Class 10 Geography and Environment

India – Industries Of India MCQs

Question 1. The Central Coffee Research Institute of India is located at:
2. Bengaluru
3. Chikmagalur
4. Coimbatore

Answer: 3. Chikmagalur

Question 2. The most important centre of the IT industry in West Bengal is at:
1. Durgapur
2. Kharagpur
3. Sector – V, Salt Lake
4. Siliguri

Answer: 3. Sector – V, Salt Lake Z

Question 3. The petro-chemical industrial centre of West Bengal is located at:
1. Junput
2. Kolkata
3. Sankarpur
4. Halida

Answer: 4. Halida

Read and Learn More WBBSE Class 10 Geography Multiple Choice Question and Answers

Question 4. The required raw materials of the iron and steel industry include:
1. Iron ore
2. Coal
3. Manganese
4. All of them

Answer: 4. All of them

Question 5. The “silicon valley of India” refers to:
1. Chennai
2. Bengaluru
3. Kolkata
4. Delhi

Answer: 2. Bengaluru

Question 6. Kolapur is noted for the industry.
1. Textile
2. Engineering
3. Shipbuilding
4. Aircraft

Answer: 1. Textile

Question 7. Kapurthala is noted for
1. Railengine
2. Rail coach
3. Rail tracks
4. All of these

Answer: 1. Rail engine

Question 8. TISCO is noted for
1. iron &steel
2. Engineering
3. Cotton textile
4. Shipbuilding

Answer: 1. Iron & steel

Question 9. _______ is noted for Heavy Engineering Corporation.
1. Ranchi
2. Mumbai
3. Agra
4. Chennai

Answer: 1. Ranchi

Question 10. mills are situated on the bank of river Hooghly.

1. Jute
2. Cotton
3. Paper
4. None

Answer: 1. Jute

Question 11. HMIT is situated in
1. Bangalore
2. Mumbai
3. Kolkata
4. Chennai

Answer: 1. Bangalore

Question 12. Varanasi is noted for
1. Rail diesel engine
2. Textile
3. Automobile
4. Shipbuilding

Answer: 1. Rail diesel engine

Question 13. Gurgaon is noted for
1. Automobile
2. Rail engine
3. Aircraft
4. Textile

Answer: 1. Automobile

Question 14. Chittaranjan has a factory.
1. Locomotive
2. Rail-Coach
3. Automobile
4. Aircraft

Answer: 1. Locomotive

Question 15. Durgapur is noted for the factory.
1. iron and Steel
2. Textile
3. Automobile
4. Aircraft

Answer: 1. Iron and Steel

Question 16. Coimbatore is noted for the factory.
1. Textile
2. Machinetool
3. Automobile
4. Aircraft

Answer: 1. Textile

Question 17. Bonescdom is the centre of
1. Chemical industry
2. Cotton industry
3. Petrochemical industry
4. Jute industry

Answer: 3. Petrochemical industry

Question 18. On the confluence of the rivers Subarnarekha and Kharkai lies the important iron and steel centre of
1. Durgapur
2. Bhilai
3. Jamshedpur
4. Bokaro

Answer: 3. Jamshedpur

Question 19. Trombay has one industry meant for:
1. Sugar
2. Cotton
3. Petrochemicals
4. Shipbuilding

Answer: 3. Petrochemicals

Question 20. Manchester of India is
1. Mumbai
2. Kanpur
3. Chennai
4. Ahmedabad

Answer: 4. Ahmedabad

Question 21. Ruth of West Bengal or India is:
1. Jamshedpur
2. Sholapur
3. Durgapur
4. Jaunpur

Answer: 3. Durgapur

Question 22. The centre of the largest automobile industry is:
1. Uttarpara
2. Chennai
3. Gurgaon
4. Surajpur

Answer: 3. Gurgaon

Question 23. A famous locomotive industrial centre is:
1. Mumbai
2. Bangalore
3. Kanpur
4. Chittaranjan

Answer: 4. Chittaranjan

Question 24. Vijayanagar is noted for which industry?
1. Chemicals
2. Automobiles
3. Iron and Steel
4. Rail-engine

Answer: 3. iron and Steel

Question 25. Cotton is a
1. Labour based
2. Agro based
3. Mineral-based
4. Raw Material

Answer: 4. Raw material

Question 26. The concentration of the iron & steel industry mainly depends on
1. Raw-material
2. Labour
3. Port
4. Agro-based

Answer: 1. Raw-material

Question 27. The largest iron and steel industry of India under the private sector is situated at
1. Bokaro
2. Bhilai
3. Jamshedpur
4. Ahmedabad

Answer: 3. Jamshedpur

Question 28. The largest shipbuilding centre of India is situated at
1. Vishakhapatnam
2. Haldia
3. Mumbai
4. Jamshedpur

Answer: 1. Vishakhapatnam

Question 29. The first jute mill of India was established at
1. Ghushuri
2. Rishra
3. Kolkata
4. Chittanrajan

Answer: 2. Rishra

Question 30. Arial-engine workshop of West Bengal is situated at
1. Chittaranjan
2. Hindmotor
3. Asansol
4. Kolkata

Answer: 1. Chittaranjan

Question 31. Hyderabad is noted for the industry.
1. Aircraft
2. Rail coach
3. Textile
4. Jute

Answer: 1. Aircraft

Question 32. The first cotton mill in India was established at
1. Maharastra
2. West Bengal
3. Gujarat
4. Jharkhand

Answer: 2. West Bengal

Question 33. The petro-chemical industry has been developed at:
1. Tarapur
2. Thane
3. Trombay
4. Coimbatore

Answer: 1. Trombay and 2. Thane both are correct.

 

India – Agriculture Of India MCQs

Question 1. The salty sea breeze is needed for:
1. Sugar cultivation
2. Tea cultivation
3. Jute cultivation
4. Coffee cultivation

Answer: 1. Sugar cultivation

Question 2. The state which ranks first in the production of rice per hectare is:
1. West Bengal
2. UttarPradesh
3. Punjab
4. Andhra Pradesh

Answer: 3. Punjab

Question 3. Wheat is a
1. Rabi crop
2. Kharif crop
3. Zaid crop
4. Beverage crop

Answer: 1. Rabi crop

Question 4. The state which ranks first in war production in India is:
1. Maharashtra
2. UttarPradesh
3. Bihar
4. West Bengal

Answer: 1. Maharashtra

Read and Learn More WBBSE Class 10 Geography Multiple Choice Question and Answers

Question 5. Bharati is an H.Y.V. seed of
1. Cotton
2. Jute
3. Millet
4. Tea

Answer: 1. Cotton

Question 6. is called the ‘Golden Fibre’.
1. Jute
2. Cotton
3. Tea
4. Coffee

Answer: 1. Jute

Question 7.Teresa crop.
1. Cash
2. Plantation
3. Fibre
4. None of these

Answer: 2. Plantation

Question 8. Shifting cultivation is practised in the
1. Deccan plateau
2. N.E. Hilly States
3. Northern India
4. Gujarat

Answer: 2. N.E. Hilly States

Question 9. ______ is the largest producer of Cotton.
1. Maharashtra
2. Punjab
3. Gujarat
4. Karnataka

Answer: 1. Maharashtra

Question 10. Punjab is famous for the cultivation of
1. Wheat
2. Millet
3. Cotton
4. Coffee

Answer: 1. Wheat

Question 11. Rice is a
1. Kharif crop
2. Rabi crop
3. Fibre
4. Plantation crop

Answer: 1. Kharif crop.

Question 12. The major portion of Indian tea is tea.
1. Black
2. Green
3. Oolong
4. Brick:

Answer: 1. Black

Question 13. The principal source of Indian sugar is
1. Sugarcane
2. Sugar beet
3. Sugar leaf
4. All of these

Answer: 1. Sugarcane.

Question 14. ______ is known asa plantation crop in India.
1. Jute
2. Sugarcane
3. Rubber
4. Wheat

Answer: 3. Rubber.

Question 15. Jhum cultivation is practised in
1. Meghalaya
2. North Bihar plain
3. Godavari Valley
4. Tamil Nadu

Answer: 1. Meghalaya

Question 16. ________ occupies the leading place in the production of coffee and rubber in India.
1. West Bengal
2. Assam
3. Kerela
4. Karnataka

Answer: 4. Karnataka.

Question 17. Rice is an example of
1. Rabi crops
2. Kharif crops
3. Plantation crops
4. None of these

Answer: 2. Kharif crops

Question 18. Kharif crops are sown in the
1. Summer season
2. Autumn season
3. Winter season
4. Spring season

Answer: 2. Autumn season

Question 19. ______ 2 is the leading coffee-producing state in India.
1. Karnataka
2. Kerala
3. West Bengal
4. Tamil Nadu

Answer: 1. Karnataka

Question 20. The most important food crop of India is:
1. Pulse
2. Tea
3. Millets
4. Rice

Answer: 4. Rice

Question 21. India’s rank in the world production of rice is:
1. First
2. Second
3. Third
4. Fourth

Answer: 2. Second

Question 22. India’s position in cotton production is the world is:
1. Seventh
2. Third
3. Fifth
4. First

Answer: 2. Third

Question 23. Sloping land with plenty of rain in the tropical region is ideal for the production of:
1. Rice
2. Wheat
3. Tea
4. Cotton

Answer: 3. Tea

Question 24. The leading fibre crop of India is:
1. Jute
2. Cotton
3. Hem
4. Flax

Answer: 2. Cotton

Question 25. grows well in black soil.
1. Jute
2. Ground nut
3. Cotton
4. Rice

Answer: 3. Cotton

Question 26. Tea is grown in
1. Assam
2. Kashmir
3. Gujarat
4. Chennai

Answer: 1. Assam

Question 27. One of the main cash crops of India is
1. Wheat
2. Rice
3. Cotton
4. Sugarcane

Answer: 3. Rice

Question 28. The main agricultural research centre of India is in
1. Kolkata
2. Cohen
3. Pusa
4. North-eastern hilly states

Answer: 3. Pusa

Question 29. What is the most popular hot drink of the south?
1. Tea
2. Coffee
3. Rice
4. Sugar beet

Answer: 2. Coffee

 

Group A Write The Correct Answer From The Given Alternatives:

Question 1. The process by which, the height of the earth surface increases, is:
1. Aggradation
2. Degradation
3. Weathering
4. Denudation

Answer: 1. Aggradation

Question 2. Deep cracks on the surface of the mountain glacier are called:
1. Nunatak
2. Crevasse
3. Arete
4. Cirque

Answer: 2. Crevasse

Question 3. The annual range of temperature remains minimum in the:
1. Equatorial climatic region
2. Monsoon climatic region
3. Mediterranean climatic region
4. Steppe climatic region

Answer: 1. Equatorial climatic region

Question 4. The cold local wind that blows in the Rhone valley of France is called:
1. Chinook
2. Sirocco
3. Mistral
4. Bora

Answer: 3. Mistral

Question 5. The place, where warm and cold ocean currents converge, is called:
1. Cold wall
2. Iceberg
3. Avalanches
4. Sargassum

Answer: 1. Cold wall

Question 6. When the distance between the earth and the moon is farthest, it is called:
1. Syzygy
2. Perigee
3. Apogee
4. Aphelion

Answer: 3. Apogee

Question 7. In the human body contaminated water may cause:
1. Diarrhoea
2. Asthma
3. Lung cancer
4. Blindness

Answer: 1. Diarrhoea

Question 8. The main basis of state reorganisation in India is:
1. Language
2. Physiographic similarities
3. Similarities in food habits
4. Similarities in economic activities

Answer: 1. Language

Question 9. The source of river Ganga is:
1. Yamunotri Glacier
2. Zemu Glacier
3. Siachen Glacier
4. Gangotri Glacier

Answer: 4. Gangotri Glacier

Question 10. In India the largest multipurpose river valley project is:
1. Bhakra-Nangal
2. Damodar
3. Rihand
4. Hirakund

Answer: 1. Bhakra-Nangal

Question 11. The state, which ranks first in the production of rice per hectare, is:
1. West Bengal
2. Uttar Pradesh
3. Punjab
4. Andhra Pradesh

Answer: 3. Punjab

Question 12. The required raw materials of iron and steel industry include:
1. Iron ore
2. Coal
3. Manganese
4. All of them

Answer: 4. All of them

Question 13. According to the 2011 census, the number of metropolis in India is:
1. 55
2. 53
3. 51
4. 49

Answer: 2. 53

Question 14. The latitudinal and longitudinal extension of million sheet topographical map is:
1. 15°X 15°
2. 30°X30°
3. 1°x 1°
4. 4°x4°

Answer: 4. 4° X 4°

Group B If The Statement Is True, Write ‘True’ And If False, Write ‘False’ Against The Following (Answer Any Six Statements):

Question 1. The altitude of the snowline varies with latitude.
Answer: True

Question 2. Wind velocity is measured with the help of an Anemometer.
Answer: True

Question 3. The salinity of seawater is maximum in the Equatorial region.
Answer: False

Question 4. The highest plateau of India is Deccan Trap.
Answer: False

Question 5. The old alluvial soil of the Ganga plain is called Bhangar.
Answer: True

Question 6. Vishakhapatnam is the only tax-free port of India.
Answer: False

Question 7. Red coloured lines are used to show roads in satellite images.
Answer: False

Fill In The Blanks With Suitable Words (Answer Any Six):

Question 1. Holes formed by abrasion on the river bed are called ______.
Answer: Pothole.

Question 2. ______ is formed by the mixing of dust and fog during winter in industrial regions.
Answer: Fog

Question 3. ______ current causes snowfall in New Foundland.
Answer: Labrador.

Question 4. Waste paper is a ______ type of waste.
Answer: Recyclable

Question 5. Tropical easterly Jet Stream forces ______ wind to blow over India.
Answer: Monsoon

Question 6. The southernmost point of mainland India is ______.
Answer: Kanyakumari

Question 7. _______ is the most populous city of India.
Answer: Mumbai

Answer In One Or Two Words (Any Six):

Question 1. Which type of rainfall is found in the Temperate zone?
Answer: Cyclonic rain

Question 2. Which island of Sundarban was completely submerged due to global warming?
Answer: Lohachara, Needmore.

Question 3. Which type of natural vegetation is found in the desert region of India?
Answer: Xerophytas or Deciduous.

Question 4. On which quarters of the moon, does Neap tide occur?
Answer: Dark and White Half of a lunar month.

Question 5. In which part of the course, is the river Ganga is maximumly polluted?
Answer: Delta or in the old age portion.

Question 6. Name one Zaid crop of India.
Answer: Watermelon

Question 7. Which state of India leads in “Rain-water Harvesting”?
Answer: Tamilnadu

Question 8. Where is the headquarter of ‘Survey of India’ located?
Answer: Dehradun.

Match The Following Left Column With The Right Column:

Left column                                                                                           Right column
The prominence of Ozone gas                                                             1. Gurgaon
Research Institute of Sugarcane                                                           2. Jammu and Kashmir
Largest automobile manufacturing industrial centre                           3. Stratosphere
Karewa                                                                                                  4. Lucknow

Answer:
The prominence of Ozone gas : 3. Stratosphere
Research Institute of Sugarcane: 4. Lucknow
Largest automobile manufacturing industrial centre  1. Gurgaon
Karewa: 2. Jammu and Kashmir

Group C Answer The Following Questions In Brief (Alternatives Should Be Noted):

Question 1. What is denudation?
Answer: Denudation involves the processes of weathering, erosion and transportation together. It is a term derived from the Latin word ‘denudate’ meaning ‘to strip bare’. It, therefore, causes the removal of rock layers from the earth’s surface resulting in the lowering of the land surface.

Or, What is “inversion of temperature”?
Answer: Generally there is a decrease in temperature as we ascend upward above sea level, but sometimes temperature increases as we ascend upward. This is known as “Inversion of temperature”.

Question 2. What is an Inter-tropical convergence zone?
Answer:
Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone: In the winter the Indian climate is influenced by the western disturbances originating from the Mediterranean sea and is characterised by snowfall or rainfall (its influence is seen sometimes up to the plains of West Bengal also). Kashmir, Punjab, and Western U.P. receive snowfall or rain during this time.

Or, State the definition of ocean current.
Answer: The stream of water that flows from one place to another, regularly within the ocean itself, is called an ocean current. Ocean currents are of two types – warm currents and cold currents.

Question 3. Define waste management.
Answer: Some of the easiest ways of management of waste is the ‘3-R1 system, i.e., Reduction, Reuse and Recovery. We can reduce our use of resources. We can reuse them. the materials for packaging, ‘that is, use the same product several times, e.g. bottles, containers, etc. We can recover materials such as glass, paper and metals (like aluminium, cans and steel) from old articles. We can recycle the used items to make new material, e.g. cardboard from used paper.

Or, What do you mean by radioactive waste?
Answer: Wastes which contain radioactive hazards are called radioactive wastes. These wastes are a product of radioactive reactions. For e.g. Uranium dioxide (UQ,), Titanium 99m, Krypton 85, Uranium Hexafluoride (UF6), etc.

Question 4. Where is the Malnad region located?
Answer: Malnad, literally meaning hilly country, is the portion bordering the Sahyadri having an average width of 3 km and a mean elevation of 1,000 m. it is dissected into steep hills and deep valleys. The northern and south-eastern portion of the Mysore (or Karnataka) plateau, an area of rolling plains and granite hills, is called Malnad.

Or, Name two watershed regions of India.
Answer:
1. The Karakoram, the Tibet Himalayas and the Himadri in the north,
2. The Vindhya range in Central India was strengthened by the Satpura-Maikal.

Question 5. What do you mean by millet crops?
Answer: Millet Crops: The term ‘millets’ refers to a number of inferior gains which serve as foodgrains for the poorer sections of society and whose straw makes valuable cattle fodder. The most important millets cultivated in India include jowar (or kolam), bajra (or cumbu) and ragi.

Or, Name one agro-based and one forest-based industry of India.
Answer:
Agro-based industries: Cotton textile, Jute textile, Sugar industry, Flour industry. Forest-based industries: Paper industry, Lumbering industry.

Question 6. State the definition of satellite imagery.
Answer:
Satellite imagery: The images prepared by information sent by the satellites are called satellite imagery. These are prepared by reading and representing the signals sent by the satellites with the help of high technological know-how.

Or, State the use of Representative Fraction (R.F.).
Answer: Commonly known as R.F., this scale is represented as a ratio between ground and map distances. E.g-1:50,000, meaning 1cm on the map represents 50,000 cm on the ground.

Group D Give A Brief Explanatory Answer Of The Following (Alternatives Should Be Noted):

Question 1. State three differences between “Seif dune” and “Barkhan”.
Answer:

Barkhans	Seif dunes
1. The term Barkhan comes from the Turkish word ‘Barkhan’, meaning sand mountain.	1. The term Seif comes from the Arabian word ‘Seif’, meaning a straight sword.
2. Formed like a curve diagonal or perpendicular to wind direction.	2. Formed like straight lines parallel to the wind direction.
3. They are crescent-shaped dunes. The windward side is convex and the leeward side is concave.	3. They are narrow and straight and look like parallel ridges.

