrow plain (average Comparatively broader Andman group of island. Great Andaman is separated
width—64 km) (average width 80—100km) from little Andaman by Duncan passage.
Drained by several short and swift Big rivers like the Mahanadi, — The Arabian sea islands constitutes Amindivi group
streams which are unable to form the Godavari, the Krishna and islands (consisting of Amini, Keltan, Chetlat, Kadmat, Bitra
deltas. the Cauvery have formed large and Perumal Par) and the Laccadive group islands
deltas. (comprising mainly Abdroth, Kalpeni, Kavaretti, Pitti and
There are several lagoons Lagoons are comparatively less Suheli Par).
especially in the Southern part of in this plain. — Minicoy island, the largest of the Arabian sea group of
this plain. islands and Southernmost of the union territory of
The Western plain has indentured The Eastern plain has more or Lakshadweep, is separated from the rest by 9° Channel.
coast which supports many ports. less a straight coast where Lakshadweep islands are of coral origin, which have
good ports are lacking. been developed around volcanic peaks.
It is a submerged coast and hence, Mostly of emergent type
tilting has left no scope for
depositional action of the rivers.
characterised by offshore, fine
sea beaches, sand ridges and Drainage
lagoons. — Drainage basins are those areas, in which water is
concentrated and flows into the drainage network. The
— Great Rann (broad level salt soaked plain in the North of drainage system of India may be divided into the
Kachchh) and Little Rann (Southern continuation of Great Peninsular drainage and the Extra-Peninsular drainage or
Rann) border the Kachchh on all sides except in the West the Himalayan drainage system.
and the South. The Luni and Banas rivers discharge into
Rann forming inland drainage during rainy season. The Himalayan Drainage System
— Kathiawar peninsula lies South of Kachchh with the central — The Himalayan drainage system comprises all the
part consisting of highland (Mandav hills). Mount Girnar international rivers of India, i.e. the Indus, the Ganga and
(1117 m) is the highest point. Gujarat alluvial plain is the Brahmaputra.
formed by the rivers Narmada, Tapi, Mahi and Sabarmati. — Most of these rivers and their major tributaries are
— From South of Gujarat plain, Konkan coastal plain extends perennial in character, obtaining their water from the
from Daman to Goa. It is widest near Mumbai. Karnataka glaciers, springs and rains.
coastal plain extends from Goa to Mangalore. Kerala plain — These rivers are in their youthful stage carving out a
(Malabar plain) extends from Mangalore to Kanniya kumari. number of erosional landforms like waterfalls, cataracts,
rapids, gorges, steep-sided valleys, alluvial fans and river
The Islands terraces.
— The islands of India constitute Andaman and Nicobar
— The regimes of these rivers exhibit wide seasonal
group of islands (Bay of Bengal), Lakshadweep islands
fluctuations, causing devastating floods, especially during
(Arabian sea), riverine and off-shore islands.
the season of general rains.
— Majuli, the world’s largest river island, is present in Jorhat
— Most of the rivers, which rise in the Himalayas are
district in the Brahmaputra river, Assam.
antecedent in nature. These antecedent rivers existed
— Andaman and Nicobar group of islands are thought to be and flowed before the Himalayas were formed.
part of Himalayan system and extension of the Arakan
Yoma range. The Andaman Islands and the Nicobar Islands The Peninsular Drainage System
are separated by the 10°N latitude (10° channel). The — The Peninsular drainage system comprises the
tribes of the Andaman group of islands includes the Great Mahanadi, the Godavari, the Krishna, the Cauvery and
Andamanese, Onges, Jarawas and Sentinelese, all of other numerous West flowing rivers.
Negrito origin, while the tribes of Nicobars are
— The drainage of the Peninsular India is much older than
the Nicobarese and Shompens, both of Mongoloid stock.
that of the Himalayan drainage system. They are mostly
— Saddle Peak is the maximum elevated point of the island seasonal. Their erosional and carrying capacity is low.
group, 750 m; located in North Andaman island. Indira Their channels are more defined and are close to the base
Point is the Southernmost point of Indian territory, located level.
116 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

The Indus System

— The Indus also known as Sindhu has one of the largest river basins of the world, covering an area of 1165000 sq km. In
India, it is 321289 sq km and a total length of 2880 km (in India 1114 km). It originates from a glacier near Bokhar Chu
in the Tibetan region, in the Kailash mountain range.
— It cuts across the Ladakh range and formed a gorge near Gilgit in Jammu and Kashmir.
— The Shyok, Gilgit, Zaskar, Nubra, Shigar and Dras are the major tributaries in the upward region. Afterward, Indus flows
Southward and receives Panjnad a little above Mithankot. The Panjnad is the name given to the five rivers of Punjab,
namely Stlej, Beas, Ravi, Chenab and Jhelum.
— It finally discharges into the Arabian sea, East of Karachi. The Indus flows in India only through the Leh district in Jammu
and Kashmir.
— Jhelum rises from verinag at Pir Panjal range. It flows through Srinagar and Wular lake. It joins Chenab near Jhang in
Pakistan.
— Chenab (1180 km) is the largest tributary of Indus. It is formed by two streams: Chandra and Bhaga, which joins at Tandi
near Keylong in Himachal Pradesh. It also receives water from Bara Shigri glacier.
— Ravi originates from Rohtang pass in Kullu hills of Himachal Pradesh and flows through the Chamba valley before joining
Chenab near Sarai Sidhu in Pakistan.
— Beas originates from the Beas Kund near Rohtang pass. The river flows through the Kulllu valley in the Dhauladhar range.
It meets Sutlej near Harike in the Punjab plain.
— Sutlej originates in the Rakas lake near Mansarovar in Tibet. It passes through the Shipki La in the Himalayan range. It is
an antecedent river, it feeds the canal system of the Bhakra Nagal project.

The Ganga System (Ganga and its Tributaries)

Rivers Source Total Length (km) River Basin (Sq km) Information

The Ganga formed by Rises in Gangotri Total length of 861404 sq km largest ˜ Left bank tributaries : Ramganga,
two head streams glacier of the Great 2525 km, 1450 km river basin in India. Gomati, Ghaghara, Gandak, Burhi
Alaknanda and Himalaya. Above in Uttar Pradesh, Covers more than Gandak and Kosi.
Bhagirathi which join at Devaprayag it is 445 km in Bihar 1/4th of the country’s ˜ Right bank tributaries : Yamuna,
Devprayag. called as Bhagirathi and 520 km in total surface. Son. The Bhagirathi-Hooghly is the
and below it is West Bengal. Western most distributary of the
referred to as the river.
Ganga. ˜ Beyond Farakka it bifurcates itself
into Bhagirathi-Hooghly in West
Bengal and Padma-Meghana in
Bangladesh.

The Yamuna (Largest Rises in Yamunotri 1300 km from its 359000 ˜ Feeded by Bandarpunch glacier.
and the most important glacier, which is source to ˜ Important tributaries : Chambal
tributary of Ganga). West of Ganga Allahabad where it (rises in Mhow in the Vindhya), Son,
source. joins Ganga Betwa and Ken.
˜ It joins Ganga at Allahabad.

The Son (Right bank Rises from the 780 71900 ˜ It joins Ganga near Patna.
tributary of Ganga) Amarkantak
plateau.

Ramganga Rises in the 696 32412 ˜ It joins the left bank of Ganga below
Kumaun Himalaya Farukkhabad.
near Nainital.

Ghaghara Rises from East of 1080 127500 sq km more ˜ It joins the left bank of Ganga near
Gangotri. than half of its basin Chapra (Bihar).
is in Nepal.
Magbook ~ India : Physical Aspects 117

Rivers Source Total Length (km) River Basin (Sq km) Information

Gandak Rises near the 425 (in India) 9540 (In India) ˜ It flows through Central part of Nepal,
Nepal-China border enters Bihar in Champaran district and
at an altitude of turns South-East to join the left bank
7600 m in the of Ganga near Sonepur.
Central Himalaya.

Kosi (formed by the Rises from the peak 730 (In India) 11600 (In India) ˜ It flows through Eastern Nepal, enters
confluence of the Son of Nepal-Tibet. Bihar in Saharsa district and joins the
Kosi, the Arun Kosi and left bank of Ganga below Bhagalpur
the Tamur Kosi). (Bihar).

Damodar Rises in Chota 541 22000 ˜ It joins the Bhagirathi-Hooghly in West

Nagpur plateau in Bengal. It is also known as ‘Sorrow of
the Palamau Bengal’.
district (Jharkhand).

The Brahmaputra System (Brahmaputra and its Tributaries)

Rivers Sources Total Length (km) River Basins (Sq km) Informations

˜ Important tributaries;
Brahmaputra (Tsangpo in Tibet) Rises in the 2960 240000
Chemayungdung glacier Subansiri, Kameng, Dhansiri,
one of the longest river of the (in India)
in the Kailash range and Dihag, Lohit, Tista, Torsa,
world. 580000
Mariam La pass Manas; Burhi Dihing etc.
separates it from (Total area) ˜ It flows through Tibet, India
Mansarovar lake. and Bangladesh and forms the
largest delta of the world
along with Ganga.

The Peninsular River System

Peninsular Rivers Sources Length (km) River’s Basin Areas (Sq km) Informations

Godavari Nasik district of 1465 3.13 lakh ˜ The Penganga Indravari, Pranhitra and
Maharashtra. the Manjra are its main tributaries.
Krishna Mahabaleshwar in 1401 258948 ˜ Koyna, Tungabhadra and Bhima are the
Sahyadri. major tributaries.
Kaveri Brahmagiri hills Kgad 800 81155 ˜ It receives rainfall from both South-West
district in Karnataka. and North-East Monsoon.
˜ Kabini, Bhavan and Amravati are the
important tributaries.
Sabarmati Mewar hills in Aravalli 320 km 21674 sq km shared by ˜ Important tributaries; Hathmati, Sedhi
range. Rajasthan and Gujarat. and Wakul etc.
Mahi Vindhya Range at an 583 km 34862 sq km ˜ Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Gujarat
altitude of 500 m. share the river basin.
Narmada (largest Rises in Amarkantak in 1312 km 98796 sq km which is shared ˜ Left bank tributaries; Tawa Burhner etc.
West flowing Madhya Pradesh. (from its by Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat ˜ Right bank tributaries; Hiran (Dhuan
Peninsular river). source to its and Maharashtra. Dhar or Cloud of Mist Falls is located on
estuary in the this river near Jabalpur.
Gulf of ˜ It flows through a Rift valley between the
Khambhat). Vidhyas and the Satpura range.
Tapi or Tapti Rises near Multai on 740 65145 sq km (In Madhya ˜ Left bank tributaries; Purna, Veghar,
(second largest of the Satpura range in Pradesh, Maharashtra and Girna, Bari and the Panjhara.
West flowing river Betul district (Madhya Gujarat). ˜ Right bank tributaries; Betul, Arunavati,
of Peninsula). Pradesh). Ganjal and Gomal.
˜ It is also known as the twin or handmaid
of the Narmada.
118 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

Differences Between West and East flowing Rivers

West Flowing Rivers East Flowing Rivers

Rivers mainly flow between mountain ranges; Catchments are wide and fan shaped.
hence the catchments are elongated and narrow.

Rivers don’t form deltas on their mouths because of They form deltas and have deltaic deposits.
velocity.

Waterfalls are found on these rivers. No waterfall.

Carry less sediment. Carry more sediment.

Rivers and Feeding Glaciers

Glaciers Rivers

Siachen Glacier Muztagh or Shaksgam River/Numbra River

Zemu Glacier Teesta River

Milam Glacier Gori Ganga

Biafo Glacier Shigar River

Inland Drainage
— Some rivers of India do not reach up to the sea and constitute inland drainage. These rivers are mostly present in the
drier regions of the country like Western Rajasthan, Ladakh and Aksai Chin etc. Ghaggar river is the most important
example of inland drainage. It is a seasonal stream rising from the lower slopes of Himalayas and is said to flow on the
dried bed of ancient river Saraswati. It forms boundary between Punjab and Haryana for much of its length and gets
subsumed in Rajasthan desert.
Types of Lake and their Description
Types of Lake Description Examples

The Tectonic lakes Formed due to the fractures and faults in the Earth’s Nainital, Bhimtal, Wular, Dal lake etc
crust.

The Crater lakes Crater lakes are formed when the craters and calderas are Lonar lake of Buldhana
filled with water.

The Glacial lakes (Tarns) These lakes are the result of glacial erosion. Gangabal lake of Kashmir

Fluvial lakes Rivers from different types of lakes through their Upper, middle and lower courses of the
erosional and depositional work like Ox-bow lakes. Ganga and the Brahmaputra river, Kolleru
lake in Andhra Pradesh
Aeolian lakes These are small depressions lying on the wind blown sand Sambhar and Panchbhadra lakes
surface.

Lagoons Formed by depositions of sand bars along the sea coast. Vembanad, Asthamudi, Kayals of Kerala,
Chilika of Odisha

Inter-State River Water Disputes

— Though India has vast water resources, but these are unevenly distributed. Most of the Himalayan rivers are large, are fed
from glaciers and thus, perennial whereas Peninsular rivers are seasonal and unable to fulfil overwhelming demands of its
riparian states during dry seasons.
— Excessive demand lack of proper supply of waters and their utilisation in, different sectors such as irrigation and
hydropower projects is what causes disputes between riparian states of a river.
Magbook ~ India : Physical Aspects 119

National Water Grid Name Location

— It has been proposed in order to cure the woes of disputing Thalaiyar falls Tamil Nadu (Near Kodaikanal)
states. Such a grid of implemented, will connect the major
Birthi falls Uttarakhand (Panchooli peak)
Himalayan rivers with the Peninsular rivers by means of a
network of canals. It envisages connecting 26 rivers by Vasudhara falls Uttarakhand (near Badrinath)
constructing 30 different link canals.
Kapildhara falls Madhya Pradesh (Narmada river)
— The surplus water of Himalayan, rivers which causes
flooding in Northern plains would be carried over to the
water starved drier Peninsular counterparts. But such a Climate of India
project faces environmental concerns and political
difficulties.
— The climate of India is described as monsoon type.
Despite an overall unity in the general pattern, there are
List of Major Waterfalls in India perceptible regional variations in climatic conditions
Name Location
within the country. It varies from very cold conditions of
the Northern Himalayan belt to hot climate of Rajasthan
Talakona falls Andhra Pradesh (Tirupti) desert to moderate of equable climate of the coastal
Tirathgarh falls Chhattisgarh (Mugabahar river)
areas. Some regional variations in temperature, winds
and rainfall are as follows:
Chulia falls Rajasthan (Chambal river) — Temperature While in the summer the mercury occasionally
Hundru falls Jharkhand (Subarnarekha river) touches 55°C in the Western Rajasthan, it drops down to as
low as minus 45°C in winter around Leh. In general, coastal
Lodh falls Jharkhand (Budha river) areas experience less contrast in temperature conditions.
Dudhsagar falls Goa (Mandovi river) Seasonal contrasts are more in the interior of the country.
— In certain places, there is wide difference between day and
Barkana falls Karnataka (Sita river) night temperatures. In the Thar desert, the day temperature
Unchalli falls Karnataka (Aghanashini river) may rise to 50°C and drop down to near freezing point the
same night. On the other hand, there is hardly any difference
Gokak falls Karnataka (Ghataprabha river) in day and night temperatures in the Andaman and Nicobar
islands and the coastal regions.
Gersoppa (Jog) falls Karnataka (Sharavathi river)
(Highest) — Winds and Rainfall Variations are noticeable not only in
the amount of precipitation but also in the type of
Shivasamudram falls Karnataka (Kaveri river) precipitation. The annual precipitation in Meghalaya exceeds
Palaruvi falls Kerala 1080 cm whereas it is less than 10 cm in Rajasthan desert
and on the North-West Himalayas, such as in the Ladakh
Chachai falls Madhya Pradesh (Bihad river) region of Jammu and Kashmir and Western Rajasthan.
Rajat Prapat falls Madhya Pradesh (Pachmarhi) — The Ganga delta and the coastal plains of Odisha are hit by
strong rain-bearing storms almost every third or fifth day in
Dhuandhar (Marble) falls Madhya Pradesh (Narmada river) July and August, while the Coromandel coast, a thousand
km to the South, goes generally dry during these months.
Nohkalikai falls Meghalaya
— Most parts of the country receive rainfall in June-September.
Elephant falls Meghalaya But some parts like Tamil Nadu coasts get most of its rains
during autumn and early winter. While the Western
Barehipani falls Odisha (Budhabalanga river-Simlipal disturbances bring rainfall to the Northern part of the country
National Park) during winter, in Tamil Nadu, it is the North-East monsoons
that cause rains.
Khandadhar falls Odisha (Kaprani stream)
— There is decrease in rainfall generally from East to West in
Catherine falls Tamil Nadu the Northern plains. In some parts of the country, the
precipitation is in the form of snowfall whereas in greater part
Kutralam falls Tamil Nadu (River Siruvani)
of the country it takes place as rainfall.
120 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

Factors Influencing Seasons of India

Indian Climate Winter Season
— This season starts by late November representing
Location and Latitudinal Extent
clear skies, fine weather, light Northerly winds, low
— The Tropic of Cancer passes through the middle of the country. humidity and temperatures and large daytime
The Southern parts being closer to the Equator, experience variations of temperature. The cold air mass extending
high temperatures throughout the year. The Northern parts on from the Siberian region, has profound influence on
the other hand lie in the warm temperate zone. Hence, they the Indian sub continent (at least all of the North and
experience low temperature particularly, in winter. most of Central India) during these months.
Distance from the Sea — The mean air temperatures usually increase from
— Areas near the coast have moderating influence of sea. On the North to South. The mean temperatures vary from 14°C
contrary interior, location are deprived of the same and to 27°C during January. The rains during this season
experience extreme or continental climate. generally occur over the Western Himalayas, the
extreme North-Eastern parts of Tamil Nadu and
The Northern Mountain Ranges Kerala. Western disturbances and associated trough in
— These ranges protect India from the bitterly cold and dry winds Westerlies are main rain bearing system in Northern
of Central Asia during winter. Furthermore, they act as an and Eastern parts of the country.
effective physical barrier for the rain bearing South-West
monsoons winds to cross the Northern frontiers of India.
Summer Season
— The temperature start to increase all over the country
Physiography in March and by April, the interior parts of the
— The physical features influence the air temperature, atmospheric Peninsula record mean daily temperature of
pressure, direction of winds and the amount of rainfall in 30-35°C.
different parts of the country. — Central Indian land mass becomes hot with daytime
Monsoon Winds maximum temperature reaching about 40°C at many
— The complete reversal in the direction of winds in India brings locations.
about a sudden change in seasons. The harsh summer season — Many places in Gujarat, North Maharashtra,
suddenly giving way to the eagerly awaited monsoon or rainy Rajasthan and North Madhya Pradesh exhibit high
season. These winds have such a far reaching influence on day-time and low night-time temperatures during this
India’s climate that it is termed as monsoon type of climate. season.
Western Disturbances and — Maximum temperature rise sharply exceeding 45°C
Tropical Cyclones by the end of May and early June resulting in harsh
summers in the North and North-West regions of the
— The inflow of Western disturbances which move under the
country. However, weather remains mild in coastal
influence of Westerly jet streams from the Mediterranean sea
areas of the country owing to the influence of land
influence winter weather conditions over most of Northern
and sea breezes.
plains and Western Himalayan region.
— The season is characterised by cyclonic storms,
— The tropical cyclones also develop in the Bay of Bengal. The
which are intense low pressure systems over
frequency and direction of these cyclones influence weather
hundreds to thousands of km associated with
conditions during South-West monsoons over most parts of
surface winds more than 33 knots over the Indian
India and along the Eastern coast during retreating monsoon
sea viz Bay of Bengal and the Arabian sea.
season.
— These systems generally, move towards a
El-Nino Effect North-Westerly direction and some of them recurve to
— Weather conditions in India are also influenced by El-Nino Northerly or North-Easterly path. Storms forming over
which causes widespread floods and droughts in tropical the Bay of Bengal are more frequent than the ones
regions of the world. This warming of tropical pacific waters originating over the Arabian sea.
affects the global pattern of pressure and wind systems — On an average, frequency of these storms is about
including the monsoon winds in the Indian ocean. It is believed — 7.4 per year. Weather over land areas is influenced
that the severest drought of 1987 in India was caused by by thunderstorms associated with rain and
El-Nino. sometimes with hail in this season.
Magbook ~ India : Physical Aspects 121

Local Winds of Hot Weather Season — The nature of the monsoon winds can be described with
reference to the surface distribution of pressure in
— Mango Showers Towards the end of summer, there are
different regions of India during winter and summer
pre-monsoon showers, which are common phenomena in
seasons.
Kerala and coastal areas of Karnataka. Locally, they are
known as mango showers, since, they help in the early Winter Monsoon
ripening of mangoes. — During winter, the weather conditions are generally
— Cherry Blossom With this shower, coffee flowers blossom in influenced by the high pressure area developed over
Kerala and nearby areas. North-Western part of the sub-continent. This results in
— Kalbaisakhi These are dreaded evening thunderstorms in the blowing of cold dry winds from these regions towards
West Bengal and Assam. Their notorious nature can be Southern low pressure areas lying over water bodies
understood from the local nomenclature of Kalbaisakhi, a surrounding peninsular India.
calamity of the month of Baisakh. These showers are useful — Since, these winds are cold and dry, they do not cause
for tea, jute and rice cultivation. In Assam, these storms are rainfall and weather conditions under their influence
known as Bardoli Chheerha. remain cold and dry. However, these North-East
— Loo Hot and dry winds accompanied with dust winds blow monsoon winds while passing over the Bay of Bengal,
frequently over the plains of North-West India. These are collect moisture and bring rain along Coromandel coast.
oppressive in nature and blow in the Northern plains from Summer Monsoon
Punjab to Bihar with higher intensity between Delhi and — During summer, the North-Western parts of India
Patna.
become very hot due to very high temperature. This is
South-West Monsoon Season ascribed to the apparent shift of the Sun in Northern
— The onset of the South-West monsoon normally starts over hemisphere. This results in the reversal of pressure
the Kerala coast, the Southern tip of the country by 1st conditions not only in North-Western India, but also on
June, advances along the Konkan coast in early June and water bodies surrounding the peninsula.
covers the whole country by middle of July. However, onset — As a result, North-East trade winds are replaced by
occurs about a week earlier over islands in the Bay of South-West monsoon winds. Since, these winds are sea
Bengal. bearing and blow over warm water bodies before
reaching land they are moisture laden, causing wide
Retreating/North-East Monsoon Season spread rain over the most parts of India.
— North-East (NE) monsoon or post-monsoon season is — This period of South-West monsoon from June to
transition season associated with the establishment of September is known as the rainy season for most parts
the North-Easterly wind regime over the Indian of the country.
sub-continent.
— Meteorological sub-divisions namely coastal Andhra Jet Streams
Pradesh, Rayalaseema, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and South — The jet streams are strong flowing masses of air that
interior of Karnataka, receive good amount of rainfall flows around high up in the Earth’s atmosphere, at
accounting for about 35% of their annual total in these around the level of the tropopause (situated between the
months. troposphere and the stratosphere).
— Monsoon retreat from North to South in India following — The changes in the upper air circulation over Indian
Southward shifting of low pressure led by Southward landmass are yet another cause for sudden outbreak of
movement of Sun. This wind crosses through Bay of monsoons in India. Jet streams in the upper air system
Bengal and collect moisture to pour over Tamil Nadu and influence the climate of India in the following ways:
adjoining areas.
Westerly Jet Stream and its Impact
Monsoon — During winter, at about 8 km above sea level, a westerly
— Monsoon, derived from mausim is nothing, but the jet stream blows at a very high speed over the
seasonal reversal of winds. In the winter, for six months sub-tropical zone. This jet stream is bifurcated by the
wind blows from land to sea and in summer, for six months Himalayan ranges. The Northern branch of this jet
it blows from sea to lands. stream blows along the Northern edge of this barrier. The
— The Indian agriculture is considered a gamble against Southern branch blows Eastwards South of the
monsoon because agricultural activities over almost all the Himalayan ranges along 25° N latitude.
parts of India are very much dependent upon the monsoon — It is believed by meteorologists that this branch of jet
rainfall. In fact, monsoon is the axis around which the stream exercises a significant influence on the winter
Indian economy revolves. weather conditions in India.
122 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

— This jet stream is responsible for bringing Western — The cooling in turn promotes subsidence and formation
disturbances from the Mediterranean region into Indian of an inversion layer which prevents vertical ascent and
sub-continent. Winter rain and hail storms in consequently, rain formation inspite of the presence of a
North-Western plains and occasional heavy snowfall in hilly moisture laden air.
regions are caused by these Western disturbances. These
are generally followed by cold waves in whole of Northern Climatic Regions of India
plains. — India’s climate is of tropical monsoon type but large size of
the country, topographical contrasts, impact of sea, shifting
Easterly Jet Stream and its Influence pressure and wind belts have cumulative impact on climatic
— During summer, due to the apparent shift of the Sun in elements to exhibit variations and thereby create climatic
Northern hemisphere, the reversal in upper air circulation variety at sub-regional level.
takes place. — Variations may also be observed in respect of other
— The Westerly stream is replaced by Easterly jet stream climatic elements like temperature, pressure, wind
which owes its origin to the heating of the Tibetan plateau. direction and movements, cloudiness, humidity etc.
This leads to the development of an Easterly cold jet stream — W Koeppen, CW Thornthwaite and Triwartha’s
centered around 15°N latitude and blowing over peninsular classification of climate are important, but Koeppen’s
India. This helps in the sudden onset of South-West classification is widely used in India for its simplicity.
monsoons.
— A systematic study of the Indian, climate was made by
Koeppen in 1918, who divided the country into three
Rainfall Distribution in India broad climatic zones: arid, semi-arid and humid.
— The distribution of rainfall in India is quite uneven and the
— These are further sub-divided into sub-types on the basis
regional variations are apparent. The average annual
of seasonal variations in the distribution pattern of rainfall
rainfall is about 125 cm, but has great spatial variations.
and temperature. India can be divided into following
The highest rainfall occurs along the West coast, on the
climatic regions on the basis of Koeppen’s scheme.
Western Ghats, as well as in the sub-Himalayan areas in
the North-East and the hills of Meghalaya (Khasi, Jaintia Climatic Regions of India on the Basis of
and Garo). Koeppen’s Scheme
— Though, the Southern part of Meghalayan plateau gets Tropical Savanna Type (Aw)
more than 1000 cm, but its Northern frontier along with — This is a climate associated with tropical Savanna
Brahmaputra valley gets less than 200 cm rainfall. grasslands and monsoon deciduous vegetation. May is the
— The Western part of Jaisalmer (Rajasthan) is one of the hottest month and the temperature of the coldest month is
driest part of the world having only about 9 cm rainfall. more than 18°C. Rainfall is seasonal with winter, dry
Total rainfall increases generally Eastwards and with height. and the range of temperature is high. Such type of climate
— The larger part of the Gangetic plain and the central is found over major parts of the peninsular India including
uplands receive a moderate amount of rainfall. The rainfall Southern West Bengal and Bihar.
over parts of Punjab-Haryana, Kachchh and Kathiawar Tropical Monsoon Type (Amw)
region of Gujarat is below 60 cm. A narrow strip of land in
— It has a short winter dry season. The rainfall is heavy
the lee side of sahyadris is lying in the rain shadow area
leading to the growth of evergreen rain forests. It
and has below 60 cm of rainfall.
occupies parts of Southern Konkan, Malabar coast,
adjoining Western Ghats, Tamil Nadu plateau and
Reason Behind Formation of Southern areas of Tripura and Mizoram.
Thar Desert
Tropical Moist Type (As)
— This desert is under the spell of the Arabian sea branch of
the monsoon from the month of July to September, a — It is characterised by dry summer season, about 75% of
humid air stream, but marked by the absence of Rain rainfall obtained during September to December. It
Generating Weather System. The monsoon circulation is occupies a narrow zone along the Coromandel coast.
marked by a region of ascent over North-East India and a Semi-Arid (Steppe) Climate
zone of subsidence over North-West India. This pattern of — Here, the mean annual temperature is above 18°C and the
subsidence is responsible for formation of desert condition
rainfall is seasonal (in summer). The rainfall of the rainiest
in Rajasthan. There is a deep and dense layer of dust over
month is roughly ten times higher than of the driest month.
the arid region of Rajasthan, transported from the desert of
It covers rain shadow zone of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu,
Arabian that makes net cooling over the region.
Eastern Rajasthan and some parts of Punjab and Haryana.
Magbook ~ India : Physical Aspects 123

Hot Desert Type (BWhw) Cold Humid Winter Type (Dfc)

— This is an arid climate characterised by high — This is a climate characterised by short summer and cold, humid
temperature (maximum in June), scanty rainfall winter. Average temperature of the coldest month is less than 3°C,
and higher range of temperature. This type of but the average temperature of the warmest month is above 10°C.
climate prevails over the Western parts of It includes Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.
Rajasthan (Thar desert) including the districts of Polar or Mountain Type (E)
Jaisalmer, Barmer and Bikaner. Here, the
— This climate type extends over Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal
monsoonal winds flow parallel to Aravalli hills and
Pradesh. Here, the temperature of summer is less than 10°C.
thus, no orographic rainfall occurs.
Monsoon Type (Cwg) Natural Vegetation and Wildlife
— This climate is characterised by winter dry. The
rainfall received in the rainiest month is 10 times
— India is a land of great variety of natural vegetation. Himalayan
of the driest month. The average temperature of heights are marked with temperate vegetation; the Western Ghats
the coldest month is less than 18°C, but the and the Andaman and Nicobar islands have tropical rain forests;
average temperature of the warmest month is the deltaic regions have tropical forests and mangroves; the desert
above 10°C. It depicts Gangetic temperature and semi-desert areas of Rajasthan are known for Cacti, a wide
regime wherein maximum temperature is variety of bushes and thorny vegetation.
recorded before summer solstice. It spreads over — The total geographical area of India is 3287263 sq km of which
the entire stretch of the Great Plains of India. about 675500 sq km equal to 22.50% is under forests.

Classification of Vegetation
— On the basis of certain common features such as predominant vegetation type and climatic regions, Indian forests can be
divided into the following groups:
Vegetation Regions and their Areas
Vegetation Rainfall Areas Growth of Vegetation Trees
Region
Tropical Wet Annual rainfall above Found in areas below 900 m from Trees do not shed their leaves Chiefly of hardwood
Evergreen 250 cm. Region is mean sea level in Western Ghats and and are in form of three to four type, Rosewood,
forests warm and wet in patches in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, storeys. Ebony, Mahogany,
throughout the year. Kerala, Submontane West Bengal, Abnoos, Bamboo,
coastal Odisha, Andaman and Nicobar Rubber, Cincona
Islands and North-Eastern region. Sandal Red Sauders
etc.
Tropical Annual rainfall Western coast, Assam, on the lower Evergreen trees mixed with Aini, Laurel,
Semi- ranges between slopes of Himalayas and Andaman. deciduous. Rosewood, Bamboo,
Evergreen 200—250 cm. White Cedar, Indian
forests Chestnut, Champa
and Mango.
Tropical Dry Annual rainfall Confined to Tamil Nadu coast. Closed canopy of shrubs and Khirni, Jamun,
Evergreen between 100-125 Precipitation from North-East grasses. Ritha, Tamarind and
forests cm. monsoon. Neem.

Tropical Annual rainfall Eastern slopes of the Western Ghats, Gregarious species, with trees Sal in North, Teak in
Moist between 100-150 North Eastern part of Peninsula and attaining average height central and Western
Deciduous cm. along the foothills of the Himalayas in between 30-40m and shedding parts, Sandal in
forests the Shiwaliks, the Bhabar and Terai. their leaves during spring and Southern part. Sisso
early summer. (Shisham), Mahua,
Neem, Khair etc.
Tropical Dry Annual rainfall A wide and irregular area running Gregarious species, with trees Teak, Tendu, Sal,
Deciduous between 70-100 cm. North-South from foothills of attaining average height Palas, Rosewood etc.
forests Himalayas to Cape. between 30-40 m.
124 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

Vegetation Rainfall Areas Growth of Vegetation Trees

Region

Tropical 50-75 cm rainfall. Eastern Rajasthan, East and North Deciduous with low thorny trees, Acacia, Babool,
Thorny forests Punjab, North Gujarat and parts of reaching hardly the height of 10 Euphorbia, Khair and
Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. m, with a light canopy. Date palm etc.
Desert Annual rainfall Western parts of Rajasthan. Plant generally grow in the form Cactus, Thorny
vegetation between 10-50 cm. of bushes which are widely Bushes etc.
scattered.
Tidal Swamp Area under moderate Thickest at some places in Western The salt water due to tidal Mangroves include
forests rainfall between coast and continues along Ganga, waves is mixed with fresh water Sundari, Coconut,
40—200 cm. Mahanadi, Krishna, Godavari and near low lying coastal areas Pines, Keora, Canes,
Kaveri delta. Best example is help to grow such vegetation. Crew etc.
Sunderbans. They have stilt like roots and
numerous climbers.
Montane Rainfall between Montane sub-tropical forests occur Mixed forests of broad leaved Pines and Oak, Chir
Sub-tropical 75-125 cm. above 1000 m in Eastern Himalayas and conifers. and Acacia.
forests and Western Himalayas.
Temperate Montane temperate forests occur Evergreen coniferous forests. Deodar, Indian
forests above 1830 m in Eastern Himalayas Chestnut, Magnolia,
and above 1500 m in Western Blue pine, Oaks and
Himalayas and also in parts of Nilgiri Hemlock.
and Palni hills. Higher parts of
Western Ghats.
Sub-tropical Annual rainfall Found in areas of Eastern Himalayas They form luxurious forests of Oaks, Chestnuts, Sals
Broad Leaved ranges between and Nilgiri and Palni hills. evergreen species. and Pines.
Hill forests 75-125 cm.
Sub-tropical Found in areas Found in Bhabar region, the Shiwaliks Olive, Acacia,
Dry Evergreen having rainfall and the Western Himalayas upto 1000 Modesta and Pistaca
forests between 50-100 cm. m altitude. are the important
species of trees.
Montane Wet Mean annual rainfall Higher hills of Tamil Nadu and Kerala Deodar, Chilauni
Temperate is 150-300 cm. and in Eastern Himalaya region. Indian chestnut,
forests Birch, Blue pine.
Himalayan Annual rainfall Found in temperate zone of the These forests are mainly Pines, Cedars, Silver
Moist 150-250 cm Himalayas between 1500-3300 m. composed of coniferous species Firs, Spruce etc.
Temperate of trees.
forests
Himalayan Dry Low annual rainfall. Found in inner dry regions of Xerophytic shrubs are mainly Chilgoza, Oak, Olive,
Temperate Himalayas. found in this vegetation. Deodar.
forests
Alpine Forests – Between 2900 - 3650 m in Eastern and The plants are close with or Spruce, Fir, Birch,
Western Himalayas. without conifers. Junipers and
Rhododendron.

India State of Forest Report 2017

— The India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2017 states that India’s forest and tree cover has increased by 8,021 sq km. The
majority of the increase in forest cover has been observed in open forest category (mainly outside forest areas), followed
by Very Dense Forests.
— India follows a policy of keeping one-third of the country’s total land area under forest and tree cover.
— Various Class of Forest – Very dense forest 2.99%, Moderate dense forest – 9.38%, Open forest – 9.8%, Shrub-1.48%
and Non-forest – 77.06%.
— Among all the States and Union Territories, Lakshadweep (90.33%) has the highest forest cover in terms of percentage of
its geographical area, followed by Mizoram (86.27%) and Andaman and Nicobar Islands (81.73%).
However, North-Eastern states of Mizoram, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura and Meghalaya have experienced a
decline in forest cover.
Magbook ~ India : Physical Aspects 125

— The mangrove cover in India has increased by 112 sq km — Among the large carnivores, tiger is an important
following acute conservation in the Sundarbans and Bhitarkanika animal. Most of the tigers survive in wildlife
forest. reserves – tiger sanctuaries and national parks.
They inhabit the foothills of the Himalayan region,
parts of West Bengal, Karnataka Madhya Pradesh
Mangroves and adjoining areas.
Mangrove forests are present all along the Indian coastline in — India had a large population of lions also. However,
sheltered estuaries, creeks, back waters, salt marshes and mudflats
their numbers had declined and today they are
that are specifically the areas of Indian wetlands. Mangrove cover
confined to the Gir forest in Gujarat.
in India accounts for around 3% of the world’s total mangrove cover
and is spread over an area of 4628 sq km in the coastal — Indian forests are home to a number of other
States/Union Territories of the country. Prominent mangrove covers animals including different varieties of bears,
are located in the Andaman and Nicobar islands, the Sunderbans panthers, leopards and deers, antelopes, hyenas,
delta, the Gulf of Kutch and the deltas of the Mahanadi river, jackals, wild dogs, monkeys, langurs and a number
Godavari river and the Krishna river. of species of cats of different varieties. The
Himalayan region is home to yak also.
Certain regions of the State of Maharashtra, Karnataka and Kerala
also have large mangrove covers and Indian wetlands. — Tortoises and turtles of different varieties abound in
water bodies including rivers, seas and lakes etc.
West Bengal has the maximum mangrove cover in the country,
The breading area of the famous Olive Ridley’s
followed by Gujarat and Andaman and Nicobar islands of the
turtles is the coast of Odisha while the Hawksbill
country’s total mangrove cover.
turtles breed on the coast of Tamil Nadu.
The Sunderbans delta, one of the world-renowned Indian wetlands — The first National Park in India was established in
is home to the largest mangrove forest in the world. It lies at the 1936 under the name Hailey National Park. It is
mouth of the Ganga river and spreads across areas of Bangladesh now known as Corbett National Park. India had only
and West Bengal. The Sunderbans is a UNESCO World Heritage 5 National Parks till 1970. More than 165 National
Site, but is recognised separately as the Sunderbans (Bangladesh) Parks have been sanctioned in the country and
and the Sunderbans National Park (India). ‘Kharai came’ is found in about 100 have already been established.
the mangroves areas of India specially in Gujarat's Bhuj area. It is
capable of swimming upto 3 km is seawater. Biosphere Reserves
— Biosphere reserves are areas of terrestrial and
Wildlife coastal ecosystems, which are internationally
recognised within the framework of UNESCO’s Man
— With a great variety in physiographic, climate and habitat, India
and Biosphere (MAB) Programme.
has a wide range of animals and birds in different parts. Total
number of species of animals, birds and insects in India runs — They are required to meet a minimal set of criteria
into several thousand. Species of birds alone number more than and adhere to a minimal set of conditions before
1200. being admitted to the World Network of Biosphere
Reserves designated by UNESCO.
— Among mammal species in India, the elephant is the largest.
Elephants are found in Assam, West Bengal, Uttarakhand, — The programme was initiated in 1986 and till date
Central India and the Southern States of Karnataka, Kerala and 18 sites have been designated as Biosphere
Tamil Nadu. Reserve (BR) in different parts of the country.
— Rhinoceros, the second largest mammal found in India once
inhabited most of the Ganga valley. However, their numbers Endemic Species Found Only
today have been reduced to less than 1500. in India
— They are found in a few areas in West Bengal and Assam today. Endemic species are plants and animals that exist only
Most of them survive under protection in the Manas and in one geographic region. Species endemic to India
Kaziranga reserves in Assam and Jaldapara sanctuary in West include Asiatic Lion, Sangai Deer, Lion Tailed Macaque,
Bengal. Kashmir Stag, Nilgiri Tahr, Purple Frog, Pygmyhog,
Namdapha Flying Squirrrel.
126 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

Biosphere Reserves of India (Area-wise)

Years Name Location State Type Key Fauna Area (km2 )

1986 Nilgiri Biosphere Part of Waynad Nagarhole Bandipur Tamil Nadu Western Ghats Nilgiri, Tahr, Lion 5620
reserve and Mudumalaj Nilambur Silent valley Kerala and tailed macaque
and Anaimalai hills Karnataka
1988 Nokrek Part of Garo hills Meghalaya East Himalayas Red panda 820
1988 Nanda Devi Parts of Chamoli district, Pithoragarh Uttarakhand Western 5860
National Park and district and Bageshwar district Himalayas
Biosphere reserve
1989 Manas Part of Kokrajhar, Bongaigaon, Barpet Assam East Himalayas Golden langur, Red 2837
a Nalbari, Kamrup and Darrang panda
districts
1989 Gulf of Mannar Indian part of Gulf of Mannar Tamil Nadu Coasts Dugong or Sea cow 10500
extending from Rameswaram island in
the North to Kanniya kumari in the
South of Tamil Nadu
1989 Sunderbans Part of delta of the Ganges and West Bengal Gangetic delta Royal Bengal tiger 9630
Brahmaputra River system
1989 Great Nicobar Southern most Islands of Andaman and Andaman and Islands Saitwater crocodile 885
Biosphere reserve Nicobar Islands Nicobar islands
1994 Simlipal Part of Mayurbhanj district Odisha Deccan Peninsula Gaur, Royal Bengal 4374
tiger, Wild elephant
1997 Dibru Saikhowa Part of Dibrugarh and Tinsukia Assam East Himalayas Golden langur 765
districts
1998 Dihang Dibang Part of Siang and Dip and Valley Arunachal Eastern 5112
Pradesh Himalayas
1999 Pachmarhi Part of Betul district, Hoshangabad Madhya Semi-arid Giant squirrel, 498172
Biosphere district and Chhindwara district Pradesh Flying squirrel
2000 Kanchenjunga Parts of Kanchenjunga hills Sikkim East Himalayas Snow leopard, Red 2620
panda
2001 Agasthyamalai Neyyar, Peppara and Shenduruny hills Kerala, Tamil Western Ghats Nilgiri, Tahr, 1828
reserve Nadu elephants
2005 Achanakamar Part of Annupur Dindori and Bilaspur Madhya Maikala hills 3835
Amarkantak districts. Pradesh,
Chhattisgarh
2008 Great Rann of Part of Kachchh, Rajkot Gujarat Desert Indian Wild ass 12454
Kachchh Surendranagara, Patan district
2009 Cold desert Pin Valley National Park and Himachal Western Snow leopard 7770
surroundings;Chandratal and Sarchu Pradesh Himalayas
and Kibber Wildlife Sanctuary
2010 Seshachalam hills Seshachalam hill ranges covering parts Karnataka Eastern Ghats 4755
of Chittoor and Kadapa districts
2011 Panna Part of Panna and Chattarpur districts Madhya Catchment area of Tiger, Chital, 543
Pradesh the Ken River Chinkara, or Sloth
Bear
Magbook ~ India : Physical Aspects 127

These are found in the hot and humid regions. Red soils
Indian Soils —
cover a large part of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra
— India is primarily an agricultural country. The success of Pradesh, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya
agriculture depends upon the fertility of soils. Indian soils Pradesh and Odisha. These soils are poor in phosphorus,
have been used for cultivation for hundreds of years and nitrogen and lime content, but are fairly rich in potash.
have lost much of their fertility. As such, there is urgent Rice, maize, millets, pulses and small grains are the main
need of giving scientific treatment to our soils. crops grown in them.
— Soil is the mixture of rock debris and organic materials Black or Regur Soils
which develop on the Earth’s surface. The major factors — These soils cover about 15% of the total soil area of the
affecting the formation of soil are relief, parent material, country, the black soils are generally known as regur on
climate, vegetation and other life-forms and time. Besides blank cotton soils. Getting their parent material from the
these, human activities also influence it to a large extent. weathered rocks of lava, they stretch over Maharashtra
plateau, region of Andhra Pradesh, Northern parts
Characteristics of Indian Soils of Karnataka, Western parts of Madhya Pradesh and
— The Indian soils have been formed under varied South-Eastern parts of Gujarat.
geographical conditions and differ widely in their physical — These are mature soils, having a high water retaining
properties, chemical composition and fertility level. Most capacity. They are extremely compact and tenacious
soils are old and mature. Soils of the Peninsular plateau are when wet and develop wide cracks when dry. When the
much older than the soils of the Northern plains. soil is wet, it becomes difficult to plough the field as the
— Indian soils are largely deficient in nitrogen, mineral salts, plough gets stuck in mud. These soils are utilised mainly
humus and other organic materials. Plains and valleys have for the cultivation of cotton, millets, maize, pulses and
thick layers of soils while hilly and plateau areas depict thin citrus fruits-oranges, lemons etc.
soil cover. Some soils like alluvial and black soils are fertile
Arid and Desert Soils
while some other soils such as laterite, desert and alkaline
soils lack in fertility and do not yield good harvest. Indian
— These soils are characterised by sandy texture. They are
climate is characterised by seasonal rainfall and our soils rich in mineral salts, but poor in organic matter. The pH
need irrigation during the dry period. Indian soils suffer value is high. These are typical of Rajasthan desert, parts
from soil erosion and other allied problems. of Gujarat, South-West Haryana, South-West Punjab,
where the average annual rainfall is less than 40 cm.
Distribution of Indian Soils — These soils cover an area of 1.42 lakh sq km. This soil is
reddish brown in colour and sandy soils are called bhur.
Alluvial Soils
— These soils occupy over 40% of the total soil area of the — These soils can be reclaimed with the proper
country and are formed through the process of deposition development of irrigation facilities. These soils are
of sediments (sand, silt, clay etc) in layers. Alluvial soils are generally devoted to bajra, pulses (green-gram, black-
classified into newer alluvium (Khadar) and the older gram) guar, fodder, millets, jowar etc.
alluvium (Bhangar). The Bhangar lands are generally above
the flood levels. Mountain Soils
— The Bhangar lands are however, characterised with Bhurs — These soils are found in the sub-mountain tracts of the
(winds deposits) and Usar soils. They are mainly devoted to Himalayas, on the hills of drier regions of the peninsula
rice, wheat, oilseeds, sugarcane, jute, pulses, maize, and in parts of Andaman and Nicobar islands.
millets and fodder. Alluvial soil is found extensively in — The terai soils of the Himalayan foothills are rich in
Northern plains, River Valley plains and Coastal plains. nitrogen and organic matter. In coniferous forest belt of
Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand
Red Soils and Sikkim, brown podzol soils are found.
— These soils develop over the old crystalline and — Mountain soils having a good vegetation cover are rich in
metamorphic rocks. These soils occupy over 18% of the organic matter, but their base-status varies, depending on
total soil area of the country. The colour of the soils is the degree of leaching.
generally red due to high iron content. — This soil is suitable for plantation of tea, coffee, spices
and tropical fruits in Southern regions and wheat, maize
and barley in Northern regions.
128 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

Laterite or Lateritic Soils — This soil has originated from the mechanical disintegration of the
— The name of the lateritic soils has been derived ground rocks or is blown from the Indus basin and the coast by the
from the Latin word later which means brick. prevailing South-West monsoon winds.
These are the typical soils of the monsoon and
humid tropical or equatorial zones characterised
by deep weathered layer from silica, which has
been leached.
— These soils are rich in iron and aluminium, but
poor in humus, phosphorus, potassium, lime
and nitrogen. The reddish colour of these soils
is imparted by the iron and aluminium residue.
— Lateritic soils are found in Odisha, West Bengal,
in some parts of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu,
Kerala, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh Maharashtra
and Madhya Pradesh.

Karewa Soils
— Karewas are the lacustrine deposits (lake
deposits) in the Valley of Kashmir, Bhadarwah
Valley of the Jammu and division of Jammu
Red Soils
and Kashmir. They are composed of finesilt,
Alluvial Soils
clay, sand and boulder gravel. Black (Regur) Soils
— Karewa soils are devoted mainly to the Desert Soils
cultivation of saffron, almond, walnut, apricot, Laterite Soils
Mountain Soils
apple and peach orchards. Karewas of Palmpur, Red and Black Soils
Pulwama and Kulgam (Kashmir valley) are Grey and Brown Soils
famous for the cultivation of superior quality of Sub-mountain Soils
saffron, walnut and almond. Snowfields

Saline and Alkaline Soils Soils of India

— These soils contain huge quantity of salt and Forest Soils

are known as alkaline soils. It is known by
— As the name suggests, forest soils formed in the forest areas, where
different names thur, kari, chopan, reh, kallar
sufficient rainfall is available. The structure and texture of the soil
and usar. They are sandy to loamy sand in
depend on the mountain environment where they are formed.
texture and their pH value is 8.5. This type of
soil is often found in the tracts of Rann of — In the snow-bound areas of the Himalayas, they experience
Kachchh, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, denudation and are acidic with low humus content. These soils are
Punjab, Rajasthan and Maharashtra. found in the lower valleys and are fertile.
— There are many undecomposed rock and Peaty and Marshy Soils
mineral fragments which on weathering liberate — They originate in humid regions as a result of accumulation of large
sodium, magnesium and calcium salts and amounts of organic matter in the soil. This soil is heavy, black and
sulphurous acid. These soils can be reclaimed by highly acidic, but is deficient in phosphate and potash.
providing good irrigation, applying lime or
— Marshy soils are the result of water logging, anaerobic condition of
gypsum and cultivating salt resistant crops. This
the soil and the presence of iron and varying amount of organic
soil is utilised in the cultivation of rice, wheat,
matter. These are found in West Bengal in Tamil Nadu, Central
cotton, sugarcane, tobacco etc.
Bihar and Almora (Uttarakhand).
Magbook ~ India : Physical Aspects 129

Soil Erosion
— It is the removal of soil by the forces of nature more rapidly than the soil forming processes can replace it. Two natural
agents i.e. water and wind are constantly at work indulging in soil erosion. Factors which can influence soil erosion in
India are rainfall, vegetation, nature of the soil, wind velocity, tillage, soil moisture and slope topography.
— Factors which causes soil erosion includes deforestation, faulty cultivation methods, over grazing, forest fires, shifting
cultivation, climate change, urban sprawl and diversion of natural drainage channels by railway embankments and roads.
Types of Soil Erosion
— Wind erosion is significant in arid and semiarid regions.
— Run-off erosion in due to rills and gullies.
— Sheet erosion.
— Splash erosion.

Soil Conservation
— Biological methods include improving the existing surface cover, strip cropping, stubble mulching, vegetative binding and
using organic manures. Other measures can be checking over grazing, reducing surplus cattle, stripping shifting
cultivation and taking preventive measures against forest fires.
— Mechanical measures include contour tillage, contour bunding, terracing, constructing proper drainage channels and
plugging the gullies, basin listing, water harvesting and scientific slope management.
Deforestation
— It is one of the major causes of soil erosion. Plants keep soils bound in locks of roots and thus, prevent erosion. Soil in
irrigated zones of India is becoming saline because of over irrigation. Chemical fertilizers in the absence of organic
manures are also harmful to the soil fertility. Unless the soil gets enoughs humus, chemicals harden it and reduce its
fertility in the long run.
 Self Check Build Your Confidence

1. In India, in which one of the following types of forests is 7. Which among the following statements is/are correct?
teak a dominant species? [IAS 2015] 1. Monsoon rains have very less affect on India's farmlands
(a) Tropical Moist deciduous forest as government intervention has led to a well developed
(b) Tropical Rain forest irrigation system across India.
(c) Tropical Thorn Scrub forest 2. India received 6% less rainfall than normal in the 2013
(d) Temperate forest with grasslands monsoon season.
2. Arrange the following countries in decreasing order with Select the correct answer using the codes given below
respect to the length of border they share with India (a) Only 1 (b) Only 2
1. Bangladesh 2. Pakistan (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
3. Nepal 4. China 8. Which among the following statements is incorrect?
Codes (a) Hot and dry weather in India is characterised by high
(a) 1, 2, 3, 4 (b) 4, 1, 2, 3 (c) 1, 4, 2, 3 (d) 4, 2, 1, 3 pressure system, high temperature, unstable pressure
3. Consider the following statements and wind circulation
(b) The rains caused by thunderstorm in Karnataka are called
1. Western Himalayas rise gradually in a series of ranges,
'Cherry Blossoms'
whereas Eastern Himalayas rise abruptly from the plains
(c) In India, there is variability in rainfall so far as time and
of Bihar and West Bengal.
place are concerned
2. Average annual rainfall in Western Himalayas is less than (d) The climate of India belongs to the tropical monsoon type
100 cms. In Eastern Himalayas, average rainfall is more
than 200 cms. 9. The most reasonable explanation for the presence of
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? Thar desert in Western India is
(a) Only 1 (b) Only 2 (a) that the moisture carried by the South-West monsoon is
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) None of these driven away by the dry upper air current
(b) the evaporation of moisture by heat
4. Which one of the following statements is not correct? (c) the absence of mountains to the North of Rajasthan to
[IAS 2005]
cause orographic rainfall in it
(a) The Western Ghats are relatively higher in their Northern
(d) the obstruction caused by the Aravallis to the rain-bearing
region
wind that proceeds to the Ganga valley
(b) The Anai Mudi is the highest peak in the Western Ghats
(c) Tapi river lies to the South of Satpura 10. Which among the following statements about different
(d) The Narmada and the Tapi river valleys are said to be old seasons in India is incorrect?
rift valleys (a) Post monsoon season is the season of most severe and
5. Which among the following pairs is/are incorrectly devastating tropical cyclones originating in the Bay of
matched? Bengal
(b) During the rainy season, there are certain periods when
Rivers Sources
the monsoons become weak
1. Indus : Near Mansarovar lake (c) The Western disturbances during winter season cause
2. Beas : Baralacha Pass severe rainfall in Southern India
3. Chenab : Near Rohtang Pass (d) The highest seasonal rainfall in winters occurs along the
4. Jhelum : Verinag South-Eastern coast of Tamil Nadu and adjoining parts of
Codes South Andhra Pradesh
(a) 1 and 2 (b) 2 and 3 (c) 3 and 4 (d) 4 and 1
11. What is a mango shower?
6. Consider the following statements about Terai region in (a) Pre-monsoon rainfall in Karnataka and Kerala
India. (b) Rainfall in June to September which is good for
1. It lies North of Bhabar and runs parallel to it. horticulture
2. Most part is reclaimed for agriculture. (c) Rainfall in winter days
3. It is composed of comparatively finer alluvium. (d) Rainfall caused by Western disturbances
4. It is 8-16 km in width. 12. Consider the following statements [IAS 2009]
Which of the statements given above are incorrect? 1. In the world, the tropical deserts occur along the Western
(a) 1 and 2 (b) 2 and 3 (c) 3 and 4 (d) 4 and 1 margins of continents within the trade wind belt.
Magbook ~ India : Physical Aspects 131
2. In India, the East Himalayan region gets high rainfall from 17. Consider the following statements
North-East winds. 1. The presence of phosphates and nitrates make desert
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? soils fertile wherever moisture is available.
(a) Only 1 (b) Only 2 2. Barren sandy soils without clay factor are also common in
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 the coastal regions of Odisha, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
13. Which among the following statements about Indian Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
climate are incorrect? (a) Only 1 (b) Only 2
1 Reversal in upper air circulation takes place in summer (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
due to the apparent shift of the Sun's vertical rays in the 18. Arrange the following soil types in decreasing order with
Northern hemisphere. respect to the area they cover in India.
2. The Western disturbances originate over the 1. Black soils 2. Red soils
Mediterranean sea and travel eastward under the 3. Laterite soils 4. Desert soils
influence of Westerly jet streams. Codes
Select the correct answer using the codes given below (a) 1,2,3,4 (b) 4,1,2,3
(a) Only 1 (b) Only 2 (c) 1,4,2,3 (d) 4,2,1,3
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
19. Which one of the following regions of India has a
14. Consider the following rivers combination of mangrove forest, evergreen forest and
1. Vamsadhara deciduous forest?
2. Indravati (a) North coastal Andhra Pradesh
3. Pranhita (b) South-West Bengal
4. Pennar (c) Southern Saurashtra
Which of the above are tributaries of Godavari? (d) Andaman and Nicobar Islands
(a) 1, 2 and 3 (b) 2, 3 and 4 20. Which of the following statements is incorrect?
(c) 1, 2 and 4 (d) 2 and 3 (a) The Mandovi-Zuari creek in Puducherry is an important
15. Which among the following pairs is incorrectly embankment in the coastline
matched? (b) The Parasnath hill is situated in Hazaribagh plateau
(c) The Kaimur hill belongs to the Vindhyas
Types of soil Characteristics
(d) Mahendragiri is the highest peak of Eastern Ghats
(a) Red soils : High proportion of lime, magnesium,
phosphates and nitrogen
21. What is the geomorphic characteristic of Ganga plain?
(a) A Peneplain (b) A Geosyncline
(b) Black soils : Soil group of hot and dry regions of
(c) A Lacustrine plain (d) A Karst plain
Indian peninsula
22. Consider the following states
(c) Peaty and : Black, heavy and highly acidic
1. Arunachal Pradesh
marshy soils
2. Himachal Pradesh
(d) Arid and desert : Low level of organic matter with high
3. Mizoram
soils percentage of soluble salts
In which one of the above states do tropical evergreen
16. Consider the following statements forest occur?
1. Indian soils are largely deficient in nitrogen, mineral salts (a) Only 1 (b) 2 and 3
and other organic materials. (c) 1 and 3 (d) 1, 2 and 3
2. Soils of the Peninsular plateau are much older than the 23. Which prominent geomorphic feature separates
soils of the Great Northern plain. Shivaliks from the Middle Himalyan range?
3. Animals, insects and man also play an important role in (a) Fault
soil formation. (b) Lacustrine basins
Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (c) Glacial valleys
(a) 1 and 2 (b) 2 and 3 (c) 1 and 3 (d) 1, 2 and 3 (d) Terai and Bhabar regions

1. (a) 2. (c) 3. (c) 4. (a) 5. (b) 6. (d) 7. (d) 8. (a) 9. (c) 10. (c)
11. (a) 12. (a) 13. (c) 14. (d) 15. (a) 16. (d) 17. (c) 18. (a) 19. (d) 20. (a)
21. (b) 22. (c) 23. (b)
Chapter twelve
Indian States and
Union Territories
Neighbouring States Assam and
States —
Nagaland.

Lying entirely in the

Andhra Pradesh — Neighbouring Countries Bhutan,
Myanmar and China.
— Capital Hyderabad
Northern hemisphere, — It is the Easternmost state of India.
— Date of Formation 1st November, 1956 Rajiv Gandhi University is the only
India covers a difference
— Area 160205 sq km university in the state.
of almost 30° in both — State Symbols
— Agriculture is the main occupation of
latitude and longitude. It — Animal Blackbuck
the people of Arunachal Pradesh and
has a land transfer of — Bird Indian Roller Jhum (shifting cultivation) is practised.
about 15200 km and — Official language Telugu. — Arunachal Pradesh is also known as
total length of coastline — Neighbouring States Odisha, Telangana, land of the rising Sun in reference to
Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and its position as the Easternmost state of
is 7516.6 km. Its extreme
Chhattisgarh. India. Also known as the Orchid State
North-South difference — Sea Bay of Bengal. of India.
is 3214 km and — Vishakhapatnam is the major port in the
East-West difference is state. Assam
2933 km. With this — Forest constitute about 22.73% of the — Capital Dispur
vastness, India is divided state’s geographical area. Andhra — Date of Formation 26th January, 1950
Pradesh stands at second position in Area 78438 sq km
into 29 States and 7 terms of mica resource in India.
—
— State Symbols
Union Territories for — It is called the rice bowl of India. — Animal Indian One-horned Rhino
administrative purpose — Andhra Pradesh has the second longest — Bird White-wing Wood Duck
or convenience. coastline of 972 km among the states of — Neighbouring States Meghalaya,
India. Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur,
— Tirupati is an important religious place in Tripura, Mizoram and West Bengal.
the Rayalaseema region. — Neighbouring Countries Bhutan and
Bangladesh.
Arunachal Pradesh
— Assam contributes about 15% of the
— Capital Itanagar world’s entire tea production.
— Date of Formation 20th February, 1987 — It is surrounded by six of the other Seven
— Area 83743 sq km Sister States and is connected to the rest
— State Symbols of India via a narrow strip in West Bengal
— Animal Mithun called the Siliguri Corridor or Chicken’s
— Bird Great Hornbill Neck.
Magbook ~ Indian States and Union Territories 133

Bihar Gujarat
— Capital Patna — Capital Gandhinagar
— Date of Formation 26th January, 1950 — Date of Formation 1st May, 1960
— Area 94163 sq km — Area 196024 sq km
— State Symbols — State Symbols
— Animal Gaur — Animal Asiatic Lion
— Bird Indian Roller — Bird Greater Flamingo
— Neighbouring States Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and West — Neighbouring States Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Madhya
Bengal. Pradesh, Daman and Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli.
— Neighbouring Country Nepal. — Neighbouring Country Pakistan.
— After the separation of Jharkhand from Bihar, Bihar is now no — Sea Arabian sea.
more a mineral rich-state, as most of the mineral-rich belt — Gujarat is the main producer of groundnut and cotton.
has gone to Jharkhand.
Kandla port, on the coast of Gulf of Kachchh lies in
— Bihar is the twelfth largest state in terms of geographical size Gujarat only. It has longest coastline of 1600 km.
and 3rd largest by population according to Census 2011.
— Gujarat has the fastest growing economy in India. It is
Bihar has lowest literacy rate i.e. 63.82%.
also one of the most industrialised states of India and
— Gautam Buddha attained enlightenment at Bodh Gaya, a has per capita GDP above the national average.
town located in the modern day district of Gaya in Bihar.
Vardhamana Mahavira, the twenty-fourth and the last Haryana
Tirthankara of Jainism, was born in Vaishali around sixth — Capital Chandigarh
century BC. — Date of Formation 1st November, 1966
Area 44212 sq km
Chhattisgarh —

— State Symbols
— Capital Raipur — Animal Blackbuck
— Date of Formation 1st November, 2000 — Bird Black Francolin
— Area 136034 sq km — Neighbouring States Punjab, Himachal Pradesh,
— State Symbols Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Rajasthan and
— Animal Wild Buffalo Chandigarh (UT).
— Bird Hill Myna — Panipat is called the weaver city for its handloom
— Neighbouring States Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Telangana products. Haryana is a landlocked state in Northern
Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand. India.
— More than 80% of the population depends on agriculture. — Haryana is self-sufficient in food production and the
But, it is equally rich in mineral deposits. It is an important second largest contributor to India’s central pool of
electrical power and steel producing state of India. foodgrains.
Chhattisgarh is known for kosa silk and lost wax art.
— Yamuna Nagar district is the largest industrial town,
wholly within Haryana. It has Asia’s largest paper mill
Goa belt and Asia’s largest sugar mill. Yamuna Nagar has
— Capital Panaji Asia’s largest timber industry, an HPGCL Thermal Power
— Date of Formation 30th May, 1987 Plant, a hydropower plant and India’s largest railway
— Area 3702 sq km workshop.
— State Symbols — Haryana has lowest sex ratio i.e. 877.
— Animal Gaur
— Bird Black-crested Bulbul
Himachal Pradesh
— Neighbouring States Karnataka and Maharashtra. — Capital Shimla
— Sea Arabian sea. — Date of Formation 25th January, 1971
— Area 55673 sq km
— Goa is one of the favourite destination of tourists, with its famous
beaches. Marmagao is the major port. — State Symbols
— Animal Musk Deer
— It is India’s smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by
— Bird Monal
population. It also has rich flora and fauna owing to its
— Neighbouring States Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab,
location on the Western ghats range, which is classified as a
Haryana and Uttarakhand.
biodiversity hotspot.
134 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

— Neighbouring Country China. — Karnataka is famous for its sandal soap and sandalwood
— Major population groups are the Gaddis, Kinners, Gujjars, oil. It stands first in the production of electronic
Pangawals and Lahaulis. equipments and raw silk. New Mangalore is the major
— Himachal Pradesh is known to be abundant in natural port.
beauty. The economy of the Himachal Pradesh is currently — Many of India’s premier science and technology research
the third fastest growing economy in India. Apple is the centres such as ISRO, Central Power Research Institute,
important fruit produced. Excellent opportunities are BEL and the Central Food Technological Research
available for horticulture and cash crops. Institute are headquartered in Karnataka.

Jammu and Kashmir Kerala

— Capital Srinagar (summer); Jammu (winter) — Capital Thiruvananthapuram
— Date of Formation 26th October, 1947 — Date of Formation 1st November, 1956
— Area 222236 sq km — Area 38863 sq km
— State Symbols — State Symbols
— Animal Hangul — Animal Elephant
— Bird Black-necked Crane — Bird Great Hornbill
— Neighbouring States Himachal Pradesh and Punjab. — Neighbouring States Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and
— Neighbouring Countries Pakistan, Afghanistan and China. Lakshadweep.
— Apart from agriculture, people are involved in handicrafts, like
— Kerala has highest literacy rate i.e. 93.9% and highest
carpet making, shawl making, wood carving etc. Ladakh, also sex ratio i.e. 1084 in India. It has the highest Human
known as Little Tibet, is renowned for its remote mountain Development Index (HDI) in India, higher than that of
beauty and Buddhist culture. most developed countries.
— Kerala is very rich in cash crops especially spices.
Jharkhand Calicut is the major port.
— Capital Ranchi Madhya Pradesh
— Date of Formation 15th November, 2000 — Capital Bhopal
— Area 79714 sq km — Date of Formation 1st November, 1956
— State Symbols — Area 308000 sq km
— Animal Elephant — State Symbols
— Bird Koel — Animal Swamp Deer
— Neighbouring States Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, — Bird Paradise Fly Catcher
Odisha and West Bengal. — Neighbouring States Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan,
— Jharkhand is also known as the storehouse of minerals. Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.
This is because it accounts for 37.5% of country’s coal — Madhya Pradesh, often called the heart of India, is a
reserves, 22% of the iron ore, 40% of its copper, 90% of state in central India.
its mica and huge deposits of bauxite, quartz and — It is the second largest state by area and sixth largest
ceramics. state by population. It is primarily an agricultural state.
— Jharkhand has concentration of some of the country’s — Khajuraho is an important UNESCO site in Bundelkhand
highly industrialised cities such as Jamshedpur, Ranchi, part of Madhya Pradesh.
Bokaro Steel City and Dhanbad.
Maharashtra
Karnataka — Capital Mumbai
— Capital Bengaluru — Date of Formation 1st May, 1960
— Date of Formation 15th August, 1947 — Area 307713 sq km
— Area 191791 sq km
— State Symbols
— Animal Giant Squirrel
— State Symbols
— Bird Green Imperial Pigeon
— Animal Elephant
— Neighbouring States Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh,
— Bird Indian Roller
Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Goa, Dadra and
— Neighbouring States Kerala, Goa, Maharashtra Telangana
Nagar Haveli and Chhattisgarh.
and Tamil Nadu.
— Sea Arabian sea
— Sea Arabian sea.
Magbook ~ Indian States and Union Territories 135

— It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and — Neighbouring Country Myanmar.
third largest state by area. — Agriculture is the major occupation. Jhum or shifting
— It is the industrial powerhouse of India. The world cultivation is still prevalent.
famous bollywood film industry is in Maharashtra, located — The biggest river in Mizoram is Chhimtuipui, also known as
in the economic capital of India, Mumbai. Mumbai and kaladan. Phawngpui Tlang also known as the blue
Jawaharlal Nehru ports are the major ports. mountain, Situated in the South- Eastern part of the state,
is the highest peak in Mizoram at 2210 m.
Manipur
— Capital Imphal Nagaland
— Date of Formation 21st January, 1972 — Capital Kohima
— Area 22327 sq km — Date of Formation 1st December, 1963
— State Symbols — Area 16579 sq km
— Animal Sangai — State Symbols
— Bird Mrs Hume’s Pheasant — Animal Mithun
— Neighbouring States Mizoram, Assam and Nagaland. — Bird Blyth’s Tragopan
— Neighbouring Country Myanmar. — Neighbouring States Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh and
— It is known for its rich biodiversity having a number of Assam.
rare plants, trees and wildlife. Agriculture is the major — Neighbouring Country Myanmar.
source of livelihood for the people. — Agriculture is the most important economic activity in
— There are four types of forest found here: Nagaland, with more than 90% of the population employed
(i) Tropical semi-evergreen in agriculture.
(ii) Dry temperate forest — Nagaland is rich in flora and fauna. About one- sixth of
(iii) Sub-tropical pine Nagaland is under the cover of tropical and sub-tropical
(iv) Tropical moist deciduous evergreen forests including palms, bamboo and rattan as
well as timber and mahogony forest.
Meghalaya
— Capital Shillong
Odisha
— Date of Formation 21st January, 1972
— Capital Bhubaneshwar
— Area 22429 sq km
— Date of Formation 15th August, 1947
— State Symbols
— Area 155707 sq km
— Animal Clouded Leopard — State Symbols
— Bird Hill Myna — Animal Sambal
— Bird Blue Jay
— Neighbouring State Assam.
— Neighbouring States Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh,
— Neighbouring Country Bangladesh.
Jharkhand and West Bengal.
— The State of Meghalaya is also known as the Meghalaya
— World’s longest dam, Hirakud (on Mahanadi) is in Odisha
plateau. It mainly consist of archean rock formations.
only. Paradip is the major port in Odisha.
These rock formations contain rich deposits of valuable
minerals like coal, limestone, uranium and sillimanite. — Agriculture based economy, rice is the main crop in
More than 70% of the area is under forest. Odisha. The Chilika lake is brackish water lagoon, located
in the Southern part of the Odisha coastal plain.
— The wettest place in the world, Mawsynram (in
Cherrapunjee district) is in Meghalaya only.
Punjab
Mizoram — Capital Chandigarh
— Capital Aizawl — Date of Formation September, 1966
— Date of Formation 20th February, 1987 — Area 50362 sq km
— Area 21081 sq km — State Symbols
— State Symbols — Animal Blackbuck
— Animal Hillock Gibbon — Bird Northern Goshawk
— Bird Mrs Hume’s Pheasant — Neighbouring States Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal
— Neighbouring States Tripura, Assam and Manipur. Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan.
136 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

— Neighbouring Country Pakistan. — Tamil Nadu is home to many natural resources, Hindu temples
— Agriculture is the largest industry in Punjab. It is the of Dravidian architecture, hill stations, beach resorts,
largest single provider of wheat to India. Per hectare multi-religious pilgrim sites and eight UNESCO world heritage.
yield is maximum in Punjab. Bhakra dam (on
Sutlej) is the highest dam of India.
Telangana
— Punjab is the only state in India with a majority Sikh — Capital Hyderabad
population. Various small-scale industries are — Date of Formation February, 2014
operational in Punjab such as bicycle parts, sewing — Area 114840 sq km
machine, hand tools and machine tools etc. — State Symbols
— Animal Deer
Rajasthan — Bird Indian Roller
— Capital Jaipur — Neighbouring States Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka and
— Date of Formation 1st November, 1956 Andhra Pradesh.
— Area 342239 sq km — Telangana is situated on Deccan plateau and drained by two
— State Symbols important rivers of India viz; the Godavari and the Krishna. It is
— Animal Chinkara and Camel agriculture dominant state. It has many important centres of
— Bird Indian Bustard tourism due to many ancient place.
— Neighbouring States Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Tripura
Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Haryana Punjab.
— Capital Agartala
— Neighbouring Country Pakistan.
— Date of Formation 21st January, 1972
— It is the largest state of India in terms of area.
Western Rajasthan is a desert region (Thar). Zinc, — Area 10491× 69 sq km
silver, lead, salt are found in abundance. — State Symbols
— Animal Phayre’s Langur
Sikkim — Bird Green Imperial Pigeon
— Capital Gangtok — Neighbouring States Assam and Mizoram.
— Date of Formation 16th May, 1975 — Neighbouring Country Bangladesh.
— Area 7096 sq km — It is the third smallest state of India (area-wise). Tripura is a
— State Symbols landlocked state in North-Eastern India. It has agriculture based
— Animal Red Panda economy.
— Bird Blood Pheasant
— Neighbouring States West Bengal. Uttarakhand
— Neighbouring Countries China, Nepal and Bhutan. — Capital Dehradun
— It is the least populous state in India and the — Date of Formation 9th November, 2000
second smallest in area after Goa. It is a landlocked — Area 53484 sq km
Indian state located in the Himalayan mountains. — State Symbols
Sikkim is the only state in India with an ethnic — Animal Musk Deer
Nepali majority. — Bird Himalayan Monal

Tamil Nadu — Neighbouring States Uttar Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh.