Or, Briefly explain any three factors to identify the Mediterranean climate in the Temperature-Rainfall graph.
Answer: Three factors to identify the Mediterranean climate in the Temperature-Rainfall graph:

1. Average annual temp: 13°-18°C.
The annual range of temp: is 6° – 16°C. Average
summer temp: 14°-22°C.
Average winter temp: 10°-14°C.

2. Average annual rainfall:35-75 cm.
3. Identification of hemisphere: If the temperature is higher from May to August, the station belongs to the northern hemisphere. If the temperature is higher from November to February, the station belongs to the southern hemisphere.

Question 2. Briefly discuss any three effects of waste on the environment.
Answer: Environmental impact of wastes: The various effects of wastes on the environment:
1. Dumping of garbage and waste here and there pollutes the place and looks displeasing. This causes light pollution.
2. Poisonous wastes coming from factories pollute the water, soil as well as air. They damage the ecosystem and cause various diseases in plants and animals.
3. The wastes coming from households, agriculture, hospitals and industries disposed of in the soil cause pollution and reduce the fertility of the soil.
4. Poisonous and harmful wastes cause the destruction of the biodiversity of wetlands, forests and water bodies.

Or, Briefly discuss the role of students in waste management from any three perspectives.
Answer:
Role of students in waste management: Efficient and effective waste management is best achieved at household levels. Researchers established that by educating students on recycling health implications and the importance of a clean environment, students show a positive attitude towards waste management. Our education system should include training programmes for the students at the school level so that they develop knowledge about waste, its management and proper disposal.

Question 3. Mention three differences about characteristic features of tropical evergreen and tropical deciduous vegetation of India.
Answer:
Tropical Evergreen Rain Forests: These forests grow in areas where rainfall is more than 200 cm. They are mainly found on the slopes of the western and northeastern regions of Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Assam, Nagaland, the Tarai areas of the Himalayas and the Andaman groups of the Island. The trees in these forests never shed their leaves all at a time in any part of the year.

Under humid tropical conditions, subsoil water never dries up completely. So that during the dry season, trees in these forests do not shed their leaves due to a lack of sub-soil water supply. The trees in these belts have dense — growth. Important varieties of trees are sisham, chaplash, rosewood, mahogany, bamboo, garden and sandalwood.

Or, Explain with examples the influence of raw materials on the development of industries in India.
Answer: The decision regarding the location of a particular industrial activity is guided by the availability of raw materials in a particular area. The earliest industries in India developed near the sources of raw materials. For example, the textile mills of Mumbai received the supply of cotton from Gujarat and the jute mills of the Hooghly region got raw material from the deltaic region of the Ganga.

Similarly, the iron and steel industry is located in the region where iron ore, limestone, manganese and coal are available. The availability of raw materials nearby reduces the cost of transportation. The nature of raw materials also decides the location of industries.

For example, perishable raw materials have to be processed without loss of time before manufacturing. That is why sugar mills are located in areas of sugarcane production.

Availability of iron ore: High-graded iron ores are available in Singbhum district of Jharkhand, Mayurbhanj, Bonai and Sundargarh district of Orissa, and Dhalli-Rajhara of Durg district, Bailadila of Bastar district of Chhattisgarh. It determines the location of Iron and Steel plants in East and Central India.
Availability of Coal: Like iron ores, coal is essential for Iron and Steel plants. The Jharia coalfield of Jharkhand supplies high-quality coal. Coal fields are also located in the East-Central parts of India such as Raniganj, Bokaro, Giridih, Korba, Talcher, etc. It is one of the most important factors causing this concentration.
The concentration of the other raw materials: Other raw materials for Iron and Steel plants are manganese, limestone, dolomite, water and others. They are also available in the Eastern-Central parts of the country. It also encourages its development.

Question 4. Briefly discuss about three main characteristic features of satellite imageries.
Answer: Characteristics of satellite Images:
The characteristics of satellite images are as follows:
1. These are produced in digital form.
2. Satellite images are generated from line scanners and digital cameras.
3. a Basic element of these images is a pixel.
4. They possess row and column structures.
5. Scan lines may be observed.
6. Zero is a value that does not indicate the absence of data.
7. Images can be generated for any part of the Electro-Magnetic (EM) spectrum.
8. Every point on the image has a certain digital number.
9. Colour of the image can be changed during processing.

Or, Mention the merits and demerits of remote sensing.
Answer:
Merits of satellite imageries:
1. The imageries can give a synoptic view of the earth in 23 cm x 23 cm maps. Also, some imageries may represent an area as large as 30,000sq. km in one map.
2. Information of resources and physical processes working in rugged and difficult terrains can be gathered easily. Information regarding oceans are also available.
3. Clear images of the earth can be taken even if there is heavy cloud cover.
4. The information gathered is digital in nature, hence they can be analysed easily with precision with the help of computers, 5. Weather forecasts and regular updates regarding physical processes can be gathered.

Demerits of satellite imageries:
1. Images cannot be taken in cloud cover without the help of microwave sensors.
2. Critical survey of minute areas is not possible.
3. The actual height or size of any object cannot be determined accurately.
4. Similar objects lying adjacent to each other are difficult to assess and explain.
5. The whole process of acquiring imageries is very expensive.

Group E Answer Any Two Questions From The Following:

Question 1. Describe with sketches three major landforms developed by erosional work of rivers.
Answer:
The major landforms developed by the erosional work of rivers are described as follows:
1. V-shaped valley: The valley formed by a river in its upper course in which lateral erosion is greater than vertical erosion is known as a V-shaped valley as it resembles the English alphabet V. This valley is so narrow and the sides are so steep that gorges are formed.

2. l-Shaped valley: The valley formed by a river in its upper course in which vertical erosion is much greater than lateral erosion is known as an l-shaped valley as it resembles the English alphabet T. This valley is very narrow and very deep. It is also called Canyon.

3. Interlocking spur: A series of spurs lies between the banks of the river. As the main channel twists from side to side, so the spurs are described as ‘interlocking’.

4. Waterfalls: When a stream plunges down a very steep slope over a cliff, it forms a waterfall. India’s highest waterfall, Jog falls, (289.08 m) is on the river Sharavati.

Question 2. Explain the factors responsible for the formation of equatorial low-pressure belt and polar high-pressure belts.
Answer:
Pressure Belts: The atmosphere is immensely heated due to high temperatures. The landmass is heated through insolation and the air close to the surface is heated through conduction. The heated air moves upwards giving place to low pressure.

Thus, a vacuum is created to fill the gap air from a low-temperature area, i.e., air from a high-pressure region comes. Thus, the winds blow from high-pressure areas to low-pressure areas.

1. Equatorial low-pressure belt: All along the equator and between 5° north and 5° south of the equator, a low-pressure belt exists. This is due to

(1) The vertical rays of the sun throughout, intense heat is caused. The hot air rises upwards as convection currents expand,
(2) Presence of a large amount of water vapour makes the air lighter and
(3) rotational force of the earth throws the air from the earth’s surface to make the pressure light. The movement of air is not horizontal but vertical these ascending air are called air currents with very little winds or horizontal movement of air. Thus, the region is known also as the Belt of Calm or Doldrums.

2. Polar High-Pressure Belt: Around the North Pole and South Pole high pressure belts are found due to extreme cold, and very little centrifugal force. Here the region is frozen throughout the year and the temperature is always low.

Question 3. Give an account of the occurrence of orographic rainfall with a suitable example and diagram.
Answer:
Orographic or Relief rain: When clouds on their way dash against hills, plateaus, etc., they rise up. Higher up the clouds condense and then rain falls on the slopes of the mountain and the plateaus. When it goes to the other (opposite) side of the hills, plateaus, etc., it is left with little water vapour.

Therefore, the rainfall is much less on the opposite side. This type of rain is called relief rain as it is caused mainly due to the relief of the land. The opposite side of the hill where the rainfall is much less is called the rain shadow area. The Deccan plateau is an example of a rain-shadow region in India. Orographic or Relief rain.

Question 4. Explain the causes responsible for the development of high tides and ebb.
Answer: Tides are the periodic rise and fall of the ocean twice in about 24 hrs. Tides are formed because of the following factors
1. Rotation of the earth: The earth is continuously spinning on its axis. This movement causes the development of centrifugal force. Due to the effect of centrifugal force, the water on the earth’s surface has a tendency to move away. This causes high tides to be formed in the seas.
2. Attraction of the earth by the Sun & the Moon: According to Newton’s law of gravity, all objects on the universe attract another object. The attraction of the moon is much more effective because the sun is 380 times further than the moon. Therefore, high and low tides are influenced by lunar attraction.

3. When the moon is directly over the sea, water piles up and causes high tide there. The tides move in a great wave around the earth following the movement, of the moon except where the presence of land stops them. Places on the rotating earth facing the moon experience maximum pull by the moon and enjoy high tide. This is known as Primary tide. Places of the earth opposite to places experiencing primary tides enjoy secondary tides due to the centrifugal force of the earth.

Question 5. State the differences between the physical characteristics of North and South Indian rivers.
Answer:

Question 6. Give a brief account of the alluvial and black soils of India.
Answer:
1. Alluvial Soil: These soils occupy about 46% of the total land area of the country. Content — The soil is composed of sand, silt, pebbles, and sediments brought down by rivers. The older alluvium or Bhangar soil is mainly composed of clay and contains kankar (lime nodules), pebbles and gravel. The newer alluvium called khadar is mostly sandy.

Characteristics:
1. Colour: These soils are mostly light (pale brown) to dark in colour depending on their time of deposition (young khadar or old bhangra).
2. Texture: Their texture ranges from coarse-grained (upper section) to fine-grained (lower section).
3. Minerals present: Rich in potash and humus but deficient in phosphorous and nitrogen.
4. Crops associated: Alluvial soil is very productive. Wheat, sugarcane, oilseeds, pulses, rice, jute, etc. are grown On this soil.
5. Regional distribution: The soil is found in vast riverine tracts of Sutlej, Ganga and Brahmaputra, in the Northern plains, in the deltas of Godavari, Krishna and Kaveri rivers. The states of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Assam, Odisha and other coastal (Eastern) states have alluvial soil.

2. Black Soil: This soil covers 16.6% of the total land area of India and is also called regur (derived from the Telegu word regular) and black cotton soil. Composition — The soil is composed of basic lava spread during volcanic activity in the Deccan plateau region.

Characteristics:
1. Colour: The soil varies in colour from black to chestnut brown, medium black or even a mixture of red and black.
2. Texture: They are fine-grained with more than 60% of clay.
3. Minerals present: Black soils contain lime, alumina, iron, potash, magnesium carbonates and calcium. They are deficient in phosphate and nitrogen.
4. Crops associated: Because of their high fertility and moisture retentive capacity, crops like cotton wheat, rice, sugarcane, groundnut, tobacco, jowar, fruits and vegetables are grown on it.
5. Regional distribution: They are common in the Deccan Trap region covering Maharashtra, parts of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.

Question 7. State favourable physical conditions required for cultivation of wheat.
Answer: The favourable conditions for growing cotton are:

Geographical:
1. Temperature: 23° – 32°C with an average around 27°C.
2. Sunshine: Plenty of sunshine during the growing period and cooler conditions during harvest.
3. Rainfall: 50-80 cm of rainfall well-distributed during the growing period. But rainfall is injurious after the budding period.
4. Frost: At least 200 frost-free days are required.
5. Soil: Black cotton soil or regular soil is the best for cotton.
6. Land: Flat or undulating land with good drainage and no water logging is good for cotton.

Economic:
1. Labour: Much labour is required for planting, thinning of seedlings, hoeing, an inspection of pests, picking of balls, etc.
2. Transport: Good transport system helps in carrying raw cotton to factories and finished products to markets.
3. Fertilisers and pesticides: Cotton is highly soil-exhaustive. Hence fertilisers are necessary to maintain soil fertility. Pesticides are used to control pest attacks.
4. HYV: High yielding variety of seeds like MCU-4, MCU-5, Hybrid-4, Sujata, Varalaxmi, etc. help to raise the yield of cotton per hectare.

Question 8. Discuss the importance of the transportation system in India.
Answer: Importance of Transportation System:
1. A vast country requires a good network of transport systems to connect one end to another. Travelling even to remote areas is made possible with a developed transport system.
2. Transport system helps to raise the production of raw materials, fuels, machinery, etc. by providing a market to them. A good market demands large-scale production.

3. Well-developed transport system helps in establishing industries in any area. Raw materials, fuels or machinery can be sent at the right time through a well-knit transport network and this helps to run an industry smoothly.
4. A developed transport system facilitates the setting up of industries even in backward areas.

5. The mobility of the labour force increases if there is a good network of transport. Thus they help to solve the problem of unemployment also.
6. By helping to establish industries transport system affects the economic development of a country.

7. Good transport system helps to protect the people from the difficulties of war and natural calamities, as the transfer of military equipment, soldiers or shifting of people evacuated from any area necessitated a well-integrated transport network.
8. Besides all these, the transport system helps to establish relationships among people of different parts of a country and thus strengthen unity and brotherhood among the people.

 

Geography Class 10 West Bengal Board India – Soils Of India True Or False Type:

Question 1. The soil composed of pebbles, sands and silts, found along the foothills of Siwalik is called the bet.
Answer: True

Question 2. The old alluvial soil of the Ganga plain is called Bhangar.
Answer: True

Question 3. Black soil is mixed with lime and potash.
Answer: True

Read and learn all WBBSE Solutions For Class 10 Geography And Environment

Question 4. Saline soil is mainly found in the coastal region.
Answer: True

Question 5. Mountain soil is suitable for cultivation.
Answer: False

Geography Class 10 West Bengal Board

Question 6. Bhabar soil is unsuitable for agriculture.
Answer: True

Question 7. Podzol soil is found in the Ganga Plain.
Answer: False

Question 8. Duns are flat-floored structural valleys.
Answer: True

Question 9. Black soil is good for the cultivation of cotton.
Answer: True

Question 10. An agent of sheet erosion is wind.
Answer: True

Question 11. Soil erosion can be checked by afforestation.
Answer: True

Question 12. Laterite soil is organic in character.
Answer: False

Question 13. Khadar soil is found in the Ganga Plain.
Answer: False

Question 14. Black soil is also known as chernozem.
Answer: True

Question 15. Red soil is mixed with iron oxide.
Answer: True

Question 16. Saline soil is suitable for agriculture.
Answer: False

Question 17. Soil erosion is a menace to agriculture.
Answer: True

Question 18. The Black cotton soil is locally known as regur in Maharashtra.
Answer: True

Question 19. The coastal region of India is hardly composed of Red soil.
Answer: False

Question 20. Mountain soil is suitable for cultivation.
Answer: False

Class 10 Geography West Bengal Board India – Soils Of India Fill In the Blanks Type:

Question 1. ______ soil is ideal for the growth of mangrove forests.
Answer: Coastal.

Question 2. New alluvium is called _____ soil.
Answer: Khadar.

Question 3. In deltaic regions and on deserts, soils are ______.
Answer: Saline.

Geography Class 10 West Bengal Board

Question 4. Tarai soils are composed of ______ and coarse grains.
Answer: Gravels.

Question 5. Podzol soil is mainly found in ______ region.
Answer: Mountain.

Question 6. Black soil is suitable for ______ cultivation.
Answer: Cotton.

Question 7. Desert soil has no ______ holding capacity.
Answer: Water.

Question 8. Rill erosion is mainly done by _______.
Answer: Wind.

Question 9. Gully erosion is mainly done by running ______.
Answer: Water.

Question 10. _______ erosion is responsible for heavy rainfall.
Answer: Sheet.

Question 11. ______ land is not suitable for agriculture.
Answer: Bhabar.

Question 12. There are ______ types of soil found in India.
Answer: Seven.

Question 13. Black soil is mainly found in _____ and its adjoining areas.
Answer: Maharashtra.

Question 14. Laterite soil is mainly found in _____.
Answer: Karnataka.

Question 15. ______ soil is mainly found in the Upper & Middle Ganga Plains.
Answer: Khadar.

Question 16. ______ is the old alluvial soil, found in the Ganga Plain.
Answer: Bhangar.

Geography Class 10 West Bengal Board

Question 17. Lands between two rivers are called _______.
Answer: Doabs.

Question 18. ______ land is not suitable for agriculture.
Answer: Bhabar.

School Geography Class 10 WBBSE India – Soils Of India Very Short Answer Type:

Question 1. Name a farming technique which prevents soil erosion on the hill slopes.
Answer: Terrace Farming / Contour Farming / Strip Farming.

Question 2. State the importance of terrace cultivation.
Answer: Terrace cultivation or cultivation on hill slopes by cutting terraces along the slope, significantly reduces the gradient and prevents soil erosion by washing away to a great extent.

Question 3. What is soil?
Answer: Soil is the uppermost layer of the earth’s crust on which trees and plants exist.

Question 4. Which soil is very much productive?
Answer: Alluvial soils are very much productive

Geography Class 10 West Bengal Board

Question 5. Which is the most fertile soil in India?
Answer: Alluvial soil.

Question 6. Where do you find Black soil in India?
Answer: Maharashtra, Gujarat, M.P. and parts of Karnataka.

Question 7. Where do you find saline soil in India?
Answer: Saline soil is found in coastal regions.

Question 8. For which crops black soil is suitable?
Answer: Cotton, Sugarcane and Jowar.

Question 9. For which crops laterite soil is suitable?
Answer: Laterite soil is not at all suitable for agriculture. But coffee, rubber, and tea can be produced here by adding fertilizer.

Question 10. For which crop saline soil is suitable?
Answer: Coconut production.

Question 11. Where is the Soil Research Institute of India located?
Answer: It is in Pune.

Question 12. For what crops red soils are suitable?
Answer: Sugarcane, cotton, tobacco, rice, jute.

Question 13. For what crop Podzol soil is suitable?
Answer: For apples, oranges and other fruits.

Geography Class 10 West Bengal Board

Question 14. Mention the types of soil erosion.
Answer: Gully erosion, Sheet erosion and Rill erosion.

Question 15. In which part of India can laterite soil be found?
Answer: South India.

Question 16. What is the other name for Black soil?
Answer: Regur soil.

Question 17. What is the main characteristic of desert soil?
Answer: Desert soil contains coarse brown sands. This is very porous.

Class 10 Geography West Bengal Board India – Soils Of India 2 Marks Questions And Answers:

Question 1. What is soil erosion?
Answer: The washing away or the removal of soil from the upper portion of the earth’s crust due to the action of water, wind, waves, etc. is known as soil erosion.

Question 2. What is leaching?
Answer: Leaching is the process of formation of laterite soil by the removal of minerals by excessive heating and rainfall. :

Question 3. What is Bhabar?
Answer: Bhabar is a kind of soil made up of coarse pebbles, cemented with silt, porous in nature which is mainly found on the foothills of the Himalayas.