— Neighbouring Countries China and Nepal.
— Capital Chennai
— It has tremendous potential for hydel power. The biggest project
— Date of Formation 14th January, 1969
is the Tehri Dam Project on Bhagirathi river.
— Area 130058 sq km
— Uttarakhand is home to several important educational
— State Symbols
institutions, including the oldest engineering colleges in Asia.
— Animal Nilgiri Tahr
— Bird Emerald Dove Uttar Pradesh
— Neighbouring States Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra — Capital Lucknow
Pradesh and Puducherry. — Date of Formation 15th August, 1947
— Sea Bay of Bengal and Indian ocean.
— Area 240928 sq km
— Neighbouring Country Sri Lanka.
— State Symbols
Magbook ~ Indian States and Union Territories 137

— Animal Swamp Deer

— Bird Sarus (Crane)
Chandigarh
— Neighbouring States Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, — Capital Chandigarh
Delhi, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and — Date of Formation UT since 1966
Bihar. — Area 114 sq km
— Neighbouring Country Nepal. — Neighbouring States Punjab and Haryana.
— Uttar Pradesh is the India’s most populous state as well as the — Chandigarh is one of the most beautiful and
world’s most populous sub-national entity (only 5 nations have more well-planned places in India. It was designed by a
population than Uttar Pradesh). French architect, Le Corbusier.
It serves as a joint capital of Haryana and Punjab.
West Bengal —

— Capital Kolkata Dadra and Nagar Haveli

— Date of Formation 15th August, 1947 — Capital Silvassa
— Area 88752 sq km — Date of Formation 11th August, 1961.
— State Symbols — Area 491 sq km
— Animal Fishing Cat
— Neighbouring States Gujarat, Maharashtra.
— Bird White-throated Kingfisher
— Forest cover about 40% of the total area.
— Neighbouring States Odisha, Jharkhand, Bihar, Sikkim.
— The rich biodiversity makes it an ideal habitat for
— Neighbouring Countries Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Bay of variety of birds and animals. This makes it a perfect
Bengal. spot for eco-tourism.
— Kolkata-Haldia is the major port.
— Agriculture is the mainstay of economy. It is the largest producer
Daman and Diu
of rice in the country. — Capital Daman
— West Bengal is noted for its cultural activities, with the state — Date of Formation 30th May, 1987
capital Kolkata earning the title of cultural capital of India. — Area 112 sq km
— Neighbouring State Gujarat.
Union Territories — Agriculture and fishing dominate the economies of
Daman and Diu.
Delhi — Rice, ragi (finger millet), pulses and beans are
— Capital Delhi among the main crops of Daman.
— Date of Formation December, 1911
— Area 1483 sq km Lakshadweep
— Neighbouring States Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. — Capital Kavaratti
— Delhi is the largest metropolis by area and the second largest — Date of Formation 1st November, 1956
metropolis by population in India. It is the eighth largest — Area 32 sq km
metropolis in the world by population. — Neighbouring States Kerala, Karnataka.
— Delhi is the largest commercial centre of Northern India and is — Sea Arabian Sea.
the largest centre of small industries. Delhi has greater number — It is the smallest Union Territory of India. It is a
of vehicles than the total vehicles of Kolkata, Mumbai and
group of 25 coral islands.
Chennai put together.
— Lakshadweep is India’s largest producer of coconut.
Andaman and Nicobar Islands Puducherry
— Capital Port Blair — Capital Puducherry
— Date of Formation 1st November, 1956 — Date of Formation 7th January, 1963 as
— Area 8249 sq km Pondicherry Union Territory
— Tourism and agriculture are the mainstay of economy. Andaman — Area 479 sq km
is a group of 204 islands, while Nicobar is a group of 19
— In September 2006, the territory changed its official
islands. Out of these, only 36 islands in Andamans and
name from Pondicherry to Puducherry which
12 islands in Nicobars are inhabited. Mangrove forests are
means new village, in the Tamil language.
found in abundance in these islands.
— It is a former French colony, consisting of four
— India’s Southernmost location, Indira Point, is located in Nicobar.
districts viz, Puducherry, Karaikal, Yanam and Mahe.
138 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

Self Check Build Your Confidence

1. Arrange the following Indian states in a chronological Select the correct answer using the codes given below
order with respect to their year of formation. (a) 1 and 3 (b) 2, 3 and 4
1. Gujarat 2. Telangana (c) 1 and 4 (d) All of these
3. Assam 4. Bihar
Codes
7. Which one of the following pairs of islands is separated
from each other by the ‘Ten Degree channel’? [IAS 2014]
(a) 4, 3, 1, 2 (b) 4, 1, 2, 3
(c) 1, 4, 2, 3 (d) 4, 2, 1, 3 (a) Andaman and Nicobar
(b) Nicobar and Sumatra
2. Consider the following statements (c) Maldives and Lakshadweep
1. Telangana is the fourth largest state of India by area and (d) Sumatra and Java
fifth largest by population.
8. Which among the following four districts of Puducherry
2. Haryana and Chhattisgarh are the only two landlocked lies on the Western coast of India?
states in India.
(a) Mahe (b) Yanam
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
(c) Puducherry (d) Karaikal
(a) Only 1 (b) Only 2
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 9. In India, how many states share the coastline?
(a) 7 (b) 8
3. In which one of the following Union Territories, do the (c) 9 (d) 10
people of the Onge tribe live? [IAS 2004]
(a) Andaman and Nicobar islands 10. Consider the following statements [IAS 2006]
(b) Dadra and Nagar Haveli 1. Assam shares a border with Bhutan and Bangladesh.
(c) Daman and Diu 2. West Bengal shares a border with Bhutan and Nepal.
(d) Lakshadweep 3. Mizoram shares a border with Bangladesh and Myanmar.
4. Which among the following states share their Which of the statements given above are correct?
boundaries with the state of Madhya Pradesh? (a) 1, 2 and 3
1. Uttar Pradesh 2. Rajasthan (b) 1 and 2
3. Jharkhand 4. Chhattisgarh (c) 2 and 3
5. Telangana 6. Bihar (d) 1 and 3
Select the correct answer using the codes given below 11. Which among the following states does not come under
(a) 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6 (b) 1, 2 and 4 ‘Seven Sister States’ of North-Eastern India?
(c) 1, 2, 3 and 4 (d) 3, 4, 5 and 6 (a) Arunachal Pradesh
5. Which one of the following pairs of states of India (b) Manipur
indicates the Easternmost and Westernmost state? (c) Mizoram
(d) Sikkim
[IAS 2015]
(a) Assam and Rajasthan 12. Out of the four Southern states, i.e. Andhra Pradesh,
(b) Arunachal Pradesh and Rajasthan Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, which shares
(c) Assam and Gujarat boundaries with the maximum number of Indian states?
(d) Arunachal Pradesh and Gujarat [IAS 2007]
(a) Andhra Pradesh
6. Which of the following states share boundaries with
(b) Karnataka
Uttar Pradesh? [IAS 2005]
(c) Both ‘a’ and ‘b’
1. Punjab 2. Rajasthan
(d) Tamil Nadu and Kerala
3. Chhattisgarh 4. Jharkhand

1. (a) 2. (d) 3. (a) 4. (b) 5. (d) 6. (b) 7. (a) 8. (a) 9. (c) 10. (a)
11. (d) 12. (c)
Chapter thirteen
Resources
Minerals
Resources are Minerals are natural occurring substances having specific physical properties and chemical
everything which is composition. Minerals are base for the development of economy of a country. India is
endowed with variety of minerals which are concentrated in some regions of the country.
useful for human and
necessary The Mineral Belts of India
for development. — Mineral and energy resources are the raw materials for most of the things we use.
India is very rich in Human beings themselves are essential components of resources.
different types of — They transform material available in the environment into mineral and energy resources
resources, especially and use them.

human resources Mineral Belt Location Minerals

because of large North-Eastern Chota Nagpur plateau Coal, iron ore, manganese, mica, bauxite, copper,
working population. Peninsular Belt and Odisha plateau kyanite, chromite, beryl, apatite etc. This region is
covering the states of often called as the mineral heartland of India. This
This large population Jharkhand, West Bengal region possesses India’s 100% kyanite, 93% iron
will be an asset for and Odisha ore, 84% coal, 70% chromite, 70% mica, 50%
development of other fire clay, 45% asbestos, 45% China clay, 20%
limestone and 10% manganese.
natural resources.
Central Belt Chhattisgarh, Andhra Manganese, bauxite, uranium, limestone, marble,
Pradesh, Madhya coal, gems, mica, graphite etc., exist in large
Pradesh and quantities. This is the second largest belt of minerals
Maharashtra. in the country.
Southern Belt Karnataka plateau and Ferrous minerals, bauxite, gold, chromite, lead,
Tamil Nadu. zinc, ilnenite etc.
South Western Karnataka, Kerala and Iron ore, garnet, monazite sand, clay, ilnenite,
Belt Goa soapstone etc.
North-Western Rajasthan and Gujarat, Non-ferrous minerals, uranium, mica, beryllium,
Belt along the Aravalli range. aquamarine, petroleum, gypsum and emerald.

— More than 90% of our mineral wealth is concentrated in the Chota Nagpur plateau
region. Over three-fourth of India’s reserves of coal are in Gondwana troughs. Madhya
Pradesh carries good reserves of manganese ores, coal, limestone and bauxite.
— Tamil Nadu has workable deposits of lignite, manganese, mica and limestone. Karnataka
produces all the gold of India, besides iron, porcelain clays and chrome-ores. Andhra
Pradesh has good reserves of inferior quality of coal and mica. Kerala possesses enormous
concentration of heavy mineral sands. Rajasthan possesses copper, silver, lead, zinc,
uranium, mica, precious stones and low grade coal. Gujarat and Assam produce
petroleum. Gujarat also supplies about 90% of country’s flourite yield. Further, Assam
has reserves of lignite. West Bengal supplies coal and iron ore.
140 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

National Mineral Policy 2019 Bauxite

The National Mineral Policy 2019 includes provisions which will give
— Aluminium is extracted from the bauxite ore. The
boost to mining sector. major bauxite extracting regions in India are Ranchi
and Palamau in Jharkhand; Surguja, Kabirdham
Some of the provisions are :
and Bastas in Chhattisgarh; Shahdol and Balaghat
— Introduction of Right of First Refusal for RP / PL holders.
in Madhya Pradesh; Kolaba, Thane and Ratnagiri in
— Encouraging the private sector to take up exploration. Maharashtra; Belgaum and Bababudan hills in
— Encouragement of merger and acquisition of mining entities. Karnataka; Palni, Javdi and Shevaroy hill regions in
— Creation of dedicated mineral corridors to boost private sector Tamil Nadu.
mining areas. — Presently, India is the sixth largest bauxite producer
— Proposes to grant status of industry to mining activity to boost and has fourth largest bauxite reserves (4%) of the
financing of mining for private sector and for acquisitions of world.
mineral assets in other countries by private sector.
Chromite
— It also mentions that long term import-export policy for mineral
— The metal chromite is made with the mixture of iron
will help private sector in better planning and stability in
and chromium and is used in refractive works and
business.
chemical industries.
— The policy also mentions rationalisation of reserved areas given
— The largest producer of chromite in the country is
to PSUs which have not been used should be rationalised and to
Odisha (90%). Here, Keonjhar and Cuttack districts
put these areas to auction, which will give more opportunity to
are important in this regard. The other chromite
private sector for participation.
extracting regions are Chitradurga and Hassan in
— The policy also mentions to make efforts to harmonise taxes, Karnataka, Ratnagiri and Bhandara in Maharashtra,
levies and royalty with world benchmarks to help private sector. Singhbhum in Jharkhand and Kondapalli in Andhra
Pradesh. India is the third largest chromite
Distribution of Minerals producing country of the world.
Iron Diamond
— About 80% of the total iron ore reserve of the country is the — This is the purest form of carbon and is the hardest
haematite. At present, India is the fourth largest iron ore substance found in the nature. At present, Madhya
producing country of the world. Pradesh is the most important state in terms of
— The major iron ore producing regions of the country are diamond extraction. Here, the major diamond mines
Gurumahisani, Sulepat and Badam Pahar in Mayurbhanj district are in Panna and Satna districts.
of Odisha; Baramjader group extended in Keonjhar and — Raichur and Gulberg of Karnataka and Anantapur and
Sundargarh districts of Odisha, Singhbhum district of Krishna basin of Andhra Pradesh are other regions.
Jharkhand, The extracts of iron ore are found in Bailadila of
Bastar district in Chhattisgarh; Sandur hills at Bellary Hospet Mica
region and Bababudan hills at Chikmanglur district in Karnataka. — Mica’s insulating properties have made it a valuable
Manganese mineral in electronics industry. Andhra Pradesh,
Jharkhand and Rajasthan respectively are its major
— It occurs mainly in Dharwar system of rocks; this is one of the
producers. India is the largest producer of mica in
major raw materials used in iron and steel industry.
the world (60% of world production). The maximum
— The major manganese regions are Keonjhar and Koraput region portion of the country production is meant for export.
in Odisha; Balaghat and Chhindwara in Madhya Pradesh;
Nagpur and Bhandara in Maharashtra; Panchmahal in Gujarat; Gypsum
Vishakhapatnam and Srikakulam in Andhra Pradesh; — This is used in the production of fertilisers, cement,
Singhbhum in Jharkhand; Udaipur and Banswara in Rajasthan. sulphur etc. It is formed in the sedimentary rocks.
Copper Its largest producer is Rajasthan (90%).
— The major copper producing regions are Singhbhum in — The largest producing region in Rajasthan is
Jharkhand; Jhunjhunu, Bhilwara, Alwar and Udaipur in Hanumangarh district. The other districts where
Rajasthan; Balaghat in Madhya Pradesh; Guntur and Nellore gypsum is found are Bikaner, Jodhpur, Nagpur and
districts in Andhra Pradesh. The Khetri mine in Rajasthan has Jaisalmer. Also, gypsum is producer in Doda district
been a major copper extracting region, since the age of Indus in Jammu and Kashmir and Kutch district in
valley civilisation. Gujarat.
Magbook ~ Resources 141

Uranium — A good quality of bituminous coal is found in Jhariya,

Bokaro, Giridih, Karanpura, Ramgarh etc., of Jharkhand.
— In India, uranium is found in the rocks of Dharwar and
Tatapani Ramkola of Chhattisgarh, Talcher coal area of Odisha
Archean series, pegmatite, monazite sands (largest
(Brahmani river valley) and Singreni coal area (Krishna
source) and cheralite. India produces about 2% of Godavari river valley) of Andhra Pradesh are other major
world’s uranium. important areas of coal.
— The most important region for uranium mining is the — Tertiary coal is found in Neyveli (Tamil Nadu, famous for
Jaduguda region of Singhbhum district in Jharkhand. lignite) and Palana (Rajasthan). It is estimated that the largest
The other regions where it is found are Nellore in reserve of lignite is in Mannargudi of Tamil Nadu.
Andhra Pradesh, Jaipur in Rajasthan. — The main regions of Gondwana rocks are found in West
— The newly found Tummalapalle uranium reserves in Bengal, Jharkhand and Odisha from where 76% of the total
Andhra Pradesh is found to be one of the biggest coal is produced.
uranium reserves in the world.
Petroleum
Thorium Three main oil regions from where mineral oil is found are as
— India possess largest deposits of thorium reserves in follows:
the world, followed by Brazil, Australia and USA. If the (i) Assam region It is a country’s most important and ancient oil
proper technology is developed, the thorium deposits region. Its main areas are Digboi, Naharkatiya and Moran-
Hugrijan field. Natural gas is also found in Moran- Hugrijan area.
can fulfill the power requirements of India permanently.
Arunachal Pradesh has oil reserves at Manabhum, Kharsang
— It is extracted from the monazite sand which are and Charali, in Tripura, Mamunbhanga, Manu, Amarpur-
formed by the disintegration of Precambrian rocks. Dambur areas.
These monazite extracts are mainly found in coastal (ii) Gujarat region The major oil regions in Gujarat are Gulf of
region of Kerala. Khambhat and Ankleshwar while oil regions are extended upto
Navgaon, Kosamba, Olpad, Dholka, Mehsana, Kalal etc.
Energy Resources (iii) Mumbai high region Mumbai high region, 176 km away from the
Mumbai coast, is also an important oil region. From here, the
— The main power resources of India are coal, petroleum, mineral oil has been extracted since 1975. Basin located South
natural gas and electricity. In recent years, the of Mumbai High also has significant oil reserves. At present,
development of non-conventional sources of energy is mineral oil is also extracted from the region offshore in
also getting increasing attention of the planners. Krishna-Godavari river valley.
Generation of nuclear power is being geared up to — Oil Refineries There are a total of 22 refineries in India: 17 in
contribute significantly to the overall availability of the public sector, 3 in the private sector and 2 as joint venture.
energy.
Oil Refineries in India
— Energy resources can be classified as conventional and
non-conventional. Name of the Company Sector Location
Indian Oil Corporation Public Guwahati
Conventional Resources Limited (IOCL)
— These resources are non-renewable and ecologically IOCL Public Barauni
hazardous.
IOCL Public Koyali
Some conventional sources of energy are:
IOCL Public Haldia
Coal IOCL Public Mathura
— Coal in India is geologically classified into two IOCL Public Digboi
categories, namely Gondwana and Tertiary. Gondwana IOCL Public Panipat
coal accounting for 98% of the total reserves and 99% IOCL Public Bongaigaon
of total production of coal in India. 80 out of 113 major
Hindustan Petroleum Public Mumbai
coal fields are located in the rock systems of the lower
Corporation Limited
Gondwana age. Tertiary coal bears coal of younger age, (HPCL)
mainly confined to the extra peninsular region. This
HPCL Public Visakhapatnam
coal has low carbon and high percentage of moisture
Bharat Petroleum Public Mumbai
and sulphur.
Corporation Limited
— Raniganj located in upper valley of Damodar river, is (BPCL)
the most important and the largest coal area of India. It BPCL Public Kochi
produces about 35% of the total coal production.
142 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

Name of the Company Sector Location

Natural Gas
— At present production of natural gas is at the level of
Chennai Petroleum Public Manali
Corporation Limited around 87 million standard cubic meters per day. The
(CPCL) main producers of natural gas are Oil and Natural Gas
CPCL Public Nagapattinam Corporation Limited (ONGC), Oil India Limited (OIL) and
JVs of Tapti, Panna-Mukta and Ravva.
Numaligarh Refinery Public Numaligarh
Limited (NRL) — Almost 70% of India’s natural gas reserves are found in
Mangalore Refinery and Public Mangalore the Bombay High basin and in Gujarat. Offshore gas
Petrochemicals Limited reserves are also located in Andhra Pradesh coast
(MRPL) (Krishna-Godavari basin) and Tamil Nadu coast (Cauvery
Oil and Natural Gas Public Andhra Pradesh basin). Onshore reserves are located in Gujarat and
Corporation (ONGC) North-Eastern states (Assam and Tripura).
Limited, Tatipaka — Natural gas has been utilised in Assam and Gujarat since
Bharat Oman Refineries Joint Venture Bina the 60s. There was a major increase in the production
Limited (BORL) (JV) and utilisation of natural gas in the late 70s with the
HPCL -Mittal Energy JV Bathinda development of the Bombay High fields and again in the
Limited (HMEL) late 80s, when the South Basin field in the Western
Reliance Industries Private Motikhavdi, offshore was brought to production.
Limited (Domestic) Jamnagar — Natural gas is currently the source of the LPG produced in
Reliance Petroleum Private (SEZ), Jamnagar the country. LPG is now being extracted from gas at
Limited Duliajan in Assam, Vijaipur in Madhya Pradesh, Hazira
Essar Oil Limited Private Vadinar and Vaghodia in Gujarat, Uran in Maharashtra, Pata in
Uttar Pradesh and Nagapattinam in Tamil Nadu.
Upcoming Oil Refineries in India
Company Sector Location Non-Conventional or Renewable
IOCL Public Paradip Resources
Nagarjuna Oil Corporation Private Cuddalore — The spectrum on renewable energy sources covers solar
energy, wind energy, biomass, hydropower and hydrogen
on one side and the new techniques, such as, fuel cells,
Ultra Mega Power Projects (UMPPs) electric vehicles, ocean energy, geothermal energy etc., on
◆
Ministry of Power, Government of India has launched a other side. These sources besides being renewable are also
unique initiative in 2005-06 under the provision of the non-polluting and environment-friendly.
Electricity Act 2003 to facilitate the development of Ultra
Mega Power Projects (UMPPs) each having a capacity of Total Renewable Energy Installed Capacity
about 4000 MW, at both the coal pitheads and coastal Source Total Installed Capacity (MW)
locations aimed at delivering power at competitive cost to 36,625
Wind Power
consumers by achieving economies of the scale. 29,410
Solar Power
◆
The Central Government in order to award the projects to
Small Hydropower 4,593
different players has taken a tariff based competitive bidding
route using super critical technology on Build, Own and Biomass Power and Bagasse 9,103
Cogeneration
Operate (BOO) basis. Central Electricity Authority (CEA) is the
Waste to Power 138
technical partner and Power Finance Corporation (PFC) under
Total 77,641
the Ministry at Power is the nodal agency.
◆
In total, 16 UMPPs have been envisaged, out of which four — According to an estimate, India has a non-conventional
have already been awarded. These are: energy potential of 195000 MW. The Ministry of
— Sasan Power Limited, Sasan UMPP, Madhya Pradesh Non-Conventional Energy Sources (MNES) created in 1992,
— Coastal Gujarat Power Limited, Mundra UMPP, Gujarat is the nodal agency of the Government of India for all
matters relating to non-conventional/renewable energy; the
— Coastal Andhra Power Limited, Krishnapatnam UMPP,
Andhra Pradesh promotional and financial aspects are looked after by the
Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA).
— Jharkhand Integrated Power Limited, Tilaiya UMPP,
Some renewable resources are given here:
Jharkhand
Magbook ~ Resources 143

Wind Energy collectors by the end of the final phase of the mission
in 2020. The mission aims to achieve grid parity
— The present Wind Energy Programme is aimed at the
(electricity delivered at the same cost and quality as
development of cost-efficient technology for harnessing the
that delivered on the grid) by 2020.
vast potential in the country. Wind survey projects are under
various stages of implementation in 22 states of the country. — In May 2011, India’s first 5 MW of installed capacity
Domestic policy support for wind power has led India to solar power project was registered under the Clean
become the country with the fifth largest installed wind power Development Mechanism (CDM). The project is in
capacity in the world. China is the leading wind power Sivaganga district, Tamil Nadu.
producer followed by USA, Germany and Spain. — Gujarat has been a leader in solar power generation
and contributes two-third of the 900 MW of
Largest Wind Farms in India photovoltaics in the country. The state has
Current Capacity commissioned Asia's biggest solar park at Charanka
Wind Farm Park Producer State
(MW) village. The park is already generating 214 MW solar
Muppandal Muppandal Tamil Nadu 1500 power out of its total planned capacity of 500 MW.
Wind Farm Wind
With a view to make Gandhinagar a solar city, the
Jaisalmer Wind Suzlon Energy Rajasthan 1275
State Government has launched a Roof-Top Solar
Park
Brahmanvel Parakh Agro Maharashtra 528 Power Generation Scheme.
Wind Farm Industries — The French group AREVA Solar, is currently engaged
Dhalgaon Wind Gadre Marine Maharashtra 278 in constructing a 250 MW Concentrated Solar Power
Farm Exports (CSP) installation which will become the largest CSP
Chakala Wind Suzlon Energy Maharashtra 217 installation in Asia. A 4000 MW Ultra Mega Green
Farm Solar Power Project is being built near Sambhar lake
Vankusawade Suzlon Energy Maharashtra 189 in Rajasthan.
Wind Park
— The Shakti Sthala Solar Park having total capacity of
— A Centre for Wind Energy Technology (C-Wind) is being set-up 2,000 megawatts (MW) was launched in March, 2018
in Chennai, along with a Wind Turbine Test Station at Kayattar in Tumkur district of Karnataka. It is world’s largest
(Tamil Nadu). solar park. The park ties in with Central Government’s
— The Union Power Ministry has extended waiver of inter-state scheme to generate 100 gigawatts (GW) of solar power
power transmission charges and losses for solar and wind by 2020.
power projects commissioned till 31st March, 2022 in order to — Large scale solar energy collector is called as solar
give boost to clean energy sources. pond. India is a first Asian country to establish a solar
pond in Bhuj, Gujarat.
Solar Energy
— Owing to its location on the Tropic of Cancer, India is fortunate Bio-Energy or Biomass
enough to receive higher amount of solar energy which is — Bio-energy is the energy derived from conservation of
equivalent to 5000 trillion kwh per year. Most parts of the biomass, where biomass may be used directly as fuel
country have 300 clear sunny days in a year and it is possible on processed into liquids and gases, which can play a
to generate 20 MW solar power per square kilometer of land significant role in providing solution to rural energy
area. crisis. It is a clean and cheap source of energy which
— Even during the minimum availability of radiation in the month improves sanitation and hygiene, removes the
of December, the average amount of solar energy is about 500 drudgery of women folk and produces enriched
calories per sq cm per day. In India, Rajasthan, Gujarat, and organic manure for use in agriculture.
Ladakh are the ideal areas for the development of solar energy. — Biomass may be obtained through bio-degradable
— World‘s largest solar steam cooking system for 15000 people’s materials, like animal dung, human night-soil, kitchen
meal has been installed at Tirumala (Andhra Pradesh). Dish wastes, water hyacinth, agricultural residues and city
solar cookers are being promoted in villages. Solar air heating wastes etc.
system is being popularised for drying of agricultural and
industrial products.
Ocean Energy
— Solar Power Projects Announced in November 2009, the
— India has favourable sites in the Gulf of Cambay, Gulf
Government of India proposed to launch its Jawaharlal Nehru of Kachchh and the estuary of Hugli with total
National Solar Mission under the National Action Plan on estimated potential of 1000 MW.
Climate Change with plans to generate 1000 MW of power by — The output of ocean energy is higher during monsoon
2013 and up to 20000 MW grid-based solar power 2000 MW period and along the West coast than during the post
of off-grid solar power and cover 20 million sq metres with monsoon period and along the East coast. The main
144 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

problem in exploiting the ocean energy for power generation is the high
cost involved in the construction of civil works and also the problem of Water Resources
firming up the fluctuation energy ouput. — The average annual water availability of the
country is assessed as 1869 Billion Cubic
Geothermal Energy Metres (BCM), of this total utilisable water
— It is the heat energy in the Earth’s intension. The total potential for resource is assessed as 1123 BCM, of
geothermal energy in India is about 600 MW which is equivalent to about which 690 BCM is surface water and
5130 million tonnes of coal. Hot water springs geothermal energy could be 433 BCM replenishable groundwater
tapped from hot water springs. resources. With the growing population, the
— Prospective areas for such energy lie in the North-West Himalayan ranges per capita availability of water at the
(Puga valley in Jammu and Kashmir and Manikaran area in Himachal national level has been reduced from 5177
Pradesh), West coast running through Maharashtra and Gujarat, the cubic metres in 1951 to the estimated level
Narmada-Son valley and the Damodar valley. of 1800 cubic metres in 2005, with
variation in water availability in different
Nuclear Energy river basins.
— Nuclear power  is the fourth-largest source of electricity in India after Water resources are as follows:
thermal, hydroelectric and renewable sources of electricity. — Surface water In India, surface flow takes
place through 14 major river systems and 48
— In October 2010, India announced its updated plan to reach a nuclear
medium river systems. They share 83% of
power capacity of 63000 MW by 2032.
the drainage basin. The surface flow is
— India aims to supply 25% of electricity from nuclear power by further enlarged by addition of about 450
2050.  Because India is non-signatory to the Nuclear Non- proliferation cubic kilometre of freshwater from
Treaty due to its weapons programme, it was for 34 years  largely groundwater flow while about 50 cubic
excluded from trade in nuclear plant or materials, which has hampered kilometre are added to run-off from irrigated
its development of civil nuclear energy until 2009.  Due to these trade areas.
bans  and lack of indigenous uranium, India has uniquely been — Groundwater Groundwater resource are
abundant only in the Northern and coastal
developing a nuclear fuel cycle to exploit its reserves of thorium.
plains. Underground reservoir of fresh water
Nuclear Power Plants is called aquifers. Presently, about 25% of
the groundwater is being used. Agriculture
Power Total
Operator State Type Units uses maximum amount of groundwater.
Station Capacity
— Rainwater India receives about 3 trillion
Kaiga NPCIL Karnataka PHWR 220 x 4 880
cubic metre of water from rainfall. This is a
3

Kakrapar NPCIL Gujarat PHWR 220 x 2 440

huge resource and perhaps largest in the
Kalpakkam NPCIL Tamil Nadu PHWR 220 x 2 440
world. However, almost 90% of this
Narora NPCIL Uttar PHWR 220 x 2 440
precipitation falls between mid-June and
Pradesh
October, out of which India utilises only 10%.
Rawatbhata NPCIL Kota, PHWR 100 x 1 1180
Rajasthan 200 x 1 — Inter Linking of rivers in India The
220 x 4 interlinking of the rivers in India is an
Tarapur NPCIL Maharashtra BWR (PHWR) 160 x 2 1400 initiative of the government in order to
540 x 2 transfer the surplus water from Northern
Kudankulam NPCIL Tamil Nadu VVER-1000 1000 x 1 1000 Indian rivers to the water deficit areas of
Total 21 5780 the Southern India by linking the rivers of
North and South India.
The Projects Under Construction
The rationale behind these initiatives are:
Power Total Capacity
Operator State Type Units — Unevenly distributed surface water of India.
Station (MW)
Kalpakkam Bhavini Tamil Nadu PFBR 500 x 1 500 — Himalayan rivers are perennial and
Peninsular rivers are seasonal.
Kakrapar NPCI Gujarat PHWR 700 x 2 1400
Rawatbhata NPCIL Rajasthan PHWR 700 x 2 1400 — Flood problems of North and drought
Kudankulam NPCIL Tamil Nadu VVER-1000 1000 x 1 1000 problems of South, India can also be solved by
linking the rivers.
Total 6 4300
Magbook ~ Resources 145

National Perspective Plan Marine Resources

National Water Development Agency (NWDA), Ministry of Water — India has a long coastline of more than 7500 km. Its
Resources, Government of India in 1980, finally come out with marine resources are spread over in the Indian
National Perspective Plan for the water resources development. ocean, Arabian sea and Bay of Bengal. The Exclusive
The outline of this projects has two components. These are Economic Zone (EEZ) of the country has an area of
1. Himalayan rivers development 2.02 million square kilometre comprising 0.86 million
square kilometre on the West coast, 0.56 million
2. Peninsular rivers development
square kilometre on the East coast and 0.6 million
The Himalayan rivers development envisages construction of storage square kilometre around the Andaman and Nicobar
reservoirs on the main Ganga and Brahmaputra rivers and their islands.
principal tributaries along with the inter-linking canal system to
— The East coast supports activities such as agriculture
transfer surplus flow of the Eastern tributaries of the Ganga to the
and aquaculture, while a number of industries are
West, apart from the linking of the main Brahmaputra with the
supported on the West coast. Tourism has emerged
Ganga.
as a major economic activity in coastal states such as
The Peninsular rivers development is divided into major parts, These Goa, Kerala and Odisha.
are : — Fisheries in the Indian marine environment comprise
(a) Interlinking of Mahanadi-Godavari-Krishna and Pennar-Cauvery 15 pelagic and the same number of demersal
(b) Interlinking of West flowing rivers, North of Mumbai and South of fisheries. Marine fish production from capture
Tapi fisheries in India has increased by about six-fold
(c) Ken-Chambal link during the past six decades.
— India is a major seafood exporting country. Export
Sagarmala National Perspective Plan 2016
earnings from the marine sector crossed 12000 crore
The Sagarmala programme, led by the Ministry of Shipping, Road in 2010-11. Marine products are now exported from
Transport and Highways, aims to the focus area in port connectivity, India to nearly 100 countries. About 1 million people
where over 80 projects are being planned. These include connectivity in 3651 villages of India situated along the coast are
infrastructure projects like a heavy-haul rail corridor to evacuate large employed in marine capture fisheries.
volumes of coal, freight-friendly expressways to enable efficient — Mangrove cover in India has been estimated at
movement of containers on key routes and the development of approximately 315000 hectare confined mainly along
strategic inland waterways. the East (Odisha and West Bengal) coast and
The other set of projects aims to tap into the potential of port-led Andaman and Nicobar islands.
industrialization to boost industrial and export growth along the — Coral reefs are found in the Palk Bay, Gulf of
coastline. This will be realized through 14 Coastal Economic Zones Mannar, Gulf of Kutch, Central West coast of India,
(CEZs) along the coastline. Finally, the potential of coastal Lakshadweep and Andaman and Nicobar islands and
communities will be harnessed by focussed skill-development to recently, reported from the Maharashtra coast.
support port-led industrialization.
Development of Drugs from
— Development and Management of Water Resources Water is a
cyclic resource, which can be used again and again after Ocean in India
cleaning. Therefore, the best way to conserve it, is its judicious The Indian programme in this field is servicing ongoing
use. projects at different research and development
— Rainwater Harvesting It is one of the most effective methods of laboratories. The Nodal Institute, Central Drug Research
water management and water conservation. The term is used to Institute, Lucknow have been entrusted with the
indicate the collection and storage of rainwater used for human, responsibility of coordination and implementation.
animal and plant needs. It involves the collection and storage of A Mission Mode Programme on the development of drugs
rainwater at the surface or in sub-surface aquifier. from sea has been initiated, which focus on product
Artificial recharge to groundwater is a process by which the development in major areas, such as anti-anxiety,
groundwater reservoir is augmented at a rate exceeding that larvicidal, anti-diabetic, anti- bacterial, anti-tumor/cancer
under natural conditions of replenishment. and antihyperlipidemic.
— The targeted areas for rainwater harvesting are:
— Polymetallic Nodules Programme Polymetallic nodules
— Where groundwater level are declining at a regular basis.
is like jewel in a shrine. They contain magnesium,
— Where substantial amount of aquifier has been desaturated.
copper, nickel, cobalt, mollybdenum, iron, lead,
— Where availability of the groundwater is inadequate in lean months.
cadmium and vanadium.
146 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

India has got rights of about 75000 square kilometre in Central

—
Indian Ocean Basin (CIOB) for harnessing these nodules lying on Land Resources in India
the seabed at 4000 m to 6000 m water depth. — India has about 43% of land in plain region,
The Polymetallic Nodules Programme consists of four components, which provides facilities for agriculture and
which are: industry. 30% of total surface area is
(i) Survey and exploration mountainous which is source to most of the
(ii) Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) perennial rivers in India and also provides
(iii) Technology development (mining) facilities for tourism and ecological aspects.
(iv) Metallurgy (extraction of element) — About 27% of the area is in plateau region that
— Integrated Coastal and Marine Area Management (ICMAM) This provides rich reserves of minerals, fossil fuels
programme has two components, namely: and forests. And about 15% of the total
— Capacity building and development of infrastructure for research and geographical area is mapped as wasteland in
development, survey and training for ICMAM. India.
This first component covers four activities: Land resources in India are categorised as:
(i) Development of GIS based information system for 11 critical — Forest land (23.05%)
habitats in the coastal and marine areas in India. — Land not available for cultivation (14.2%)
(ii) Determination of waste assimilation capacity at selected estuaries Other uncultivated lands
along coastal areas of India. — Permanent pastures and grazing land (3.4%)
(iii) Development of guidelines for Environmental Impact Assessment.
— Land under miscellaneous tree crops (1.1%)
(iv) Preparation of Model Integrated Coastal and Marine Area
Management Plans. — Culturable wasteland (4.2%)
— Under the component on infrastructure, training, laboratory and other Fallow lands
facilities have been established in the NIOT Campus, Chennai. — Current fallow (4.8%) (left uncultivated for 1 or
— Coastal Ocean Monitoring And Prediction System (COMAPS) This less than 1 agricultural year)
programme has been in operation at 82 locations for collection and — Other than current fallow (3.4%) (more than 1 or
analysis of 25 parametres relating to physical, chemical and 5 agricultural year)
biological characteristics of water and sediments. — Net sown area (46.2%)
— Based on the data collected through this project, the areas of
concern have been identified and steps are being taken to prevent Land Use
and control the causes of pollution by supplying the information to — Of India’s reporting area for land use statistics,
the State Pollution Control Boards. about 46% is under agriculture, 23% is forested
— Coastal Zone Management The coastal degradation is a major and 14% is not available for cultivation.
consideration in conservation context. The framework, which works — Roughly, 41 million hectares of land are
for the coastal conservation is Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ I and II) considered totally unfit (snow cover, desert) or
and Ocean Regulation Zone (ORZ I and II). They work under the not available (urban use, rivers) for vegetation.
guidance and legislation of Ministry of Environment and Forest.
— It is estimated that about 174 million hectares of
land (53%) suffers from different types and
Ocean Development Plan, 2015 varying degrees of degradation.
The vision statement highlighting the Perspective Plan, 2015 for
ocean development was released in 2002-03. Its mission is to Problems of Land
improve our understanding of ocean, specially the Indian ocean, for
improving the livelihood, timely warning of coastal hazards and
Resources in India
sustainable development of ocean resources. — Conversion of good agricultural land into
The vision is to improve our understanding of the ocean process industrial estates and for urban development.
through conceiving and implementing long-term observational — Many executive directives, but no such strict law
programmes, so that, we are able to model sustainable uses of the to prevent change in land use.
coastal zone for decision-making, forge partnership with our — Very limited land use planning.
neighbour through the concept of one ocean and secure recognition — Trend of rapid land degradation due to
for the interest of Indian and the Indian ocean in regional and salinisation, desertification and over exploitation.
international bodies.
 Self Check Build Your Confidence
1. Arrange the following varieties of iron ore in increasing Select the correct answer using the codes given below
order with respect to their quality and percentage of (a) 1, 2 and 3 (b) 2 and 4
pure iron. (c) 1 and 3 (d) All of these
1. Magnetite 2. Haematite 3. Limonite 4. Siderite
Codes
8. Consider the following statements
(a) 4, 3, 2, 1 (b) 4, 1, 2, 3 (c) 1, 4, 2, 3 (d) 4, 2, 1, 3 1. The major production of silver in India comes from Zawar
mines in Udaipur, district of Rajasthan.
2. Consider the following statements 2. The chief ore of tungsten is wolfram.
1. The Himalayas have a variety of rocks which makes it Which of the statement(s) given above is/are incorrect?
economically non-viable to extract minerals out of them. (a) Only 1 (b) Only 2
2. The North-Eastern Peninsular belt is the richest mineral (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
belt of India.
9. Consider the following statements [IAS 2009]
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
(a) Only 1 (b) Only 2 1. India does not have any deposits of thorium.
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 2. Kerala’s monazite sands contain uranium.
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
3. Which among the following statements is incorrect? (a) Only 1 (b) Only 2
(a) Open cast mining and underground mining are two chief (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
methods of mining practised in India
(b) In India, there is deficiency in ores of copper, lead and zinc 10. Which among the following oil fields are located in
(c) Manganese, cobalt, chromite and pyrites are non-ferrous Assam?
minerals 1. Moran-Hugrijan field 2. Naharkatiya field
(d) India exports a large variety of minerals such as titanium, 3. Digboi field 4. Mamunbhanga field
bauxite and granite Select the correct answer using the codes given below
(a) 1, 2 and 3 (b) 1 and 3
4. Consider the following statements [IAS 2007]
(c) 1, 2 and 4 (c) All of these
1. Balaghat is known for its diamond mines.
2. Majhgawan is known for its manganese deposits. 11. Consider the following statements
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? 1. Gujarat has been a leader in solar power generation and
(a) Only 1 (b) Only 2 contributes two-third of the 900 MW of photovoltaics in
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 India.
2. Tamil Nadu has the highest installed capacity of wind
5. Which of the following is/are the characteristic (s) of power among all states in India.
Indian coal? (2013)
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
1. High ash content 2. Low sulphur content 3. Low ash (a) Only 1 (b) Only 2
fusion temperature (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
Select the correct answer using the codes given below
(a) 1 and 2 (b) Only 2 12. Consider the following statements
(c) 1 and 3 (d) All of these 1. Bauxite is found in Udampur, Salem and Kolaba.
2. Moscovita is a mineral of mica.
6. Consider the following statements [IAS 2013]
Which of the above statement(s) is/are true?
1. Natural gas occurs in the Gondwana belts. (a) Only 1 (b) Only 2
2. Mica occurs in abundance in Kodarma. (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) None of these
3. Dharwars are famous for petroleum.
Which of the statements (s) given above is/are correct?
13. In the South Atlantic and South-Eastern Pacific regions
in tropical latitudes, cyclone does not originate. What is
(a) 1 and 2 (b) Only 2
the reason? [IAS 2008]
(c) 2 and 3 (d) None of these
(a) Sea surface temperature are low.
7. Which of the following minerals are found in a natural (b) Inter-tropical convergence zone seldom occurs
way in the state of Chhattisgarh? [IAS 2008] (c) Coriolis force is too weak
1. Bauxite 2. Dolomite (d) Absence of land in those regions
3. Iron ore 4. Tin

1. (a) 2. (c) 3. (c) 4. (d) 5. (a) 6. (b) 7. (d) 8. (c) 9. (d) 10. (a)
11. (c) 12. (c) 13. (b)
Chapter fourteen
Indian Agriculture
Agriculture Features of Indian
Agriculture and its allied — Agriculture is demographically as well Agriculture
as geographically the broadest — The salient features of Indian agriculture
sectors are the largest
economic sector and plays a significant are as follows:
livelihood provider in — Prevalence of subsistence agriculture.
role in the overall socio-economic fabric
India, more so in the of India. — Insignificant place given to fodder crops.
vast rural areas. It also — Today, India ranks second worldwide in
— Seasonal pattern includes three major crop
seasons i.e., kharif season starts with the
contributes nearly farm output. The share of agriculture onset of monsoons and continue till winter,
14% of the Gross and allied sectors in Gross Domestic rabi season starts at the beginning of winters
Domestic Product (GDP) Product (GDP) of the country was and zaid is summer crossing season.
51.9% in 1950-51, which has now — Pressure of population on agriculture (low per
of India. Sustainable come down to 13.7% in 2012-13 at capita availability of land.
agriculture in terms of 2004-05 prices. This decline is largely — Highly dependent on monsoon. Low yield and
food security, rural due to shift from traditional agrarian low mechanisation in agriculture.
employment and economy to industry and service — Wide variety of crops cultivated.
sectors. — Dominance of food crops.
environmentally
— Despite this, the production of food
sustainable technologies grains has increased from 230.8 million India’s Position in
are essential for holistic tonnes in 2007-8 to 277.49 million World’s Production
rural development. tonnes in 2017-18. It is the mainstay of — Largest producer of milk in the world (105
the Indian economy as nearly 60% of million tonnes per annum).
the population is dependent on
— Largest livestock population, i.e. 529
agriculture for their livelihood. A model
million.
of inclusive growth in India is based on
agriculture related activities only.
— Second largest producer of fruits and
vegetables (150 million tonnes per annum).
— Indian agriculture is plagued by several
problems, some of them are natural
— Third largest producer of food grain (230
and some others are man-made. Some million tonnes per annum).
major problems are small and — Third largest producer of fish (7 million
fragmented land-holdings, poor quality tonnes per annum).
of seeds, poor irrigation facilities, lack — 52% cultivable land compared to 11%
of mechanisation, soil erosion, poor world average.
agricultural marketing facilities, — All 15 major climates in the world exist in
inadequate storage facilities, India.
inadequate transport facilities and — 46 out of 60 soil types exist in India.
scarcity of capital. — 20 agro-climatic regions.
Magbook ~ Indian Agriculture 149

The problems associated with fertiliser consumption are

Factors Affecting Indian
— The fertiliser consumption per hectare in India is very low.
Agriculture — The fertiliser consumption in India is very skewed. The
Seeds average use of Nitrogen, Phosphate and Potash (NPK)
proportion in India is 6.7 : 3.7 : 1 against the desirable
— A good quality seed not only increase the productivity of proportion i.e. 4 : 2 : 1.
agriculture, but also helps in the overall growth of it. — There is excessive use of urea and bias against
Stages of Indian Seeds Programme micro-nutrients. The excessive use of urea has affected the
soil profile adversely.
— Indian Seeds Programme largely adheres to the limited
— There is a wide gap between nutrient addition and nutrient
generation system for seed multiplication.
removal and this indicates that soil fertility is depleted.
— The system recognises three stages. These three stages
are given below: Green Revolution
(i) Breeder Stage It is the primary stage and in this stage, seeds
— It is the phrase generally used to describe the
are produced by agricultural universities, research
spectacular increase that took place during 1968 and is
institutions, etc.
continuing in the production of food grains in India. Dr
(ii) Foundation Stage Breeder seeds are multiplied into Norman Borlaug is the father of Green Revolution and
foundation seeds by National Seeds Corporation and State MS Swaminathan introduced it in India.
Seeds Corporation.
— 12 Components of the Green Revolution are High Yield
(iii) Certified Stage In the final stage, ‘certified’ seeds are Varieties Seeds, Irrigation, Use of Fertiliser, Use of
produced by Farm Corporation as well as private contract Insecticide and Pesticide, Command Area Development,
growers. Consolidation of Holding, Land Reform, Supply of
High Yield Variety (HYV) Seeds Agricultural Credit, Rural Electrification, Rural Roads and
Marketing, Farm Mechanisation and Agricultural
— It is major input of agricultural production under Green
Universities.
Revolution.
The main characteristics of HYV seeds are Impact of Green Revolution
— These seeds give optimum performance only when — Positive Impact Increase in agricultural production, help
accompanied with costly inputs, like fertilisers and irrigation.
in ensuring food security, reduction of the import of food
— They have short maturing period. grains, capitalistic farming, industrial growth and rural
— It helps in double cropping. employment.
— Their short stems can easily carry fertiliser load, resist wind
— Negative Impact Inter-crop imbalance, increase in
damage and their large leaf surface helps in the process of
photosynthesis. regional imbalance, unemployment due to
mechanisation, increase in inter-regional migration,
Drawbacks of HYV Seeds ecological problems and social conflict between large and
— These seeds are sensitive to the physical environment in small farmers.
which they are used.
Various Revolutions in Agriculture
— Regional disparities in agricultural development have
surfaced because of these seeds. Revolution Area
— Inter-crop disparities have also appeared as improved Green Revolution Agriculture (food production)
seeds have been used in case of food grains and
Yellow Revolution Oil seeds production (edible oil)
commercial crops, but oilseeds and pulses have been
largely ignored. White Revolution Milk
— Situation of dilapidated groundwater storage is found Blue Revolution Fish
recently in regions, where HYV is used. Pink Revolution Shrimp, food processing
Fertilisers Brown Revolution Coffee/Cocoa
— They are used to enhance the mineral deficiencies in the Red Revolution Meat/Tomato
soil. In general, Indian soil is deficient in organic materials, Golden Revolution Fruits/Apple/Honey/Horticulture
i.e. nitrogen and phosphorous. Grey Revolution Fertilisers
— Generally, three types of fertilisers are used in Silver Revolution Eggs/Poultry
India:nitrogenous, potassic and phosphatic. India is the
Golden Fibre Jute
fourth largest consumer of fertiliser in the world.
Silver Fibre Cotton
150 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

Sugarcane
Call for Evergreen Revolution
— Temperature Ranging from 20°–26°C.
The pioneer of Indian Green Revolution Mr MS Swaminathan, — Rainfall 150 cm or irrigation facilities with high humidity.
presently Chairman of National Commission on Farmers gave a
new call for Evergreen Revolution for doubling the present — Soil Deep rich, loamy soils are ideal; black soil is also
production level of food grains from 210 million tonnes to 420 suitable.
million tonnes. For making Evergreen Revolution a success, he — Distribution Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu
stressed on adopting best scientific techniques and promoting (highest yield per hectare), Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh,
organic farming. Gujarat, Bihar, Haryana and Punjab.

Rice
Major Crop Types and — Temperature Rice requires hot and humid condition. The
Distribution temperature should be fairly high, i.e. 24° C near monthly
temperature with average temperature of 22° C to 30° C.
— The geographical structure, climatic conditions and variety
of soils in India are such that they encourage the cultivation
— Rainfall 100-200 cm.
of various crops. — Soil Heavy clay and clayey loam is best suited
Indian crops can be divided into following categories — Distribution West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra
— Food Crops Rice, wheat, maize, jowar, bajra, ragi, gram etc. Pradesh, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha,
— Cash crops Cotton, jute, sugarcane, tobacco, oilseeds, Bihar, Assam, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Haryana and
groundnut etc. Kerala.
— Plantation Crops Tea, coffee, spices, rubber, cardamom,
turmeric, coconut etc. Wheat
— Horticulture Fruits and vegetables. — Temperature Ranging from 10°-15°C winter and 21°–26°C
summer.
Tea — Rainfall 40-75 cm.
— Temperature Ranging from 24°–30°C. — Soil Well drained, fertile, friable loams and clayey loams.
— Rainfall 150-300 cm (well distributed). — Distribution Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Madhya
— Soil Forest soils rich in humus and iron content are the Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar, Gujarat, Maharashtra.
best for tea Well-drained, deep and friable loam are also
suitable. Maize
— Distribution Assam (the Brahmaputra valley, Surma — Temperature Ranging from 21°–25°C.
valley) and West Bengal (the Doars, Darjeeling), Tamil — Rainfall Below 75 cm.
Nadu (highest yield per hectare) and Kerala (Kottayam, — Soil Well drained alluvial or red loams.
Kollam). — Distribution Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Andhra
Coffee Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Himachal
Pradesh.
— Temperature Ranging from 15°–28°C, but cannot tolerate
frost. Barley
— Rainfall 150-200 cm. — Temperature Ranging from 10°–15°C.
— Soil Well drained rich friable loams with rich in humus, — Rainfall 75-100 cm.
iron and calcium. — Soil Light clay and alluvial soil.
— Distribution Karnataka (80% of total coffee productions), — Distribution Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh,
Kerala (13% of total production).
Haryana, Punjab, Bihar, Himachal Pradesh and West
Cotton Bengal.
— Temperature Ranging from 21°–30°C, but not below 21°C. Jowar
210 frost free days. — Temperature Ranging from 27°-32°C for kharif crops and
— Rainfall 50-75 cm or irrigation facility. not below 10°C for rabi crops.
— Soil Deep black soil (regur), even grows in alluvial and — Rainfall 30-100 cm; rainfed crop in dry farming areas.
laterite soils. — Soil Variety of soil including clayey and sandy.
— Distribution Maharashtra, Gujarat, Haryana, Telangana, — Distribution Maharashtra, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh,
Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Tamil
Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan and Gujarat.
Nadu and Madhya Pradesh.
Magbook ~ Indian Agriculture 151

Area Under Different Crop (2016-17) — Food Availability Sufficient quantity of food available on
consistent basis.
Crop Area Crop Area — Food Access Having sufficient resources to obtain appropriate
Rice 43.2 M. ha Oilseeds 26.82 M. ha foods for a nutritious diet.
Jowar 5.1 M. ha Cotton 10.8 M. ha — Food Use Appropriate use based on knowledge of basic
Maize 9.9 M. ha Sugarcane 4.4 M. ha nutrition and care, as well as adequate water and
Bajra sanitation.

— Temperature Ranging from 25°–35°C.

— Food security is a complex sustainable development issue,
linked to health through malnutrition, but also to
— Rainfall 40-50 cm.
sustainable economic development, environment and
— Soil Light sandy soils, black and red upland soils. trade. Issues such as whether households get enough
— Distribution Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Uttar food, how it is distributed within the household and
Pradesh and Haryana. whether that food fulfills the nutrition needs of all
members of the household, show that food security is
Jute clearly linked to health.
— Second important fibre crop of India, crop of hot and — Agriculture remains the largest employment sector in most
humid climate.
developing countries and international agriculture
— Temperature Ranging from 24°–35°C. agreements are crucial to a country’s food security. Some
— Rainfall Heavy rainfall of above 150 cm with 80-90% of critics argue that trade liberalisation may reduce a
relative humidity. country’s food security by reducing agricultural
— Soil Alluvial soil, also grown in light sandy or clayey employment levels.
loams.
National Food Security Mission (NFSM)
— Distribution West Bengal (70% of the production, over
60% of the area), Bihar, Assam, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, In pursuance to the resolution of National Development Council
Maharashtra and Kerala (coastal area). (NDC) to launch a Food Security Mission in the country for
enhancing the production of rice, wheat and pulse by 10, 8 and 2
Rubber million tonnes respectively by the end of 11th Plan, a centrally
— Temperature Ranging from 21° - 35°C. sponsored scheme on ‘National Food Security Mission’ is under
— Rainfall Over 200 cm. implementation by the Department of Agriculture and
— Soil Deep well drained loamy soils required. Cooperation in 17 states.
— Distribution Kerala (largest producer), Tamil Nadu, The NFSM during 12th Five Year Plan wil have five components
Karnataka. (i) NFSM-Rice (ii) NFSM-Pulses
(iii) NFSM-Wheat (iv) NFSM-Coarse Cereals
Cropping Seasons (v) NFSM-Commercial Crops
◆
Rabi These crops are generally sown in October-November
and harvested in April-May. These crops mainly dependent on New Initiatives in Agriculture
irrigation; include wheat, barley, gram, peas, mustard, rye etc.
◆
Kharif These are the crops of rainy season, sown in
Sector
June-July and harvested in September-October. These include Crop Diversification
rice, jowar, bajra, ragi, maize, jute, groundnut, cotton, sunn — The original Green Revolution states face the problem of
hemp, tobacco, beans etc. stagnating yields and over-exploitation of water resources.
◆
Zaid These are the short-term crops grown during the Hence, a sum of 500 crore has been provided by Union
period between rabi and kharif crops, i.e. from March-June. Government to start a programme of crop diversification
Various fruits and vegetables, like watermelon, muskmelon, that would promote technological innovation and
cucumber, bitter guard etc., are grown with the help of encourage farmers to choose crop alternatives.
irrigation. Some pulses like moong, urad etc are also grown.
Minimum Support Price (MSP) Scheme
The MSP Scheme is a scheme of the Government of India
Food Security —

(GOI) to safeguard the interests of the farmers. Under this

— The concept of food security is defined as including both scheme, the GOI declares the minimum support prices of
physical and economic access to food that meets people’s various agricultural produces for the agricultural year
dietary needs as well as their food preferences. (June-July) every year and assures the farmers that their
Food security is built on three pillars, which are: agricultural produce will be purchased at the MSP, thereby
preventing its distress sale.
152 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

— The Food Corporation of India (FCI) acts as the

nodal agency of the GOI for this scheme.
Different Breeds of Animals
Currently, 25 crops are covered under this ◆
Milch Breed of Cow, Gir, Sindhi, Red Sindhi, Sahiwal, Tharparkar and
scheme. The Department of Agriculture and Deoni.
Cooperation implements the Price Support ◆
Draught Breed of Cow, Nagori, Bauchaur, Malvi Hallikar, Ponwar, Siri,
Scheme for oilseeds and pulses through the Bargur.
National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing ◆
Dual Purpose Breed of Cow, Tharparkar, Haryana, Mewati, Kankrej,
Federation of India Limited (NAFED). When the Rath, Nimari, Dangi, Ongole.
price of oilseeds, pulses and cotton falls below ◆
Goats Breed Angora, Pashmina, Barabari, Marwari, Mehsana Beetal,
MSP, NAFED purchases these from farmers. Kathiawari and Zalwadi.
Pilot Programme on Nutri-Farms ◆
Buffaloes Breed Murrah, Jaffarabadi, Sruti, Mehsana, Nagpuri, Nili
— A Pilot Programme on Nutri-Farms for
Ravi, Bhadawari.
introducing new crop varieties that are rich in
◆
Horses and Ponies Breed Marwari, Kathiawari, Manipuri, Bhutani,
micro-nutrients such as iron-rich bajra, Spiti and Chummarti.
protein-rich maize and zinc-rich wheat, is being
launched with a sum of ` 200 crore. Pisciculture
New National Agriculture Policy, — Pisciculture i.e. fishing is one of the oldest occupations of man.
2004 Aquaculture as a major food production sector has assumed much
— The Government of India announced its New importance in view of the rapidly increasing population and
Agriculture Policy in July 2000. This policy has depleting land resources.
been formulated taking into consideration, the There are two types of fishing :
provisions of the WTO with an objective to
(i) Marine Fishing
achieve 4% agricultural growth target, so that it
could provide food for 100 crore population, — It includes the coastal offshore and deep sea fisheries, mainly on
adequate raw material to its growing industrial the continental shelf upto a depth of 200 m.
base and sufficient surplus for export. Marine Fishing Policy, 2004
— Here, promises have been made for Green — A comprehensive Marine Fishing Policy was launched in 2004.
Revolution, White Revolution and Blue The important features of this policy are
Revolution, cumulatively described as Rainbow — To augment marine fish production of the country upto the sustainable
Revolution. level in a responsible manner, so as to boost export of sea food from the
country and also to increase per capita fish protein intake of the
Promotion of Secondary Agriculture masses.
— In 2010, Planning Commission Panel headed by — To ensure socio-economic security of the artisan fishermen, whose
Krishnaswamy Kasturirangan has recommended livelihood solely depends on this vocation.
an ambitious action plan to boost secondary — To ensure sustainable development of marine fisheries with due concern
agriculture, which includes value addition to farm for ecological integrity and biodiversity.
products in the 12th Plan period. Now, only 7%
of the farm products get value addition.
(ii) Inland Fishing
— It includes catching of fishes from rivers, lakes, canals, reservoirs,
Kisan SMS Portal ponds, tanks etc.
— President of India launched a SMS Portal for
Fish Production in India
farmers in July 2013, created by the Department
— India is the third largest producer of fish and second largest
of Agriculture and Cooperation, Indian Council of
producer of inland fishing in the world.
Agriculture Research, India Meteorological
Department and Foodgrain Procurement — About 75% of marine fish landings are on the West coast and only
Agencies. 25% in the East coast.

Livestock Sericulture
— Livestock includes domestic animals such as — It refers to the rearing of the silkworms for the raw silk production.
cattle, buffaloes, sheeps, goats, horses, ponies, Silk is developed as an agro based industry and plays a significant
donkeys, camels, pigs etc. India’s animal wealth role in the rural economy.
is both large and varied. India has about 20% of Some of the most important features of Indian sericulture are:
the world’s livestock population. — It is a labour intensive, export oriented and cottage industry.
Magbook ~ Indian Agriculture 153

— It is an effective tool for the development, poverty alleviation and in India makes irrigation indispensable for
reconstruction for rural and poor mass. sustainable agricultural development. Sustained and
— Silk is exported to more than 80 countries like USA, UK, Italy, UAE, systematic programme for development of irrigation
Saudi Arabia etc. facilities in India was taken up with the advent of
— India enjoys the unique distinction of being the only country in the planned development in 1951.
world to produce all the four varieties of silk such as Mulberry, Tasar,
— The economic significance of irrigation in India is
Eri and Moonga.
mainly, to reduce over dependence on monsoon,
— India has monopoly over Moonga silk production in the world. India
ranks second in the world after China in silk production.
advanced agricultural productivity, bringing more
land under cultivation, reducing instability in output
— In India, Central Silk Board (CSB) is the main agency responsible for
the development of the sericulture in India. levels, creation of job opportunities, electricity and
transport facilities, control of floods and prevention
Horticulture of droughts.
— The horticulture sector is one of the most important sectors of Types of Irrigation Technique
the agriculture and plays a significant role in improving the
productivity of land, generating employment, improving Flow Irrigation
economic conditions of the farmers and entrepreneurs, — The water of a reservoir or tank usually remains at a
enhancing exports and above all, providing the nutritional higher level and when a channel is connected to it,
security to the people. water automatically flows down the channel which
— Horticulture is a comprehensive term and includes fruits, serves the purpose of a canal for irrigating the land.
vegetables, spices, floriculture and coconut. Some of the most In this case, the water level remains higher than the
important crops grown in India as a part of the horticulture fields. Such irrigation is known as the flow irrigation
sector are mango, cashewnut, apple, banana, orange, grapes, and it is generally possible in the plain areas.
peach, pear, apricot, strawberry and vegetables. A new and Lift Irrigation
distinct species of banana plant has been discovered which
— Where the farmlands lie at a higher level and the
attains a height of about 11 metres and has orange-coloured
canals or tanks lie at a lower level; it becomes
fruit pulp.
necessary to lift the water by pump etc., to irrigate
Floriculture land. Water is lifted from wells and tanks, by a
crude country method (by tend) and from tubewells
— It is the study of growing flowering plants. It includes crops such
by pumps for irrigation. This method of irrigation is
as bedding and garden plants, foliage plants, potted flowering
known as the lift irrigation.
plants, cut flowers, cut cultivated greens and floriculture
materials. Drip Irrigation
— Government of India has identified floriculture as a sunrise — In this technique, water is delievered at or near the
industry and accorded it 100% export oriented status. It is root zone of plants drop by drop. This method can
commercially produced under controlled climate conditions be the most water efficient method of irrigation, if
inside greenhouse. Commercial floriculture is becoming managed properly, since evaporation and runoff are
important from the export point of view. minimised. It is also called trickle irrigation. It helps
in reducing weed and soil erosion.
Important Varieties
Sprinkle Irrigation
— The main varieties of floriculture includes cut flower, pot plants,
— Now a days, sprinkle irrigation is being very much
cut foilage, seeds bulbs, tubers, rooted cuttings and dried
popular as more land can be irrigated with less
flowers or leaves. The important floricultural crops in the
water in this method.
international cut flower trade are rose, carnation,
chrysanthemum, gargera, gladiolus, gypsophila, liastris, nerine, Modes of Irrigation
orchids, tulips, lilies, archilea and anthuriu. Crops which are
— Irrigations in India are carried in three different
grown in greenhouses are gerberas, carnation, etc.
ways according to their sources
Areas of Floriculture Source Area irrigated
— Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Tamil Nadu,
Canal 40%
Rajasthan, West Bengal are the main floriculture producers.
Wells 40%
Irrigation Tanks 12%
— Water is an important input for successful agriculture. Others 8%
The geographical conditions and fluctuating nature of monsoon
154 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

Irrigation by Canals — There are big tanks which have been created by raising high
bonds on one side of the valley of hills. Small channels are dug
— This is the most convenient method of irrigation.
out of both the sides of the tanks to irrigate lands. There are big
About half of the total area under irrigation by canals
reservoirs like Nizam Sagar, Usman Sagar, Hossain Sagar,
is situated in Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and
Krishnaraj Sagar etc., in the Peninsular India.
Andhra Pradesh. It is easy to dig canals in these
areas, since the land is levelled and soil is soft. Besides in rural areas of the Peninsula, there are large
numbers of small tanks for irrigation, but such tanks dry up
— There are many perennial canals in different regions
during acute drought period and don’t help in irrigation.
of the country and the most famous of those are the
Upper Bari Doab canal and the Sirhind canal in
Punjab; the West Yamuna canal and the Chakra
Multipurpose Projects in India
canal in Haryana. The Chakra canal is the largest — Hailed as the ‘Temples of Resurgent India’ by Pandit Jawaharlal
canal of the country. This canal serves the purpose Nehru, the country’s dams help in providing water and
of irrigation in the states of Punjab and Haryana. The electricity to millions of citizens.
Rajasthan canal (The Indira Gandhi canal) of — A multipurpose project is a large scale hydro project, often
Rajasthan is the longest canal of Asia. The including dams for water retention, canals for irrigation, water
North-Western part of Rajasthan is being irrigated by processing and pipelines to supply water to cities and power
it. generation. These often include transportation improvements
— The other important canals are the Sharada canal, and industrial growth.
the Betwa canal, the Upper Ganga and the Lower — They are developed in order to eliminate or reduce flooding,
Ganga canals of Uttar Pradesh. impound water for irrigation, human consumption and
— Many canals have been dug out of the rivers industrial consumption, lake fisheries, power generation and
Krishna, Godavari and Tungabhadra of Andhra navigation.
Pradesh. — However, they also lead to the displacement of human, plants,
— The canals are practically absent in peninsular animals, chiefly from small tribal communities; disrupt
plateau because of the rocky topography. downstream fisheries, increase the risk of earthquakes,
submerge forest land, increase the spread of insect-borne
Irrigation by Wells diseases; and threaten the fragile regional ecosystem through
— The rainwater sinks down easily in the areas where reducing the flow of water from the rivers into the seas.
the soil is soft and porous. So, water is available at a Some of the most important multipurpose projects in India are:
lower depth when wells are dug and it helps
irrigation.
Bhakra Nangal Project
— This is the biggest multipurpose project of India next to
— Primarily, irrigation is carried on by wells in the
Narmada. It was constructed with the cooperation of Punjab,
Western part of Uttar Pradesh, some parts of Bihar
Haryana and Rajasthan. Its cost of construction was ` 2380.
and in the black cotton soil area of the Deccan.
The dam 518 m long and 226 m high, was constructed at
— In addition to it, in the coastal strip of Tamil Nadu Bhakra on the river Sutlej in Himachal Pradesh.
and Andhra Pradesh and in some parts of
— The Nangal dam in Punjab is only 29 m high. Here, a canal
Rajasthan, Haryana and Gujarat, irrigation is also
63 km long has been constructed. Two power houses :
carried on by wells.
Ganguwal and Kotla have been constructed on Nangal hydel
— Power-driven pumps have become very popular in channel. An artificial lake called Gobind Sagar has been
most parts. In some areas, cattle or camels are used created. This lake accumulates water of the river Sutlej and the
to lift water by the Persian wheels. The power-driven river Beas. The capacity of the whole project is 1204 MW.
(electric or diesel) pumps can also lift water from a
much greater depth from tubewells. Now-a-days, Benefits of Project
wind mills also lift water from the wells for irrigation — The electricity of this project is used in Punjab, Haryana, Delhi
purpose. and Rajasthan for irrigation, factories, domestic consumption
etc. The canal water from the project is used for irrigation in
Irrigation by Tanks Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan. Floods have been controlled in
— Tank irrigation is the most feasible and widely the Sutlej basin to a large extent.
practiced method of irrigation all over the Peninsula,
where most of the tanks are small in size and built Damodar Valley Project
by individuals or groups of farmers by raising bonds — This project is implemented for West Bengal and Bihar. The
across seasonal streams. The soil of this plateau is Damodar and its tributary rivers created havoc in a very large
hard and stony and its land is undulated, so it is not area in Bengal and Bihar. This is why, these rivers were called
easy to dig canals or wells in those areas. rivers of sorrow or sorrow of Bengal.
Magbook ~ Indian Agriculture 155

— After the completion of the project, the floods have been Rihand Valley Project
controlled and the water so stored is used to irrigate — It is the biggest hydroelectric project of Uttar Pradesh,
agricultural land. Now, these rivers have created an
constructed at Pipri, 161 km South of the Mirzapur. River
environment of peace and prosperity instead of
Rihand is a right bank tributary of the river Son. It flows in a
destruction and poverty.
narrow gorge of hard rocks. The dam is 167 m high from
— It is a multipurpose project. It controls floods, produces the river level. Below the dam, there are six generators at
electricity and provides water for irrigation. Besides this, it Obra. The production capacity is 300 MW. The electricity is
also helps in fish culture, acts as a source of cheap supplied to the fertiliser factory (Gorakhpur), tyre-tube
transport and provides water for the industry. Its capacity factory (Naini), cement factory (Mirzapur) etc., besides
is to produce 104 MW of electricity. providing power to water pumps and for domestic use.
— This project is situated in the mineral zone of India. It is
because of this, that the region is one of the leading Nagarjunasagar Project
industrial areas. Iron and steel, chemicals, textile and — It forms a boundary between Nalgonda, district of
various other types of industries have been developed Telangana and Guntur, district of Andhra Pradesh on the
because of electricity from DVC. Railway tracks, coal mines, river Krishna at Nandi Konda village. It has an installed
house and street lights etc., have been largely benefitted. capacity of 3.5 lakh kW. It was started in 1955-56; its
height is 1247 m and length is 14 m. It has two canals :
Dams on Rivers Jawahar land on the right and Lal Bahadur canal on the
— River Barakar The main dams are Maithon (40000 kW), left.
Bal-Pahari (20000 kW) and Tilaiya (60000 kW). Maithon
dam is 56 m high and Tilaiya is 33 m high. Shivasamudram Power Project
— River Bokaro Bokaro dam is constructed across river — The first hydroelectric power project was started in
Bokaro with a capacity of 2200 kW. Karnataka on river Cauvery, near Shivasamudram
waterfalls. Upstream, there is another dam on river
— River Konar The main dam is Konar which is in three
Cauvery called Krishna Sagar dam. Both have a capacity
parts: Konar-1 (10000 kW), Konar-2 (750 kW), Konar-3
of 42000 kW.
(10000 kW). The height is about 48 m.
— River Damodar The main dams are Aiyar (45000 kW), Baramula Power Project
Barmo (18000 kW) and Panchet (40000 kW). The — In Jammu and Kashmir, a 10 m high waterfall near
Panchet dam is 40 m high. Baramula is used to produce electricity at Mohra (55 km,
— This project started in 1968 and has been completed North of Srinagar). It can produce 20000 kW. It provides
since long and has proved to be the lifeline of Bihar and electricity for houses, offices and small industries. A
Jharkhand states. powerhouse at Medkhal on a tributary of the Jhelum
produces 6000 kW electricity. The power is mainly
Hirakud Dam Project supplied to Srinagar.
— This dam is in Odisha and located at Hirakud reservoir
which is fed by the river Hasdeo and the river Mand, both Chambal Valley Project
are the tributaries of the river Mahanadi. It is situated in — It is a multipurpose inter-state project, a joint venture of
Sambalpur district. It is 61 m high and is 25.4 km long. Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. The river Chambal has
— It is the longest river dam in the world. The total capacity been harnessed for power and irrigation purposes. The
for hydroelectric production is 1.24 lakh kW. It provides Chambal, a tributary of Yamuna has been notorious for
power to aluminium factory of Hirakud, the iron and steel floods. The Chambal valley has been facing the problem
works of Rourkela, cement factory of Rajgangpur, the of soil erosion since long.
paper and textile mills of Brajrajnagar and — The main features of the project are:
ferro-manganese factory at Joda. — Three storage dams across the river are Gandhi Sagar dam,
8 km downstream of Chaurasigarh Fort in Mandsaur, district
Kosi Project of Madhya Pradesh; The Rana Pratap Sagar dam, 51 km
— It is a joint project of India and Nepal. upstream from Kota in Rajasthan; and Jawahar Sagar dam,
29 km upstream of Kota city in Rajasthan.
— The dams have been constructed South of the junction of
— Kota barrage near Kota city.
the Kosi (known as sorrow of Bihar) and the Arun rivers.
— Power stations at dam sites.
Capacity of the project is 20 MW.
— Canals from the Kota barrage.
— Kosi canal 112 km, irrigates 3 lakh hectare in Darbhanga
district of Bihar. — Total generating capacity-386 MW is supplied to a number
of urban centres for different uses.
— Rajpur canal 9.6 km, irrigates Monghyr district of Bihar.
156 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

Gandak Project capacity of 4400 kW, Pathari in Saharanpur (2 lakh kW);

Mohammadpur (3000 kW), Nirjjazni (4000 kW), Chittora
— It is a joint venture of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.
(3000 kW), Saliva, all in Muzaffarnagar; Ghaziabad (2700
The project comprises:
kW); Palra in Bulandshahr (6000 kW); and Sumera in
— a barrage across the Gandak at Balmik Nagar (Bihar).
Aligarh (2000 kW). Most of the power energises tubewells,
— four canals, two in India and two in Nepal.
which irrigate 14 districts of Uttar Pradesh.
— a power station.
Tehri Dam Project
Narmada Valley Project
— It is a very important project for the production of 1000
— The Narmada is the fifth largest river in India. It is the
MW of power during stage I and another 1000 MW on
longest Westward flowing river. The project
Stage II, from underground power houses. The dam was
was conceived in 1945-46. Later, it was proposed to
conceived in 1949. It is based on the river Bhagirathi
construct 29 major, 450 medium and 3000 small dams
which on joining the river Alaknanda is known as the river
on the river. The Sardar Sarovar dam is in Gujarat and
Ganga in Uttar Pradesh. The Tehri dam is 260.5 m high
Narmada Sagar dam in Madhya Pradesh, both the
Earthcum-rock fill dam near Badrinath.
projects have a command area of 19 lakh hectare. 87%
of Narmada basin is in Madhya Pradesh, 1% in Gujarat — The gross storage is to be 2.878 MAF (Million Acre Feet).
and 2% in Maharashtra. The reservoir would stretch 43 km upstream. Its
catchment area upstream shall be 7.511 sq km.
— The construction of the project shall submerge 480
One-third of it is snow bound. The Earth-cum-rock fill
villages in Madhya Pradesh. The project shall generate
dam has greater capacity to absorb seismic stresses than
3000 MW power and irrigate 19 lakh hectare. The
a concrete dam of Bhakra type.
environmentalists are protesting against raising the height
of the dam. — This dam can withstand the earthquake intensity of
7.5 (Richter scale) and the peak ground acceleration of
Upper Ganga Canal Power Projects 2.5 m. To create storage for pumping scheme, a 103.5
— There are 13 small waterfalls on the Upper Ganga canal m high concrete dam would be built at Kateshwar which
starting from Haridwar (where Ganga enters the plains) to would provide a 23 km long lake. Thus, the total storage
Aligarh. These power houses are Bahadurabad lake would stretch 66 km. Total capacity would be
(Bahadurabad and Salempur waterfalls) with the power 2400 MW.
 Self Check Build Your Confidence
1. Consider following statements 2. Coffee is propagated by seeds, but tea is propagated by
1. Production of food crops is generally given first priority by stem cuttings only.
farmers, almost everywhere in India. Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
2. Both the tropical as well as temperate crops are (a) Only 1 (b) Only 2
successfully grown in India. (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? 7. Following are some facts about a crop which is
(a) Only 1 (b) Only 2 indigenous to India
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
1. Requires hot and humid climate with average
2. Following are the characteristics of an area in India temperature of 21o-27oC to grow.
[IAS 2010] 2. It is a long duration crop, needing 10-15 months to
1. Hot and humid climate. mature.
2. Annual rainfall-200 cm. 2. Requires rainfall between 75-150 cm.
3. Hill slopes upto an altitude of 1100 m. 4. Frost is detrimental to this crop.
4. Annual range of temperature-15°C to 30°C. Facts given above are pointing towards which one of the
Which one among the following crops are you most likely to find following crops?
in the area described above? (a) Sugarcane (b) Cotton (c) Tobacco (d) Rubber
(a) Mustard (b) Cotton
(c) Pepper (d) Virginia tobacco 8. Arrange the following states of India in increasing order
with respect to the production of cotton.
3. Which among the following states is the largest 1. Maharashtra 2. Gujarat
producer of rice in India? 3. Andhra Pradesh 4. Punjab
(a) Punjab (b) Uttar Pradesh Codes
(c) West Bengal (d) Andhra Pradesh (a) 2, 1, 3, 4 (b) 4, 1, 2, 3 (c) 1, 4, 2, 3 (d) 4, 2,1, 3
4. Consider following statements about wheat 9. Consider the following pairs
1. Wheat is the second most important food grain of India.
Region Well-Known For
2. India is the fourth largest producer of wheat in the world.
3. Wheat thrives well in areas receiving an annual rainfall of 1. Kinnaur Areca nut
about 75 cm. 2. Mewat Mango
4. Wheat production is largely confined to North-Western
3. Coromandel Soyabean
parts of India. Which of the above pairs is/are correctly matched?
Which of the statements given above are correct? (a) 1 and 2 (b) Only 3
(a) 1, 2 and 3 (b) 1, 2 and 4 (c) 1, 2 and 3 (d) None of these
(c) 2, 3 and 4 (d) All of these
10. Consider the following crops of India [IAS 2012]
5. Which among the following statements is incorrect? 1. Ground nut 2. Seasum 3. Pearl millet
(a) Jowar is a rainfed kharif crop of dry farming areas where Which of the above is/are predominantly rainfed crop/crops?
irrigation is not used
(a) 1 and 2 (b) 2 and 3 (c) Only 3 (d) 1, 2 and 3
(b) Madhya Pradesh is the largest producer of maize in India
(c) The growth of cotton is accelerated when the temperature 11. Which among the following dams are constructed under
falls below 20°C the Damodar Valley Project?
(d) Jute is a crop of hot and humid climate and requires heavy 1. Tilaiya dam 2. Konar dam
rainfall of 120-150 cm 3. Maithon dam 4. Panchet Hill dam
6. Though coffee and tea both are cultivated on hill slopes, Select the correct answer using the codes given below
there is some difference between them regarding their (a) 1, 2 and 3 (b) 1, 2, 3 and 4
cultivation. In this context, consider the following (c) 2, 3 and 4 (d) 1, 3 and 4
statements [IAS 2010] 12. Gandhi Sagar dam is a part of which one of the
1. Coffee plant requires a hot and humid climate of tropical following? [IAS 2005]
areas whereas tea can be cultivated in both tropical and (a) Chambal Project (b) Kosi Project
sub-tropical areas. (c) Damodar Valley Project (d) Bhakra Nangal Project