Question 4. What is Podzol soil?
Answer: These are the soils formed below the mountain soil mainly mixed with boulders, clays, and rotten leaves of trees. Podzol soils are not fertile.

Question 5. What is meant by ‘Regur’?
Answer: Regur is a soil found in large quantities in the Deccan Trap region of India. They are made up of volcanic rocks or lava flows. Therefore, the colour of the soil is black and sometimes called Black soil or lava soil. These soils are fertile and suitable for the cultivation of cotton, sugarcane, wheat and groundnut.

Question 6. In which regions of India Laterite soil and Mangrove forests are found?
Answer: Laterite soils are found in Orissa, Karnataka, and Maharashtra. Mangrove forests are found in Sunderban in West Bengal.

Class 10 Geography West Bengal Board

Question 7. Why is the black soil of India fertile?
Answer: Black soil of India is fertile because its special merit lies in it. water holding capacity and contains a high percentage of lime and a moderate amount of potash.

Question 8. What is Soil?
Answer: Soil is the end product of rock consisting of some minerals like iron, phosphorous, sulphur, potassium, etc. as well as organic matter (Humus).

Question 9. What is ‘Khadar’?
Answer: New riverine alluvial soil of Gangetic plain is known as Khadar and it is lighter in colour and finer than older alluvium. This soil is found in flood plains of Indo-Gangetic plains.

Question 10. Write briefly two characteristics of Alluvial soils.
Answer: The characteristics of Alluvial soils are:
1. They are generally fertile soils which are brought by rivers.
2. They are rich in potash and contain adequate phosphoric acid and lime.

Question 11. What is Bhangar?
Answer: Bhangar is old alluvium darker in colour than newer alluvium. This soil is acidic in nature and contains humus found in old flood plains, far from river banks.

Question 12. What are the characteristics of red soil?
Answer: This soil is rich in iron and not very fertile, moisture retaining capacity is low.

Question 13. Write three characteristics of laterite soil.
Answer:
1. Laterite soil is red in colour.
2. Low moisture retaining; a capacity that’s why it is infertile.
3. The soil is heavily leached, so aluminium accumulates at the surface.

Question 14. What are the characteristics of desert soil?
Answer: The characteristics of desert soil are:
1. The soil is mainly sandy.
2. Low humus content as plants are rare in desert regions.
3. The soil is generally grey in colour and is known as chernozem.
4. Minerals accumulate on the surface.

Class 10 Geography West Bengal Board

Question 15. Give two characteristics of old alluvium (Bhangar).
Answer: Two characteristics of old alluvium (Bhangar) are:
1. It has kankar nodules with calcium carbonate in its subsoil.
2. It is coarser and less fertile as compared to new alluvium.

Question 16. Which soils are suitable for the production of coffee and cotton?
Answer: Forest-cleared brown soil is suitable for coffee production. Coffee grows well in Terra-Roza soil (Brazil). Black Cotton soil is suitable for cotton.

Question 17. From where does the word laterite come? What does it mean?
Answer: The word ‘Laterite’ comes from the Latin word ‘Later’ which means bricks because this soil looks like the dust of red bricks.

India – Soils Of India Short Notes:

Question 1. Soil conservation.
Answer: There is a wide variety of soils in India due to which India is able to produce a variety of crops. These fertile soils can make India self-sufficient in various agricultural products. It is necessary that we should adopt scientific management of our soil resources. Checking of soil erosion and maintenance of their fertility is very important. Nearly nine million hectares of black soils are suffering from salinity and alkalinity at present. The problems of water-logging and excessive irrigation are also to be attended to Conservation of soil is a must to maintain the productivity of the land.

School Geography Class 10 WBBSE India – Soils Of India 3 Marks Questions And Answers:

Question 1. Differentiate between Khadar soil and Bhangar soil.
Answer:

Question 2. Black soil is called ‘Black cotton soil’. Why?
Answer: Black soil is suitable for cotton cultivation due to the following reasons:

1. Black soil is formed due to lava deposition coming from the interior of the earth. It contains iron, aluminium and calcium carbonate. In an agricultural point of view, it is suitable for cotton cultivation. Hence, this soil cotton is cultivated without the use of fertilizers.

2. Black soil is very clayey. It has a huge capacity to retain water. Hence, during rain it becomes wet and during sunshine its upper surface becomes dry but it contains water in it. Hence without irrigation cotton can be cultivated easily. Black soil for these reasons is called “Black cotton soil”.

Class 10 Geography West Bengal Board

Question 3. Mountain soil is suitable for tea plantations. Why?
Answer: Mountain soil is suitable for tea plantations due to:

(1) As the mountain has a slope, water cannot stop there. Hence tea plantation is easily done there.
(2) Due to the presence of huge forests, decayed or decomposed plants or humus is also found there. Hence, presence. of humus makes the soil very fertile.
(3) Mountain soil has less limestone but contains a huge amount of iron which is necessary for tea plantations.
Hence, mountain soils are suitable for tea plantations.

Question 4. What are the effects of soil erosion?
Answer: Effects of soil erosion:

These are the following effects of soil erosion:
1. Loss of fertility: Due to soil erosion, red sil and mountain soils lose their fertility. Serozem soils in the desert area become unculturable wastes due to erosion.

2. Frequency of floods: Due to soil erosion, streams, rivers, ponds, etc. lose their capacity to hold water. Eroded materials are deposited in these water bodies and they are gradually filled up and because of heavy rain floods occur.

3. Depletion of groundwater: Due to soil erosion very little of rainwater is held in the soil as groundwater. Because of this depletion of groundwater, enough water is not available for wells and tube-wells irrigation.

4. Increase in salinity: Due to lack of proper drainage of water, salinity increases in eroded soils. The level of salinity is thus increasing gradually in-the plains and deltas of India.

Class 10 Geography West Bengal Board

Question 5. In which part of India is black soil found? What are its characteristics?
Answer:
Block Soil: The black soil is found in the Deccan trap region of north-western Maharashtra, Surat, Vadodara and Bharuch of Gujarat, Western Madhya Pradesh, Northern Karnataka and parts of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.

Characteristics: The chief characteristics are:
1. The soil has mainly formed due to weathering of basalt parent in rock and so the colour is black.
2. The soil has the presence of compounds of iron, aluminium, lime, calcium and magnesium.
3. The soils have a greater proportion of clay and lime.
4. The soil has greater moisture holding capacity and releases it to the plant during the dry season.

Question 6. Name three important soil regions of India.
Answer:
1. Black soil region: Karnataka, Maharashtra,
2. Red soil region: Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu,
3. Alluvial soil region: Punjab, Bihar, etc.

Question 7. What is soil erosion and what are its causes of it?
Answer: Soils wear away by the action of rain-wash running water, streams, rivers and other natural agents, and thereby, they are lost forever. The erosion of the most layer of the earth’s crust, i.e., soil, is known as soil erosion.

Soil erosion is caused by:
1. Unscientific process of agriculture in which bare soil falls away easily by rainwash,
2. Destruction of forests in which natural agents of erosion get easy access causing widespread erosion,
3. Overgrazing which withers away vegetation and soil becomes bare and open to natural agents for erosion.

Class 10 Geography WBBSE

Question 8. How can soil be conserved?
Answer: The following steps can be taken to conserve soil and to protect it against erosion:
1. Construction of an earthen dam on the field to check rainwash and gully erosion,
2. Prohibition and control of grazing and preservation of land for pasture,
3. Afforestation on steep slopes to check soil erosion from rainwash, etc.

Question 9. What are He regions of soil erosion in India?
Answer: Regions of Soil Erosion in India: In India, the problem of soil erosion has attained a menacing proportion. In fact, soil erosion is one of the greatest enemies of Indian agriculture responsible for low agricultural productivity. According to an estimate, every year rainwater alone washes out 1/8 cm thick fertile topsoil. Among the States, Rajasthan comes on the top of the soil-eroded regions, followed by Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.

The worst affected areas include:
1. The badlands of the Chambal and Yamuna rivers.
2. The piedmont zone of the western Himalayas.
3. The Chotanagpur plateau region.
4. The Tapi-Sabarmati valley region in Gujarat.
5. The regur soil area of Maharashtra and
6. The dry areas of Rajasthan, Gujarat and Haryana.

Question 10. State three schemes for soil conservation in India.
Answer: Soil Conservation Schemes:

1. The centrally sponsored scheme of Integrated Watershed Management in the catchments of flood-prone rivers was launched during the Sixth Plan in eight flood-prone rivers of the Gangetic Basin covering seven States and one Union Territory. It aims at enhancing the ability of the catchment by absorbing a larger quantity of rainwater, reducing erosion and consequent silt load in the stream and river beds and thus helping to mitigate the fury of floods in the productive plains.

2. A scheme for reclamation and development of. ravine areas were launched in 1987-88 in Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. The components of this scheme included peripheral bunding to halt further ingress of ravines, afforestation of ravines for fuel, and fodder and reclamation of shallow ravines.

3. The scheme for control of shifting cultivation is being implemented since 1994-95 in the States of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura. The integrated programme envisages the settling of families practising shifting cultivation. It helps them to practise terraced cultivation, raising horticultural plantations and afforestation to support animal husbandry and meet fuel and fodder requirements.

Class 10 Geography WBBSE

Question 11. What is the need for soil conservation?
Answer: There is an acute need to prevent soil erosion because of its adverse effects which include the following:

1. Loss of fertile topsoil together with its mineral nutrients, from the upper surface leading to gradual loss of soil fertility and agricultural productivity.
2. Lowering of the underground water table and decreasing soil moisture.
3. Drying of vegetation and extension of arid lands, increase in the frequency of droughts and floods.
4. Silting of the river and canal beds, recurrence of landslide, adverse effect on economic prosperity and cultural development.

Question 12. State the characteristics of laterite soil.
Answer:
Characteristics of Laterite Soil:
1. It is of a coarse texture, soft and friable.
2. It is red due to the presence of iron oxide which is formed by leaching. The soluble plant foods like potash are removed from the top soil leaving alumina and iron oxide.
3. It is a porous soil; silica is removed from it by chemical action. It is poor in lime and magnesium and deficient in nitrogen.
4. It does not retain moisture and hence is not fertile. It suits only special crops like Tapioca, Cashewnuts, etc.
5. It is acidic in nature as alkalis are leached.

Question 13. State the characteristics of red Soil.
Answer:
Characteristics of Red Soil:
1. Red soil got its name from its colour.
2. It is porous and has high percentage of iron oxide.
3. It is generally shallow and its pH value ranges from 6.6 to 8.0.
4. It is loose and aerated.
5. It is not fertile and responds to fertilizers.
6. It is poor in nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and organic matter.
7. It needs irrigation support for cultivation.
8. It contains soluble salts in small quantities.
9. Cultivation is done with the help of fertilizers.

Class 10 Geography WBBSE Question 14.

State the characteristics of black soil.
Answer:
Characteristics of Block Soil:
1. It is fine-textured and clayey in nature.
2. It has high quantities of lime, iron, and magnesium and generally a poor percentage of phosphorus, nitrogen and organic matter.
3. It is black in colour as it is formed from weathered lava rocks.
4. It is very clayey (up to 50% clay content) and, therefore, highly retentive of water. Because of the high clay content, these soils expand when wet and become difficult to plough. During the dry season, the black soils shrink and develop big cracks which help in air circulation.
5. The soil is very fertile in most of places.
6. It is suitable for the cultivation of cotton, jowar, wheat, sugarcane, linseed and gram.
7. In any season it has moisture stored in its subsoil.

Question 15. State the characteristics of alluvial soil.
Answer:
Characteristics of Alluvial Soil:
1. It is formed by the deposition of the river load as it flows from the upper to the lower course.
2. In the upper reaches of the river valleys (near the place of their origin) the soils are coarse. Soil particles are large and non-uniform. Such soils are predominant in piedmont plains (plains near the foot of mountains). As we move further down a river valley, the soil particles become smaller and more uniform. They are found up to a depth of 500 metres.
3. The alluvial soil of the Upper Ganga Valley is dry, porous, sandy, faint yellow and consists of clay and organic matter, while the soils of lower Ganga Valley, i.e., of West Bengal and Bangladesh are more compact, less coarse and moister.
4. It is light and porous, therefore, easily tillable.
5. It is fertile soil as it is rich in minerals, especially potash and lime.
6. It is deficient in nitrogen and humus, except for the alluvium of the Ganga deltaic region which is rich in humus.
7. It is suitable for the growth of a large variety of rabi and Kharif crops.
8. Soils in the drier areas are more alkaline. iss)

Question 16. State how waste leads to soil pollution.
Answer:
Industrial wastes: The disposal of industrial wastes is the major problem for soil pollution

Sources: Industrial pollutants are mainly discharged from various origins such as pulp and paper mills, chemical fertilizers, oil refineries, sugar factories, tanneries, textiles, steel, distilleries, fertilizers, pesticides, coal and mineral mining industries, drugs, glass, cement, petroleum and engineering industries, etc.

Effect: These pollutants affect and alter the chemical and biological properties of soil. As a result, hazardous chemicals can enter into the human food chain from the soil or water, disturb the biochemical process and finally lead to serious effects on living organisms.

Urban wastes: Urban wastes comprise of both commercial and domestic wastes consisting of dried sludge and sewage. All urban solid wastes are commonly referred to as refuse.

Constituents of urban refuse: This refuse consists of garbage and rubbish materials like plastics, glasses, metallic cans, fibres, paper, rubbers, street sweepings, fuel residues, leaves, containers, abandoned vehicles and other discarded manufactured products. Urban domestic wastes, though disposed of separately from industrial wastes, can still be dangerous. This happens because they are not easily degraded.

WBBSE Class 10 Geography Solutions India – Soils Of India 5 Marks Questions And Answers:

Question 1. Give a brief account of the alluvial and black soils of India.
Answer:
1. Alluvial Soil: These soils occupy about 46% of the total land area of the country. Content — The soil is composed of sand, silt, pebbles, and sediments brought down by rivers. The older alluvium or Bhangar soil is mainly composed of clay and contains kankar (lime nodules), pebbles and gravel. The newer alluvium called khadar is mostly sandy.

Characteristics:
1. Colour: These soils are mostly light (pale brown) to dark in colour depending on their time of deposition (young khadar or old bhangra).
2. Texture: Their texture ranges from coarse-grained (upper section) to fine-grained (lower section).
3. Minerals present: Rich in potash and humus but deficient in phosphorous and nitrogen.
4. Crops associated: Alluvial soil is very productive. Wheat, sugarcane, oilseeds, pulses, rice, jute, etc. are grown On this soil.
5. Regional distribution: The soil is found in vast riverine tracts of Sutlej, Ganga and Brahmaputra, in the Northern plains, in the deltas of Godavari, Krishna and Kaveri rivers. The states of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Assam, Odisha and other coastal (Eastern) states have alluvial soil.

2. Black Soil: This soil covers 16.6% of the total land area of India and is also called regur (derived from the Telegu word regular) and black cotton soil. Composition — The soil is composed of basic lava spread during volcanic activity in the Deccan plateau region.

Class 10 Geography WBBSE

Characteristics:
1. Colour: The soil varies in colour from black to chestnut brown, medium black or even a mixture of red and black.
2. Texture: They are fine-grained with more than 60% of clay.
3. Minerals present: Black soils contain lime, alumina, iron, potash, magnesium carbonates and calcium. They are deficient in phosphate and nitrogen.
4. Crops associated: Because of their high fertility and moisture retentive capacity, crops like cotton wheat, rice, sugarcane, groundnut, tobacco, jowar, fruits and vegetables are grown on it.
5. Regional distribution: They are common in the Deccan Trap region covering Maharashtra, parts of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.

Question 2. What are the processes by which soil erosion takes place?
Answer: The processes by which soil erosion takes place are as follows:

Soil erosion by water:
1. Sheet erosion: Sometimes the whole of the top layer of the soil of a place is washed away by water. This is known as sheet erosion.
2. Rill erosion: When farmers rill the land before the onset of monsoon after the first rainfall, the water deposited on the land tries to get out by making streams. While doing so, it also takes away the underlying soil by Rill erosion.
3. Gully erosion: Sometimes, by a subsequent number of rainfalls, the streams made by Rill erosion are widened and Gullies are formed by which more erosion takes place.
4. Stream bank erosion: The erosion by streams on their banks, the fertile soils of the banks are lost.
5. Coastal erosion: The waves take away the fine sediments of soil from the coast by this type of erosion.

Other natural causes:
1. Floods,
2. Earthquake,
3. Action of wind,
4. Volcanic eruptions.

Unhealthy agricultural practices:
1. Shifting cultivation: The people of some areas use one land only for one time, as a result, the land gets barren after harvesting.
2. Cultivation of the same crop: Cultivation of the same crop causes a reduction in soil fertility.
3. Use of fertilizer, irrigation and pesticides: These methods remove the natural fertility of the soil.

Man-made causes:
1. Construction activities: It causes the consumption of fertile soil.
2. Conversion of land: It also converts soil unfit for agriculture.

Class 10 Geography West Bengal Board

Other causes:
1. Overgrazing,
2. Deforestation,
3. Pollution.

Question 3. What steps have been taken for the conservation of soil in India during the Five Year Plans?
Answer: Several steps have been taken during the Five Year Plans for the conservation of soil.

Under the First Five-Year Plan: A Central Soil Conservation Board was constituted. Separate Boards were also constituted in every state. Five research-cum-training institutes also started at Dehra Dun, Kotah, Hazaribagh, and Ootacamund. In 28 million hectares of land, soil erosion has been checked in Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra.

Under the 2nd Five-Year Plan: Various steps were taken to check soil erosion in 1.2 million hectares of land. A forest belt has been created. Arrangements were also made to create windbreaks along the agricultural fields.

Under the 3rd Five-Year Plan: Rs. 72 crores were vested for the conservation of soil. Soil conservation projects were stated in the DVC and Bhakra Nangal Project areas.

Under the 4th Five Year Plan: Some effective measures were taken up for soil conservation. An outlay of Rs. 59.4 crores was spent for soil conservation and 5.5 million hectares of land were reclaimed.

Under the 5th Five Year Plan: Various steps were taken and a huge sum of money was invested for it. A new watershed management strategy was also adopted during this plan period.

Under the 6th Five Year Plan: 208 soil conservation schemes were in execution in different states along with 18 central schemes in the catchment areas of the river valleys. An amount of Rs. 390 crores was spent for the purpose of soil conservation.

Under the 8th and 9th Five-Year Plans: Several steps have been taken for the conservation of soil. With the help of afforestation, land reclamation, reservation of special areas and forests, scientific method of cultivation, and construction of dams and barrages, the conservation of soil is made.