1. (c) 2. (c) 3. (c) 4. (d) 5. (c) 6. (a) 7. (a) 8. (a) 9. (d) 10. (d)
11. (b) 12. (a)
Chapter fifteen
Industrial Features
of India
— A healthy rate of growth can be ensured for
Industries the overall growth of the manufacturing
The economic strength of a country sector as also the national economy by
Manufacturing industries —
policy interventions in areas like
transform natural is measured by the development of
manufacturing management, including
manufacturing industries, which help accelerated adoption of information
material endowment into
in modernising our primary sector. technology, skill development, access to
commodities of utility by — Manufacturing industries reduce the capital, marketing, procedural simplification
processing, assembling heavy dependence of people on and governance reform.
and repairing. These are — Public Sector Enterprises Public sector
agricultural income by providing
undertakings are in defence and energy
vital for the very them jobs. India is looking to create sectors, mining and other manufacturing.
existence of developing as many as 100 million skilled jobs
— Industries can be classified on the basis
in the manufacturing sector, by
countries like India. of size, capital investment and labour
raising its share of GDP from 16% to
force, ownership, raw materials used and
25% by 2022. on the product manufactured.
— Export of manufactured goods — Employment Intensive Industries Textiles
expands trade and commerce and and garments, leather and footwear, gems
brings in much needed foreign and jewellery and food processing
exchange. industries.
— Capital Goods Industry The capital goods
Classification of industry, which is the mother industry for
manufacturing are machine tools, heavy
Industries electrical equipment, heavy transport, Earth
— The classification given by Ministry moving and mining equipments.
of Commerce is as follows: — Industries with Strategic
Significance Aerospace, shipping, IT,
— Small and Medium Enterprises
hardware and electronics,
(SME) The SME sector contributes
telecommunication equipment, defence
about 40% of the total exports and
equipment and solar energy.
offers employment opportunities
— Industries where India Enjoys a
both for self- employment and jobs,
across diverse geographies. Competitive Advantage Automobiles,
pharmaceuticals and medical equipments.
Magbook ~ Industrial Features of India 159

Industries can also be classified into several other groups as shown in

figure:
Major Industries in India
Some major industries in India are as follows :
Industries
Iron and Steel Industry
Capital and investment Output Ownership Source of Miscellaneous — The iron and steel industry is the basic
raw material industry since other heavy, medium and light
industries depends on it for their machinery.
Large Medium Small Heavy Light
scale scale scale Agro- Mineral Pastoral Forest — As per 2017-18 figures, India ranks second
based based based based and China remained world’s largest crude
steel producers. India is the largest producer
Private Public Joint Cooperative Multi-nationals of sponge iron. Iron and steel industry needs
sector sector sector sector
iron ore, coking coal, limestone, dolomite,
Village Cottage Consumer Ancillary Basic Capital Labour manganese and fire clay. All these raw
intensive intensive materials are heavy, thus their transportation
Classification of Industries cost is high; therefore, the iron and steel
plants are located near the source of raw
materials. Chota Nagpur plateau region has
Factors Affecting Location the maximum concentration of iron and
of Industries steel industries. The factors responsible are
low cost of iron ore, high grade raw materials
— Raw Materials Industries using weight-losing raw materials are located in proximity, cheap labour and vast growth
in the regions where raw materials are located. Similarly, industries potential in the home market.
based on perishable raw materials are also located close to raw
— Contemporary Development Ratnagiri, ISPAT
material sources.
(SAIL), Dhubri, steel works, Gopalpur
— Power It provides the motive force for the machines and therefore, its (Dharma port) by L & T and Tata Steel.
supply has to be ensured before the location of any industry. — Mini Steel Plants Delhi, Jaipur, Bhopal by
However, certain industries like aluminium and synthetic nitrogen
POSCO iron steel plant.
manufacturing industries tend to be located near sources of power
because they are power intensive and require huge quantum of Aluminium Industry
electricity. — Aluminium smelting is the second most
— Market This provide the outlets for manufactured products. Heavy important metallurgical industry in India. It
machine, machine tools, heavy chemicals are located near the high is light, resistant to corrosion, a good
demand areas as these are market oriented. conductor of heat, malleable and becomes
— Transport The reasons for the concentration of industries in Mumbai, strong when it is mixed with other metals.
Chennai, Delhi and in and around Kolkata was due to the fact, that — Beginning can be traced from 1938 with
they initially became the nodal point having transport links. The Indian Aluminium Company (Kerala). It is
industries shifted to interior locations, only when railway lines were used to manufacture aircraft, utensils and
laid. All major industrial plants are located on the trunk rail routes. wires.
— Labour Industries require skilled labour. In India, labour is quite mobile — There are eight aluminium smelting plants
and is available in large numbers due to our large populations. in the country located in Odisha (Nalco
— Historical factors Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai emerged as industrial and Balco), West Bengal, Kerala, Uttar
nodes because these locations were greatly influenced by our colonial Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and
past. Tamil Nadu. Bauxite, the raw material used
in the smelters is a bulky, dark reddish
During the initial phase of colonisation, manufacturing activities
coloured rock.
received new impetus provided by the European traders. In the
subsequent industrial phase of colonialism, manufacturing centres — Regular supply of electricity and an assured
experienced rapid growth due to competition from the goods source of raw material at minimum cost are
manufactured in Britain and the discriminatory policies of colonial power. the two prime factors for location of the
industry.
In the last phase of colonialism, the British promoted few industries in
selected areas. This led to larger spatial coverage by different types of
industries in the country.
160 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

Cement Industry — India is the second largest producer of cotton textiles in

the world after China. Currently, it contributes about 14 %
— Cement is one of the eight core industries. The industry has
to industrial production, 4% to the GDP, and 17% to the
strong linkages to other sectors such as construction,
country’s export earnings. The textiles sector is the second
transportation, coal and power.
largest provider of employment after agriculture.
— Cement is basically a mixture of compounds, consisting
mainly of silicates and aluminates of calcium, formed out of
calcium oxide, silica, aluminium oxide and iron oxide. The
World’s Cotton Production and
Indian Cement Industry is extremely energy intensive and is Consumption
the third largest user of coal in the country. Limestone, Production
which is the basic raw material for cement production is Top 5 countries and their share in per cent: China (26%),
found almost throughout the country. India (22.5%), USA (15.8%), Pakistan (7.6%) and Brazil (7%) .
— The first cement plant was set-up in Chennai in 1904. The Consumption
industry recorded an exponential growth with the Top 6 countries and their share: China (4370 TMT), India
introduction of partial decontrol in 1982, culminating in (2627 TMT), US (2307 TMT), Pakistan (1573 TMT), Turkey (1033
total decontrol in 1989. TMT) and Brazil (857 TMT).
— It contributes to environmental cleanliness by consuming *TMT = Thousand Metric Tonnes
hazardous wastes like fly ash from thermal power plants
and the entire slag produced by steel manufacturing Sugar Industry
units.
— The sugar industry is the second most important agro
— The Indian Cement Industry is the second largest
based industry (after cotton textile industry) in the country.
producer of cement in the world after China accounting
India is the largest producer of both sugarcane and
for about 8% of the total global production.
cane-sugar and contributes about 8% of the total sugar
— Cement, being a bulk commodity, is a freight intensive production in the world.
industry and transporting it over long distances can prove
to be uneconomical. Hence, the industry divided into five Reasons for Location of Industries
main regions viz, North, South, West, East and the Central — Sugarcane is a weight-losing crop and it’s difficult to
region. The Southern region of India has the highest transport. The ratio of sugar to sugarcane varies between
installed capacity, accounting for about one-third of the 9% to 12% depending on its variety. Its sucrose content
country’s total installed cement capacity. begins to dry during transport, after it has been harvested
from the field. Better recovery of sugar is dependent
Cotton Textile Industry upon its being crushed within 24 hours of its harvesting.
There are of three types of cotton textile industry which are as
follows: Leading Sugar Producing States
(i) Handloom involves spinning, weaving and finishing
— Maharashtra (leading sugar producer more than one-third
of the fabrics. It is labour intensive, provides of the total production), Uttar Pradesh (Ganga-Yamuna
employment to semi-skilled workers, requires small doab and the Tarai region), Tamil Nadu (high yield),
capital investment. Share of production in textiles is Karnataka (Belgaum and Cauvery river, Tungabhadra
around 24%. basin) and others (Bihar, Punjab, Haryana, Madhya
(ii) Powerloom involves machines and becomes less Pradesh and Gujarat).
labour intensive and the volume of production is higher — There are marked differences between the sugar industry
as compared to handloom. It has the highest share of of the Northern and the peninsular India. As a result of
production among all the three sub-sectors, i.e. more better conditions prevailing in the peninsular India, the
than 55%. sugar industry is gradually shifting from North India to the
(iii) Mill sectors are highly capital intensive and produces fine peninsular India. Peninsular India has tropical climate
clothes in bulk. This is highly organised sector among which gives higher yield per unit area as compared to
all. Production share in Indian textiles is lowest among all North India.
the three i.e. nearly 6%. — The sucrose content is also higher in tropical variety of
— In the early years, the cotton textile industry was sugarcane in the South. The crushing season is also
concentrated in the cotton growing belt of much longer in the South than in the North. The
Maharashtra and Gujarat. Availability of raw cotton cooperative sugar mills are better managed and are
(majorly grown in black soil), market, transport equipped with modern machinery in the South than in the
including accessible port facilities, labour, moist North.
climate etc contributed towards its localisation.
Magbook ~ Industrial Features of India 161

Lead and Zinc Industry — Mumbai is the hub of the petro-chemical

industries. Cracker units are also located in
— Lead Beginning of lead smelting was initiated only by
1942 with establishment of smelting centre at Tundoo, Auraiya (Uttar Pradesh); Jamnagar, Gandhinagar and
near Dhanbad. Lead in India, is obtained from Zawar and Hazira (Gujarat); Nagothane, Ratnagiri (Maharashtra);
Rajpura-Dariba areas of Rajasthan. Haldia (West Bangal); and Visakhapatnam (Andhra
Pradesh).
— Zinc Formal beginning, 1965 with establishment of
Hindustan Zinc Limited at two centres i.e. Zawar Pharmaceutical Industry
(Udaipur) and Visakhapatnam. Prominent zinc smelting — The Indian Pharmaceutical Industry ranks very high
plants–Zawar (Udaipur), Kochi (Kerala) and Visakhapatnam
amongst all third world countries, in terms of
(Andhra Pradesh).
technology, quality and the vast range of medicines that
Copper Smelting are manufactured. The pharmaceutical industry has
grown from mere US $ 0.3 billion turnover in
— Pre-Independence Indian Copper Corporation in 1924,
1980 to about US $ 21.73 billion in 2009-10.
Ghatsila in Jharkhand.
— The country now ranks third in terms of volume of
— Post-Independence In 1967, Hindustan Copper Limited
production (10% of global share) and fourteenth largest by
(HCL) established as Public Sectox Underta-ring (PSU) with
value (1.5% of global share). One reason for lower value
centre at Khetri Copper Complex, Rajasthan and in 1972,
share is the lower cost of drugs in India ranging from 5%
Ghatsila was subsumed as the part of HCL. In the same
to 50% less as compared to developed countries.
year, third plant was established at Balaghat of same PSU.
Presently, India produces only 50% of its requirements. Rest — India is a world class cost-effective generic drug
is imported from Zambia, Zaire, Chile and USA. manufacturer of AIDS medicines. Many Indian
companies are part of an agreement where major AIDS
— Important private players includes Sterlite Group centered at
drugs are supplied to Mozambique, Rwanda, South
Tuticorin, Birla Copper Works centered at Dahej, Gujarat and
Africa and Tanzania, which have about 33% of all
SWIL Copper Limited centered at Bharuch.
people living with AIDS in Africa.
Fertiliser Industry
— The fertiliser industry is centered around the Industrial Regions of India
production of nitrogenous fertilisers (mainly urea), — Industries are unevenly distributed in India because the
phosphatic fertilisers, ammonium phosphate and factors affecting industrial location are not same
complex fertilisers, which have a combination of nitrogen everywhere. Some of these factors are presence and
(N), phosphate (P) and potash (K). Potash is entirely nearness of raw material, power, cheap labour,
imported as the country does not have any reserves of transport, market, water climate; capital may also
commercially usable potash or potassium compounds in any include banking facilities and insurance and
form. government policies.
— India is the third largest producer of nitrogenous fertilisers.
Major Industrial Regions of India
At present, there are 10 PSUs and one in cooperative sector
at Hazira in Gujarat. Ahmedabad-Vadodara Industrial Region
— Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Kerala — The Ahmedabad-Vadodara region has well developed
contributes towards half the fertiliser production. petro-chemical, textiles, jewellery, pharmaceuticals,
— Fertiliser Corporation of India Limited is a PSU, which was drugs, diamond cutting, leather, glasswares, plastics,
incorporated in 1961. chemicals, fertilisers and engineering goods industries.

Petro-Chemical Industry Mumbai-Pune Industrial Region

— The major industries flourishing in this industrial regions
— Many items are derived from crude petroleum, which
are textiles, ships, automobiles, chemicals, plastics,
act as raw materials for many new industries, these are
cinematography, pharmaceuticals, machine parts,
collectively known as petro-chemical industries. The main
engineering goods, petro-chemicals, toys, leather goods,
sources of feedstock and fuel for petro-chemicals are natural
electronics, armament, soap and detergents etc.
gas and naphtha. This group of industries is divided into
four sub-groups of products as follows: The Hugli Industrial Region
(i) Polymers (raw materials in the plastic industry) — This region is known for the localisation a large number
(ii) Synthetic fibers (they are used in the manufacturing of of industries like those of jute, silk, cotton textiles,
fabrics) paper, electrical, engineering goods, printing machines,
(iii) Elastomers sewing machines, leather goods, match and woodwork,
(iv) Surfactant intermediate automobile, ship and boat construction etc.
162 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

Bengaluru-Coimbatore Region — Kanpur Sugar, leather goods, textiles, aircraft parts etc.
— It encompasses states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. The — Indore Ujjain Cotton textiles, scooters, engineering goods,
region is known for manufacturing of cotton, silk textiles, consumer goods etc.
sugar refining, leather goods, auto and aircraft parts, — Nagpur Wardha Textiles, engineering goods, glass, clay
electronics, telecommunication equipment, watches, industries etc.
electricals, engineering goods etc. Bengaluru, the coffee — Kohlapur Sangli Cotton textiles, leather goods etc.
city of India has heavy concentration of a variety of
— Sholapur Cotton textiles, leather goods, engineering
manufacturing industries including high technology, like
industries.
computers, aircraft manufacturing, (HAL), electrical,
electronics, machine tools (HMT), telephones and other Industrial Districts
communication equipments etc. Silk textiles are its — Apart from major and minor industrial regions, there are a
speciality. number of industrial districts also, where industrial
Chota Nagpur Industrial Region activities of different types are flourishing. These industrial
— This region is known as the ruler of India because of its districts are Jammu, Amritsar, Ludhiana, Agra, Raipur,
richness in different minerals and sources of power. The Cuttack, Jabalpur, Gwalior, North Arcot, Tirunelveli,
region embraces the parts of Jharkhand, Odisha and West Ramanathapuram etc.
Bengal. The nearness of coal in the Damodar valley and
iron ore in the Jharkhand-Orissa mineral belt has led to Industrial Policy, 1991
the development of iron and steel and other allied — The objectives of Industrial Policy of India announced in
industries in the region. The major industries of the region 1991 was to accelerate industrial growth, correct the
are locomotives, automobiles, engineering goods, distortions or weaknesses in industries, maintain a
electronics, cement, fertilisers, paper etc. The major sustained growth in productivity, generate gainful
centres of production are Sindri, Hazaribagh, Jamshedpur, employment and attain international competitiveness.
Daltonganj, Garwa, Japla and Ranchi. Three main dimensions of new Industrial Policy of
India are as follows:
Delhi and Adjoining Industrial Region
— The industries have sprung up in Delhi and the adjoining (i) Liberalisation The Industrial Policy has been
liberalised by abolishing licensing system, allowing
parts of Delhi, which fall in Uttar Pradesh, Agra, Mathura,
free entry to foreign technology and investment,
Meerut, Saharanpur, Haryana and Rajasthan states. The
attract private investor, both domestic and
major industries are textiles, chemical, cycles, tractors,
multinationals.
engineering goods, electronic, electric equipment, sugar
(ii) Privatisation Private sector has been given important
refining, flour milling, petro-chemicals, automobiles, oil
role in industrial development. Important steps were
refining, sports goods, paper manufacturing etc.
taken to bring down government’s shares in all
Gurgaon has assumed special importance for
non-strategic public sector industries, to de-reserve the
development of automobiles and electronics. Other
industries listed as public sector. Many sectors have
centres are Faridabad, Ghaziabad, Gurgaon, Sonipat, been opened to private investment such as mining,
Ballabhgarh, Rohtak, Panipat, Modinagar, Saharanpur, banking, telecom, defence etc., to give complete
Meerut, Jamunanagar, etc. autonomy to the public sector undertakings.
Minor Industrial Regions (iii) Globalisation It means integrating the economy of
the country with the world economy. It involves
— Chennai In this industrial region, different types of
opening of the economy to foreign direct investment
manufacturing have been developed like those of cotton
by providing facilities to foreign companies to invest
textile, rail coaches, rubber tyres and tubes, automobiles,
in different fields of economic activity in India;
electronics, oil refining etc. removing restrictions and obstacles to the entry of
— Godavari Krishna Delta It is known for tobacco, sugar, multinational companies in India; allowing Indian
vegetable oil, textiles, flour milling etc. companies to enter into foreign collaboration in India;
— Assam Valley Tea processing, rice shelling, textiles, oil and also encouraging them to set-up joint ventures
refining, consumer goods etc. abroad.
 Self Check Build Your Confidence
1. Consider the following statements 6. Arrange the following iron and steel plants present in
1. Power generating industry is included under the category India from North to South direction.
of basic industries. 1. Salem 2. Vijayanagar
2. Sectors like handloom, handicrafts, powerloom and 3. Bhilai 4. Bokaro
readymade garments are specially known for their Codes
employment potential. (a) 4, 3, 2, 1 (b) 4, 1, 2, 3
3. Cotton textile industry is the second largest organised (c) 1, 4, 2, 3 (d) 4, 2, 1, 3
modern industry of India. 7. In India, the steel production industry requires the
Which of the statements given above are correct? import of [IAS 2015]
(a) 1 and 3 (b) 1 and 2 (c) 2 and 3 (d) All of these (a) saltpetre
2. Which among the following are the main reasons for the (b) rock phosphate
growth of cotton textile industry in and around Mumbai? (c) coking coal
1. Mumbai enjoys humid climate. (d) All of the above
2. Presence of cheap hydroelectricity. 8. Consider the following statements
3. Presence of black cotton soil in the hinterland of Mumbai. 1. Odisha and Gujarat are the major producers of bauxite in
4. Mumbai is an important port. India.
5. Availability of cheap labour. 2. India imports large quantity of lead every year to meet the
Select the correct answer using the codes given below growing demand.
(a) 3, 4 and 5 (b) 3 and 4 3. India is self-sufficient in copper production. A small
(c) 1, 2 and 5 (d) All of these amount is also imported to countries like USA and Japan.
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
3. Among the following states, which one has the most
(a) Only 1 (b) Only 2
suitable climatic conditions for the cultivation of a large
(c) Only 3 (d) Both 1 and 2
variety of orchids with minimum cost of production and
can develop an export oriented industry in this field? 9. Tamil Nadu is a leading producer of mill-made cotton
[IAS 2011] yarn in the country. What could be the reason? [IAS2010]
(a) Andhra Pradesh (b) Arunachal Pradesh
1. Black cotton soil is the predominant type of soil in the
(c) Madhya Pradesh (d) Uttar Pradesh
state.
4. Which among the following statements is incorrect? 2. Rich pool of skilled labour is available.
(a) West Bengal has the largest concentration of jute industry Which of the above is/are the correct reason(s)?
in India (a) Only 1
(b) Ganga- Brahmaputra delta grows about 90% of India’s (b) Only 2
jute (c) Both 1 and 2
(c) After the partition of 1947, most of the jute producing (d) Neither 1 nor 2
industries went to Bangladesh
(d) The overall demand for jute products is gradually 10. Consider the following statements
decreasing in the international market 1. Petro-chemical industries can be divided into four
sub-groups, which are polymers, synthetic fibres,
5. Consider the following statements elastomers and surfactant intermediate.
1. Karnataka is the foremost silk producing state in India, 2. Indian soils are generally deficient in potash and
but it produces only mulberry silk. phosphorus.
2. Tata Iron and Steel Company is the oldest iron and steel 3. Most of the plants producing nitrogenous fertilisers, use
centre of India. naphtha as the basic raw material.
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? Which of the statements given above are correct?
(a) Only 1 (b) Only 2 (a) 1 and 3 (b) 1 and 2
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 (c) 2 and 3 (d) All of these

1. (b) 2. (d) 3. (b) 4. (c) 5. (c) 6. (a) 7. (c) 8. (c) 9. (b) 10. (d)
Chapter sixteen
Transport, Trade and
Communication in India
State Highways
Roadways — It refers to the numbered highways,
India has great diversity — Road transport is comparatively easy and which are laid and maintained by the
in economic, social, cheap to construct and maintain. Road State Government. The state highways
transport is more flexible than the railways usually are roads which link important
cultural and ethnic
and establishes easy contact between farms, cities, towns, district headquarters
structure. All this fields, factories and markets. India has the within the state and connecting them
diversity and vastness second largest road network in the world. with national highways or highways of
can be united and — About 65% of freight and 80% passenger the neighbouring states.
integrated with the help traffic is carried by the roads. National — Total length of state highways in India
Highways constitute only about 1.7% of the is more than 176,166 km.
of a well knit transport
road network, but carry about 40% of the Maharashtra has the longest length of
system. All types of total road traffic. state highways with more than
transport including — In general, roads in India are primarily 33000 km. West Bengal has the
roadways, railways, bitumen-based macadamised roads. maximum road density. Many small
waterways, airways and However, a few of the national highways have states like Mizoram, Tripura and
concrete roads too. Nagaland have less than 1000 km of
pipelines are available
state highways.
in India. Classification of Roads — This programme envisages providing
The Nagpur Plan of 1943 classified roads into road connectivity to all the district
following categories on the functional basis, headquarters in the North-Eastern
which are as follows : region by minimum 2 lane highway
standards apart from providing road
National Highways connectivity to backward and remote
— These are constructed and maintained by the areas, areas of strategic importance
NHAI. Historically important Sher Shah Suri and neighbouring countries.
Marg is known as NH1. These highways
Major District Roads
measured over 122,432 km as of 2017-18.
— These roads join the district
— The longest highway is NH-44, which runs
headquarters with other places of the
between Srinagar (Jammu & Kashmir) to
district. Development and
Kanniya Kumari in Tamil Nadu, covering a
maintenance of these roads fall within
distance of 3,745 km.
the purview of Zila Parishads or other
— The NHAI is undertaking the developmental district authorities. Total length of
activities under National Highways district roads in India is around
Development Project (NHDP), which was 467763 km.
initiated in 1998.
Magbook ~ Transport, Trade and Communication in India 165

Rural Roads Phase III The government recently approved NHDP-III to upgrade 12109
— These roads are mainly the responsibility of Village km of national highways on a Build Operate and Transfer (BOT) basis,
Panchayats and connect the villages with the which takes into account high-density traffic, connectivity of state
neighbouring towns and cities. Total length of rural capitals via NHDP Phase I and II and connectivity to centres of
and other roads is more than 2650000 km in economic importance.
India.
Phase IV The government is considering widening 20000 km of highway,
— For the development of these rural roads, Pradhan that were not part of Phase I, II or III. Phase IV will convert existing
Mantri Gram Sadak yojana was launched in single lane highways into two lanes with paved shoulders.
December, 2000 by the government to provide Phase V As road traffic increases over time, a number of four lane
connectivity to unconnected rural habitations. highways will need to be upgraded to six lanes. The current plan calls
Expressways for upgrade of about 5000 km of four-lane roads.
— Apart from above mentioned roads, expressways Phase VI Upgradation of 400 km Super Express ways. Vadodara, Mumbai,
are there which make up approximately 1455 km Chennai, Bengaluru, Kolkata and Dhanbad.
of India’s road network. These high-speed roads Phase VII Calls for improvements to city road networks by adding ring
are four-lane or six-lane and are mainly toll roads. roads to enable easier connectivity with national highways to
important cities.
Border Roads
— Border roads are maintained by Border Roads Bharatmala Project
These, which was set-up in 1960 for accelerating Bharatmala project is the second largest highways construction project in
economic development and strengthening defence the country after National Highways Development Project (NHDP), under
preparedness through rapid and coordinated which covers 48,793 km highway roads were built across the country.
improvement of roads in the North and Bharatmala project aims to improve connectivity of economic corridors,
North-Eastern areas. border areas and far flung areas for quicker movement of cargo and
boosting exports.
International Highways
— Under the agreement with Economic and Social
Commission on Asia and Pacific (ESCAP), some of
the country’s highways linking the neighbouring
Road Networks Under the Twelfth
countries have seen declared international Five Year Plan
highways. These are main asterial country — The ongoing phases of NHDP (I, II, III and IV) involving
linking the capitals of the neighbouring countries : upgradation to four or more lanes of about 32750 km including
— Lahore-Amritsar, Delhi-Agra, Kolkata-Golaghat, overlapping length of about 5850 km under golden quadrilateral
Imphal-Mandalay. and NHDP-V, are required to be completed in a time bound
— Bashi-Kathmandu. manner within the Twolfth Five Year Plan.
The World Bank provides finance to the maintenance — The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has prepared a
of these roads.
master plan for the national expressways network for a total
length of about 18637 km. It is proposed to develop two lanes NH
National Highways Development standards during Twolfth Plan. Existing two lanes NHs are to be
Project developed to four lanes or more lanes with divided carriageway.
Phase I The Golden Quadrilateral (length: 5846 km) — Riding quality of about 5000 km may need to be improved during
connecting the four major cities of Delhi, Mumbai, Twelfth Plan. For cities with population above 1 million on the NH
Chennai and Kolkata. In January, 2012, the four lane network, it is recommended that a desirable strategy would be to
GQ highway network was completed. plan for bypasses in the form of peripheral expressways to interlink
Phase II North-South and East-West corridors the highways radiating from these cities.
comprising National Highways connecting four — Development of Bridge Management System (BMS) may be
extreme points of the country. The North-South and considered to be setup in a time bound manner for maintaining
East-West corridor connecting Srinagar in the North and updating database on bridge inventory and their conditions.
to Kanyakumari in the South, including spur from An outlay of ` 3000 crore may be earmarked for development of
Salem to Kanyakumari (via Coimbatore and Kochi) and NHs under BRO for the Twolfth Plan. Road connectivity to minor
Silchar in the East to Porbandar in the West. Total ports. Special package may be included in the Central Sector
length of the network is 7300 km. Roads Scheme for the Twelfth Plan to develop road connectivity
for airports.
166 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

15. South-Eastern railway : Kolkata

Special Accelerated Road 16. North-East Frontier railway : Maligaon Guwahati
Development Programme in the 17. Kolkata Metro : Kolkata
North-Eastern Region 17. South-East railway : Vishakapatnam
— The ministry has framed a Special Accelerated Road
Development Programme in the North-Eastern region for Railway Manufacturing Units
improving road connectivity to remote places of this region. It — Indian railways manufactures much of its rolling stock
envisages 2/4 laning of about 3251 km of national and heavy engineering components at its six
highways, two laning/improvement of about 4388 km of manufacturing plants, called production units, which
state roads. are managed directly by the railway ministry.
— Chittaranjan Locomotive Works (CLW), Chittaranjan
Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor steam locomotives and electric locomotives.
— Delhi-Mumbai industrial corridor is a mega infrastructure — Diesel Locomotive Works (DLW), Varanasi diesel
project of USD 90 billion with the financial and technical locomotives.
aids from Japan, covering an overall length of 1483 kms — Wheel Axle Plant (WAP), Bengaluru Wheel Axle Plant.
between the political capital of India, Delhi and the — Diesel Component Works (DCW), Patiala Diesel
business capital of India, Mumbai. The Multinodal High components and parts.
Axle Load, Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC), DMIC is — Rail Coach Factory (RCF), Kapurthala, Punjab rail coaches.
passing through the 6 states.
— Integral Coach Factory (ICF), Chennai coaching stock.
— Uttar Pradesh, NCR of Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat
— Bharat Earth Movers Limited Bengaluru Rail coaches for
and Maharashtra, with end terminals at Dadri in the
Delhi Metro Rail Corporation.
National Capital Region of Delhi and Jawaharlal Nehru Port
near Mumbai will be connected by this project. Rajasthan — Durgapur and Yelahanka Wheel Axle plant.
(39%) and Gujarat (38%), Haryana and Maharashtra 10% — Tatanagar Metre gauge, steam locomotives.
each and Uttar Pradesh and National Capital Region of — Bhilai rail and sleeper cars.
Delhi 1.5% of total length each. The Delhi-Mumbai leg of — Perambur rail coaches.
the Golden Quadrilateral National Highway also runs almost
— Konkan railway is not a zone of the Indian railways, but a
parallel to the freight corridor.
subsidiary company (along with the State Governments of
Maharashtra, Karnataka and Goa). Delhi Metro Rail
Railways Corporation Limited (DMRC), that has constructed and
— Railways were first introduced to India in 1853 from operates Delhi Metro network, is a joint venture of the
Bombay to Thane. In 1951, the systems were Government of India and the Government of Delhi and is
nationalised as one unit, the Indian railways, becoming an independent organisation not connected to the Indian
the largest networks in the world and largest in Asia railways. Similarly, Bengaluru Metro, Hyderabad Metro,
under one monuments. Mumbai Metro and Chennai Metro are also independent
organisations.
— Indian railways has 114500 km of total track over a route
of 65000 km and 7500 stations. Indian railways is divided — The North Indian plains of India have a dense network of
into 17 zones, which are as follows : railways from Amritsar to Howrah. This is a plain area
1. East-Coast railway : Bhubaneshwar
which is very much suitable for the construction of
railways. However, the Peninsular plateau has hilly and
2. South-Western railway : Hubli
plateau terrain along with moderate population density
3. Western-railway : Mumbai
which hinders the development of railways. Railway
4. West Central railway : Jabalpur network in the Himalayan region is largely sparse
5. Central railway : Mumbai because of rugged terrain, hill and valley topography,
6. North-Central railway : Allahabad backward economy and sparse population.
7. Eastern railway : Kolkata (smallest network)
8. South-East Central railway : Bilaspur Gauge System
9. Southern railway : Chennai — Indian railways use four gauges; the 1.676 m broad
10. Northern railway : Delhi (longest network) gauge which is wider than the 1.435 m, standard gauge;
11. North-Western railway : Jaipur the 1.0 m gauge and two narrow gauges, 0.762 mm and
12. North-Eastern railway : Gorakhpur 0.610 mm. Indian broad gauge is the most widely used
13. East-Central railway : Hajipur gauge in India with 105000 km of track length. In some
14. South-Central railway : Secunderabad regions with less traffic, the metre gauge is common,
Magbook ~ Transport, Trade and Communication in India 167

although the Unigauge project is in progress to convert

all tracks to broad gauge. The metre gauge has about
Rapid Transit in India
8000 km of track length. — Rapid transit in India consists of metro, monorail and light rail
systems. The first rapid transit system in India was the
— The narrow gauges are present on a few routes, lying in
Kolkata Metro, which started operations in 1984. It was
hilly terrains and in some erstwhile private railways,
followed by the Chennai Mass Rapid Transit system, which
which are usually difficult to convert to broad gauge.
started operations in 1995. The Delhi Metro was India’s first
Narrow gauges have 2000 route-kilometres. The
modern metro and the third metro overall, beginning
Kalka-Shimla railway, the Kangra Valley railway and the
operations in 2002. Rapid Metro Rail Gurugram, which starts
Darjeeling Himalayan railway are three notable hill lines
operations in September, 2013 to be India’s first privately
that use narrow gauge, but the Nilgiri Mountain railway
owned and operated metro.
is a metre gauge track. These four rail lines will not be
converted under the Unigauge project.
— The share of broad gauge in the total route-kilometre
High-Speed Rail Projects
has been steadily rising, increasing from 47% in 1951 — The Indian Ministry of Railways white-paper vision 2020
to 86% in 2012 whereas the share of metre gauge has envisages the implementation of regional High-Speed Rail
declined from 45% to 10% in the same period and the Projects to provide services at 250-350 km/h and planning for
share of narrow gauges has decreased from 8% to corridors connecting commercial, tourist and pilgrimage hubs.
3%. About 21500 route-km of Indian railways is Six corridors have already been identified for technical studies
electrified. on setting up of high-speed rail corridors, which are as
follows:
Trans-Asian Railway (TAR) (i) Delhi, Chandigarh, Amritsar.
(ii) Pune, Mumbai, Ahmedabad.
Linking Projects (iii) Hyderabad, Dornakal, Vijayawada, Chennai.
— The Trans-Asian Railway project, linking India with (iv) Howrah, Haldia.
Asian countries, ultimately meet with the goal of (v) Chennai, Bengaluru, Coimbatore, Trivandrum.
linking this vast region of regional and geographical (vi) Delhi, Agra, Lucknow, Varanasi, Patna.
diversity in many ways; apart from social and
— These high-speed rail corridors will be built as elevated
economic development, it will also boost tourism in
corridors in keeping with the pattern of habitation and the
this sector.
constraint of land.
— The initial TAR project envisaged by the United
— In July, 2012, Indian railway has setup a corporation called
Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and
High-Speed Rail Corporation of India Limited (HSRC), as a
Pacific (UNESCAP) was to construct a massive
subsidiary of Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) to exclusively
integrated trans continental rail network dubbed as
deal with this ambitious project. All high-speed rail lines will
Iron Silk Road from Singapore to Istanbul in Turkey
be implemented through PPP mode on Design, Build,
spanning more than 14000 km in total.
Finance, Operate and Transfer (DBFOT) basis.
Committee Constituted for Rail Security — Railway in Kashmir Officially termed the
Committee Years Jammu-Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla- Railway Link
Shahnawaz Committee 1954 (JUSBRL), the railway starts from Jammu and will travel for
Kunzru Committee 1962 345 km to Baramulla on the North-Western edge of the
Wanchoo Committee 1968 Kashmir valley. The JUSBRL project is divided into four
Sikri Committee 1978 sections, which are as follows:
Khanna Committee 1998 (i) Leg 0 extending 53 km (33 m) from Jammu to Udhampur.
(ii) Leg 1 extending 25 km (16 m) from Udhampur to Katra.
(iii) Leg 2 extending 148 km (92 m) from Katra to Qazigund.
National Rail Vikas Yojana (2002)
(iv) Leg 3 extending 119 km (74 m) from Qazigund to Baramulla.
— It formally launched on 26th December, 2002.
Government of India has conceived a massive Vande Bharat
investment plan for rail sector to eliminate capacity
Vande Bharat is India’s first indigenous train. It is also known as
bottlenecks on golden quadrilateral and diagonals to
Train 18. It is designed and built by Integral Coach Factory (ICF)
provide strategic rail communication links to ports,
Chennai under the ‘Make in India’ initiative. The train was launched
construction of mega-bridges for improving on 15 February, 2019. The train has 16 passenger cars with seating
communication to the hinterland and development of capacity of 1128 passengers. It commenced its journey between
multi-nodal transport corridors. This initiative has been Delhi and Varanasi.
given the name of National Rail Vikas yojana.
168 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

Konkan Railway Corporation Limited (KRCL) KRCL has

Mountain Raliways of India —
been set-up as a public sector undertaking for
Darjeeling Himalayan Railway constructing a BG line from Roha to Mangalore (760 km)
— The Darjeeling Himalayan railway, also known as the Toy providing a reliable and efficient transport infrastructure
Train, is a 2 ft (610 mm) narrow gauge railway that runs for the Konkan region.
between New Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling in West Bengal. — Centre for Railway Information System (CRIS) CRIS has
Built between 1879 and 1881, the railway is about 78 km been established as a non-profit making organisation and
(48 mi) long. is entrusted with the design, development and information
of all major computer services or railways on railways.
The Nilgiri Mountain Railway
— Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Limited
— It is a railway in Tamil Nadu, built by the British in 1908 (IRCTC) IRCTC was set-up to take up the catering
and was initially operated by the Madras (now Chennai) services and tourism activities from Indian railways
railway. The railway still relies on its fleet of steam facilitating rail travel through internet, establishment of
locomotives. food plazas and budget hotels at important railway
Kalka-Shimla Railway stations.
— It is a 2 ft 6 inch (762 mm) narrow gauge railway in — Rail Tel Corporation of Indian Limited (Rail Tel) Rail Tel
North-West India travelling along a mostly mountainous was set-up in 2001 with the aim of modernising Indian
route from Kalka to Shimla. It is known as for breathtaking Railways’s Communication system for safe and efficient
views of the hills and surrounding villages. train operation and generate revenue through commercial
exploitation of the system.
Matheran Hill Railway — Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) RVNL has been set-up
— Matheran Hill Railway is a heritage railway in to execute projects with a view to strengthen the golden
Maharashtra, India. The railways comes under the quadrilateral and its diagonals and to augment port
administration of the Central Railways. The railway covers connectivity under National Rail Vikas yojana launched by
a distance of 20 km (12.6 mi), over large swathes of the Government of India.
forest territory connecting Neral to Matheran in the — Indian Railway Welfare Organisation (IRWO) This is an
Western Ghats. UNESCO is considering granting heritage autonomous body set-up under the patronage of Ministry
status to the railway. of Railways for meeting specific need of housing both for
Kangra Valley Railway serving and retired employees.
— It lies in the sub-Himalayan region and covers a distance — Konkan Railways It is run by a separate corporation and it
of 164 km (101.9 m) from Pathankot to Joginder Nagar in runs from Mangalore to Roha (40 km South of Mumbai).
Himachal Pradesh, India. Four states involved in this network are Maharashtra, Goa,
Karnataka and Kerala. It does not pass through Kerala.
Undertakings under Ministry 51% of the shares of Konkan railway is with Indian railways.
It has the fastest of tracks in India. Total length is 760 km
of Railways and 10% of the line passes through tunnels. Longest tunnel
— Rail India Technical and Economic Service Limited is near Ratnagiri in Karbude 6.5 km.
(RITES) RITES provides consultancy services on all
aspects of railways from concept to completion. Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail
— Indian Railway Construction Company Limited (IRCON) Corridor
IRCON is a specialised agency to undertake major railway It is a proposed high-speed rail line connecting the cities of
projects both in India and abroad. Mumbai and Ahmedabad. The construction of the corridor will
— Indian Railway Finance Corporation (IRFC) IRFC was begin in 2018 and is expected to be completed by 2023. The 508
set-up to raise founds through issue of bonds and km long Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed rail corridor will cover
augment railway plan finance. 12 stations and will have a 21 km tunnel under the sea.
— Container Corporation of India (CONCOR) CONCOR has As per the detailed project report by Japan International
been set-up as a public sector undertaking for developing Cooperation Agency (JICA) which is the funding agency for the
multimodal transport infrastructure for international and bullet train project, the passengers will get the thrill of riding
under the sea at a speed of 350 kmph.
domestic trade and industry.
Magbook ~ Transport, Trade and Communication in India 169

various rivers and canals. Substantial quantum of cargo

and passengers are transported in this unorganised sector
Dedicated Freight Corridor as well. Below are the major inland waterways of India :
— Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India (DFCCIL) — National Waterway Number-1 The Ganga–Bhagirathi–
Hooghly River system between Haldia (Sagar) and Allahabad
is a special purpose vehicle set-up under the
was declared as National Waterway Number – 1(NW-1)
administrative control of ministry of railways to undertake during October, 1986. It is 1620 km long.
planning and development, mobilisation of financial — National Waterway Number-2 The river Brahmaputra having
resources and construction, maintenance and operation of a length of 891 km between Satiya-Dhubri stretch was
the dedicated freight corridors. DFCCIL was incorporated declared as National Waterway Number 2 (NW-2) on
in October, 2006 under Indian Companies Act of 1956. 1st September, 1988.
DFCCIL is rated AAA the highest corporate credit rating — National Waterway Number-3 consists of three channels,
given by CRISIL and LAAA (SO) (pronounced LAAA which are as follows:
(i) West Coast canal (Kottapuram - Kollam)
structured obligation) credit opinion by ICRA.
(ii) Udyogmandal canal (Kochi - Pathalam bridge)
(iii) Champakara canal (Kochi - Ambalamugal)

Water Transport — National Waterway Number-4 Godavari and Krishna rivers

and canals between Kakinada and Puducherry (NW-4). It
was declared as National Waterway on 25th November, 2008
Shipping The Kakinada-Puducherry stretch of canals and the Kaluvelly
— Approximately, 95% of the country’s trade by volume tank, Bhadrachalam-Rajahmundry stretch of river Godavari
and 70% by value is moved through maritime and Wazirabad-Vijayawada stretch of river Krishna
transport. India is among the 20 leading merchant fleets (1095 km).
all over the world. The country has 13 major ports and — National Waterway Number-5 Brahmani river and Mahanadi
200 minor ports. delta system along with East Coast canal. It consists of the
following stretches
— In 2010, Port Blair in the Andaman and Nicobar islands
(i) The Talcher Dhamra stretch of river Brahmani.
was declared as a major port, taking the number of top
(ii) Geonkhali Charbatia stretch of East Coast canal.
state owned ports to 13.
(iii) Charbatia Dhamra stretch of Matai river.
— Cargo mix, Petroleum, Oil and Lubricants (POL) continued
(iv) Mangalgadi Paradip stretch of Mahanadi delta rivers
to account for the largest share of 32% in 2010-11 (31%
(NW-5, 623 km). It was declared as National Waterway 5
in 2009-10), followed by containers (20% against 18%).
(NW 5) on 25th November 2008.
The share of iron ore dipped from 18% to 15% of the total
volumes over the same horizon, while the share of coal (v) National Waterway Number-6 Lakhipur to Bhanga on
remained stable at 13%. river Barak. It was declared in 2013 and has a 121 km.

Indian port sector has seen certain major milestones being

—

reached in the recent past, including the commissioning

Ports in India
of the first phase of operations at International — The Waterways Authority of India divides Indian ports into
Container Transhipment Terminal, Vallarpadam; Solid three categories, major, minor and intermediate. India
Cargo Port Terminal, Dahej; Coal Terminal, Mundra; Bulk has more than 200, with 13 major and the rest
Terminal, Hazira; and a Greenfield port, Dhamra. intermediate and minor. Largest port of India is Jawaharlal
Nehru port in Mumbai. The largest natural port is in
Inland Waterways Visakhapatnam.
— Kandla in Gujarat is a Tidal port. It has been made into a
— India has about 14500 km of navigable waterways which
free trade zone. New Mangalore port is also called the
comprise of rivers, canals, backwaters, creeks etc. About
55 million tonnes of cargo is being moved annually by Gateway of Karnataka. Mumbai port is the busiest port of
Inland Water Transport (IWT), a fuel efficient and India.
environment friendly mode. — Kandla port is called the offspring of partition as it was
— Its operations are currently restricted to a few stretches in developed after the partition as an alternative of Karachi
the Ganga-Bhagirathi-Hooghly rivers , the Brahmaputra, port. It is a tidal port and a free trade zone located in
the Barak river, the rivers in Goa, the backwaters in Rann of Kachchh. Port Blair in the Andaman and Nicobar
Kerala, inland waters in Mumbai and the deltaic regions of Island, declared as a major port, but is privately
the Godavari - Krishna rivers. developed.
— Besides, these organised operations by mechanised
— Mundra port, a newly developed minor port in the State of
vessels, country boats of various capacities also operate in Gujarat registered a cargo tariff of around 30 MT per
annum, that is higher than that of many major ports.
170 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

— Maharashtra has highest 53 minor ports followed by Bombay High-Mumbai- Ankleshwar-Koyali

Gujarat 42 minor ports. Lakshadweep has 10 and Pipeline
Andaman and Nicobar islands has 23 minor ports.
— This pipeline connects the oil fields of Bombay High and
— Two more major ports are proposed by Central Gujarat with Koyali refinery. This 210 km long pipeline
Government to set-up at Sagar Island in West Bengal and connects Mumbai to Bombay High.
Durga Rajapatnam in Nellore, district of Andhra Pradesh.
Hajira-Bijapur-Jagdishpur (HBJ) Gas Pipeline
Sethusamudram Shipping Canal — This 1750 km long pipeline is the world’s longest
Project underground pipeline constructed to transport gas from the
oil fields of the Western Ghats to the interior parts of the
— This project envisages dredging of a ship channel across
country.
the Palk straits between India and Sri Lanka.
— The projects that allow ships sailing between the East and Jamnagar-Loni LPG Pipeline
West coasts of India to have a straight passage through — This 1269 km long pipeline was constructed by Gas
India’s territorial waters, instead of having circumvent Authority of India Limited (GAIL). This connect Jamnagar in
Sri Lanka. This will lead to a saving of up to 424 nautical Gujarat to Loni (in Uttar Pradesh) near Delhi.
miles (780 km) and upto 30 hours in sailing time.
Mundra-Delhi Pipeline
— Two channels will be created, one across North of Adam’s
— This 1054 km long pipeline connects Mundra in Gujarat to
Bridge (the chain of Islets and shallows linking India with
Delhi. This was inaugurated in 2009.
Sri Lanka) South-East of Pamban Island and another
through the shallows of Palk bay, deepening the Palk
straits. The total length of these two channels would be Air Transport
89 km. — Air transport is the most modern means of transport, which
is unmatched by its speed, time- saving and long-distance
The Sagar Mala Project operation. The beginning of the air transport was made in
— On 15th August, 2005, Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee 1911 with a 10 km air mail service between Allahabad and
announced this plan. Under Sagar Mala Project, all major Naini. India was first to introduce Airervice in Asia.
ports will be connected with the golden quadrilateral — At the time of Independence, 4 companies were operating
through high-speed expressways. The rail connectivity to their air services (Tata Sons Limited, Indian National
such ports will also be strengthen, so that adequate line Airways, Air Services of India and Deccan Airways) and
capacity and speed of movement are available. later two separate corporations were set-up, the Air India
international to cater for the international air routes and the
Pipeline Transport Indian Airlines for the domestic services.
— Pawan Hans Helicopters Limited has been providing
— It is the transportation of goods through pipe. Most
helicopter support services to the petroleum sector
commonly liquids and gases are sent, but pneumatic
including ONGC, Oil India Limited and Hardy Exploration at
tubes using compressed air can also transport solid
Chennai. It also provides services to certain State
capsules. The pipeline is routed along which is known as
Governments and public sector undertakings and in the
a right of way.
North-Eastern states.
Pipeline Network of India — The government under ‘Open Sky Aviation Policy’ is
allowing private operators to fly in the Indian skies and
Naharkatia Noonmati–Barauni Pipeline transport passengers and freight.
— It is the first in the country constructed for transporting
crude oil from Nahar Katiya in Assam to Barauni in Bihar Airport Authority of India (AAI)
via Noonmati oil refinery.
— AAI was constituted by an Act of Parliament and came into
Salaya-Koyali-Mathura Pipeline being on 1st April, 1995 by merging erstwhile National
— This important pipeline is 1870 km in length and connect Airports Authority and International Airports Authority of
Salaya (Gulf of Kachchh) to Koyali and Mathura oil India.
refineries. This pipeline carries the imported crude oil to — The merger brought into existence a single organisation
Mathura oil refinery. This pipeline was extended upto entrusted with the responsibility of creating, upgrading,
Koyali (near Vadodra in Gujarat) and further extension took maintaining and managing civil aviation infrastructure both
the pipeline to Jalandhar (Punjab). on the ground and air space in the country.
Magbook ~ Transport, Trade and Communication in India 171

Functions of AAI — India has the world’s second largest mobile phone user
base with over 929.37 million users as of May, 2012. It
— Design, development, operation and maintenance of
has the world's third-largest Internet user-base with over
international and domestic airports and civil enclaves.
137 million as of June, 2012. The overall teledensity has
— Control and management of the Indian air space
increased to 79.38% as of 31st March, 2015 and the total
extending beyond the territorial limits of the country, as
numbers of mobile phone subscribers have reached
accepted by ICAO.
83.24 million as of 31st March, 2013. The mobile
— Construction, modification and management of passenger
teledensity had increased to 77.58% in May, 2015.
terminals.
— Development and management of cargo terminals at
— The access network, in India which connects the
international and domestic airports. subscriber to the core, is highly diversified with different
copper-pair, optic-fibre and wireless technologies. DTH, a
— Provision of passenger facilities and information system at
relatively new broadcasting technology has attained
the passenger terminals at airports.
significant popularity in the television segment. The
— Expansion and strengthening of operation area, viz
introduction of private FM has given a fillip to the radio
runways, aprons, taxi way etc.
broadcasting in India. Telecommunication in India has
— Provision of visual aids.
greatly been supported by the INSAT system of the
— Provision of communication and navigation aids.
country, one of the largest domestic satellite systems in
The airports which have been privatised are as follows: the world.
— Cochin : International airport
— Bengaluru : International airport Universal Service Obligations
— Delhi : Indira Gandhi International airport, Delhi
— Hyderabad : Rajiv Gandhi International airport
(USO)
— Mumbai : Chhatrapati Shivaji International airport — It is an accepted fact that improved rural penetration is a
key priority area for most developing countries. The
Notable Airports concept of Universal Service Obligation (USO) has been
Airport City mooted by many developing countries and is grounded on
Veer Savarkar International airport Port Blair the principle that effective means of communication is
Rajiv Gandhi International airport Hyderabad must for economic and social development.
Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Guwahati — The Indian Telegraph (Amendment) Act, 2003 gave
airport statutory status to the Universal Service Obligation
Indira Gandhi International airport New Delhi Fund (USOF).
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Ahmedabad — USOF is used to subsidise developments in the telecom
airport
sector in the rural areas such as increasing wireless
Kempegowda International airport Bengaluru
network providing public access through public or
Chhatrapati Shivaji International airport Mumbai
community phones providing individual household
[Santa Cruz]
telephones.
Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar International Nagpur
airport — The resources for meeting the USOF are to be
Tulihal Airport Imphal generated through a Universal Service Levy (USL),
Biju Patnaik International airport Bhubaneswar which would be a percentage of the revenue earned by
Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International airport Amritsar the operators under various licenses. The USL presently is
Chaudhary Charan Singh airport Lucknow 5% of the adjusted gross revenue earned by all operators
Lal Bahadur Shastri airport Varanasi except pure value added services providers like voice mail
Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Kolkata and e-mail.
airport (Dum Dum) — Telecommunications in India started as a state monopoly.
In the 1980s, telephone series and postal series come
Telecommunication under the department of posts and telephone. In 1985,
government grated new Department of
— It has supported the socio-economic development of India
Telecommunications (DoT).
and has played a significant role to narrow down the
rural-urban digital divide to some extent. Telephony was — As part of early reforms, the government set-up two new
introduced in India in 1882. Since then, it has grown at a public sector undertakings, i.e. Mahanagar Telephone
very good rate in multipronged ways. India possesses a Nigam Limited (MTNL) and Videsh Sanchar Nigam
diversified communications system, which links all parts of Limited (VSNL). MTNL looked after telecommunications
the country by telephone, internet, radio, television and operations in two mega cities: Delhi and Mumbai. VSNL
satellite. provided international telecom services in India.
172 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

In the early 1990s, the Indian telecom sector, which was

—
owned and controlled by the Indian Government, was
Geographical Information
liberalised and private sector participation was permitted System (GIS)
through a gradual process. — GIS integrates hardware, software and data for
capturing, managing, analysing and displaying all
New Telecom Policy (NTP), 2012
forms of geographically referenced information. GIS
National Telecom Policy of 2012 has following major features: allows us to view, understand, question, interpret
— Create knowledge based society through proliferation of and visualised data in many ways that reveal
broadband and provide ‘broadband on demand’ by 2015. relationships, patterns and trends in the form of
Achieve target of 175 million broadband users by 2017 maps, globes, reports and charts. A GIS helps in
and 600 million by 2020. To make India a global hub for solving problems by looking at data in a way that is
telecom equipment manufacturing. quickly understood and easily shared. GIS
— Increase rural tele-density from 35% to 60% by 2017 and to technology can be integrated into any enterprise
100% by 2020. information system framework.
— Abolish roaming charges.
— Mobile number portability, which is currently restricted to a International Trade
circle-level basis, to be enhanced to allow consumers to — Salient features of India’s international trade are as
retain their mobile numbers when they move to a new city or
follows:
any location in the country without having to pay
— Unfavourable balance of trade.
‘roaming charges’.
— More export of manufactured goods. About 96% of the
— Free up 300 MHz of airwaves for commercial telephony trade is carried by sea route.
by 2017 and another 200 MHz of spectrum by 2020. All — Increasing import of raw material.
future spectrum allocations will be priced at market rates. — Increasing import of capital goods like metals, electrical
— Allow spectrum pooling, sharing and trading. Prepare a and non-electrical machinery, transport equipments
roadmap for spectrum availability for next 5 years. chemicals and new technology.
— Delink licence from spectrum. Make mobile permit technology — Low position in international trade.
neutral and divide them into two categories: network service — Among import of principal commodities, petroleum and
operator and service delivery operator. its products has biggest share (17.46%), followed by
capital goods (20.3%) and gold (7.33%).
Global Positioning System (GPS) — India has maximum import from OPEC countries
(35.4%), followed by 32.3% from developing countries
— GPS satellites are much simpler and are most commonly used and 29.7% from OECD countries.
devices in the 21st century. GPS satellites maps the location of
objects in space. Navigation device uses the satellites as India Trade Promotion
reference points to determine coordinates on the Earth in terms Organisation (ITPO)
of latitude, longitude and altitude. The raw coordinates are
useless without a map. — ITPO is the premier trade promotion agency of the
Government of India for organising trade fairs. It is
— The earliest GPS receivers did not have built-in maps, so users
committed to showcase excellence achieved by the
had to plot their coordinates on paper maps to navigate. Only in
country in diverse fields especially trade and
recent years has the technology existed to include digital
commerce. ITPO as the nodal trade promotion
mapping features in affordable navigation devices. Even today,
agency of the country has had a pioneering role in
many GPS units don’t come with maps e.g. tracking devices
the national trade growth dynamics since its
used on prisoners and animals.
inception.
 Self Check Build Your Confidence
1. Consider the following statements Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
1. The first railway line in India opened for public traffic was (a) Only 1 (b) Only 2
laid between Mumbai and Thane in 1953. (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
2. The Southern part of India got its first line from 8. Which among the following pairs of international airport
Royapuram to Arcot in 1856. and its location is incorrectly matched?
3. At present, India has one of the largest railway network in
Asia.
(a) Lal Bahadur Shastri airport : Varanasi
(b) Tulihal airport : Imphal
Which of the statements given above are correct?
(a) 1 and 3 (b) 1 and 2
(c) Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar International : Nagpur
airport
(c) 2 and 3 (d) All of these
(d) Veer Savarkar International airport : Hyderabad
2. Which among the following gauge size is most used in
9. Which among the following commodities are imported
Indian railways?
by India from other countries?
(a) 1.675 m (b) 1.0 m
1. Electronic goods 2. Edible oils
(c) 0.762 m (d) 0.610 m
3. Machines 4. Gold and silver
3. Which one of the following highways passes through 5. Medicines 6. Paper
Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh and Odisha? [IAS 2007] 7. Raw jute
(a) NH4 (b) NH5
Select the correct answer using the codes given below
(c) NH6 (d) NH7
(a) 1, 2 and 6 (b) 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6
4. Consider the following statements (c) 3, 4, 5 and 7 (d) All of these
1. International trade of a country is often regarded as its 10. Which one of the following pairs is incorrectly matched?
economic barometer. Railway Zones Headquaters [IAS 2006]
2. Rivers of Southern India are not much suited for (a) North-Eastern Railway : Gorakhpur
navigation. (b) South-Eastern Railway : Bhubaneshwar
3. Air transportation in India made a humble beginning in (c) Eastern Railway : Kolkata
1898. (d) South-East Central Railway : Bilaspur
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are incorrect?
(a) Only 1 (b) Only 2
11. Which among the following pairs is incorrectly
matched?
(c) Only 3 (d) 1 and 3
National Highways Routes
5. Consider the following statements (a) NH 7 : Varanasi-Nagpur-Kanniya kumari
1. Water transport is a fuel efficient and environment (b) NH 24 : Delhi- Lucknow
friendly mode of transportation which has vast (c) NH 50 : Nashik-Pune
employment generation potential. (d) NH 54 : Pathankot-Mandi
2. Waterways provide only about 1% of total transport of 12. Consider the following statements about India
India.
1. It has the world’s third-largest Internet user-base.
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
2. India’s telecommunication network is the second largest
(a) Only 1 (b) Only 2
in the world based on the total number of telephone
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
users.
6. Arrange the following major ports of India according to 3. The first experimental electric telegraph line in India was
their location from North to South direction. started between Calcutta and Diamond Harbour in 1850.
1. Kochi 2. Tuticorin Which of the statements given above are correct?
3. Visakhapatnam 4. New Mangalore (a) 1 and 2 (b) 2 and 3
Codes (c) 1 and 3 (d) All of these
(a) 1,2,3,4 (b) 3,4,1,2 (c) 4,3,2,1 (d) 4,3,1,2
13. In India, ports are categorised as major and non-major
7. Among the Indian States, [IAS 2004] ports. Which one of the following is a non-major port?
1. Andhra Pradesh has the longest coastline. (a) Kochi (Cochin) (b) Dahej [IAS 2009]
2. Gujarat has the highest number of airports. (c) Paradip (d) New Mangalore

1. (c) 2. (a) 3. (c) 4. (c) 5. (c) 6. (b) 7. (b) 8. (d) 9. (d) 10. (b)
11. (d) 12. (d) 13. (b)
Chapter seventeen
India-Cultural Settings
Scheduled Tribes Major Tribes
A unique feature of the — There are 697 tribes (with many Bhutia Tribes
overlapping types in more than one Bhutia tribes usually are from Tibetan origin.
Indian civilisation has —
state) as per notified schedule under They migrated to Sikkim in the 16th century
been a complex interplay Article 342 of the Constitution of and inhabited the Northern part where they
of elements of diversity India in different states and union are known as the Lachungpa.
and the underlying territories of the country with the
— Majority of the tribes are concentrated in the
largest number being in the State of
bonds of unity, which Odisha. About 80% of the tribal
Dry valley of the North Sikkim. In Sikkim,
becomes all the more they are called as Denzongpa. They are also
population is concentrated in the
found in Darjeeling and Kalimpong.
evident when seen in the central region consisting States of
regional context. Thus, in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Bodo Tribes
Maharashtra, Odisha, Jharkhand and
the social geography of — The true ethnic tribal community of
Gujarat whereas, there are no
North-Western parts of Assam are Bodo tribe.
India, there appears to notified tribes in Punjab, Haryana,
They resides in the Brahmaputra valley and
be a symbiotic Delhi, Puducherry and Chandigarh.
are known to be the earliest settlers in Assam.
relationship between — Other prominent tribal states are They are the first to cultivate rice and rear
Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil silkworms. They are the largest ethnic and
centripetal and
Nadu, West Bengal and linguistic group of tribes.
centrifugal forces, North-Eastern and Himalayan states.
producing a delicate — On the whole, as per rough Chakma Tribes
balance of unity in estimates, the prominent tribal areas — Chakma is the name of the largest tribe
diversity. constitute around 18.7% of the total found in the hilly area of Eastern Bangladesh
geographical area of the country. known as the Chittagong hill tracts. Chakma
Among the notified tribes, some are primarily Buddhist.
groups are still at most primitive
stage. They continue to live in Jarawa Tribes
isolated areas and practice either — The Jarawa are one of the four tribes in the
primitive agriculture or hunting and Andamans. The Jarawa are hunters and
gathering and most of them are still gatherers and live on two large islands. They
in initial stage of economics with numbered between 200-400, which is a large
almost stagnating population. Such number when compared to the other tribes in
groups (75 in number) are named as Andaman islands. They are nomadic, living in
primitive tribal groups. They are bands of 40-50 people.
spread over 17 states and 1 union
territory. The areas inhabited by the Khasi Tribes
tribal constitute a significant part of — Khasi were earliest immigrant tribes, who
the under developed areas of the came from Myanmar and settled down in the
country. plains of East Assam. Later, they had their
— The tribals live mostly in isolated or own kingdom, until the British exercised
remote areas. A smaller portion of control over them. The word Khasi is derived
their population has now settled in from Shankradeva’s Baghavata Purana, an
towns and cities. Indo-Aryan literature.
Magbook ~ India-Cultural Settings 175

Khond Tribes Distribution of Tribes in India

— These tribes are usually found in Bihar State Tribes
and are considered as the Scheduled
Andhra Pradesh Bhil, Chenchu, Gond, Kondas, Lambadis, Sugalis etc
Tribes. They were originated from Odisha
and are one of the major tribes of India. Assam Boro, Kachari, Mikir (Karbi), Lalung, Rabha, Dimasa,
Khonds are also found in Andhra Hmar, Hajong etc
Pradesh. They are also called as Bihar and Jharkhand Asur, Banjara, Birhor, Korwa, Munda, Oraon, Santhal etc
Kandhs. The tribe is divided into many Gujarat Bhil, Dhodia, Gond, Siddi, Bordia etc
groups like hill or kutia and plain
dwelling khonds. Himachal Pradesh Gaddi, Gujjar, Lahuala, Swangla etc
Karnataka Bhil, Chenchu, Gond, Kuruba, Kammara, Kolis, Koya,
Naga Tribes Mayaka, Toda etc
— Originally, Nagas were not known as Kerala Adiyam, Kammrar, Kondkappus, Malais, Palliyar etc
tribes. The Naga tribes are linked with
tribes in Assam and Myanmar. Naga MP and Chhattisgarh Bhil, Birhor, Damar, Gond, Kharia, Majhi, Munda, Oraon,
Parahi etc
tribes belonged to Indo-Mongoloid
family. Maharashtra Bhil, Bhunjia, Chodhara, Dhodia, Gond, Kharia, Nayaka,
Oraon, Pardhi, Rathwa etc
— Each of the Naga tribe is divided into as
many as twenty clans. Some of the Meghalaya Garo, Khasi, Jayantia etc
major Naga tribes are Angami, Chang, Odisha Birhor, Gond, Juang, Khond, Korua, Mundari, Oraon,
Konyak, Lotha, Phoms, Rengma, Sema, Santhal, Tharua etc
Pochury and Zeliang. Rajasthan Bhil, Damor, Garasta, Meena, Salariya etc
Orans or Oraons Tribes Tamil Nadu Irular, Kammara, Konda kapus, Kota, Maha malasar,
— The most progressive tribes found in Palleyan,Toda etc
India are the Orans or Oraons. They are Tripura Chakma, Garo, Khasi, Kuki, Lusai, Liang, Santhal etc
mostly the ones who are into education West Bengal Asur, Birhor, Korwa, Lepcha, Munda, Santhal etc
and worship in churches.
Mizoram Lusai, Kuki, Garo, Khasi, Jayantia, Mikir etc
Santhal Tribes Arunachal Pradesh Dafla, Khampti, Singpho etc
— The third largest tribes of India are the
Goa Dhodi, Siddi (Nayaka)
Santhal tribal. This tribal habitations are
mainly in the States of West Bengal, Daman and Diu and Dadra Dhodi, Mikkada, Varti etc
Bihar, Odisha, Jharkhand and Assam. and Nagar Haveli
— They belong to the Pre-Aryan period and Andaman and Nicobar Jarawa, Nicobarese, Onges, Sentinelese, Shompens, Great
were the great fighters during the British Islands Andamanese
regime in India. A bantam bunch UP and Uttarakhand Bhotia, Buxa, Jaunsari, Tharu, Raji etc
comprising of the Santhals can also be
Nagaland Naga, Kuki, Mikir, Garo etc
traced back to Bangladesh.
Sikkim Bhutia, Lepcha
Toda Tribes
Jammu and Kashmir Changpa, Garra, Gujjar, Gaddi, Brokpa, Batic etc
— Toda tribe is the most ancient and
unusual tribe of Nilgiri hills of Tamil Ancient Tribes on the Verge of Extinction
Nadu. The Todas have their own
language. Tribes Race Islands
— They have their own secretive customs Onge Negroid Little Nicobar
and regulations.
Sentinelese Negroid Sentinel Island
— Todas worship nature like Hill Gods, Lord
Amodr (the realm of the dead) and Jarawa Negroid Middle and South Andaman
Goddess Teikirzi. Toda community is Andamanese Negroid Strait Island
well-known for its embroidery garments,
Shompen Mongloid Great Nicobar
buffaloes rearing and expertise in
silver-smith works. Nicobarese Mongloid Great Nicobar
176 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

Problems of Tribal Areas Legal Provisions and

— Biggest problem of tribal areas is that of acquiring Governmental Interventions
land for developmental purposes.
Constitutional safeguards have been provided for stopping
— Opening of mines in the heart of tribal area and even exploitation of these people and to ensure equality are listed below :
a few factories provided wage labour as well as
— Seats are to be reserved for them in legislature. Further, 7.5%
opportunities for factory employment. But this
of the government jobs have been reserved for Scheduled
brought increasing destitution and displacement. The
Tribes.
expansion of railway in India heavily devastated the
forest resources in tribal India. — Certain areas have been notified as scheduled areas. This
allows the Government to frame certain regulations like
— The history of land alienation among the tribes began
restriction on transfer of land and regulation of money lending
during British colonialism in India, when the British
business in such areas.
interfered in the tribal region for the purpose of
exploiting the tribal natural resources. — Forest Rights act was enacted in 2006 as per which ‘‘Forest
dwelling Scheduled Tribes’’ and ‘other traditional forest
— Coupled with this, tribal lands were occupied by
dwellers’ were granted certain rights in forests. The Said act
moneylenders, zamindars and traders by advancing
has recently been amended in 2012 for its effective
them loans etc.
implementation and removal of impediments.
— Majority of tribes live under poverty line. The tribes
— Many schemes under Ministry of Tribal Affairs have been
follow many simple occupations based on simple
started which included establishment of schools, girls and
technology. Most of the occupation falls into the
boys hostels and vocational training institutions in tribal
primary occupations such as hunting, gathering and
people areas. Schemes have also been initiated for providing
subsistence agriculture.
scholarship for ST students at various levels.
— The technology they use for these purposes belong to
— A comprehensive scheme has been launched for welfare of
the most primitive kind. There is no profit and
particularly vulnerable tribal people groups.
surplus making in such economy. Hence, their per
capita income is very meagre much lesser than the — National Scheduled Tribe Finance and Development
Indian average. corporation has been formed at the centre with the similar
structure in the states/union territories for providing support for
— The Himalayan tribes suffer from goitre due to lack of
employment generating schemes/projects and for providing
iodine. Leprosy and tuberculosis are also common
training to the tribal people.
among them. Infant mortality was found to be very
high among some of the tribes. Malnutrition is — National Commission for Scheduled tribes was established in
common and has affected the general health of the 2004 for enquiring into the specific complaints as well as to
tribal children as it lowers the ability to resist monitor the rights and safeguards of the tribal people.
infection, leads to chronic illness and sometimes — Tribal Co-operative Marketing Development Federation of India
leads to brain impairment. Limited (TRIFED) was set-up in 1987 for the purpose of creating
— The ecological imbalance like cutting of trees have market for tribal people products. TRIFED established exclusive
increased the distance between villages and the showrooms for tribal people products under the name tribes
forest areas thus forcing tribal women to walk longer India and has also taken up other promotional activities.
distances in search of forest produce and firewood.
— Superstitious and myths play an important role in Population of India
rejecting education. It is not easy for them to send — India is one of the most populous country of the world, next
their children to schools, as they are considered extra only to China. Large size of population means heavy pressure
helping hands. The formal schools do not hold any on resources. Poverty and environmental degradation are the
special interest for the children. Most of the tribes are two major problems India faces today have much to do with
located in interior and remote areas where, teachers population size.
would not like to go from outside.
— Besides, size, ethnic diversity, rural character and uneven
— Due to influence of Christian missionaries, the distribution are other aspects of population affecting the
problem of bilingualism has developed which led to progress and pace of socio-economic development of India.
indifference towards tribal language. The tribal
— The diversity that is found in India is hard to find anywhere
people are imitating Western culture in different
else in the world. India has more than two thousand ethnic
aspects of their social life and leaving their own
groups and every major religion is represented as four major
culture. It has led to degeneration of tribal life and
families of languages (Indo-European, Dravidian, Austro-asiatic
tribal arts such as dance, music and different types
and Tibeto-Burman languages).
of craft.
Magbook ~ India-Cultural Settings 177

— Already containing 17.5% of the world’s population, — Census 2011 is the 15th National Census of the country.
India is projected to be the world’s most populous This is the only source of primary data at the village, town
country by 2025, surpassing China, its population and ward level.
reaching 1.6 billion by 2050. — It provides valuable information for planning and formulation
— Complexity is lent by the great variation that occurs of policies for Central and the State Governments and is
across this population on social, cultural and widely used by national and international agencies, scholars,
economical parameters such as income, caste, religion, business people, industrialists and many more.
colour, sex and education. Only the continent of Africa — Census 2011, mascot is a female enumerator (who everybody
exceeds the linguistic, genetic and cultural diversity of would identify as the school teacher next door).
the nation of India. — C Chandramouli is the Registrar General and Commissioner
— Even after such complexity, India since time of 2011, Indian census. Census data was collected in
immemorial has been successful in evolving a unique 16 languages and training manual was prepared in 18
distinction of its own on the world map. languages. The census was conducted in two phases.

National Population Policy (NPP) — The motto of census 2011 was our Census, our future. A
total of 2.7 million officials visited households in 7933 towns
— The basic aim of Population policy is to decrease the
and 600000 villages, classifying the population according to
birth rate or the growth rate. In India, the first national
gender, religion, education and occupation. 2011 census
population policy was formulated in 1976. It made a
marks the first time, when biometric information was
provision for increase in the legal minimum age of
collected. Information on castes was included in the census.
marriage from 15 to 18 years for females and from
Information on caste was last collected during the British Raj
18 to 21 years for males.
in 1931.
New Population Policy Major Highlights of Census 2011
— This policy was framed by the Government of India in ◆
2001-2011 is the first decade (with the exception of 1911-1921),
the year 2000 with the objective of achieving a stable
which has actually added lesser population compared to the
population by the year 2045.
previous decade.
— The immediate goal of this policy was to take care of ◆
The population of India has increased by more than 181 million
the unmet needs for contraception health care during the decade 2001-2011.
infrastructure and to provide integrated service delivery ◆
The population of India, at 1210. 2 million, is almost equal to the
for reproductive and child health care. In order to
combined population of USA,  Indonesia, Brazil, Pakistan,
achieve the population stabilisation as provided in the
Bangladesh and Japan put together (1214.3 million).
National Population Policy.
◆
The percentage decadal growth during 2001-2011 has registered
— Comprehensive strategies aimed at convergence of
the sharpest decline since  independence, a decrease of 3.90%
service delivery at the village level for basic health care,
points from 21.54 to 17.64%.  Of the total population,
family planning and maternal and child health related 623.7 million are males and 586.5 million are females.
services and promotion of male participation are being ◆
Uttar Pradesh (199.5 million) is the most populous state in the
implemented as components of this policy.
country followed by  Maharashtra with 112 million. The combined
population of Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra is bigger than that
Census of India of the US.
— A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring ◆
While, Dadra and Nagar Haveli has the highest population growth
and recording information about the members of a rate of about 55%, Nagaland has the lowest -0.47%.
given population. It is a regularly occurring and official ◆
The density of population is highest in Delhi, followed by
count of a particular population.
Chandigarh.
— In modern time, the faint beginning of census was seen ◆
The report said that Jammu and Kashmir, Bihar and Gujarat show
in the year 1872, when the first census was conducted decline in sex ratio while 29  states shown increase.
in India non-synchronously in different parts. ◆
Overall sex ratio at the national level has increased by
— The Indian census is the most credible source of 10 points to reach 943 at census 2011 as against 933 in census
information on demography, economic activity, literacy 2001. This is the highest sex ratio recorded since census 1971 and
and education, housing and household amenities, a shade lower than 1961. Increase in sex ratio is observed in 29
urbanisation, fertility and mortality, scheduled castes states/union territories. Kerala with 1084 has the highest sex
and scheduled tribes, language, religion, migration, ratio followed by Puducherry with 1038; Daman and Diu has the
disability and many other socio-cultural data lowest sex ratio of 618.
since 1872.
178 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

◆
Child sex ratio (0-6 years) is 914. Increasing trend in the child sex — Nagaland is the only state in India, where population
ratio (0-6) seen in Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, density has registered a negative growth in 2011 Census
Tamil Nadu, Mizoram and Andaman and Nicobar islands. In all (119) from its 2001 census value of 120. The highest
remaining 27 states/union territories, the child sex ratio show population density in India is of Delhi which is 11320
decline over census 2001. Mizoram has the highest child sex ratio persons per sq km and Arunachal Pradesh recorded the
(0-6 years) of 971 followed by Meghalaya with 970. Haryana is at lowest having just 17 persons per sq km.
the bottom with ratio of 830 followed by Punjab with 846.
◆
Literacy rate has gone up from 64.83% in 2001 to 74.04% in 2011 National Population Register
showing an increase of 9.21% points. Percentage growth in (NPR)
literacy during 2001-2011 is 38.82; males: 31.98% and females
49.10%. — The basic purpose of the NPR is to prepare a
comprehensive identity database of every usual resident
◆
Less than 1 out of 10 households have computer/laptop with 3%
in the country. This database contains the demographic
having internet facility. The penetration of internet is 8% in
and biometric details of every resident. It is prepared at
urban as compared to less than 1% in rural areas.
the local, sub-district, district state and national level
◆
As far as main source of lighting is concerned, 67% households under provisions of the Citizenship Act, 1955. A usual
use electricity, which shows an increase of 11 point over 2001.
resident is a person, who has resided in a local area for
The rural-urban gap has reduced by 7% points from 44% in 2001
the past 6 months or more.
to 37%.