Question 4. What do you know about the influence of soil on agriculture or the economic activity of the people?
Answer: Influence of soils on agriculture: Among all the factors that affect human life soil plays the most important role. Food, dress, shelter all these necessities are fulfilled by soil. 70% of total population in India are engaged in agriculture and agro-based industries. Human life is affected in the following ways :

1. Agriculture: Agricultural products differ from region to region depending on the properties of soil, variation in temperature and rainfall to the formation of different kinds of soil. Each type of soil is favourable for a particular kind of crop. Agriculture is best developed in alluvial soil but saline soil is not at all suitable for agriculture.

Laterite soil is not fertile but with the help of fertilizer, crops can be produced. Mountain soil can be utilised for fruits and other crops. Sandy soil (coastal saline soil) is suitable for coconut production. Black soil is good for cotton and sugarcane. Red soil is fertile but irrigation and fertilizer are needed for the production of rice and jute.

2. Industry: Industries depend on soil for raw materials. Cotton and sugarcane are best produced in black soil. That is why most of the cotton textile mills are situated here. Sugarcane is extensively produced in U.P. and that is why most of the sugar mills are situated here. Saline soil is good for coconut. So coconut oil mills, and coir product factories are situated near the coast.

3. Forests and Grasslands: Coniferous forest thrives well in podzol soils. Softwood of these forests is used as raw materials for paper pulp, and rayon industries. Deciduous hardwood is used in furniture making, ship-building and other industries.

4. Minerals: Laterite soils provide bauxite, whereas saline soils yield salt.

5. Population density: Population density depends on the types of soil. Fertile alluvial soil attracts large populations.

6. Cultural development: It is also dependent on soil. Ancient civilizations had their roots in the fertile plain lands of the river valleys.

Question 5. Mention the crops produced in each and every type of soil.
Answer: Crops produced in each and every type of soil:

1. Black Soils: Cotton, lower, sugarcane, oilseeds.
2. Laterite Soils: Cashew, tapioca, millet. But extensive agriculture along with manures can produce cotton, jower, wheat, sugarcane, banana, coffee, tea, rubber and coconut.
3. Red Soils: Wheat, rice, cotton, sugarcane and pulses.
4. Alluvial Soils: Wheat, rice, vegetables, pulses, jute, sugarcane, etc. are grown in this soil.
5. Desert Soils: Poor soil but under irrigation, the soil can produce wheat, rice, barley, bajra, etc.
6. Desert Soils: This type of soil is mainly suitable for literal plants. But rice can be produced by wheat, rice, barley, bajra etc.
7. Mountain Soils: it is suitable for the production of rice, wheat, soybean, sugarcane, tea, fruits, etc.

Question 6. Discuss the major six types of soils present in India.
Answer:
Alluvial Soil: These soils occupy about 46% of the total land area of the country. Content — The soil is composed of sand, silt, pebbles, and sediments brought down by rivers. The older alluvium or Bhangar soil is mainly composed of clay and contains kankar (lime nodules), pebbles and gravel. The newer alluvium called khadar is mostly sandy.

Characteristics:
1. Colour: These soils are mostly light (pale brown) to dark in colour depending on their time of deposition (young khadar or old bhangra).
2. Texture: Their texture ranges from coarse-grained (upper section) to fine-grained (lower section).
3. Minerals present: Rich in potash and humus but deficient in phosphorous and nitrogen.
4. Crops associated: Alluvial soil is very productive. Wheat, sugarcane, oilseeds, pulses, rice, jute, etc. are grown on this soil.
5. Regional distribution: The soil is found in a vast riverine tract of Sutlej, Ganga and Brahmaputra, in the Northern plains, in the deltas of Godavari, Krishna and Kaveri rivers. The states of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Assam, Odisha and other coastal (Eastern) states have alluvial soil.

Black Soil: This soil covers 16.6% of the total land area of India and is also called regur (derived from the Telegu word regular) and black cotton soil. Composition —The soil is composed of basic lava spread during volcanic activity in the Deccan plateau region.

Characteristics:
1. Colour: The soil varies in colour from black to chestnut brown, medium black or even a mixture of red and black.
2. Texture: They are fine-grained with more than 60% of clay.
3. Minerals present: Black soils contain lime, alumina, iron, potash, magnesium carbonates and calcium. They are deficient in phosphate and nitrogen.
4. Crops associated: Because of their high fertility and moisture retentive capacity, crops like cotton wheat, rice, sugarcane, groundnut, tobacco, jowar, fruits and vegetables are grown on it.
5. Regional distribution: They are common in the Deccan Trap region covering Maharashtra, parts of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.

Red Soil: This soil covers about 10.6 per cent of the total land area of India. They are formed due to weathering of ancient crystalline and metamorphic rocks.
Composition: They are composed of weathered materials from the parent rocks.

Characteristics:
1. Colour: High content of iron oxide gives it a distinctive red colour. The colour varies from red to brown, chocolate and yellow.
2. Texture: They have a mixed texture, sandy and clayey.
3. Mineral content: They are rich in potash and lime but deficient in nitrogen, and phosphoric acid humus.
4. Crops associated: They are less fertile but with the help of irrigation and fertilisers grow rice, wheat, millet, gram, pulses, sugarcane, oil seeds and cotton.
5. Regional distribution: A very large part of peninsular India, particularly the states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Goa, Andhra Pradesh and Orissa and Bihar, West Bengal, east Rajasthan, parts of Assam in north India and the north-eastern states of India.

Laterite Soil: The word laterite in Latin means ‘brick’. They cover an area of about 2.4 lakh sq km. They are usually formed under very high temperatures and heavy rainfall.
Composition: This soil is composed of materials that look like the dust of red bricks.

Characteristics:
1. Colour: The soil is red in colour because of the presence of iron oxide.
2. Texture: It is usually coarse-grained and porous in nature.
3. Minerals: The soil is rich in iron but poor in lime, magnesium, phosphoric acid and potash.
4. Crops associated: Due to intensive leaching laterite soil is infertile, with manure and irrigation crops. tea, coffee, rubber, coconut etc. are grown on it.
5. Regional distribution: This soil is found in highland areas of the peninsular plateau region. They are found in the states of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa (some parts), Kerala and in Assam.

Desert Soil: The desert soil covers an area of 1.4 lakh sq. km. in India. They originate due to the mechanical disintegration of sandstone.
Composition: It is composed of 90% of sand and 5% of clay and other materials.

Characteristics:
1. Colour: The soil is yellowish to brown in colour.
2. Texture: It is coarse-grained and porous in nature.
3. Minerals: There is a high percentage of soluble salts, silica, etc.
4. Crops associated: Hardly drought-resistant crops like millet, barley, cotton, bajra, wheat and groundnut are grown on this soil with the help of irrigation.
5. Regional distribution: This soil is mainly found in arid and semi-arid regions of Rajasthan and Punjab and Haryana.

Mountain Soil: The name of this soil suggests that it is mainly confined in mountainous areas and hill slopes. Composition: This soil is composed of rocks, boulders and clay.

WBBSE Class 10 Geography Solutions

Characteristics:
1. Colour: The soil is mostly dark in colour,
2. Texture: The soil is rocky in nature with a large grain size.
3. Mineral content: This soil is made up of mixed minerals. It is deficient in potash, phosphorous and lime.
4. Crops associated: This soil is rich in humus and suitable for crops like tea, coffee, spices and tropical fruits; sam potatoes, rice and wheat are also grown in it.
5. Regional distribution: The soil is found in the Himalayan mountain, on the highlands of Assam, Kashmir, Sikkim and Himachal Pradesh.

Question 7. State some measures to prevent soil erosion.
Answer: Following are some of the measures taken to prevent soil erosion and conserve soils.
1. Terrace Farming: On hilly slopes, terraces act as bunds and prevent the soil from being washed away by running water. Terrace farming is practised with successful results in Japan, South-East Asia and the USA.
2. Shelter Belts: Farmers plant trees in several rows to check wind erosion. They are known as windbreaks.
3. Contour Ploughing: Ploughing along contours on a slope prevents soil from being washed away by rainwater or by surface runoff. Contours act like bunds. Terraces are levelled into step-like small fields with even slopes. Contour ploughing is common in Japan, China and some South-East Asian countries.
4. Strip Cropping: Crops are grown in alternate strips of land to check the impact of the winds.
5. Construction of dams: Rivers cause soil erosion. Dams are built in the upper course of rivers to control the erosion of soil.
6. Plugging Gullies: The gullies made in the soil are plugged with the deposition of silt during heavy rains.
7. Planting Trees: The trees, like in the case of Shelter Belts in Prairies, are planted along the edges of the fields, the wasteland and on steep slopes to prevent soil erosion as well as to enhance the capacity of the soil to retain water.

Question 8. What are the consequences of soil erosion?
Answer: Soil erosion on a large scale leads to serious consequences. The effects of soil erosion are discussed below:

1. Loss of the top layer of fertile soil: Loss of topsoil through soil erosion can reduce soil nutrients and soil quality and can cause water pollution. E.g. Agricultural production is greatly affected by the red soils in the basins of the Chambal and Godavari rivers where valuable topsoil is lost annually due to erosion.

2. Fall of groundwater table and reduction in soil moisture: The areas with heavy soil erosion lie exposed and evaporation takes place causing a consequent fall in the groundwater table. E.g. 45% of the perennial hill springs in the Nainital district of Uttar Pradesh go dry during the non-monsoon season because of the reduction in groundwater storage resulting from erosion of the previous soil horizon.

3. Expansion of desert region: Desertification is a serious effect of soil erosion. It is a type of land degradation in which dry lands become increasingly arid, losing its bodies of water or vegetative cover. E.g. Expansion of the Thar desert in India (Rajasthan).

WBBSE Class 10 Geography Solutions

4. Frequent occurrence of flood and drought: Removal of soil cover may cause them to get deposited in river channels. Those rivers overflow their banks during the rainy season and cause floods. Flood occurs in the Brahmaputra river valley annually due to soil erosion caused by deforestation. Too much evaporation from soil causes the topsoil to lose moisture and become dry, resulting in a drought situation.

5. Increasing landslide in canals and rivers: Is caused due to deposition of removed topsoil in these water channels. The sediment load due to soil erosion caused siltation in the Alaknanda river and also there is a huge concentration of sediment in the Ganga river at Haridwar.

6. Increasing landslide: Soil erosion can loosen the top soil cover which consequently slides down the slope of a mountain in a mass in the form of landslides. E.g. In the Himalayan region, Shiwalik Himalaya has become a landslide-prone area as a consequence to soil erosion.

7. Hindrance to economic prosperity and cultural development: Soil erosion affects the fertility of the land. Ona less fertile soil crops do not grow properly due to a lack of nutrients. Hence productivity of land reduces. This poses a hindrance to the economic prosperity of the land.

Geography Class 10 West Bengal Board India – Population Of India True Or False Type:

Question 1. The most densely populated state of India is West Bengal.
Answer: False

Question 2. Growth of population is the change in the number of people of a particular area between two given points of time.
Answer: False

Question 3. The child mortality rate in 2011 was 12.2%.
Answer: True

Read and learn all WBBSE Solutions For Class 10 Geography And Environment

Question 4. West Bengal has the highest population among the states of India.
Answer: False

Question 5. The birth rate has gone down in comparison to the death rate in India during recent decades.
Answer: False

Geography Class 10 West Bengal Board

Question 6. Migration is a cause of the high population in India.
Answer: True

Question 7. India ranks first in population in the world.
Answer: False

Question 8. Uttar Pradesh has the largest population in India.
Answer: True

Question 9. Arunachal Pradesh has the least population in India.
Answer: False

Question 10. The density of the population in Chandigarh is 7909 per sq. km.
Answer: True

Question 11. The total population of Sikkim is 5,40,493.
Answer: True

Question 12. West Bengal has an 8,02,21,171 population.
Answer: True

Question 13. Uttar Pradesh has a 16,06,52,859 population.
Answer: True

Question 14. The density of the population in West Bengal is 904.
Answer: True

Question 15. Maharashtra has the 2nd highest population in India.
Answer: True

Geography Class 10 West Bengal Board

Question 16. The Ganga-Brahmaputra plain has a high population.
Answer: True

Question 17. Malabar coast in Kerala has a scanty population.
Answer: False

Question 18. The highest population is found in U.P. in India.
Answer: True

Question 19. The highest density of population occurs in Kerala.
Answer: False

Question 20. Census is conducted after every twelve years.
Answer: False

Class 10 Geography WBBSE India – Population Of India Fill In The Blanks:

Question 1. ______ is the most populous city of India.
Answer: Mumbai.

Question 2. According to the 2011 census, the percentage of literacy rate in India is _____.
Answer: 74.04%.

Question 3. The first synchronous census covering the entire country was conducted in ______.
Answer: 1881.

Question 4. The Decadal Growth Rate of India according to the 2011 census is _____.
Answer: 17.64%.

Question 5. The ratio between total population and total land area is called of population.
Answer: Density.

Question 6. The total population of India is _______.
Answer: 102 crores.

Question 7. is the most densely populated state.
Answer: West Bengal.

Question 8. The density of the population is India is ______.
Answer: 324 per sq. km.

Geography Class 10 West Bengal Board

Question 9. _______ is the most sparsely populated state.
Answer: Sikkim.

Question 10. Uttar Pradesh has the largest _______.
Answer: Population.

Question 11. Among the Union Territories ______ has the lowest population density.
Answer: Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Question 12. Among Union Territories ________ has the highest density of population.
Answer: Delhi (Capital Province).

India – Population Of India Very Short Answer Type:

Question 1. Which is the most populous state of India?
Answer: Uttar Pradesh.

Question 2. What is the total population of India?
Answer: 1,21,01,93,422.

Question 3. What is the total number of males in India?
Answer: 62,37,24,248.

Question 4. What is the total number of females in India?
Answer: 58,64,69,174.

Question 5. In which year population growth rate was negative in India?
Answer: 1921.

Class 10 Geography WBBSE

Question 6. What is the annual population growth rate of India?
Answer: 1.41%.

Question 7. What is the decadal growth rate of India?
Answer: 17.64% (17.7% approx).

Question 8. What percentage of the population is in between 15-64 years?
Answer: 63.6%.

Question 9. What percentage of the population is of 65 years and above?
Answer: 5.3%.

Question 10. What is the total child population in India?
Answer: 15.8 million (15,87,89,287).

Question 11. What percentage of the population is dependent?
Answer: 52.36%.

Question 12. What is the literacy rate of India?
Answer: 74.04%.

Question 13. What is the literacy rate among males?
Answer: 82.14%.

Question 14. What is the literacy rate among females?
Answer: 65.46%.

Question 15. Which state has the highest number of literates?
Answer: Kerala.

Question 16. What is the unemployed population number per 1000 persons?
Answer: 38 persons.

Question 17. What is the average life expectancy rate in India?
Answer: 68.89 years.

Question 18. What is the life expectancy rate among males?
Answer: 67.46 years.

Question 19. What is the life expectancy rate among females?
Answer: 72.61 years.

Class 10 Geography WBBSE

Question 20. What is the child mortality rate?
Answer: 12.2%.

Question 21. What is the number of deaths per 1000 live births?
Answer: 40 deaths.

Question 22. What percentage of the population is in the primary sector?
Answer: 45%.

Question 23. What percentage of population is in the secondary sector?
Answer: 24%.

Question 24. What % of population is in service sector/tertiary sector?
Answer: 30%.

Question 25. Which was the fifteenth census of India?
Answer: Census of 2011.

India – Population Of India 2 Marks Questions And Answers:

Question 1. What is sustainable development?
Answer:
Sustainable development: Sustainable development refers to the process of meeting human development goals while sustaining the ability of natural systems to provide resources and services upon which the economy and society depend. It is the organising principle for sustaining finite resources necessary to provide for the needs of future generations.

Question 2. What is urbanisation?
Answer: Urbanisation is the process of development of towns and cities from villages due to high growth rate of population, availability of modern facilities of livelihood and easier and better means of life. It is the process of conversion of rural areas into urban areas.

Question 3. How does urbanisation cause variation in a population?
Answer: Urban (city) areas with more civic amenities attract a larger number of people than the villages. So, urbanised areas like Kolkata, Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad, Chandigarh, etc. have population densities of over 6000 persons/sq.km.

Class 10 Geography WBBSE

Question 4. What do you mean by the growth rate of the population?
Answer: Growth of population is the change in the number of people living in a particular area between two given points of time. The net change between two points of time is expressed in percentage and is described as the growth rate of the population.

Question 5. What is the natural growth of the population?
Answer: The difference between the natural birth rate and death rate is called the natural growth of the population.

Question 6. What is the migratory growth of the population?
Answer: This growth of population is caused by the migration of people.

Question 7. What do you mean by positive growth of population?
Answer: When the population increases between two given points of time, it is called positive growth. It takes place when the birth rate is higher than the death rate or people migrate from other countries.

Question 8. What do you mean by negative growth of population?
Answer: The growth of the population is called negative if the population decreases between two given points of time. It takes place if the birth rate is lower than the death rate or people migrate to other places.

Question 9. What do you mean by census?
Answer: A census is a procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of the particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses, other common censuses include agriculture, business and tra#tie censuses.

Geography Class 10 Solutions WBBSE India – Population Of India 3 Marks Questions And Answers:

Question 1. Why population density is very high in Ganga plain?
Answer: The Ganga plains of India have a high population density due to many reasons. The northern plains have been densely populated for centuries due to fertile land, availability of water and economic activities. Rivers like Ganga, and Yamuna provide large tracts of fertile land apart from water. Also, the terrain is not a difficult one to travel.

The moderate climate, and fertile land support extensive agriculture. The topography is good for transport and industries. Due to the availability of even fertile land and water, prefer settling in the northern plains as opposed to the desert areas of northwest India.

Question 2. What do you mean by population growth? What is sustainable development?
Answer:
Population Growth: Population growth refers to an increase in the number of people residing in a particular place over a particular period of time. It has direct effects on the socio-economic aspects of the country. The level of development, the economic status, the nature of utilisation of natural resources, etc. can be well-understood with the rate of population growth.

Sustainable development: Sustainable development refers to the process of meeting human development goals while sustaining the ability of the natural systems to provide resources and services upon which the economy and society depend. It is the organising principle for sustaining finite resources necessary to provide for the needs of future generations.

Geography Class 10 Solutions WBBSE

Question 3. What is the need for sustainable development?
Answer: Sustainable development is needed for the following reasons:
1. Maintain a balance between population and available resources.
2. Development of economic, social, cultural, ecological and geographical aspects of the country.
3. Eradication of poverty.
4. Maintain a balance between environment and development.
5. Eradication of social evils and indisciplines.

Question 4. Discuss the concept of density of population.
Answer: Concept of the density of population: The density of population is defined as the concentration of population per unit of land area. In other words, it is the ratio between the total population and total land area.

\(\text { Density }=\frac{\text { Total population }}{\text { Total land area }}\)

The total population of India according to the 2011 census is 1210.1 million living in a total area of 3.17 million square km.