Population Growth and Growth The Demographic Transition

The demographic transition is the process of change in
Rates —
population in terms of number of a particular area. It has
— The population of India has increased by more than four the following four stages :
times in a period of 110 years, to reach 1210 million in — Stage 1 High death rate and birth rate and low growth rate
2011. The population of India grew by one and half times as the result.
in the first half of the 20th century and it registered a — Stage 2 Rapid decline in death rate and continued high
phenomenal three fold increase, in the later half. birth rate, resulted in very high growth rate.
— Stage 3 Rapid decline in birth rate, continued decline rate,
Decadal Growth resulted in decline of growth rate.
— It is interesting that the percentage decadal growth during — Stage 4 Low death and birth rates, resulted in low growth
2001-2011, has registered the sharpest decline since rate.
independence. It declined from 23.87% for 1981-1991 to — The Model of Demographic Transition was propounded by
21.54% for 1991-2001 and for 2001-2011, the decadal Warren Thompson in 1929.
growth has been registered as 17.64%.

Population Distribution
Population Growth Since, 1901
— The most populous State of India is Uttar Pradesh, with Demographic history of India can be divided into following
stages :
almost 200 million people living here and it is more than
the population of Brazil, which is the 5th most populous Period of Stagnant Population (1901-1921)
country in the world. In India, there are 20 states and — During this period, high birth rate was counter balanced
union territories whose population is over 10 million, by high death rate. The high mortality rate during this
whereas 5 states and union territories are yet to reach the 1 period was the product of large scale abnormal deaths
million mark. There are various factors which play a vital due to epidemics like small pox, cholera, plague etc.
role in the distribution of population. Such as physiography,
climate, water availability, employment. Period of Steady Growth (1921-1951)
— During this period, the population of India increased
Density of Population from 251 million to 361 million This period is
characterised by high birth rate and decline in death
— It is the number of persons per sq km. It represents the
rate.
concentration of population in a particular area. Various
factors like topograhy fertility of soil and water, determine Period of Rapid High Growth (1951-1981)
the population density of any region. According to census — In this period, there was a steep fall in mortality rate due
2011, the population density of India has increased to the to improvement in health care but the fertility was high,
level of 382 persons per sq km from 325 persons per sq which resulted in very high rate of population growth and
km in 2001. In 1901, the density of India was just 77 is sometimes also called as a period of population
persons per sq km. explosion.
Magbook ~ India-Cultural Settings 179

Period of High Growth with Definite Sighs — The lowest child sex ratio among the states have been
of Slowing Down (After 1981) observed in the States of Haryana (830), Punjab (846) and
— Although, the rate of growth was still very high, it Jammu and Kashmir (859) while among the Union Territories,
started declining after 1981. This declining trend Delhi (866), Chandigarh (867) and Lakshadweep (908) occupy
marks the beginning of the new era in the country’s the bottom position.
demographic history.
Sex Ratio (1901-2011)
Demographic Composition, Census Year Sex Ratio Census Year Sex Ratio
Sex Composition 1901 972 1961 941
It is the distributional pattern of male and female in a 1911 964 1971 930
population. 1921 955 1981 934
1931 950 1991 927
Spatial Patterns of Sex Ratio (2011)
1941 945 2001 933
— The patterns in sex ratio among the states and union
1951 946 2011 943
Territories are distinct. The top three states recording
the highest value of overall sex ratio are neighbours
located in the Southern part of India namely Kerala
Literacy
(1084), Tamil Nadu (995) and Andhra Pradesh — The number of literates and illiterates aged seven and above in
(992). India as per the provisional population totals of census 2011,
are 778454120 and 272950015 respectively. There has been a
— Among the union territories, the top three are
marked improvement in the proportion of literates in the last
Puducherry (1038), Lakshadweep (946) and the
decade.
Andaman and Nicobar islands (878). The lowest sex
ratio among the states has been recorded in Haryana Literacy Rate (1951-2011)
(877), Jammu and Kashmir (883) and Sikkim (889).
Among the union territories, the lowest sex ratio has Census Year Total (%) Male (%) Female (%)
been returned in Daman and Diu (618), Dadra and 1951 18.33 27.16 8.86
Nagar Haveli (775) and Chandigarh (818).
1961 28.30 34.40 15.34
— The states having historically low sex ratio such as
1971 34.45 45.96 21.97
Punjab, Haryana, Delhi and Chandigarh have shown
appreciable increase in the sex ratio in census 2011. 1981 43.57 54.38 29.76
Majority of the states identified as gender critical for 1991 52.21 64.13 39.29
special attention and intervention as part of the 2001 64.84 75.26 53.67
census 2011, have shown increasing trend in the sex
2011 74.04 82.14 65.46
ratio as per the provisional results.

Child Sex Ratio (CSR) Male and Female Literacy Rates

— CSR is the number of females per thousand males in — The effective literacy rate for India in Census 2011, works out
human population between age group (0-6) years, as to 74.04% as compared to 65% in 2001. The corresponding
per population data 2011, in India. figures for males and females are 82.14 and 65.46%
— In urban areas, the child population has increased by respectively. Thus, three-fourth of the population of aged
3.9 million or about 10%. Fears of rampant use of 7 years and above is literate in the country. 4 out of every
pre-natal sex determination technology in rural areas 5 males and 2 out of every 3 females in the country are
have been confirmed with census data indicating that li1terate.
Child Sex Ratio (CSR) fell more sharply in villages
than in urban areas in the last decade. Linguistic Composition
— The top three states recording the highest child sex — India is a land of linguistic diversity. There are around
ratio are Mizoram (971), Meghalaya (970) and 179 languages and as many as 544 dialects spoken in the
Chhattisgarh (964). Among the union territories, the country. In the context of modern India, there are about 22
top three positions are held by Andaman and scheduled languages and a number of non-scheduled languages.
Nicobar islands (966), Puducherry (965) and Dadra Among the scheduled languages, the speakers of Hindi have the
and Nagar Haveli (924). highest percentage (40.42). The smallest language groups are
Kashmiri and Sanskrit speakers (0.01% each).
180 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

Religious Composition Population Projection

— In India, almost all the major religious communities exist. — It is the method to estimate the future changes in
The first major religious community is Hindus who are population numbers, growth and future trends in the rates
almost 80% of the total population. Muslims are the of fertility, mortality and migration. Such projection is very
second largest religious group in India. Sunni sects of useful for planning.
Muslims constitutes most of their population. — According to World Development Report, India’s growth
— Christians are the third largest religious community and would be 1.8% and it will reach a population of
one third of them live in Kerala. Sikhs are mostly 1350 million by the year 2025. According to Population
concentrated in the States of Punjab, Haryana and Delhi. Reference Bureau, Washington DC, India would achieve
Majority of Jains are settled in Maharashtra, Rajasthan, its replacement level fertility in 2025-30 when its
Gujarat. Parsis are the smallest religious group, found population will reach 1.5 bn.
mainly in Greater Mumbai and Western parts of country. — Registrar General of India has projected India’s population
would like to touch 127.5 crore in 2016, 134.7 crore in
Religionwise Population Growth Rate
2021 and 141.1 crore by 2026.
Religion Growth
Hindu 16.8% Migration
Muslim 24.6% — It refers to the movement of population from one place to
Christian 15.5% another. It may be temporary or permanent but for a
Sikh 8.4%
longer period. But commutation is the daily movement of
people between city and its surrounding towns or villages.
Buddhist 6.1%
There are four streams of migration are as follows:
Jain 5.4%
(i) Rural to rural (ii) Rural to urban
Overall 17.7% (iii) Urban to urban (iv) Urban to rural
Demographic Dividend — Migration usually happen as a result of a combination of
push and pull factors.
It is the economic dividend a nation gain due to the structural
change in its population. It is the accelerated economic — Push Factors—lack of service, lack of safety, high crime, crop
failure, drought, flooding, poverty, war etc.
growth that may result from a decline in a country mortality
and fertility and the subsequent change in the age structure — Pull Factors—Higher employment, more wealth, better
services, good climate, safer and less crime, political stability,
of the population.
more fertile land etc.
 Self Check Build Your Confidence
1. Which of the following statements are correct 6. Consider the following statements
regarding tribal groups in India? 1. On virtually every parameter; sex ratio, literacy,
1. Bhils are the people of Dravidian stock now living in MP employment, life expectancy, women trail the community’s
and Rajasthan. overall average in India.
2. Onges, shompens and sentinelse are the inhabitants of 2. India has more than 50% of its population below the age of
Andaman and Nicobar islands. 25 and more than 65% below the age of 35.
3. The Gonds constitute the largest tribal groups of India. Which of the statement(s) given above is/are incorrect?
4. As per 2011 census, their population is 8.1 million all (a) Only 1 (b) Only 2
over India. (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
Select the correct answer using the codes given below
7. Which among the following are the pull factors for the
(a) 1 and 2 (b) 2 and 4 (c) 1 and 4 (d) 1, 2 and 3 migration of rural population to urban centres?
2. Consider the following statements [IAS 2006] 1. Employment in industries 2. Guaranteed better living
1. Sikkim has the minimum area among the 28 Indian 3. Transport 4. Trade
States (Delhi and Puducherry not included). 5. Modern facilities
2. Chandigarh has the highest literacy rate among 6. Starvation and hunger in villages
Puducherry, NCT of Delhi and other union territories. Select the correct answer using the codes given below
3. Maharashtra has the highest population after Uttar (a) 3, 4, 5 and 6 (b) 1, 2, 3 and 5
Pradesh among the 28 Indian States (Delhi and (c) 1, 3, 4, 5 and 6 (d) None of these
Puducherry not included).
8. Which among the following states in India has registered
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? lowest decadal growth rate according to 2011 census?
(a) 1 and 2 (b) 2 and 3 (a) Nagaland (b) Goa
(c) Only 1 (d) Only 3 (c) Kerala (d) Manipur
3. Consider the following statements 9. Arrange the following specific stages of demographic
1. Angami tribe belongs to little Andaman island. transition associated with economic development.
2. Meena tribes are known as bow men of Rajasthan. [IAS 2012]
3. Asur and Oraon tribes are natives of Jharkhand. 1. Low birth rate with low death rate
4. Nair tribes are matriarchal. 2. High birth rate with high death rate
Which of the statement given above are correct? 3. High birth rate with low death rate
(a) 1 and 2 (b) 2 and 3 Codes
(c) 3 and 4 (d) 1 and 4 (a) 1, 2, 3 (b) 2, 1, 3
(c) 2, 3, 1 (d) 3, 2, 1
4. In which of the following places is the Shompen tribe
found? 10. Which among the following states in India have shown a
(a) Nilgiri hills (b) Spiti valley decline in the sex ratio as per the Census of 2011?
1. Jammu and Kashmir 2. Bihar
(c) Nicobar islands (d) Lakshadweep islands
3. Gujarat 4. Maharashtra
5. Consider the following statements [IAS 2009] 5. Manipur
1. Between census 1951 and census 2001, the density of Select the correct answer using the codes given below
the population of India has increased more than three (a) 1, 2 and 3 (b) 1, 2 and 5
times. (c) 2 and 5 (d) 1, 4 and 5
2. Between census 1951 and Census 2001, the annual
11. The North-Eastern Indian tribes
growth rate (exponential) of the population of India has
(a) more sedentary than any other part of the world
doubled.
(b) were part of the Dravidian language group
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
(c) spent the whole year in cultivation
(a) Only 1 (b) Only 2
(d) practiced a rudimentary crop rotation
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2

1. (a) 2. (d) 3. (c) 4. (c) 5. (d) 6. (a) 7. (b) 8. (a) 9. (c) 10. (a)
11. (d)
Chapter eighteen
Urbanisation in India
Urban Social Process Medieval Towns
— About 100 of the existing towns have
Urban growth is — Most of the urban areas in India are located their root in the Medieval period. Most
surprisingly faster than in places where there is prosperous of them developed as principalities
agriculture i.e. in Western, Southern and and kingdoms. Most of them are fort
India's rural growth even North-Western India though that is starting towns and came up on the ruins of
though there is a high to change. earlier existing towns. Important
amount of congestion in — Some areas were also made for specific among them are Delhi, Hyderabad,
most cities. The reason groups of people. For the Pakistani refugees Jaipur, Lucknow, Agra and Nagpur.
that there has been so that entered India after the separation of
India and Pakistan in 1947, towns were Modern Towns
much urban growth is made that only housed them. — The British and other Europeans
due to the — Colonies that were their own mini-towns with modified the urban scene. As an
commercialisation of the the necessary storeys and apartments were external force, starting their foothold
agriculture industry as built for job seekers. Poor immigrants at the on coastal locations, they first
most could live in slum shelters or shanty developed some trading ports such as
well as the expansion of Surat, Daman, Goa, Puducherry etc.
towns, that were made of the resources
various other industries around them. And finally, hill stations were — The British later consolidated their hold
such as manufacturing made in the mountains for the British, who from three principal nodes: Mumbai,
and services. wanted to be escape the Indian summer. Chennai and Kolkata and built them in
the British fashion. They established
Evolution of Towns in their administrative centres, hill stations
India as summer resorts and added new
civil, administrative and military areas
— Towns flourished since prehistoric times in to them. Towns based on modern
India. Even at the time of Indus Valley industries also evolved after 1850.
Civilisation, towns like Harappa and Jamshedpur can be cited as an
Mohenjodaro were in existence. The second example.
phase of urbanisation began around 600 BC.
— After independence, a large number of
It continued with the periodic ups and
towns emerged as administrative
downs until the arrival of the Europeans in
headquarters (Chandigarh,
India in 18th century. Urban historians
Bhubaneswar, Gandhinagar, Dispur
classify towns of India as follows:
etc) and industrial centres (Durgapur,
Ancient Towns Bhilai, Sindri, Barauni etc). Some old
— At least, 45 towns have historical towns also developed as satellite towns
backgrounds and have been in existence at around metropolitan cities such as
least for over 2000 years. Most of them Ghaziabad, Rohtak, Gurgaon etc
developed as religious and cultural centres. around Delhi. With increasing
Varanasi is one of the important towns investment in rural areas, a large
among these. Ayodhya, Prayag, Pataliputra, number of medium and small towns
Mathura and Madurai are some of the have also developed all over the
examples. country.
Magbook ~ Urbanisation in India 183

Census of Urban Places — Census towns were identified on the basis of Census 2001
data. Besides, the directors of census operation in
in India States/Union Territories were allowed to include, in
— It is practically not possible to point out the consultation with the State Government/Union Territory
disappearance of urban area or the beginning of rural administrations and the Census Commissioner of India,
area. The criteria for defining urban areas, in general, some places having distinct urban characteristics as urban,
fall into five categories: demographic; economic; social; even if such places did not strictly satisfy all the criteria
morphological and functional. mentioned under category of census towns. Such marginal
— The census of India has used this criterion for defining cases include major project colonies, areas of intensive
an urban area. However, there have been changes in industrial development, railway colonies, important tourist
the definition given by the census of India from one centres etc.
census year to another, particularly in the first half of — The total urban population in the country as per census
the 20th century. 2011 is more than 377 million constituting 31.16% of the
— According to 1901 census, towns included every total population. It was only 25.85 million in 1901. Such a
municipality; all civil lines not included within the rapid growth has been possible by migration of population to
municipal limits; every cantonment and every other urban places. Growth of cities involves two processes;
collection of houses inhabited by not less than enlargement of urban centres and emergence of new towns.
5000 persons that the census superintendent may Urban Settlements According to
decide to treat as a town for census purposes. Census of India
— At the 1911 census, the capitals of the princely states — On the basis of population size, census of India classified
of India, irrespective of being urban or not were
urban settlements into six classes. Urban population with
adopted. The census operations up to 1951 continued
population of more than 1 lakh is called a city or class I town
with the same definition of urban area. After
and less than 1 lakh is called a town. Cities accommodating
independence, the former princely states were mostly
population between 1 to 5 million are called metropolitan
merged to form large unions and their erstwhile capitals
cities and more than 5 million mega cities. Majority of
were not treated as towns in 1951, if they did not
metropolitan and mega cities are urban agglomerations.
possess the requisite urban characteristics.
— Towns The concept of ‘town’ can best be understood with
— The 1961 census adopted a strict definition, which has
reference to ‘village’. Population size is not the only criterion.
been applied more rigorously and uniformly and has
Functional contrasts between towns and villages may not always
been followed in the consequent census years of 1971,
be clear-cut, but specific functions such as, manufacturing, retail
1981 and 1991. The only exception related to the
and wholesale trade and professional services exist in towns.
exclusion of certain economic activities like fishing,
livestock, logging, plantations, orchards etc. In 1981,
— Urban Agglomeration (UA) An urban agglomeration may
from the category of non-agricultural activities for consist of any one of the following three combinations: a
computing the percentage of male workers engaged in town adjoining urban outgrowths; two or more contiguous
such activities. In India, the census of India 2001 towns with or without their outgrowths; a city and one or
identifies two types of towns are as follows : more adjoining towns with their outgrowths together forming
a contiguous spread.
— Statutory Towns All places with a municipality, corporation,
Cantonment Board or Notified Town Area Committee etc. — An urban agglomeration must consist of at least a statutory
— Census Towns All other places which satisfied the three town and its total population (i.e. all the constituents put
criterias which are as follows: together) should not be less than 20000 as per the 2001
(i) A minimum population of 5000; census. In varying local conditions, there were similar other
combinations which, have been treated as urban
(ii) At least, 75% of the male main working population
agglomerations satisfying the basic condition of contiguity.
engaged in non-agricultural pursuits and
e.g. Greater Mumbai UA, Delhi UA etc.
(iii) A density of population of at least 400 persons per sq
km.
— Out Growth (OGs) An out growth is a viable unit such as a
village or a hamlet or an enumeration block made up of such
— Statutory towns are notified under law by the concerned
village or hamlet and clearly identifiable in terms of its
State/Union Territory Government and have local bodies
boundaries and location. Some of the examples are railway
like municipal corporations, municipalities, municipal
colony, university campus, port area, military camps etc,
committees etc irrespective of their demographic
which have come up near a statutory town outside its
characteristics as reckoned on 31st December, 2009.
statutory limits, but within the revenue limits of a village or
e.g. Vadodara (M Corp), Shimla (M Corp) etc.
villages contiguous to the town.
184 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

— While determining the outgrowth of a town, it has been ensured — The growth in population in the mega cities has
that it possesses the urban features in terms of infrastructure slowed down considerably during the last decade.
and amenities such as metalled roads, electricity, taps, drainage Greater Mumbai UA, which had witnessed 30.47%
system for disposal of waste water etc. Educational institutions, growth in population during 1991-2001, has
post offices, medical facilities, banks etc and physically recorded 12.05% during 2001-2011. Similarly, Delhi
contiguous with the core town of the UA. e.g. Central Railway UA (from 52.24% to 26.69% in 2001-2011) and
Colony (OG), Triveni Nagar (NECSW) (OG) etc. Each such town Kolkata UA (from 19.60% to 6.87% in 2001-2011)
together with its outgrowth(s) is treated as an integrated urban have also slowed down considerably.
area and is designated as an ‘urban agglomeration’.
— In the 2011 census, 475 places with 981 OGs have been Demography of Indian Urban
identified as urban agglomerations as against 384 UAs with Areas
962 OGs in 2001 census. Child Population (0-6 years)
Number of UAs/Towns and Out Growths (OGs) — Population of children in this age group is 158.8
— At the census 2011, there are 7935 towns in the country. The million in census 2011. In the urban areas, there are
number of towns has increased by 2774 since last census. 41.2 million children in this age group. In comparison
Statutory towns are increased to 4041, which were 3799 in 2001. to census 2001, the number of children (0-6) in
Census towns are increased to 3894 which were 1362 in 2001. urban areas has increased (by 10.32%), while in the
— Urban agglomerations are increased to 475 which were 384 in rural areas it has decreased by 7.04%.
2001. Out growths are increased to 981 which were 962 in — Of the 41.2 million children (0-6) in the urban areas
2001. Many of these towns are parts of UAs and the rest are in the country, the population in Class I UAs/Cities is
independent towns. The total number of urban 27.9 million, which is about 67.8% of the total urban
agglomerations/towns, which constitutes the urban frame, is child population. In million plus UAs/Cities the Child
6166 in the country. Population (0-6) is 16.6 million constituting about
40% of the total urban child (0-6) population of the
Population of UAs/Towns country.
Class I UAs/Towns — Among the 53 million plus UAs/Cities 16.6 million
are children (0-6), of which 52.7% are boys and
— The UAs/Towns are grouped on the basis their population in 47.3% are girls, showing a preponderance of male
census. The UAs/Towns which have at least 1 lakh persons as children in these large cities.
population are categorised as Class I UA/Town. At the census
— Malappuram UA has the highest proportion of
2011, there are 468 such UAs/Towns. The corresponding
children (0-6) (13.57%) in the million plus category,
number in census 2001 was 394. 264.9 million persons,
followed by Ghaziabad (13.09%). Kolkata UA has
constituting 70% of the total urban population, live in these
the lowest proportion at 7.54%.
Class I UAs/Towns. The proportion has increased considerable
over the last census. In the remaining classes of towns, the Sex Ratio
growth has been nominal. — Sex ratio, the number of females per thousand
Million Plus UAs/Towns males, in urban areas in India is 926 in census
2011. It has registered an increase of 26 points over
— Out of 468 UAs/Towns belonging to Class I category,
the sex ratio in 2001 census.
53 UAs/Towns each has a population of 1 million or above
each. Known as Million Plus UAs/Cities, these are the major — Sex ratio in Class I UAs/Cities (population of 1 lakh
urban centres in the country. 160.7 million persons (or 42.6% and above) is 921, which is 5 points lower than the
of the urban population) live in these million plus UAs/Cities.18 total urban sex ratio in the country.
new UAs/Towns have been added to this list since the last — Among the million plus UAs/Cities the Sex Ratio
census. stands at 912. The UAs, where population of
females exceeds the total male population in this
Mega Cities group are Kannur UA (Kerala) at the top with 1168.
— Among the million plus UAs/Cities, there are three very large Surat UA (Gujarat) is at the bottom of the list with
UAs with more than 10 million persons in the country, known as sex ratio at 754 where males outnumber females.
Mega Cities. These are Greater Mumbai UA (18.4 million), — In the two of the three mega cities, there is
Delhi UA (16.3 million) and Kolkata UA (14.1 million). The predominance of male population as they have
largest UA in the country is Greater Mumbai UA followed by returned low sex ratio (e.g. Greater Mumbai UA-861,
Delhi UA. Kolkata UA which held the second rank in census Delhi UA-867). Kolkata UA has returned a better sex
2001 has been replaced by Delhi UA in census 2011. ratio at 928.
Magbook ~ Urbanisation in India 185

Child Sex Ratio (0-6 years) Metropolitan Cities and Slums

— Child Sex Ratio in the country has declined from 927 to — With the increasing urban population, the number of urban
914 in census 2011. This decline is more pronounced agglomerations and cities having a population over one
in rural areas than in urban areas of the country, where million increased to 53 from 35 in just one decade
the decline is by 4 points from 906 to 902 in census (2001-2011). Among them, Greater Mumbai is the largest
2011. agglomeration with a population of 18.4 million followed by
— Child Sex Ratio in UAs/Cities with 1 lakh persons and Delhi 16.3 million and Kolkata 14.1 million. These three
above is 899, which is 3 points lower than the national cities are India’s mega cities with 10 million plus population.
average for urban areas. — But when we consider as an extended city comprising built
— Combined Child Sex Ratio in million plus UAs/Cities is up area of central core and any suburbs linked by
898. Thiruvananthapuram UA (Kerala) has returned the continuous urban area, we have a change at the top. Delhi
highest Child Sex Ratio (971) in this group. The lowest NCR, with the inclusion of Gurgaon, Faridabad, Noida and
slot is occupied by Agra UA (780). Ghaziabad becomes the number one urban agglomeration
— Child Sex Ratio in the three mega cities are 946 (Kolkata with a population of 21.7 million ahead of 20.7 million
UA), 900 (Greater Mumbai UA) and the lowest in 868 Mumbai Metropolitan region comprising Mumbai, Navi
(Delhi UA). Mumbai, Thane, Vasai Virar, Bhiwandi and Panvel. Kolkata
has clocked moderate growth.
Literacy Rate — Among the next set of big cities, Bangalure with an UA
— The literacy rates among both males and females have population of 8.7 million is now bracketed with Chennai
shown improvement in census 2011 compared to the 8.9 million. Hyderabad, which was marginally bigger than
last census. The literacy rate in the country as a whole Bangalure in 2001, has now become the 6th largest city
is 74.04%. In the rural and the urban areas, the literacy with a population of 7.7 million. Ahmedabad 6.3 million and
rates are 68.9% and 84.9% respectively. Pune 5 million make up the other larger metros. Surat
— The female literacy rate in rural and urban areas shows 4.5 million continues to grow rapidly and had added over
wide variation. In the urban areas of the country, the 1.7 million during the decade. Jaipur, with a population of
female literacy rate is 79.92% in the rural areas it is only 3 million has piped Kanpur for a spot in the top 10.
58.75%.
Slums
— In the 468 UAs/Towns the progress in literacy has been
quite encouraging. In 89 UAs/Cities, the total literacy
— One of the major characteristics of Indian cities is the
rate has crossed the 90% marks. The corresponding growth of squatter settlements called slums. A slum for the
number of UAs/Cities in census 2001 was only 23 in purpose of census, has been defined as residential areas
census 2011. In another 288 UAs/Cities, the Literacy where dwelling are unfit for human habitation by reasons of
rate ranges of 80% to 90%, improving from 197 in dilapidation overcrowding faulty arrangements and design of
census 2001. such buildings narrowness or faulty arrangement of street
lack of ventilation light or sanitation facilities or any
— The total literacy rate in Greater Mumbai UA is 90.78%,
combination of these factors which are detrimental to the
the highest among the mega cities. The literacy rate in
safety and health. For the purpose of census, slums have
Delhi and Kolkata are 86.43% and 88.33% respectively.
been categorised and defined as of the following three
The female literacy rate is also the highest in Greater
types:
Mumbai UA (87.19) the top three mega cities.
(i) Notified Slums All notified areas in a town or city notified as
'Slum' by State, UT Administration or Local Government
Trends and Patterns of under any act including a ‘Slum Act’.
Urbanisation in India (ii) Recognised Slums All areas recognised as 'Slum' by State,
UT Administration or Local Government, Housing and Slum
— Urbanisation is measured by two ways: first, level and Boards, which may have not been formally notified as slum
growth of urban share of total population and its under any act.
distribution by size classes of cities and towns. This is
(iii) Identified Slums A compact area of at least 300 populations
called demographic approach. Second, changes in
or about 60-70 households of poorly built congested
number and growth of urban centers and an expansion
tenements, in unhygienic environment usually with
of geographical boundaries of existing urban areas.
inadequate infrastructure and lacking in proper sanitary and
This is called geographical approach.
drinking water facilities.
186 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

It is for the first time in census that datasets on

—
housing stock, amenities and assets based on the
Major Indian Government
house listing and housing census are being released. Urban Policies
— In census 2001, information on slums was released only — Various urban development policies and programmes executed
on demographic characteristics based on the population
under different plan periods for the fulfillment of the following
enumeration. For this purpose, slum blocks were
objectives:
identified in statutory towns having a population of 20
thousand by the local authorities at the time of — First, promotion of urban agglomeration and urban economic
Population Enumeration phase. In census 2011, slum growth (e.g. JNNURM have a strong impact on infrastructural
blocks have been delineated in all statutory towns development in the cities, which increases the level of investment
irrespective of population size. and increases the urban economic growth and the urban
population agglomeration);
— Out of 4041 statutory towns in census 2011, slums
reported from 2543 Towns (63%). Total Slum — Second, to deliver the basic services (e.g. water, road and
Enumeration Blocks (SEBs) in census 2011 is about sanitation etc) to the city dwellers (mostly for urban poor) which is
1.08 lakh in the country. Largest number of SEBs aimed at enhancement of the basic utilities;
reported from Maharashtra (21359). Number of slum — Third, to reduce the inequality of uneven distribution of urban
blocks by type of slums according to census population across different classes of cities;
2011-notified slums (37072), recognised slums (30846), — Fourth, to increase the urban land area for accommodating more
and identified slums (40309) so total 108227 blocks. urban population either by increasing the size of the existing cities
Households by type of slums according to census or by creating new cities and recently, to ascertain whether recent
2011-notified slums 49.65 lakh HHs, recognised slums urban policies have been conducive to inclusive urban growth.
37.96 lakh HHs, identified slums 49.88 lakh HHs so
total 137.49 lakh HHs. Smart Cities Mission
— Roughly 1.37 crore households or 17.4% of urban Indian The Smart Cities Mission is an innovative and new initiative by the
households lived in a slum in 2011. The new data is Government of India to drive economic growth and improve and
difficult to compare with previous years, because the
quality of life of people by enabling local development and
2011 census covers all 4041 statutory towns in India, as
compared to 2001, when only statutory towns with
harnessing technology as a means to create smart outcomes for
population over 20 thousand were covered. The 2001 citizens.
data had set India’s slum population at 15% of the total The focus is on sustainable and inclusive development and the idea
population. The census counted slums notified under is to look at compact areas, create a replicable model which will act
various acts, those recognised by governments but not like a light house to other aspiring cities. The Smart Cities Mission is
notified and those that were in no way accepted by State meant to set examples that can be replicated both within and outside
Governments, but fit the definition of a slum. the Smart City, catalysing the creation of similar Smart Cities in
various regions and parts of the country.
Consequences of Urbanisation Mission’s strategies develop areas step-by-step–three models of
in India area-based developments. These are :
Rapid rise in urbanisation in India is leading to many 1.Retrofitting
problems like increasing slums, decrease in standard of
2.Redevelopment
living in urban areas, also cause environmental damage.
People flock to cities to avail of employment opportunities 3.Greenfield
and civic amenities. Several unplanned cities created The total number of 100 Smart Cities has been distributed among the
severe congestion. states and UTs on the basis of equitable criteria. The formula gives
Shortage of housing, recodical expansion and growth to equal weightage (50:50) to urban population of the State/UT and the
slums are characteristics of modern cities in India. Male number fo statutory towns in the State/UT. Based on this formula,
selective migration to the urban areas distorts the sex each state/UT will, therefore, have a certain number of potential
ratio in these cities. Smart Citites, with each state/UT having at least one.
 Self Check Build Your Confidence
1. Which one of the following towns is not located on a 8. Match the following [IAS 2007]
river bank?
(a) Agra (b) Bhopal List I List II
(c) Patna (d) Kolkata (Town) (River Nearer to it)
2. Which one of the following group of cities has been A. Betual 1. Indravati
arranged in the sequence of their ranks i.e. 1, 2, 3 and B. Jagdalpur 2. Narmada
4 in size?
C. Jabalpur 3. Shipra
(a) Greater Mumbai, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Chennai
(b) Delhi, Greater Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata D. Ujjain 4. Tapti
(c) Kolkata, Greater Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata
(d) Greater Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai Codes
A B C D
3. Which one of the following is not the part of the (a) 1 4 2 3
definition of a town as per the census of India? (b) 4 1 2 3
(a) Population density of 400 persons per sq km (c) 4 1 3 2
(b) Presence of municipality, corporation etc (d) 1 4 3 2
(c) More than 75% of the population engaged in primary
9. Consider the following statements according to census
sector
2011
(d) Population size of more than 5000 persons
1. The rate of urbanisation of India is maximum in Kerala.
4. Notified, recognised and identified factors are 2. There has been more increase in sex ratio of rural areas
responsible for than of urban areas.
(a) migration (b) land degradation Which of the statement(s) give above is/are correct?
(c) slums (d) air pollution (a) Only 1 (b) Only 2
5. Which one among the following major Indian cities is (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
the most Eastward located? [IAS 2007] 10. Which of the following statements is incorrect?
(a) Hyderabad (b) Bhopal (a) In the rural and the urban areas, the literacy rates are
(c) Lucknow (d) Bengaluru 68.9% and 84.9% respectively
6. Which one of the following urban agglomeration has the (b) In the urban areas of the country, the female literacy rate is
highest share of in migrant population? 79.92%, in the rural areas it is only 58.75%
(a) Mumbai UA (b) Delhi UA (c) Town having a population of 4 million or above is known as
(c) Bengaluru UA (d) Chennai UA a mega city
(d) None of the above
7. Match the following
11. According to 2001 census, in India, what should be the
List I List II minimum population of an urban agglomeration?
A. Kerala 1. Largest gain in urban (a) 40000 (b) 20000
population (c) 70000 (d) 10000
B. Himachal Pradesh 2. Largest decline in rural 12. According to 2011 census, what is the percentage of
population urban population to the total population of India?
C. Maharashtra 3. Largest percentage of rural (a) 32.16% (b) 33.16%
population (c) 31.16% (d) 29.16%
D. Sikkim 4. Largest total urban population 13. According to the data of 2011 census, what is the
correct literacy rates in rural and urban India?
Codes (a) 68.9% and 84.9%
A B C D A B C D (b) 67.8% and 87.4%
(a) 1 2 3 4 (b) 2 3 4 1 (c) 62.4% and 81.7%
(c) 1 3 4 2 (d) 2 4 3 1 (d) 71.3% and 89.8%

1. (b) 2. (d) 3. (c) 4. (c) 5. (c) 6. (a) 7. (b) 8. (b) 9. (d) 10. (c)
11. (b) 12. (c) 13. (a)
 Environment, Ecology & Biodiversity

Chapter nineteen
Ecology : Basic Concepts
Ecology
The word ecology is — The term ecology was coined by Ernst Haeckel. Ecology deals with the study of
derived from the Greek organisms in their natural home interacting with their surroundings. The surroundings
or environment consists of living organisms (biotic) and physical (abiotic) components.
words oikos, meaning
In simple words, it is the scientific study of animals and plants in their relations to each
‘household’ and logos, other and to their environment.
meaning ‘study’. Ecology — Ecology is the relation of the organism to its organic as well as its inorganic
is the study of the environment, particularly its friendly or hostile relations to those animals or plants with
interactions between which it come in contact.
and among organisms
Levels of Studying Ecology
and their environment.
— Biosphere It is the Global Ecological System integrating all living beings and their
It also deals with various relationships, including their interaction with the elements of the lithosphere,
factors affecting hydrosphere and atmosphere. It includes the totality of biodiversity on Earth,
environment. performing all types of biological functions including photosynthesis, respiration,
decomposition, nitrogen fixation and denitrification.
— Biome It refers to the large-scale areas of similar flora and fauna and climatic
characteristics. Each of these large communities contains species that are adapted to
its varying conditions of water, heat and soil.
— Some parts of the Earth have more or less, the same kind of abiotic and biotic factors
spread over a large area, creating a typical ecosystem over that area. Such major
ecosystems are termed as biomes.
— Biomes are defined by factors such as plant structures trees, shrubs and grasses leaf
types such as broad leaf and needle leaf, plant spacing (forest, woodland, savanna
and climate. A fundamental classification of biomes includes :
— Terrestrial (Land) Biomes Which can be further divided into desert biomes, forest biomes,
grassland biomes and tundra biomes.
— Aquatic Biomes Which can be further divided into fresh water (lakes and ponds, pivews and
streams, wetlands) and marine biomes (oceans cowal peels and estuasies).

Ecosystem
— It is a set of organisms and abiotic components connected by the exchange of matter
and energy.
— It is the smallest unit that can sustain life in isolation from all, but atmospheric
surroundings. It is a region with a specific and recognisable landscape form such as
forest, grassland, desert, wetland or coastal area.
— It is an integrated unit consisting of interacting plants, animals and micro-organisms
whose survival depends upon the maintenance and regulation of their biotic and
abiotic structures and functions.
Magbook ~ Ecology: Basic Concepts 189

— The ecosystem is thus, a unit or a system which is — Biotic Part It includes plants, animals and micro-
composed of a number of sub-units that are all directly or organisms. On the basis of function performed, Biotic can
indirectly linked with each other. be classified as :
— The nature of an ecosystem is based on its geographical — Producers (Autotrophs)
features such as hills, mountains, plains, rivers, lake, — Consumers (Heterotrophs)
coastal areas or islands. It is also controlled by climatic — Omnivores
conditions such as the amount of sunlight, the — Detritivores
temperature and the rainfall in the region. — Decomposers/ Scavengers
— Community Ecology It is the branch of ecology that Producers (Autotrophs)
studies interactions between and among species. It
— Organisms that can make organic (carbon-containing)
considers how such interactions, alongwith interactions
energy resources (e.g. sugar) from abiotic, inorganic
between species and the abiotic environment, affect
(non-carbon-containing) components of the environment
community structure and species richness, diversity and
are producers. Producers are considered to be in the first
patterns of abundance.
trophic level.
— Population It consists of all the organisms of one species
— Biomass The organic material that plants produce.
living in an area. It is basically a group of interacting and
interbreeding organisms of same species. — Primary Productivity The rate at which an ecosystem’s
producers create biomass.
— Organism It is a smallest unit of study in ecology and
refers to an individual member of a species. An organism — Photosynthesis The process by which a producer converts
energy from the Sun, along with Carbon Dioxide (CO 2 ) and
can be any form of life. They can be broken into two
Water (H 2 O), to sugar (glucose) and Oxygen (O 2 ).
major types : Photosynthesis is the primary means of production in most
(i) Prokaryotes : organisms whose cells lack nuclei. ecosystems. The oxygen released during pholosnthesis comes
(ii) Eukaryotes : organisms whose cells have nuclei. from water, and carbon atom from CO 2 are incorponaled into
organic molecules.
Levels of Galaxies Universe
— Chemosynthesis Another, less common form of production
Organisation
Solar Systems that relies on energy from chemicals, rather than solar energy,
to create organic energy resources.
Earth
Consumers (Heterotrophs)
Biosphere — Organisms that gather energy by consuming organic
material from other organisms. Rather than performing
Biomes
photosynthesis or chemosynthesis, consumers perform
Ecosystems aerobic respiration, which converts sugar (glucose) and
Ecology oxygen into carbon dioxide and water to give them energy.
Communities Consumers are considered to be at the second or higher
Populations
trophic level which are as follows :
— Primary Consumers Organisms that consume mainly
Organisms producers. Primary consumers are also known as herbivores
because they consume mainly plants.
Organs — Secondary Consumers Organisms that consume mainly
primary consumers. Secondary consumers are also known as
Tissues carnivores because they consume mainly animals.
Cells — Tertiary Consumers Organisms that consume secondary
consumers.
Protoplasm — Some organisms cannot be classified in one trophic
level because they consume organisms from multiple
Atoms Molecules
trophic levels e.g. omnivores, detritivores and
decomposers.
Components of Ecosystem
— Abiotic Part It is the non-living component of the Omnivores
ecosystem. It includes inorganic substances like carbon — Organisms that consume both producers and other
dioxide, nitrogen, oxygen, amount of inorganic chemicals consumers. Omnivores may be in the second and higher
and climatic factors like light, temperature, pressure, trophic levels depending on their level of consumption.
humidity etc.
190 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

Detritivores/Decomposers/ Ecosystem Structures

Scavengers
Ecosystem is a self-sustained, functional unit. It contains following structural
— Organisms that consume detritus (the factors :
tissues of dead organisms, either
— Species Composition It differs from one ecosystem to another depending
producers or consumers) and organic
upon geography, topography and climate. Maximum species composition
waste.
occurs in tropical rain forests and coral reefs. Minimum occurs in deserts and
— There cannot be too many links in a arctic regions.
single food chain because the animals
— Stratification It is the formation of vertical layers where vegetation is dense. It
at the end of the chain would not get
is absent or rare in deserts.
enough food to stay alive. Most
animals are part of more than one
— Trophic Structure Each ecosystem has specific food chains and food webs.
food chain and eat more than one kind — Standing State It is the amount of inorganic nutrients present any time in the
of food in order to meet their food and soil/water of ecosystem.
energy requirements. These — Standing Crop It is the amount of living biomass present in an ecosystem.
interconnected food chains  form a
food web. Functions of Ecosystem
— A change in the size of one population The main functions of an ecosystem are as follows :
in a food chain will affect other
— Materials or nutrient cycle.
populations. This interdependence of
the populations within a food chain — Biological or ecological regulation including both regulation of organisms by
helps to maintain the balance of plant environment and regulation of environment by the organisms.
and animal populations within a
community. Food Web
— A network of food chains or feeding relationships by which energy and
Ecological Niche nutrients are passed on from one species of living organism to another is
This concept is used to describe the role, called food web.
an organism or population plays within its — A food web is represented by a graphical description of feeding relationships
community or ecosystem. among species in an ecological community, e.g. of who eats whom. It is also
It is the set of biotic and abiotic a means of showing how energy and materials (e.g. carbon) flow through a
conditions in which a species is able to community of species as a result of these feeding relationships.
persist and maintain stable population
sizes. It is the way of life of a species.
Each species is thought to have a
separate, unique niche.
The ecological niche describes how an Lion
organism or population responds to the Jackal
distribution of resources and competitors
(e.g. by growing when resources are
abundant and when predators, parasites Goat
and pathogens are scarce) and how it in
turn alters those same factors (e.g. Wild Cat
limiting access to resources by other
Hawk
organisms, acting as a food source for
predators and a consumer of prey). Rabbit

Habitat It is a place where an organism

lives out its life. The habitat of a species Owl
Snake
describes the environment over which a
Green Plant Mouse
species is known to occur and the type of (Producer)
community that is formed as a result. Food Web in a Forest
Different species of organisms may Food Chain
appear to have the same habitat, but each
has a different niche so that they can — In any ecosystem, matter and energy are transferred between organisms.
survive in that habitat. Some organisms produce energy themselves, while others obtain it by feeding
on or decomposing other organisms.
Magbook ~ Ecology: Basic Concepts 191

Trophic Levels Food Chain Energy Flow in the Ecosystem

Tertiary consumers Hawks — As matter flows through the ecosystem, there is also a
constant flow of energy. Every organism interacts with its
Secondary consumers Sparrows ecosystem by obtaining food energy from the ecosystem and
contributing energy to the ecosystem. Energy flow in a cyclic
Primary consumers Insects manner is the transfer of energy from one organism to
another in an ecosystem. There are certain interrelated
Producers Grass mechanisms or cycles that effect life of organisms in a
— Thus, organisms are classified according to their trophic particular ecosystem. Some of the most important cycles are
level the step that occupy in their ecosystem’s food chain or water cycle, carbon cycle, oxygen cycle and nitrogen cycle.
food web. A food chain or web details the order of trophic
Water or Hydrological Cycle
interactions in an ecosystem, showing how energy is
transferred between organisms basically, who eats whom.
— The water cycle describes the continuous movement of
water on, above and below the surface of the Earth. There
Ecological Pyramids is a continuous and constant exchange of water between
air, land, sea and organisms. The mass water on Earth
— An ecological pyramid is a graphical representation remains fairly constant over time, but the partitioning of
designed to show the number of organisms, energy the water into the major reservoirs of ice, fresh water,
relationships and biomass of an ecosystems.The concept saline water and atmospheric water is variable depending
is developed by Charles Elton, hence it is also called on a wide range of climatic variables.
Eltonian pyramid.

Pyramid of Biomass Precipitation Condensation

in Clouds
— It is a representation of the amount of energy contained in
the biomass. It is measured in grams/m 2 or calories/ m 2
There are two types of biomass pyramids, upright and Surface Runoff Transpiration
Groundwater
inverted. Infiltration
Freshwater
Pyramid of Number Storage

— It represents the number of organisms in each trophic Water Storage

in Oceans
level. This pyramid consists of a plot of relationship Groundwater
Discharge
between the number of primary consumers, secondary
consumers, tertiary consumers and so forth. The shape Water Cycle
varies from ecosystem to ecosystem.
— The Sun, which drives the water cycle, heats water in
Pyramid of Energy oceans and seas. The hydrological cycle begins with the
— It is also called a trophic pyramid. It explains the flow of evaporation of water from the surface of the ocean. Ice
energy from one trophic level to the next. The amount of and snow can sublimate directly into water vapour.
energy at each trophic level in proportion to the next — Evapotranspiration is water transpired from plants and
trophic level is called as ecological efficiency. evaporated from the soil. As moist air is lifted, it cools and
— 10% Rule It says that only about 10% of the energy water vapour condenses to form clouds. Moisture is
available to one trophic level gets transferred to the next transported around the globe until it returns to the surface
trophic level. Most food chains have no more than four or as precipitation. Once the water reaches the ground, one
five links. It is also known as Lindeman’s Rule. of two processes may occur. Some of the water may
evaporate back into the atmosphere or the water may
Ecosystem Productivity penetrate the surface and become groundwater.
— Groundwater either seeps its way to into the oceans, rivers
— The productivity of an ecosystem refers to the rate of
and streams, or is released back into the atmosphere
production i.e. the amount of organic matter accumulated
through transpiration. The balance of water that remains
per unit area in unit time.
on the Earth’s surface is runoff, which empties into lakes,
It is of following types:
rivers and streams and is carried back to the oceans,
— Gross Primary Productivity (GPP)
where the cycle begins again. Thus, hydrological cycle is
— Net Primary Productivity (NPP)
the continuous and balanced process of evaporation,
— Secondary Productivity (SP)
precipitation, transpiration, runoff of water, condensation
— Net Productivity (NP)
and infiltration.
192 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

Carbon Cycle atmospheric oxygen also leads to the formation of ozone (O 3 )

— The carbon, which occurs in organic compounds, is and the ozone layer within the stratosphere. The ozone layer
included in both the abiotic and biotic parts of the is extremely important to modern life as it absorbs harmful
ecosystem. Carbon is a building block of both plant ultra violet radiations.
and animal tissues. Most available oxygen comes from Some oxygen is made in
photosynthesis by plants on land and the atmosphere. When
— In the atmosphere, carbon occurs as Carbon phytoplankton on the ocean’s surface. sunlight breaks down water.
Dioxide (CO 2 ). In the presence of sunlight, plants
take up carbon dioxide from the atmosphere
through their leaves.
— The plants combine carbon dioxide with water, which
is absorbed by their roots from the soil. In the
presence of sunlight they are able to form
carbohydrates that contain carbon. This process is
known as photosynthesis. The ocean
— Plants use this complex mechanism for their growth Oxygen is used by animals, plants,
and development. In this process, plants release bacteria, fire, decomposition and
Most oxygen is stored in the even rusting metal (oxidation)
oxygen into the atmosphere on which animals depend
oxide minerals of the Earth’s Phytoplankton floating on
for their respiration. crust and mantle called the the surface of the ocean
— Plants therefore, help in regulating and monitoring the lithosphere, but is bound to
rocks and unavailable for use
percentage of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the Earth’s
atmosphere. All of animals and mankind thus depends Oxygen Cycle
on the oxygen generated through this cycle. It also
keeps the CO 2 at acceptable levels. Nitrogen Cycle
— Carnivorous animals feed on herbivorous animals that live on
CO2 in the Air
plants. When animals defecate, this waste material is broken
down by worms and insects, mostly beetles and ants.
Respiration Respiration Photosynthesis In the Atmosphere

Inert Nitrogen (N2)

Organic Compounds Carbon and Organic
in Animals Compounds in Plants Denitrifying Bacteria Nitrogen-fixing Bacteria
Nitrifying Nitrifying
Bacteria Bacteria
Waste and Decaying
Dead Organisms
Ammonia, (NH3) Nitrites, (NO2) Nitrites, (NO3– )

Ingestion
Waste and Death Waste and Death Absorbed by Plants
Carbon Cycle
— Herbivores animals feed on plant material,which is Animal Proteins
Plant Proteins
used by them for energy and for their growth. Both
plants and animals release carbon dioxide during
respiration. They also return fixed carbon to the soil in
Animals eat Plants
the waste they excrete. When plants and animals die
Nitrogen Cycle
they return their carbon to the soil. These processes
complete the carbon cycle. — These small soil animals break down the waste material into
smaller bits on which microscopic bacteria and fungi can
Oxygen Cycle act.
— Oxygen is taken up by plants and animals from the air — This material is thus broken down further into nutrients that
during respiration. The plants return oxygen to the
plants can absorb and use for their growth. Thus, nutrients
atmosphere during photosynthesis. This links the
are recycled back from animals to plants.
oxygen cycle to the carbon cycle.
— Deforestation is likely to gradually reduce the oxygen
— Similarly, the bodies of dead animals are also broken down
levels in our atmosphere. Thus, plants plays an into nutrients that are used by the plants for their growth.
important role in our lives which we frequently do not Thus, the nitrogen cycle on which life is dependent that is
appreciate. This is an important reason to participate completed. Nitrogen fixing bacteria and fungi in soil gives this
in afforestation programmes. The presence of important element to plants, which absorb it as nitrates.
Magbook ~ Ecology: Basic Concepts 193

— The nitrates are a part of the plant’s metabolism,

which helps in forming new plant proteins. This is Terms Used in Ecosystem
used by animals that feed on the plants. The ◆
Ecological Succession It is a process through which ecosystems tend
nitrogen is then transferred to carnivorous to change over a period of time. Succession can be related to seasonal
animals when they feed on the herbivores. environmental changes, which create changes in the community of
plants and animals living in the ecosystem. Other successional events
Phosphorus Cycle may take much longer periods of time extending to several decades.
— Phosphorus cycle describes the movement of ◆
Destruction of Ecosystem Ecosystems consist of the animals, plants
phosphorus through the lithosphere, hydrosphere and the environmental conditions of an area. Wetlands, mangroves,
and biosphere. rainforests and coral reefs are examples of ecosystems. Ecosystems
— Soil microorganisms act as sinks and sources of maintain a very delicate balance. Various human activities threaten to
available phosphorus in the biogeochemical disrupt this balance and destroy the world’s ecosystems.
cycle. However, the major transfers in the global ◆
Tolerance Range Every population thrives in an optimal range of abitoic
cycle is driven by tectonic movements in factors. Beyond this range, one finds less and less numbers of these
geological time. organisms. In an ecosystem, it is harder to represent what this optimal
— On land, phosphorus is usually found in the water range is, since, a host of factors affect the survivability of this
soils and sediments. population. Often, the range is shown for each factor and this is known
— Weathering of rock phosphate gives out soil as the range of tolerance.
containing primary consumers from producers ◆
Bio Capacity It is the capacity of an area to provide resources and
and runs to secondary consumers which they give absorb wastes. Biocapacity measures how biologically productive land
out in the form facial matter. is. It is measured in global hectares, a hectare with the world average
biocapacity. Biologically productive land includes cropland, pasture,
Integration of Cycles forests and fisheries.
— These cycles are a part of global life processes. ◆
Bio Indicators Bio indicators include biological processes, species or
These biogeochemical cycles have specific communities and are used to assess the quality of the environment and
features in each of the ecosystems. These cycles how it changes over time. Changes in the environment are often
are however, linked to those of adjacent attributed to anthropogenic disturbances (e.g. pollution, land use
ecosystems. Their characteristics are specific to changes) or natural stressors (e.g. drought, late spring freeze).
the plant and animal communities in the region.
This is related to the geographical features of the
area, the climate and the chemical composition of
Types of Ecosystem
the soil. Together the cycles are responsible for Terrestrial Ecosystems
maintaining life on Earth. Forest Ecosystem
— If mankind disturbs these cycles beyond the — Forests represent the largest and ecologically complex systems
limits that nature can sustain, they will eventually which comprises community of plants, trees, shrubs, climbers and
break down and lead to a degraded Earth on ground covers. This ecosystem acts as a habitat for major floral
which man will not be able to survive. and faunal species. The forest ecosystem act as a carbon sinks
which helps in reducing the effects of global warming and there by
Ecosystem Patterns climate change.
There are three recognised patterns in an ecosystem:
Grassland Ecosystem
(i) Zonation This occurs horizontally along the ground.
— Grassland is an area receiving low rainfall and the soil quality is
Density and distribution of species vary along a
seen to be poor. In Indian context, we have the shola grassland
horizontal gradient.
which occurs in the Himalayan region. There are two sub-divisions
(ii) Stratification This occurs vertically determined by of grassland ecosystem on the basis of their latitudinal location on
height of organisms, e.g. in a forest ecosystem strata the Earth Tropical grasslands and temperate grasslands.
include trees, shrubs, herbs and ground layer of
mosses and lichens. Desert Ecosystem
(iii) Succession This is a change in species distribution — These include arid and semi arid areas of scanty rainfall. Here, the
with time. It leads to a mature climax community. climatic conditions are extreme and the floral and faunal species
When a community has reached a point where are adapted in such a way that they thrive here easily. Hot Great
furthers change croses on is very slow. We say that it Indian Desert and Cold Deserts of Ladakh are the examples of this
is a climax community. ecosystem.
194 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

Agro-Ecosystem Factors Affecting Ecosystem

— This ecosystem is a man made ecosystem. The
The various factors affecting ecosystem are as follows :
cultivation practices carried out by man causes
wear and tear of soil and there is symbiotic and Climatic Factors
non-symbiotic association between the organisms — Sun is the source of energy for autotrophs, who build their food
living in the ecosystem. Ultimately they contribute through the process known as photosynthesis. Light is absorbed
to the crop productivity and fertility of the soil. by pigments known as green chlorophyll quality of light varies
with altitude ultraviolet light is damaging for stomata of plant.
Aquatic Ecosystems
— Intensity of light also plays the role. Sciophytes are plant adapted
Pond Ecosystem to grow in low light intensity. Duration of light controls flowering of
— It is most simple form of ecosystem. It has two plant.
phases which are dry phase and wet phase. In its — Light Temperature To compensate temperature, plant transpires.
wet phase, the phytoplanktons grow very Therefore, they get cooled. But with transpiration loss of water
rapidly and the zoo planktons thrive on it. But in occurs, which leads to wilting. Warmth is also needed by plants to
dry phase, the population of phytoplanktons get break from winter dormancy in polar climates under process
reduces and it affects the population of zoo known as vernalisation.
planktons.
— Water Availability Various plants adapt to the prevalent
Lake Ecosystem availability of water. Xerophytes are adopted to drought conditions,
— It is the permanent form of pond ecosystem. Algae ephemerals have shortened their life cycle, halophytes are plant
species dominate here and the other zoo growing in saline condition. Even desert animals avoid hottest and
planktons feed on the algae species and get the driest season by becoming inactive i.e. aestivating.
energy. The phytoplanktons and the zoo planktons — Wind It could either act directly by causing mechanical damage
utilise the dissolved oxygen and the sunlight to plants or indirectly by affecting relative humidity and
penetrating the water. evaporation rates.
River Ecosystem Topographical Factors
— These are the flowing water ecosystems which act — Temperature decreases at rate of 6.5°C with every increase of
as a fresh water ecosystems and the water from altitude by 1 km, further influencing biotic association of region.
them is mostly utilised by the human beings.
Some prominent fish species are found. It is the Edaphic Factors
most dynamic ecosystem in all. — Soils of lithosphere varies in their quality and in turn effects
Marine Ecosystem vegetation of the region, e.g. black soil of Deccan plateau is
moisture retentive, so helpful in growth of cotton cash crop.
— It is the widest type of ecosystem which is having
the extent maximally on the Earth. The ecosystem Biotic Factors
components utilise the sunlight penetrating the — Biotic factors include living organisms of ecosystems and their
water. But as we go deep and deep down, the inter-relationship e.g. mutualism, antagonism, competition and
phyto plankton do not receive the sunlight. commercialism.
 Self Check Build Your Confidence
1. Consider the following statements about ecology. 6. Hydrological cycle is the continuous and balanced
1. The term ecology was coined by AG Tansley in 1950. process which consists of
2. Small changes to critical variables, such as the number 1. evaporation 2. precipitation
of nitrogen fixers can lead to disproportionate changes 3. transpiration 4. runoff of water
in the ecosystem’s properties. 5. condensation 6. infiltration
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? Select the correct answer using the codes given below
(a) Only 1 (a) 3, 4, and 6 (b) 1, 2, 3 and 5
(b) Only 2 (c) 1, 2, 4 and 5 (d) All of these
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2 7. Which among the following pairs is not correctly
matched?
2. Which among the following statements is incorrect? (a) Detritivores : Consume tissues of dead animal
(a) Biome refers to large scale areas of similar flora and and organic waste
fauna and climatic characteristics (b) Omnivores : Consume both consumers as well
(b) An ecosystem is a set of organisms and abiotic as producers
components connected by the exchange of matter and (c) Decomposers : Breaks down detritus through
energy digestion
(c) Ecological niche is a set of only biotic conditions in which (d) Tertiary consumers : Relies on energy from chemicals
a species is able to persist and maintain stable which they get from inorganic
population sizes material.
(d) Community consists of all the species living in a
particular area 8. Which one of the following is the best description of the
term ecosystem? [IAS 2015]
3. Transfer of energy from one organism to another in an (a) A community of organisms interacting with one another
ecosystem takes place in a (b) That part of the Earth which is inhabited by living
(a) linear manner organisms
(b) hierarchical manner (c) A community of organisms together with the environment
(c) discrete manner in which they live
(d) cyclic manner (d) The flora and fauna of a geographical area
4. The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment describes the 9. Consider the following statements with reference to
following major categories of ecosystem services- foodchains in ecosystems. [IAS 2013]
provisioning, supporting, regulating, preserving and 1. A foodchain illustrates the order, in which a chain of
cultural. Which one of the following is supporting organisms feed upon each other.
service? [IAS 2012] 2. Foodchains are found within the population of a species.
(a) Production of food and water 3. A foodchain illustrates the numbers of each organisms,
(b) Control of climate and disease which are eaten by others.
(c) Nutrient cycling and crop rotation Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(d) Maintenance of diversity
(a) Only 1 (b) 1 and 2
5. Consider the following statements about availability of (c) All of these (d) None of these
oxygen on Earth.
10. Consider the following statements
1. Most oxygen of Earth‘s biosphere is stored in the
1. Atmospheric nitrogen has limited availability for biological
lithosphere.
use, leading to a scarcity of usable nitrogen in many types
2. Phytoplanktons are a source of available oxygen in the of ecosystems.
Earth’s atmosphere.
2. In plants, much of the nitrogen is used in chlorophyll
3. Some oxygen is made in the atmosphere when sunlight molecules, which are essential for photosynthesis and
breaks down water. further growth.
Which of the statements given above are correct? Which of the statement(s) given above is/are incorrect?
(a) 1 and 2 (b) 2 and 3 (a) Only 1 (b) Only 2
(c) 1 and 3 (d) All of these (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2

1. (b) 2. (c) 3. (d) 4. (c) 5. (d) 6. (d) 7. (d) 8. (c) 9. (a) 10. (d)
Chapter twenty
Environment
Environment Types of Environment
There are three types of environment are
Safe and clean — It is defined as the sum total of water, air,
as follows:
environment is man’s land and the inter-relationships that exist
among them and with the human beings, (i) Natural Environment It consists of
first right. Without a safe other living organisms and materials. As per all abiotic (non-living) and biotic
environment, man Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 (living) components, which exist
environment includes all the physical and naturally on the Earth.
cannot exist to claim
biological surroundings of an organism There are four basic components of
other rights be they
along with their interactions. Thus, natural environment:
political, social and everything which surrounds us may be 1. Atmosphere or the air
economic. Both natural collectively termed as environment. 2. Hydrosphere or the water
and anthropogenic — The environment is often called as a Life 3. Lithosphere or the rocks and soil
processes pollute the Support System since, it provides all the
4. Biosphere or the living
basic necessities required for day-to-day
environment. But we are component of the environment.
living. Since, the environment is crucial to
more concerned with (ii) Man-Made Environment It consists
human well-being and human survival, every
of those places which are artificially
anthropogenic activities. human being has a duty to assure that the
Earth remains environmentally hospitable for made by man by planned
The effect of pollution manipulation. It includes crop fields,
supporting human life. For this, there is a
depends upon human need to strike a balance between resource urban centres, industrial set-ups etc.
population, lifestyles and use and resource availability. (iii) Social Environment It includes
technology. — However, enormous increase in human cultural norms and values prevailing
population has raised the demand for in a particular society. It also
development and increased the includes the network of political,
consumption of various natural resources economic and religious institutions
resulting in environmental imbalance and which often decide the
deterioration. Environment today is regarded environmental resources will be
as a resource which is being consumed at utilised by the people.
an exponential rate. The global scenario
today is fraught with draughts, famines, Earth’s Four Spheres
floods and other natural and man-made Atmosphere
calamities. The frequency of such — Atmosphere is a relatively thin layer of
occurrences is increasing and most of them
odourless, tasteless and colourless
are interlinked and might have the same
gases, dust and water vapour
cause.
surrounding the Earth.
— Some of the major environmental issues — It also consists of Particulate Matter
that mankind is facing today are climate
(PM), which are solid particulates or
change, destruction of biodiversity,
liquid droplets suspended in the
pollution, deforestation, water scarcity,
atmosphere. Increasing environment
desertification, ozone depletion, soil erosion
concerns are making classification and
and mismanagement of hazardous
role of particulate matters very
substances.
important.
Magbook ~ Environment 197

Modification of Atmosphere — Controlling Global Warming United Nations

Atmospheric changes induced by human may be grouped into three Environment Programme (UNEP) has set-up
categories as follows: Oceans and Coastal Areas Programme Activity
Centre in 1987. Sea level rise in near future could
(i) Introduction of solids and gases not normally found in the
be checked by controlling global warming.
atmosphere e.g. CFCs.
— Modification of Hydrological Processes Such as
(ii) Changes in proportions of the natural component gases of the
input of precipitation may be modified by humans
atmosphere e.g. greenhouse gases increase.
through cloud seeding; surface storage is modified
(iii) Alteration of Earth’s surface in such a way as to affect the by various processes like land clearance,
atmosphere e.g. effect of cryospheric change on global urbanisation, drainage systems, mining etc whereas
weather. surface runoff is enhanced by deforestation and
cultivation. It may lead to falling ground water level,
Classification of Particulate Matter deterioration in water quality, massive eutrophication
of water bodies.
Dust Particles of different sizes and irregular shapes which either
are suspended or floating through the air. — Coastal Erosion and Deposition This occurs due to
building of various structures and by removing beach
Smoke Incomplete combustion of coal and wood that cause very
fine particles to suspend into the air. material for ballast or construction.
Specifically, modification of coastal areas could
Soot Big size carbon particles impregnated with tar, suspended occur by
into the air.
— construction of sea walls, groynes, backwaters to resist
Aerosols Suspended minute particles acting as a dust veil, they cover sea waves.
the amount of solar radiation reaching the Earth, therefore, — devegetation and agriculture in the winter lands of the
counter act the greenhouse gas effect. catchment of rivers draining the coast, leading to
Haze Caused by very fine dust in atmosphere. progradation of the coast.
Mist Suspension of liquid droplets that formed after the — construction of dams and reservoirs stop supply of
condensation of vapours. sediments which in turn stops growth of beaches
leading to coastal erosion.
Fumes Condensation of gaseous particles.
— Integrated Coastal Zone Management Coastal zone
is a zone where all three spheres converge. So,
Hydrosphere management of this zone is also an integrated
— Water is found in all three states in environment and all of them process.
influence immensely the environmental ecology of the Earth’s Three functional aspects of such zones are as
system. follows:
— Water vapours (gaseous) take part in greenhouse effect and are (i) Provision of ecological services.
source of various weather systems e.g. tropical cyclone, (ii) Disaster prevention, as they act as buffer zones
hurricane, monsoons etc. Surface water and ocean water in against the ravages of tsunamis, flooding and
liquid form influence biodiversity. Ice sheets, separately known erosion.
as Cryosphere, in solid form, influences weather system and is
(iii) Human utilisation.
source of large climate variation.
— Coastal Regulatory Zones On 7th January, 2011,
Hydrospheric Environmental Issues the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF)
Following are environmental issues occurring in domain of released Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ)
hydrosphere: Notification, 2011 to replace CRZ Notification of
— Sea Level Change Change in sea level means the fluctuation in 1991. Also for the first time, an Island Protection
mean sea level. Sea level rise could be due to actual rise in sea Zone Notification (IPZ), 2011 was released to cover
level or land facing subsidence and pertains to rise of sea level Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep.
due to climate change.
Lithosphere
— Impact of Possible Rise in Sea Level One of the most direct
— Most important constituent of lithosphere is soil. Soil
impacts of sea level rise is the shrinkage in the drainage basin
is defined as naturally occurring thin layer of
area, which will cause increase occurrence of floods in plains
unconsolidated material on Earth’s surface that has
and health epidemics in lower areas. Long profile of rivers are
been influenced by parent material, climate and
likely to show rise with increase in sea level. Islands are worst
relief, in addition to physical, chemical and
affected by the rise of sea level. Maldives is facing extinction of
biological agents to produce a medium suitable for
sort of land due to rise in sea level, displacement of human from
the growth of land plants.
coastal areas i.e. climate refugees.
198 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

Lithospheric Environmental Issues Pollution

Following are environmental issues occurring in the domain — Presence of dangerous and unnatural ingredients causing
of lithosphere: imbalance in the ecosystem and health hazards to human
— Desertification It is a type of land degradation, in which beings and animals can be called as Pollution. It is a
a relatively dry land region becomes increasingly arid, phenomena where natural ingredients are replaced or
typically losing its bodies of water as well as vegetation damaged by presence of dangerous unnatural ingredients
and wildlife. It is caused by a variety of factors, such as which have potentiality to cause imbalance to the ecosystem
climate change and human activities. and to create number of health hazards to animals and
Desertification is a significant global ecological and human beings.
environmental problem. The United Nations convention — A pollutant is a waste material that pollutes air, water or soil
to combat desertification in countries experiencing and is the cause of pollution. Three factors determine the
serious drought and desertification, particularly in Africa severity of a pollutant: its chemical nature, its concentration
is a convention to combat desertification and mitigate and its persistence. Some pollutants are biodegradable and
the effects of drought through national action therefore will not persist in the environment in the long-term.
programmes that incorporate long-term strategies However, the degradation products of some pollutants are
supported by international co-operation and partnership themselves polluting such as the products DDE and DDD
arrangements. produced from degradation of DDT.
— Land Degradation To understand land degradation, land
should be seen from the perspective of utility capable of Types of Pollutants
providing large range of goods. There are two types of pollutants — primary and secondary.
Some aspects of land degradation are discussed below: (i) Primary Pollutants A primary pollutant is a pollutant
— Loss of fertility emitted directly from a source. SO2 , NO, CO, CFCs, CO2 ,
— Soil erosion volatile organic compounds etc., are primary pollutants.
— Salinity and alkalinity (ii) Secondary Pollutants A secondary pollutant is not directly
— Water logging emitted from source, but forms when other pollutants react
— Floods and droughts with other pollutants. Photochemical smog, ground level
Biosphere ozone, peroxyacetyl nitrate etc., are secondary pollutants.
— The biosphere extends to any place that life (of any Common Source of Pollutions
kind) can exist on the Earth. All of those forces work
together to create our living world. Activity Source Emissions
Agriculture Open burning Suspended particulate
Factors Affecting Biosphere
matter, carbon monoxide,
— There are large factors such as the distance between volatile organic compounds
the Earth and the Sun. Our Earth is located in the Mining and Coal mining, crude Suspended particulate
Goldilocks zone (i.e. a zone of special distance between Quarrying oil and gas matter, sulphur dioxide,
planet and its star responsible for supporting life in it). If production, stone oxides of nitrogen, volatile
our planets were closer to the Sun, it might be too hot to quarrying organic compounds
support life. If we were further away, it might be too Power Electricity, gas, Suspended particulate
cold. generation steam matter, sulphur dioxide,
— Even, the tilt of the Earth is important. Seasons and oxides of nitrogen, carbon
monoxide, volatile organic
seasonal climate changes are direct results of the tilt of
compounds, sulphur trioxide,
the Earth towards or away from the Sun. lead
— Smaller factors also act on the biosphere. If we look at a Transport Combustion engines Suspended particulate
piece of land that was only one square mile, we would matter, sulphur dioxide,
find influential factors such as climate, daily weather oxides of nitrogen, cabon
and erosion. These smaller factors change the land and monoxide, volatile organic
the organisms must react accordingly. compounds, lead
— The smallest of factors in the biosphere work on a Community Municipal Suspended particulate
molecular level. Chemical erosion is a great example of a Service Industry incinerators matter, sulhur dioxide,
oxides of nitrogen, carbon
landscape changing one molecule at a time. Oxidation
monoxide volatile organic
and reduction reactions happen all the time, changing compound.
the composition of rocks and organic materials.
Magbook ~ Environment 199

Air Pollution — Methane It is released from soil microbes in flooded rice,

burning of crop/biomass residue and swamps.
— It is the contamination of air by a variety of substances,
causing health problems and damaging our environment. — Nitrogen Oxide and Sulphur Dioxide (NO 2 and SO 2 )
— There are various locations, activities or factors which are are major contributors to smog and acid rain. These gases
responsible for releasing pollutants into the atmosphere. both react with volatile organic compounds to form smog,
These sources can be man-made or natural. Man-made which can cause respiratory problems in humans. Acid
sources include stationary sources like smoke stacks of rain can harm vegetation, change the chemistry of river
power plants, manufacturing facilities, mobile sources like and lake water by lowering the pH which is harmful to
motor vehicles, marine vessels and aircraft; chemicals, animal life and react with the marble statues and
dust and controlled burn practices in agriculture and buildings to decompose them. Main source of Nitrogen
forest management, fumes from paint, hair spray, varnish, oxide are agricultural soil and poultry industry.
aerosol sprays and other solvents, waste deposition in Sulphur dioxide pollution effects on human health are as
landfills, which generate methane and military resources, follows:
such as nuclear weapons, toxic gases and germ warfare. — Irritation of eyes, nose, throat, damage to lungs when inhaled.
These are mostly related to the burning of multiple types — Acute and chronic asthma.
of fuel. — Bronchitis and emphysema (as a result of synergy
— Natural sources includes dust from natural sources, between SO 2 and suspended particulate matter).
usually from large areas of land with few or no vegetation; — Lung cancer.
methane, emitted by the digestion of food by animals,
— Ammonia (NH 3 ) It plays a critical role in the transportation
radon gas from radioactive decay within the Earth’s crust,
and enhanced deposition of acidic pollutant. Its high
smoke and carbon monoxide from wildfires, volcanic
concentration also harms vegetation, animals and
activity, which produces sulphur, chlorine and ash
humans. Main source of ammonia in the environment are
particulates.
cattles. Dairy production systems are hot-spots of
Air Pollutants ammonia (NH3 ) emission.
Some of the most common air pollutants are as follows: — Suspended Particulate Matter Airborne particles are
— Carbon Monoxide (CO) is produced from incomplete tiny fragments of solid or liquid nature suspended in the
combustion of fuel such as natural gas, coal and biomass. air (which are called aerosols).
— It is also production in tabacco smoke. — Acid Deposition The process by which acidic air
— It slows our reflexes and makes us feel sleepy. pollutants, generally sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides,
— Carbon Dioxide (CO 2 ) is the principal greenhouse gas are deposited on the Earth. Much of this deposition
occurs when the pollutants condense in water and fall to
and is primarily responsible for the greenhouse effect. It
the Earth as precipitation, generally known as acid rain.
can be formed from all types of common human activities,
Acid deposition causes changes in the pH of water and
such as burning fuels and even breathing.
soil, leading to a host of environmental problems. Acid
— Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) are used in great quantities deposition may be reduced by switching to low-sulfur coal
in industry, for refrigeration and air-conditioning and in or by removing the sulfur either before or after
consumer products. When released into the air, they rise combustion, often by adding scrubbers to smokestacks.
into the stratosphere, where they readily react with the
— Wet Deposition It refers to acid rain, fog and snow. If the
ozone that constitutes the ozone layer, effectively
acid chemicals in the air are blown into areas where the
degrading it.
weather is wet, the acids can fall to the ground in the form
— Ozone (O 3 ) gas occurs naturally in the upper of rain, snow, fog or mist.
atmosphere, where it shields the Earth from the Sun’s — Dry Deposition In areas where the weather is dry, the
dangerous ultraviolet rays. When found at ground level, acid chemicals may become incorporated into dust or
however, it’s a pollutant. It can cause damage to humans smoke and fall to the ground through dry deposition,
(especially our respiratory system), the environment and a sticking to the ground, buildings, homes, cars and trees.
wide range of natural and artificial materials. Vehicle Dry deposited gases and particles can be washed from
exhaust and industry waste are major sources of these surfaces by rainstorms, leading to increased runoff.
ground-level ozone. This runoff water makes the resulting mixture more acidic.
— It makes our eyes itch, burn, and watering. It lowers our About half of the acidity in the atmosphere falls back to
resistance to cold and pneumonia. the Earth through dry deposition.
200 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

Controls/Measures of Air Pollution

— Suitable fuel selection.
Macroscopic Pollution
— Modification in industrial processes. It refers to large visible items polluting the water. They may be termed
— Correct selection of manufacturing sites. as ‘floatables’ in an urban storm water context or marine debris when
found on the open seas, and can include items such as trash or
— More efficient engines.
garbage (e.g. paper, plastic or food waste) discarded by people on the
— Awareness for using public transport so that air ground, alongwith accidental or intentional dumping of rubbish, that
pollution is minimised. are washed by rainfall into storm drains and eventually discharged
— Give more subsidies on cylinder for people living in into surface waters.
rural areas, so that they stop using fossil fuels. ◆
Nurdles, small ubiquitous waterborne plastic pellets.
— Plant more trees. ◆
Shipwrecks
— Government Initiatives Introduction of Air Quality
Index, National Air Quality Monitoring Programme Control/Measures of Water Pollution
(NAQMP), Bharat Stage Emission Standard and Air — Mass social awareness should be generated.
(Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 are — Ground water pollution can be eliminated by maintaining
some government initiatives to control air pollution.
strict restrictions regarding waste disposal.
— Air Quality Index. introduced in 2015, measures eight — Industrial effluents should be effectively recycled, before
pollutants- So2 , No2 , Co, 03 , PB, PM10 , PM2 . 5 , and NH.
releasing in water.
Water Pollution — Pollutants can be removed by absorption, electrodialysis,
— It is the contamination of water bodies (e.g. lakes, ion-exchange and reverse osmosis method.
rivers, oceans, aquifers and groundwater). Water — Government Initiatives National Water Policy, 2002, Water
pollution occurs when pollutants are discharged (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, establishment
directly or indirectly into water bodies without of pollution control boards, oil spill response centre etc., are
adequate treatment to remove harmful compounds. some government initiatives to control water pollution.
Organic Water Pollutants Organic Pollution
— Detergents
— Pollution that arises from organic materials. It is broken down
— Disinfection by-products found in chemically disinfected
drinking water, such as chloroform.
by aerobic (oxygen-consuming) bacteria, which utilise oxygen
— Food processing waste, which can include
dissolved in the water. This process lowers the water’s
oxygen-demanding substances, fats and grease. dissolved oxygen content.
— Insecticides and herbicides. — Oxygen Depletion spiraling cycle that reduces dissolved
— Petroleum hydrocarbons, including fuels and lubricants. oxygen content in water bodies. Low dissolved oxygen levels
— Chlorinated solvents, Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs), kill many organisms; as these organisms decay, they produce
Trichloroethylene and Perchlorate. more organic material, causing further oxygen depletion. The
— Various chemical compounds found in pharmaceutical mix of species in affected water bodies changes dramatically
drugs, personal hygiene and cosmetic products. and eventually all organisms except for anaerobic bacteria
(those that do not require oxygen) may die out.
Inorganic Water Pollutants
— Algal Bloom fertilizers when runoff into nearby water, causing
— Acidity caused by industrial discharges (especially
an increase in nutrient levels. This causes phytoplankton to
sulphur dioxide from power plants).
grow and reproduce more rapidly, resulting in algal bloom.
— Ammonia from food processing waste.
— Chemical waste as industrial by-products.
— Eutrophication It is over-enrichment of water nutrients such
as nitrogen phosphorus. The two most acute symptoms of
— Fertilizers containing nutrients like nitrates and
eutrophication are hyporia (oxygen depletion) and harmful
phosphates which are found in storm water runoff
algal blooms.
from agriculture, as well as in commercial and
residential usage. Thermal Pollution
— Heavy metals from motor vehicles and acid mine — Pollution that occurs when water is removed from a water
drainage. body to be used as a coolant and then returned to the water
— Silt in runoff from construction sites, logging, slash body at a higher temperature. Higher water temperature
and burn practices or land clearing sites. lowers dissolved oxygen content and raises the risk of disease
— Microbeads used in cosmetics and toothpaste etc. and death to aquatic organisms.
Magbook ~ Environment 201

— Blood Pressure Noise pollution causes certain diseases in

Namami Gange Mission human. It attacks on the person’s peace of mind. The
◆
An Integrated Ganga Conservation Mission called noises are recognised as major contributing factors in
Namami Gange has been proposed to be setup and a accelerating the already existing tensions of modern living.
sum of ` 2037 crore has been set aside for this purpose. In These tensions result in certain diseases like blood
addition, a sum of ` 100 crore has been allocated for pressure or mental illness etc.
developments of ghats and beautification of river fronts at — Temporary or Permanent Deafness The effect of noise on
Kedarnath, Haridwar, Kanpur, Varanasi, Allahabad, Patna audition is well-recognised. Mechanics, locomotive drivers,
and Delhi. Following are proposed to be taken up under telephone operators etc., all have their hearing, impairment
Namami Gange. as a result of noise at the place of work. Physicist,
— Nirmal Dhara—ensuring sustainable municipal sewage physicians and psychologists are of the view that continued
management. exposure to noise level above 80 to 100 db is unsafe, loud
— Nirmal Dhara—managing sewage from rural areas. noise causes temporary or permanent deafness.
— Nirmal Dhara—managing industrial discharge.
— Aviral Dhara. Solid Waste Management Rules
— Promotion of tourism and shipping in a rational and
The Government of India had notified the Municipal Solid Waste
sustainable manner.
(Management and Handling) Rules in 2002, thereby making it
— Knowledge management on Ganga through Ganga
mandatory for all urban local bodies in the country to engage in
Knowledge Centre.
collection, segregation, secondary storage in covered bins
transportation in covered vehicles, processing through
Noise Pollution composting or waste-to-energy technologies etc. In 2016, the
— Noise can be described as sound without agreeable musical Union government revised the new Solid Waste Management
quality or as an unwanted or undesired sound. Thus, noise Rules and made them more comprehensive in nature. These new
can be taken as a group of loud, non-harmonious sounds or rules includes : provision of providing separate pouches along
vibrations that are unpleasant and irritating to ear. Decibel is with sanitary napkins and diapers for their proper disposal; on
the standard for the measurement of noise. The zero on a spot fine for littering at public places; integration of ragpickers
decibel scale is at the threshold of hearing, the lowest sound and waste dealers.
pressure that can be heard, on the scale 20 db is whisper,
40 db the noise in a quiet office, 60 db is normal Land Pollution
conversation, 80 db is the level at which sound becomes — It refers to degradation or destruction of Earth’s surface
physically painful. and soil, directly or indirectly as a result of human
activities. It explains any activity that lessens the quality or
Sources of Noise Pollution productivity of the land as an ideal place for agriculture,
— Noise pollution like other pollutants is also a by product of forestation, construction etc. The degradation of land that
industrialisation, urbanisation and modern civilisation. The could be used constructively in other words is land
noise pollution has two sources, i.e. industrial and non- pollution.
industrial. The industrial source includes the noise from
various industries and big machines working at a very Causes of Land Pollution
high speed and high noise intensity. Non- industrial — Deforestation and soil erosion.
source of noise includes the noise created by transport — Agricultural Activities Use of highly toxic fertilizers and
and vehicles. mining activities, Pesticides such as carbofuron, methyl
parathion, phorate and triazophos, etc.
Harmful Effects of Noise Pollution
— Overcrowded Landfills Garbage which cannot be recycled
— Lack of Concentration For better quality of work, there
become a part of the landfills.
should be concentration and noise causes lack of
concentration. In big cities, mostly all the offices are on — Industrialisation Creation of more waste by industries that
main road. The noise of traffic or the loud speakers of needs to be disposed off.
different types of horns divert the attention of the people — Nuclear Waste The left over radioactive material contains
working in offices. harmful and toxic chemicals that can affect human
— Fatigue Because of noise pollution, people cannot health. They are dumped beneath the Earth to avoid any
concentrate on their work. Thus, they have to give more casualty.
time for completing the work and they feel tiring. — Sewage Treatment Large amount of solid waste is leftover
once the sewage has been treated. The leftover material is
— Abortion There should be cool and calm atmosphere
sent to landfill site which end up in polluting the
during the pregnancy. Unpleasant sounds make a lady of
environment.
irritative nature. Sudden noise causes abortion in females.
202 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

Effects of Land Pollution — Discharge of cargo residues from bulk carriers can pollute
ports, waterways and oceans. In many instances, vessels
— Soil pollution.
intentionally discharge illegal wastes despite foreign and
— Change in climate patterns. domestic regulation prohibiting such actions.
— Environmental Impact When deforestation is committed, — Another pathway of pollution occurs through the
the tree cover is compromised on. This leads to a steep atmosphere. Windblown dust and debris, including plastic
imbalance in the rain cycle which can affect a lot of factors. bags, are blown seaward from landfills and other areas.
— Effect on Human Health It leads to problem of skin cancer — Climate change is raising ocean temperatures and raising
and human respiratory system. levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. These rising
— Cause air pollution. levels of carbon dioxide are acidifying the oceans.
— Effect on wildlife. — Deep sea mining which takes place on the ocean floor can
result in disturbances to the benthic layer, increased toxicity
— Other issues includes increased temperature, unseasonal of the water column and sediment plumes from tailings.
weather activity, acid rains etc. The discharge of chemicals
on land makes it dangerous for the ecosystem too. These e-waste
chemicals are consumed by the animals, plants and
— It is a term used to cover almost all types of Electrical
thereby make their way in the ecosystem. This process is
and Electronic Equipment (EEE) that could enter into the
called bio-magnification and is a serious threat to the
waste stream. Although, e-waste is a general term, it can
ecology.
be considered to cover TVs, computers, mobile phones,
Solutions for Land Pollution white goods (e.g. fridges, washing machines, dryers etc)
— Make people aware about the concept of reduce, recycle home entertainment and stereo systems, toys, toasters,
and reuse. kettles almost any household or business item with
— Practicing organic farming which uses no chemical circuitry or electrical components with power or battery
pesticides and fertilizers in agricultural activities. supply which are discarded.
— Avoid buying packages items as they will lead to garbage.
— No littering on ground and proper disposal of garbage.
e-waste Management Rules, 2016
— Buy bio-degradable products. The e-waste Management Rules, 2016 has replaced the
— Organic gardening and organic food.
e-waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2011 which
introduced concept of ‘extended producer responsibility’. Main
Marine Pollution provision of e-waste Management Rules 2016 are :
— It is a major problem which directly affects ocean organisms ◆
State Government to prepare integrated plans.
and indirectly effects human health and resources. ◆
The transportation of e-waste shall be carried out as per the
Common man-made pollutants that reach the ocean manifest emphasis.
include pesticides, herbicides, chemical fertilizers, ◆
Dealer or retailer or e-retailer shall refund the amount as
detergents, oil, sewage, plastics and other solids. Many of per take bank system.
these pollutants collect at the ocean’s depths, where they ◆
The manufacturer is also now responsible to collect
are consumed by small marine organisms and introduced e-waste.
into the global food chain.
Input of pollutants into marine ecosystems is done through Radioactive Pollution
many ways. Some of them are as follows: — It is the release of any radioactive material into the
— Pollutants enter rivers and the sea directly from urban sewerage environment. Radioactive pollution can be a very
and industrial waste discharges, sometimes in the form of dangerous thing because radiation mutates DNA,
hazardous and toxic wastes. causing abnormal growth and possibly cancer and this
— Surface runoff from farming, as well as urban runoff and runoff radiation remains in the environment for years, slowly
from the construction of roads, buildings, ports, channels and diminishing over time. There are many causes of
harbours, can carry soil and particles laden with carbon, radioactive pollution, which can significantly harm the
nitrogen, phosphorus and minerals. environment. There are techniques used to manage
— Ships can pollute waterways and oceans in many ways. Oil this pollution, however, we are far from keeping our
spills can have devastating effects. While being toxic to marine planet clean of radioactive pollution.
life, Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs), found in crude
oil, are very difficult to clean-up and last for years in the Causes of Radioactive Pollution
sediment and marine environment. Since, clean-up of open The causes are as follows:
ocean spills is difficult and not efficient, it is important that — Production of Nuclear Weapons Radioactive materials
preventive steps must be taken. Proper training, building more
used in this production have high health risks and
spill-resistant vessels and pipelines and strict rule enforcement
release a small amount of pollution.
are certain methods to reduce oil spills.
Magbook ~ Environment 203

— Decommissioning of Nuclear Weapons The decommissioning waste management is very important and plans stretch
of nuclear weapons causes slightly more radioactive pollution up to around 100 years in the future, with ongoing
than in the production, however, the waste (alpha particles) is evaluations and research into these to make sure
still of low risk and not dangerous unless ingested. radioactive pollution affects us as little as possible.
— Mining of Radioactive Ore (uranium, phosphate etc.) This There are four main techniques used for radioactive
involves crushing and processing of the radioactive ores and waste management:
this generates radioactive waste which emits alpha particles. — Geological Disposal This is effectively, the burying of
This waste is of low risk unless ingested. radioactive material. Rooms are excavated beneath the
Earth surface and radioactive material is stored here until
— Coal Ash Some coal contains more radioactive material than
it has decayed enough to not be dangerous any more.
usual and is often referred to as dirty coal; when this is burnt
Radioactive waste has also previously been dumped into
the ash becomes more radioactive as the radioactive particles
the world’s oceans but following the Sixteenth Meeting of
do not burn well. This level of radioactivity is less in
the London Dumping Convention in 1993, the dumping of
phosphate rocks, however, due to small amounts being radioactive waste into the sea is banned permanently.
released into the atmosphere and its ability to be inhaled, this
— Transmutation Transmutative of radioactive waste is the
ash is significantly more dangerous.
process of consuming this radioactive waste and turning it
— Medical Waste A number of radioactive isotopes are used in into less harmful waste. This is currently not used very
medicine, either for treatment or diagnostics. These can be often due to high costs, however, research is being
left to decay over a short period after which they are able to done to make the process more efficient and more
be disposed of as normal waste. economically viable.
— Nuclear Power Plants Nuclear power plants under current — Re-use of Radioactive Waste Some radioactive isotopes,
standards produce little radioactive pollution due to safety such as strontium-90 and caesium-137 are able to be
precautions that must be adhered to. Accidents at these power extracted for use in other industries such as food
plants can cause dangerously high radioactive pollution, such irradiation. The re-use of radioactive waste means that the
as in the case of Chernobyl the most well-known and worst quantity of waste produced is reduced, so this serves as
nuclear disaster in history and the more recent Fukushima, another good environment friendly management scheme.
after the earthquake and tidal wave in Japan. — Space Disposal It is not currently used to reduce
radioactive pollution, due to the potential problems which
Radioactive Waste Management could occur when attempting to carry out the procedure.
— Part of the reason that radioactive pollution is a problem that e.g. a rocket used to launch the waste fails then huge
radiation can remain for up to a million years if levels of amounts of radioactive material would be released into the
certain isotopes are high enough. For this reason, radioactive atmosphere, causing significant health risks to people
within thousands of miles of the launch.
 Self Check Build Your Confidence

1. Acid rain is caused by the pollution of environment by 3. The survival of some animals that have phytoplankton
(a) carbon dioxide and nitrogen [IAS 2013] larvae will be adversely affected.
(b) carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide 4. The cloud seeding and formation of clouds will be
(c) ozone and sulphur dioxide adversely affected.
(d) nitrous oxide and sulphur dioxide Select the correct answer using the codes given below
(a) 1, 2 and 3 (b) Only 2
2. Which among the following pollutants lead to
(c) 1 and 3 (d) All of these
macroscopic pollution?
1. Heavy metals from motor vehicles and acid mine drainage. 6. Which among the following comes under the category of
2. Ammonia from food processing waste. primary pollutants produced by human activity?
3. Silt in runoff from construction sites, logging, slash and 1. Sulphur oxides 2. Volatile organic compounds
burn practices or land clearing sites. 3. Carbon monoxide 4. Lead and mercury
4. Trash or garbage discarded by the people on the ground. 5. Peroxyacetyl nitrate 6. Ground level ozone
5. Nurdles. Select the correct answer using the codes given below
6. Shipwrecks. (a) 1, 2, 3 and 6 (b) 1, 2, 3 and 4
Select the correct answer using the codes given below (c) 4, 5 and 6 (d) All of these
(a) 1, 2 and 3 (b) 1, 4, 5 and 6 7. The process of vitrification used for disposing
(c) 4, 5 and 6 (d) All of these radioactive waste refers to, which of the following
3. Arrange the following environmental legislations in processes?
India in a chronological order with respect to their (a) Process of concentrating the waste into a small volume so
passing and enactment. that it can be disposed easily
1. The Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act (b) Transformation of the waste in glass to store it for long
2. Forest Conservation Act period
(c) Storing the radioactive waste in a solid lattice to prevent it
3. Wildlife Protection Act
from spreading
4. The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act
(d) Disposing waste in a sealed steel container alongwith an
Codes
inert gas
(a) 1, 2, 3, 4 (b) 3, 4, 2, 1
(c) 4, 3, 2, 1 (d) 3, 2, 4, 1 8. Which among the following statements is incorrect?
(a) Visual pollution is an aesthetic issue and refers to the
4. What would happen if phytoplankton of an ocean is
impacts of pollution that impair one’s ability to enjoy view
completely destroyed for some reason? [IAS 2012]
(b) Thermal pollution refers to the excess heat that creates
1. The ocean as a carbon sink would be adversely effected.
undesirable effects over long periods of time
2. The foodchains in the ocean would be adversely affected. (c) Alpha waves emitted by radioactive waste require several
3. The density of ocean water would drastically decrease. centimetres of lead or concrete to block it
Select the correct answer using the codes given below (d) A sound can become physically painful at the level of
(a) 1 and 2 (b) Only 2 80 decibels
(c) Only 3 (d) All of these
9. Which among the following are the techniques and
5. The acidification of oceans is increasing. Why is this substances used to clean an oil spill?
phenomenon a cause of concern? [IAS 2012] 1. Sorbents 2. Dispersants
1. The growth and survival of calcareous phytoplankton will 3. Bioremediation
be adversely affected. Select the correct answer using the codes given below
2. The growth and survival of coral reefs will be adversely (a) 1 and 2 (b) 2 and 3
affected. (c) 1 and 3 (d) All of these

1. (d) 2. (c) 3. (b) 4. (a) 5. (a) 6. (b) 7. (c) 8. (d) 9. (b)

Chapter twenty-one
Biodiversity and Its
Conservation
Biodiversity Mapping Biodiversity
Biological diversity or — Biodiversity refers to the variety within — The first attempt of mapping biodiversity was
biodiversity is the term the living world. The term is made by Brits, Paul Williams, Decair Right
commonly used to describe the and Chris Hump reger. They developed a
given to the variety of
number, variety and variability of software World Map to map biodiversity.
lives on the Earth. It is Three kinds of diversities were taken into
living organisms. —
the variety within and — Often used as a synonym of Life on consideration while mapping:
between all species of the Earth, it means genetic variation, (i) Alpha Diversity It is the total number of
species found in a particular region.
plants, animals and species variation or ecosystem
variation within an area, biome or (ii) Beta Diversity It is a structural diversity found
micro-organisms and in species in a particular region. It is
planet.
the ecosystems within associated with the comparison of biodiversity
— Biodiversity is often seen in terms of between ecosystems usually measured as the
which they live and three fundamental and hierarchically amount of species change between the
interact. The period related levels of biological ecosystem.
since, the emergence of organisation. (iii) Gama Diversity It is rate of change of species
with the expanding geographical region.
humans has displayed — Genetic diversity represents the
heritable variation within and between
an ongoing biodiversity population of organisms. Biodiversity Hotspots
reduction and an — Species diversity refers to number of — A biodiversity hotspot is a bio-geographic
accompanying loss of species in a site or habitat. region with a significant reservoir of
— Ecosystem diversity refers to diversity biodiversity that is under threat from
genetic diversity. of different organisms at the humans. The concept of biodiversity
ecosystem, habitat or community level. hotspots was originated by Norman Myers.
— To qualify as a biodiversity hotspot on Myers
— Biodiversity generally tends to cluster
2000 edition of the Hotspot Map, a region
in hotspots and has been increasing
must meet two strict criterias. It must
through time, but in the last few
contain atleast 0.5% or 1500 species of
decades, it has shown signs of slow
vascular plants as endemics and it has to
down.
have lost atleast 70% of its primary
— Terrestrial biodiversity tends to be vegetation.
highest near the equator which seems
to be the result of the warm climate — Around the world, 25 areas qualify under
and high primary productivity. this definition, with 9 other possible
— Marine biodiversity tends to be highest candidates. These sites support nearly 60%
along coasts in the Western Pacific, of the world’s plant, bird, mammal, reptile
where sea surface temperature is and amphibian species, with a very high
highest and in mid-latitudinal band in share of endemic species.
all oceans.
206 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

There are three biodiversity hotspots in India which are as Conservation Strategies
follows :
— In-situ (on site) The conservation of habitats, species and
Eastern Himalaya Biodiversity Hotspot ecosystems where they naturally occur is in-situ
— Phyto-geographically, the Eastern Himalaya forms a conservation and the natural processes and interaction as
distinct floral region and comprises of Nepal, Bhutan, the elements of biodiversity are conserved.
states of East and North-East India and a contiguous — Ex-situ (off site) The conservation of elements of biodiversity
sector of Yunnan province in South-Western China. out of the context of their natural habitats is referred to as
— In the Indian portion, there occurs some 5800 plant ex-situ conservation. Zoos, botanical gardens and seed
species, roughly 2000 (i.e. 36%) of which are endemic. banks are all examples of ex-situ conservation.
Atleast 55 flowering plants endemic to this area are
recognised as rare, e.g. the pitcher plant (Nepenthes International Institutions Working
Khasiana). for Biodiversity Conservation
— The region is also a rich centre of avian diversity, more
than 60% of the bird species found in India have been Bird Life International
recorded in the North-East. The region also hosts two — It is a global partnership for conservation organisation that
endemic genera of lizards and 35 endemic reptilian strives to conserve birds, their habitats and global biodiversity.
species including two turtles. — It was founded in 1922 and publishes a quaterly magazine
— Of the 240 Indian amphibian species, atleast 68 ‘World Bird Watch’. Its Important Biodiversity Area (IBA)
species are known as to occur in the North-East, 20 of Programme aims to identify monitor and protect a global
which are endemic. From Namdapha National Park network of IBA’s for the conservation of World’s Birds and
itself, a new genus of mammal, a new sub-species of a other wildlife.
bird, 6 new amphibians’ species, 4 new species of fish,
International Union for Conservation of
atleast 15 new species of beetles and 6 new species of
flies have been discovered.
Nature 1948, (IUCN)
— IUCN is an international organisation dedicated to finding
Western Ghats Biodiversity Hotspot pragmatic solutions to our most pressing environment and
— The Western ghats region, which is spread into 6 states development challenges. The organisation publishes the
of India, is considered to be one of the most important IUCN Red List, compiling information from a network of
bio-geographic zones of India, as it is one of the richest conservation organisations to rate which species are most
centres of endemism. Due ot varied topography and endangered.
micro-climatic regimes, some areas within the region
— The IUCN Red List founded in 1963 is the world’s most
are considered to be active zones of speciation.
comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of
— The region has 490 arborescent taxa, of which as many biological species. Species are classified in 9 groups, set
as 308 are endemic. through criteria such as rate of decline, population size, area
— As regards the fauna, as many as 315 species of of geographic distribution, degree of population and
vertebrates belonging to 22 genera are endemic, including distribution fragmentation.
12 species of mammals, 13 species of birds, 89 species of
reptiles, 87 species of amphibians and 104 species of fish. Endangered Species in India
— The extent of endemism is high amongst amphibian and — The Red List of 2012 is out on 18th February, 2012 at Rio +
reptile species. 20 Earth Summit. Red List has listed 132 species of plants
— There occur 117 species of amphibians in the region, of and animals are critically endangered from India.
which 89 species (76%) are endemic. Of the 165 species
of reptiles found in Western ghats, 88 species are World Wide Fund for Nature, 1961
endemic. — The World Wide Fund (WWF) for nature is an international
— The Indian Government constituted Gadgil committee and non-governmental organisation working on issues regarding
Kasturivangar committee for the protection and conurbation
the conservation, research and restoration of the
of western Ghats
environment. It was established in 1961 and its
Indo-Burma Biodiversity Hotspot headquarters is located at Gland, Switzerland.
— The Indo-Burma region encompasses several — WWF’s current strategy for achieving its mission specifically
countries. It is spread out from Eastern Bangladesh to focuses on restoring populations of 36 species or species
Malaysia and includes North-Eastern India. South of groups that are important for their ecosystem or to people
Brahmaputra river, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, including elephants, tunas, whales, dolphins and tortoises
Myanmar, the Southern part of China’s Yunnan and ecological footprint in 6 areas (carbon emissions,
province, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand. cropland, grazing land, fishing, forestry and water).
Magbook ~ Biodiversity and Its Conservation 207

— WWF publishes the Living Planet Index in collaboration Trade Records Analysis of Fauna and
with the Zoological Society of London. Alongwith their
Flora in Commerce, 1976 (TRAFFIC)
ecological footprint calculations the index is used to
produce a two yearly Living Planet Report to give an — TRAFFIC is the body that monitors the volume of trade in
overview of the impact of human activity on the world. endangered species and works in co-ordination with
CITES and SSC, to assess the impact of trade, the
— Earth Hour It is a worldwide movement for the planet
objective being to manage trade sustainably.
organised by WWF. The event is held worldwide annually
encouraging individuals, communities, households and UNESCO-Man and Biosphere Programme
businesses to turn off their non-essential lights for 1 hour, (MAB)
from 8:30 to 9:30 pm on the last Saturday in March, as a
— MAB of UNESCO was established in 1977 to promote
symbol for their commitment to the planet.
interdisciplinary approaches to management, research
UNESCO-World Heritage Convention and education in ecosystem conservation and sustainable
— The UNESCO’s World Heritage Convention established in use of natural resources. Earlier focus of MAB
1972, is responsible for listing of world heritage sites, which programme was protection of designated area but in
include both cultural and natural sites. The wildlife 1990’s after Rio summit focus shifted towards promoting
department of the Ministry of Environment and Forests of interactions of mankind with nature in terms of sustainable
India is associated with conservation of the natural world living, income, generation and reducing poverty. Serious
heritage sites. The project regarding conservation will be strategy and the international guidelines adopted in 1995
undertaken in four world heritage sites of India, namely made regular evaluation of biosphere reserve obligatory.
Kaziranga National Park, Manas National Park, Nanda Devi The Secretariat of MAB programme is located with
National Park and Keoladeo National Park. UNESCO headquarters in Paris.

World Heritage Sites in India MAB–Network

— It was created in 1977. As of 2012, total membership has
Year of
Name of Site State reached 598 biosphere reserves in 117 countries.
Declaration
Benefits gained from being a part of network includes
Kaziranga National Park Assam 1985
access to a shared base of knowledge and incentives to
Manas Wild Life Sanctuary Assam 1985
integrate conservational practices.
Keoladeo National Park Rajasthan 1985
Sunderban National Park West Bengal 1987 Biosphere Reserves in India Under
Nanda Devi and Valley of Uttarakhand 1988,2005 UNESCO’s Mab List
Flowers National Parks
Year of
Western Ghats Karnataka, Kerala, 2012 Name State
Declaration
Maharashtra, Tamil
Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve Tamil Nadu, Kerala 2000
Nadu
and Karnataka
Great Himalayan National Park Himachal Pradesh 2014
Sundarbans Biosphere West Bengal 2001
*Khangchendzonga National Sikkim 2016
Reserve
Park (KNP) (*Mixed Site)
Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Tamil Nadu 2001
The United Nations Environment Reserve
Programme (UNEP) Nanda Devi Biosphere Uttarakhand 2004
Reserve
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the
leading global environmental authority that sets the global Simlipal Biosphere Reserve Odisha 2009
environmental agenda, promotes the consistent Nokrek Biosphere Reserve Meghalaya 2009
implementation of the environmental initiatives of sustainable Pachmarhi Biosphere Madhya Pradesh 2009
development within the United Nations system and serves as Reserve
an authoritative advocate for the global environment. Achanakmar-Amarkantak Chhattisgarh, Madhya 2012
It was founded by Maurice Strong, as a result of the United Biosphere Reserve Pradesh
Nations Conference on the Human Environment (Stockholm Great Nicobar Biosphere Great Nicobar Island 2013
Conference) in June 1972. Reserve
The UNEP’s mission is to provide leaderhsip and encourage Agasthyamalai Biosphere Kerala and Tamil Nadu 2016
partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, Reserve
informing and enabling nations and people to improve their Khangchendzonga National Sikkim 2018
quality of life without compromising that of future generations. Park
208 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

International Whaling Commission, 1981 — There is a standing committee, a scientific review panel and
a secretariat for the convention. The headquarters is located
— India, a member of the International Whaling
Commission (IWC) since 1981, has played a pro-active in Gland, Switzerland, shared with the IUCN.
and prominent role in bringing about a moratorium on Ramsar Sites In India
commercial whaling and supporting the commission in
its efforts in conservation of migratory species of wild Year of
Name State
Declaration
animals.
Chilika Lake Odisha 1981
OCEANA: Protecting World’s Oceans Keoladeo Ghana National Rajasthan 1981
— Oceana is the largest non-profit organisation devoted Park
exclusively to the world’s oceans. It works to shield fish, Harike Lake Punjab 1990
marine mammals and other aquatic life from the Wular Lake Jammu & Kashmir 1990
destructive effects of pollution and industrial fishing. Loktak Lake Manipur 1990
— It was established in 2001. Oceana is the largest Sambhar Lake Rajasthan 1990
international ocean conservation and advocacy Asthamudi Wetland Kerala 2002
organisation headquartered in Washington, USA. Vembanad Kol Wetland Kerala 2002
Oceana works to protect and restore the world’s oceans Deepor Beel Assam 2002
through targeted policy campaigns. Bhitarkanika Mangroves Odisha 2002
Coalition Against Wildlife Trafficking Bhoj Wetlands Madhya Pradesh 2002
2005, (CAWT) East Calcutta Wetlands West Bengal 2002
Kanjli Lake Punjab 2002
— It is a global coalition of governments and international
business and conservation organisations, working Kolleru Lake Andhra Pradesh 2002
together to support each other’s efforts to end the illegal Point Calimere Tamil Nadu 2002
trade in wildlife and wildlife products. Pong Dam Lake Himachal Pradesh 2002
— India has joined hands with the US and other partners Tsomoriri Lake Jammu & Kashmir 2002
against the illegal wildlife crime or trafficking. The first Sasthamkotta Lake Kerala 2002
meeting of the ministerial partners was held in Nairobi in Ropar Lake Punjab 2002
February 2007. Hokera Wetland Jammu & Kashmir 2005
Chandertal Wetland Himachal Pradesh 2005
International Conventions on Renuka Wetland Himachal Pradesh 2005
Biodiversity Conservation Rudrasagar Lake Tripura 2005
Surinsar-Mansar Lakes Jammu & Kashmir 2005
Ramsar Convention, 1971
Upper Ganga River Uttar Pradesh 2005
— The Ramsar convention is an international treaty for the (Brijghat to Narora
conservation and sustainable utilisation of wetlands. It Stretch)
was developed and adopted by participating nations at a Nalsarovar Bird Sanctuary Gujarat 2012
meeting in Ramsar, Iran 1971. Presently, there are 168
contracting parties to the convention. Sunderbans Wetland West Bengal 2019
— The basic objective of the convention is to stem the
progressive encroachment on and loss of wetlands now Washington Convention on Trade in
and in the future, recognising the fundamental Endangered Species, 1975
ecological functions of wetlands and their economic, — The Convention on International Trade on Endangered
cultural, scientific and recreational value. Species (CITES) of Wild Fauna and Flora, also known as the
— The Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance Washington Convention is a multilateral treaty to protect
now includes more than 2100 sites known as Ramsar endangered plants and animals. It was drafted as a result of
Sites. The nation with the highest number of sites is the a resolution adopted in 1963 at a meeting of members of
United Kingdom at 169; the nation with the greatest the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
area of listed wetlands is Canada. — The convention was opened for signature in 1973 and
— The Ramsar definition of wetlands is fairly wide, CITES entered into force on 1st July, 1975. Its aim is to
including ‘areas of marine water the depth of which at ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals
low tide does not exceed 6 m as well as fish ponds, rice and plants does not threaten the survival of the species in
paddies and salt pans. the wild.
Magbook ~ Biodiversity and Its Conservation 209

Bonn Convention on Migratory Species,1979 Aichi Biodiversity Targets (2011-2020)

— The Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of — In 2010, at the 10th Conference of the parties to the
Wild Animals (also known as CMS or Bonn Convention aims CBD held in Nagoya, Japan nations demonstrated a
to conerve terrestrial, aquatic and avian migratory species clear will to continue supporting the CBD with
throughout their range. It is an intergovernmental treaty, implementation of the new Strategic Plan for Biodiversity
concluded under the aegis of the United Nations 2011-2020. The Strategic Plan in the conference
Environment Programme, concerned with the conservation consists of 20 new biodiversity targets for 2020, termed
of wildlife and habitats on a global scale. the ‘Aichi Biodiversity Targets’.
— CMS parties strive towards strictly protecting these animals,
conserving or restoring the places where they live, mitigating Biodiversity of India
obstacles to migration and controlling other factors that — India is one of the 17 identified mega diverse countries of
might endanger them. the world. With only 2.4% of the total land area of the
world, the known as Biological Diversity of India
The Convention on Biological Diversity, 1993 contributes 8% to the known as Global Biological D
(CBD) iversity It has been estimated that at least 10% of the
— The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) is an country’s recorded wild flora and possibly the same
international legally binding treaty. percentage of its wild fauna are on the threatened list,
The convention has three main goals: many of them on the verge of extinction.
(i) Conservation of biodiversity
(ii) Sustainable use of its components Bio-geographical Classification of India
(iii) Fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from genetic — The geographical location of India between 8° 4¢ N
resources. and 37° 6¢ N provides a wide latitudinal spread and
— The convention was opened for signature at the Earth permits a wide range of variations in temperature.
Summit in Rio de Janeiro on 5th June, 1992 and entered — The topographical diversity marked by mountainous
into force on 29th December, 1993. regions covering an area close to 100 million hectares,
arid and semi-arid zones spreading over 30 million
Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, 2000
hectare and the long coast line over 7000 kms, coupled
— On 29th January, 2000, the Conference of the Parties (CoP) with varied precipitation constitute a rich landscape
to the Convention on Biological Diversity adopted a diversity. India consists of
supplementary agreement to the convention known as the
— Two Realms The Himalayan region represented by Palearctic
Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety.
Realm and the rest of the sub-continent represented by
— The protocol seeks to protect biological diversity from the Malayan Realm.
potential risks posed by living modified organisms resulting — Five Biomes
from modern biotechnology.
(i) Tropical humid forests
The Nagoya Protocol on Access and (ii) Tropical dry or deciduous forests (including Monsoon
Forests)
Benefit Sharing, 2010
(iii) Warm deserts and semi-deserts
— The Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and
(iv) Coniferous forests and
the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their
(v) Alpine meadows
Utilisation to the Convention on Biological Diversity is an
— Ten Bio-Geographic Zones
international agreement which aims at sharing the benefits
(i) Trans Himalayan (ii) Himalayan
arising from the utilisation of genetic resources in a fair and
(iii) Indian Desert (iv) Semi-Arid
equitable way, including by appropriate access to genetic
(v) Western Ghats (vi) Deccan Peninsula
resources and by appropriate transfer of relevant
(vii) Gangetic Plains (viii) North-East India
technologies, taking into account all rights over those
(ix) Islands (x) Coasts
resources and to technologies and by appropriate funding,
— Biogeographic proxiners— It is an ecosystematic on biotic
thereby contributing to the conservation of biological
subdivision of beates. India is divided into 25
diversity and the sustainable use of its components. bio-geographic zones.
— It was adopted by the conference of the parties to the
convention on biological diversity at its 10 meeting on 29th Classification of Biodiversity in India
October, 2010 in Nagoya, Japan. The fair and equitable — Malayan Biodiversity It is found along the densely
sharing of the benefits arising out of the utilisation of genetic forested areas of the Eastern Himalayas and along the
resources is one of the three objectives of the Convention on coastal areas.
Biological Diversity.
210 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

— Ethiopian Biodiversity The arid and semi-arid regions — The Wildlife (Protection) Amendment Act, 2006 has come
of Rajasthan are characterised by this kind of into force on 4th September, 2006. The act provides for
biodiversity. creating the National Tiger Conservation Authority and the
— European Biodiversity This kind of biodiversity is tiger and other endangered species Crime Control Bureau
found in the areas of upper Himalayas, where the (Wildlife Crime Control Bureau).
climatic character is mostly temperate in nature. National Wildlife Action Plan, 1983
— Indian Biodiversity The dense forest areas of Indian — The first National Wildlife Action Plan (NWAP) was adopted in
plain are characterised by this kind of forest. 1983, based upon the decision taken in the XV meeting of the
Indian Legislations and Rules Indian Board for Wildlife held in 1982. The plan had outlined
the strategies and action points for wildlife conservation which
Constitutional Provisions are still relevant.
— In the Constitution of India, it is clearly stated that it is
the duty of the state to ‘protect and improve the Environment Protection Act, 1986
environment and to safeguard the forests and wildlife — The Environment Protection Act, 1986 was enacted after the
of the country’. Bhopal Gas Tragedy. It was enacted to implement the
decisions regarding United Nations Conference on Human
— It imposes a duty on every citizen ‘‘to protect and
Environment, 1972 which were related to protection of
improve the natural environment including forests,
environment. It provides for the coordination of various
lakes, rivers and wildlife.’’ Reference to the environment
Central and State authorities established under the Water and
has also been made in the Directive Principles of State
Air Act.
Policy as well as the Fundamental Rights.
— The Department of Environment was established in Biodiversity Act, 2002
India in 1980 to ensure a healthy environment for the — India’s Biological Diversity Act (Diversity Act) 2002 is
country. This later became the Ministry of Environment designed to turn the spirit of the Convention of Biological
and Forests in 1985. The constitutional provisions are Diversity into a national instrument with three objectives.
backed by a number of laws, acts, rules and These are as follows:
notifications. (i) Conservation of biodiversity.
The Indian Forest Act, 1927 (ii) Sustainable use of biological resource.
(iii) Equitable sharing of benefits arising from such use.
— It defines the procedure to be followed for declaring an
area to be a reserved forest, a protected forest or a
— Stipulates that anyone wanting to take a patent or other
village forest. It defines what is a forest offence, what Intellectual Property Right (IPR) over such material or over
are the acts prohibited inside a reserved forest and related knowledge, must seek permission in advance;
penalties leviable on violation of the provisions of the — The Diversity Act proposes to set-up bodies at three levels
act. (national, state and local), to carry out the above functions.
Importantly, the Diversity Act provides citizens with the power
The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960 to approach courts if they detect violations.
— It is Federal Law of India enacted to prevent the
infliction of unnecessary pain or suffering on animals National Green Tribunal Act, 2010
and to amend the laws relating to the prevention of — The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has been established in
cruelty to animals. As per the provisions of the law, 2010 under the National Green Tribunal Act, 2010 for an
the Government of India formed the Animal Welfare effective and expeditious disposal of cases relating to
Board of India. environmental protection and conservation of forests and
other natural resources, including enforcement of any legal
The Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 right relating to environment and giving relief and
— The Act of 1972 refers to a sweeping package of compensation for damages to persons and property and for
legislation enacted in 1972 by the Government of matters related to it.
India. Before 1972, India only had 5 Designated
National Parks. Among other reforms, the act Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017
established schedules of protected plant and animal It has replaced Wetland (Conservation and Management) Rules of
species; hunting or harvesting these species was 2010. Rules of 2010 were framed by the Government of India
largely outlawed. This act has been amended (and based on the recommendation of Ramsar Convention. Main
signed) in January 2003 and punishment and penalty provisions of this bill are as follows :
for offences under the act have been made more — Setting up of SWA (State Wetland Authority) in each state UT

stringent. headed by State Environment Minister.

Magbook ~ Biodiversity and Its Conservation 211

— The rules prohibited activities like conversion of Compensatory Afforestation Fund Act, 2016
wetland for non-wetland use including setting up — It established the National Compensatory Afforestation Fund
and expansion of industries, waste dumping etc.
and State Compensatory Afforestation Fund under the Public
— Setting up National Wetland Committee (NWC) to Account of India and States respectively. The National Fund will
monitor implementation of rule. receive 10% of these funds whereas State Fund will receive 90%.
— The fund will be used for Compensatory Afforestation, Net
Green India Mission Present Value, Catchment Area Treatment Plan etc. The Act
The government has put in place a National Mission for a provides statutary status to National Compensatory Afforestation
Green India as part of the country’s National Action Plan Fund Management and Planning Authority and a similar body in
for climate change with a budget of ` 46000 crore (approx states.
USD 10 billion) over a period of 10 years. The overarching — It provides for annual audit of the accounts by the CAG.
objective of the mission is to increase forest and tree
cover in 5 million hectare (mha) and improve the quality of Protected Area Network in India
forest cover in another 5 mha. Thus, the mission will help — India is one of the 17 mega diverse countries of the world. India
in improving ecosystem services in 10 million hectare of is home to world’s largest wild tigers population and has got
land and increase the flow of forest based livelihood unique assemblage of globally important endangered species
services to and income of about 3 million forest like Asiatic lion, Asian elephant, one-horned rhinoceros,
dependent households. Gangetic river dolphin, snow leopard, Kashmir stag, dugong,
gharial, great Indian bustard, lion tailed macaque etc.

Important National Parks/Sanctuaries

National Park/Sanctuary Location Conserved Wildlife
Namdapha Sanctuary Arunachal Pradesh Elephant, panther, sambhar, tiger, cheetal, king cobra
Kaziranga National Park Assam One horned rhinoceros, gaur, elephant, leopard, wild buffalo
Sonai Rupa Sanctuary Assam Elephant, sambhar, wild boar, one-horned rhinoceros
Gautam Buddha Sanctuary Bihar Tiger, leopard, sambhar, cheetal, barking deer
Achanakmar Sanctuary Chhattisgarh Tiger, boar, cheetal, sambhar, bison
Valvadore National Park Gujarat Wolf, black buck
Wild Ass Sanctuary Gujarat Wild ass, wolf, nilgai, chinkara
Gir Forest Gujarat India’s biggest wildlife sanctuary famous for gir lions
Nagarhole National Park Karnataka
Dandeli Sanctuary Karnataka Tiger, panther, elephant, cheetal, sambhar, wild boar
Bhadra Sanctuary Karnataka Elephant, cheetal, panther, sambhar, wild boar
Bannerghatta National Park Karnataka Elephant, cheetal, deer, grey partridge, green pigeon
Bandipur Sanctuary Karnataka and Tamil Nadu Elephant, tiger, panther, sambhar, deer, birds
Ranganathitu Bird Sanctuary Karnataka Important bird sanctuary
Tungabhadra Sanctuary Karnataka Panther, cheetal, sloth bear, four-horned antelope
Dachigam Sanctuary Kashmir Kashmiri stag
Pachmarhi Sanctuary Madhya Pradesh Tiger, panther, boar, sambhar, nilgai, barking deer
Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary Madhya Pradesh Cheetal, sambhar, chinkara, wild birds
Bandhavgarh National Park Madhya Pradesh Tiger, panther, cheetal, nilgai, wild boar
Simlipal Sanctuary Odisha Elephant, tiger, leopard, gaur, cheetal
Sunderban Tiger Reserve West Bengal Tiger, deer, wild boar, crocodile, gangetic dolphin
Jaldapara Sanctuary West Bengal Rhinoceros
Ghana Bird Sanctuary Rajasthan Water birds, black-buck, cheetal, sambhar
Kanchenjunga National Park Sikkim Snow leopard, musk deer, Himalayan boar
Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary Tamil Nadu Important bird sanctuary
Dudhwa National Park Uttar Pradesh Tiger, panther, sambhar, cheetal, nilgai, barking deer
Valley of Flowers National Park Uttarakhand Tahr, snow leopard, musk deer, brown bear
Corbett National Park Uttarakhand Tiger, leopard, elephant, sambhar
(named in memory of Jim Corbett)
212 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

— A National Board for Wild Life (NBWL), chaired by Project Tiger, 1973
the Prime Minister of India provides for policy plan — Project Tiger was launched in 1973-1974. It is one of the most
(2002-2016) was adopted in 2002, emphasising successful conservation ventures in the recent times. The aim of
the people’s participation and their support for this project is to conserve the tiger in specially constituted tiger
wildlife conservation. The Indian Constitution reserves. It is strives to maintain a viable tiger population in the
entails the subject of forests and wildlife in the natural state of environment.
Concurrent List. — The first ever, all India tiger census was conducted in 1972, which
— As the ecosystem and species do not recognise revealed the existence of 1827 tigers over the entire Indian
political borders the concept of transboundary geographical state.
protected areas has been initiated for co-ordinated — In the year 1969 at IUCN, General Assembly meeting held at New
conservation of ecological units and corridors with Delhi, the concern was voiced about the threat to several species
bilateral and multilateral co-operation of the of wildlife. In 1972, the tiger poaching was banned and in the
neighbouring nations. same year, Wildlife Protection Act to come into force.
There are four categories of the protected areas viz., Project Olive Ridley Turtles, 1975
(i) Sanctuary is an area which is of adequate ecological,
— The dwindling population of Olive Ridley Turtles made the
faunal, floral, geomorphological natural or zoological
significance. Certain rights of people living inside the Government of Orissa to Start the Project in 1975. The project was
sanctuary could be permitted. launched at Bhitarkanika in Cuttack district. Bhitarkanika is
(ii) National Park is an area which is of adequate second largest mangrove forest. The project even extends to the
ecological significance. The National Park is declared Rushikulya and mouth of the river Devi.
for the purpose of protecting, propagating or Project Crocodile, 1975
developing wildlife or its environment, like that of a
— Crocodiles were threatened in India due to indiscriminate killing
sanctuary. Unlike a sanctuary, where certain rights
can be allowed in a National Park no right are
for commercial purpose and severe habitat loss until enactment of
allowed. No grazing of any livestock shall also be the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. For the conservation of
permitted inside a National Park. crocodile, Project Crocodile was started in the year 1975.
(iii) Conservation Reserves can be declared by the State — There are three species of crocodiles in India (i) Estuarine
Governments in any area owned by the government, crocodile (ii) Freshwater, swamp crocodile and (iii) Gharial.
particularly the areas adjacent to National Parks and — A total of 16 crocodile rearing centres have been developed in the
sanctuaries and those areas which link one protected country in 8 states (1975-1978). Eleven sanctuaries have been
area with another. Such declaration should be made developed under this project. Maximum number of sanctuaries is
after having consultations with the local communities. in Andhra Pradesh 5 by year 1981 more than 1000 crocodiles
(iv) Community Reserves can be declared by the State were raised.
Government in any private or community land not
comprised within a National Park, sanctuary or a Project Rhino, 1987
conservation reserves, where an individual or a — The one horned Rhino is found in India only. The population of
community has volunteered to conserve wildlife and Rhinos is highly threatened by illegal poaching for its horn, which
its habitat. The rights of people living inside a is highly valued as an aphrodisiac in grey markets. The Project
community reserve are not affected. Rhino was initiated in 1987. Kaziranga and Manas in Assam and
Wildlife Conservation Projects Jaldapara in West Bengal are the main habitats of Rhinos.

Project Red Panda, 1966 Indian Rhino Vision, 2020

— Red Panda is found in the Eastern Himalayan ◆
Conservation of one horned Rhinos in India has been a great success. In
region of India at a height between 1500 m and 1905, the species was on the brink of extinction. Through strict
4000 m. In Arunachal Pradesh, it is known as Cat protection this population has recovered to over 1700 individuals today.
Bear. The project was started in 1966 at Padmaja ◆
But now, more than 93% of India’s Rhinos live in just one National Park
Naidu Himalayan Wild Life Park. Red Panda is – Kaziranga.
found in Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Darjeeling ◆
The species is therefore, exposed to risks such as disease outbreaks
region in West Bengal.
and poaching that could devastate an entire population. Human-wildlife
Project Hangul, 1970 conflict is another result of insufficient habitat.
— Hangul is a deer of the species of European ◆
The Rhinos in Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary, e.g. have outgrown the
Reindeer. Hangul is extinct throughout the world sanctuary and need more land to mitigate their increasing conflicts with
except a small population left in Dachigam local communities.
National Park in Kashmir. To conserve the ◆
By 2020, the Indian Rhino Vision—A joint project of WWF, the
dwindling population, the Project Hangul was Government of Assam and the International Rhino Foundation will
started in 1970. achieve a population of 3000 wild rhinos in Assam.
Magbook ~ Biodiversity and Its Conservation 213

Project Elephant, 1992

— Central Government launched Project Elephant in 1992
Global Tiger Day
to provide financial and technical support to states ◆
It was first celebrated in 2010 at the St. Petersburg Tiger
wildlife departments for the management of free ranging Summit, Russia called in response to the shocking news that
populations of wild Asian elephants. The project aims to 97% of all wild tigers had disappeared in the last century, with
ensure long-term survival of elephants in their natural only around 3,000 left alive.
habitats by protecting the elephants, their habitats and
migration corridors. Endemic Species (Native) of India
— Other goals of Project Elephant are supporting research Endemic Plant Species
of the ecology and management of elephants, creating — Teak (Scientific name-Tectona Grandis) This tree is from
conservation awareness among local people and the South-West parts of peninsular India. It is widely used
providing improved veterinary care for captive elephants. plant for constructional work, ship building and other such
— This project also seeks to address the issues of purposes. It is the species of deciduous forests.
human-elephant conflict and welfare of domesticated — Sal (Shorea Robuste) This is a common species confined
elephants. The project is being implemented in 13 states to North-Western region of India, extending upto Madhya
and UTs. Pradesh and Odisha. Sal trees yield a large number of
— Till now, 32 Elephant Reserves (ERs) extending over seeds used in cosmetics.
about 69,582.80 sq km have been formally notified by — Oak (Grevillea Robusta) Oaks contribute for the finest
various State Governments. wood which is durable. They have a wide extent of use
— Project Elephant has also established the MIKE right from furniture building upto fodder plants for animals.
(Monitoring of Illegal Killing of Elephants) programme of — Cycas (Nephrolepis Exaltata) Most common gymnosperm.
CITES. This has uncovered a significant increase in the There are one among the most primitive species found in
poaching of bull tuskers, which has damaged the India. They are mostly confined to high rainfall receiving
population dynamics by disturbing the sex ratio. areas.
Mike Sites in India — Coconut (Coccus Nucifera) Major coastal fruit grown
mostly in India. It is native of India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka.
Mike Site State
Wide range of utility, it is used in producing broomsticks,
Chirang-Ripu Elephant Reserve Assam making of chatties etc.
Deomali Elephant Reserve Arunachal Pradesh — Bamboo (Bambusa SP ) Most used plants, they are used
Dhang Patki Elephant Reserve Assam for making baskets, farm implements fences, mattings etc.
Garo Hills Elephant Reserve Meghalaya Bamboo is a source of energy for herbivorous animals like
Eastern Dooars Elephant Reserve West Bengal gaur and deer.
Mayurbhanj Elephant Reserve Odisha
Endemic Animal Species
Shivalik Elephant Reserve Uttarakhand
Mysore Elephant Reserve Karnataka Mammals
Nilgiri Elephant Reserve Tamil Nadu — Chittal — Barasingha
Wayanad Elephant Reserve Kerala
— Black Buck — Chinkara
— Nilgai — Indian Wild Ass
Project Vulture, 2006 — Nilgiri Tiber — Tiger
— In May 2006, Government of India, initiated preventive — Leopard and Snow Leopard — Wolf and Fox
action to curb further decline in the population of vultures Birds
which included banning of diclofenac in veterinary sector.
— Paradise Flycatcher — Vultures and Eagles
Project Snow Leopard, 2006 — Bee Eater — Hornbill
— The Project Snow Leopard was started on the lines of — Stilt — Partridge
Project Elephant, Project Tiger and Project Rhino by the — Great Indian Bustard — Flamingo
Ministry of Environment and Forests in 2006. India is Reptiles
believed to have between 400 and 700 snow leopards is
— Fan Throated Lizard — Monitor Lizard
the 5 Himalayan states, Jammu and Kashmir,
— Indian Salt Water Crocodile — Olive Ridley
Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal
(star Tortoise)
Pradesh. The project aims to conserve and protect the
highly endangered species in its natural habitat. Amphibians
— Indian Bullfrogs — Tree Frog
 Self Check Build Your Confidence
1. Which one of the following National Parks has a
climate that varies from tropical to sub-tropical, Protocol/Convention Issue
temperate and arctic? [IAS 2015]
(a) Kanchenjunga National Park (a) Montreal Protocol : On substances that deplete ozone layer
(b) Nanda Devi National Park (b) Cartagena Protocol : Safe transfer, handling and use of
(c) Neora Valley National Park living modified organisms
(d) Namdapha National Park (c) Nagoya Protocol : Access and benefit sharing of genetic
2. With reference to the International Union for resources
Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (d) Bonn Convention : Reduction of green house gases in
(IUCN) and the convention on International Trade in time bound manner
Endangered species of wild Fauna and Flora 7. Consider the following animals [IAS 2013]
(CITES), [IAS 2015]
1. Sea cow 2. Sea horse 3. Sea lion
1. IUCN is an organ of the United Nations and CITES is Which of the given above is/are mammal/mammals?
an International Agreement between Governments.
(a) Only 1 (b) 1 and 3 (c) 2 and 3 (d) All of these
2. IUCN runs thousands of field projects around the
world to better manage natural environments. 8. Biodiversity forms the basis for human existence, in which
3. CITES is legally binding on the states that have joined of the following ways? [IAS 2011]
it, but this convention does not take the place of 1. Soil formation 2. Prevention of soil erosion
national laws. 3. Recycling of wastes 4. Pollination of crops
Which of the following statement(s) is/are correct? Select the correct answer using the codes given below
(a) 1 Only (b) 2 and 3 (c) 1 and 3 (d) All of these (a) 1, 2 and 3 (b) 2, 3 and 4
(c) 1 and 4 (d) All of these
3. Vultures which used to be very common in Indian
countryside some years ago are rarely seen 9. Which of the following can be threats to the biodiversity of a
now-a-days. This is attributed to [IAS 2012] geographical area? [IAS 2012]
(a) the destruction of their nesting sites by new invasive 1. Global warming 2. Fragmentation of habitat
species 3. Invasion of alien species 4. Promotion of vegetarianism
(b) a drug used by cattle owners for treating their diseased Select the correct answer using the codes given below
cattle (a) 1, 2 and 3 (b) 2 and 3
(c) scarcity of food available to them (c) 1 and 4 (d) All of these
(d) a widespread, persistent and fatal disease among them
10. Which one of the following is not a site for in-situ method of
4. Which among the following statements about World conservation of flora? [IAS 2011]
Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) is incorrect? (a) Biosphere reserve (b) Botanical garden
(a) It is the world’s largest independent conservation (c) National park (d) Wildlife sanctuary
organisation with headquarters at Gland, Switzerland
(b) WWF publishes the Living Planet Index in 11. Consider the following statements regarding Project Brahma?
collaboration with the Zoological Society of London 1. It aims to document ideas on Education, Environment and
(c) In 2001, the organisation changed its name to World Society related on relevant to India.
Wide Fund for Nature, to better reflect the scope of its 2. www.biodiversityofIndia.org is a website related to Project.
activities, retaining the WWF initials 3. It is an open-source community driven project.
(d) Siogan of WWF is ‘For a Living Planet’ and its mascot Which of the following statement(s) is/are correct?
is a Giant Panda (a) 1 only (b) 2 and 3 (c) 1 and 3 (d) All of these
5. Which of the following National Parks is unique in 12. Which of the following statements about Biodiversity
being a swamp with floating vegetation that hotspot is incorrect?
supports a rich biodiversity? [IAS 2015]
(a) A biodiversity hotspot is a bio-geographic region that is under
(a) Bhitarkanika National Park threat from humans
(b) Keibul Lamjao National Park (b) The concept of biodiversity hotspots was originated by
(c) Koeladeo Ghana National Park Norman Myers
(d) Sultanpur National Park (c) There are only two biodiversity hotspot in India
6. Which among the following pairs is incorrectly (d) It refers to 25 biologically rich areas around the world that have
matched? lost atleast 70% of their original habitat

1. (d) 2. (b) 3. (b) 4. (c) 5. (b) 6. (d) 7. (b) 8. (d) 9. (a) 10. (b)
11. (d) 12. (c)
Chapter twenty-two
Climate Change
Greenhouse Effect
Climate Change — The term ‘greenhouse’ is used in
Changes in the average — It may be indicated by geological record in the conjunction with the phenomenon
weather for a particular long-term, by changes in the landforms in known as the greenhouse effect.
intermediate terms and by vegetation changes
location leads to climate — Energy from the Sun drives the
in short-term.
change. It result from Earth’s weather and climate and
— Small variations in climate can also be observed heats the Earth’s surface, in turn, the
both natural processes from the period during which reliable instrumental Earth radiates energy back into
such as the change in records have been available, e.g. the increase of space, some atmospheric gases
the Sun’s strength and CO 2 and the 1°C warming trend witnessed (water vapour, carbon dioxide and
between 1850 and 1940. other gases) trap some of the
also from human
outgoing energy, retaining heat
activities, through the Causes of Climate Change somewhat like the glass panels of a
build-up of greenhouse — The causes of climate change can be divided greenhouse. These gases are
gases. The atmospheric into two categories : natural and human causes. therefore known as greenhouse gases.
concentrations of these — It is now a global concern that the climatic — The greenhouse effect causes the
changes occurring today have been speeded rise in temperature on Earth as
gases have increased up because of man’s activities. certain gases in the atmosphere
significantly since trap energy.
Natural Causes
pre-industrial times — Six main greenhouse gases are
— The Earth’s climate is influenced and changed carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), methane
largely because of fossil through natural causes like volcanic eruptions, (CH4 ) (which is 20 times as potent a
fuel usage, decrease in ocean current, the Earth’s orbital changes and greenhouse gas as carbon dioxide)
forest cover etc resulting solar variations. and nitrous oxide (N 2 O), plus three
in climate change. Anthropogenic Causes fluorinated industrial gases:
— Green House Gases (GHGs) While the natural hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs),
GHGs are showing an increase over the perfluorocarbons (PFCs) and sulphur
decades, there is also the concern of emission hexafluoride (SF 6 ).
of purely man-made GHGs, which include
many ozone depleting substances. Global Warming
— Cryogenic Processes The processes of — This refers to an increase in average
permafrost, glaciation, defrosting and global temperature. Natural events
deglaciations are known as cryogenic and human activities are believed to
processes. The recent evidences have shown be contributing to an increase in
that the ice sheets of Antarctica, Greenland, average global temperature. This is
Baffin Island etc are beating, thinning and caused primarily by increase in
melting. greenhouse gases such as carbon
dioxide (CO 2 ), methane, nitrous
— Black Carbon It is solid produced from
oxide etc. Global warming can be
incomplete combustion of carbon containing
reduced by cirrus cloud thinning
materials and responsible for more than 30% technique and aerosol injection
of recent warming in Arctic region. such as sulphate.
216 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

Effects of Climate Change Africa

— By 2020, there will be increased water stress
— Climate changes can severely affect human societies, agriculture and
affecting 75 to 250 million people. By the same
the natural ecosystem, terrestrial and aquatic ecosystem, which
time, yields from rainfed agriculture would come
provide many goods and services on which we rely would be severely
down by upto as much as 50% . Low agricultural
affected.
production would severely affect food security
— An ominous outcome of higher temperatures would be release and increase malnutrition among people. Arid
of stores of methane hydrate, now under permafrost in the and semi-arid land would increase by 5-8% by
Arctic. Combined with oxidation of high latitude peatlands, release of 2080.
the carbon stores would add greatly to the CO 2 content in the
Asia
atmosphere. Thus, the effects of warming themselves would cause
— Freshwater availability will be decreased by the
more warming.
2050s. Increased flooding of seas and rivers,
— Many wild plant and animal species found today can be forced out of compounding of pressures on natural resources
their present area of growth or habitats as climate warms. Many of and the environment associated with rapid
them could adapt to the new conditions by migrating and other urbanisation, industrialisation and economic
means, but some would also die out. development and endemic morbidity and
— Climate change would impact on agricultural and forestry mortality due to diarrhoeal disease will rise in
management in the sense that earlier spring planting of crops may be East, South and South-East parts of Asia.
required and there would be alterations in forests due to fires and Europe
pests.
— Climate change will magnify regional differences
— Rising sea levels and heavy storm damage would severely affect in natural resources and assets. Mountainous
coastlines. Sea levels are increasing at about 2mm per year. Thermal areas will face glacier retreat have less snow
expansion alone can multiply that rate 5 times. A 1m rise in sea level cover and winter tourism and many species may
over the 21st century would mean submergence of some low-lying become extinct (upto 60% due to high emissions
island nations and displacement of a large number of people. by 2080). In the Southern part of Europe, high
— Infectious disease would become more common as global temperatures and drought will further worsen
temperatures rise. Insect vectors would expand their ranges and conditions, as well reduced water availability,
become more active in areas they inhabit. Exposure to infections and hydropower potential and crop productivity. Wild
diseases would be a result of heat, increase in UV radiation as well as fires will occur with greater frequency and heat
pollutants like chlorinated hydrocarbons. The same elements waves will be on the rise.
associated with warming that add to the vitality of a disease may North America
reduce human immunity to it by weakening our natural defenses. — There will be decrease in snow pack, more
Continent-Wise Effects of Climate Change winter flooding and reduced summer water flows.
Moderate climate change will increase aggregate
Australia yields of rainfed agriculture by 5-20%. Climate
— By 2020, there will be significant loss of biodiversity in ecologically change effect will interact with development and
rich sites like the Great Barrier Reef and Queensland Wet Tropics, pollution for many coastal communities.
where Australia and New Zealand are concerned. By 2030 again,
Latin America
production from agriculture and forestry will decline in Southern and
— By mid-21st century, temperature rise and
Eastern Australia and Eastern New Zealand. Rise in sea level and
decrease in soil water will lead to gradual
increase in storms and coastal flooding, in combination with coastal
replacement of tropical forest by Savanna in
development and population growth, will increase risks by 2050.
Eastern Amazonia. Semi-arid vegetation is likely
Small Islands to be replaced by arid-land vegetation in many
— Rise in sea level will accelerate inundation storm surge, erosion and areas. Significant biodiversity loss through
other coastal hazards. As a result, vital infrastructure settlements and species extinction, decrease in productivity of
facilities that support livelihood of islands communities will be important crops and livestock, increase in people
threatened. Local resources will be affected by deterioration in coastal at risk of hunger are likely changes in
conditions and water resources will be reduced in small islands, as of precipitation patterns and disappearance of
the Pacific and the Caribbean. Higher temperatures would mean glaciers will affect water availability for human
increased invasion by non-native species of animals, especially in mid consumption, agriculture and energy generation.
and high altitude islands.
Magbook ~ Climate Change 217

S.No. Major Extreme

Country Continents Time Climate Effects
Climate Events
1. Flood in Mississippi U.S. 28th January, 2011, Due to snowiest winters and violent early springs rainstorms,
river 3rd May, 2011 Mississippi and its tributaries overflowed their banks
inundating lakhs of homes, crops, woodland with muddy
water.
2. Flood in Indus river Pakistan August (2010) More than a million acres of land were flooded destroying
crops, devastating towns (Sukkar, Dadu and Mehar) 1800
persons were killed and one crore persons lost their shelters.
3. Yellow river’s course China 2001-2009 Yellow river was the cradle of Chinese civilisation but
change frequent devastating floods have changed its course-now it is
known as China's sarrow
4. Shrinkage of Lake US 2000-2010 Lake Mead supplies water to California, Arizona, Nevada,
Mead, Nevada/ Las Vagas and Mexico; since 2000 water level is dropping
Arizona due to lower snowfall-by july, 2010 it is at 38 per cent of its
capacity; between 2001-2004 it dropped 18 mtrs.
5. Global warming World over 1880-2009 Earth’s surface temperature increased by 0.7° C since 1880;
2/3rd of warming since 1975 @ 0.15 degree Celsius to
0.20°C per decade.
6. Helheim Glacier melt Greenland 2001-2005 Helheim Glacier is crumbing into icebergs, glacier’s flow the
sea has sped up.
7. Inja Glacier melt Himalayas Major retreat and collapse of the lower tongue of the glacier
and formation of new melt ponds.
8. Ice melt, Mount Tanzania (Africa) 1993-2000 Kilimanjaro is the tallest free-standing mountain, is made up
Kilimanjaro of three volcanic cones, there is major decline in its ice cap
during 1993-2000.
9. Flood in Kedar Nath Uttarakhand (India) June, 2013 Cloudburst led to death of 10,000 persons and huge property
loss.
10. J & K flood Jammu & Kashmir 2014 2000 homes damaged in Jammu & Kashmir, Jammu,
Srinagar city submerged under many feet of water.
11. Chennai Tamil Nadu 2015 500 people killed and 1.8 million were displaced.
12. Kerala flood Kerala 2018 Over 483 people were killed.

Source Based on NASA data

United Nations Framework — The treaty itself set no binding limits on greenhouse gas
Convention on Climate Change emissions for individual countries and contains no
enforcement mechanisms. In that sense, the treaty is
— In 1988, the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change considered legally non-binding. Instead, the treaty
(IPCC) was created by the United Nations Environment provides a framework for negotiating specific international
Programme (UNEP) and the World Meteorological treaties (called ‘protocols’) that may set binding limits on
Organisation (WMO) to assess the scientific knowledge on greenhouse gases. The UNFCCC was opened for
global warming. Its first major report in 1990 showed that signature on 9th May, 1992. It entered into force on 21st
there was broad international consensus that climate March, 1994. As of March, 2014, UNFCCC has 196
change was human-induced. That report led way to an parties.
international convention for climate change. This became
— The parties to the convention have met annually from 1995
the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate
in Conference of Parties (CoP) to assess progress in dealing
Change (UNFCCC), signed by over 150 countries at the
with climate change. In 1997, the Kyoto Protocol was
Rio Earth Summit in 1992.
concluded and established legally binding obligations for
The main purposes of this protocol was to:
developed countries to reduce their greenhouse gas
— provide mandatory targets on greenhouse gas emissions for the
emissions. The 2010 Cancun Agreement states that future
world’s leading economies, all of whom accepted it at the time.
global warming should be limited to below 2.0 °C relative to
— provide flexibility in how countries meet their targets.
the pre-industrial level.
— further recognise that commitments under the protocol would
vary from country to country.
218 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

Parties to UNFCCC second commitment period applies to emissions between

2013-20. The protocol was amended in 2012 to
— As of 2014, the UNFCCC has 196 parties including all
United Nations member states, as well as Niue, Cook accommodate the second commitment period.
Islands and the European Union. In addition, the Holy See — The Kyoto Protocol like the UNFCCC is also designed to
and Palestine are observer states. assist countries in adapting to the adverse effects of climate
Parties to the UNFCCC are classified as: change. It facilitates the development and deployment of
— Annex I These parties are classified as industrialised techniques that can help increase resilience to the impacts
(developed) countries and Economies In Transitions (EITs). of climate change. The Adaptation Fund was established in
— Annex II These parties are required to provide financial and 2001 to finance concrete adaptation projects and
technical support to the EITs and developing countries to programmes in developing country parties to the Kyoto
assist them in reducing their greenhouse gas emissions Protocol that are particularly vulnerable to the adverse
(climate change mitigation) and manage the impacts of effects of climate change.
climate change (climate change adaptation).
— Annex B Parties listed in Annex B of the Kyoto Protocol are Flexibility Mechanisms
Annex I parties with first or second round Kyoto greenhouse gas — The Kyoto Protocol defines three ‘flexibility mechanisms’
emissions targets. The first round targets apply over the years that can be used by Annex I parties in meeting their
2008-12. As part of the 2012 Doha climate change talks, an
emission limitation commitments. These are
amendment to Annex B was agreed upon containing with a list
of Annex I parties, who have second round Kyoto targets, which — International Emissions Trading (IET) Emissions trading, as set
apply from 2013-20. The amendments have not entered into out in Article 17 of the Kyoto Protocol, allows countries that
force. have emission units to spare emissions permitted them, but not
‘used’ to sell this excess capacity to countries that are over their
— Least Developed Countries (LDCs) are given special status
targets.
under the treaty in view of their limited capacity to adapt to
Thus, a new commodity was created in the form of emission
the effects of climate change.
reductions or removals. Since, carbon dioxide is the principal
— Non-Annex I Parties to the UNFCCC not listed in Annex I of the greenhouse gas, people speak simply of trading in carbon.
convention are mostly low income developing countries.
Carbon is now tracked and traded like any other commodity.
Developing countries may volunteer to become Annex I
This is known as the carbon market.
countries when they are sufficiently developed.
— Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) Defined in Article 12
Conference of Parties of the protocol, CDM allows a country with an emission
reduction or emission limitation commitment under the Kyoto
— The conference of parties serves as the meeting of the
Protocol (Annex B party) to implement an emission reduction
parties and when this occurs, it is known as the CoP or MoP. project in developing countries.
This structure is intended to reduce costs and streamline
— Such projects can earn saleable Certified Emission Reduction
management of the UNFCCC or Kyoto Protocol processes. (CER) credits, each equivalent to 1 tonne of CO2 , which can be
Parties to the UNFCCC that are not parties to the convention counted towards meeting its Kyoto targets. A CDM project
are still permitted to participate in protocol related meetings activity might involve, e.g. a Rural Electrification Project using
as observers. solar panels or the installation of more energy efficient boilers.
— The Conference of Parties to the UNFCCC serving as the The mechanism stimulates sustainable development and
meeting of the parties to the Kyoto Protocol (CoP or MoP) emission reductions, while giving industrialised countries, some
— has authority over and makes rules for the CDM. flexibility in how they meet their emission reduction or limitation
— decides on the recommendations made by the Executive Board. targets.
— designates operational entities that are provisionally accredited — Joint Implementation (JI) Defined in Article 6 of the Kyoto
by the Executive Board. Protocol, JI allows a country with an emission reduction or
limitation commitment under the Kyoto Protocol to earn
Kyoto Protocol Emission Reduction Units (ERUs) from an emission reduction
— The Kyoto Protocol to the UNFCCC is an international treaty or emission removal project in another Annex B party, each
that sets binding obligations on industrialised countries to equivalent to 1 tonne of CO 2 , which can be counted towards
reduce emissions of greenhouse gases. The protocol meeting its Kyoto target. Joint Implementation (JI) offers parties,
recognises that developed countries are principally a flexible and cost-efficient means of fulfilling a part of their
responsible for the current high levels of greenhouse gas Kyoto commitments, while the host party benefits from foreign
investment and technology transfer.
emissions in the atmosphere, as a result of more than 150
years of industrial activity and places a heavier burden on The Rio Declaration
developed nations under the principle of ‘Common But
— This declaration had 27 principles. They emphasised
Differentiated Responsibilities’ (CBDRs).
development, national sovereignty over natural resources
— The protocol was adopted by parties to the UNFCCC in and co-operation between states. Scientific and
1997 and entered into force in 2005. The first commitment technological innovations and environmental protection
period applies to emissions between 2008-12 and the were the other issues that were highlighted.
Magbook ~ Climate Change 219

7. International Solar Alliance was also launched under which

Reducing Emissions from 121 countries that fall within the tropics (tropic of cancer and
Deforestation and Forest tropic of capricon) have been incited to make collaborative
Degradation (REDD) (COP-11) efforts to harness solar energy to generate the electricity.
— It is a set of steps designed to use market or financial
incentives in order to reduce the emissions of greenhouse
Inter-governmental Panel on
gases from deforestation and forest degradation. Its Climate Change (IPCC)
original objective is to reduce greenhouse gases, but it is — This is the leading international body for the assessment of
claimed that it can deliver ‘co-benefits’ such as climate change. It was established by the United Nations
biodiversity conservation and poverty alleviation. Environment Programme (UNEP) and the World Meteorological
— It has been criticised for ignoring the rights of Organisation (WMO) in 1988 to provide the world with a clear
indigenous people, for relying on failing carbon markets scientific view on the current state of knowledge in climate
for its success and for depending on uncertain science change and its potential environmental and socio-economic
in setting levels of compensation. impacts. It does not carry lut does it do the work of monitoring
REDD ++ climate on related phenomena.
— Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Greendex 2012
Degradation (REDD) is an effort to create a financial — The Greendex is a comprehensive measure of consumer
value for the carbon stored in forests, offering incentives behaviour in 65 areas relating to housing, transportation, food
for developing countries to reduce emissions from and consumer goods. Greendex 2012 ranks average consumers
forested lands and invest in low carbon paths to in 17 countries, according to the environmental impact of their
sustainable development. consumption patterns and is the only survey of its kind. The top
— ‘REDD+’ goes beyond deforestation and forest degradation and scoring consumers of 2012 are in the developing economies of
includes the role of conservation, sustainable management of
India, China and Brazil in descending order. America ranks as
forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks.
the least sustainable of all countries. Emerging countries ranked
— The proper implementation of REDD+ will contribute to
higher than the industrialised countries. First survey was
protection of biodiversity, resilience of forest ecosystems,
and poverty reduction. conducted in 2008.