The density of the population of India in 2011 is:

\(\begin{gathered}
\text { Total population } \\
\text { Total Area }
\end{gathered}=\frac{1210 \cdot 1}{3 \cdot 17}=382\) persons per sq.km

The density of the population is a much better indicator of the distribution pattern of the population than the absolute size of a population.

Question 5. State the causes of rapid population growth in India.
Answer: Causes of Rapid Population Growth in India: In the area, India ranks 7th in the world. The rapidly increasing population, therefore, poses a great problem to India.

There are many causes for the rapid population growth in India, such as:
1. High birth rate: Compared to developed and other developing countries, India has a high birth rate of population. This is the combined effect of illiteracy, lack of awareness, poverty, superstition, the influence of religion, the early age of marriage, etc.

2. Low death rate: Though the birth rate is high over a long period of time, the death rate was also high before due to a lack of medical facilities and welfare measures. This caused a low natural increase in population. So, the total population did not increase rapidly. Nowadays, with better medical facilities, welfare measures, improved communication facilities, and control of natural calamities like floods, epidemics, etc. the death rate has decreased. Thus, the continued high birth rate and lower death rate cause a greater natural increase in population. This causes the total population to increase rapidly.

3. High rate of immigration: Just after our independence large-scale immigration of people from our neighbouring countries immediately increased the population rapidly. Even today there is high illegal immigration into India.
4. Rise in economic standards and scientific and technological developments: In the last few decades, there has been a marked increase in agricultural production, industrialization, etc. which has increased the Indian standard of living. Deaths due to malnutrition are nearly unheard of today. Development in science and technology has enabled us to predict or detect natural calamities and take precautions in saving life and property. Indirectly these factors have caused an increase in the Indian population.

WBBSE Class 10 Geography Solutions India – Population Of India 5 Marks Questions And Answers:

Question 1. Discuss the causes of urbanisation in India.
Answer: Causes of Urbanisation in India: The different causes of urbanization in India are

1. Limited size of agricultural land: The limited size of agricultural land in India cannot provide employment to the whole rural population. Hence, unemployment, poverty and other problems push the rural population to the urban centres.
2. Change in thought: The mentality of rural people is also changing. They wish to settle in urban areas for educational facilities, trade, commerce, industrial jobs, etc.

3. Free lifestyle: Urban life is much more liberal and free from superstitions. Rural people thus tend to settle in urban areas.
4. Employment: The scope of employment is much higher and varied in urban areas. Hence, the rural population is attracted towards urban areas.
5. Entertainment: Urban areas have much more scope for entertainment and relaxation. This attracts much rural population.

Question 2. Discuss five reasons responsible for the uneven distribution of population in India.
Answer: The regional distribution of the population of India is characterised by its unevenness. There are certain factors that influence the distribution of the population.

Geography Class 10 Solutions WBBSE

They are as follows :
1. Terrain: Plain areas provide a flat, level or gently sloping land for agriculture, development of transport, industries, etc. and attract a large number of people as compared to inaccessible mountains. We, therefore find a higher concentration of population (more than half of India’s population) in the great northern plains of India.

2. Climate: Sparse population is noticed in the cold Himalayan mountains and in the Thar desert having extremes of temperature and dry climate. In India, monsoon rain plays a vital role in determining the concentration of people. The southwest monsoon rains decrease westwards along the Indo-Gangetic plain. The concentration of the population also follows this trend.

3. Soil: Fertile soil supports higher crop production. So, in India areas with fertile soil have a dense population. Therefore, river valleys, coastal plains, black soil regions of the Deccan plateau, etc. have a dense population.
4. Water bodies: A large number of people gather near the sources of water, which is very essential for the sustenance of life. In India, the river valleys, the coastal plains and the areas around lakes are, therefore, thickly populated.

5. Mineral Resources: Mining is an important occupation of people in India next to agriculture. So, a large number of people in India live in the Chotanagpur plateau of Jharkhand, the storehouse of minerals in India.
6. Industries: Industries are called the backbone of a country’s economy. They provide employment to a large number of people, and so, in India industrial areas in the states of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Orissa, and West Bengal have a high concentration of population.

7. Transport: Population concentration is high in areas with a well-knit network of transport routes. Hence the Great Northern plains of India are thickly populated. Remote mountainous areas with poor transport facilities are sparsely populated.
8. Urbanisation: Urban (city) areas with more civic amenities attract a larger number of people than the villages. So, urbanised areas like Kolkata, Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad, Chandigarh, etc. have population densities of over 6000 persons sq. km.

9. Historical and Political factors: After the partition of Bengal, the population of West Bengal grew up due to the influx of people from the other side of Bengal.
10. Religious influence: Varanasi, Mathura, Haridwar, Nabadweep, and Puri, the sacred religious centres of the Hindus, Agra of the Muslims and Amritsar of the Sikhs are densely populated due to religious factors.

Question 3. Discuss the causes of urbanisation. Or, Discuss the causes of the emergence of towns & cities by concentration or gathering of the population at locations favourable to human livelihood.
Answer: The main causes that repel rural growth and promote urbanisation in India are

1. Limited size of agricultural land: Since the total agricultural area of the country is limited, the rapidly growing population cannot be given employment in this field fully. Hence, unemployment, poverty and other problems push the excess population towards towns and cities.
2. Change in thought: The mentality of rural people is also changing. They wish to settle in urban areas for education facilities, trade, commerce, industrial jobs, and other traits of earning a livelihood.
3. Free lifestyle: Urban life is much more liberal and free from social or Rural people and thus tend to concentrate in urban areas.
4. Employment: The scope of employment is much higher and varied in urban areas. Hence much population is attracted towards towns and cities.
5. Education: The scope of higher education also attracts the population to urban areas.
6. Industrialisation: The growth of industries accelerates the growth of urban areas. People get greater scopes of earning more and raise their standard of living.
7. Entertainment: Urban areas have much more scope of entertainment and relaxation. This also helps to attract more population.

Question 4. What are the problems of urbanisation in India?
Answer: The major problems faced due to urbanisation in India are:

1. Unplanned growth of urban areas: Rapid concentration of population in urban areas led to unplanned and unsystematic growth of towns and cities. Also, such unplanned growth of urban areas is engulfing much amount of the agricultural land in the outskirts.
2. Accommodation: The rapidly growing population is difficult to house in the already existing urban areas. Hence, the growth of slums and downtrodden areas is seen in the fringes of towns and cities.

3. Availability of water: The amount of water available is not sufficient for the rapidly growing urban population. Hence, scarcity of water occurs.
4. Unemployment: A huge section of the population comes to urban areas in search of work. But all of them do not get employment. Hence, the total percentage of unemployed in the urban area increases.

5. Sewage and garbage disposal: The volume of disposable solid and liquid wastes is difficult to handle with the present sewage system of urban areas. Thus, water dumping and logging of drains occur in urban areas, especially in slum areas.
6. Insufficient transport, education, medical and other social facilities: The available transport, education, medical and other facilities are not enough for the rapidly growing urban population.
7. Pollution and environmental degradation: Over-population causes a high rate of pollution and misuse and over-use of resources cause environmental degradation.

Question 5. Write notes on the following ports of India:
1. Okha,
2. Porbandar,
3. Surat and
4. Haldia.

Answer:
1. Okha: It is located on the west coast of Gujarat. It has an excellent harbour. Gujarat and Rajasthan are its hinterlands. The principal items of import are coal, medicine, machinery, chemicals, steel goods, mineral oil, etc. The principal items of export are raw cotton, salt, cement, etc.
2. Porbandar: It is situated on Gujarat on the coast of the Arabian Sea. The port is mainly used for coastal trade. Large vessels cannot enter this port. The port imports mainly dates, timber, and coconut and exports cement and salt.

3. Surat: It is one of the oldest ports of Gujarat. It is situated on the west coast. Its importance has dwindled away with the rise of Bombay and Kandla ports.
4. Haldia: It is situated on the bank of the Haldi river in West Bengal and is 90 km south of Calcutta port. Some portions of West Bengal and Orissa are within the hinterland of this port. An oil refinery and a fertilizer plant have been constructed here.

Question 6. Name the principal ports of India. Where are they located? Mention their hinterlands and exports. Or, Mention the names of three important ports of India and describe their
1. Location,
2. Exports and imports.

Answer: The principal ports of India are Bombay, Calcutta, Madras, Visakhapatnam, Cochin, Kandla, New Mangalore, New Tuticorin, Murmangao, Paradip, etc. The following are the descriptions of the above-mentioned ports:

1. Bombay: It is situated on a small island in the Arabian Sea. It is the principal port and second largest city of India. It possesses a nice natural harbour. It owes its importance to its magnificent harbour and its position as the nearest Indian port to European countries. Large ships can take shelter safely at this port. It is connected with the mainland by roads and railways.

Geography Class 10 Solutions WBBSE

It has a vast hinterland which includes the entire Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Rajasthan and some portions of Andhra Pradesh. The cotton textiles and pieces of goods manufactured here are sent to different parts of India and the world. Cotton, manganese, leather, iron ore, sugar, and oilseeds are also exported from this port. Mineral oil, motor cars, raw cotton, machinery, cement, food grains, chemicals, etc. are imported through this port.

2. Calcutta: It is situated on the bank of the Hooghly river and is at a distance of the Bay of Bengal. It is the largest city and the second-largest port in India. It has an artificial harbour. The Hooghly river has been silted up at several places because of the slow current in the river. Small sand bars and islands have been formed at places up to the sea and constant dredging operation has become necessary to bring the vessels into the port. Expert pilots are also required to conduct the ships and, therefore, the cost of maintenance is high. The Farrakhan Barrage Project has been constructed to remove these difficulties.

Calcutta port has a vast hinterland. Its hinterland comprises of the whole West Bengal, Assam, Bihar, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, etc. Calcutta is connected with these states by means of railways and roads. Besides, along water routes from Calcutta, one can reach Northern India along the Ganga and Assam through Bangladesh along the Brahmaputra.

The hinterland of Calcutta is rich in agricultural, mineral and industrial products. Jute, steel, paper, engineering, aluminium and textile industries have grown up in the neighbourhood of Calcutta. Calcutta is the capital of West Bengal. It is the biggest jute textile centre in the world.

Oil, tea, coal and jute goods of Assam and West Bengal, tea, coal, iron ore, mica of Bihar, oil seeds, leather, sugar and cotton textile of Uttar Pradesh, iron ore and manganese of Orissa, etc. are exported through this port. Machinery, chemicals, mineral oil, paper, wheat, rice, motor cars and other finished industrial products are imported through this port from foreign countries.

3. Madras: It is situated on the east coast and is the third largest port in India. An artificial harbour consisting of an area of 80 hectares has been created in the sea along the coasts. Its hinterland comprises Tamil Nadu and a major portion of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and some portions of Kerala. Its hinterlands are connected by means of railways and roads.

The port exports rice, leather goods, oilseeds, tobacco, hides and skins, tea, coffee, etc. It imports coal, mineral oil, paper, rice, spices, timber, wines, raw cotton, motor cars and other industrial products. Madras is the capital of Tamil Nadu. It is the main industrial business centre of the state.

4. Visakhapatnam: It is located in Andhra Pradesh on the coast of the Bay of Bengal. It is the main centre of the shipbuilding industry in India and it has the biggest ship-building yard in the country. It possesses a natural harbour. Some parts of the hinterland of Calcutta port are common to the hinterland of this port.

Some portions of Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, etc. constitute the hinterland of this port. Visakhapatnam exports manganese, oilseeds, iron ore, spices, ground nuts, and timber. It imports machinery, mineral oil, industrial goods, food grains, etc.

Geography Class 10 Solutions WBBSE

5. Cochin: It is one of the important ports of India. It is located in the state of Kerala and its hinterland includes the southern districts of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. The principal items of export of this port are coconut oil, coir, rubber, spices, tea and coffee. Important items of import are foodgrains, mineral oil, coal machinery and other industrial products.

6. Kandla: It is situated in Gujarat along the eastern coast of the Gulf of Kutchchh. The port was constructed in 1951 by the Government of India. It has no supply of drinking water which is brought with the help of pipelines from the neighbouring areas.

Gujarat, Punjab, Delhi, Rajasthan and some parts of Madhya Pradesh are included within the hinterland of this port. It imports oil, raw cotton, machinery, medicines, chemicals, coal and other industrial products, and exports salt, cement, fish and chemicals.

7. New Mangalore: It is situated in Karnataka along the Malabar coast. Small ships have access to this port. Karnataka is the hinterland of this port. It exports tea, coffee, rice, iron ore, cashew nut, fish, rubber, etc. During the Fourth Five-Year Plan, this port was developed into a major port. About 20 lakh tonnes of iron ore from the Chitradurga region is exported through this port. It is mainly for the purpose of facilitating this export that the port was developed.

8. New Tuticorin: It is an important port in the southern part of Tamil Nadu. It is situated on the Coromandal coast at the extreme south-eastern point of the peninsula. Southern Tamil Nadu and Southern Kerala are its hinterlands. The harbour is shallow, constant dredging operations are, therefore, necessary. This port handles a large volume of trade with Sri Lanka. Cotton, tea, peppers, cardamours, onions and cattle are principal exports.

9. Murmagao: It is located between Bombay and Cochin at a distance of 8 km to the South of Goa along the Konkan coast. Some portions of Maharashtra and Karnataka are its hinterland. The port exports mainly manganese, coconut, groundnut, raw cotton, etc.

10. Paradip: This port is in Orissa state and situated on the coast of the Bay of Bengal. The port was constructed with the help of Japan for exporting iron ore mainly to that country.

 

Geography Class 10 West Bengal Board India – Natural Vegetation Of India True Or False Type:

Question 1. The “Central Forest Research Institute of India” is located at Dehradun.
Answer: True

Question 2. Tropical Evergreen forests are found in the states of Bihar and Chhattisgarh.
Answer: False

Question 3. Madhya Pradesh has the maximum forest area.
Answer: True

Read and learn all WBBSE Solutions For Class 10 Geography And Environment

Question 4. Xerophytic vegetation is common in the desert region.
Answer: True

Question 5. Deciduous trees are common in interior India.
Answer: True

Question 6. The equatorial forest is found in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
Answer: True

Question 7. Grassland can be seen in the Deccan Plateau.
Answer: True

Question 8. Cutting of trees is called afforestation.
Answer: False

Geography Class 10 West Bengal Board

Question 9. Van-Mahotsava was started in 1952.
Answer: True

Question 10. Forests prevent soil erosion and the expansion of deserts.
Answer: True

Question 11. Forests help to reduce air pollution.
Answer: True

Question 12. Sunderbans are the mangrove forests of India.
Answer: True

Question 13. Thorny plants are found in the Thar desert of India.
Answer: True

Question 14. The total forest area of India is about 23 per cent of the total land area.
Answer: False

Question 15. India has a vast temperate forest region.
Answer: True

Question 16. Evergreen forests is found in desert area.
Answer: False

Question 17. Conservation of forests is necessary to maintain the environment.
Answer: True

Question 18. Van Mahotsav is a good programme formulated by the Govt of India.
Answer: True

Question 19. The Himalayan regions have large forest resources.
Answer: True

Question 20. Sundarbans have a mangrove forest.
Answer: True

Question 21. Arjun is a type of deciduous tree.
Answer: True

Question 22. Acacia Arabica is xerophytic vegetation.
Answer: True

Question 23. Pine trees are found in the desert region.
Answer: False

Geography Class 10 West Bengal Board

Question 24. The Sundari tree is found in the Sundarban.
Answer: True

Question 25. Forest controls the climate.
Answer: True

Question 26. The desert vegetation has long roots.
Answer: True

Question 27. Felis is situated at Delhi.
Answer: False

Question 28. The evergreen forest in India receives more than 200 cm of annual rainfall.
Answer: True

Question 29. The coniferous trees are mostly seen in desert regions.
Answer: False

Question 30. The forest is a non-renewable source of resources.
Answer: False

Question 31. The forest helps in reducing soil erosion.
Answer: True

Question 32. Social forestry is practised in the urban areas of India.
Answer: False

Question 33. The forests do not help in maintaining ecological balance.
Answer: False

Question 34. The equatorial forest is found in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Answer: True

Question 35. Natural vegetation controls the climate.
Answer: True

Class 10 Geography WBBSE India – Natural Vegetation Of India Fill In The Blanks Type:

Question 1. The percentage of forest in India is ______.
Answer: 22.27%.

Question 2. Bamboo is used as raw material in ______ industry.
Answer: Paper.

Question 3. Forest called ______ Sponge.
Answer: Natural.

Question 4. _____ forest is found in the coastal region.
Answer: Littoral.

Question 5. March 21 is observed as ______.
Answer: Forestry day.

Question 7. Sundarban is covered with ______ trees.
Answer: Sundari.

Question 8. Desert vegetation has ______.
Answer: long roots.

Geography Class 10 West Bengal Board

Question 9. Natural vegetation depends on ______ and soil.
Answer: climate.

Question 10. Xerophytic vegetation is found in ______ region.
Answer: desert.

Class 10 Geography West Bengal Board India – Natural Vegetation Of India Very Short Answer Type:

Question 1. Which type of natural vegetation is found in the desert region of India?
Answer: Xerophytes or Deciduous.

Question 2. In which forest of India lion is found?
Answer: Giri.

Question 3. Mention the dominant factors that determine the natural vegetation of a country.
Answer: Soil and Climate.

Question 4. Where do you find a coniferous forest in India?
Answer: In the Himalayan region.

Question 5. Where do you find xerophytic plants in India?
Answer: In the western part of India (Thar Desert).

Question 6. Name one coniferous tree.
Answer: Pine/Fir/Spruce.

Question 7. Name one desert plant.
Answer: Acacia Arabica (Babul Tree).

Question 8. Which state has the largest forest area in India?
Answer: Madhya Pradesh.

Question 9. Where do you find Sundari trees in India?
Answer: In the Sundarban delta region in West Bengal.

Question 10. Name one tree of Karnataka that you never find anywhere else in India.
Answer: Sandalwood tree.

Class 10 Geography West Bengal Board

Question 11. Name one valuable tree in an Indian forest.
Answer: Teak.

Question 12. Where do you find Forest Research institutions in India?
Answer: Dehradun.

Question 13. Name the state having the highest forest cover in India.
Answer: Madhya Pradesh.

Question 14. What percentage of the area is under forest cover in India?
Answer: 20.55%.

Question 15. Who initiated the chipko movement?
Answer: Sundarlal Bahuguna.

Question 16. Name two deciduous and two coniferous trees in the Himalayas.
Answer:
Deciduous: Oak and Maple.
Coniferous: Pine and Fir.

Question 17. What is hardwood?
Answer: Timber obtained from various types of broad-leaved or deciduous trees is hardwood.

Question 18. What is lumbering?
Answer: A basic occupation of cutting timber in the forest; it includes varied activities such as logging, splitting and hauling.

Question 19. What type of vegetation is mainly found in the desert regions?
Answer: Xerophytic Type (Acacia, Aratica, Thorny bushes).

Question 20. Where do you find littoral forests?
Answer: In the coastal regions.

Question 21. Name two important trees of Sundarban.
Answer: Sundari, Gurjan.

Question 22. Where do you find lion sanctuary in India?
Answer: In the Gir Forest of Gujarat.

Question 23. Name one bird sanctuary of Rajasthan.
Answer: Bharatpur bird sanctuary.

Question 24. Name one tiger project in India.
Answer: Sundarban tiger project.

Class 10 Geography West Bengal Board

Question 25. Where do you find the wild ass in India?
Answer: In the Rann of Kutchchh.

Question 26. Mention the main feature of desert vegetation.
Answer: Long roots, thick barks and waxy leaves.

Question 27. Name two important and valuable trees of the Indian forest.
Answer: Segun (Teak) and Sal.

Geography Class 10 Solutions WBBSE India – Natural Vegetation Of India 2 Marks Questions And Answers:

Question 1. State the characteristics of the natural vegetation of the hot desert region.
Answer: Desert vegetation grows in areas where rainfall is less than 50 cm. Mostly thorny bushes, babul, acacia, cactus and some grasses are found in the hot desert regions. Khejur and palm trees grow near the oasis. This vegetation has long roots to tap water beneath the soil. The trees are stunted and the leaves become thorny and the stems are thick fleshy. These are the adaptations to store water and minimise transpiration and resist drought. In India, desert vegetation is seen in the state of Rajasthan and parts of Gujarat.

Question 2. Mention two characteristic features of desert vegetation in India.
Answer: The main features of the tropical desert vegetation are that the trees are scattered and stunted due to scanty rainfall. Most of the plants are leafless. The two main species of trees found in the region are khejri and cacti.

Question 3. What are the types of trees that grow in the mangrove forest of Sundarbans?
Answer: The trees found in the mangrove forest of Sundarbans are Sundari, Garan, gaon, keya, Hetal, golchapata, etc.

Question 4. What are the forest conservation measures taken by the Government of India?
Answer: The steps towards the forest conservation measures are:
1. Celebration of ‘Van Mahotsava’ to plant new saplings,
2. Increasing forest area by afforestation,
3. Planting trees on wastelands,
4. Stopping felling of immature trees,
5. Protection of plants from diseases and forest fires.

Question 5. What are the uses of Himalayan vegetation?
Answer: The coniferous forest of the Himalayan region is commercially very useful. It provides raw materials for the paper industry, packing box industry, furniture making, etc. Wood is also used for fuel. Himalayan forest is a storehouse of medicinal plants in our country. Besides, the slopy meadows as used for pasture where cattle, goats, sheep, yak, etc. are reared.

Class 10 Geography West Bengal Board

Question 6. Name some species of deciduous and coniferous forests.
Answer: The important species of
1. Humid deciduous forests are sal, shogun, shimul, jarul, mahua, Shirish, mango, banyan, etc.
2. Dry deciduous forests are Sabai grass, elephant grass, Palash, berries, Shirish, etc.
3. Coniferous forest includes pine, fir, silver, spruce, laurel, deodar etc. trees.

Question 7. Name major vegetation regions to which Babul and Teak belong.
Answer: Babul belongs to the thorn and scrub forests in north-western Rajasthan. The teak tree belongs to tropical deciduous/monsoon forests which are typical of our country.

Question 8. Name the major vegetation regions to which Ebony and Sundari’s trees belong.
Answer: The ebony tree belongs to tropical rain forests like the windward side of Western Ghats. Sundari is a tree of tidal forests which are found in Sundarbans.

Question 9. What kind of forest is found on the saline soil of the delta? Give examples.
Answer: Mangrove forests are found on the saline soil of the delta. The main trees are Sundari, Garan, Keora, etc.

Question 10. What is the use of Sundritrees?
Answer: The Sundri trees provide hard durable timber or construction, building purposes and boat making.

Question 11. What do you mean by natural vegetation?
Answer: Natural vegetation refers to the plant cover that has not been disturbed over a long time, so as to allow its individual species to adjust themselves fully to the climate and soil conditions. Thus, grasses, shrubs and trees, which grow on their own without any interference, constitute the natural vegetation of an area.

Question 12. Write a note on Chipko movement.
Answer: The famous Chipko movement of 1972 of Garhwal, Uttarakhand started under the able leadership of Shri Sundarlal Bhuguna. The clearing of village woodlands were resisted by the local people (especially women) who clung to the tree trunk when loggers came to cut the trees. In this way, they resolved to sacrifice their lives before a single tree was struck or cut.

WBBSE Class 10 Geography Solutions India – Natural Vegetation Of India Short Notes:

Question 1. Social forestry.
Answer: Social forestry is a philosophy of growing trees/forests outside the periphery of well-known forested areas with different governmental statuses. It includes farm forestry, rural extension forestry, roadside plantation or agriculture and urban or recreational forestry, etc.

Objective: It is an instrument of sustainable development having the potential to resolve three basic needs of the poor, namely, food scarcity, fuel scarcity and livelihood security with an eco-friendly approach to development.
Mechanism: Its success depends upon the direct participation of the poor people and or NGOs who can mobilise masses for the afforestation of village and town wastelands.
Limitation: Several studies reported that, instead of poor people, the affluent section of society extracts more out of the projects because of some operational inadequacy.

Class 10 Geography WBBSE

Question 2. Himalayan Forest.
Answer: Himalayan forest varies considerably along the slopes of mountains:
1. On the foothills of the Himalayas upto a height of 1500 metres, evergreen trees (sal, teak, bamboo and cane) grow abundantly,
2. On higher slopes between 1,500 metres to 3,500 metres, temperate coniferous trees (pine, fir, oak, maple, deodar, laurel, spruce, cedar) grow. At the higher altitude of the Himalayas, rhododendrons and junipers are found. Beyond these vegetation belts, alpine grasslands appear up to the snowfield.

Question 3. Agro-forestry.
Answer:
Agro-Forestry: Agroforestry is a part of social forestry and represents the intermediate stage between forestry and agriculture. Agro-forestry refers to “the sustainable system of managing a piece of land through combined production of agricultural crops and forest crops and animal rearing, to ensure the most efficient land use under a management system in accordance with socio-cultural practices of the local people”. Agro-forestry aims to provide conservation of the land and its improvement in order to achieve a combined production of forest and agricultural crops.

School Geography Class 10 WBBSE India – Natural Vegetation Of India 3 Marks Questions And Answers:

Question 1. Explain with examples the influence of raw materials on the development of industries in India.
Answer: The decision regarding the location of a particular industrial activity is guided by the availability of raw materials in a particular area. The earliest industries in India developed near the sources of raw materials. For example, the textile mills of Mumbai received the supply of cotton from Gujarat and the jute mills of the Hooghly region got raw material from the deltaic region of the Ganga.

Similarly, the iron and steel industry is located in the region where iron ore, limestone, manganese and coal are available. The availability of raw materials nearby reduces the cost of transportation. The nature of raw materials also decides the location of industries.

For example, perishable raw materials have to be processed without loss of time before manufacturing. That is why sugar mills are located in areas of sugarcane production.

Availability of iron ore: High-graded iron ores are available in Singbhum district of Jharkhand, Mayurbhanj, Bonai and Sundargarh district of Orissa, and Dhalli-Rajhara of Durg district, Bailadila of Bastar district of Chhattisgarh. It determines the location of Iron and Steel plants in East and Central India.
Availability of Coal: Like iron ores, coal is essential for Iron and Steel plants. The Jharia coalfield of Jharkhand supplies high-quality coal. Coal fields are also located in the East-Central parts of India such as Raniganj, Bokaro, Giridih, Korba, Talcher, etc. It is one of the most important factors causing this concentration.
The concentration of the other raw materials: Other raw materials for Iron and Steel plants are manganese, limestone, dolomite, water and others. They are also available in the Eastern-Central parts of the country. It also encourages its development.

Question 2. Mention three differences in characteristic features of tropical evergreen and tropical deciduous vegetation of India.
Answer:
Tropical Evergreen Rain Forests: These forests grow in areas where rainfall is more than 200 cm. They are mainly found on the slopes of the western and northeastern regions of Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Assam, Nagaland, the Tarai areas of the Himalayas and the Andaman groups of the Island. The trees in these forests never shed their leaves all at a time in any part of the year. Under humid tropical conditions, subsoil water never dries up completely. So that during the dry season, trees in these forests do not shed their leaves due to a lack of sub-soil water supply. The trees in these belts have dense — growth. Important varieties of trees are sisham, chaplash, rosewood, mahogany, bamboo, garden and sandalwood.

Class 10 Geography WBBSE

Deciduous or Monsoon type of Forests: These forests are found in areas where the rainfall is between 100 cm and 200 cm. These forests grow on the lower slopes of the Himalayas, Assam, West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Karnataka and the adjoining regions. These trees shed their leaves during dry winter and dry summer. The main trees are teak, sal, sandal-wood, deodar, bluegum, ebony, steam, jackfruit, mahua, Palash, Khair and bamboo. Teak and Sal are valuable trees. These forests supply valuable timber.

Question 3. State the three main characteristics of Tropical Evergreen Rain Forests.
Answer:
1. They are evergreen forests as the trees of these forests do not have a distinct season of shedding leaves.
2. They form the natural cover nearly all over the country where the rainfall is moderate (100-200 cm) but the more rich and useful cover extends over the Sahyadris, the north-eastern part of the Peninsula and along the foothills of the Himalayas in the Siwaliks, the Bhabar and the Terai.
3. The typical landscape consists of tall teak trees with other trees, bamboo and shrubs growing fairly close together so as to form thickets. There are also open grass patches.

Question 4. What do you know about the influence of forests?
Answer:
Influence of forest: Forests are regarded as one of the country’s valuable natural resources. Chief influences are:
1. Forest regulates climate.
2. Forests protect soil erosion and increase the fertility of soils.
3. It supplies raw materials to a number of industries like paper, paper pulp, rayon, and medicine.
4. It supplies valuable fibres, juices, leaves and fruits.
5. Forest provides employment to a large number of people.
6. Forests supply fuel wood to 35 crores of people in India.
7. Forests are supplying medicinal herbs.
8. Forests are the home of India’s rich and varied wildlife. 70 national parks and 412 sanctuaries have been set up for the preservation of wildlife.
9. Forests supply fodder to a large number of cattle.
10. a Large number of health resorts and sanitoriums have been set up in forest areas.
11. Forests are the homes of a large number of tribal people.
12. Forests control floods also.

Class 10 Geography WBBSE

Question 5. Write in short about the Afforestation Programme in India.
Answer:
Afforestation Programme in India: Through the Vana, Mahotsava was introduced in response to the National Forest Policy of 1952 and the National campaign like ‘Tree or Every Child’ and ‘Plant Tree, Support Life’. The preservation of forests by planting new trees is being encouraged.

According to the Forest Conservation Act, 1980, no forest area can be diverted for non-forest purposes without the prior approval of the Government. Seventeen Forest Development Corporations of forest resources have been established. World Forestry Day is celebrated every year on March 21 by planting new trees.

Forest departments at the state level have been created. The Forest Research Institute has been established at Dehradun by the Government of India for research in forestry. Several steps have been taken for the creation of forests. Jim cultivation is restricted to certain areas. Indiscriminate cutting of trees is prohibited. The creation of social forestry is introduced.

Question 6. Classify and describe the forests of India according to administration.
Answer: For the aim of the safety and protection of forests, Indian forests have been divided into the following groups:

1. Reserved Forests: Those forests in which entry without a chief warden is totally prohibited. Here cutting of trees or grazing is strictly restricted. About 52% of the total forests are of this type.
2. Protected Forests: Those forests in which entry can be done with the permission of forest officers and local people. Cutting of trees and grazing are allowed by the permission of the Govt. About 34% of the total forests are of this type.
3. Open or Unclassified Forests: Those forests in which there is no obstruction on entry. Wild animals are also found here. Cutting of trees or grazing of animals are not prohibited. About of 14% the total forests are of this type.

Question 7. What steps has been taken for the conservation of forests in India?
Answer: Steps for Conservation of Forests in India:

Under the scheme of forest conservation, the following measures have been adopted by the Forest Department:
1. Prevention of indiscriminate destruction of forests.
2. Prevention or control of forest fires.
3. Conduction of research to prevent diseases of trees and to make the forest more productive.
4. Preservation of wildlife within the boundaries of the Reserved Forests.
5. Development of environmental and social forestry.

Class 10 Geography WBBSE

Question 8. Write three characteristics of monsoon or tropical deciduous forests.
Answer: Characteristics of Tropical Deciduous Forests:

1. Monsoon or tropical deciduous forests form the natural cover nearly all over the country where rainfall is moderate (100-200 cm), but the more rich and useful cover extends over the Sahyadris, the north-eastern part of the Peninsula, and along the foothills of the Himalayas in the Siwaliks, the Bhabar and the Terai.
2. During the dry/summer season, these trees shed their leaves.
3. They need a lot of care as they are less resistant to fire but are economically very important with a variety of trees like teak and sal.

Question 9. Why does natural vegetation differ in the different parts of the Himalayas?
Answer: In the Himalayas, all types of vegetation are found. Types of vegetation is influenced by the range of rainfall. Evergreen forests are found in the foothills of the Eastern Himalayas because of heavy rainfall (more than 200 cm). Among the trees so, rosewood, garden, etc. are prominent. Higher up where the rainfall range is (100 — 200) cm deciduous forests are found. In deciduous forests, valuable trees like pine, fir, etc. grow in large numbers. In the western part of the Himalayas, the rainfall is much less (less than 50 cm). Thorny bushes and shrubs are found there. That’s why natural vegetation differs in the different parts of the Himalayas.

Question 10. Why is the conservation of forests necessary in India?
Answer:
Importance of Conservation of the forest: Forests are gifts of nature. Their beauty and grandeur has always fascinated man. They are the eternal source of peace and vital energy. They have occupied an important place in India’s cultural life.

Class 10 Geography WBBSE

They are very useful to man in the following ways:
1. They control temperature and bring rain.
2. They prevent soil erosion.
3. Improve soil fertility by providing compost.
4. They provide medicinal herbs.
5. They supply valuable timber and firewood.
6. They supply fodder to cattle.
7. They are the natural habitat of wildlife.
8. They maintain ecological balance. To maintain ecological security, fuel, fodder and domestic needs of the population and for developing different small-scale and large-scale industries, forests need to be conserved and protected.

Question 11. Write three differences between vegetation & forest.
Answer: Distinction Between Vegetation and Forest:

Question 12. State the objectives of agro-forestry.
Answer: Objectives of Agro-forestry:

The main objectives of agro-forestry include the following:
1. To reduce pressure on the natural forests for obtaining timber as well as non-timber forest produce.
2. To check soil erosion and maintain the natural fertility of the soil.
3. To maintain ecological balance along with proper utilisation of farm resources.
4. To make the best use of all the available resources like land, manpower, livestock, ecological factors, etc. to obtain a variety of forest products such as food, fuel, fodder, livestock, recreation, and a variety of forest products sustainably from the same land.

Question 13. What are the objectives of social forestry?
Answer:
Objectives of Social Forestry: The main objectives of Social Forestry, as recommended by the National Commission on Agriculture, include the following :

1. Providing fuel wood, fodder for cattle, timber and minor forest products to rural people.
2. Utilising the available land according to its productive capacity.
3. Developing of local cottage industries by providing raw materials.
4. Providing efficient conservation of soil and water.
5. To provide employment opportunities to rural people.
6. Increasing agricultural production by using cow dung as manure.
7. Fulfilling the recreational needs of the people.
8. Improving the aesthetic scene of the area.
9. Achieving all-around rural development as a part of the integrated rural development programme.

Class 10 Geography WBBSE

Question 14. State the important trees of mountain forests.
Answer:
1. Deodar: It is medium-weight wood which is very sturdy in use and durable. It is used for construction work and for railway sleepers. It is also suitable for beams, floor boards, ports, window frames and light furniture.
2. Chir: The wood is light reddish brown, moderately hard and is largely used for making tea chests, furniture, match industry and railway sleepers. It yields resin and turpentine.
3. Blue Pine: It is used for making doors, windows, furniture and railway sleepers. It also yields resin and turpentine.
4. Spruce: Its soft and white wood is used for construction work, railway sleepers, cabinet making, packing cases and wood pulp.
5. Walnut: Its wood is used for musical instruments and cabinet work. It is used extensively in Kashmir and north India for carving. It is also used for gun stocks.
6. Birch: It is largely used for furniture, plywood work, radio cabinet, etc.
7. Cypress: Its wood is durable and is used for making furniture.
8. Jamun: It is an average good wood for construction work and house building. It is also used for furniture and cabinet work.

Question 15. State the important trees of the tropical desert forests with their economic uses.
Answer: The important trees found here include, babool, date palm, Khair, neem, Mukherji, palas, kanji, cacti, Kokko, etc.

1. Ber: Its fruit is eaten raw or made into pickles or beverages. It is rich in Vitamin C. Its timber is hard, strong, tough and durable. It is used to make legs for bedsteads, boat ribs, agricultural implements, charcoal, etc.
2. Babool: Its bark and gum have medicinal value.
3. Date Palin: It is eaten raw and also used as an astringent, as a decoction, syrup or paste for sore throat, cold, fever, etc.
4. Neem: Neem bark and roots have medicinal properties. It helps to cure skin infections, in treating diabetes, allergies, ulcers and several other diseases. Neem oil, leaves and neem extracts are used to manufacture health and beauty products. Neem is also used as an insecticide.

Question 16. State the important trees of dry deciduous forests with their uses.
Answer: The trees of these forests are teak, tendu, sal, rosewood, palas, amaltas, bel, Khair, Hazlewood, etc.

1. Tendu: Tendu leaves are used as wrappers for bidi making.
2. Teak: Its wood is moderately hard, durable and easy to work. It is used for construction purposes, shipbuilding, furniture making, railway carriages, sleepers and bridges.
3. Sal: Its wood is very hard, heavy and tough. It is used for making beams, planking and railing of bridges, doors, window posts of houses, railway sleepers, etc.
4. Palas: Its leaves are used in rearing shellac worms.
5. Amaltas: The fruit, seed, pulp and roots of amaltas have medicinal value. Amaltas helps in relieving the symptoms of asthma, leprosy, ringworms, fever and heart-related diseases.
6. Khair: Its wood is hard and used for making rice pestles, hookahs, ploughs, and handles for knives, daggers and swords. It is also used for making charcoal. The wood extract is used for tanning and dyeing.
7. Axlewood: It is used for making furniture, kitchen cabinets, radios, TV and stereo cabinets, wardrobes, etc.

School Geography Class 10 WBBSE

Question 17. State the important trees of moist deciduous forests with their uses.
Answer: The common trees of such forests are sal, teak, Arjun, shisham, mahua, mulberry, palas, simple, sandalwood, etc.