Paris Agreement CoP 21

The UNFCCC COP 21 held in Paris, December 2015. The On 12 December 2015, the Paris Agreement was adopted as an
goal of the Conference is to achieve a legally binding, agreement within the UNFCC framework. On 22 April 2016
international agreement to keep average global (Earth Day), 175 countries around the world have signed this
temperatures no more than 2°C above pre-industrial agreement at the UN headquarters in New York, United States.
temperatures. India was also one of the 175 countries that signed it.
According to the agreement:
1. Facilitates enforcement of Global Greenhouse Gases Carbon Credits and Foot Prints
emission (GHGs) reduction measures in the post-2020 Carbon credit is a permit that allows the holder to emit 1 tonne of
i.e. in post Kyoto Protocol scenario. carbon dioxide. Credits are awarded to countries or groups that have
2. Takes into account the principle of equity (climate reduced their greenhouse gases below their emission quota. Carbon
justice) and Common But Differentiated Responsibilities credits can be traded in the international market at their current market
(CBDRs) and respective capabilities. price. Carbon credits and carbon markets are components of national
3. Based on consensus among the members that have and international attempts to mitigate the growth in concentrations
incorporated their respective Intended Nationally of greenhouse gases. Carbon trading is an application of an emissions
Determined Contributions (INDCs) including India. trading approach. Greenhouse gas emissions are capped and then
4. Mandatory for all countries to keep global temperature
markets are used to allocate the emissions among the group of
rising below 2°C by 2100 above pre-industrial levels
regulated sources.
with an idial target of keeping temperature rise below A carbon footprint has been defined as the total set of greenhouse
1.5°C . gas emissions caused by an organisation, event, product or person. An
5. Developed countries to provide 100 billion dollars
individual’s, nation’s, or organisation’s carbon footprint can be
annually to the developing counterparts beginning in
measured by undertaking a greenhouse gas emissions assessment or
other calculative activities denoted as carbon accounting. Per capita
2020 and it would increase with time.
annual carbon footprint is 20 tonnes for USA, 4 tonnes for China and
6. Countries will asses their progress ever 5 years for
1.2 tonnes for India. Maximum total greenhouse gas emissions are
meeting their climate commitments and submit new
made by China.
plans to strengthen.
220 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

Climate Change Summit (Marrakech, Morocco) 2016 (COP 22 )

The twenty second session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 22) took place in November 2016, at Bab lghli, Marrakech,
Morocco. The Marrakech Partnership for Global Climate Action was adopted at this conference. It aims to mobilise climate actions
quickly and to reap the benefits in efficiency and effectiveness through partnerships and coordination between different actors.

Climate Change Summit (Bonn, Germany) 2017 (COP 23 )

23 annual COP under UNFCCC was held at Bonn. It was presided over by Fiji’s PM Vorege Fronk Baini Marama who called for
a sense of urgency in implementing the 2015 Paris accord on combating climate change. The purpose of this summit was to
form plan for reaching the targets set under Paris Agreement of 2015.

Climate Change Summit (Katowice, Poland) 2018 (COP 24 )

The 24th session of COP under UNFCCC was held in Katowice, Poland. It established the Accounting Guidance Rules to guide the
countries for their INDCs, to compare them and add them up as a global aggregate. It also established market mechanisms which
provides for the trading of carbon credits. It sets up Overall Mitigation in Global Emissions (OMGEs) under the Paris Agreement.
The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB)
It is a global initative that focuses on drawing attention to the economic benefits of biodiversity. It presents an approach that can
help decision-makers recognise, demonstrate and capture the value of ecosystems and biodiversity.
United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification
It is an international agreement adopted in1994. It seeks to improve land productivity, to restore (to preserve) land to establish
more efficient water usage and to introduce sustainable development in the affected areas.

Cloud Thinning Technique

It is specialised technique of climatic engineering in which ice nuclei such as dust particles are injected in the regions of clouds. This
technique is specifically used for Cirrus clouds. Due to injection of ice nuclei in the Cirrus cloud region, ice crystals of Cirrus clouds
grew bigger. This reduce the Cirrus optical depth and clouds get thin. Thinning of clouds allows more escape of heat to the space and
helps in keep the Earth cool.
Sulphate Aerosol Injection
It is a proposed technique by which aerosols such as sulphuric acid (H2SO 4 ), hydrogen sulphide (H2S) or sulphur dioxide (SO 2 ) are
injected in the stratosphere by aircraft or balloons. It will help to create a global dimming effect and limit the effect of global climate change.

Impact of Climate Change in India

— Coastal inundation and therefore, resultant population displacement.
— Irregular monsoon in India and fall in crop yields resulting in food insecurity. It is estimated that every 1°C increase in
temperature is likely to lead to a 5-10% reduction in yields of some crop.
— Increase in bacterial infection, vector-borne disease and respiratory diseases.

Government’s Action Plan for Climate Change (NAPCC)

Name of the Missions/Nodal Agencies Salient Features and Status of the National Missions
National Solar Mission Seeks to deploy 20000 MW of solar electricity in the country by 2022.
National Mission for Enhanced Creates new institutional mechanisms to enable the development and energy efficiency
Energy Efficiency strengthening of energy efficiency markets. Various programmes have been initiated, including the
PAT mechanism to promote efficiency in large industries and the Super-Efficient Equipment
Programme (SEEP) to accelerates the introduction of deployment of super-efficient appliances.
This is intended to attract private-sector investment in this energy efficiency market.
National Mission on Sustainable Promotes the introduction of sustainable transport, energy-efficient buildings are sustainable
Habitat habitat and sustainable waste management in cities.
National Water Mission Promotes the integrated management of water resources and increase of mission water use
efficiency by 20%.
National Mission for Sustaining the Establishes an observational and monitoring network for the Himalayan. Ecosystem
Himalayan Ecosystem environment so as to assess climate impacts on the Himalayan glaciers and promote
community-based management of these ecosystems.
Magbook ~ Climate Change 221

Name of the Missions/Nodal Agencies Salient Features and Status of the National Missions
National Mission for Green India Seeks to afforest an additional 10 million hectare of forest lands, wastelands and community
lands. An expenditure of ` 46000 crore is projected under the mission for coverage of
10 million hectare over the next 10 years.
National Mission for Sustainable Focuses on enhancing productivity and resilience of agriculture so as to reduce vulnerability to
Agriculture extremes of weather, long dry spells, flooding and variable moisture availability.
National Mission on Strategic Identifies challenges arising from climate change, promotes the development knowledge on
Knowledge for Climate Change climate change and diffusion of knowledge on responses to these challenges in the areas of
health, demography, migration and livelihood of coastal communities.

National Green Tribunal (NGT) Act Impact of Global Warming

— NGT Act, 2010 is a federal legislation enacted by the Extreme Weather Patterns
Parliament of India, under India’s constitutional provision of
— Most scientists believe that the warming of the climate
Article 21, which assures the citizens of India, the right to a
will lead to more extreme weather patterns. Such as:
healthy environment. The tribunal is a special fast track court
— more hurricanes and drought.
to handle the expeditious disposal of the cases pertaining to
— longer spells of dry heat or intense rain (depending on
environmental issues, which provide speedy environmental
where you are in the world).
justice and reduce the burden of litigation in the higher courts.
The tribunal shall not be bound by the procedure laid down Rising Sea Levels and Super-Storms
under the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908, but shall be guided — Water expands when heated and sea levels are
by principles of natural justice. The tribunal is mandated for expected to rise due to climate change. Rising sea
disposal of applications or appeals within 6 months of filing. levels will also result as the melting of polar ice caps.
Ozone Depletion Rising sea levels is already affecting many small
islands. Global warming may spawn more
— Ozone is a gas that is naturally present in the atmosphere.
super-storms. Impact of global warming is on the
About 90% of ozone is found in the stratosphere, a region that
increase on major ecosystem as the habitat of many
begins about 9 miles above Earth’s surface and extends upto
species is on decrease.
about 28 miles in altitude. Most ozone resides in the lower
stratosphere, in what is commonly known as the ozone layer. Ocean Acidification
— The remaining 10% is found in the troposphere, which is the — The effects of increasing greenhouse emissions, in
lowest region of the atmosphere between Earth’s surface and particular carbon dioxide, on the oceans may well be
the stratosphere. The ozone layer acts as a protective shield, significant. The basic chemistry of ocean acidification is
preventing most of the Sun’s harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation well understood.
(energy) from reaching the surface. The depletion of the ozone There are three main concepts:
layer can therefore, lead to an increase of the UV radiation that (i) More CO 2 in the atmosphere means more CO 2 in the
reaches the Earth’s surface. ocean.
— Ozone depleting substances and many of the chemicals that (ii) Atmospheric CO 2 is dissolved in the ocean, which
have replaced them are potent greenhouse gases that influence becomes more acidic.
Earth’s climate by trapping heat that would otherwise escape to (iii) The resulting changes in the chemistry of the oceans
space. Ozone itself is a greenhouse gas. The ozone layer warms disrupts the ability of plants and animals in the sea to
the stratosphere and lower troposphere and is an important make shells and skeletons of calcium carbonate, while
component that affects climate. The recovery of the ozone layer dissolving shells already formed.
is influenced not only by the decreases in ozone depleting — Oceans are able to absorb some of the excess CO 2
substances, but also by changes to climate and changes in the released by human activity. It has helped to keep the
amounts of various gases in the Earth’s atmosphere. planet cooler.
— Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and other halogenated Ozone
Depleting Substances (ODS) are mainly responsible for
Global Dimming
man-made chemical ozone depletion. The main source of — Clouds are formed when water droplets are seeded by
halogen atoms in the stratosphere is photo-dissociation of air-borne particles such as pollen. Polluted air results in
man-made halocarbon refrigerants, solvents, propellants and clouds with larger number of droplets than unpolluted
foam blowing agents (CFCs, HCFCs, freons, halons). These clouds. This makes those clouds more reflective. More
compounds are transported into the stratosphere after being of the Sun’s heat and energy is therefore reflected back
emitted at the surface. into space. This reduction of heat reaching the Earth is
known as global dimming.
 Self Check Build Your Confidence
1. Consider the following statements about the depletion 6. Which one of the following is associated with the issue
of ozone layer of control and phasing out of the use of ozone depleting
1. The ozone oxygen cycle is the process by which ozone is substances? [IAS 2015]
continually regenerated in the Earth’s stratosphere, all the (a) Bretton Woods Conference (b)Montreal Protocol
while converting Ultra Violet (UV) radiation into heat. (c) Kyoto Protocol (d) Nagoya Protocol
2. Each Cl or Br atom produced from the emissions of 7. Human activities in the recent past have caused the
chlorofluorocarbons and halons can catalyse around increased concentration of carbon dioxide in the
10 decomposition reactions of ozone before it is removed atmosphere, but a lot of it does not remain in the lower
from the stratosphere. atmosphere because of [IAS 2011]
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? 1. it escapes into the outer stratosphere.
(a) Only 1 (b) Only 2 2. the photosynthesis by phytoplankton in the oceans.
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
3. rapping of air in the polar ice caps.
2. The formation of ozone hole in the Antarctic region has Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
been a cause of concern. What could be the reason for (a) 1 and 2 (b) Only 2 (c) 2 and 3 (d) Only 3
the formation of this hole? [IAS 2012]
8. Earth’s climate
(a) Presence of prominent tropospheric turbulence and
(a) has been stable over the history of the planet
inflow of chlorofluorocarbons
(b) Presence of prominent polar front and stratospheric (b) is changing as a result of natural and human processes
clouds and inflow of chlorofluorocarbons (c) will stabilise over the next century, according to the
(c) Absence of polar front and stratospheric clouds and predictions of most scientists
inflow of methane and chlorofluorocarbons (d) has been documented to have changed once due to the
(d) Increased temperature at polar region due to global evolution of green photosynthesising plants
warming
9. Which of the following statements regarding ‘Green
3. Chlorofluorocarbons, known as ozone depleting Climate Fund’ is/are correct? [IAS 2015]
substances are used [IAS 2012] 1. It is intended to assist the developing countries in adaptation
1. in the production of plastic forms. and mitigation practices to counter climate change.
2. in the production of tubeless tires. 2. It is founded under the agencies of UNEP, OECD, Asian
3. in cleaning certain electronic components. Development Bank and World Bank.
4. as pressurising agents in aerosol cans. Select the correct answer using the codes given bleow
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? (a) Only 1 (b) Only 2
(a) 1, 2 and 3 (b) Only 4 (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
(c) 1, 3 and 4 (d) All of these 10. Consider the following statements regarding
4. Biocarbon Fund Initiative for ‘Sustainable Forest UNFCCC-COP21 held in Paris in December 2015.
Landscapes’ is managed by the [IAS 2015] 1. To achieve a legally binding agreement to keep average
(a) Asian Development Bank global temperature no more than 2°C above pre industrial
(b) International Monetary Fund temperatures.
(c) United Nations Environment Programme 2. Developed countries to provide 100 billion dollars annually
(d) World Bank to the developing counter parts beginning in 2020 and it
would increase with time.
5. Which among the following are the flexibility Select the correct answer using the codes given below
mechanisms that can be used by Annex I parties under
(a) Only 1 (b) Only 2 (c) Both 1 and (d) None of these
Kyoto Protocol?
1. Joint Implementation 11. With reference to climate change which of the following
2. Clean Development Mechanism statement(s) is/are correct?
3. International Emissions Trading 1. The change in the climate could affect the production of
4. Green Climate Fund wheat, maize and rice in tropical and temperate zones.
Select the correct answer using the codes given below 2. Electricity and heat production cause largest GHG
(a) 1, 3 and 4 emission in these areas is causing climate change.
(b) 1, 2 and 3 Select the correct answer using the codes given below
(c) 2, 3 and 4 (a) Only 1 (b) Only 2
(d) 1, 2 and 4 (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2

1. (a) 2. (b) 3. (c) 4. (c) 5. (b) 6. (b) 7. (b) 8. (b) 9. (a) 10. (c)
11. (c)
Chapter twenty-three
Disaster Management
Understanding (ii) Mitigation
This includes an assessment of possible
Disasters —
risks to person’s health and property, steps
Disasters and their — The Disaster Management act, 2005 taken to minimise the effects of a disaster.
defines a disaster as “a catastrophe, e.g. in earthquake prone areas, these
management preventive measures might include
mishap, calamity or grave occurrence
generally get from natural or man-made causes, which structural changes such as the installation
discussed in their is beyond the coping capacity of the of an earthquake valve to instantly shut off
aftermath, but affected community”. the natural gas supply, seismic retrofits of
Disasters are sometimes classified property and securing of items inside a
practically it should —
building by mounting of furniture,
according to whether they are natural
result in planning and refrigerators, water heaters and breakables
disasters or human-made disasters.
preparing the strategy e.g. disasters caused by floods, droughts, to the walls and the addition of cabinet
to tackle and mitigate tidal waves and Earth tremors are latches.
disasters in a generally considered natural disasters, (iii) Preparedness
while disasters caused by chemical or
responsible and — It focuses on preparing equipment and
industrial accidents, environmental
effective manner. procedures for use when a disaster occurs.
pollution, transport accidents and political
Generally, it involves construction of
Disasters, both natural unrest are classified as human-made or
shelters, implementation of an Emergency
and unnatural, are human-induced disasters since they are
Communication system, installation of
the direct result of human action.
macro level events or warning devices, creation of back-up
processes, which Disaster Management life-line and rehearsing evacuation plans.
induce disturbances — It is the term used to designate the efforts (iv) Response
and turmoil for a of government, communities or — The response phase of an emergency may
prolonged businesses to plan for and co-ordinate all commence with search and rescue, but in
life-threatening personnel and materials required to either all cases, the focus quickly turns to fulfilling
mitigate the effects of or recover from, the basic humanitarian needs of the
environment for a natural or man-made disasters. Disaster affected population.
community. management consists of five phases which — This assistance may be provided by
are as follows : national or international agencies and
(i) Prevention organisations.

— Preventive measures are taken on both (v) Recovery

the domestic and international levels. Not — The recovery phase starts after the
all disasters, particularly natural disasters immediate threat to human life has
can be prevented, but the risk of loss of subsided. The immediate goal of the
life and injury can be mitigated with good recovery phase is to bring the affected
evacuation plans, environmental planning area back to normalcy as quickly as
and design standards. possible.
224 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

Natural Disasters — The environmental effects of drought, including

salinisation of soil, groundwater decline, increased
Floods pollution of freshwater ecosystems and regional
— A flood is an overflow of water that submerges land which is extinction of animal species.
usually dry. Floods are caused by heavy rains, high winds, — Management adverse effects of droughts can be
cyclones, tsunami, melting snow, cloud burst and inadequate minimised through regular monitoring of rainfall
drainage system. Human factors which can lead to floods include and water availability in the reservoirs, lakes and
deforestation, faulty agricultural practices, bursting of dams, rivers. Water efficiency can be increased during
siltation in river beds and accelerated urbanisation. Floods can the time of droughts through conservation,
lead to casualties, material loss, crop loss, structural damage, reducing wastage and reusing water for inferior
damage of public utilities and increase in waterborne diseases. uses. It also includes implementation of better
— India is one of the most flood prone country in the world. The methods of irrigation (micro irrigation) and sowing
principal reasons for flood lie in the very nature of natural of low water consuming crops.
ecological systems in this country, namely, the monsoon, the
highly silted river systems and the steep, highly erodible Earthquake
mountains, particularly those of the Himalayan ranges. The — An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of
average rainfall in India is 1150 mm with significant variation energy in the Earth’s crust that creates seismic
across the country. 24 of the 36 States and Union Territories in waves.
the country are subject to floods and roughly one-eighth of the — Globally, earthquakes result in a loss of about
country’s geographical area is prone to floods. 50000 lives every year. Earthquakes over
— Management Proper management and planning can considerably 5.5 magnitude on the Richter Scale are
reduce flood damage. Some of the measures are as follows: progressively damaging to property and human life.
— Identification of frequency and magnitude of floods in flood prone Generally, massive earthquakes occur near the
areas. junction of two tectonic plates, e.g. along the
— Flood forecasting which involves giving prior information regarding the Himalayan range, where the Indian plate goes
floods. Forecasting can lead to timely warning, which can help moving below Eurasian plate.
people to safer areas. — Besides tectonic activities, earthquakes also occur
— Flood control can be achieved through various means like reducing due to volcanic eruption, rock fall, landsides,
run-off through afforestation, construction of dams and deepening or
subsidence in mining areas etc.
increasing the embankment of rivers.
— Land use planning which involve proper engineering of buildings in
— According to latest seismic zoning map brought
flood prone areas and connecting these areas to transport network so out by the Bureau of Indian Standard (BIS), over
that help can reach in short period of time. 65% of the country is prone to earthquake of
intensity modified Mercalli Intensity Scale (MSK)
Uttarakhand Disaster VII or more.
In June, 2013, a multi-day cloudburst centered on the state of — India has been divided into four seismic zones,
Uttarakhand caused devastating floods and landslides in the country’s these are:
worst natural disaster since the 2004 Tsunami. According to figures — Zone-5 is the most active, which comprises of whole
provided by the Uttarakhand Government, more than 5700 people were of North-East India, the Northern portion of Bihar,
Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and
presumed dead in the disaster.
Kashmir, Gujarat and Andaman and Nicobar islands.
— Zone-4 (Severe Intensity Zone) comprises of parts of
Droughts Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Predesh, UT of
— A drought is an event that results from lower than normal Delhi, Sikkim Northern parts of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar
expected rainfall over a season or period. The primary cause of and West Bengal, parts of Gujarat and small portions
of Maharashtra near the West coast and Rajasthan.
any drought is deficiency of rainfall and in particular, the timing,
— Zone-3 (Moderate Intensity Zone) includes Kerala,
distribution and intensity of this deficiency in relation to existing
Goa, Lakshadweep islands and remaining parts of
reserves. Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and West Bengal, parts of
— Drought can be devastating as water supplies dry up, crops fail to Punjab, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar,
grow, animals die and malnutrition and ill health become Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Odisha,
widespread. It reduces energy production in hydro-electric power Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.
plants and increases consumption due to pumping water from — Zone-2 (Low Intensity Zone) covers remaining parts of
deeper sources. the country.
Magbook ~ Disaster Management 225

Management — These weather associated conditions can also be

categorised as disasters since many deaths occur due
— Community preparedness for mitigating earthquake impact,
to them. Long exposure to extremes of cold or heat
construction of houses and buildings according to standards
may lead to severe thermal strain and ultimately to
and public education can be helpful.
death. Himalayan region, Rajasthan, North Indian
Nepal Earthquake plains and interior parts of Central India are prone to
— The Nepal earthquake occured on 25th April, 2015 with an both heat and cold waves.
epicentre at Kathmandu, the capital city of Nepal. It was one of Tornadoes
the most powerful earthquakes to strike Nepal since 1934. — Tornadoes are extremely severe vortices of very small
— Based on the information by UN, 8 million people have been dimensions occuring in association with intense and
affected by the disaster, which was more than a quarter of large cumulonimbus clouds or cyclonic storms.
Nepal’s population. — They comprise the most destructive meso-scale
— The earthquake induced many mass movements in convective phenomena, which builds up in
mountainous areas resulted in landslide lakes, which could be thunderstorm. The visible symptom of a tornado is a
another cause of secondary disasters. small funnel extending down from a cumulonimbus
cloud with winds reaching several 100 km per hour,
Cyclones revolving tightly around the core.
— They are violent storms, often of vast extent, characterised by Hailstorms
strong and high winds rotating about a calm centre of low
atmospheric pressure. — Hail is precipitation in the form of ice pellets.
Thunderstorms producing hail are known as
— This centre moves onwards, often with velocity of around 50
hailstorms. The size of hailstorms may be from less
km/hr. Cyclones strike suddenly, though it takes time for them to
than a cm to about 5 cm or even more in diameter.
build up. Cyclone is generally followed by heavy rains causing
Hail is the product of violent convection, formed in a
floods. Satellite tracking can predict on possible affected areas
cumulonimbus cloud. Some times the hailstorms
leading to warnings and timely evacuations.
attain a large size and cause heavy damage to crops,
— India has a coastline of about 7516 kms, which makes it property and life. Hail is a grave hazard to aircraft in
exposed to nearly 10% of the world’s tropical cyclones. About flight.
71% of this area is in 10 States (Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa,
Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Andhra Pradesh, Tsunami
Odisha and West Bengal). The islands of Andaman, Nicobar — It is a series of water waves caused by the
and Lakshadweep are also prone to cyclones. Various types of displacement of a large volume of a body of water,
local storms are as follows: usually an ocean. Seismicity generated tsunamis are
Cyclone ‘Fani’ 2019 result of abrupt deformation of sea floor resulting
vertical displacement of the overlying water.
Extremely severe cyclonic storm Fani was the strongest tropical
— The release of energy by this displaced water
cyclone to strike Indian state of Odisha. It originated from a
tropical depression that formed West of Sumatra in Indian Ocean produces tsunami waves, which have small
on 26th April. amplitude, but a very long wavelength.
— Tsunamis have great erosion potential, stripping
Vayu Cyclone beaches of sand, destruction of coastal vegetation
Very severe cyclonic storm ‘Vayu’ was a strong tropical cyclone that and dissipating its energy through the destruction of
caused moderate damage in western part of India during June houses and coastal structure. The possible zones for
2019. tsunami to occur are Andaman - Sumatra or Makran
Cyclone ‘Gaja’ 2018 (Pakistan).
Severe cyclonic storm Gaja hit the coasts of Tamil Nadu and
Andhra Pradesh with a speed of about 184 kmph in November, Tsunami in Indian Ocean
2018. The cyclone deposited huge amount of sludge in coastal The Tsunami of 26th December, 2004 caused extensive
areas 45 people were killed by the storm. It had severe impacts in damage to life and property in the States of Tamil Nadu,
South India, particularly in Tamil Nadu. Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Union Territories of Puducherry
Heat and Cold Waves and Andaman and Nicobar islands. The tsunami disaster
had badly affected the fishermen community who not only
— Heat and cold waves are extremes of high and low
lost their near and dear ones, but also lost their means of
temperatures above and below normal temperature
livelihood.
respectively.
226 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

Landslides Disasters Air Accidents

— Landslides disasters due to landslides, are in general, — These are by and large of four types; mid-air collisions,
farless drastic than due to earthquakes, volcanic forced landings, crash due to technical snags and air-crash
eruptions, tsunamis and cyclones, but their impact on in mountainous terrain due to poor visibility. Experiences
the natural environment and national economy is in no show that a majority of air accidents occur either during
way less severe. take-off or landing near major airports where flight paths get
— Gathering information and monitoring the possibilities of congested. Causes of air accidents are either human failure
landslide is not only difficult but also immensely cost of pilots, air traffic controllers or technical failures of on
intensive. board, landing instruments. In rare cases, it may also be the
— Landslide vulnerability zones can be broadly divided into result of terrorist activities.
three zones i.e. very high vulnerability zone, high — In India, the Directorate General Civil Aviation (DGCA) has
vulnerability zone and moderate to low vulnerability the regulatory responsibility for aviation safety. Its mandate
zone. is to ensure the highest level of safety in the Indian Aviation
System by employing International Civil Aviation
Man-Made Disasters Organisation (ICAO) standards and recommended practices.

Road Accidents Industrial Disasters

— These are human tragedy, which involves suffering and — These include events that occur due to mishaps or failures
monetary costs in terms of premature deaths, injuries in industry or related activities and also the disasters that
and loss of productivity. They are a hidden epidemic. In affect the industrial functions, property and productivity.
India, motor vehicles including two wheelers are growing Chemical disaster is an important sub-category of industrial
at a faster rate than the economy and population. disasters. A chemical disaster may occur due to both,
Prevention of road accidents involves: natural or human-made sources, however, in view of
— Education and Training Spreading road safety awareness growing chemical usage and industrial development
and imparting training to drivers. worldwide, the pre-disaster prevention and mitigation of
— Enforcement Statutory provisions provided under the Motor chemical (industrial) disasters is a serious concern.
Vehicles Act, 1988 and the Central Motor Vehicle Rules,
1989. The enforcement measures under the said statutes Bhopal Gas Tragedy
provides for inspection, licensing and verification of fitness
of vehicles. Bhopal gas tragedy was a gas leak incident in India, considered
— Engineering Design or specification related aspects of roads the world’s worst industrial disaster. It occurred on the night of
and highways. Faster relief and evacuation of road accident 2nd to 3rd December, 1984 at the Union Carbide India Limited
victims. (UCIL) pesticide plant in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. Over 500000
people were exposed to Methyl Iso Cyanate (MIC) gas and other
Railway Disasters chemicals.
— It is a serious train accident or an untoward event of
grave nature, either on railway premises or arising out of Nuclear Disasters
railway activity, due to natural or human-made causes,
— It is caused due to an extraordinary release of radioactive
that may lead to loss of many lives and grievous injuries
material or radiation either in the operation of nuclear
to a large number of people and severe disruption of
reactors or other nuclear events like explosion of a
traffic etc., necessitating large scale help from
Radiological Dispersal Device (RDD) or Improvised Nuclear
government, non-government and private organisations.
Device (IND) or explosion of a nuclear weapon. It is
Several measures taken to improve safety of rail
accompanied with sudden release of harmful radiations or
transportation are:
radioactive materials or both together into the environment.
— Special Railway Safety Fund It has been created to pull up
Nuclear emergency may be encountered in the following
the backlog of arrears for track renewals, bridges, rolling
stock and signalling gear within a fixed time frame.
situations:
— International use of nuclear weapons in the event of war.
— Steps taken to Reduce Derailments Replacement of over-
— Accidents in Nuclear Power Project.
aged tracks, bridges, gears and rolling stock, gradual phasing
— Accidents in handling radiation sources.
out of derailment prone four wheeler tank wagons and track
circulation for enhanced safety in train operations. — With modern reactor design, a catastrophic release of
— Measures to Reduce Collisions Extensive training to train radiation is highly unlikely, but nevertheless, possible. This
operations staff, improved maintenance and safety checks, can happen due to factors beyond the control of the
improvement in design of rolling stocks and Installation of operating agencies e.g. human error, system failure,
Anti Collision Device (ACD). sabotage, earthquake, cyclone, flood and tsunami etc.
Magbook ~ Disaster Management 227

National Executive Committee (NEC)

Fukushima Nuclear Disaster (2011)
— Assists the NDMA to coordinate disaster
It was a nuclear disaster resulting in a meltdown the nuclear plant’s management efforts.
six reactors. The failure occurred when the plant was hit by a tsunami
— Preparing a national plan for disaster management
triggered by the magnitude 9.0 Tohuku earthquake. The jolt of this
earthquake moved Honshu island 2.4m eastward. and monitoring the implementation of the disaster
management guidelines formulated by the NDMA.
Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster (1986)
National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM)
It was the large scale release of nuclear radiation occurred during the
nuclear accident in nuclear power plant at chernobyl in Ukraine on
— Responsible for developing training modules and
25th April, 1986. Disaster was so widespread covering most of conducting research and documentation related to
Belarus, large part of Russia and Ukraine and even European disaster management.
territories. National Disaster Response Force (NDRF)
— A specialist response force to tackle all types of
Disaster Management in India disaster including nuclear, biological and chemical
— India is one of the 10 worst disaster prone country of the world, disasters.
losing about 2% of its GDP on an average to disasters. National Crisis Management Committee
— It is highly vulnerable to floods, droughts, cyclones, — Includes Cabinet Secretary and secretaries of other
earthquakes, landslides, avalanches and forest fires. Out of 36 departments that are incharge of dealing with crises
States and Union Territories in the country, 28 of them are and giving directions to the Crisis Management
disaster prone. group.
— National Disaster Management (NDM) Act, 2005 The NDM Crisis Management Group
act provides for disaster management institutions at the
— Reviews contingency plans formulated by the central
national, state and district levels and represents a shift in
ministries/departments.
emphasis from relief to preparedness, prevention and
mitigation.
Worlds’s Major Conferences
The NDM act provides for the establishment of a National
—
Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) headed by the Prime
on Disasters Reduction
Minister, State Disaster Management Authorities (SDMAs) Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA)
headed by Chief Ministers and District Disaster Management — It is a 10 years plan, which was endorsed by the UN
Authorities (DDMAs) headed by District Collectors or General Assembly in the resolution following the
Magistrates. 2005 World Disaster Reduction Conference. HFA is
— The NDM act has constituted funds related to disaster the first plan to explain, describe and detail the work
management such as National Disaster Response Fund that is required from all different sectors and actors
(NDRF), State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) and National to reduce disaster losses.
Disaster Mitigation Fund (NDMF). — Its goal is to substantially reduce disaster losses by
— National Policy on Disaster Management, 2009 The policy 2015 by building the resilience of nations and
aims at developing an integrated, holistic, multi-disaster communities to disasters.
oriented and technology driven strategy for disaster
management involving prevention, mitigation, preparedness and The Sendai Framewok for Disaster
response. Risk Reduction (2015-2030)
— Other structures have been created for disaster management at — It is a 15-years, voluntary, non-binding agreement
the national, state and district level. which recognises that the state has the primary role
to reduce disaster risk, but that responsibility should
Central Bodies be shared with other stakeholders including local
National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) government, the private sector and other
stakeholders. It aims for the substantial reduction of
— Formulating a National policy on disaster management. disaster risk and losses in lives, livelihoods and
— Approve a National plan for disaster management. health and in the economic, physical, social, cultural
— Formulate guidelines to be followed by Central Ministries. and environmental assets of persons, businesses,
— Coordinate the enforcement and implementation of the policies communities and countries.
and plans for disaster management and take any other
measures.
 Self Check Build Your Confidence
1. Which among the following events can be considered as 5. Which one of the following environment hazard is
disasters in the context of the definition of a disaster related to one of the three basic requirements of any
given by Disaster Management act, 2005? form of life?
1. Environmental pollution 2. Political unrest (a) Flood (b) Drought
3. Act of terrorism 4. Stampede (c) Volcanoes (d) Land slides
5. Forest fires 6. Zone 5 of the various seismic zones in which India has
Select the correct answer using the codes given below been divided comprises of which of the following
(a) 1, 2 and 3 (b) 4 and 5 (c) 2, 3 and 5(d) All of these regions?
2. Consider the following statements about Hyogo 1. North-East India 2. Gujarat
Framework for Action (HFA) 3. Andaman and Nicobar islands
1. Te Hyogo Framework for Action came out of the World 4. Himachal Pradesh
conference on disaster reduction held in Hyogo, Japan in Select the correct answer using the codes given below
2005. (a) 1, 2 and 3 (b) 1 and 4 (c) 2, 3 and 4 (d) All of these
2. Hyogo Framework for Action is the First plan to explain, 7. Which among the following statements is incorrect?
describe and detail the work that is required from all
(a) An epidemic occurs when new cases of a certain disease,
different sectors and actors to reduce disaster losses.
in a given human population and during a given period,
3. In March, 2020, the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA) substantially exceed what is expected based on recent
will come to an end and will be replaced by a new post experience
2020 international framework for disaster risk reduction (b) If an epidemic does not remain restricted and spreads to
and resilience. other countries or continents and affects a substantial
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are incorrect? number of people, it may be termed a pandemic
(a) Only 1 (b) Only 2 (c) Only 3 (d) None of these (c) An infection is said to be endemic in a population when
3. Consider the following statements that infection is maintained in the population without the
need for external inputs
1. The Northern parts of India, specially the hilly regions and
(d) None of the above
the adjoining plains, are influenced by transient
disturbances in the mid-latitude Westerlies, which often 8. Arrange the following nuclear and radiation accidents in
have weak frontal characteristics. These are known as chronological order.
Western disturbances, which lead to cold waves and fog 1. Three Mile Island Accident
in these areas. 2. Chernobyl Disaster, Ukrainian SSR
2. While the Southernmost part of India is free from dust 3. Mayapuri Radiological Accident in India
storms and hailstorms, such hazardous weather affects 4. The Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Disaster
the Central, North-Eastern, North and North-Western Codes
parts of the country. (a) 1, 2, 3, 4 (b) 2, 1, 3, 4 (c) 1, 2, 4, 3 (d) 2, 1, 4, 3
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
9. Consider the following statements about international
(a) Only 1 (b) Only 2 efforts on disaster management
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
1. The United Nations General assembly designated the
4. Consider the following statements about floods in India 1990s as the International Decade for Natural Disaster
1. Almost twenty-three of the 36 States and Union Reduction.
Territories in the country are subject to floods and 2. World conference on Disaster Reduction is a United
40 million hectares of land, roughly one-eight of the Nations Conference of only government officials of
country’s geographical area, is prone to floods. different countries to discuss the growing trend of people
2. Fresh water floods particularly play an important role in affected by natural disaster.
maintaining ecosystems in river corridors and are a key 3. Japan will host the Third World conference on Disaster
factor in maintaining flood plain biodiversity. Risk reduction in 2015.
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? Which of statement(s) given above is/are incorrect?
(a) Only 1 (b) Only 2 (a) Only 1 (b) Only 2
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 (c) Only 3 (d) 2 and 3

1. (d) 2. (c) 3. (c) 4. (c) 5. (b) 6. (d) 7. (d) 8. (a) 9. (b)

Chapter twenty-four
Sustainable Development
Inter-Generational Equity
Concept of It refers to the use of the Earth’s
Sustainable
—
resources between generations in a
Development manner that the present generation does
not consume it completely to its
Sustainable — Sustainable development is the development
exhaustion. Inter-Generational equity
that meets the needs of the present without
development therefore, is presented mainly as a value
compromising the ability of future generations
concept viewing the human community
promotes the idea that to meet their own needs.
as a partnership among all generations.
social, environmental It contains two key concepts:
and economic — The concept of ‘needs’, in particular is the Intra-Generational Equity
essential needs of the world’s poor, to which — It refers to fairness and justice in
progress all are overriding priority should be given.
utilisation of resources among human
attainable within the — The idea of limitations imposed by the state of members of present generations both
limits of our Earth’s technology and social organisation on the
domestically and globally. The term
environment’s ability to meet present and future
natural resources. needs.
equity is also used with the idea that all
people throughout the community, in the
— It is an organising principle for human life on
entire world, have the same basic needs
a finite planet. It posits a desirable future
that must be taken into consideration.
state for human societies, in which living
conditions and resource use meet human Gender Disparity
needs without undermining the sustainability — To attain environmental sustainability,
of natural systems and the environment, so programmes of action have to restrict
that future generations may also have their gender gaps politically, economically and
needs met. socially with a view to facilitate women’s
approach towards the resources.
Parameters of Sustainable
Development Habitat Fragmentation
— The primary parameters which are inevitable It describes the emergence of
for understanding the concept and problems discontinuities in an organism’s preferred
associated with sustainable development environment, causing population
alongwith constructing a sustainable fragmentation. Habitat fragmentation can
Development Policy These are defined and be caused by geological processes
interpreted as follows: (volcanism, fire and climate change) that
Carrying Capacity slowly alter the layout of the physical
environment or by human activity such as
— It is the maximum population size of the land conversion (agriculture, rural
species that the environment can sustain development, urbanisation and the creation
indefinitely, given the food, habitat, water and of hydroelectric reservoirs), which can alter
other necessities are available in the the environment much faster and causes
environment. It is defined as the extinctions of many species.
environment’s maximal load.
230 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

— Science and technology must be used to improve the

Objectives of Sustainable environment.
Development — Environmental education is essential.
There are four objectives of sustainable development. These — The conference also approved establishment of the
include : United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to
— social progress and equality provide continued leadership and co-ordination of
— environmental protection environmental action. UNEP also helps developing
— conservation of natural resources countries in implementing environmentally sound policies
— stable economic growth and practices.
— Every person has the right to a healthy, clean and safe The Brundtland Commission, 1983
environment. This can be achieved by reducing pollution,
— To rally countries to work and pursue sustainable
poverty, poor housing and unemployment. No one, in this
development together, the UN decided to establish the
age, or in the future should be treated unfairly. Global
Brundtland Commission in 1983. Also known as the
environmental threats such as climate change and poor air
World Commission on Environment and Development
quality must be reduced to protect human and
(WCED), the Brundtland Commission’s mission was to
environmental health.
unite countries to pursue sustainable development
— The use of non-renewable resources such as fossil fuels
together.
should not be stopped overnight, but they must be used
— The Brundtland Commission officially dissolved in
efficiently and the development of alternatives should be
December 1987 after releasing Our Common Future, also
encouraged to help phase them out.
known as the Brundtland Report, in October, 1987, a
— Everybody has the right to a good standard of living, with
document which coined and defined the meaning of the
better job opportunities. Economic prosperity is required if
term sustainable development.
a country needs to prosper and businesses must therefore,
offer a high standard of products that consumers Earth Summit, 1992
throughout the world want, at the prices they are prepared — The United Nations Conference on Environment and
to pay. For this, a workforce equipped with suitable skills Development (UNCED), also known as the Rio Summit or
and education within a framework is required to support Earth Summit was a major United Nations Conference
them. held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. In this conference, about
178 governments participated, including the heads of
International Initiatives Towards 118 states.
Sustainable Development The Earth Summit resulted in the following documents:
— Rio Declaration on Environment and Development
Stockholm Conference, 1972
— Agenda 21.
— Also known as United Nations Conference on the Human — Forest principles to emphasise national sovereignty over
Environment was held at Stockholm, Sweden in 1972. It forests and intolerance towards any kind of foreign
considered the need for a common outlook and principles encroachment.
to inspire and guide the people of the world for the Following legally binding agreements were also opened
preservation and enhancement of human environment. for signature:
This conference is widely recognised as the beginning of — United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity
modern political and public awareness of global — United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
environmental problems. (UNFCCC)
— The meeting agreed upon a declaration containing 26 — United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification
principles concerning the environment and development.
Some of these are as follows:
Agenda 21
— Natural resources must be safeguarded. — Agenda 21 is a non-binding, voluntarily implemented
— The Earth’s capacity to produce renewable resources must be action plan of the United Nations with regard to
maintained. sustainable development. It is an action Agenda for the
— Wildlife must be safeguarded. UN, other multilateral organisations and individual
— Non-renewable resources must be shared and not exhausted. governments around the world that can be executed at
— Pollution must not exceed the environment’s capacity to clean local, national and global levels. The ‘21’ in Agenda 21
itself. refers to the 21st century. It has been affirmed and
— Developing countries need assistance to improve the modified at subsequent UN conferences.
environment.
Magbook ~ Sustainable Development 231

The Rio Declaration These goals are as follows:

— To eradicate extreme poverty and hunger.
— The Rio Declaration consisted of 27 principles intended to
— To achieve universal primary education.
guide future sustainable development around the worlds.
— To promote gender equality and empowering women.
Some of the principles are as follows: — To reduce child mortality rates.
— Priority for the Least Developed — To improve maternal health.
— Eradication of Poverty — To combat HIV or AIDS, malaria and other diseases.
— State Co-operation to Protect Ecosystem
— Reduction of Unsustainable Patterns of Production and Earth Summit, 2002
Consumption — The World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD
— National Environmental Legislation or Earth Summit 2002 or Rio+10) took place in
— Supportive and Open International Economic System Johannesburg, South Africa in 2002. At this summit,
— Environmental Impact Assessments sustainable development was reaffirmed as a central
— Indigenous People have a Vital Role component of the international agenda. Members
World Summit for Social Development, 1995 committed themselves to Agenda 21 and the Rio
Declaration on Environment and Development of 1992.
— At the World Summit for Social Development in Copenhagen,
Other conclusions were as follows:
in 1995, governments reached a new consensus on the need
— Health was identified as one of five priority sectoral issues
to put people at the centre of development. The Social
under the framework of the Water, Energy, Health,
Summit was the largest gathering ever of world leaders at Agriculture and Biodiversity (WEHAB) initiative.
that time. It pledged to eradicate poverty, create full
— A new target to halve the proportion of people, who do not
employment and foster social integration. have access to basic sanitation by the year 2015 was set.
— At the end of the summit, governments adopted the — To use and produce chemicals in ways that minimises
Copenhagen Declaration, the Ten Commitments and the significant adverse effects on human health and the
Programme of Action of the World Social Summit. environment by 2020.
— Create an economic, political, social, cultural and legal — Biodiversity To cut significantly by 2010, the rate at which
environment that will enable people to achieve social rare animals and plants are becoming extinct.
development. — Poverty To establish a solidarity fund to wipe out poverty,
— Eradicate absolute poverty by a target date to be set by each ‘‘the greatest global challenge facing the world today’’. It
country. was stressed that contributions to the fund are voluntary.
— Support full employment as a basic policy goal. — Aid Recognition that a substantial increase in aid is
— Promote social integration based on the enhancement and needed for poor countries to meet agreed development
protection of all human rights. goals.
— Achieve equality and equity between women and men. — Energy To take actions to improve access to affordable
— Attain universal and equitable access to education and primary energy, but there was no agreement on specific targets to
health care. increase substantially the use of renewable energies such
as solar or wind power in global consumption. The
— Accelerate the development of Africa and the least developed
European Union was in favour of targets, but the United
countries.
States and oil-producing countries were not.
— Ensure that structural adjustment programmes include social
— Fish To restore depleted fish stocks by 2015 at the latest,
development goals.
recognising that oceans are essential ecosystems and a
— Increase resources allocated to social development.
critical source of food, especially in poor countries.
— Strengthen co-operation for social development through the UN.
— Governance Recognition that good governance nationally
— 5 years later, governments reconvened in Geneva in June and internationally is essential for sustainable
2000 for the 24th special session of the United Nations development.
General Assembly, to review what has been achieved and to — The concept of partnerships between governments,
commit themselves to new initiatives. business and civil society was given added momentum by
the summit and the plan of implementation.
Millennium Development Goals
— The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are eight UN Decade for Sustainable Development
international development goals that were established — In its 57th meeting in December 2002, the United
following the Millennium Summit of the United Nations in Nations General Assembly proclaimed the UN Decade
2000, following the adoption of the United Nations of Education for Sustainable Development (DESD),
Millennium Declaration. All 189 United Nations member 2005- 2014, ‘emphasising that education is an
states at the time and atleast 23 international organisations indispensable element for achieving sustainable
committed to help achieve the Millennium Development development’. It also designated UNESCO as the lead
Goals by 2015. agency to promote and implement the decade.
232 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

— The vision of Education for Sustainable Development Rio+20, 2012

(ESD) is a world where everyone has the opportunity to — In 2012, the United Nations Conference on Sustainable
benefit from quality education and learn the values,
Development was also held in Rio and is also commonly
behaviour and lifestyles required for a sustainable future
called Rio+20 or Rio Earth Summit, 2012. Earth Summit,
and for positive societal transformation.
2012 was the Third International Conference on sustainable
— ESD employs a partnership approach that engages development aimed at reconciling the economic and
multiple sectors and stakeholders including media environmental goals of the global community.
agencies and the private sector and utilises all forms and — The primary result of the conference was the non-binding
methods of public awareness raising, education and
document, The Future We Want. In it, the heads of state of
training to promote a broad understanding of sustainable
the 192 governments in attendance renewed their political
development.
commitment to sustainable development and declared
— ESD equally addresses all three pillars of sustainable their commitment to the promotion of a sustainable future.
development i.e. society, environment and economy, with The document largely reaffirms previous action plans like
culture as an essential additional and underlying Agenda 21.
dimension.
— By embracing these elements in a holistic and integrated Sustainable Development Goals
manner, ESD enables all individuals to fully develop the (SDGs)
knowledge, perspectives, values and skills necessary to
take part in decisions to improve the quality of life both — On 25th September, 2015, countries adopted a set of
locally and globally, in terms which are most relevant to goals to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure
their daily lives. prosperity for all as part of a new sustainable development
agenda. Each goal has specific targets to be achieved by
2030. These goals are as follows:
Indian Initiatives Towards — Goal 1. End poverty in all its forms everywhere.
Sustainable Development — Goal 2. End hunger, achieve food security and improved
In 1972, the Prime Minister of India, Mrs Indira Gandhi nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture.
emphasised, at the UN Conference on Human Environment at — Goal 3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at
Stockholm, that the removal of poverty is an integral part of the all ages.
goal of an environmental strategy for the world. Since then, — Goal 4. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and
India has been a part of almost all major environmental promote life long learning opportunities for all.
initiatives at international level. At national level also, India has — Goal 5. Achieve gender equality and empower all women and
well developed policies of different environmental issues and girls.
legislations have been made to safeguard the three pillars of — Goal 6. Ensure availability and sustainable management of
sustainable development i.e. social, economic and water and sanitation for all.
environmental. — Goal 7. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and
In recent times, studies have shown a high level of modern energy for all.
interrelationship between these three facets of sustainable — Goal 8. Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic
development. Infact, it has led to a policy change where laws growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all.
are made today which integrates and serve all the three — Goal 9. Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and
aspects. e.g. Biological Diversity Act seeks to conserve sustainable industrialisation and foster innovation.
biological resources as well as provide legal entitlements to the — Goal 10. Reduce inequality within and among countries.
native communities. In similar fashion, Forest Rights Act — Goal 11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe,
recognises social and economic rights of the forest dwellers. resilient and sustainable.
Acts like MGNREGA calls for development of employment which — Goal 12. Ensure sustainable consumption and production
deals with environmental issues like drought, deforestation and patterns.
soil erosion. — Goal 13. Take urgent action to combat climate change and its
While there has been remarkable progress in Indian legal impacts.
provisioning on sustainable development, few challenges — Goal 14. Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and
continue to exist particularly with respect to implementation. It marine resources for sustainable development.
is well recognised that key to improved implementation is the — Goal 15. Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of
capacity building and improved financial and technical terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat
resourcing of executing agencies. desertification and halt and reverse land degradation and halt
biodiversity loss.
Magbook ~ Sustainable Development 233

— Goal 16. Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for No-Till Farming
sustainable development, provide access to justice for all
and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions
— Also known as zero tillage or direct drilling farming, is a way
at all levels. of growing crops or pasture from year-to-year without
— Goal 17. Strengthen the means of implementation and disturbing the soil through tillage. No-till is an agricultural
revitalise the global partnership for sustainable technique which increases the amount of water that
development. infiltrates into the soil and increases organic matter retention
and cycling of nutrients in the soil. In many agricultural
Sustainable Agriculture regions, it can eliminate soil erosion. It increases the amount
— It is the production of food, fibre, or other plant or and variety of life in and on the soil, including disease
animal products using farming techniques that protect causing organisms and disease suppression organisms. The
the environment, public health, human communities most powerful benefit of no-tillage is improvement in soil’s
and animal welfare. This form of agriculture enables us biological fertility, making soils more resilient.
to produce healthful food without compromising future — Tilling is used to remove weeds, shape the soil into rows for
generations ability to do the same. crop plants and furrows for irrigation. This leads to
unfavourable effects like soil compaction, loss of organic
— Sustainable agriculture integrates three main goals–
matter, degradation of soil aggregates, death or disruption of
environmental health, economic profitability and social
soil microbes and other organisms including mycorrhiza,
and economic equity to
arthropods and earthworms and soil erosion where top soil is
— satisfy human food and fibre needs.
blown or washed away.
— enhance environmental quality and the natural resource
base upon which the agricultural economy depends.
— No-till farming avoids these effects by excluding the use of
tillage. With this way of farming, crop residues or other
— make the most efficient use of non-renewable resources
and on-farm resources and integrate where appropriate, organic amenities are retained on the soil surface and
natural biological cycles and controls. sowing or fertilizing is done with minimal soil disturbance.
— sustain the economic viability of farm operations.
Contour Ploughing
— enhance the quality of life for farmers and society as a
whole.
— Contour ploughing is the farming practice of ploughing
across a slope following its elevation contour lines. These
Below is the list of certain methods and techniques which contour lines create a water break which reduces the
are used in sustainable agriculture: formation of rills and gullies during times of heavy water
Drip Irrigation run-off; which is a major cause of top soil loss and soil
erosion. The water break also allows more time for the water
— It is also known as trickle irrigation or micro irrigation.
to settle into the soil.
It is an irrigation method that saves water and fertilizer
by allowing water to drip slowly to the roots of plants, — In contour ploughing, the ruts made by the plough run
either onto the soil surface or directly onto the root zone, perpendicular rather than parallel to slopes, generally
through a network of valves, pipes, tubing and emitters. resulting in furrows that curve around the land and are
It is done through narrow tubes that deliver water directly levelled. Soil erosion prevention practices such as this can
to the base of the plant. drastically decrease negative effects associated with soil
erosion such as reduced crop productivity, worsened water
The advantages of drip irrigation are as follows:
quality, lower effective reservoir water levels, flooding and
— Fertilizer and nutrient loss is minimised due to localised
application and reduced leaching. habitat destruction.
— Water application efficiency is high. Soil Steam Sterilisation
— Field levelling is not necessary.
— This is a farming technique that sterilises soil with steam in
— Recycled non-potable water can be safely used.
open fields or greenhouses. Pests of plant cultures such as
— Moisture within the root zone can be maintained at field
weeds, bacteria, fungi and viruses are killed through induced
capacity.
hot steam which causes their cell structure to physically
— Soil type plays less important role in frequency of irrigation.
degenerate.
— Soil erosion is minimised.
— Weed growth is minimised. — Biologically, the method is considered a partial disinfection.
— Water distribution is highly uniform, controlled by output of Important heat-resistant, spore-forming bacteria survive and
each nozzle. revitalise the soil after cooling down. Soil fatigue can be
— Labour cost is less than other irrigation methods. cured through the release of nutritive substances blocked
— Variation in supply can be regulated by valves and within the soil. Steaming leads to a better starting position,
drippers. quicker growth and strengthened resistance against plant
disease and pests.
234 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

Agroforestry — Organic farms can support substantially higher levels of

wildlife, especially in lowlands and where animals can roam
— It is an integrated approach of using the interactive and graze on grassland. Not only does wildlife benefit, but
benefits from combining trees and shrubs with crops. It entire ecosystems and groundwater are improved by simply
combines agricultural and forestry technologies to create following organic farming methods.
more diverse, productive, profitable, healthy and — Organic farming practices not only benefit farmers and
sustainable land-use systems. Agroforestry has a lot in consumers, but the dairies can benefit. When dairies feed
common with intercropping. Both have two or more plant their cows organic feed and graze them on organic fields, the
species (such as nitrogen-fixing plants) in close cows experience better health, less sickness, diseases and
interaction. ultimately, produce better tasting milk for consumers.
Depending upon the application, impacts of Agroforestry — Organic farming promotes soils that are teaming with life and
can include: rich in micro nutrients, which can be used for decades
without getting exhausted.
— Reducing poverty through increased production of wood and
— Organically grown products are free from harmful chemicals,
other tree products for home consumption and sale.
artificial flavours and preservatives that ultimately cost
— Contributing to food security by restoring the soil fertility for
consumers money when they purchase non-organically grown
food crops. Cleaner water through reduced nutrient and soil
products.
runoff.
— Eating organic foods may in fact, reduce the risk of heart
— Countering global warming and the risk of hunger by
attacks, strokes and cancer for individuals who abstain from
increasing the number of drought-resistant trees and the
consuming products produced by conventional farming
subsequent production of fruits, nuts and edible oils.
methods.
— Afforestation and reducing pressure on woodlands by
providing farm grown fuel wood.
— Reducing or eliminating the need for toxic chemicals
Crop Rotation
(insecticides, herbicides etc) through more diverse farm — This is the practice of growing a series of dissimilar or
outputs. different types of crops in the same area in sequential
— In situations where people have limited access to mainstream seasons.
medicines, providing growing space for medicinal plants. — Growing the same crop in the same place for many years
in a row disproportionately depletes the soil of certain
Organic Farming nutrients. With rotation, a crop that leaches the soil of one
— Organic agriculture is an ecological production kind of nutrient is followed during the next growing season
management system that promotes and enhances by a dissimilar crop that returns nutrient to the soil or
biodiversity, biological cycles and soil biological activity. It draws a different ratio of nutrients e.g. rice followed by
is based on minimal use of off-farm inputs and on cotton.
management practices that restore, maintain and enhance — Crop rotation gives various benefits to the soil. A
ecological harmony. traditional element of crop rotation is the replenishment of
— Organic farming is a form of agriculture that relies on nitrogen through the use of green manure in sequence
techniques such as crop rotation, green manure, compost with cereals and other crops.
and biological pest control. Organic farming uses fertilizers — Crop rotation also mitigates the build-up of pathogens and
and pesticides if they are considered natural. It excludes pests that often occurs when one species is continuously
or strictly limits the use of various methods which includes cropped and can also improve soil structure and fertility
synthetic chemical fertilizers and pesticides, plant growth by alternating deep-rooted and shallow-rooted plants.
regulators such as hormones, anti-biotic use in livestock,
genetically modified organisms, human sewage sludge Bio-Fertilizers
and non-material.
— They are the substances containing living
Some important benefits of organic agriculture are as
micro-organisms, which when applied to seed, plant
follows:
surfaces or soil, colonises the interior of the plant and
— Organic farming is a science in itself that can be learned by
promotes growth by increasing the supply or availability of
conventional farmers.
primary nutrients to the host plant. Bio-fertilizers add
— It has been found that by following organic farming methods,
nutrients through the natural processes of nitrogen
conventional farmer’s can actually reduce production cost by
over 25%. This is accomplished by eliminating the use of fixation, solubilising phosphorus and stimulating plant
synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, minimising soil erosion by growth through the synthesis of growth promoting
upto 50% and increasing crop yields upto five-fold within substances.
5 years.
Magbook ~ Sustainable Development 235

— Since, a bio-fertilizer is technically living, it can and introduce the gene into the plant’s own genetic
symbiotically associate with plant roots. Involved material. Then the plant, instead of the Bt bacterium,
micro-organisms could readily and safely convert manufactures the substance itself that destroys the pest.
complex organic material in simple compounds, so that
plants can easily take them up. Micro-organism function
Biochemical Pesticides
is in long duration, causing improvement of the soil — These are naturally occurring substances that control pests
fertility. It maintains the natural habitat of the soil. by non-toxic mechanisms. Conventional pesticides, by
— It increases crop yield by 20-30%, replaces chemical contrast, are generally synthetic materials that directly kill
nitrogen and phosphorus to some extent and stimulates or inactivate the pest. Biochemical pesticides include
plant growth. It can also provide protection against substances such as insect sex pheromones that interfere
drought and some soil-borne diseases. Some important with mating as well as various scented plant extracts that
examples of bio-fertilizers are rhizobium, azotobacter, attract insect pests to traps.
azospirillum and blue green algae.
Biotechnology
Bio-Pesticides — Advances in science have opened up new options for
— This include several types of pest management farmers responding to market needs and environmental
intervention through predatory, parasitic or chemical challenges. Many new plant varieties being developed or
relationships. These are certain types of pesticides grown by farmers have been produced using genetic
derived from such natural materials as animals, plants, engineering, which involves manipulating the plant’s genes
bacteria and certain minerals. e.g. canola oil and baking through techniques of modern molecular biology often
soda have pesticidal applications and are considered referred to as recombinant DNA technology.
bio-pesticides. — These techniques are included in what is often referred to
Bio-pesticides fall into three major classes are as follows: as biotechnology. The crop plants produced by these
techniques are called as transgenic or genetically modified
Microbial Pesticides plants. Some examples are Bt cotton, Bt brinjal, Golden
— It consist of a micro-organism like bacterium, fungus, rice etc.
virus or protozoan as the active ingredient. Microbial Biotechnology can help in different areas:
pesticides can control many different kinds of pests, — By raising the tolerance of crops to pests such as insects,
although each separate active ingredient is relatively diseases and weeds.
specific for its target pest. e.g. there are fungi that control — Low use of chemicals and hence less burden on environment.
certain weeds and other fungi that kill specific insects. — By endowing crops with tolerance to abiotic stress such as
The most widely used microbial pesticides are drought, salinity, high and low temperature. Thus, it enables
sub-species and strains of Bacillus thuringiensis or Bt. production in unfavourable condition.
Each strain of this bacterium produces a different mix of — By enhancing the yield and quality with higher photosynthesis,
proteins and specifically, kills one or a few related control of maturity and nutritional value which leads to
species of insect larvae. increased food security and reduced malnutrition.
— By adding value and diversifying the use of crops other than
Plant Incorporated Protectants food as for medical and industrial purposes.
— These are pesticidal substances that plants produce from — Prolonging shelf life of fruits and vegetables.
genetic material that has been added to the plant. e.g. — Raise value of crop and increase farm income leading to better
scientists can take the gene for the Bt pesticidal protein quality of life.
 Self Check Build Your Confidence
1. Habitat fragmentation of a species can be caused by (c) In its 57th meeting in December 2002, the United Nations
1. volcanism General Assembly proclaimed 2005-2014 as the UN
2. climate change Decade of Education for sustainable development
3. fire (d) A non-binding document, ‘The Future We Want’ was
signed at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable
4. urbanisation
Development in 2012 at Rio
5. agricultural activities
Which of the options given above are correct? 6. Which among the following are the objectives of
(a) 1, 2 and 3 (b) 4 and 5 sustainable development?
(c) 2, 4 and 5 (d) All of these 1. Social progress and equality.
2. Environmental protection.
2. Which among the following conferences/commissions
is recognised as the beginning of modern political and 3. Conservation of natural resources.
public awareness of global environmental problems? 4. Stable economic growth.
(a) The Brundtland Commission Select the correct answer using the codes given below
(b) Stockholm Conference (a) 1 and 4 (b) 2 and 3
(c) Earth Summit, 1992 (c) 1, 2 and 3 (d) All of these
(d) World Summit for Social Development, Copenhagen 7. What is Rio+20 Conference, often mentioned in the
3. Consider the following agricultural practices [IAS 2012] news? [IAS 2015]
1. Contour bunding (a) It is the United Nations Conference on sustainable
2. Relay cropping development
(b) It is a ministerial meeting of the World Trade Organisation
3. Zero tillage
(c) It is a conference of the inter-governmental panel on
In the context of global climate change, which of the above
climate change
help/helps in carbon sequestration/storage in the soil?
(d) It is a conference of the member countries of the
(a) 1 and 2 (b) Only 3
convention on biological diversity
(c) All of these (d) None of these
8. Biotechnology has in recent times expanded to include
4. Consider the following statements about Earth Summit new and diverse sciences and methods. Some of them
1992 are
1. Earth Summit held at Rio de Janeiro in 1992 led to the
1. Genomics
enforcement of a legally binding convention on biological
2. Recombinant gene technologies
diversity.
3. Applied immunology
2. It also led to the formulation of a document on forest
principles to emphasise national sovereignty over forests 4. Pharmaceutical therapies
and intolerance towards any kind of foreign 5. Bio-informatics
encroachment. 6. Bio-process engineering
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? 7. Bio-robotics
(a) Only 1 (b) Only 2 Which of the options given above are correct
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 (a) 1, 2 and 3 (b) 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5
(c) 5, 6 and 7 (d) All of these
5. Which among the following statements is incorrect?
(a) Brundtland Report in 1987 is a document which coined, 9. Contour bunding is a method of Soil Conservation
and defined the meaning of the term ‘sustainable Method used in [IAS 2013]
development’ (a) desert margins, liable to strong wind action
(b) The Millennium Development Goals are 10 international (b) low flat plains, close to stream courses, liable to flooding
development goals that were established following the (c) scrublands, liable to spread to weed growth
Millennium Summit of the United Nations in 2000 (d) None of the above

1. (d) 2. (b) 3. (c) 4. (c) 5. (b) 6. (d) 7. (a) 8. (d) 9. (d)

 Practice Set
1. Consider the following statements
1. Continent-making movements are called epeirogenic
movements.
ANALYSE YOURSELF
9. Consider the following statements
1
1. Groundnut is not grown in kharif season.
2. Sesame is a kharif crop in North India and Rabi crop
2. Mountain-making movements are called orogenic in South India.
movements. 3. Cotton is not grown in rabi season.
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are incorrect? Which of the statements given above are correct?
(a) Only 1 (b) Only 2 (a) 1 and 2 (b) 1 and 3
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) None of these (c) 1, 2 and 3 (d) None of these
2. Which of the following conditions does not favour the 10. In which one of the following environment does one
formation of a tropical cyclone? expect the presence of dispersed rural settlements?
(a) Temperature above 27°C (a) Alluvial plains of the Ganga
(b) Significant vertical wind difference (b) Arid and semi-arid regions of Rajasthan
(c) High humidity levels (c) Lower valleys of the Himalayas
(d) Divergence in the upper atmosphere (d) Forests and hills in the North-East
3. Consider the following statements 11. In the context of ecosystem productivity, marine
1. Prairies are called Parklands. upwelling zones are important as they increase the
2. Tropical rainforests are known as Selva. marine productivity by bringing the
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? 1. decomposer micro-organisms to the surface.
(a) Only 1 (b) Only 2 2. nutrients to the surface.
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) None of these 3. bottom-dwelling organisms to the surface.
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
4. Which one of the following countries of South-West
(a) 1 and 2 (b) Only 2
Asia does not open out to the Mediterranean sea?
(c) 2 and 3 (d) Only 3
(a) Syria (b) Jordan
(c) Lebanon (d) Israel 12. Which of the following is called as the ‘lighthouse of
the Mediterranean’?
5. Which one of the following is also known as Top Slip?
(a) Mount Vesuvius (b) Mount Fujiyama
(a) Simlipal National Park
(c) Mount Chimborazo (d) Mount Stromboli
(b) Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary
(c) Manjira Wildlife Sanctuary 13. Consider the following statements
(d) Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary and National Park 1. The winds which blow between 30°N and 60°S
6. Consider the following statements latitudes throughout the year are known as
Westerlies.
1. Viskhapatnam is the deepest port of India.
2. The most air masses that cause winter rains in
2. Kochi is a natural harbour.
North-Western region of India are part of Westerlies.
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
(a) Only 1 (b) Only 2
(a) Only 1 (b) Only 2
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) None of these
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
7. Consider the following statements
14. Consider the following statements
1. Assam shares a border with Bhutan and
1. Namdapha National Park is in Assam.
Bangladesh.
2. Kaimur Wildlife Sanctuary is in Bihar.
Practice Set 1

2. West Bengal shares a border with Bhutan and Nepal.

Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
3. Mizoram shares a border with Bangladesh and
(a) Only 1 (b) Only 2
Myanmar.
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) None of these
Which of the statements given above are correct?
(a) 1 and 3 (b) 1 and 2 15. The type of fault in which the rock blocks are
(c) 2 and 3 (d) All of these displaced in opposite directions and one of the
blocks moves downwards is called
8. Which of the following pairs is incorrectly matched? (a) normal fault
(a) Kosi : Consequent river
(b) reverse fault
(b) Narmada : Rift Valley river
(c) thrust fault
(c) Sutlej : Antecedent river
(d) step fault
(d) Ghaggar : River with interior drainage
 238 Magbook ~ Geography-India and World
16. Consider the following statements 24. Which of the following have short life cycle and may
1. River Ken is a left bank tributary of Ganga. form a fairly dense stand after rainfall?
2. River Chenab is the largest tributary of Indus. (a) Perennials (b) Ephemerals
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? (c) Succulents (d) Both ‘a’ and ‘b’
(a) Only 1 (b) Only 2 25. In which of the following types of age-sex pyramids,
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) None of these both birth and death rates are low and declining?
17. Consider the following statements (a) Progressive (b) Regressive
1. Between the valley of Narmada and Tapti lies Satpura. (c) Stationary (d) Intermediate
2. Banas and its tributaries lies to the East of Aravallis. 26. Bruntland Commission is also known as
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? (a) the World Commission on Environmental and
(a) Only 1 (b) Only 2 Development
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) None of these (b) the World Commission on Reduction of Greenhouse
Gases
18. Shallow ploughing only to the depth need to ensure
(c) the World Commission on Ozone Depletion
quick seed germination and leaving crop residues and
(d) the World Commission on Protection of Spice
ground litter to protect the soil is
(a) no-tillage farming 27. Volcanic activity occurs in which of the following
(b) minimum tillage farming tectonic settings?
(c) contour cropping 1. Sea floor spreading 2. Subduction
(d) gully reclamation 3. Hotspot
19. According to the Demographic Transition Model, Select the correct answer using the codes given below
1. late expanding stage has declining fertility and mortality
rates. (a) 1 and 2 (b) Only 3
2. early expanding stage has high fertility and declining (c) 2 and 3 (d) All of these
mortality rates.
28. Which one of the following rivers has the highest
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
replenishable groundwater resource in the country?
(a) Only 1 (b) Only 2
(a) The Indus (b) The Ganga
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) None of these
(c) The Brahmaputra (d) The Godavari
20. Which one of the following countries is the first country 29. Consider the following statements
in the world to propose a carbon tax for its people to
1. Cork, Oak, Jarrah, Karri, Cedar, Sequoia trees are
address the global warming?
found in tropical rainforest.
(a) Australia (b) Germany
(c) Japan (d) New Zealand 2. Quinine is extracted form the bark of Chinchona trees.
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
21. Consider the following statements (a) Only 1 (b) Only 2
1. Cement industry is not a weight losing industry. (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) None of these
2. Hindustan Aluminium Corporation is located at
Jaykaynagar. 30. Which one of the following pairs is correctly
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? matched?
(a) Only 1 (b) Only 2 (a) Vikramshila Monastery : Uttar Pradesh
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) None of these (b) Hemkund Gurudwara : Himachal Pradesh
(c) Udayagiri Caves : Maharashtra
22. Which of the following add/adds nitrogen to soil? (d) Amaravati Buddhist Stupa : Andhra Pradesh
1. Excretion of urea by animals.
31. Which of the following findings are evident for the
2. Burning of coal by man.
climate change?
3. Death of vegetation.
1. Carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere now
Select the correct answer using the codes given below
reached about 398 PPM that is highest in last 65000
(a) Only 1 (b) 2 and 3
years.
(c) 1 and 3 (d) All of these
Practice Set 1

2. Global surface temperature increased about 0.6°C

23. Consider the following statements from the average temperature.
1. The desert proper is known as Marusthali. 3. Arctic ice sheet is declining at a rate of 11.5% per
2. The shifting sand-dunes are locally known as Durian. decade.
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? 4. The global average sea level has risen 4-8 inches over
(a) Only 1 the past century.
(b) Only 2 5. 2000 to 2009 was the warmest decade on record.
(c) Both 1 and 2 Select the correct answer using the codes given below
(d) None of the above (a) 1 and 2
(b) 1, 2 and 3
(c) 2, 4 and 5 (d) All of these
Magbook ~ Practice Set 1 239
32. Economic density is 40. Consider the following statements
(a) total number of people per unit of land 1. Air borne plants that form symbiotic relationships with
(b) agricultural population per unit area of land host plants is called epiphytes.
(c) agricultural population per unit area of cultivated 2. Low lying broad leaved plants is called as forbes.
land Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
(d) ratio between the requirements of population and the (a) Only 1
resources made available to it (b) Only 2
33. Consider the following statements (c) Both 1 and 2
(d) None of the above
1. Length of a terrestrial mile is lesser than that of a
nautical mile. 41. In the context of CO2 emission and global warming,
2. Harmattan is a dusty land-wind of the East African what is the name of a market driven device under the
coast. UNFCC that allows developing countries to get
3. Greece and Albania form apart of the lberian Peninsula. funds/ incentives from the developed countries to
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? adopt better technologies to reduce greenhouse gas
(a) Only 1 (b) 2 and 3 emissions?
(c) Only 3 (d) All of these (a) Carbon Footprint
(b) Carbon Credit Rating
34. Which one of the following phenomenons happens (c) Clean Development Mechanism
when the sunshines vertically over the Tropic of (d) Emission Reduction Norm
Capricorn in the Southern hemisphere?
(a) High pressure develops over the North-Western India 42. Consider the following statements
due to low temperatures 1. Thein Dam Project provides drinking water to Delhi.
(b) Low pressure develops over the North-Western India due 2 The purpose of Damodar Project is both flood control
to high temperatures and irrigation.
(c) No changes in temperature and pressure occur in the Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
North-Western India (a) Only 1 (b) Only 2
(d) ‘Loo’ blows in the North-Western India (c) Both 1 and 2
(d) None of the above
35. Which one of the following sets of elements was
primarily responsible for the origin of life on the Earth? 43. Which one of the following facts was not considered
(a) Hydrogen, Oxygen, Sodium by those while discussing the concept of sea floor
(b) Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen spreading?
(c) Oxygen, Hydrogen, Phosphorus (a) Volcanic activity along the mid-oceanic ridges
(d) Carbon, Hydrogen, Potassium (b) Stripes of normal and reverse magnetic field observed
in the rocks of ocean floor
36. Which of the following signifies an elimination of thin (c) Distribution of fossils in different continents
fertile film of soil from large area?
(d) Age of rocks from the ocean floor
(a) Rill erosion (b) Sheet erosion
(c) Gully erosion (d) Slip erosion 44. If there were no Himalayan ranges, what would have
been the most likely geographical impact on India?
37. Which one of the following is not one of the missions in
1. Much of the country would experience the cold waves
India’s National Action Plan on Climate Change?
from Siberia.
(a) National Mission on Sustainable Agriculture
2. Indo-Gangetic plain would be devoid of such
(b) National Water Mission
extensive alluvial soils.
(c) National Mission on Sustainable Habitat
3. The pattern of monsoon would be different from what
(d) National Pollution Mission
it is at present.
38. Which of the following is true about coriolis force? Select the correct answer using the codes given below?
1. Occurs as a result of Earth’s rotation from West to East.
2. Deflection of wind/current occurs to the right in North (a) Only 1 (b) 1 and 3
hemisphere and left in South hemisphere. (c) 2 and 3 (d) All of these
3. Coriolis effect is maximum at the equator and minimum
Practice Set 1

45. In India, which type of forest among the following

at poles. occupies the largest area?
Select the correct answer using the codes given below (a) Montane wet temperate forest
(a) 1 and 2 (b) 1 and 3 (b) Sub-tropical dry evergreen forest
(c) All of these (d) None of these (c) Tropical moist deciduous forest
39. Through which one of the following groups of (d) Tropical wet evergreen forest
countries does the equator pass? 46. Ecotone is
(a) Brazil, Zambia and Malaysia (a) mixed ecosystem
(b) Columbia, Kenya and Indonesia (b) borders of ecosystem
(c) Brazil, Sudan and Malaysia (c) transitional region between ecosystems
(d) Venezuela, Ethiopia and Indonesia (d) core of ecosystem
 240 Magbook ~ Geography-India and World
47. Which of the following substances are found in the 49. The ‘Red Data Books’ published by the International
beach sands of many parts of Kerala? Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural
1. Imenite Resources (IUCN) contain lists of
2. Zircon 1. endemic plant and animal species present in the
3. Sillimanite biodiversity hotspots.
4. Tungsten 2. threatened plant and animal species.
Select the correct answer using the codes given below 3. protected sites for conservation of nature and natural
(a) 1 and 2 resources in various countries.
(b) 1, 2 and 3 Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
(c) 3 and 4 (a) 1 and 3 (b) Only 2 (c) 2 and 3 (d) Only 3
(d) All of the above
50. If a tropical rainforest is removed, it does not
48. Most of the winter precipitation of lowlands in the regenerate quickly as compared to a tropical
middle latitudes is of deciduous forest. This is because
(a) cyclonic origin (a) the soil of rainforest is deficient in nutrients
(b) convectional origin (b) propagules of the trees in a rainforest have poor
(c) orographic origin viability
(d) monsoonal origin (c) the rainforest species are slow growing
(d) exotic species invade the fertile soil of rainforest

Answers
1. (c) 2. (b) 3. (c) 4. (b) 5. (d) 6. (b) 7. (d) 8. (d) 9. (c) 10. (a)
11. (b) 12. (d) 13. (b) 14. (b) 15. (b) 16. (b) 17. (c) 18. (b) 19. (c) 20. (d)
21. (c) 22. (d) 23. (c) 24. (b) 25. (b) 26. (a) 27. (d) 28. (b) 29. (b) 30. (d)
31. (d) 32. (d) 33. (a) 34. (a) 35. (b) 36. (b) 37. (d) 38. (a) 39. (b) 40. (c)
41. (b) 42. (c) 43. (c) 44. (d) 45. (c) 46. (c) 47. (b) 48. (a) 49. (c) 50. (a)
Practice Set 1
 Practice Set
1. Generally salinity decreases from
(a) equator to poles
ANALYSE YOURSELF 2
8. Which of the following pair(s) is/are correctly
matched?
(b) poles to equator
Protected Area Well Known for
(c) decreases from equator till sub-tropical latitudes and
increases later 1. Bhitarkanika, Odisha : Salt Water Crocodile
(d) increases from equator till sub-tropical latitudes and
decreases later 2. Desert National Park, : Great Indian Bustard
Rajasthan
2. In which of the following processes, silica is removed
rather than iron or aluminium, which accumulates at 3. Eravikulam, Kerala : Hoolak Gibbon
the surface? Codes
(a) Leaching (b) Podzolisation (a) Only 1 (b) 1 and 2
(c) Lateralisation (d) Salinisation (c) Only 2 (d) All of these
3. With reference to micro-irrigation, which of the 9. Who gave the concept landform is a function of
following statements is/are correct? structure, process and stage?
1. Fertilizer or nutrient loss can be reduced. (a) Penck (b) Davis
2. It is the only means of irrigation in dry land farming. (c) Hutton (d) King
3. In some areas of farming, receding of groundwater table
can be checked. 10. Low pressures across Peruvian coast causes
Select the correct answer using the codes given below (a) low rainfall in India
(b) low rainfall in Australia
(a) Only 1 (b) 2 and 3
(c) high rainfall in Japan
(c) 1 and 3 (d) All of these
(d) Both ‘a’ and ‘b’
4. Itaipu dam built on the river Parana is one of the largest
dams in the world. Which one of the following two 11. Which of the following factors affects the birth rate?
countries have this as a joint project? (a) Demographic structure (b) Politics
(c) Religion (d) All of these
(a) Brazil and Peru (b) Paraguay and Ecuador
(c) Brazil and Paraguay (d) Columbia and Paraguay 12. Salinisation occurs when the irrigation water
5. In which of the following stages of landform accumulated in the soil evaporates, leaving behind
development, downward cutting is dominated? salts and minerals. What are the effects of
salinisation on the irrigated land?
(a) Youth stage
(a) It greatly increases the crop production
(b) Early mature stage
(b) It makes some soils impermeable
(c) Late mature stage
(c) It raises the water table
(d) Old stage
(d) It fills the air spaces in the soil with water
6. The smallest distinctive division of the soil of a given
area is 13. Consider the following countries
(a) pedon (b) polypedon 1. Australia 2. Namibia
(c) horizon (d) soil profile 3. Brazil 4. Chile
Through which of the above does the Tropic of
7. Satellites used for telecommunication relay are kept in Capricorn pass?
Practice Set 2

a geostationary orbit. A satellite is said to be in such an (a) Only 1

orbit when (b) 2, 3 and 4
1. the orbit is geosynchronous. (c) 1, 2 and 3
2. the orbit is circular. (d) All of the above
3. the orbit lies in the plane of the Earth’s equator.
14. Dandakaranya region is towards the
4. the orbit is at an altitude of 22236 km.
(a) North of Chhattisgarh basin
Which of the statements are correct?
(b) South of Chhattisgarh basin
(a) 1, 2 and 3 (b) 1, 3 and 4
(c) East of Chhattisgarh basin
(c) 2 and 4 (d) All of these
(d) West of Chhattisgarh basin
 242 Magbook ~ Geography-India and World
15. Consider the following sites 24. What are the possible limitations of India in
1. Point Calimere mitigating the global warming at present and in the
2. Harike immediate future?
3. Keoladeo National Park 1. Appropriate alternate technologies are not
4. Loktak National Park sufficiently available.
Which of the given above sites are under Ramsar 2. India cannot invest huge funds in research and
Convention? development.
3. Many developed countries have already set-up their
(a) 1, 3 and 4 (b) 1 and 2
polluting industries in India.
(c) 3 and 4 (d) All of these
Select the correct answer using the codes given below
16. Which of the following regions of ocean supports (a) 1 and 2 (b) Only 2
highest marine life? (c) 1 and 3 (d) All of these
(a) Neritic province (b) Oceanic province
(c) Littoral zone (d) Deep sea zone
25. The boundary between a warm and a cold air mass,
where the latter is advancing and undercutting the
17. Consider the following statements former is
1. Chaj doab is between Jhelum and Indus. (a) warm front (b) cold front
2. Bari doab is between Beas and Sutlej. (c) occluded front (d) polar front
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? 26. Which one of the following represents the inner
(a) Only 1 planets?
(b) Only 2 (a) Planets between the Sun and the Earth
(c) Both 1 and 2 (b) Planets between the Sun and the belt of asteroids
(d) Neither 1 nor 2 (c) Planets in gaseous state
18. Which of the following is located in the Bastar region? (d) Planets without satellite(s)
(a) Bandhavgarh National Park 27. The relation of relative humidity with respect to
(b) Dandeli Sanctuary temperature
(c) Rajaji National Park (a) has no variation with the variation of temperature
(d) Indravati National Park (b) increases with the increase in temperature
19. The marine animal called dugong which is vulnerable to (c) decreases with the increase in temperature
extinction is a/an (d) decreases after critical particular temperature is
(a) amphibian (b) bony fish reached
(c) shark (d) mammal 28. Consider the following statements
20. Which one of the following sentences best defines the 1. In India, Red Panda is naturally found in the Western
term ‘Lapies’ ? Himalayan only.
(a) A small to medium sized shallow depression 2. In India, Slow Loris lives in the dense forest of the
(b) A landform whose opening is more or less circular at the North-East.
top and funnel shaped towards bottom Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
(c) A landform formed due to dripping water from surface (a) Only 1 (b) Only 2
(d) An irregular surface with sharp pinnacles, grooves and (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
ridges
29. Which one among the following scales is used for
21. Consider the following statements measuring the intensity of the earthquake?
1. Vedda tribes are found in Sri Lanka. (a) Rossi Ferrel scale (b) Mercalli scale
2. Bushmen tribes are found in Patagonian desert. (c) Richter scale (d) Both ‘b’ and ‘c’
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
(a) Only 1 (b) Only 2
30. Consider the following statements
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 1. The Taxus tree naturally found in the Himalayas.
2. The Taxus tree is listed in the Red Data Book.
22. In which of the following areas, densest concentration 3. A drug called ‘taxol’ is obtained from Taxus tree is
of land uses and non-residential buildings are located?
Practice Set 2

effective against Parkinson’s disease.