1. Sal: Its wood is very hard, heavy and tough. It is used for making beams, planking and railing of bridges, doors, window posts of houses, railway sleepers, etc.
2. Teak: Its wood is moderately hard, durable and easy to work. It is used for construction purposes, ship building, furniture making, railway carriages, and sleepers. and bridges.
3. Shisham: Its wood is hard, and heavy with great strength, elasticity and durability. It is used for construction purposes, for making furniture, bullock carts, agricultural implements, musical instruments and railway sleepers. It can be worked into decorative ornamental carvings.

4. Mahua: Its fruit is used for extracting oil and flowers for making wine.
5. Mulberry: It is used for the manufacture of sports goods like hockey, badminton and squash rackets, cricket stumps, etc.
6. Palash: Its leaves are used in rearing shellac worms.

7. Semul: Its timber is soft and white. It is used for making toys, packing cases, matchboxes, pen-holders, plywoods, etc. Its fruits yield soft fibre which is used in pillows.
8. Sandalwood: It is used for making statues and ornamental objects. It is also used in making aromatic substances and extracting sandalwood oil.

Question 18. State the important trees of tropical monsoon forests with their uses.
Answer: The main variety of trees found in these forests include rosewood, ebony, mahogany toon, chaplains, sissoo, gurjan, teaser, etc.

1. Rosewood: It is used in furniture-making, floor boards, wagon parts, etc. It is used as decorative wood for carving and ornamental ply-boards and veneers.
2. Ebony: It is used for ornamental carving and for decoration. It is used for inlaying, for making musical instruments, sports goods, piano keys and caskets.
3. Chaplains: It provides strong and durable timber, and hence, is used for ship-building, furniture-making and packing boxes.

4. Gurjan: It is used for construction work, for packing boxes, tea boxes, panelling and flooring and carriage and wagon construction.
5. Telsur: Its wood is hard, strong and durable and is, therefore, used for manufacturing bridges, piles, boats, masts, carts and railway sleepers.
6. Sissoo: Its wood is hard and heavy. Due to its strength, elasticity and durability, it is used for building construction, furniture making, bullock cart, agricultural implements, musical instruments and railway sleepers.
7. Toon: It is used for making tea boxes, toys and furniture.

Question 19. Distinguish between flora, vegetation and forest.
Answer: There is a difference between flora, vegetation and forest. Flora refers to plants of a particular region or period, listed as species and considered as a group. For example, the Eastern Himalayas have about 4000 species of plants which vary from tropical to temperate and Alpine with increasing altitude.

Vegetation, on the other hand, refers to the assemblage of plant species living in association with each other in a given environmental set-up. For example, the redwood forests, coastal mangroves, roadside weed patches, cultivated gardens and lawns, etc. all are encompassed by the term vegetation.

The major vegetation types of the world are grouped as forests, grasslands, scrubs and tundra. Finally, the word ‘forest’ refers to a large track of land covered by trees and shrubs.

School Geography Class 10 WBBSE

Question 20. State the features of the tropical desert forests.
Answer: Features of Tropical Desert Forest:

1. These forests grow in areas having 50 cm to less than 50 cm of rainfall,
2. The plants grow apart from each other.
3. They have long roots and thick fleshy stems where they store water to survive during long droughts.

Question 21. State the features of the littoral forest.
Answer: Features of Littoral Forest:

1. Because of saline soil the roots of these trees cannot breathe properly. So, they develop breathing roots or pneumatophores.
2. They have stilt roots to give support to the plant.
3. The forest gets submerged by tidal water during high tides and so are also called tidal forest.
4. Other names- Mangrove forest, Sundarbans (West Bengal).

Class 10 Geography WBBSE India – Natural Vegetation Of India 5 Marks Questions And Answers:

Question 1. Describe in brief the influence of climate on the distribution of natural vegetation in India.
Answer: Natural vegetations are a gift of nature. They grow naturally and they follow the climatic variables. Due to a variety of climates, a wide range of natural vegetation grows in India. Types of natural vegetation vary according to climate, soil, and altitude. A study of the distribution of forests in India reveals that there is a marked relation between the rainfall zones and their belts of natural vegetation.

 

The following are the principal types of vegetation in India:
1. Tropical Evergreen Rain Forests: These forests grow in areas where rainfall is more than 200 cm. They are mainly found on the slope of the Western and the northeastern regions of Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Assam, Nagaland, the Terai areas of the Himalayas, and the Andaman group of Islands. The trees in these forests never shed their leaves all at a time in any part of the year. Under humid tropical conditions, subsoil water never dries up completely. So that during the dry season trees in these forests do not shed their leaves due to a lack of sub-soil water supply. The trees in these belts are dense in growth. Important varieties of trees are sisham, chaplash, rosewood, mahogany, bamboo, garden, and sandalwood.

School Geography Class 10 WBBSE

2. Deciduous or Monsoon type of Forests: These forests are found in areas where the rainfall is between 100 cm and 200 cm. These forests grow on the lower slope of the Himalayas, Assam, West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and the adjoining regions. These trees shed their leaves during dry winter and dry summer. The main trees are teak, sal, sandalwood, deodar, bluegum, ebony, sisam, jackfruit, mahua, Palash, Khair, and bamboo. Teak and sal are valuable trees. These forests supply valuable timber.

3. Dry Deciduous Forests and Shrubs: These forests grow in areas where the rainfall is between 50 cm and 100 cm. These are found in areas of the central Deccan plateau, southeast of Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, and parts of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. Dwarf deciduous trees and long grasses grow in these regions. Most of these areas are used for agriculture.

4. Semi-desert and desert vegetations: These types of vegetation grow in areas where rainfall is less than 50 cm. Mostly thorny bushes, acacia, babul, and sand-binding grasses are found in this vegetation zone. The Indian wild date, known as ‘khejur’ is common in these deserts. These plants grow far apart from each other. They have long roots and thick fleshy stems in which they store water to survive during the long drought. These vegetation are found in Rajasthan and parts of Gujarat, Punjab, and Karnataka.

5. Tidal or Mangrove Forests: These forests grow along the coast and on the edges of the deltas, e.g. the deltas of the Ganga, Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna, and Kaveri. They are called Tidal Forests because their dense growth depends upon tidal water which submerges the deltaic lands during high tides. They are also known as Littoral Forests. In West Bengal, these forests are known as ‘Sundarbans’.

The ‘sundry’ is the most significant tree in these forests. The other notable trees of these forests are hola, garan, gewa, golchapata, gilepata, pastor, etc. These forests supply timber and firewood. Palm and coconut trees adorn the coastal strip.

6. Mountain forests: Mountain forests vary considerably according to altitude with varying rainfall and temperature along the slopes of the mountain:
1. On the foothills of the Himalayas up to a height of 1,500 meters evergreen trees, such as sal, teak, bamboo, and cane grow abundantly.
2. On higher slopes between 1,500 meters to 3,500 meters, temperate conifer trees, such as pine, fir, oak, maple, deodar, laurel, spruce, and cedar grow. At the higher altitude. of the Himalayas, rhododendrons and junipers are found. Beyond these vegetation belts, alpine grasslands appear up to the snowfield.

Question 2. State the measures to conserve our forests.
Answer: The following measures should be adopted in order to conserve our forests:

School Geography Class 10 WBBSE

1. Prohibition of indiscriminate deforestation: Indiscriminate deforestation or the felling of trees causes an increase in carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide warms. up the atmosphere to a great extent contributing to global warming. Plants absorb carbon dioxide for photosynthesis and in the process give out oxygen too. So, the cutting of trees should be restricted.
2. Reduction of felling of premature trees: Trees should be given time to mature. They can be utilized fully if they are properly grown (mature). So, the feeling of premature trees should be stopped by law.
3. Use of alternate sources of energy instead of fuel wood: Burning of firewood leads to carbon dioxide emission which results in global warming. Straws instead of firewood provide cheaper but more powerful energy. Straws are designed to be burned and so have a very low moisture content, about only 2.5%. This means they can burn hotter for longer and are much cleaner.

4. Prevention of forest fire: Forests should be protected from natural hazards like a forest fire. The best protection against fire is a closed system of lookout towers and air patrols to give the earliest possible warnings for fire outbreaks. Spraying chemicals from the air and fighting the fire from the ground to be taken up when a fire breaks out. A better system of public education in fire prevention and control will have to be devised.
5. Control of diseases of forest trees chemically and biologically: Regular inspection of forests and spraying with insecticides are two ways to prevent the spreading of pests and diseases. Control by biological method, i.e., the introduction of insect or animals which preys on unwanted insect (causing disease in plants) can be done. Animals like goats, sheep, and rabbits which eat up the seedings should be kept out of the forest lands.

6. Controlled grazing of cattle: in India, villagers bring their cattle or goats into the forests for grazing. In this way, they cause hindrance to the regeneration of the forest land. The grazing of cattle should be controlled and the animal-land ratio should be strictly maintained.
7. Afforestation and reforestation: Forests felled for timber should be replanted with seedling trees. This ensures both timber supply and protects the soil from depletion. At the same time, fallow lands and wastelands should be planted with trees for increasing forested areas.
8. Adaptation of forest management like the felling of mature trees and selective tree felling operation: Emphasis should be given to selective cutting and felling of trees. Only mature or weak or diseased trees which are wasting space should be removed. Felling of trees from pure stands should be encouraged so as to minimize cutting of different types of trees.

People’s participation: Conservation of forests can be best done by people’s participation. Most forest management programs now involve local communities in planning, decision-making and implementation. They can be the best guides to promote eco-tourism. Forest Protection Committee (FPC) formed by local people can work in a group to save different forest products like wood, bamboo products, medicinal plants, essential oil, honey, etc. Joint Forest Management (JFM), a concept for developing partnerships between the fringe forest users and the Government forest department, may become an effective method of conservation of forests.

School Geography Class 10 WBBSE

Question 3. What are the objectives behind the adoption of the national forest policy?
Answer:
National Forest Policy: The Government of India adopted a forest policy in 1952, which was further modified in 1988. This policy lays emphasis on sustainable forest management in order to conserve and expand forest reserves and to meet the needs of the local people. The other objectives of this policy are:

1. Maintenance of environmental stability through preservation and, where necessary, restoration of the ecological balance that has peer adversely disturbed by the serious depletion of the forests of the country.
2. Conserve the natural heritage of the country by preserving the remaining natural forests with a vast variety of flora and fauna, which represent the remarkable biological diversity and genetic resources of the country.
3. Checking soil erosion and denudation in the catchment areas of rivers, lakes, and reservoirs in the interest of soil and water conservation, for mitigating floods and droughts, and for the retardation of siltation of reservoirs.
4. Increasing substantially the forest/tree cover in the country through massive afforestation and social forestry programs, especially on all degraded and unproductive lands.
5. Meeting the requirements of fuel-wood, fodder, minor forest produce, and small timber of the rural and tribal populations.
6. Increasing the productivity of forests to meet essential national needs.
7. Encouraging efficient utilization of forest produce and maximizing substitution of wood.
8. Creating a massive people’s movement with the involvement of women, for achieving these objectives and to minimise pressure on existing forests.

Question 4. Give an account of the mountain forests.
Answer: In the mountain regions temperature decreases with altitude. This has a corresponding effect on the natural vegetation of the mountain regions.
Mountain forests can be categorised into two types :
1. The Northern Mountain Forests, and
2. The Southern Mountain Forests.

1. The Northern Mountain Forests: These forests include the Himalayan ranges which show a succession of natural vegetation from the tropical to tundra with changes in altitude.

Geography Class 10 Solutions WBBSE

Himalayan Moist Temperate Forests:
Distribution: These forests cover the entire Himalayan zone from Kashmir to Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh between 1500 m and 3300 m altitude.
Characteristic Features: These forests contain mixed species of broad-leaved evergreens and conifers. They also contain scrubs, creepers, and ferns.
Important Trees: Oak, fir, spruce, deodar, chestnut, cedar, maple, kail, yew, and birch are important tree varieties of these forests.
Economical Value: These forests provide fine durable wood for commercial uses.

Himalayan Dry Temperate Forests:
Distribution: Dry Temperate forests occur in Ladakh, Baltistan, Chamba, Lahaul, Sikkim, and in inner Garhwal regions.
Important Trees: These include junipers, chilgozah, maple, ash Celtis, oak, etc.
Economic Value: These forests provide timber. The timber is used for construction work, for railway sleepers, making light furniture, etc.

Alpine Forests:
Distribution: These occur in the high Himalayas from the northwest frontier to the northeast frontier.

Characteristic Features: At the foothills of the Himalayas deciduous forests are found. These are followed by wet temperate forests between an altitude of 1000-2000 m. In the higher mountain ranges of north-eastern India, hilly areas of West Bengal. and Uttarakhand, evergreen broad-leaf trees like chestnut and oak are found. Between an altitude of 1500 and 1750 m, pine forests are found with Chir pine as an important tree. Blue pine and spruce occur at altitudes of 2250 and 3000 m. Temperate grasslands also occur at many places in this zone. In the higher reaches, Alpine forests and pastures are found. At still further higher altitudes, mosses, and lichens form part of the tundra vegetation.

Important Trees: These include silver fir, juniper, pine, birch, plum, magnolia, laurel, cinchona, wattle, oak, fir, spruce, deodar, chestnut, maple, kail, etc. In the western Himalayas, a sweet-scented Alpine species with white flowers — the ‘Brahmakamal’ and the ‘Kuth’ are found. These are used in perfume making.
Economical Value: The Himalayan trees yield valuable timber which is used for making railway sleepers, furniture, packing boxes, wood pulp, paper, match sticks, plywood, etc. It also provides resins, gums, fruit roots, medicinal plants, herbs, etc.

2. Southern Mountain Forests:
Distribution: Such forests are found in three distinct areas of Peninsular India :
(1)The Vindhyas,
(2)The Nilgiris,
(3) the Western Ghats.

Geography Class 10 Solutions WBBSE

Characteristic Features: These forests have a mixture of tropical and temperate vegetation. This is because the areas which lie closer to the tropics and are only 1500 m above the sea level have temperate vegetation whereas the lower regions of the Western Ghats, especially in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka have subtropical vegetation. The temperate forests are called Sholas in the Nilgiris, Anaimalai, and Palani hills.

Question 5. State the importance of forests.
Answer: Forests are considered to be one of the country’s valuable natural resources.

The chief advantages of forests. are the following:
1. Regulation of Climate: Forests regulate climate. They act as reservoirs of water. They absorb the moisture of the rainwater that falls during the monsoon season and give it slowly afterward in the dry season. So the forest is called ‘Natural Sponge’.
2. Arresting Soil Erosion and Increasing Soil Fertility: Forests prevent soil erosion and increase the fertility of the soil by producing humus, etc. Forests also help to prevent sudden floods by absorbing some water from the heavy downpour of rain.

3. ‘Industries: Forests supply valuable timber, juice, fodder, leaves, and fruits.These help in the growth of many forest-based industries. Paper mills, match factories, furniture factories, resin and turpentine industries, etc. are dependent upon the existence of forests.
4. Foreign Exchange: Some of the minor forest products like bamboo, canes, leaves, grasses, essential oils, medicinal plants, lac, resins, gum, tanning materials, etc. are valuable foreign exchange-earners.
5. Employment: Forests provide employment to a large number of people such as wood-cutters, sawyers, carters, carriers, craftsmen, and others.
6. Domestic Fuel: An estimated population of 35 crore people, mainly in rural areas, depend on fuelwood as a source of domestic energy.

7. Medicinal Herbs: The Indian forests are very rich in medicinal herbs and drugs.
8. Animal Habitat: Forests are the home of India’s rich and varied wildlife. In India, 70 National Parks and 412 sanctuaries have been set up for the preservation of wildlife.
9. Land of Tribal Culture and also of Spiritual Preparation of life: To over 25 million tribesmen, the forest is their home, their livelihood, and their very existence. Throughout the ages, man has sought spiritual preparation of his life in the solitude of the forests. Many famous events in the history of Indian civilization are associated with forests.
10. Forests have also an aesthetic value: Forests provide fine scenery and excellent healthy air. Many health resorts and sanatoriums have been established in the forested areas.

Geography Class 10 Solutions WBBSE

Question 6. What do you know about the influence of forests?
Answer:
Influence of Forest: Forests are regarded as one of the country’s valuable natural resources.

Chief influences are:
1. Forest regulates climate.
2. Forests protect soil erosion and increase the fertility of soils.
3. It supplies raw materials to a number of industries like paper, paper pulp, rayon, and medicine.
4. It supplies valuable fibers, juices, leaves, and fruits.
5. Forests provide employment to a large number of people.
6. Forests supply fuel wood to 35 crores of people of India.
7. Forests are supplying medicinal herbs.
8. Forests are the homes of India’s rich and varied wildlife. 70 national parks and 412 sanctuaries have been set up for the preservation of wildlife.
9. Forests supply fodder to a large number of cattle.
10. a Large number of health resorts and sanitoriums have been set up in forest areas.
11. Forests are the homes of a large number of tribal people. (xii) Forests control floods also.

Question 7. State some problems of the Green Revolution.
Answer:
Problems of Green Revolution: The Green Revolution has been a unique event in the agricultural history of independent India, as it has saved the country from the disasters of hunger, starvation, and also. made the Indian peasant more confident than ever before. But it has its own inherent deficiency segments.

Ever since its inception, the income gap between large, marginal, and small farmers has increased; the gap between irrigated and rain-fed areas has widened and some crops have benefited more than others, even at the cost of other crops. This has also given birth to a plethora of socioeconomic problems.

The spiraling prices of fertilizers, the tendency to use them frequently, and the stagnant wheat and rice yields in Punjab and Haryana have combined to confirm that Green Revolution has reached old age. The fatigue of the Green Revolution is also visible. Some of the problems of the Green Revolution are:

1. Inter-Crop Imbalances: The effect of the Green Revolution primarily has been felt on foodgrains including wheat, rice, jawar, bajra, and maize, and production of these crops has gone high. But it has wrested areas from coarse cereals, pulses, and oilseeds.
2. Regional Disparities: The Green Revolution technology has given birth to growing disparities in economic development at inter-regional and intra-regional levels. It has so far affected only 40% of the total cropped area and 60% is still untouched by it. The most affected areas are Punjab, Haryana, Western Uttar Pradesh, A.P., and Tamil Nadu in the south but it has hardly any. touched the eastern region including Assam, Bihar, West Bengal, Orissa, and arid and semi-arid regions. The green revolution also has affected only areas which were already better from an agricultural point of view.

3. Unemployment: Expect Punjab and Haryana farm mechanization under Green Revolution has created widespread unemployment among agricultural laborers in the rural areas and the worst hit is the poor and the landless people.
4. Other Related Problems: Agriculture under Green Revolution has not grown at the rate that was expected in the beginning. The high-yielding variety seeds are also responsive to certain key inputs such as fertilizers, and irrigation; as a result, there is also an increase in the cost of production. Some experts have also commented that the indigenous varieties could also be high yielding under required doses of inputs.