(a) Ghetto (b) Central Business District Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
(c) Suburb (d) Rural Urban Fringe (a) Only 1 (b) 1 and 2
23. Arrange the rivers in ascending order based on their (c) 2 and 3 (d) All of these
length. 31. The river Mahi flows through
1. Nile 2. Amazon (a) Gujarat
3. Huang He 4. Mississippi (b) Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh
Codes (c) Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan
(a) 1, 2, 3, 4 (b) 2, 3, 4, 1 (d) Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and
(c) 4, 3, 2, 1 (d) 3, 4, 2, 1 Maharashtra
Magbook ~ Practice Set 2 243
32. Which of the following regions has the most favourable 41. Consider the following statements
conditions for the precipitation? 1. Life on the Earth appeared around 3.8 billion years
(a) Leeward slopes of the mountains before the present.
(b) Regions beside the cold ocean currents 2. The day in the Northern hemisphere is longest on 21st
(c) Sub-tropical high pressure region March.
(d) Region between 10° North and South of equator Which is the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
33. Consider the following regions (a) Only 1
(b) Only 2
1. Eastern Himalayas
(c) Both 1 and 2
2. Eastern Mediterranean region
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
3. North-Western Australia
Which of the above are biodiversity hotspots? 42. The jet aircrafts fly very easily and smoothly in the
(a) 1 and 3 (b) 1 and 2 (c) 2 and 3 (d) All of these lower stratosphere, what could be the appropriate
explanation?
34. Which of the following conventions deals with the 1. There are no clouds or water vapours in the lower
conservation of migratory animals? stratosphere.
(a) Bonn Convention 2. There are no vertical winds in the lower stratosphere.
(b) Washington Convention
Select the correct answer using the codes given below
(c) Convention on Biological Diversity
(a) Only 1
(d) None of the above
(b) Only 2
35. The diagram that showns relative amount of energy in (c) Both 1 and 2
different tropic level in an ecosystem is (d) Neither 1 nor 2
(a) food chain (b) food web
43. Which of the following national parks is near
(c) ecological pyramid (d) cycles
Bombay?
36. Infant mortality rate is (a) Tadoba (b) Boriveli
(a) the ratio of number of deaths of children under 3 months (c) Nandankanan (d) Rajaji
to the number of live births
44. What is the difference between asteroids and
(b) the ratio of number of deaths of children under 6 months
comets?
to the number of live births
1. Asteroids are small rocky planetoids while comets are
(c) the ratio of number of death of children under 1 year to
formed of frozen gases held together by rocky and
the number of 1000 live births
metallic material.
(d) the ratio of number of deaths of children under 1 year to
the number of children below 5 years 2. Asteroids are found mostly between the orbits of
Jupiter and Mars, while comets are found mostly
37. In which one of the following regions the chemical between Venus and Mercury.
weathering process is more dominant than the 3. Comets show a perceptible glowing tail while
mechanical process? asteroids do not.
(a) Humid region (b) Arid region Select the correct answer using the codes given below
(c) Limestone region (d) Glacier region (a) 1 and 2 (b) 1 and 3
(c) Only 3 (d) All of these
38. Which of the following factors affects the origin and
nature of movement of ocean current? 45. Which of the following statements about great
(a) Gravitational force circles are correct?
(b) Density differences 1. Great circle is an imaginary circle which divides the
(c) Direction and shape of coastline Earth into two equal hemispheres.
(d) All of the above 2. Equator is the only great circle which can be drawn on
39. Consider the following statements the Earth’s surface.
1. On 21st June, more solar radiation reaches the top of the 3. An arc of a great circle on the surface of the Earth
Earth’s surface above the poles than above the equator. marks the shortest distance between two points on
the Earth.
2. At the North pole, the Sun rises above the horizon on
Practice Set 2

Select the correct answer using the codes given below

20th March and has 6 months until it sets on
(a) 1 and 2 (b) 1 and 3
22th September.
(c) 2 and 3 (d) All of these
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
(a) Only 1 (b) Only 2 46. Following criterias have contributed to the
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) None of these recognition of Western Ghats-Sri Lanka and
Indo-Burma regions as hotspot of biodiversity
40. Which one of the following factors can have the
greatest influence on the temperature of a place in 1. Species richness
equatorial latitudes? 2. Vegetation density
(a) Aspect (b) Altitude 3. Endemism
(c) Distance from the sea (d) Vegetation cover 4. Ethnobotanical importance
 244 Magbook ~ Geography-India and World
5. Threat perception Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
6. Adaptation of flora and fauna to warm and humid (a) Only 1 (b) Only 2
conditions (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
Which three of the above are correct criterias in this context?
49. Western ghats extends from
(a) 1, 2 and 6 (b) 2, 4 and 5
(a) South of Mahi to Nilgiris
(c) 1, 3 and 5 (d) 3, 4 and 6
(b) South of Mahi to Kanniya Kumari
47. Consider the following statements (c) South of Tapi to Nilgiris
1. Satpura range starts from Rajpipla hills. (d) South of Tapi to Kanniya Kumari
2. Dhupgarh peak is on the range of Satpura. 50. In the life cycle of a star, arrange the following
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? phases in a chronological order.
(a) Only 1 (b) Only 2 1. Black hole 2. Red giant
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 3. Pulsar 4. Neutron star
48. Consider the following statements Codes
(a) 1, 2, 3, 4
1. A deep valley characterised by steep step-like side slopes
(b) 2, 1,3, 4
is known as canyon.
(c) 2, 3, 4, 1
2. Sink holes and dolines are characteristic of rejuvenated
(d) 2, 4, 3, 1
topography.

Answers
1. (d) 2. (c) 3. (c) 4. (c) 5. (a) 6. (b) 7. (a) 8. (b) 9. (b) 10. (d)
11. (d) 12. (b) 13. (d) 14. (b) 15. (d) 16. (a) 17. (d) 18. (d) 19. (d) 20. (d)
21. (a) 22. (b) 23. (d) 24. (a) 25. (b) 26. (b) 27. (c) 28. (b) 29. (b) 30. (b)
31. (c) 32. (d) 33. (a) 34. (a) 35. (c) 36. (c) 37. (a) 38. (d) 39. (b) 40. (b)
41. (a) 42. (c) 43. (b) 44. (b) 45. (b) 46. (c) 47. (c) 48. (a) 49. (d) 50. (d)
Practice Set 2
 Practice Set
1. What are Rogue waves?
(a) Waves that do not move horizontally, but remain
ANALYSE YOURSELF 3
Which of the statement (s) given above is/are correct
?
stationary (a) 1, 2 and 3 (b) 2, 3 and 4
(b) Waves of unusually large size for the prevailing wind (c) 3 and 4 (d) All of these
condition
(c) Waves produced due to the combination of low air 7. Consider the following statements
pressure and onshore winds 1. Bauxite is found in Udhampur, Salem and Kolaba.
(d) Waves produced due to the combination of high air 2. Muscovite is a mineral of mica.
pressure and offshore winds Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
2. Aerosols are suspended particulates in the atmosphere (a) Only 1 (b) Only 2
and have implications for climate and health. Consider (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
the following statements in light of this 8. The first layer, extended upto 500 m in the top most
1. aerosols change cloud properties, alter precipitation layer of a lake with temperature ranging between
patterns. 20-25°C is
2. aerosols have a direct radiative forcing because (a) epilimnion (b) thermocline layer
they scatter and absorb solar and infrared radiation in (c) thermohaline layer (d) hypolimnion
the atmosphere.
3. long-term accumulation of black carbon aerosols in the
9. Which one of the following describes the
lithosphere?
Arctic and Himalaya is leading to increased melting of
snow. (a) Upper and lower mantle (b) Crust and core
(c) Crust and upper mantle (d) Mantle and core
Which of the statement (s) given above is/are correct?
(a) 2 and 3 (b) 1 and 3 10. Bermuda triangle extends up to which of the
(c) Only 3 (d) All of these following places?
3. Consider the following practices with reference to the 1. Southern Florida 2. Puerto Rico 3. Hawaii Islands
soil conservation Select the correct answer using the codes given below
1. Crop rotation 2. Sand fences (a) 1 and 3 (b) 1 and 2
(c) 2 and 3 (d) All of these
3. Terracing 4. Wind breaks
Which of the above are considered appropriate methods 11. Which one type of agriculture amongst the following
for soil conservation in India? is also called ‘slash and burn agriculture’?
(a) 1, 2 and 3 (b) 2 and 4 (a) Extensive subsistence agriculture
(c) 1, 3 and 4 (d) All of these (b) Primitive subsistence agriculture
(c) Extensive commercial grain cultivation
4. Which of the following processes occurs in the humid (d) Mixed farming
tropics where heavy rain and uninterrupted warmth
give rise to deeply weathered layer? 12. Which of the following is not a goal under
(a) Leaching (b) Podzolisation millennium development goals?
(c) Laterisation (d) Salinisation (a) Reduce child mortality
(b) Ensure environmental sustainability
5. Which one of the following planets has largest number (c) Eradication of extreme poverty and hunger
of natural satellites or Moons? (d) Improve universal sex ratio
(a) Jupiter (b) Mars
Practice Set 3

(c) Saturn (d) Venus 13. Which of the following are the environmental
benefits of organic farming?
6. Consider the following statements about UNESCO 1. It aims to produce food while establishing an
World Heritage List ecological balance to prevent soil fertility or pest
1. UNESCO owns the site once it’s inscribed on the World problems.
Heritage List. 2. It permits the use of GMOs.
2. A site can be proposed for inscription only by the country 3. It produces more biodiversity than other farming
in which the property is located. systems.
3. 2012 marks the 40th anniversary of the World Heritage 4. It improves the water retention capacity of the soil.
Convention. Select the correct answer using the codes given below
4. It protects both cultural and natural heritage. (a) 1, 2 and 4 (b) 1 and 4
 246 Magbook ~ Geography-India and World
(c) 1, 3 and 4 (d) All of these 22. Consider the following statements about Haathi
14. Which of the following pairs are correctly matched? Mere Saathi campaign
1. It is an initiative of the Ministry of Environment and
1. Phosphate : Phosphorous
Forests (MoEF). Government of India in collaboration
2. Acetobacter : Nitrogen
with the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI).
3. Azolla : Potassium
2. It was launched in the Southern states of Karnataka,
4. Cellulolytic fungal culture : For enriched compost
Codes Tamil Nadu, Kerala as a pilot project.
(a) 1 and 2 (b) 1, 2 and 3 3. The campaign to ‘Take Gajah (the elephant) to Prajah
(c) 2, 3 and 4 (d) 1, 2 and 4 (the people)’ aims to spread awareness and
encourage people’s participation in elephant
15. Consider the following statements conservation and welfare.
1. Chernozem soil is called as ‘Black Earth’. Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
2. Entisols are of recent origin and has no distinct layers. (a) Only 3 (b) 2 and 3
(c) 1 and 3 (d) All of these
3. Histosols have more than 30% organic matter to a depth
of 40 cm. 23. Which one of the following are the two main
Which of the statement (s) given above is/are correct? constituents of granite?
(a) Only 1 (b) 1 and 2 (a) Iron and nickel
(c) 1 and 3 (d) All of these (b) Silica and aluminium
(c) Iron and silver
16. The number of persons per unit area of cultivated land is (d) Iron oxide and potassium
(a) arithmetic density (b) physiological density
(c) agricultural density (d) economic density 24. Consider the following statements
1. River Ravi flows between Pir Panjal and Dhauladhar.
17. Biodiversity forms the basis for human existence in 2. River Sutlej does not originate in India.
which of the following ways
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
1. Soil formation 2. Prevention of soil erosion
(a) Only 1 (b) Only 2
3. Recycling of waste 4. Pollination of crops (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
Select the correct answer using the codes given below
(a) 1, 2 and 3 (b) 2, 3 and 4 25. Kolkhoz is a type of collective farming, introduced,
(c) 1 and 4 (d) All of these to improve upon the inefficiency of the previous
methods of agriculture and to boost agricultural
18. What could be the main reason(s) for the formation of production for self-sufficiency, in which of the
African and Eurasian desert belt ? following countries?
1. It is located in the sub-tropical high pressure cells. (a) Brazil (b) Germany
2. It is under the influence of warm ocean currents. (c) China (d) Soviet Union
Select the correct answer using the codes given below
(a) Only 1 (b) Only 2
26. In which of the following regions, water availability
determines the tree growth and trees exhibit various
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
adaptations to fire?
19. Hypsometric graph is a (a) Tropical rain forest (b) Tropical savanna
(a) graph of area-altitude distribution (c) Tropical desert (d) Taiga
(b) graph of area-latitude distribution
(c) graph of salinity-temperature distribution
27. Other than India and China, which one of the
following groups of countries border Myanmar?
(d) graph of temperature-pressure distribution below the sea
(a) Bangladesh, Thailand and Vietnam
level
(b) Combodia, Laos and Malaysia
20. Consider the following statements (c) Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia
1. In commercial grain farming, large farms with wheat (d) Thailand, Laos and Bangladesh
monoculture is prevalent.
28. Consider the following statements
2. The regions where farmers specialise in vegetables only,
1. Interactions between the two organisms in which one
the farming is known as truck farming.
organism kills and feed on the second organisms, is
Practice Set 3

Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?

called parasitism.
(a) Only 1 (b) Only 2
2. Mutualism is the way in which two organisms of
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
different species biologically interact in a relationship
21. Which one of the following has caused the sex ratio of in which each individual derives a fitness benefit.
the United Arab Emirates to be low? Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
(a) Selective migration of male working population (a) Only 1 (b) Only 2
(b) High birth rate of males (c) Both 1 and 2
(c) Low birth rate of females (d) Neither 1 nor 2
(d) High out migration of females
Magbook ~ Practice Set 3 247
29. Consider the following statements 36. Consider the following statements
1. 99.9% of India’s vultures population has already been 1. Pokhpur, Tuensang districts of Manipur have nickle
lost primarily due to diclofenac. deposits.
2. SAVE (Saving Asia’s Vultures from Extinction) is aimed 2. Khetri of Rajasthan is famous for copper.
to expand and co-ordinate efforts to rescue Asia's Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
close-to-extinction vulture population. (a) Only 1 (b) Only 2
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
(a) Only 1 (b) Only 2
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
37. Continental shelf is
(a) a part of oceanic crust made of granite
30. Consider the following statements (b) a part of continental crust made of basalt
1. Layer with dark colour and rich in humus content is A (c) a part of oceanic crust made of basalt
layer. (d) a part of continental crust made of granite
2. The regolith layer of the soil is C layer.
38. Which of the following currents is located near the
Which of the statements(s) given above is/are correct? coastline of Philippines and China?
(a) Only 1 (b) Only 2 (a) Oyashio current (b) Kuroshio current
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 (c) Canary current (d) Benguela current
31. The hockey stick graph indicates 39. Consider the following statements
(a) increase in population
1. The boundaries of a national park are defined by
(b) increase in urban areas
legislation.
(c) increase in sea level
(d) increase in global temperature 2. A Biosphere reserve is declared to conserve a few
specific species of flora and fauna.
32. Consider the following statements.
3. In a Wildlife sanctuary, limited biotic interference is
1. Deciduous forests are characterised by little
permitted.
undergrowth, trees of several layers.
Which of the statement (s) given above is/are correct?
2. In tropical rain forests, trees have buttress roots and drip
(a) Only 1 (b) 2 and 3
trips.
(c) Both 1 and 3 (d) All of these
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
(a) Only 1 (b) Only 2 40. Consider the following statements
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 1. Son river originates in Chhota Nagpur Plateau.
2. Chenab river originates at Verinag.
33. In which of the following, soil forming processes
organic acids of soluble chelates are formed? Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
(a) Leaching (a) Only 1 (b) Only 2
(b) Podzolisation (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
(c) Lateralisation 41. Which one of the following is the main reason for the
(d) Salinisation loss of the top soil in India?
34. As per the International Union for Conservation of (a) Wind erosion (b) Excessive leaching
Nature (IUCN) there are 57 critically endangered species (c) Water erosion (d) None of these
of animals in India. A taxon is critically endangered 42. Two important rivers one with its source in
when it meets which of the following criterias Jharkhand (and known by a different name in
1. Populations have declined greater than 80% over the last Odisha) and another, with its source in Odisha merge
10 years or three generations. at a place only a short distance from the coast of Bay
2. Have a restricted geographical range. of Bengal before flowing into the sea. This is an
3. Small population size of less than 2500 individuals and important site of wildlife and biodiversity and a
continuing decline at 25% in 3 years or one generation. protected area. Which one of the following could be
4. Very small or restricted population of fewer than 500 this?
mature individuals. (a) Bhitarkanika (b) Chandipur on sea
(c) Gopalpur on sea (d) Simlipal
Practice Set 3

5. High probability of extinction in the wild.

Select the correct answer using the codes given below? 43. Consider the following statements
(a) 2, 3, 4 and 5 (b) 1 , 2 and 5
1. The convention on the conservation of migratory
(c) 3, 4 and 5 (d) All of these
species of wild animals is Ramsar Convention.
35. Endosulfan, a pesticide which was banned by the 2. The convention on wetlands is Bonn Convention.
Supreme Court of India, is listed under Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
(a) Rotterdam Convention (a) Only 1
(b) Stockholm Convention (b) Only 2
(c) Bonn Convention (c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Ramsar Convention (d) Neither 1 nor 2
 248 Magbook ~ Geography-India and World
44. Consider the following statements 47. The mass nesting of the Olive Ridley sea turtles in
1. River Subarnarekha supplies water to TISCO Jamshedpur. India occurs at
2. VISL Bhadravati gets the supplies of iron ore from (a) Sundarbans
Kemmangundi. (b) Gahirmatha marine sanctuary
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? (c) Mangalajodi wetlands
(a) Only 1 (b) Only 2 (d) Pulicat lake
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 48. Consider the following statements
45. Consider the following statements 1. Exports of Kudremukh iron ore is done through New
1. In the world, the tropical deserts occur along the Western Mangalore port.
margins of countries within the trade wind belt. 2. India’s trade through shipping is 95 % by volume.
2. In India, the East Himalayan region gets high rainfall from Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
North-East winds. (a) Only 1 (b) Only 2
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
(a) Only 1 49. Consider the following statements
(b) Only 2
1. Upfolded rock beds are called anticlines.
(c) Both 1 and 2
2. Downfolded rock beds are called synclines.
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are
46. Consider the following statements incorrect?
1. Anamudi, the highest peak of peninsular India. (a) Only 1 (b) Only 2
2. Mahendragiri is the highest peak of Eastern ghats. (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? 50. In which of the following types of agriculture is the
(a) Only 1 farming of citrus fruit very important?
(b) Only 2 (a) Market gardening
(c) Both 1 and 2 (b) Mediterranean agriculture
(d) Neither 1 nor 2 (c) Plantation agriculture
(d) Cooperative farming

Answers
1. (b) 2. (d) 3. (c) 4. (c) 5. (a) 6. (b) 7. (c) 8. (a) 9. (c) 10. (b)
11. (b) 12. (d) 13. (c) 14. (d) 15. (b) 16. (b) 17. (d) 18. (a) 19. (a) 20. (c)
21. (a) 22. (c) 23. (b) 24. (c) 25. (d) 26. (b) 27. (a) 28. (b) 29. (c) 30. (c)
31. (d) 32. (b) 33. (b) 34. (b) 35. (a) 36. (c) 37. (d) 38. (b) 39. (c) 40. (d)
41. (c) 42. (a) 43. (d) 44. (c) 45. (a) 46. (c) 47. (b) 48. (c) 49. (c) 50. (b)
Practice Set 3
 Practice Set
1. Which of the following marks the boundary between
continental and oceanic crust?
ANALYSE YOURSELF 4
8. Westerlies in Southern hemisphere are stronger and
persistent than in Northern hemisphere. Why?
1. Southern hemisphere has less landmass as
(a) Continental shelf (b) Continental slope
compared to Northern hemisphere.
(c) Continental rise (d) Oceanic ridges
2. Coriolis force is higher in Southern hemisphere as
2. Sustainable development is described as the compared to Northern hemisphere.
development that meets the needs of the present Select the correct answer using the codes given below
without compromising the ability of future generations (a) Only 1 (b) Only 2
to meet their own needs. In this perspective, inherently (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
the concept of sustainable development is intertwined
with which of the following concepts? 9. With reference to the wetlands of India, consider the
(a) Social justice and empowerments following statements
(b) Inclusive growth 1. The country's total geographical area under the
(c) Globalisation category of wetlands is recorded more in Gujarat as
(d) Carrying capacity compared to other states.
2. In India, the total geographical area of coastal
3. Which of the following types of biome is simplest in wetlands is larger than that of wetlands.
terms of species composition and food chains? Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
(a) Tropical evergreen (b) Desert (a) Only 1 (b) Only 2
(c) Savanna (d) Tundra (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
4. Consider the following statements 10. Consider the following statements
1. Designation of a technology as a ‘clean coal’ technology 1. Wind pattern are clockwise in the Northern
does not imply that it reduces emissions to zero or near hemisphere and anti-clockwise in the Southern
zero. hemisphere.
2. Nuclear energy, emits almost no greenhouse gases. 2. The directions of wind patterns in the Northern and
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? Southern hemispheres are governed by the coriolis
(a) Only 1 (b) Only 2 force.
(c) All of these (d) None of these Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
5. Which of the following type of coffee has the finest (a) Only 1 (b) Only 2
flavour and most important in world trade? (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
(a) Robusta (b) Liberica 11. Which state has recently overtaken Karnataka for
(c) Arabica (d) None of these the top rank in the production of bio-fertilisers?
6. Consider the following statements (a) Kerala (b) Tamil Nadu
1. Beas crosses Dhauladhar range through a deep gorge. (c) Madhya Pradesh (d) Maharashtra
2. River Gandak is known as Narayani in Nepal. 12. Between India and East Asia, the navigation time
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? and distance can be greatly reduced by which of the
(a) Only 1 (b) Only 2 following?
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 1. Deepening the Malacca strait between Malaysia and
Indonesia.
7. Which of the following pairs are correctly matched?
Practice Set 4

2. Opening a new canal across the Kra Isthmus

Hills Regions
between the Gulf of Siam and Andaman Sea.
1. Cardamom hills Coromandel coast Select the correct answer using the codes given below
2. Kaimur hills Konkan coast
3. Mahedeo hills Central India (a) Only 1 (b) Only 2
4. Hitheir hills North-East India (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
Codes 13. Settlements near the source of water is called
(a) 1 and 2 (b) 2 and 3 (a) dry point settlement (b) wet point settlement
(c) 3 and 4 (d) 2 and 4 (c) strong point settlement (d) river point settlement
 250 Magbook ~ Geography-India and World
14. The Chinkara (Gazella Bennettii) or Indian Gazelle is Select the correct answer using the codes given below
found in (a) 1 and 3 (b) 2 and 3
(a) Rajasthan, North-Western and Central parts of India (c) 1, 2 and 3 (d) All of these
(b) North-East 23. Consider the following statements
(c) Northernmost Himalayas
1. Arrow pattern of settlements is found in Kanniya
(d) South India
kumari.
15. Consider the following statements 2. Residential segregation and continents are
1. A tropical cyclone in Caribbean sea is called as hurricane. characteristics of settlements during British period.
2. A tropical cyclone in Japan is called as typhoon. Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? (a) Only 1 (b) Only 2
(a) Only 1 (b) Only 2 (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 24. Consider the following statements
16. The plants that begin life as epiphytes in the canopy and 1. The plain of younger alluvium is called Bhangar.
send their roots downward to the forest floor is called as 2. The plain of older alluvium is called Khadar.
(a) lianas (b) stranglers Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
(c) parasites (d) saprophytes (a) Only 1 (b) Only 2
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
17. Consider the following statements
1. Katanga province of Zaire is famous for copper. 25. In which one of the following regions, is extensive
2. Weipa of Australia is famous for iron ore. commercial grain cultivation not practised?
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? (a) American Canadian Prairies
(a) Only 1 (b) Only 2 (b) Pampas of Argentina
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 (c) European Steppes Basin
(d) Amazon Basin
18. Consider the following statements
1. Dafla, miri, abor, mishmi are in Shiwaliks. 26. Consider the following about ‘Ramsar Convention’
2. Shipkila pass is in Himachal Pradesh. 1. 2nd February each year is World Wetlands Day.
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? 2. The Ramsar Convention is the only global environmental
(a) Only 1 (b) Only 2 treaty that deals with a particular ecosystem.
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 3. The 11th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to
the Convention (Ramsar COP 11) will be held in
19. Which of the following is famous for Siberian crane, Bucharest, Romania.
cormorant, storks spoon bill? Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
(a) Sariska (a) Only 2 (b) 1 and 3
(b) Ranthambore National Park (c) 1 and 2 (d) All of these
(c) Keoladeo National Park
(d) Loktak Lake 27. Who of the following scientists proved that the stars
with mass less then 1.44 times the mass of the Sun,
20. Consider the following statements end up as white dwarfs when they die?
1. Biodiversity hotspots are located only in tropical regions. (a) Edwin Hubble (b) S Chandrasekhar
2. India has four biodiversity hotspots, i.e. Eastern (c) Stephen Hawking (d) Steven Weinberg
Himalayas, Western Himalayas, Western ghats and
Andaman and Nicobar islands. 28. Consider the following statements
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? 1. Green house effect in its entirety, is caused by human
(a) Only 1 (b) Only 2 activities (Anthropogenic factors).
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 2. Green house gases absorb ultra-violet rays emitted
from the Earth and retain them within the atmosphere.
21. Which one of the following is the appropriate reason for Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
considering the Gondwana rocks as most important of (a) Only 1
rock systems of India? (b) Only 2
Practice Set 4

(a) More than 90% of limestone reserves of India are found in (c) Both 1 and 2
them (d) Neither 1 nor 2
(b) More than 90% of India’s coal reserves are found in them
(c) More than 90% of fertile black cotton soils are spread over 29. Consider the following statements
them 1. Mizo hills are also called as Lushai hills
(d) None of the above 2. Saramati is the highest peak of Naga hills.
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
22. Which of the following are the uranium mining sites in
(a) Only 1
India?
(b) Only 2
1. Jaduguda 2. Turamdih
(c) Both 1 and 2
3. Tummalapalle 4. Golconda (d) Neither 1 nor 2
Magbook ~ Practice Set 4 251
30. Consider the following statements 39. Consider the following statements
1. Sweet orange plant is propagated by grafting 1. The direction of Canaries current is North to South.
technique. 2. The direction of Benguela current is South to North.
2. Jasmine plant is propagated by layering technique. 3. The direction of North Atlantic drift is West to East.
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? 4. The direction of California Current is North to South.
(a) Only 1 (b) Only 2 Which of the statements giveb above are correct?
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 (a) 1 and 2 (b) 1, 2 and 3
31. A tributary stream, which flows for some distance (c) 2, 3 and 4 (d) All of these
parallel to the main channel because levees prevent 40. A geographical area with an altitude of 400 m has
it from entering the mainstream is known as following characteristics
(a) ox-bow river (b) concordant river
(c) discordant river (d) yazoo river Month J F M A M J J A S O N D

Average Max. 31 31 31 31 30 30 29 28 29 29 30 31 Temp °C

32. Consider the following statements
1. Bioaccumulation is the increase in concentration of a Average Min. 21 21 21 21 21 21 20 20 20 20 20 20 Temp °C
pollutant from the environment to the first organism in Rainfall (mm) 5 8 188 158 139 121134 168 185 221 19886
a food chain. 1 5
2. Biomagnification is increase in concentration of a
pollutant from one link in a food chain to another. If this geographic area were to have a natural forest, which
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? one of the following would it most likely be?
(a) Moist temperate coniferous forest
(a) Only 1 (b) Only 2
(b) Montane subtropical forest
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
(c) Temperate forest
33. The lower zones where water accumulates and from (d) Tropical rainforest
which the air has been expelled is
41. Consider the following statements
(a) zone of aeration
1. Foliation is the salient feature of metamorphic rocks.
(b) zone of saturation
(c) zone of intermittent saturation 2. Slate is the metamorphic form of limestone.
(d) zone of near saturation Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
(a) Only 1
34. Through which one of the following straits, does a (b) Only 2
tunnel connect the United Kingdom and France? (c) Both 1 and 2
(a) Davis Strait (b) Denmark Strait (d) Neither 1 nor 2
(c) Strait of Dover (d) Strait of Gibraltar
42. In which of the following types of agriculture, farming is
35. Consider the following statements done on large holding and a lot of capital is required?
1. Barak originates near Manipur hills. (a) Subsistence farming (b) Hill cultivation
2. Sukri is a tributary of Luni. (c) Jhooming cultivation (d) Plantation
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
43. Consider the following statements
(a) Only 1 (b) Only 2
1. Western dedicated freight corridor is from Dadri in Uttar
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
Pradesh to Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust near Mumbai.
36. Which of the following countries is not a part of 2. Germany is assisting the project.
Kyoto Protocol at present? Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
(a) US (b) Canada (a) Only 1
(c) Japan (d) Both ‘a’ and ‘b’ (b) Only 2
(c) Both 1 and 2
37. Which of the following have coral reefs?
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
1. Andaman and Nicobar 2. Gulf of Kachchh
3. Gulf of Mannar 4. Sunderbans 44. Which one of the following Union Ministries
Select the correct answer using the codes given below implements the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety?
Practice Set 4

(a) 1, 2 and 3 (b) 2 and 4 (a) Ministry of Science and Technology

(c) 1 and 3 (d) All of these (b) Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
(c) Ministry of Environment and Forests
38. Consider the following statements (d) Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers
1. Troposphere contains 50% of the total molecular or
gaseous mass. 45. Which one of the following pairs is incorrectly
2. Top of the troposphere is capped by temperature matched?
inversion zone. Well Known Places Countries
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? (a) Baikonur : Russia
(a) Only 1 (b) Only 2 (b) Kourou : French Guiana
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 (c) Borobudur : Indonesia
(d) Cannes : France
 252 Magbook ~ Geography-India and World
46. Consider the following statements 49. When you travel in Himalayas, you will see the
1. Canary current is a cold current. following
2. Kuroshio current is a warm current. 1. Deep gorges
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? 2. U-turn river courses
(a) Only 1 (b) Only 2 3. Parallel mountain ranges
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 4. Steeps gradient causing landslides
Which of the above can be said to be the evidences for
47. The essential factor which differentiates an urban area
Himalayas being Young folded Mountains?
from the rural area is
(a)1 and 2 (b)1, 2 and 4
(a) life-style (b) resources
(c) 3 and 4 (d) All of these
(c) occupation (d) education
48. Consider the following statements 50. The pattern which consists of nearly parallel
streams that flow into main trunk stream at high
1. Dachigam National Park is in Jammu and Kashmir.
angles is called as
2. Loktak lake is known as Floating National Park. (a) rectangular pattern
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? (b) trellis pattern
(a) Only 1 (b) Only 2 (c) radial pattern
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 (d) dendritic pattern

Answers
1. (b) 2. (d) 3. (d) 4. (c) 5. (c) 6. (c) 7. (c) 8. (a) 9. (d) 10. (d)
11. (b) 12. (c) 13. (b) 14. (a) 15. (c) 16. (b) 17. (a) 18. (b) 19. (c) 20. (d)
21. (b) 22. (c) 23. (c) 24. (d) 25. (d) 26. (d) 27. (b) 28. (d) 29. (c) 30. (c)
31. (d) 32. (c) 33. (b) 34. (c) 35. (c) 36. (d) 37. (a) 38. (b) 39. (d) 40. (d)
41. (a) 42. (d) 43. (a) 44. (c) 45. (a) 46. (c) 47. (c) 48. (c) 49. (d) 50. (b)
Practice Set 4
 Practice Set
1. Consider the following statements
ANALYSE YOURSELF
8. Consider the following statements
5
1. The annual range of temperature is greater in the
1. Generally, Western ghats are broader than Eastern ghats. Pacific ocean than that in the Atlantic ocean.
2. Eastern ghats are more continuous than the Western 2. The annual range of temperature is greater in the
ghats. Northern hemisphere than that in the Southern
3. Eastern ghats act as a water divide. hemisphere.
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are incorrect? Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
(a) Only 1 (b) 1 and 2 (a) Only 1 (b) Only 2
(c) 2 and 3 (d) All of these (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
2. Which of the following is responsible for the 9. Chandhali, a prime tiger breeding area is related
characteristic reddish colour of Red sea? with
(a) Red algae (b) Brown algae (a) Kaziranga National Park
(c) Green algae (d) Blue-green algae (b) Manas National Park
3. In India, which one of the following has the largest (c) Corbett National Park
inland saline wetland? (d) Ranthambore National Park
(a) Gujarat (b) Haryana 10. There is a concern over the increase in harmful algal
(c) Madhya Pradesh (d) Rajasthan blooms in the sea waters of India. What could be the
4. Consider the following regions causative factors for this phenomenon?
1. Discharge of nutrients from the estuaries.
1. Eastern Himalayas
2. Run-off from the land during the monsoon.
2. Eastern Mediterranean region
3. Upwelling in the seas.
3. North-Western Australia
Select the correct answer using the codes given below
Which of the given above is/are biodiversity hotspot(s)?
(a) Only 1 (b) 1 and 2
(a) Only 1 (b) 1 and 2
(c) 2 and 3 (d) All of these
(c) 2 and 3 (d) All of these
5. Consider the following statements
11. Consider the following statements
1. Kanchenjunga biosphere reserves is not listed under
1. 30% of the tiger population lives in areas outside the
UNESCO.
government’s reserves.
2. Keoladeo National Park is not listed under Ramsar
2. Kaziranga in Assam has the largest number of tigers
Wetland Convention.
in a single reserve.
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
(a) Only 1 (b) Only 2
(a) Only 1
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) None of these
(b) Only 2
6. Consider the following statements about river (c) Both 1 and 2
deposition (d) None of the above
1. Deposition takes place when a river has insufficient
12. Which one of the following is not the basic principle
energy to transport its load.
of sustainable development?
2. Larger particles are deposited first.
(a) Respect and care for the community of life
Practice Set 5

3. Deposition will occur when the speed of a river is (b) Minimise the depletion of renewable resources
reduced. (c) Stop huge deposition of solid waste
Which of the statements given above are correct? (d) Change personal attitude and practice
(a) 1 and 3 (b) 2 and 3 (c) 1 and 2 (d) All of these
13. Consider the following statements
7. Which one of the following pairs is incorrectly 1. The part of the Sun that we can see is known as
matched? photo sphere.
Countries Cities 2. The outermost part of the Sun, which is visible only at
(a) Slovenia : Bratislava the time of a solar eclipse, is known as corona.
(b) Seychelles : Victoria
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
(c) Sierra Leone : Freetown
(a) Only 1 (b) Only 2
(d) Uzbekistan : Tashkent
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) None of these
 254 Magbook ~ Geography-India and World
14. La Nina is suspected to have caused recent floods in 22. Which of the following is incorrect about ozone?
Australia. How is La Nina different from El Nino? (a) Its highest concentration is found between 15 to 35
1. La Nina is characterised by unusually cold ocean km
temperature in equatorial Indian ocean whereas El Nino (b) It is also found in troposphere
is characterised by unusually warm ocean temperature in (c) It is found due to the action of sunlight over the atomic
the equatorial Pacific ocean. and molecular oxygen
2. El Nino has adverse effect on South-West monsoon of (d) It also helps in keeping the troposphere warm and
India, but La Nina has no effect on monsoon climate. regulates the jet stream, which is found at the lower
Select the correct answer using the codes given below part of troposphere
(a) Only 1 (b) Only 2 23. Consider the following statements
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
1. Namcha Barwa peak is in Arunachal Pradesh.
15. The increase in salinity of water 2. Kamet peak is not in Nepal.
(a) increases the rate of evaporation Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
(b) decreases the rate of evaporation
(c) has no effect on the rate of evaporation (a) Only 1 (b) Only 2
(d) increases the rate of evaporation initially, but decreases (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) None of these
later
24. Consider the following statements
16. The first Green Railway Station of India was 1. 99% of the water vapour in the atmosphere is
inaugurated in concentrated in the lowest 16 km.
(a) Manwal (Jammu-Udhampur) rail route 2. 90% of the water vapour in the atmosphere is
(b) Katni (Mumbai-Allahabad) rail route concentrated in the lowest 6 km.
(c) Bharuch (Mumbai-Vadodara) rail route
(d) Hisar (Delhi-Firozpur) rail route Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
(a) Only 1 (b) Only 2
17. Consider the following statements (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) None of these
1. The first ever Himalayan Day was observed in the country
on 9th September, 2010.
25. Regarding ‘carbon credits’, which one of the
following statements is incorrect?
2. The Ministry of Environment and Forests and the Defence
(a) The carbon credit system was ratified in conjunction
Research and Development Organisation have jointly
with the Kyoto Protocol
launched a national initiative for sea Buckthorn (Leh Berry)
(b) Carbon credits are awarded to countries or groups
cultivation in the cold desert ecosystems of the country.
that have reduced greenhouse gases below their
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
emission quota
(a) Only 1 (b) Only 2
(c) The goal of the carbon credit system is to limit the
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) None of these
increase of carbon dioxide emission
18. Which one of the following countries is planning to (d) Carbon credits are traded at a price fixed from time to
construct a rival to the Panama canal to link the Pacific time by the United Nations Environment Programme
and Atlantic oceans?
26. Tirupati temple is in which of the following
(a) Columbia (b) Costa Rica biosphere reserves?
(c) Guatemala (d) Nicaragua
(a) Nilgiris
19. Consider the following statements (b) Achanakmar - Amarkantak
1. Badagas tribe is in Nallamala. (c) Seshachalam hills
(d) None of the above
2. Sentinelese and Jarwa tribes are in Andaman.
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? 27. Crude birth rate is
(a) Only 1 (a) the ratio of number of live births during a year to the
(b) Only 2 population at the mid year
(c) Both 1 and 2 (b) the ratio of number of live births during a year to the
(d) None of the above population at the year end
(c) the ratio of number of live births during a year to the
Practice Set 5

20. Identify the odd one out in relation to the process of

population of at the year beginning
upwelling in the ocean.
(d) None of the above
(a) Benguela current (b) Canaries current
(c) Peru current (d) Oyashio current 28. Consider the following statements
21. Which of the following pairs is/are correctly matched? 1. Island arcs are generally concave towards the open
ocean.
1. Grand bank : Off the Newfoundland
2. Island arcs run parallel to the ocean trenches and
2. Dogger bank : North sea
mountain chains.
Codes
(a) Only 1 (b) Only 2 Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) None of these (a) Only 1 (b) Only 2
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) None of these
Magbook ~ Practice Set 5 255
29. A geographic region has the following distinct 36. Which of the following ports is situated on North of
characteristics the mouth of river Dhamra in Bhadrak district and is a
1. Warm and dry climate. 50:50 joint venture of Larsen and Toubro and Tata
2. Mild and wet winter. Steel?
3. Evergreen oak trees. (a) Paradip port (b) Dharma port
The above features are the distinct characteristics of (c) Kakinada port (d) Krishnapatnam port
which one of the following regions? 37. Consider the following statements
(a) Atlantic coast of North America 1. The role of an organism in an ecosystem is called as
(b) Mediterranean niche.
(c) Central Asia
2. Group of individuals of same species that share
(d) Eastern China
common attributes are called population.
30. Though coffee and tea both are cultivated on hill Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
slopes, there is some difference between them (a) Only 1 (b) Only 2
regarding their cultivation. In this context, consider the (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) None of these
following statements
38. Daily range of temperature exceeding the annual
1. Coffee plant requires a hot and humid climate of tropical
range is a characteristic of
areas whereas tea can be cultivated in both tropical and
(a) equatorial region (b) monsoon region
sub-tropical areas.
(c) mid-latitude region (d) polar region
2. Coffee is propagated by seeds, but tea is propagated by
stem cuttings only. 39. Consider the following statements
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? 1. Equator divides it into almost two equal halves.
(a) Only 1 (b) Only 2 2. It is bounded by Atlantic ocean in the West.
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 3. About one-third area is desert land.
31. Which of the following is considered as the main Which of the following continents has above
reason for the Earth’s magnetism? characteristics?
(a) Volcanic activity in the mantle (a) Africa (b) Asia
(b) Electric currents in the liquid outer core (c) South America (d) Antarctica
(c) Interaction of Sun’s electromagnetic radiations with the 40. Most of the Indian Peninsula will be grouped
Earth’s atmosphere according to Koppen’s system under
(d) Presence of magnetic elements in the Earth’s interior (a) ‘Af’ (b) ‘BSh’
32. Which of the following types of tides is observed at an (c) ‘Cfb’ (d) ‘Am’
interval of every 6 months? 41. Consider the following statements
(a) Spring tides 1. Either of the two belts over the ocean at about 30 to 35
(b) Neap tides North and South latitudes is known as horse latitude.
(c) Tropical tides
2. Horse latitude are low pressure belt.
(d) Equinoctical spring tides
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
33. Which of the following pairs are correctly matched? (a) Only 1
Irrigation Projects States (b) Only 2
1. Damanganga Gujarat (c) Both 1 and 2
2. Gima Maharashtra (d) Neither 1 nor 2
3. Pamba Kerala 42. An artificial satellite orbiting around the Earth does
Codes not fall down. This is so because the attraction of
(a) 1 and 2 (b) 2 and 3 Earth
(c) 1 and 3 (d) 1, 2 and 3 (a) does not exist at such distance
(b) is neutralised by the attraction of the Moon
34. Bhakra-Nangal project is
(c) provides the necessary speed for its steady motion
(a) a project of Punjab
(d) provides the necessary acceleration for its motion
Practice Set 5

(b) a joint venture of Punjab and Haryana

(c) a joint venture of Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh 43. Consider the following statements
(d) a joint venture of Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan 1. Granite is a plutonic rock.
35. Which of the following theories of the origin of tides is 2. Marble is not a sedimentary rock.
incorrectly matched? Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
(a) Equilibrium Theory : Newton (a) Only 1
(b) Canal Theory : Airy (b) Only 2
(c) Stationary Wave Theory : William Whwell (c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Dynamic Theory : Laplace (d) None of the above
 256 Magbook ~ Geography-India and World
44. Consider the following statements 47. Consider the following statements
1. Pachmarhi biosphere reserve has been included in the 1. Cauvery is known as Dakshin Ganga.
world’s network of Biosphere Reserves.
2. Manjira is a tributary of Godavari.
2. Manas wildlife sanctuary is the only site in India which Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
has been included in the list of World Heritage in Danger. (a) Only 1 (b) Only 2
3. Champaner Pavagadh Archaeological Park is a part of (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) None of the above
World Heritage Sites.
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? 48. Which of the following Mangrove regions of India is
(a) Only 1 (b) Only 3 included in the UNESCO’s World Heritage Site List
(c) 1 and 3 (d) All of these (a) Sunderbans (b) Gulf of Kachchh
(c) Gulf of Mannar (d) None of these
45. The atmosphere is mainly heated by the
(a) short wave solar radiation 49. Which of the following is considered as major part
(b) long wave terrestrial radiation but is privately developed?
(c) reflected solar radiation (a) Port Blair
(d) scattered solar radiation (b) Marmagaon Port
(c) JLN, Nhava Sheva Port
46. Consider the following (d) None of the above
1. Carbon dioxide
2. Oxides of nitrogen 50. Consider the following statements
3. Oxides of sulphur 1. Sahara is an example of rocky desert.
Which of the above is/are the emission/ emissions from 2. Rub Al Khali is an example of sandy desert.
coal combustion at thermal power plants? Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
(a) Only 1 (b) 2 and 3 (a) Only 1 (b) Only 2
(c) 1 and 3 (d) All of these (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) None of these

Answers
1. (b) 2. (d) 3. (d) 4. (b) 5. (a) 6. (d) 7. (a) 8. (d) 9. (d) 10. (d)
11. (c) 12. (c) 13. (b) 14. (a) 15. (b) 16. (a) 17. (c) 18. (d) 19. (b) 20. (d)
21. (c) 22. (d) 23. (c) 24. (c) 25. (d) 26. (c) 27. (a) 28. (b) 29. (b) 30. (c)
31. (b) 32. (d) 33. (d) 34. (d) 35. (c) 36. (b) 37. (c) 38. (a) 39. (a) 40. (d)
41. (a) 42. (c) 43. (c) 44. (d) 45. (b) 46. (d) 47. (b) 48. (a) 49. (a) 50. (c)
Practice Set 5
 PREVIOUS YEARS’ QUESTIONS
SOLVED PAPERS
Set 1
1. Consider the following statements. [IAS 2019] Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
1. Agricultural soils release nitrogen oxides into (a) Only 1 (b) 2 and 3 (c) Only 4 (d) 1, 2, 3 and 4
environment. Exp. (b) H-CNG is a mixture of natural gas (CNG) and
2. Cattle release ammonia into environment. hydrogen (H2 ). Upto 20% of hydrogen can be mixed with CNG
3. Poultry industry releases reactive nitrogen compounds to derive a fuel which is relatively cleaner and emits less
into environment. carbon dioxide and hydrocarbons than CNG fuel. It is a
Which of the statements given above is/are correct? cleaner fuel and will aid in reducing pollution. It does not
(a) 1 and 3 (b) 2 and 3 (c) Only 2 (d) 1, 2 and 3 eliminate carbon monoxide emissions.
Exp. (d) Agricultural soils release harmful gases like methane H-CNG reduces emission of carbon monoxide emission upto
and nitrous oxide. These emissions are due to the natural 70%. It enables up to 5% savings in fuel.
biochemical process in the nitrogen cycle. Further application Ideal fuel for high load applications and heavy duty vehicles.
of nitrogen based fertilisers adds to the process of conversion The main disadvantage is that it is more expensive than
of nitrogen to nitrous oxide. traditional CNG as well as that it requires new infrastructure to
commercialise.
The main sources of ammonia in the environment include
decaying organic matter and excreta of humans and animals 4. Why are dewdrops not formed on a cloudy night?
(cattles). (a) Clouds absorb the radiation released from the Earth’s
The poultry industry is responsible for the excretion of reactive surface. [IAS 2019]
nitrogen compounds in the environment. (b) Clouds reflect back the Earth’s radiation.
2. What is common to the places known as Aliyar, Isapur (c) The Earth’s surface would have low temperature on cloudy
and Kangsabati? [IAS 2019] nights.
(a) Recently discovered uranium deposits (d) Clouds deflect the blowing wind to ground level.
(b) Tropical rain forests Exp. (b) Dew is water in the form of droplets, that appear on
(c) Underground cave systems thin exposed objects. It is formed particularly in the morning or
(d) Water reservoirs evening due to condensation. On a cloudy night, the clouds
Exp. (d) All the three are water reservoirs. Isapur dam is an reflect back the outgoing radiation from the surface of Earth,
due to which the atmosphere does not cool down and
earthfill dam on Penganga river in Maharashtra. It was
condensation does not take place.
constructed in 1982.
Aliyar dam, reservoir is located in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. It 5. Consider the following statements. [IAS 2019]
was constructed during 1959-1969 across Aliyar river, mainly 1. Coal sector was nationalised by the Government of India
for irrigation. under Indira Gandhi.
Kangsabati river rises from Chota Nagpur plateau in West 2. Now, coal blocks are allocated on lottery basis.
Bengal, India. The Kangsabati Project was started in 1956, to 3. Till recently, India imported coal to meet the shortages of
provide water to the districts of Midnapore, Bankura and domestic supply, but now India is self-sufficient in coal
Hooghly. It involves irrigation using water from Kangsabati river. production.
3. In the context of proposals to the use of Hydrogen- enriched Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
CNG (H-CNG) as fuel for buses in public transport, (a) Only 1 (b) 2 and 3 (c) Only 3 (d) 1, 2 and 3
consider the following statements. [IAS 2019] Exp. (a) The Indira Gandhi Government started the process of
1. The main advantage of the use of H-CNG is the nationalisation of coal mines in the year 1971. The
elimination of carbon monoxide emissions. nationalisation was complete in the year of 1973, with the
enactment of Coal Mines (Nationalisation) Act, 1973. This Act
2. H-CNG as fuel reduces carbon dioxide and hydrocarbon
was repealed by the Narendra Modi Government in 2018,
emissions. which allowed the private firms to enter commercial mining
3. Hydrogen upto one-fifth by volume can be blended with industry. Now coal allocation is done on the basis of bidding
CNG as fuel for buses. process. India imports coal to meet its domestic energy
4. H-CNG makes the fuel less expensive than CNG. demands and it has not yet become self-sufficient in
production of coal.
258 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

6. Recently, there was a growing awareness in our country 9. Among the following, which one is the largest exporter
about the importance of Himalayan nettle (Girardinia of rice in the world in the last five years? [IAS 2019]
diversifolia) because it is found to be a sustainable source (a) China (b) India (c) Myanmar (d) Vietnam
of [IAS 2019]
Exp. (b) According to the data gathered from the past five
(a) anti-malarial drug (b) bio-diesel
years, India is the largest exporter of rice in the world. In
(c) pulp for paper industry (d) textile fibre
2015, India beat Thailand to become the largest exporter of
Exp. (d) Himalayan nettle (Girardinia diversifolia) is found rice. Since, then it has retained its top position.
abundantly in open forest land, river sides and moist habitat in
Nepal. It is also found in Himalayan parts of India such as
10. Consider the following pairs. [IAS 2019]
Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir. It is a List I (Glacier) List II (River)
fibre-yielding plant. It has become an important livelihood option
for people living in remote mountainous villages of Hindu Kush 1. Bandarpunch Yamuna
Himalaya. The fabric and the things made from it are sold in 2. Bara Shigri Chenab
local as well as national and international markets as high end 3. Milam Mandakini
products. 4. Siachen Nubra
7. Consider the following states. [IAS 2019]
5. Zemu Manas
Which of the pairs given above are correctly matched?
1. Chhattisgarh 2. Madhya Pradesh
(a) 1, 2 and 4 (b) 1, 3 and 4 (c) 2 and 5 (d) 3 and 5
3. Maharashtra 4. Odisha
With reference to the states mentioned above, in terms of Exp. (a)
percentage of forest cover to the total area of state, which l
Bandarpunch glacier is located in the Garhwal division of
one of the following is the correct ascending order? Himalayas. It feeds the Yamuna river.
(a) 2-3-1-4 (b) 2-3-4-1 (c) 3-2-4-1 (d) 3-2-1-4 l
Bara Shigri is the largest glacier in Himachal Pradesh. The
Exp. (c) According to the State of Forest Report, 2017 released glacier feeds Chenab river.
by Forest Survey of India, the percentage of forest cover to the
l
Milam glacier lies in Kumaon Himalayas. It is the source of
total area of the state are Goriganga river.
l
Maharashtra : 16.74%
l
Siachen is located in the Karakoram range in Himalayas. It
is the source of Nubra river, which feeds the Shyok river.
l
Madhya Pradesh : 25.11% l
Zemu is the largest glacier in Eastern Himalayas. The
l
Odisha : 32.98% glacier feeds the Tista river.
l
Chhattisgarh : 41.09%
11. In India, the use of carbofuran, methyl parathion,
8. Consider the following pairs. [IAS 2019] phorate and triazophos is viewed with apprehension.
These chemicals are used as [IAS 2019]
List I (Sea) List II (Bordering Countries)
(a) pesticides in agriculture
1. Adriatic sea Albania (b) preservatives in processed foods
2. Black sea Croatia (c) fruit-ripening agents
3. Caspian sea Kazakhstan (d) moisturising agents in cosmetics
4. Mediterranean sea Morocco Exp. (a) Carbofuran, methyl parathion, phorate and
5. Red sea Syria triazophos chemicals are used as pesticides in India to
control insects in a wide variety of field crops.
Which of the pairs given above are correctly matched?
(a) 1, 2 and 4 (b) 1, 3 and 4 Carbofuran is one of the most toxic carbamate (derived from
(c) 2 and 5 (d) 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 carbamic acid) pesticides.
Parathion or methyl parathion has been banned in various
Exp. (b) countries due to its high toxicity to humans.
List I List II Triazophos is a chemically toxic insecticide which could lead
(Sea) (Bordering Countries) to headaches, blurred vision, dizziness etc., in humans.
Phorate is also a highly toxic chemical compound, used as
Adriatic Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovinia, an insecticide.
sea Montenegro, Albania.
Black sea Turkey, Georgia, Russia, Ukraine, Romania, 12. Consider the following statements. [IAS 2019]
Bulgaria 1. Under Ramsar Convention, it is mandatory on the part
Caspian Kazakhstan, Russia, Azerbaijan, Iran, of the Government of India to protect and conserve all
sea Turkmenistan the wetlands in the territory of India.
Mediterran Spain, France, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Syria, 2. The Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules,
ean sea Lebanon, Israel, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, 2010 were framed by the Government of India based on
Algeria, Morocco the recommendations of Ramsar Convention.
Red sea Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Sudan, Eritrea, 3. The Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules,
Djibouti 2010 also encompass the drainage area or catchment
regions of the wetlands as determined by the authority.
Magbook ~ Solved Paper 1 259
Which of the statement given above is/are correct? Sulphate aerosol injection technique is useful for creating
(a) 1 and 2 (b) 2 and 3 global dimming effect to limit the impacts of climate change
(c) Only 3 (d) 1, 2 and 3 due to absorption of heat by the Greenhouse gases.
Exp. (b) Ramsar Convention is the intergovernmental treaty that Thus, some scientists suggest that cirrus cloud thinning
provides the framework for the conservation and wise use of technique and injection of sulphate aerosol into stratosphere
wetlands and their resources. It is also known as convention on help in reducing global warming.
wetlands. Under Ramsar Convention, it is not mandatory to 17. Which of the following are in Agasthyamalai
protect and conserve all wetlands of the country. Biosphere Reserve? [IAS 2019]
The Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2010
(a) Neyyar, Peppara and Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuaries
were framed on the recommendation of Ramsar Convention.
and Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve.
Under the rules, ‘wetlands’ include even the drainage area or
(b) Mudumalai, Sathyamangalam and Wayanad Wildlife
catchment regions of the wetlands but does not include main
Sanctuaries and Silent Valley National Park.
river channels, paddy fields and coastal wetlands covered under
the notification of Government of India. (c) Kaundinya, Gundla Brahmeswaram and Papikonda
Wildlife Sanctuaries; and Mukurthi National Park.
13. Which one of the following national parks lies completely (d) Kawal and Sri Venkateswara Wildlife Sanctuaries and
in the temperate alpine zone? [IAS 2019] Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve.
(a) Manas National Park Exp. (a) The Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve is
(b) Namdapha National Park
comprises of Neyyar, Peppara and Shendurney Wildlife
(c) Neora Valley National Park
Sanctuaries. It also consists of the adjoining areas of
(d) Valley of Flowers National Park
Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve.
Exp. (d) The Valley of Flowers National Park is located in Agasthyamalai Biosphere Reserve became part of World
Uttarakhand and known for its meadows of endemic alpine Network of Biosphere Reserves in 2016.
flowers and variety of flora. It is wholly lies in the temperate
alpine zone. It is situated at 3352 to 3658 mt. above sea level. 18. Consider the following statements. [IAS 2019]
1. Some species of turtles are herbivores.
14. On 21st June, the Sun [IAS 2019]
(a) does not set below the horizon at the Arctic Circle. 2. Some species of fish are herbivores.
(b) does not set below the horizon at Antarctic Circle. 3. Some species of marine mammals are herbivores.
(c) shines vertically overhead at noon on the Equator.
4. Some species of snakes are viviparous.
(d) shines vertically overhead at the Tropic of Capricorn.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
Exp. (a) On 21st June, the Sun does not set below the horizon (a) 1 and 3 (b) 2, 3 and 4
at the Arctic Circle due to Summer Solistice in that hemisphere. (c) 2 and 4 (d) All of these
On this day, the Sun reaches its highest position in the sky and it
Exp. (d) Most adult green sea turtles are herbivores. Their
is the longest period of daylight.
diet consists primarily of algae, seagrasses and seaweed.
15. Consider the following statements. [IAS 2019] Some species of fish are herbivores and they eat plant
1. Asiatic lion is naturally found in India only. material. Parrotfish and Surgeonfish are two common
examples of herbivores fishes. Marine herbivores are found
2. Double-humped camel is naturally found in India only. within four groups of species in the animal kingdom i.e
3. One-horned rhinoceros is naturally found in India only. invertebrates, fish, mammals and reptiles. Manatees and
Which of the statements given above is/are correct? Dugongs are the only herbivores among marine mammals.
(a) Only 1 (b) Only 2 (c) 1 and 2 (d) 1, 2 and 3 Snakes are reptiles and most species of snakes follow the
Exp. (a) Asiatic lions is naturally found in India’s Gir National general rules of reptilian reproduction in which the mother
will lay clutch of eggs. Such snakes are referred to as
Park and Wildlife Sanctuary. It is listed as endangered species
oviparous. Few species of snakes diverge from this rule,
because of its small population size.
they are referred as viviparous. They give birth to live young.
Double-humped camel or Bactrian camel is found in Central
Boa Constrictor and Green Anacondas are viviparous
Asia and in Ladakh in India.
snakes, giving birth without involving any eggs at any stage
One-horned rhinoceroses is found mainly in Kaziranga National
of development.
Park in India whereas it is found in Nepal also.
19. Consider the following pairs. [IAS 2019]
16. In the context of which of the following do some scientists
suggest the use of cirrus cloud thinning technique and the List I List II
injection of sulphate aerosol into stratosphere? [IAS 2019] (Wildlife) (Naturally Found In)
(a) Creating the artificial rains in some regions 1. Blue-finned Mahseer Cauvery river
(b) Reducing the frequency and intensity of tropical cyclones
2. Irrawaddy Dolphin Chambal river
(c) Reducing the adverse effects of solar wind on the Earth
(d) Reducing the global warming 3. Rusty-spotted Cat Eastern Ghats
Exp. (d) Cirrus clouds are formed at high altitudes and cold Which of the pairs given above are correctly matched?
temperatures. They trap long wave radiation and could warm the (a) 1 and 2 (b) 2 and 3
atmosphere. Thinning the cirrus cloud could prevent the (c) 1 and 3 (d) 1, 2 and 3
warming of atmosphere.
260 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

Exp. (c) Cauvery river hosts two varieties of Mahseer i.e. Blue Exp. (d) Methane hydrate, hydromethane, methane ice or
Finned Mahseer and Orange Finned Mahseer. fire ice is a solid compound containing large amounts of
Irrawady Dolphin is found in discontinuous sub-populations near methane or natural gas. It occurs in Arctic Tundra region
seacoasts, estuaries and rivers in Bay of Bengal and South-East and seafloor. In addition, deep fresh water lakes may also
Asia. host gas hydrates. The methane hydrates are sensitive to
Rusty-spotted Cat is found almost throughout India but its main warming and warming of the atmosphere releases a large
habitat includes Gir National Park, Tadoba Andhari Tiger amount of the deposits of methane hydrate. Methane is a
Reserve and Eastern Ghats. potent greenhouse gas which converts into CO 2 and water
in the presence of oxygen.
20. Why is there a great concern about the ‘microbeads’ that Thus, it can trigger global warming when it gets released
are released into environment? [IAS 2019] from deposists.
(a) They are considered harmful to marine ecosystems.
(b) They are considered to cause skin cancer in children. 23. Consider the following. [IAS 2019]
(c) They are small enough to be absorbed by crop plants in 1. Carbon monoxide 2. Methane
irrigated fields. 3. Ozone 4. Sulphur dioxide
(d) They are often found to be used as food adulterants. Which of the above are released into atmosphere due to
the burning of crop/biomass residue?
Exp. (a) Microbeads are small, solid and manufactured plastics (a) 1 and 2 (b) 2, 3 and 4 (c) 1 and 4 (d) All of these
that are less than 5 mm and do not degrade or dissolve in water.
They are used in a large variety of cosmetics and personal care Exp. (d) Burning biomass emits large amounts of pollutants
products. They are known to have damaging effect on marine like burning other solid fuels such as coal. Burning organic
ecosystem, human health and even environment. Microbeads material emits Particulate Matter (PM), Nitrogen Oxide (NOx ),
can cause plastic particle water pollution and pose an Carbon Monoxide (CO ), Sulphur Dioxide ( SO 2 ), Lead (Pb)
environment hazard for aquatic animals in freshwater and ocean Mercury and hazardous air pollutants.
water. They have the potential to adsorb toxins and transfer up 24. In which one of the following states is Pakhui Wildlife
the marine food chain. Sanctuary located [IAS 2018]
21. With reference to the cultivation of Kharif crops in India in (a) Arunachal Pradesh (b) Manipur
the last five years, consider the following statements. (c) Meghalaya (d) Nagaland
1. Area under rice cultivation is the highest. [IAS 2019] Exp. (a) Pakhui Wildlife Sanctuary lies in the foothills of the
2. Area under the cultivation of Jowar is more than that of Eastern Himalaya in the East Kameng district of Arunachal
oilseeds. Pradesh. It was declared a sanctuary in 1977 and declared
a tiger reserve in 2002.The habitat types of this wildlife
3. Area of cotton cultivation is more than that of sugarcane. santuary are lowland semi-evergreen, evergreen forest and
4. Area under sugarcane cultivation has steadily decreased. Eastern Himalayan broadleaf forests.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
25. Which of the following is an artificial lake? [IAS 2018]
(a) 1 and 3 (b) 2, 3 and 4
(a) Kodaikanal (Tamil Nadu)
(c) 2 and 4 (d) 1, 2, 3 and 4
(b) Kolleru (Andhra Pradesh)
Exp. (a) According to the latest data on agriculture in last five (c) Nainital (Uttarakhand)
years, area under rice cultivation is highest. It was 43.19 million (d) Renuka (Himachal Pradesh)
hectares in the year 2017. Area under jowar cultivation annually
Exp. (a) Kodaikanal Lake, also known as Kodai Lake is a
is 17 to 18 million hectares and area under the oilseed is 26.1
manmade lake located in the Kodaikanal city in Dindigul
million hectares (2015-16). Hence area under oilseed cultivation
district in Tamil Nadu, India. Sir Vere Henry Levinge, the then
is more than jowar cultivation.
Collector of Madurai, was instrumental in creating the lake in
Area under cotton cultivation is more than sugar cultivation as
1863, amidst the Kodaikanal town which was developed by
per Annual Report 2016-17, Ministry of Agriculture. Area under
the British and early missionaries from USA.
the sugarcane cultivation was 4.95 million hectare in 2013-14,
Kolleru Lake  is one of the largest freshwater lakes in India
5.066 million hectares in 2014-15 and 4.953 million hectares in
located in state of  Andhra Pradesh  and forms the largest
2015-16. Area under sugarcane does not show a steadily
shallow freshwater lake in Asia, Kolleru is located between
increasing trend, rather fluctuates.
Krishna and Godavari deltas.
22. Which of the following statements are correct about the 26. With reference to agriculture soils, consider the
deposits of ‘methane hydrate’? [IAS 2019]
following statements. [IAS 2018]
1. Global warming might trigger the release of methane gas
1. A high content of organic matter drastically reduces its
from these deposits.
water boiling capacity.
2. Large deposits of ‘methane hydrate’ are found in Arctic
Tundra and under the seafloor. 2. Soil does not play role in the sulphur cycle.
3. Methane in atmosphere oxidises to carbon dioxide after a 3. Irrigation over a period of time can contribute to the
decade or two. salinisation of some agricultural lands.
Select the correct answer by using the codes given below Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 and 2 (b) 2 and 3 (a) 1 and 2 (b) Only 3
(c) 1 and 3 (d) 1, 2 and 3 (c) 1 and 3 (d) 1, 2 and 3
Magbook ~ Solved Paper 1 261
Exp. (b) Statement 1 is wrong because, higher content of climate footprint. Momentum for change initiative based on
organic matter in soil will result into more humus and increase climate Neutral now recognises innovative and transformative
in its water holding capacity. solutions that address both climate change and wider
Statement 2 is wrong because soil plays a role in Sulphur economic, social and environmental challenges.
cycle because, it accumulates in the soil mainly as a
constituent of organic compounds and has to be converted to
30. With references to the circumstances in Indian
sulphates to become readily available to the plants.
agriculture, the concept of Conservation Agriculture
Irrigation causes organic matter to leach and making land
assumes significance. Which of the following fall under
saline. Over-irrigation can lead to salinity in soils, because of
the Conservation Agriculture? [IAS 2018]
over-use of ground-water and/or rise of water level. 1. Avoiding the monoculture practices.
2. Adopting minimum tillage.
27. Consider the following statements. [IAS 2018]
3. Avoiding the cultivation of plantation crops.
1. The Barren island volcano is an active volcano located in 4. Using crop residues to cover soil surface.
the Indian territory. 5. Adopting spatial and temporal crop sequencing/crop
2. Barren island lies about 140 kms East of Great Nicobar. rotations.
3. The last time the Barren island volcano erupted was in Select the correct answer using the code given below.
1991 and it has remained inactive since then. (a) 1, 3 and 4 (b) 2, 3, 4 and 5
Which of the statements given below is/are correct? (c) 2, 4 and 5 (d) 1, 2, 3 and 5
(a) Only 1 (b) 2 and 3 (c) Only 3 (d) 1 and 3 Exp. (c) Conservation Agriculture is a farming system that
Exp. (a) Barren island is an island located in the Andaman promotes maintenance of a permanent soil cover, minimum
Sea, dominated by Barren volcano, the only confirmed active soil disturbance (i.e. minimum tillage) and diversification
volcano in South Asia, and the only active volcano along a of plant species. It enhances biodiversity and natural
chain of volcanoes from Sumatra to Myanmar. Alongwith the biological processes above and below the ground surface,
rest of the Andaman Islands, it is a part of the Indian Union which contribute to increased water and nutrient use efficiency
Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Barren island is and to improved and sustained crop production. It does not
located to the East South Andaman island (140 km from Port include avoiding cultivation of plantation crops.
Blair). The last Barren Island volcano erupted in 2017, again
31. Consider the following statements [IAS 2018]
started spewing lava and ash.
1. In India, State Governments do not have the power to
28. Consider the following statements: [IAS 2018] auction non-coal mines.
1. Most of the world's coral reefs are in tropical waters.
2. Andhra Pradesh and Jharkhand do not have gold mines.
2. More than one-third of the world's coral reefs are located
in the territories of Australia, Indonesia and Philippines. 3. Rajasthan has iron ore mines.
3. Coral reefs host far more number of animal phyla than Which of the above statements is/are correct?
those hosted by tropical rainforests. (a) 1 and 2 (b) Only 2 (c) 1 and 3 (d) Only 3
Which of the statements given below is/are correct? Exp. (d) Even though the State Governments have been able
(a) 1 and 2 (b) Only 3 to auction just 29 non-coal mines in the last 20 months, the
(c) 1 and 3 (d) 1, 2 and 3 Central Government is now expecting to auction 54 mines in
Exp. (d) Coral reefs are most commonly found at shallow the current financial year. Unlike coal, the auction of mining
depths in tropical waters, but deep water and cold water licences of non-coal minerals is conducted by the respective
corals also exist on smaller scales in other areas. State Governments.
With reefs like Great Barrier Reef, Australia, Indonesia and Both Jharkhand and Andhra Pradesh have gold mines.
Philippines have more than one-third of the world's coral reefs. (Hirabuddini mines in Jharkand) is literally a gold mine. Audhra
Coral reefs host more diversity of animal phyla than tropical Pradesh has a huge potential for gold mining and is the only
rainforest. Occupying less than one percent of the ocean floor, state in India where two exclusive gold mines are being set up
coral reefs are home to more than twenty-five percent of by an Australian-Indian organisation. Bhilwara in Rajasthan
marine life now this is why coral reefs are also called on the has an iron ore mine.
rainforests of the oceans. 32. Among the following cities, which one lies on a
29. Momentum for Change: Climate Neutral Now is an longitude closest to that of Delhi? [IAS 2018]
initiative launched by [IAS 2018] (a) Bengaluru (b) Hyderabad (c) Nagpur (d) Pune
(a) The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Exp. (a) The longitude of Delhi is 77° East E and Bengaluru
(b) The UNEP Secretariat lies closest to Delhi in terms of longitude. Hyderabad and
(c) The UNFCCC Secretariat Nagpur are further on the East.
(d) The World Meteorological Organisation. These are shown as follows:

Exp. (c) Climate Neutral Now is an initiative launched by the Cities North Latitude East Latitude
UN Climate Change Convention (UNFCCC) in 2015, aiming at Delhi 28.7041° N 77.1025° E
encouraging and supporting all levels of society to take
Bengaluru 12.9716° N 77.5946° E
climate action to achieve a climate neutral world by
mid-century as enshrined in the Paris Agreement. The initiative Hyderabad 17.3850° N 78.4867° E
therefore invites companies, organisations, governments and Nagpur 21.1458° N 79.0882° E
citizens to work towards climate neutrality by reducing their Pune 18.5204° N 73.8567° E
262 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

33. Which of the following has/have shrunk immensely/ 3. Pulicat Lake is spread over two states only.
dried up in the recent past due to human activities? Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
1. Aral sea 2. Black sea (a) 1 and 2 (b) Only 3
(c) 2 and 3 (d) 1 and 3
3. Lake Baikal
Select the correct answer using the code given below. Exp. (b) 1. The Indian Himalayan Region (IHR) is the section
(a) Only 1 (b) 2 and 3 of the Himalayas within India, spanning the states of Jammu &
(c) Only 2 (d) 1 and 3 [IAS 2018] Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Arunachal
Pradesh, as well as the hill regions of two states - Assam and
Exp. (d) Aral Sea is the fourth largest lake in the world. It has West Bengal.
reached a new low, due to decades-old water diversions for
2. Western Ghats starts near the border of Gujarat and
irrigation and a more recent drought. Satellite imagery
Maharashtra, South of the Tapti river, and runs
released by NASA shows that the Eastern basin of Aral sea is
approximately 1600 km (990 mi) through the states of
now completely dry. Lake Baikal is the largest lake in the
Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu
world. In the recent times, water level in Baikal has dropped to
ending at Kanyakumari, at the Southern tip of India.
a critical low point which is counting it to get dried up in future.
3. Pulicat lake straddles the border of Andhra Pradesh and
34. If you travel by road from Kohima to Kottayam, what is Tamil Nadu States.
the minimum number of states within India through
which you can travel, including the origin and the
39. Consider the following statements : [IAS 2017]
destination? [IAS 2017] The nation-wide ‘Soil Health Card Scheme’ aims at
(a) 6 (b) 7 1. expanding the cultivable areas under irrigation.
(c) 8 (d) 9 2. enabling the banks to assess the quantum of loans to be
Exp. (b) As per Google maps, shortest road route passes granted to farmers on the basis of soil quality.
through : 3. checking the overuse of fertilizers in farmlands.
Nagaland (Kohima) – Assam – West Bengal – Odisha – Which of the above statements is/are correct?
Andhra Pradesh – Tamil Nadu – Kerala(Kottayam). (a) 1 and 2 (b) Only 2
(c) 2 and 3 (d) 1,2 and 3
35. At one of the places in India, if you stand on the
seashore and watch the sea, you will find that the sea
Exp. (b) Soil Health Management(SHM) under National
water recedes from the shore line a few kilometeres and Mission for Sustainable Agriculture(NMSA)
comes back to the shore, twice a day, and you can Soil Health Management (SHM) is one of the most important
actually walk on the sea floor when the water recedes. interventions under NMSA.SHM aims at promoting Integrated
This unique phenomenon is seen at [IAS 2017] Nutrient Management (INM) through judicious use of chemical
(a) Bhavnagar (b) Bheemunipatnam fertilizers including secondary and micro nutrients in
(c) Chandipur (d) Nagapattinam conjunction with organic manures and bio-fertilizers for
improving soil health and its productivity, strengthening of soil
Exp. (c) The beach is unique in that the water recedes up to 5 and fertilizer testing facilities to provide soil test based
km during the ebb tide.When the tide is in, locals trawl for recommendations to farmers for improving soil fertility;
small fish along the coast. It also gives tourists rare ensuring quality control requirements of fertilizers,
opportunity to walk over the seafloor. bio-fertilizers and organic fertilizers under Fertilizer Control
36. Which of the following is geographically closest of Great Order, 1985; upgradation of skill and knowledge of soil testing
Nicobar? [IAS 2017]
laboratory staff, extension staff and farmers through training
and demonstrations; promoting organic farming practices etc.
(a) Sumatra (b) Borneo
(c) Java (d) Sri Lanka 40. According to the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 which of
Exp. (a) The distance between Great Nicobar islands and the following animals cannot be hunted by any person
Banda Aceh of Sumatra is hardly 200 km. Other places except under some provisions provided by law?[IAS 2017]
mentioned in the options have a greater distance from Great 1. Gharial
Nicobar.
2. Indian wild ass
37. Mediterranean Sea is a border of which of the following 3. Wild buffalo
countries? [IAS 2017] Select the correct answer using the code given below :
1. Jordan 2. Iraq (a) Only 1 (b) 2 and 3
3. Lebanon 4. Syria (c) 1 and 3 (d) 1, 2 and 3
Select the correct answer using the code given below : Exp. (d) The Government of India subsequently accorded the
(a) 1, 2 and 3 (b) 2 and 3 highest level of protection to Gharial by bringing it under
(c) 3 and 4 (d) 1, 3 and 4 Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. In 1976, Project
Exp. (c) Lebanon and Syria share a border with the Crocodile was initiated with support from the United Nations
Mediterranean Sea. Development Programme and Food and Agriculture
Organisation.
38. Consider the following statements : [IAS 2017]
The Indian wild ass is native to Southern Asia. As of 2016, it is
1. In India, the Himalayas are spread over five states only. listed as near threatened by IUCN. Wild buffalo is also listed
2. Western Ghats are spread over five states only. under the Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
Magbook ~ Solved Paper 1 263
41. From the ecological point of view, which one of the 44. In the context of mitigating the impending global
following assumes importance in being a good link warming due to anthropogenic emissions of carbon
between the Eastern Ghats and the Western Ghats? dioxide, which of the following can be the potential sites
(a) Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve [IAS 2017] for carbon sequestration? [IAS 2017]
(b) Nallamala Forest 1. Abandoned and uneconomic coal seams
(c) Nagarhole National Park 2. Depleted oil and gas reservoirs
(d) Seshachalam Biosphere Reserve 3. Subterranean deep saline formations
Exp. (a) Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve, Sathyamangalam Select the correct answer using the code given below :
Wildlife Sanctuary and Tiger Reserve is a protected area and (a) 1 and 2 (b) Only 3 (c) 1 and 3 (d) 1, 2 and 3
tiger reserve along the Western Ghats in the Indian state of Exp. (d) Capturing CO 2 from the major stationary sources and
Tamil Nadu. its storage into deep geological formations is considered as a
Sathyamangalam forest range is a significant wildlife corridor potential mitigation option. Geological storage of CO2 can be
in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve between the Western Ghats undertaken in a variety of geological settings in sedimentary
and the rest of the Eastern Ghats and a genetic link between basins.
the four other protected areas which it adjoins, including the The options for CO 2 are as follows
Billigiriranga Swamy Temple Wildlife Sanctuary, Sigur • Depleted oil and gas reservoirs
Plateau, Mudumalai National Park and Bandipur National • Deep unmineable coal seams/enhanced coalbed methane
Park.
(ECBM) recovery
42. Due to some reasons, if there is a huge fall in the • Oceans
population of species of butterflies, what could be its • Deep unused saline water-saturated formations
likely consequence/consequences? [IAS 2017] • Other geological media are basalts, shales and cavities
1. Pollination of some plants could be adversely affected. • Subterranean deep saline formations.

2. There could be a drastic increase in the fungal infections 45. The term ‘M-STrIPES’ is sometimes seen in news in the
of some cultivated plants. context of [IAS 2017]
3. It could lead to a fall in the population of some species of (a) Capative breeding of Wild Fauna
wasps, spiders and birds. (b) Maintenance of Tiger Reserves
Select the correct answer using the code given below : (c) Indigenous Satellite Navigation System
(a) Only 1 (b) 2 and 3 (d) Security of National Highways
(c) 1 and 3 (d) 1, 2 and 3 Exp. (b) The full form of M-STrIPES is Monitoring System for
Exp. (c) Statement 1 True, as butterflies play an important Tigers’-Intensive Protection and Ecological Status. It’s a
role in pollination. software monitoring system launched by the Indian government
Statement 2 There is no direct relation between butterflies in 2010 in some tiger reserves. The aim is to reduce
and reducing fungal infections in plants. vulnerability of tigers. The system would enable field managers
Statement 3 Huge fall in the population of species of to assist intensity and spatial coverage of patrols in a
butterflies would lead to a disruption of food chains, Geographic Information System (GIS) domain.
ecosystem and pollination, and hence, a fall in population of
some species of (dependent) wasps, spiders and birds. 46. In India, if a species of tortoise is declared protected
under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972,
43. It is possible to produce algae based biofuels, but what what does it imply? [IAS 2017]
is/are the likely limitation(s) of developing countries in (a) It enjoys the same level of protection as the tiger.
promoting this industry? [IAS 2017]
(b) It not longer exists in the wild, a few individuals are under
1. Production of algae based biofuels is possible in seas captive protection; and now it is impossible to prevent its
only and not on continents. extinction.
2. Setting up and engineering the algae based biofuel (c) It is endemic to a particular region of India.
production requires high level of expertise/technology (d) Both (b) and (c) stated above are correct in this context.
until the construction completed.
Exp. (a) Tiger is also an animal included in Schedule-I of
3. Economically viable production necessitates the setting Wildlife Protection Act 1972. Hence, tortoise in said question
up of large scale facilities which may raise ecological also will enjoy same level of protection.
and social concerns.
Select the correct answer using the code given below : 47. Recently there was a proposal to translocate some of the
lions from their natural habitat in Gujarat to which one of
(a) 1 and 2
the following sites? [IAS 2017]
(b) 2 and 3
(c) 3 only (a) Corbett National Park
(d) 1,2 and 3 (b) Kuno Palpur Wildlife Sanctuary
(c) Modumalai Wildlife Sanctuary
Exp. (b) The term third generation biofuel has only recently (d) Sariska National Park
enter the mainstream it refers to biofuel derived from algae,
from ponds and open reservoirs, Photobioreactors – These
Exp. (b) Wildlife Institute of India researchers confirmed that the
are the most advanced and thus most difficult systems to Palpur-Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary is the most promising location
implement, resulting in high capital costs. to re-establish a free ranging population of Asiatic lions and
certified it ready to receive its first batch of translocated lions
264 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

from Gir Wildlife Sanctuary where they are highly 2. Its partners are either governments or local urban
overpopulated. There are large scale deaths in the population authorities only.
annually because of ever increasing competition due to animal 3. UN-Habitat contributes to the overall objective of the
overcrowding. Asiatic lion prides require large territories but United Nations system to reduce poverty and to promote
there is limited space at Gir wildlife sanctuary, which is boxed access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation.
in on all sides by heavy human habitation. Select the correct answer using the the code given below :
The Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary was selected as the reintroduction (a) 1, 2 and 3 (b) 1 and 3 (c) 2 and 3 (d) Only 1
site for the endangered Asiatic lion because it is in the former
range of the lions before it was hunted into extinction in about Exp. (b) The United Nations Human Settlements Programme,
1873. otherwise known as UN-Habitat, is the United Nations agency
responsible for human settlements. UN-Habitat is mandated
48. With reference to ‘Global Climate Change Alliance’, to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns
which of the following statements is/are correct? and cities, with the goal of providing adequate shelter for all.
[IAS 2017] UN-Habitat contributes to the overall objective of the United
1. It is an initiative of the European Union. Nations system to reduce poverty and promote sustainable
2. It provides technical and financial support to targeted development. Its partners range from governments and local
developing countries to integrate climate change into their authorities to a wide cross-section of Non- governmental
development policies and budgets. organisations and civil society groups. UN-Habitat, the United
3. It is coordinated by World Resources Institute (WRI) and Nations Human Settlements Programme, is mandated by the
World Business Council for Sustainable Development UN General Assembly to promote socially and
(WBCSD). environmentally sustainable towns and cities. It is the focal
Select the correct answer using the code given below : point for all urbanisation and human settlement matters within
the UN system.
(a) 1 and 2 (b) Only 3 (c) 2 and 3 (d) 1, 2 and 3
Exp. (a) 51. Consider the following statements : [IAS 2017]
1. The GCCA was established by the European Union (EU) in 1. Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) to reduce short lived
2007 to strengthen dialogue and cooperation with climate pollutants is a unique initiative of G20 group of
developing countries, in particular least developed countries.
countries (LDCs) and small island developing States 2. The CCAC focuses on methane, black carbon and
(SIDS). hydrofluorocarbons.
2. The GCCA acts as a source of technical and financial Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
support for the world’s most climate-vulnerable countries, (a) Only 1 (b) Only 2
whose populations need climate finance the most. Extra (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
efforts will be made to strengthen the strategically Exp. (b) 1. The Climate and Clean Air Coalition to Reduce
important issues of ecosystems-based adaptation, Short-Lived Climate Pollutants (CCAC) was launched by the
migration and gender equality. United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and six
49. Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) is a standard criterion countries— Bangladesh, Canada, Ghana, Mexico, Sweden,
for [IAS 2017] and the United States—on February 16, 2012. It is the only
(a) Measuring oxygen levels in blood global effort that unites governments, civil society and private
(b) Computing oxygen levels in forest ecosystems sector, committed to improving air quality and protecting the
(c) Pollution assay in aquatic ecosystems climate in next few decades by reducing short-lived climate
pollutants across sectors.
(d) Assessing oxygen levels in high altitude regions
2. The Coalition’s initial focus is on methane, black carbon,
Exp. (c) Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) also called and HFCs.
Biological oxygen demand is the amount of dissolved oxygen
needed (i.e., demanded) by aerobic biological organisms to 52. If you want to see Gharials in their natural habitat,
break down organic material present in a given water sample which one of the following is the best place to visit?
at certain temperature over a specific time period. The BOD (a) Bhitarkanika Mangroves (b) Chambal River [IAS 2017]
value is most commonly expressed in milligrams of oxygen (c) Pulicat Lake (d) Deepor Beel
consumed per litre of sample during 5 days of incubation at Exp. (b) Today three widely separated breeding
20°C and is often used as a surrogate of the degree of organic subpopulations of Gharial (fresh water crocodile) are left in
pollution of water. BOD can be used as a gauge of the India (Chambal River, Girwa River and Son River) and one in
effectiveness of wastewater treatment plants. It is listed as a Nepal (Rapti/Narayani River).
conventional pollutant in the US Clean Water Act.
53. With reference to ‘Red Sanders’, sometimes seen in the
50. With reference to the role of UN-Habitat in the United news, consider the following statements [IAS 2016]
programme working towards a better urban future,
which of the statements is/are correct? [IAS 2017] 1. It is a tree species found in a part of South India.
1. UN-Habitat has been mandated by the United Nations 2. It is one of the most important trees in the tropical rain
General Assembly to promote socially and forest areas of South India.
environmentally sustainable towns and cities to provide Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
adequate shelter for all. (a) Only 1 (b) Only 2
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
Magbook ~ Solved Paper 1 265
Exp. (a) Red Sanders which has been classified as 57. What is/are unique about ‘Kharai camel’, a breed found
endangered in 1997 in IUCN is endemic to forests of in India? [IAS 2016]
Seshachalam, Veliganda and Palakonda hill range distributed
1. It is capable of swimming upto three kilometres in
in districts of Hadapa, Chittur and Nellore of Andhra Pradesh.
seawater.
It is also found in isolated parts of Tamil Nadu.
2. It survives by grazing on mangroves.
The tree is valued for the rich red colour of its wood (wood is
not aromatic). 3. It lives in the wild and cannot be domesticated.
Uses Select the correct answer using the codes given below
(a) 1 and 2 (b) Only 3 (c) 1 and 3 (d) 1, 2 and 3
1. Lumber, so for making bridge and in Japanese musical
instrument. Exp. (a) Kharai camel or Swimming camel is found only in
2. Medicinal uses. Gujarat’s Bhuj area. It has been recently recognised as a
It is found in tropical dry deciduous forest. separate breed (one among nine such breeds found in India) of
camel for better conservation. This camel is adapted to the
54. Consider the following pairs [IAS 2016] extreme climate of Ran of Kachh where shallow seas and high
Famous place Region salinity is prevalent. Kharai camal can live in both coastal and
dry ecosystems. It grazes on saline/mangrove trees and is
1. Bodhgaya Baghelkhand tolerant to high saline water. It can swim upto three kilometres
2. Khajuraho Bundelkhand into the sea in search of mangroves, their primary food. The
3. Shirdi Vidarbha camel is distinct from other camels because of its rounded
4. Nasik (Nashik) Malwa back, long and thin legs and small feet.
5. Tirupati Rayalaseema The breed having less than 10000 population is identified as
endangered, it can get special recognition and care.
Which of the pairs given above are correctly matched?
Maatdhari community’s livelihood is interwind with that the
(a) 1, 2 and 4 (b) 2, 3, 4 and 5
Kharai camel.
(c) 2 and 5 (d) 1, 3, 4 and 5
Exp. (c) Malwa region includes districts of Western Madhya 58. Recently, our scientists have discovered a new and
Pradesh and parts of South-Eastern Rajasthan. Baghelkhand distinct species of banana plant which attains a height
covers the North-Eastern regions of Madhya Pradesh and a of about 11 metres and has orange-coloured fruit pulp.
small area of Western Uttar Pradesh. In which part of India has it been discovered? [IAS 2016]
(a) Andaman Islands
Vidarbha is the Eastern region of the Indian State of
(b) Anaimalai Forests
Maharashtra, comprising Nagpur division and Amravati
(c) Maikala Hills
division.
(d) Tropical rain forests of North-East
55. In which of the following regions of India are you most Exp. (a) Scientists at Botanical Survey of India have
likely to come across the ‘Great Indian Hornbill’ in its discovered a new species of banana from a remote tropical
natural habitat? [IAS 2016]
rain forest on the little Andaman Islands. It is in Krishna Nalah
(a) Sand deserts of North-West India forest in the Island. The scientists have described it as a
(b) Higher Himalayas of Jammu and Kashmir distinct global species with unique green flowers and fruits
(c) Salt marshes of Western Gujarat bunch lux (axis), thrice the size of regular banana species.
(d) Western Ghats
Exp. (d) Great Hornbill or Great Indian Hornbill is one of the 59. Which of the following is/are the advantage/advantages
of practising drip irrigation?
larger members of the hornbill family. It is found in South and
South-East Asia. They are also found in Western Ghats. Under 1. Reduction in weed 2. Reduction in soil salinity
IUCN Red List, Great Indian Hornbill comes under Near 3. Reduction in soil erosion
Threatened. Select the correct answer using the codes given below
(a) 1 and 2 (b) Only 3
56. Which of the following is/are tributary/tributaries of (c) 1 and 3 (d) None of these
Brahmaputra? [IAS 2016]
Exp. (c) Drip irrigation is a very efficient way of irrigation which
1. Dibang 2. Kameng 3. Lohit
not only saves water, but also reduces fertiliser consumption.
Select the correct answer using the codes given below It is more directed way of irrigation in which water is slowly
(a) Only 1 (b) 2 and 3 (c) 1 and 3 (d) 1, 2 and 3 supplied to the root of plant by channel of pipes, valves,
Exp. (d) The Brahmaputra basin spreads over countries of tubing and nozzle. Drip irrigation requires little bit of
Tibet (China), Bhutan, India and Bangladesh. In India, it investment as it requires motor, valves and network of pipes
spreads over states of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, West which are needed to be laid in the ground.
Bengal, Meghalaya, Nagaland and Sikkim. The Brahmaputra Drip irrigation controls the soil erosion as regulated volume of
river originates in the North from Kailash ranges of Himalayas water is being used so there will be no flooding and soil will
just South of the lake called Konggyu Tsho. The principal remain intact but in usual irrigation, flooding can be there and
tributaries of the river joining from right are the Lohit, the it will cause removal of top layer of soil so there will be soil
Dibang, the Subansiri, the Jiabharali, the Dhansiri, the erosion. Due to excess of water, growth of weeds are
Kameng, the Manas, the Torsa, the Sankosh and the Teesta promoted but in drip irrigation water available to weeds is less
whereas the Burhidihing, the Desang, the Dikhow, the Dhansiri so there number will be reduced. Sometime excessive
and the Kopili join it from left. irrigation causes problem of soil salinity but this problem will
not happen in case of drip irrigation.
266 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

If in options ‘all three correct’ would have been given then all three (d) It is one of the multilateral REDD+ initiatives hosted by
would be right but in this question limited choice has been the World Bank.
provided, so among them reduction of weed and reduction of soil Exp. (a) The Green House Gas Protocol (GHGP) provides
erosion will be best choice.
accounting and reporting standards, sector guidance,
60. With reference to an initiative called ‘The Economics of calculation tools, and training for business and government.
Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB)’, which of the It establishes a comprehensive, global, standardised
following statements is/are correct? [IAS 2016] framework for measuring and managing emissions from
1. It is an initiative hosted by UNEP, IMF and World Economic Private and Public sector operations, value chains,
Forum. products, cities and policies.
2. It is a global initiative that focuses on drawing attention to the 63. With reference to ‘Agenda 21’, sometimes seen in the
economic benefits of biodiversity. news, consider the following statements [IAS 2016]
3. It presents an approach that can help decision-makers 1. It is a global action plan for sustainable development.
recognise, demonstrate and capture the value of ecosystems
2. It originated in the World Summit on Sustainable
and biodiversity.
Development held in Johannesburg in 2002.
Select the correct answer using the codes given below
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 and 2 (b) Only 3 (c) 2 and 3 (d) 1, 2 and 3
(a) Only 1 (b) Only 2
Exp. (c) The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB) (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
is a global initiative focused on “making nature’s values visible”.
Exp. (a) Agenda 21 is yet another outcome of the 1992
Its principal objective is to mainstream the values of biodiversity
Earth Summit which was held in Rio de Janeiro. It is the
and ecosystem services into decision-making at all levels. It aims
‘Voluntary’ action plan of the United Nations (UN) related to
to achieve this goal by following a structured approach to
sustainable development. This 40 point document was a
valuation that helps decision-makers recognise the wide range of
comprehensive blueprint of action to be taken globally,
benefits provided by ecosystems and biodiversity, demonstrate
nationally and locally by organisations of the UN,
their values in economic terms and, where appropriate.
governments, and major groups in every area in which
In March 2007, environment ministers from the G8+ 5 countries
humans directly affect the environment. For implementation
meeting in Potsdam, Germany proposed to initiate the process of
of these points, a Commission on Sustainable Development
analysing the global economic benefit of biological diversity, the
was established as a high level forum on sustainable
costs of the loss of biodiversity and the failure to take protective
development. The United Nations Division for Sustainable
measures versus the costs of effective conservation. In response
Development acts as the secretariat to the Commission and
to this proposal, a global study was jointly initiated that same year
works within the context of Agenda 21.
by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment (BMUB) and
the European Commission (EC), to be led by Pavan Sukhdev. 64. ‘Gadgil Committee Report’ and ‘Kasturirangan
Committee Report’, sometimes seen in the news, are
61. Which of the following statements is/are correct? related to [IAS 2016]
Proper design and effective implementation of UN-REDD+ (a) constitutional reforms
Programme can significantly contribute to [IAS 2016] (b) Ganga Action Plan
1. protection of biodiversity (c) linking of rivers
2. resilience of forest ecosystems (d) protection of Western Ghats
3. poverty reduction Exp. (d) Both the committee reports are related to the
Select the correct answer using the codes given below protection and conservation of Western Ghats. These
(a) 1 and 2 (b) Only 3 (c) 2 and 3 (d) 1, 2 and 3 committees were formed during the tenure of UPA
Exp. (d) REDD+ functions Government.
1. Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Gadgil Committee Report said that 94-97% area of the
Degradation (REDD) Western Ghats should be considered as eco-sensitive.
2. Conservation of forest carbon stocks However, panel has not recommended a ban on
3. Sustainable management of forests hydroelectric projects in the zone which was banned in
4. Enhancement of forest carbon stocks Gadgil report. For dams, it has demanded an
5. Reducing poverty uninterrupted ecological flow of at least 30% level of the
rivers flow till individual baselines for dams are set. No
62. What is ‘Greenhouse Gas Protocol’? [IAS 2016] thermal power is allowed in report. Red industries which
(a) It is an international accounting tool for government and are highly polluting are strictly banned in these areas.
business leaders to understand, quantify and manage
greenhouse gas emissions. 65. Consider the following statements [IAS 2016]
(b) It is an initiative of the United Nations to offer financial 1. The International Solar Alliance, was launched at the
incentives to developing countries to reduce greenhouse gas United Nations Climate Change Conference in 2015.
emissions and to adopt eco-friendly technologies. 2. The Alliance includes all the member countries of the
(c) It is an inter-governmental agreement countries ratified by all United Nations.
the member countries of the United Nations to reduce Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
greenhouse gas emissions to specified levels by the year (a) Only 1 (b) Only 2
2022. (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
Magbook ~ Solved Paper 1 267
Exp. (a) International Solar Alliance, the COP-21 Climate Exp. (b) Intended Nationally Determined Contribution
Conference was held in Paris, France from 30th November to identifies the actions a national government intends to take
12th December, 2015. During this conference, India and under the Paris Agreement agreed in December 2015 at the
France have launched the International Solar Alliance (ISA). 21st session of the Conference of the Parties (CoP 21). These
Under this alliance, 121 countries that fall within the tropics are therefore, the basis of post-2020 global emissions
(i.e. between Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn) have reduction commitments included in the climate agreement.
been invited to make collaborative efforts to harness solar In their Intended Nationally Determined Contributions,
energy to generate the electricity. Most of these countries fall UNFCCC parties requested to outline the steps they are
within Asia, Africa and South America. taking/will take to reduce emission at national level.
Objectives There are three objectives behind the International
69. What is/are the importance/importances of the ‘United
Solar Alliance. Firstly, to force down prices by driving
Nations Convention to Combat Desertification’?
demand; secondly, to bring standardisation in solar
technologies and thirdly, to foster research and development. 1. It aims to promote effective action through innovative
national programmes and supportive international
66. In the cities of our country, which among the following partnerships.
atmospheric gases are normally considered in 2. It has a special/particular focus on South Asia and North
calculating the value of Air Quality Index? [IAS 2016] Africa regions, and its Secretariat facilitates the allocation
1. Carbon dioxide 2. Carbon monoxide of major portion of financial resources to these regions.
3. Nitrogen dioxide 4. Sulfur dioxide 3. It is committed to bottom-up approach, encouraging the
5. Methane participation of local people in combating the
Select the correct answer using the codes given below desertification. [IAS 2016]
(a) 1, 2 and 3 Select the correct answer using the codes given below
(b) 2, 3 and 4
(a) Only 1 (b) 2 and 3
(c) 1, 4 and 5
(c) 1 and 3 (d) 1, 2 and 3
(d) 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5
Exp. (c) The United Nations Convention to Combat
Exp. (b) In the year 2015, Air Quality Index has been brought Desertification is an international agreement adopted in 1994.
into use. Index gives information regarding the level of
It seeks to improve land productivity, to restore (to preserve)
particular pollutant present in the environment. This data
land, to establish more efficient water usage and to introduce
suggests about the air quality standard. In India, Air Quality
sustainable development in the affected areas.
Index measures following eight pollutants - SO2 ,
It is particularly committed to actively encouraging the
NO2 , CO, O3 , Pb, PM2.5 , PM10 and NH. Air quality index has
participation of local populations to respond to government
given colour codes for different level amount of pollutant and
decision made on desertification issues. It aims to combat
their harmful effects. Air quality index is working in around
desertification and ease the effects of drought in those
twenty cities of country.
countries seriously affected by drought and/or desertification.
67. Consider the following statements [IAS 2016]
70. With reference to ‘Organisation for the Prohibition of
1. The Sustainable Development Goals were first proposed Chemical Weapons (OPCW)’, consider the following
in 1992 by a global think tank called the ‘Club of Rome’. statements [IAS 2016]
2. The Sustainable Development Goals have to be achieved
1. It is an organisation of European Union in working relation
by 2030.
with NATO and WHO.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) Only 1 (b) Only 2 2. It monitors chemical industry to prevent new weapons
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 from emerging.
3. It provides assistance and protection to State (Parties)
Exp. (b) The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), officially
against chemical weapons threats.
known as transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for
Sustainable Development, are an intergovernmental set of Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
aspiration goals with 169 targets. The goals are contained in (a) Only 1 (b) 2 and 3
paragraph 54 United Nations Resolution A/RES/70/1 of 25th (c) 1 and 3 (d) 1, 2 and 3
September, 2015. Exp. (b) The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical
Weapons (OPCW) is an independent, autonomous
68. The term ‘Intended Nationally Determined
international organisation with a working relationship with the
Contributions’ is sometimes seen in the news in the
United Nations.
context of [IAS 2016]
(a) pledges made by the European countries to rehabilitate 71. Which one of the following countries of South-West Asia
refugees from the war-affected Middle East. does not open out to the Mediterranean Sea? [IAS 2015]
(b) plan of action outlined by the countries of the world of (a) Syria (b) Jordan
combat climate change. (c) Lebanon (d) Israel
(c) capital contributed by the member countries in the Exp. (b) The countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea are
establishment of Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. Spain, France, Monaco, Italy, Albania, Greece, Turkey, Syria,
(d) plan of action outlined by the countries of the world Lebanon, Israel, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco and
regarding Sustainable Development Goals. Malta.
268 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

72. In India, in which one of the following types of forests is West moving currents near Eastern Brazil Coast. This leads to
teak a dominant tree species? [IAS 2015] the rise the equatorial counter current in the direction of low
(a) Tropical moist deciduous forest level of water (i.e., in the Eastern part). Our Earth rotates from
West to East hence, the piled up water comes down on its
(b) Tropical rain forest
Eastern side and flows in Eastern direction.
(c) Tropical thorn scrub forest
(d) Temperate forest with grasslands 77. Consider the following rivers [IAS 2015]
Exp. (a) 1. Vamsadhara 2. Indravati
3. Pranahita 4. Pennar
73. In India, the steel production industry requires the Which of the above are tributaries of Godavari?
import of [IAS 2015]
(a) 1, 2 and 3 (b) 2, 3 and 4 (c) 1, 2 and 4 (d) 2 and 3
(a) saltpetre (b) rock phosphate
(c) coking coal (d) All of these Exp. (d) The Godavari (1465 km) is the second longest river
of India after the Ganges. It rises near Trimbak in the Nasik
Exp. (c) The coal found in India is mainly of non-coking
district of Maharashtra. Its area spreads over 312812 sq. km
quality, and hence coking coal has to be imported. 70% of the
(49% in Maharashtra, 20% in Madhya Pradesh, 23% in Andhra
steel produced today uses coal. Metallurgical coal (or coking
Pradesh). Its principal tributaries include Purna, Pravava,
coal) is a vital ingredient in the steel making process. Coking
Manjira, Penganga, Wainganga, Wardha, Pranahita, Indravati,
coal is converted to coke by driving off impurities to leave
Maner, Pench and Sebari.
almost pure carbon. During the iron-making process, a blast
Vamsadhara is an independent river in Odisha which
furnace is fed with the iron ore, coke and small quantities of
originates from Nayagarh hills and fells into Bay of Bengal.
fluxes (minerals, such as limestone, which are used to collect
Pennar (Penneru) river rises from Nandi hills in Karnataka. It is
impurities).
not a tributary of Godavari river.
74. In the South Atlantic and South-Eastern Pacific regions Hence, option (d) is correct
in tropical latitudes, cyclone does not originate. What is
the reason? [IAS 2015]
78. Which one of the following regions of India has a
combination of Mangrove forest, Evergreen forest and
(a) Sea surface temperatures are low.
Deciduous forest? [IAS 2015]
(b) Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone seldom occurs.
(a) North Coastal Andhra Pradesh
(c) Coriolis force is too weak.
(b) South-West Bengal
(d) Absence of land in those regions.
(c) Southern Saurashtra
Exp. (a) The most proximate reasons for the lack of cyclone (d) Andaman and Nicobar Islands
formation in the South Atlantic are sea surface temperatures
Exp. (d)
that tend to run a shade cooler than ideal for tropical cyclone
formation even in the Southern summer, climatologically high 79. Consider the following States [IAS 2015]
values of vertical wind shear across that basin throughout the 1. Arunachal Pradesh 2. Himachal Pradesh
year, and a lack of pre-existing centers of rotation (vorticity) in 3. Mizoram
that area. In which of the above States do ‘Tropical Wet Evergreen
75. Which one of the following pairs of states of India Forests’ occur?
indicates the Easternmost and Westernmost state? (a) Only 1 (b) 2 and 3
(a) Assam and Rajasthan [IAS 2015]
(c) 1 and 3 (d) All of the above
(b) Arunachal Pradesh and Rajasthan Exp. (c) Tropical wet evergreen forests are typical rain forests
(c) Assam and Gujarat which grow in those areas where the annual rainfall exceeds
(d) Arunachal Pradesh and Gujarat 250 cm, the annual temperature is about 25°-27°C, the
Exp. (d) Sir Creek in Gujarat is the Westernmost part of India, average annual humidity exceeds 77% and the dry season is
while Arunachal Pradesh is the most Eastern part/State of distinctly short.
India which shares its boundary with China and Myanmar. The true evergreen forests are found along the Western side of
Sir Creek is highlighted often in the news due to its dispute the Western Ghats (between 500 to 1390 m above sea level),
between India and Pakistan. South of Mumbai, in a strip running from North-East to
South-West direction across Arunachal Pradesh, Upper Assam,
76. What explains the Eastward flow of the equatorial Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura up to a height of 1070
counter-current? [IAS 2015] m and in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Evergreen forests
(a) The Earth’s rotation on its axis are not found in Himachal Pradesh, where it is characterised by.
(b) Convergence of the two equatorial currents Alpine and Sub-Alpine type of forests
(c) Difference in salinity of water Hence, option (c) is correct.
(d) Occurrence of the belt of calm near the equator 80. The term ‘Goldilocks Zone’ is often seen in the news in
Exp. (b) There are two equatorial current following from East the context of [IAS 2015]
to West direction around the Equator—North Equatorial and (a) the limits of habitable zone above the surface of the Earth
South Equatorial Current. A counter equatorial current flows in (b) regions inside the Earth where shale gas is available
the opposite direction (i.e. from West to East). There is a high (c) search for the Earth-like planets in outer space
piling of waters taking place due to convergence of this to (d) search for meteorites containing precious metals
Magbook ~ Solved Paper 1 269
Exp. (c) Terrestrial planets are also more likely to lie in the 83. ‘Bio-Carbon Fund Initiative for Sustainable Forest
Goldilocks Zone. Also called the Habitable Zone or Life Zone, Landscapes’ is managed by the [IAS 2015]
the Goldilocks region is an area of space in which a planet is (a) Asian Development Bank
just the right distance from its home star so that its surface is
(b) International Monetary Fund
neither too hot nor too cold. Earth, of course, fills that bill,
(c) United Nations Environment Programme
while Venus roasts in a run away greenhouse effect and Mars
exists as a frozen, arid world. In between, the conditions are (d) World Bank
just right so that liquid water remains on the surface of the Exp. (d) The Bio-Carbon Fund Initiative for Sustainable Forest
planet without freezing or evaporating out into space. Landscapes (ISFL) is a multilateral fund, supported by donor
governments and managed by the World Bank. It seeks to
81. Which one of the following National Parks has a climate promote reduced Green House Gas emissions from the land
that varies from tropical to sub-tropical, temperate and
sector, from deforestation and forest degradation in developing
arctic? [IAS 2015]
countries (REDD+), and from sustainable agriculture, as well as
(a) Khangchendzonga National Park smarter land-use planning, policies and practices.
(b) Nandadevi National Park
(c) Neora Valley National Park 84. Which one of the following is the best description of the
(d) Namdapha National Park
term ‘ecosystem’ ? [IAS 2015]
(a) A community of organisms interacting with one another
Exp. (d) Namdapha National Park is located in Arunachal
(b) That part of the Earth which is inhabited by living organisms
Pradesh. It includes all the three major physiographic entities
(c) A community of organisms together with the environment
of the Eastern Himalaya. Climate varies from tropical to
in which they live
sub-tropical temperate and Arctic.
(d) The flora and fauna of a geographical area
Nandadevi National Park is located in the Himalayan
mountains. Nandadevi is characterised by temperate to Arctic Exp. (c) Ecosystem is a community of living organisms in
type of climate and winters are very cold, Mixed coniferous conjunction with the non-living components of their
forest including deodar, Mixed deciduous forest and environment interacting as a system.
Sub-alpine forest. Ecosystem varies greatly in size from a small pond to a large
Khangchendzonga National Park is located in the forest or a sea. Many ecologists regard the entire biosphere as
North-Western part of the state, set-up in 1977. The type of a global ecosystem, as a composite of all local ecosystems on
climate is temperate to Arctic, characterised by Wet temperate Earth. It can be divided into two basic categories namely the
forest, Sub-alpine forest etc. terrestrial and the aquatic. Forest, grassland and desert are
Neora Valley National Park is located near the border with some examples of terrestrial ecosystems; while pond, lake,
Western Bhutan. Characterised by sub-topical climate with wetland, river and estuary are some examples of aquatic
very heavy rain during monsoon season, and forest types ecosystem.
are—Terai and Bhabhar sal forests, Hollock forest, Moist 85. Which of the following National Parks is unique in being
mixed deciduous forest etc. a swamp with floating vegetation that supports a rich
82. With reference to ‘Forest Carbon Partnership Facility’, biodiversity? [IAS 2015]
which of the following statements is/are correct? (a) Bhitarkanika National Park
[IAS 2015] (b) Keibul Lamjao National Park
1. It is a global partnership of governments, businesses, (c) Keoladeo Ghana National Park
civil society and indigenous peoples. (d) Sultanpur National Park
2. It provides financial aid to universities, individual Exp. (b) Keibul Lamjao National Park is located in Manipur.
scientists and institutions involved in scientific forestry Loktak lake is the famous site of this park. It is the only park
research to develop eco-friendly and climate adaptation with floating vegetation in India. Eld’s deer/thamin or
technologies for sustainable forest management. brow-entered deer (Panolia eldii), which is an endangered
3. It assists the countries in their ‘REDD + (Reducing species, is found in Keibul Lamjao National Park.
Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Bhitarkanika National Park is located in Kendrapara district of
Degradation + )’ efforts by providing them with financial Odisha. Dominant species in this park are giant salt water
and technical assistance. crocodiles, Indian python, king cobra, olive ridley turtles (one of
the famous species of this park); white bellied sea eagle.
Select the correct answer using the codes given below
(a) Only 1 Keoladeo National Park is located in Bharatpur (Rajasthan).
(b) 2 and 3 Important species of this park are Siberian crane, stork,
(c) 1 and 3 sambhar, chital, coot, heron, teal etc.
(d) All of the above Sultanpur National Park is located in Sultanpur which is few
kilometres away from Gurgaon (Haryana) which is a bird
Exp. (c) The Forest Carbon Partnership facility is a global paradise. It is famous for its migratory as well as resident birds.
partnership of governments, businesses, civil society, and
indigenous peoples focused on reducing emissions from 86. With reference to ‘dugong’, a mammal found in India,
deforestation, forest stock conservation, the sustainable which of the following statements is/are correct?
management of forests and the enhancement of forest carbon 1. It is a herbivorous marine animal. [IAS 2015]
stocks in developing countries.
2. It is found along the entire coast of India.
270 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

3. It is given legal protection under Schedule I of the Wildlife 89. Which of the following statements regarding ‘Green
Protection Act, 1972. Climate Fund’ is/are correct? [IAS 2015]
Select the correct answer using the codes given below 1. It is intended to assist the developing countries in
(a) 1 and 2 (b) Only 2 adaptation and mitigation practices to counter climate
(c) 1 and 3 (d) Only 3 change.
Exp. (c) The skin of ‘dugong’ is thick and covered everywhere 2. It is founded under the aegis of UNEP, OECD, Asian
with fine hair which gives prickly appearance in certain lights. Development Bank and World Bank.
They live in shallow, sheltered coastal waters where they feed Select the correct answer using the codes given below
upon sea-grasses and algae (herbivorous). (a) Only 1
They are not known to ascend rivers or to venture far out to sea. (b) Only 2
At present, three areas of the Indian coast have population of (c) Both 1 and 2
dugong— the Gulf of Kutch, the Gulf of Mannar, the Andaman (d) Neither 1 nor 2
and Nicobar Islands. It is given legal protection under Exp. (a) The Green Climate Fund (GCF) is a fund within the
Schedule-1 of the Wildlife Protection Act 1972. As in the framework of the UNFCCC founded as a mechanism to
Andaman Islands, dugong has almost disappeared. They were redistribute money from the developed to the developing
hunted by mainland settlers for their meats and oil, and have world, in order to assist the developing countries in
also suffered from a loss of natural habitat (sea-grass beds). adaptation and mitigation practices to counter climate
Hence, option (c) is correct. change.
87. What is Rio+20 Conference, often mentioned in the news? Hence, option (a) is correct.
[IAS 2015]
90. Which of the above pairs is/are correctly matched?
(a) It is the United Nations Conference on Sustainable
Development. Region Well-known for the Production of
(b) It is a Ministerial Meeting of the World Trade Organisation. 1. Kinnaur : Areca nut
(c) It is a conference of the Inter-governmental Panel on 2. Mewat : Mango
Climate Change.
(d) It is a Conference of the Member Countries of the 3. Coromandel : Soya bean [IAS 2014]
Convention on Biological Diversity. Codes
(a) 1 and 2 (b) Only 3
Exp. (a) Rio+20, the short name for the United Nations (c) All of these (d) None of these
Conference on Sustainable Development, take place in Rio de
Janeiro, Brazil (in June, 2012), twenty years after the landmark Exp. (d) All the options are incorrect. The regions well known
1992 Earth Summit in Rio. At the Rio+20 Conference, world for the production of the above crops are – Madhya Pradesh
leaders, along with thousands of participants from the Private for Soya bean, Maharashtra for Mango and Karnataka for
Sector, NGOs and other groups, came together to shape how 91. Consider the following statements regarding ‘Earth
we can reduce poverty, advance social equity and ensure Hour’
environmental protection on an ever more crowded planet.
1. It is an initiative of UNEP and UNESCO. [IAS 2014]
The official discussions focussed on two main themes:
2. It is a movement in which the participants switch off the
(i) How to build a green economy to achieve sustainable
lights for 1 hour on a certain day every year.
development and lift people out of poverty.
3. It is a movement to raise the awareness about the
(ii) How to improve international coordination for sustainable
climate change and the need to save the planet.
development.
Which of the statement(s) given above is / are correct?
88. Which one of the following is associated with the issue of (a) Only 2
control and phasing out of the use of ozone-depleting (b) 1 and 3
substances? [IAS 2015] (c) 2 and 3
(a) Bretton Woods Conference (d) All of the above
(b) Montreal Protocol
Exp. (c) Earth hour is a worldwide movement for the planet
(c) Kyoto Protocol
organised by the World Wide Fund for nature (WWF).
(d) Nagoya Protocol
It is a movement in which the participants (individuals,
Exp. (b) The Montreal Protocol on substances that deplete the communities, households etc) turn off the non-essential
ozone layer was designed to reduce the production and lights for the hours from 8.30 pm to 9.30 pm on the last
consumption of ozone depleting substances in order to reduce saturday in March. It is done to engage participants on the
their abundance in the atmosphere, and to protect the Earth’s issue of climate change.
fragile ozone layer.
 PREVIOUS YEARS’ QUESTIONS
SOLVED PAPERS
Set 2
1. With reference to ‘Global Environment Facility’, which of Its main strategies are as follows
the following statements is/are correct? [IAS 2014] 1. Mobilising the best available expertise and knowledge.
(a) It serves as financial mechanism for ‘Convention on 2. Conserving important wetlands.
Biological Diversity’ and ‘United Nations Framework 3. Empowering communities to take action.
Convention on Climate Change’ 4. Advocacy.
(b) It undertakes scientific research on environmental issues Thus, wetlands International is an international NHO and not an
at global level inter-governmental organisation.
(c) It is an agency under OECD to facilitate the transfer of 4. Which of the following phenomena might have influenced
technology and funds to underdeveloped countries with the evolution of organisms? [IAS 2014]
specific aim to protect their environment. 1. Continental drift 2. Glacial cycles
(d) Both ‘a’ and ‘b’ Select the correct answer using the codes given below
Exp. (a) The Global Environment Facility is a partnership for (a) Only 1 (b) Only 2
international cooperation where 183 countries work together (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
with international institution, civil society organisations and the
private sector, to address global environmental issues. Through Exp. (c) Continental drifts has affected the evolution of animals in
its Small Grants Programme (SGP) the GEF has made more different ways. The rearrangement and displacement of huge
than 20000 grants to civil society and community based landmasses has helped creating the diversity which we see today.
organisations for a total of $1 billion. Evidences shows that glacial cycles have also influenced their
evolution.
2. Which of the following pairs is/are correctly matched?
1. Dampa Tiger Reserve : Mizoram [IAS 2014]
5. Other than poaching, what are the possible reasons for
the decline in the population of Ganges River Dolphins?
2. Gumti Wildlife Sanctuary : Sikkim
1. Construction of dams and barrages on rivers. [IAS 2014]
3. Saramati Peak : Nagaland
2. Increase in the population of crocodiles in rivers.
Codes
(a) Only 1 (b) 2 and 3 3. Getting trapped in fishing nets accidentally.
(c) 1 and 3 (d) All of these 4. Use of synthetic fertilizers and other agricultural chemicals
Exp. (c) Dampa Tiger Reserve is located in Mizoram. It is the in crop-fields in the vicinity of rivers.
largest Wildlife Sanctuary in Mizoram and was declared a Tiger Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
Reserve in 1994. Gumti Wildlife Sanctuary is located in Tripura. (a) 1 and 2 (b) 2 and 3
Mount Saramati is a peak of height 3826 m located in (c) 1, 3 and 4 (d) All of these
Nagaland. Exp. (c) Dolphins today are threatened species due to threats
3. With reference to a conservation organisation called like construction of dams, barrages, pollution from industrial
‘Wetlands International’. [IAS 2014] sewage and synthetic fertilizers and other chemicals.
These have fragmented the habitat of Dolphins Ganga river.
1. It is an intergovernmental organisation formed by the
Dolphins faces other threat of being caught in the fishermen’s nest.
countries which are signatories to Ramsar Convention.
2. It works at the field level to develop and mobilise 6. If you walk through countryside, you are likely to see
knowledge and use the practical experience to advocate some birds stalking alongside the cattle to seize the
for better policies. insects, disturbed by their movement through grasses.
Which of the following statement(s) given above is/are Which of the following is/are such bird/birds? [IAS 2014]
correct? 1. Painted Stork 2. Common Myna 3. Black-necked Crane
(a) Only 1 (b) Only 2 Select the correct answer using the codes given below
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 (a) 1 and 2 (b) Only 2
Exp. (b) Wetlands International is the only global not-for-profit (c) 2 and 3 (d) Only 3
organisation dedicated to the conservation and restoration of Exp. (c) The Painted Stork feeds mainly on small fish and not
wetlands. It is deeply concerned about the loss and insects. The Black-necked Crane feeds mainly on waste grains
deterioration of wetlands such as lakes, marshes and rivers. It is and is found in the wetland areas not in greezing field and
dedicated to maintaining and restoring wetlands—for their injector. The Common Myna is the only bird among the three
environmental values as well as for the services they services which feeds on insects.
they provide to people.
272 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

7. With reference to ‘Eco-Sensitive Zones’, which of the Exp. (c) Seasonal reversal of winds is a typical characteristic of
following statements is/are correct? [IAS 2014] the monsoon climate. Monsoon starts from the South-West
direction during summer and reverse their direction and flow
1. Eco-Sensitive Zones are the areas that are declared under
from the North-East direction while returning.
the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 .
2. The purpose of the Declaration of Eco-Sensitive Zones is 12. Which of the following are some important pollutants
to prohibit all kinds of human activities, in those zones released by steel industry in India? [IAS 2014]
except agriculture. 1. Oxides of sulphur 2. Oxides of nitrogen
Select the correct answer using the codes given below 3. Carbon monoxide 4. Carbon dioxide
(a) Only 1 (b) Only 2 Select the correct answer using the codes given below
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 (a) 1, 3 and 4 (b) 2 and 3
Exp. (d) Eco-Sensitive Zones are not declared under the (c) 1 and 4 (d) All of these
Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. Secondly, the Eco-Sensitive Exp. (d) Air pollutants are released form steel industries in India,
Zones prohibit all kinds of human interference in the concerned which includes gaseous substances such as oxides of sulphur,
regions, including agriculture. oxides of nitrogen (mainly NO 2 and NO) oxides of carbon (NO 2
and CO).
8. Consider the following statements [IAS 2014]
1. Animal Welfare Board of India is established under the 13. The most important strategy for the conservation of
Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. biodiversity together with traditional human life is the
2. National Tiger Conservation Authority is a statutory establishment of [IAS 2014]
body. (a) biosphere reserves (b) botanical gardens
3. National Ganga River Basin Authority is chaired by the (c) national parks (d) wildlife sanctuaries
Prime Minister. Exp. (a) Biosphere reserves is an area of land or water that is
Which of the statement(s) given above is/ are correct? protected by law to support the conservation of biodiversity
(a) Only 1 (b) 2 and 3 /ecosystems as well as the sustainable of mankind’s impact on
(c) Only 2 (d) All of the above the environment. Protection is granted not only to the flora and
fauna of the protected region, but also to the human
Exp. (b) Animal Welfare Board of India is the first animal communities who inhabit these regions and their way of life.
welfare organisation to be established by any government in the
world, was set-up in 1962 in accordance with Section 4 of the 14. Turkey is located between [IAS 2014]
Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960. (a) Black sea and Caspian sea
National Tiger Conservation Authority is a statutory body under (b) Black sea and Mediterranean sea
the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. (c) Gulf of Suez and Mediterranean sea
(d) Gulf of Aqaba and Dead sea
9. Which of the following have coral reefs? [IAS 2014]
Exp. (b) Turkey is located between Mediterranean sea to the
1. Andaman and Nicobar islands
South-West and Black sea to the North.
2. Gulf of Kachchh
3. Gulf of Mannar 15. What is the correct sequence of occurrence of the
4. Sunderbans following cities in South-East Asia as one proceeds from
Select the correct answer using the codes given below South to North? [IAS 2014]
(a) 1, 2 and 3 (b) 2 and 4 1. Bangkok 2. Hanoi
(c) 1 and 3 (d) All of these 3. Jakarta 4. Singapore
Exp. (a) Coral reefs are found most abundantly in the Codes
Andaman and Nicobar islands, followed by the Gulf of Mannar (a) 4, 2,1,3 (b) 3,2,4,1 (c) 3,4,1,2 (d) 4,3,2,1
and Gulf of Kachchh. However, coral reefs are not found in the Exp. (c)
Sunderbans. Sunderbans are known only for the Mangrove
forests. 16. The scientific view is that the increase in global
temperature should not exceed 2°C above pre-industrial
10. In India, the problem of soil erosion is associated with level. If the global temperature increases beyond 3 °C
which of the following? [IAS 2014] above the pre-industrial level, what can be its possible
1. Terrace cultivation 2. Deforestation impact/impacts on the world? [IAS 2014]
3. Tropical climate 1. Terrestrial biosphere tends toward a net carbon source.
Select the correct answer using the codes given below 2. Widespread coral mortality will occur.
(a) 1 and 2 (b) Only 2 3. All the global wetlands will permanently disappear.
(c) 1 and 3 (d) All of these
4. Cultivation of cereals will not be possible anywhere in the
Exp. (b) Soil erosion results in huge loss of nutrients in world.
suspension or solution which are washed away from one place to Select the correct answer using the codes given below
another, thus crossing depletion or enrichment of nutrients.
Deforestation is one of main causes of soil erosion in India. (a) Only 1 (b) 1 and 2 (c) 2, 3 and 4 (d) All of these
Exp (b) Carbon is cycled through the terrestrial biosphere
11. The seasonal reversal of winds is the typical increase in global temperature will cause increase in
characteristic of [IAS 2014] evapotranspiration, which acts to reduce soil water content
(a) equatorial climate (b) mediterranean climate leading to 80% reduction of net land CO 2 uptake. As a result,
(c) monsoon climate (d) All of these tropical carbon storage saturates by the end making some
region sources of CO 2 (is net carbon source). Global warming is
Magbook ~ Solved Paper 2 273
expected to accelerate the rate of sea level rise by expanding 21. Consider the following countries [IAS 2014]
ocean water and melting alpine glaciers. This will rise the
frequency of coastal storms and hurricanes, which are threat to 1. Denmark 2. Japan
shorelines wetlands and coastal ecosystems. Vertical mixing of 3. Russian Federation 4. United Kingdom
sea water with coastal water will cause increase in alkalinity 5. United States of America
causes calcification of corals leading widespread coral Which of the above are the members of the ‘Arctic Council‘?
mortality. Increases of global mean temperature cereals one
(a) 1, 2 and 3 (b) 2, 3 and 4 (c) 1, 4 and 5 (d) 1, 3 and 5
pre- industrial levels could reduce rice yield by 10-20%
because food crops are sensitive to climate change. Exp. (d) Members of the Arctic Council are Canada, Denmark,
Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden and United States.
17. What are the benefits of implementing the ‘Integrated
Watershed Development Programme’ (IWDP)? [IAS 2014] 22. Variations in the length of day time and night time from
1. Prevention of soil run-off. season to season are due to [IAS 2013]
2. Linking the country’s perennial rivers with seasonal (a) the Earth’s rotation on its axis
rivers. (b) the Earth’s revolution round the Sun in an elliptical manner
(c) latitudinal position of the place
3. Rainwater harvesting and recharge of groundwater
(d) revolution of the Earth on a tiled axis
table.
4. Regeneration of natural vegetation.
Exp. (d) Different locations on Earth have different durations of
day time and night time depending on their latitudinal position.
Select the correct answer using the codes given below
This is because of the tilt of the axis of the Earth. If the Earth was
(a) 1 and 2 (b) 2, 3 and 4 not tilted every place on Earth will have equal days and nights
(c) 1, 3 and 4 (d) All of these throughout the year. However, the length of days and nights at
Exp. (c) The main objectives of the Integrated Watershed the same latitudes do not remain constant throughout the year.
Development Programme (IWDP) are to restore the ecological
balance by harnessing, concerning and developing degraded
23. The Narmada river flows to the West, while most other
natural resources such as soil, vegetative cover and water.
large peninsular rivers flow to the East. Why? [IAS 2013]
1. It occupies a linear Rift valley.
18. Consider the following statements [IAS 2014] 2. It flows between the Vindhyas and the Satpuras.
1. On the planet Earth, the fresh water available for use 3. The land slopes to the West from Central India.
amounts to about less than 1% of the total water found Select the correct answer using the codes given below
2. Of the total fresh water found on the planet Earth 95% is (a) Only 1 (b) 2 and 3 (c) 1 and 3 (d) None of these
up in polar ice caps and glaciers. Exp. (a) Statement 3 is incorrect as the land slopes to the East
Select the correct answer using the codes given below in this region. Statement 2 is correct, but it is not a reason for the
(a) 1 only (b) 2 only river to flow towards the East. Statement 1 is correct and is the
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 right explanation for Narmada to flow West. Along with Narmada,
Exp. (a) Fresh water comprises of ice caps (68.7%) ground Tapti river also flows through this Rift valley towards the West.
water ( 30.1%) and other sources ( 0.9%). Less than 1% of the
world’s fresh water ( 0.007%) water or Earth is accessible for
24. On the planet Earth, most of the freshwater exists as ice
human use.
caps and glaciers. Out of the remaining fresh water, the
largest proportion [IAS 2013]
19. Lichens, which are capable of initiating ecological (a) is found in atmosphere as moisture and clouds
succession even on a bare rock, are actually a (b) is found in freshwater lakes and rivers
symbiotic association of [IAS 2014] (c) exists as groundwater
(a) algae and bacteria (b) algae and fungi (d) exists as soil moisture
(c) bacteria and fungi (d) fungi and mosses Exp. (c) Of the total water on Earth, the percentage of water in the
Exp. (b) A lichen is a composite organism consisting of a freshwater resources is as follows, ice caps and glaciers (1.74%),
fungus and a photosynthetic partner growing in a symbiotic fresh groundwater (0.76 %), freshwater lakes (0 007%), rivers
relationship. The photosynthetic partner is usually either a (0.002 %) soil moisture (0.001%) and atmosphere (0.001%).
green algae or a cyanobacterium.
25. Which of the following pairs is/are correctly matched?
20. If you travel through the Himalayas, you are likely to see [IAS 2013]
which of the following plants naturally growing there? 1. Nokrek Biosphere Reserve : Garo Hills
1. Oak 2. Rhododendron [IAS 2014] 2. Logtak (Loktak) Lake : Barail Range
3. Sandalwood 3. Namdapha National Park : Dafla Hills
Select the correct answer using the codes given below Codes
(a) 1 and 2 (b) Only 3 (c) 1 and 3 (d) All of these (a) Only 1 (b) 2 and 3
Exp. (a) Oak is found all across the outer Himalayas except (c) All of these (d) None of these
the Kashmir valley. Rhododendron is also found all across the Exp. (a) Pair 1 is correctly matched since the Nokrek Biosphere
Himalayas from Jammu and Kashmir to Sikkim between the Reserve is located in the Garo hills. Pair 2 is incorrectly matched
altitudes of 2400 m and 5200 m, distribution of sandalwood in because Loktak lake is located in the Laimatol range and not the
India in square kilometres is as follows – Karnataka (5245), Barail range. Pair 3 is also incorrectly matched since the
Tamil Nadu (3040), Andhra Pradesh (175), Madhya Pradesh
Namdapha National Park is located far away from the Dafla hills.
(33), Odisha (25), Maharashtra (8), Kerala (7), Uttar Pradesh
While Dafla hills are located in the Western part of Arunachal
(Less than 1). Though it might have been introduced in the
Himalayas, very little of sandalwood is found in the Himalayas. Pradesh, Namdapha is located in the extreme East.
274 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

26. Which one of the following is the correct sequence of 30. In which of the following states is lion-tailed macaque
ecosystems in the order of decreasing productivity? found in its natural habitat? [IAS 2013]
(a) Oceans, lakes, grasslands, mangroves [IAS 2013] 1. Tamil Nadu 2. Kerala
(b) Mangroves, oceans, grasslands, lakes 3. Karnataka 4. Andhra Pradesh
(c) Mangroves, grasslands, lakes, oceans Select the correct answer using the codes given below
(d) Oceans, mangroves, lakes, grasslands (a) 1, 2 and 3 (b) Only 1 (c) 1, 3 and 4 (d) All of these
Exp. (c) Ecological productivity refers to the rate of Exp. (a) Lion-tailed macaque is found in the Western ghats of
generation of biomass in an ecosystem. The ecological India. It is an endangered species, which is found mostly in Kerala
productivity of the above ecosystems is as follows, and Karnataka and the border regions of Tamil Nadu. It is not
mangroves (2500), grassland (500), lakes (500), open ocean found in Andhra Pradesh.
(125). To answer this question try to imagine the density of
biomass in each of the above ecosystems, if you don’t 31. Which of the following is/are unique characteristic/
remember the productivity values of the above ecosystems. characteristics of equatorial forests? [IAS 2013]

27. Contour bunding is a method of soil conservation used 1. Presence of tall, closely set trees with crowns forming a
in [IAS 2013] continuous canopy.
2. Co-existence of a large number of species.
(a) desert margins, liable to strong wind action
3. Presence of numerous varieties of epiphytes.
(b) low flat plains, close to stream courses, liable to
Select the correct answer using the codes given below
flooding
(a) Only 1 (b) 2 and 3 (c) 1 and 3 (d) All of these
(c) scrublands, liable to spread to weed growth
(d) None of the above Exp. (d) Equatorial forests receive a lot of rainfall and light. These
forests are dense and consists of many tall trees competing to get
Exp. (d) Contour bunding is a method of soil conservation, some sunlight. Due to reasons such as favourable weather,
in which stones are placed along the contours of slopes. In
availability of food and water among other, there exist a large
case of a rainstorm water is thus, prevented from eroding the
number of species in these areas and these regions are the most
soil by giving it time to settle into the soil. Since options (a)
biodiversity rich regions of the world. Epiphytes are plants, which
and (c) talk of wind erosion and weed growth they are clearly
grow on top of other plants in a non-parasitic or sometime parasitic
incorrect. Option (b) refers to low flat plains so it is also
manner. The equatorial forests are also rich in many types of
incorrect because contour bunding is used in sloping
epiphytes.
landscapes.
32. Which of the following is/are the characteristic/
28. Consider the following pairs [IAS 2013]
characteristics of Indian coal? [IAS 2013]
National Park River Flowing Through 1. High ash content. 2. Low sulphur content.
the Park
3. Low ash fusion temperature.
1. Corbett National Park Ganga
Select the correct answer using the codes given below
2. Kaziranga National Park Manas (a) 1 and 2 (b) Only 2 (c) 1 and 3 (d) All of these
3. Silent Valley National Kaveri Exp. (a) Indian coal has very high ash content, which varies from
Park 35 to 45% as compared to the 15% in other parts of the world.
Which of the above pairs is/are correctly matched? Indian coal also has a high ash fusion temperature of 1500°C.
(a) 1 and 2 (b) Only 3 However, Indian coal has a low sulphur content at about 0.5%.
(c) 1 and 3 (d) None of these
33. Which of the following statements regarding laterite soils
Exp. (d) None of these pairs are correctly matched. of India are correct? [IAS 2013]
Ramganga is a tributary of Ganga, which flows through
1. They are generally red in colour.
Corbett, but the Ganga itself doesn’t. Similarly Manas does
not flow through Kaziranga and Kaveri does not flow through
2. They are rich in nitrogen and potash.
the Silent Valley National Park. 3. They are well-developed in Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.
4. Tapioca and cashew nuts grow well on these soils.
29. Which of the following adds/add nitrogen to the soil? Select the correct answer using the codes given below
1. Excretion of urea by animals [IAS 2013] (a) 1, 2 and 3 (b) 2, 3 and 4 (c) 1 and 4 (d) 2 and 3
2. Burning of coal Exp. (c) Laterite soils are rich in iron and aluminium. The presence
3. Death of vegetation of iron gives them the red colour. They are poor in nitrogen and
Select the correct answer using the codes given below potash and are not found in Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. They are
(a) Only 1 (b) 2 and 3 primarily found in the tropical regions, which receive heavy
(c) 1 and 3 (d) All of these seasonal rainfall which then causes the leaching of soil. Cashew
Exp. (d) Waste products of animals as well as dead remains nuts require a well drained soil and the laterite soil provide them
of organisms are converted in inorganic ammonia by bacteria with an ideal condition.
in a process called ammonification. This ammonia is then 34. Consider the following statements [IAS 2013]
converted into nitrates or nitrites by nitrosomonas and
Nitrococcus bacteria respectively. Another soil bacteria 1. Natural gas occurs in the Gondwana belts.
Nitrobacter can covert nitrate into nitrite. Burning of coal and 2. Mica occurs in abundance in Kodarma.
other fossil fuels releases previously fixed nitrogen into the 3. Dharwars are famous for petroleum.
atmosphere in the form of nitrogen based trace gases such
as nitric oxide. This is then returned to soil through the regular Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
nitrogen cycle. Thus, all three activities add nitrogen to the (a) 1 and 2 (b) Only 2
soil. (c) 2 and 3 (d) None of the above
Magbook ~ Solved Paper 2 275
Exp. (b) Petroleum and natural gas occurs in the 39. To obtain full benefits of demographic dividend, what
sedimentary rocks of the tertiary period. Gondwana belts should India do? [IAS 2013]
belong to the upper paleozoic and mesozoic periods and (a) Promoting skill development
the Dharwar rocks belong to the late Archean period. Both (b) Introducing more social security schemes
these rocks are of a much older period and consist of (c) Reducing infant mortality rate
mostly metamorphosed rocks and thus, very poor in (d) Privatisation of higher education
petroleum and natural gases. Kodarma lies in Jharkhand
Exp. (a) Demographic dividend means the opportunity provided by
and is quite famous for its mica.
a country’s demographics, in which the working age population is
35. Consider the following crops [IAS 2013] large and the dependent population is small. Thus, to take
1. Cotton 2. Groundnut 3. Rice 4. Wheat advantage of the demographic dividend, it is necessary that the
proportional youth are provided with adequate jobs, for which skill
Which of these are Kharif crops?
development is a must introducing social security scheme not
(a) 1 and 4 (b) 2 and 3 provide any permanent jobs and might even increase dependence
(c) 1, 2 and 3 (d) 2, 3 and 4 on the government. Reducing Infant Mortality Rates will have
Exp. (c) In India, the cultivation seasons are divided into outcomes on the population and is not related to obtaining benefits
Kharif and Rabi. Wheat is a Rabi crop since it requires lower from the demographic dividend. Privatisation of higher education
temperatures. All of the other three are Kharif crops. may or may not improve the quality and access to education.
36. “Climate is extreme, rainfall is scanty and the people 40. Which one of the following can one come across if one
used to be nomadic herders.” The above statement travels through the strait Malacca? [IAS 2013]
best describes which of the following regions? (a) Bali (b) Brunei (c) Java (d) Singapore
[IAS 2013] Exp. (d) Strait of Malacca is situated in between Peninsular and
(a) African Savannah sumatra (Indonesia) and Singapore is situated on the tip of malay
(b) Central Asian Steppe peninsular. So, If one travels through the strait of Malacca,
(c) North American Prairie Singapore will come across.
(d) Siberian Tundra
Exp. (b) The North American Prairie and the African 41. Consider the following phenomena [IAS 2013]
Savannah receive moderate rainfall. The climate of steppes 1. Size of the Sun at dusk. 2. Colour of the Sun at dawn.
is extreme and it receives very little rainfall. The people in the 3. Moon being visible at dawn.4. Twinkle of stars in the sky.
steppes used to be nomadic herders. Though, the Siberian 5. Polestar being visible in the sky.
tundra also has scanty rainfall and extreme climate, it has Which of the above are optical illusions?
not had any large scale herding. (a) 1, 2 and 3 (b) 3, 4 and 5 (c) 1, 2 and 4 (d) 2, 3 and 5
37. During a thunderstorm, the thunder in the sky is Exp. (c) Optical illusion said to take place when the appearance of
produced by the [IAS 2013] something is different from its actual characteristics. Thus, the Moon
1. meeting of cumulonimbus clouds in the sky. being visible at dawn and the polestar being visible in the night sky
2. lightning that separates the nimbus clouds. are not optical illusions because they appear as they are. The
position of the polestar always remains the same because it is
3. violent upward movement of air and water particles.
almost in line with the rotation axis of the Earth.
Select the correct answer using the codes given below Red is the colour, which travels the farthest and the rest of the
(a) Only 1 (b) 2 and 3 colours disperse by the time they reach us. Statement 4 is also
(c) 1 and 3 (d) None of these correct. The twinkle of the stars in the sky is an optical illusion
Exp. (d) Thunder is simply the sound produced by because the light output from stars is almost constant over time and
lightning. Lightning produces a sudden increase in the does not correspond with the twinkle.
pressure and temperature of air surrounding and within the They appear to twinkle because light from the stars has to
belt. This causes a rapid expansion of the air and creates a cross several layers of atmosphere with differing refractive indices to
sonic shock wave, which produces the typical sound reach us. As the atmospheric conditions in the different layers keep
of thunder. chang- ing, the stars also appear to fade and shine at different
times.
38. Consider the following pairs [IAS 2013]
1. Limboo (Limbu): Sikkim 42. A layer in the Earth's atmosphere called Ionosphere
facilitates radio communication, Why? [IAS 2012]
2. Karbi: Himachal Pradesh
1. The presence at ozone causes the reflection of radio waves to
3. Dongaria Kondh: Odisha
Earth.
4. Bonda: Tamil Nadu
2. Radio waves have a very long, wavelength.
Which of the above pairs are correctly matched?
Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
(a) 1, 3 (b) 2, 4
(c) 1, 3 and 4 (d) All of these (a) Only 1 (b) Only 2
(c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2
Exp. (a) The Limbu tribe is found in Sikkim in India. They
are also present in Nepal, Bhutan and Tibet. The Dongaria
Exp. (b) Long wavelength of radio waves help in long distance
Kondh are found in Odisha in the Rayagada. Koraput communications and they get reflected in ionic atmosphere.
and Kalahandi districts. Thus, 1 and 3 are matched 43. Which of the following is the chief characteristic of ‘mixed
correctly. The Karbi on the other hand are found in Assam farming’? [IAS 2012]
and the Bonda in the hill areas of Malkangiri district of (a) Cultivation of both cash crops and food crops
Odisha. (b) Cultivation of two or more crops in the same field
276 Magbook ~ Geography–India and World

(c) Rearing of animals and cultivation of crops together 48. The increasing amount of carbon dioxide in the air is
(d) None of the above slowly raising the temperature of the atmosphere,
Exp. (c) Mixed farming consists of cultivation of crops and because it absorbs [IAS 2012]
rearing of animals simultaneously on the same farm. Generally, (a) the water vapour of the air and retains its heat
dairy farming is done with crop farming. (b) the ultraviolet part of the solar radiation
(c) all the solar radiations
44. A particular State in India has the following (d) the infrared part of the solar radiation
characteristics [IAS 2012]
Exp. (d) Electromagnetic radiation of any part of the spectrum
1. It is located on the same latitude which passes through produces heat (including visible and ultraviolet), but the infrared
Northern Rajasthan. portion is the one which produces the most heat and it is the one
2. It has over 80% of its area under forest cover. which is actually absorbed by the carbon dioxide in the
3. Over 12% of forest cover constitutes Protected Area atmosphere.
Network in this State. 49. Consider the following areas [IAS 2012]
Which one among the following States has all the above 1 .Bandipur 2. Bhitarkanika
characteristics?
3. Manas 4. Sundarbans 
(a) Arunachal Pradesh (b) Assam
Which of the above are Tiger Reserves?
(c) Himachal Pradesh (d) Uttarakhand
(a) 1 and 2 (b) 1, 3 and 4 (c) 2, 3 and 4 (d) All of these
Exp. (a) Arunachal Pradesh satisfies all the conditions given in
the question such as 80% of its area under forest cover, it is Exp. (b) There are 42 tiger reserves in India which are
situated between ‘26°28 and 29°30’ North latitudes which also governed by Project Tiger, which is administered by the National
passes through most of the Northern Rajasthan. 12% of forest Tiger Conservation Authority.
cover constitutes protected area network in this State. Bhitarkanika is a national park located in the Kendrapara district
of Odisha in Eastern India. It is a hot spot of biodiversity and it is
45. Consider the following factors [IAS 2012] the  second largest viable mangrove   ecosystem in India. It is
1. Rotation of the Earth 2. Air pressure and wind popular for salt water crocodiles, birds and turtles.
3. Density of ocean water 4. Revolution of the Earth 50. The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment describes the
Which of the above factors influence the ocean currents? following major categories of ecosystem services-
(a) 1 and 2 (b) 1, 2 and 3 (c) 1 and 4 (d) 2, 3 and 4 provisioning, supporting, regulating, preserving and
Exp. (b) Ocean currents are generated by the forces acting on cultural. Which one of the following is supporting
the water like, Earth’s rotation, wind, temperature difference, service?
salinity difference, gravity and density of the water. (a) Production of food and water [IAS 2012]
(b) Control of climate and disease
46. Consider the following crops of India [IAS 2012]
(c) Nutrient cycling and crop pollination
1. Groundnut 2. Sesamum 3. Pearl millet (d) Maintenance of diversity
Which of the above is/are predominantly rainfed crop/crops? Exp. (c) Ecosystem services are the benefits people obtain
(a) 1 and 2 (b) 2 and 3 from ecosystems. These include provisioning services such as
(c) Only 3 (d) All of the above food and water; regulating services such as flood and disease
Exp. (d) Groundnut is a crop of arid (dry) or semi-arid areas control; cultural services such as spiritual, recreational and
and hence, needs little amount of water and hence, no special cultural benefits and supporting services, such as nutrient
irrigation facilities are needed. . The plant grows best in tropical cycling, that maintain the conditions for life on Earth.
climates (spring to fall). Sesame grows best in sandy well
drained soil with hot climate and moderate rainfall. Pearl millet is
51. Consider the following [IAS 2012]
well adapted to growing areas characterised by  drought, low 1. Black hecked crane 2. Cheetah
soil fertility and high temperature. 3. Flying squirrel 4. Snow leopard
Which of the above are naturally found in India?
47. When you travel in Himalayas, you will see the following
(a) 1, 2 and 3 (b) 1, 3 and 4 (c) 2 and 4 (d) All of these
1. Deep gorges. [IAS 2012]
2. U-turn river courses.
Exp. (b) Cheetahs are no longer naturally found in India. They
used to be here once upon a time and now government thinks
3. Parallel mountain ranges.
to import them and re-introduce them in India. Black necked
4. Steep gradients causing landsliding. crane are found in the North-Eastern states of Indai. Snow
Which of the above can be said to be the evidences for leapords are found in the Western Himalayan region.
Himalayas being young fold mountains?
(a) 1 and 2 (b) 1, 2 and 4 52. A state in India has the following characteristics
(c) 3 and 4 (d) All of the above 1. Its Northern part is acid and semi acid. [IAS 2011]
Exp. (d) All the given features are the characteristics of 2. Its Central part produces cotton.
Himalayas. e.g., the Himalayas have deep gorges of 3. Cultivation of Cash crops is prodominant overfood crops.
Brahmaputra, the Himalayan range is characterised by parallel Which one of the following states has of the above
ranges of mountains like Karakoram greater Himalayas, Shiwalik characteristics?
etc. River system form ox-bow lakes as well as takes U-turn (a) Andhra Pradesh (b) Gujarat
such as a hairpin turn of Brahmaputra river in (c) Karnataka (d) Tamil Nadu
Arunachal Pradesh. Steep gradient at some places in Exp. (b) Both Gujarat and Karnatka have similar geographical
Uttarakhand causes landslides. This phenomena is also features in their Northern territories. But Karnataka doesn’t
common in Jammu and Kashmir. cultivate more cash crops in its northern region.