Some experts have also blamed the green revolution for destroying natural mechanisms for controlling pests though due to the loss of diversity the miracle seeds of the green revolution have become a mechanism for breeding new pests and creating new diseases.

Geography Class 10 Solutions WBBSE

The excessive use of groundwater for proceeding irrigation to high-yielding variety seeds has also led to large-scale depletion of groundwater and the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides has severely affected the health of the soil.

Though the green revolution did increase food grain production in the country it has been achieved at the cost of intensive use of irrigation water, fertilizers, and other inputs. This has resulted in problems of soil salinization, groundwater pollution, nutrient imbalances, the emergence of new pests, diseases, and environmental degradation. This has also given the problem of regional inequality in the matter of income and production and only the western and some southern parts of the country have got the maximum benefit of the green revolution.

The green revolution has only benefitted some big enterprising farmers whereas the majority of the marginal and small farmers are deprived of benefits. Thus, the overall impacts of the green revolution have failed to influence the agricultural sector.

Geography Class 10 Solutions WBBSE

Considering all these facts the pioneer of the Indian Green Revolution, Mr. M. S. Swaminathan, presently chairman of the National Commission on Farmers, also gave a new call for another green revolution for doubling the present production level of food grains. For making it a success, he stressed on adopting the best scientific techniques and promoting organic farming. The government has also given urgent attention for initiating another green revolution. The approach paper to Eleventh Plan has aptly highlighted such a holistic framework and suggested the following strategy to raise agricultural output. Such as

1. Doubling the rate of growth of irrigated areas.
2. Improving water management, rainwater harvesting, and watershed development.
3. Reclaiming degraded land and focusing on soil quality.
4. Diversifying agricultural productivity into high-value outputs such as fruits, vegetables, flowers, herbs, spices, medicinal plants, and biodiesel but with adequate measures of food security.
5. Promoting animal husbandry and fishery.
6. Providing easy access to credit at affordable rates.
7. Improving the incentive structure and functioning of markets and refocusing on and reforms issues.

Thus, the approach to the second green revolution seems to aim at the efficient use of resources, and conservation of soil, water, and ecology on a sustainable basis and in a holistic framework.

 

Geography Class 10 West Bengal Board India – Physiography Of India True Or False Type:

Question 1. Aravalli in India is an example of a young fold mountain.
Answer: False

Question 2. The highest plateau of India is Deccan Trap.
Answer: False

Question 3. In India, the Himalayas extend from the Nanga Parbat in the west to the Namcha Barwa in the east.
Answer: True

Read and learn all WBBSE Solutions For Class 10 Geography And Environment

Question 4. The central Himalayas extend into north-eastern India.
Answer: False

Question 5. Dodabetta is the highest peak of south India or the Deccan plateau.
Answer: False

Question 6. The western coastal plain lies along the Bay of Bengal.
Answer: False

WBBSE Class 10 Geography Solutions

Question 7. The Punjab plain is drained by the Ganga and her tributaries.
Answer: False

Question 8. The Narmada Valley lies between the Vindhyas and the Satpura.
Answer: True

Question 9. The valley of Kashmir lies between the Pirpanjal and the Himalayas.
Answer: True

Question 10. Zoji-la Pass is located in Jammu and Kashmir.
Answer: True

Question 11. Nathu La is a pass in the Eastern Himalayas.
Answer: True

Question 12. Mt. Nandadevi is in the Western Himalayas.
Answer: True

Question 13. Mt. Saramati is the highest peak of Naga Range.
Answer: True

Question 14. Mt. Saddle Peak is in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
Answer: False

Question 15. Mt. Dhupgarh is the highest peak of Nilgiris.
Answer: False

Question 16. Mt. Anaimudi is the highest peak of South India.
Answer: True

Question 17. Mt. Amarkantak is the highest peak of Vindhya.
Answer: False

Question 18. The highest peak of the Western Ghats is Mt. Kalsubai.
Answer: True

Question 19. Deccan plateau is a Lava Plateau.
Answer: True

Question 20. Ladakh is the highest plateau.
Answer: True

Question 21. Marusthali is, in fact, a sea of sand with rock waste.
Answer: True

Question 22. The oldest mountain of India is the Aravalli.
Answer: True

Question 23. The highest plateau of India is the Pamir Plateau.
Answer: False

Question 24. The southernmost limit of India is Indira Point.
Answer: True

Question 25. The highest peak of the Nilgiri hills is Mt. Dodabetta.
Answer: True

Question 26. The desert of India is mainly situated in the state of Gujarat.
Answer: False

Question 27. Satpura is a block mountain of India.
Answer: True

Question 28. The western coastal plain receives heavy rainfall.
Answer: True

WBBSE Class 10 Geography Solutions

Question 29. Minicoy island is situated in the Manas Sarovar.
Answer: False

Question 30. The highest peak of India is Mt. Everest.
Answer: False

Question 31. Rajmahal hill is the highest part of the Ranchi Plateau.
Answer: False

Question 32. Satpura is a Block Mountain of India.
Answer: True

Question 33. The highest peak of Eastern Ghat is Mahendragiri.
Answer: True

Question 34. Satpura consists of seven parallel ranges.
Answer: True

Question 35. Himalaya means abode of snow.
Answer: True

Question 36. Zoila is a pass of the Greater Himalayas.
Answer: True

Question 37. K2 is the highest peak of the Karakoram Range.
Answer: True

Question 38. Baltimore is a Glacier of the Karakoram.
Answer: True

Question 39. Khadars are the newer alluvial soil.
Answer: True

Question 40. Anairnudi is the highest peak of Nilgiri.
Answer: False

Question 41. Satpura is higher than the Vindhyas.
Answer: False

Question 42. Deccan trap is a intermontane plateau.
Answer: False

Question 43. Himalaya is an example of the oldest fold mountain.
Answer: False

Question 44. North-eastern hills of India are together known as Purbachal.
Answer: True

Class 10 Geography West Bengal Board India – Physiography Of India Fill In The Blanks Type:

Question 1. The highest mountain peak of South India is ______.
Answer: Anaimudi.

Question 2. The southernmost point of mainland India is ______.
Answer: Kanyakumari.

Question 3. ______ is the highest part of the Meghalaya Plateau.
Answer: Shillong.

Question 4. Mt.Trisul is in the ______ Himalaya.
Answer: Greater.

WBBSE Class 10 Geography Solutions

Question 5. ______ is a Glacier of the Karakoram Range.
Answer: Hesper.

Question 6. ______ is in between Himachal Pradesh and Tibet.
Answer: Sipki La.

Question 7. ______ Pass is in between Srinagar and Jammu.
Answer: Banihal.

Question 8. Jawahar Tunnel is an all-weather ______ to Srinagar Valley.
Answer: Tunnel.

Question 9. One mountain pass of J & K is ______.
Answer: Banihal.

Question 10. ______ plateau is part of the ancient Gondwanaland.
Answer: Deccan.

Question 11. The Eastern Coastal plain of India lies along the coast of the ______.
Answer: Bay of Bengal.

Question 12. The Lakshadweep Islands lie in the ______sea.
Answer: Arabian.

Question 13. _______ is the highest peak in the Deccan.
Answer: Anaimudi.

Question 14. The northern plain of India was formed after the rise of the _______.
Answer: Himalayas.

Question 15. ______ was the sea from which the Himalayas rose up.
Answer: Tethys.

Question 16. ______ hills stand on the plateau of Meghalaya.
Answer: Garo.

Question 17. Indian desert lies in the west of the ______ range.
Answer: Aravalli.

Question 18. ______ is the highest peak of the Himalayas in India.
Answer: Kanchenjungha.

Question 19. Eastern Ghats is also known as ______.
Answer: Malayadri.

Question 20. _______ is the highest peak of the western ghats.
Answer: Kalsubai.

Question 21. Luni is the only ______ drainage of western India.
Answer: Inland.

WBBSE Class 10 Geography Solutions

Question 22. Himalaya means abode of ______.
Answer: Snow.

India – Physiography Of India Very Short Answer Type:

Question 1. What is ‘TaS’ in Western Himalaya?
Answer: Lakes / Glacial Lake / Water body

Question 2. Name the largest salt lake of Thar desert.
Answer: Sambar lake is the largest salt lake of the Thar desert.

Question 3. What is Himadri?
Answer: Himadri is the highest mountain range of the Himalayas in the North. It has snow-topped mountain peaks.

Question 4. What is Rohi?
Answer: The patches of more fertile tracks in the Northern and Central parts of Rajasthan are locally called Rohi.

Question 5. Name the islands on the Bay of Bengal.
Answer: The Andaman and Nicobar islands are on the Bay of Bengal.

Question 6. Name the group of islands on the Arabian Sea.
Answer: The Lakshadweep is on the Arabian Sea.

WBBSE Class 10 Geography Solutions

Question 7. Name a lake of Manipur valley.
Answer: Logtak is a lake of Manipur valley.

Question 8. Which one is the highest plateau in India?
Answer: Ladakh plateau of Jammu and Kashmir is the highest plateau of India.

Question 9. Name the highest peak in India.
Answer: Mt. Kanchanjunga (8595 m).

Question 10. Name the longest river in India.
Answer: Ganga.

Question 11. Name the longest tunnel in India.
Answer: Jawahar Lai Nehru Tunnel.

Question 12. Name the highest peak of Satpura.
Answer: Mt. Dhupgarh.

Question 13. Name the highest peak of Nilgiri.
Answer: Mt. Dodabetta (2637m).

Question 14. Name the highest peak of Annamalai.
Answer: Mt. Anaimudi.

Geography Class 10 Solutions WBBSE

Question 15. Name the highest peak of the Western Ghats.
Answer: Mt. Kalsubai.

Question 16. Name the all-weather tunnel to Srinagar Valley.
Answer: Jawaharlal Tunnel.

Question 17. Name one mountain pass of Himachal Pradesh.
Answer: Sipki La.

Question 18. Name the highest peak of Aravali.
Answer: Mt. Gurusikha.

Question 19. Name the highest peak of South India.
Answer: Mt. Anaimudi.

Question 20. By what name the Lagoons in the Kerala Coast are called?
Answer: Kayal.

Question 21. What is the local name of the sand dunes in the Malabar Coast?
Answer: Teris.

Question 22. Name the highest peak of the Karakoram Range.
Answer: Mt. Godwin Austin.

Question 23. Name the desert of India.
Answer: Thar Desert.

Question 24. What is the meaning of the name Satpura?
Answer: Satpura means seven parallel ranges of mountains.

Question 25. What is the meaning of the word Himalayas?
Answer: Abode of snow.

Question 26. Where is Zozila pass located?
Answer: Zozila pass is in Ladakh.

Question 27. Where do you find the Baltora Glacier?
Answer: Baltora Glacier is in the Karakoram Range.

Question 28. What are Belts?
Answer: Belts are narrow strips of low-lying flood plains.

Question 29. What are Khadars?
Answer: Newer alluvial plains of the Ganga Plain are called Khadars.

Geography Class 10 Solutions WBBSE

Question 30. Where is Northern Circars?
Answer: Eastern coastal plain extending from the mouth of Subarnarekha to the mouth of Krishna is known as Northern Circars.

Question 31. What are Ghats?
Answer: The Ranchi Plateau is deeply dissected around its edges giving rise to escarpments locally called as Ghats.

Question 32. Name the highest peak of Gir Mountain.
Answer: Mt. Gorakhnath.

Question 33. What is the other name of the Eastern Ghats?
Answer: Malayadri Mountain.

Question 34. What are Duns?
Answer: Duns are the flat-floored structural valleys mainly found in the Himalayas, e.g. Dehra Dun.

Question 35. Name the glaciers of the Karakoram Range.
Answer: Baltora, Bistro, Hisper and Siachen.

Question 36. How many divisions are there in the Himalayas (West to East)?
Answer: West to East, the Himalayas have three divisions, these are Western Himalaya, Central Himalaya and Eastern Himalaya.

Question 37. How many divisions are there in the (North to South) Himalayas?
Answer: Four divisions-Tethys or Trans Himalaya, Greater Himalaya, Lesser Himalaya and Outer Himalaya.

Question 38. How many divisions are there in the Eastern Himalaya?
Answer: Four divisions-Sikkim Himalaya, Darjeeling Himalaya, Bhutan Himalaya and Arunachal Himalaya.

Question 39. Name three important passes of the Himalaya.
Answer: Burzilla, Zojila and Karakoram Pass.

Geography Class 10 Solutions WBBSE

Question 40. Name the knot from which the Himalaya is originating.
Answer: Pamir knot.

Question 41. Which is the oldest mountain in India?
Answer: Aravalli Range.

Question 42. Name five peaks of the Greater Himalayas.
Answer: Nanga Parbat (8125 m.), Kamet (7756 m.), Nandadevi (7817 m.), Dhaulagiri (8172 m), Makalu (8481m).

Question 43. Name two mountain passes in Jammu and Kashmir.
Answer: Mt. Everest, Mt. Annapurna, Mt. Makalu and Mt. Gouri Sankar.

Question 44. What is the name of the extension of the Himalayas in the eastern region?
Answer: Purbachal.

Question 45. Name the highest peak of the Nanga Range.
Answer: Mt. Saramati (3823 m).

Question 46. Name the hills and ranges of the Purbachal.
Answer: Mikir, Barail, Lushai, Patkoi, Naga Hills, etc.

Question 47. Name the hills of the Meghalaya Plateau.
Answer: Garo, Khasi and Jaintia.

Question 48. Name the highest peak of Rajmahal Hill.
Answer: Mt. Pareshnath (1366 m).

Question 49. Name the highest peak of Annamalai Hill.
Answer: Mt. Annamalai (2695 m).

Question 50. Name the highest peak of the Eastern Ghats.
Answer: Mt. Mahendragiri (1500 m).

Question 51. Name the highest peak of Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Answer: Saddle Peak. (750 m).

Question 52. How many islands are there in Andaman Island?
Answer: 200 islands.

Question 53. How many islands are there in the Nicobar Island?
Answer: 10 islands.

Question 54. Name one active volcano of India.
Answer: Barren island.

Geography Class 10 Solutions WBBSE

Question 55. Name one coral island of India.
Answer: Lakshadweep.

Question 56. Name the longest glacier of India.
Answer: Siachen glacier on the Karakoram range.

Question 57. What do you mean by ‘Purvanehal’?
Answer: The Northeastern hills are also known as Purvanehal.

Question 58. Which lake has the only floating park in the world?
Answer: The Loktak lake lies between Naga and Lushai Ranges.

Question 59. Name the highest peak of the Western Himalayan range.
Answer: Dapha Bum.

Question 60. What is the meaning of the word ‘Meghalaya’?
Answer: Abode of clouds.

Question 61. Name the highest peak of Meghalaya.
Answer: Mt. Shiiiong Peak.

Question 62. What is the group of Coral islands in India called?
Answer: Lakshadweep.

Question 63. Name the highest peak of the Vindhya Range.
Answer: Manipur.

Question 64. Amarkantak is the highest peak of which range?
Answer: Maikal Range.

Question 65. Name the highest peak of Nilgiris.
Answer: Dodabetta.

Geography Class 10 Solutions WBBSE

Question 66. Where is Nanga Parbat located?
Answer: Jammu & Kashmir.

Question 67. Where is Namcha Barwa located?
Answer: Arunachal Pradesh.

Question 68. Name the southernmost range of the Himalayas.
Answer: The Shiwalik Range.

Question 69. Name the mountain range located in the north of the Great Himalayas and having the highest peak of India.
Answer: Karakoram Range.

Question 70. Name the mountain range in the south of the Narmada river and parallel to it.
Answer: The Satpura Range.

Question 71. Name the mountain range in the north of the Narmada river and running parallel to it.
Answer: The Vindhya Range.

Question 72. Name the mountain range flanking the northeastern edge of the Malwa Plateau.
Answer: The Aravalli Range.

Question 73. Name the longest hill range of south India.
Answer: Western Ghats or Sahyadri.

Question 74. Name the Himalayan pass located in Himachal Pradesh and touching the Indo china border.
Answer: Shipki La.

Question 75. Name the mountain pass in Jammu and Kashmir located at the Indo-China border.
Answer: Karakoram Pass.

Question 76. The one mountain pass in Arunachal Pradesh.
Answer: Bondi La.

Question 77. Name the gap in the Western Ghats which is used by rail link between Mumbai and Chennai.
Answer: BhorGhat.

Question 78. Name the southernmost gap in the Western Ghats.
Answer: Pal Ghat.

Question 79. Name any one pass located in Sikkim.
Answer: Nathu La or Jelep La.

Question 80. What do you mean by Indira Col?
Answer: Indira Col is the northernmost point of India at 37°6-north latitude. It is located at the strategic point at the northern border of Jammu and Kashmir where the boundaries of four countries — India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and China meet.

Question 81. Name a plateau located in the north of the Vindhya Range.
Answer: Malwa Plateau.

Question 82. Name the plateau in the north eastern part of the Indian peninsula which rich in mineral resources and through which the Damodar river flows.
Answer: Chotanagpur Plateau.

Geography Class 10 Solutions WBBSE

Question 83. Name the plateau continuous to the Himalayan ranges but belonging Peninsular plateau.
Answer: Meghalaya Plateau.

Question 84. Name the plateau formed by volcanic eruptions and rich in black cotton
Answer: Deccan Plateau.

Question 85. Name the plateau drained by the river Mahanadi and its tributaries.
Answer: Chhattisgarh.

Question 86. Name the coastal plain between Mumbai and Goa.
Answer: Konkan plain.

Question 87. Name the coastal plain between Krishna and Cauvery rivers.
Answer: Coromandel.

Question 88. Name the coastal plain of Kerala.
Answer: Malabar.

Question 89. Name the gulf on the coast of which Kandla port is located.
Answer: Gulf of Kuchchh.

Question 90. Which strait separates India from Sri Lanka?
Answer: Palk Strait.

India – Physiography Of India 2 Marks Questions And Answers:

Question 1. Where is Malnad region located?
Answer: Malnad, literally meaning hilly country, is the portion bordering the Sahyadri having an average width of 3 km and a mean elevation of 1,000 m. it is dissected into steep hills and deep valleys. The northern and south-eastern portion of the Mysore (or Karnataka) plateau, an area of rolling plains and granite hills, is called Malnad.

Question 2. What is Dhrian? Where is it found?
Answer: Longitudinal sand dunes are known as Dhrian. It is found in Thar desert.

Question 3. Name the oldest mountain range of India and the state where it is located.
Answer: The Aravalli is the oldest mountain range of India. It is located in Rajasthan.

Question 4. Which is the highest peak of the Himalayas situated in India? Where is it located?
Answer: Kanchenjunga (8,598 m) is the highest mountain peak of India located in the Himalayan Range in Sikkim.

Question 5. What is Purbachal?
Answer: The branches of the Himalayas in the northeastern region are together known as Purbachal. The whole northeast hilly region is included in this region.

Class 10 Geography West Bengal Board

Question 6. Where is the Eastern Ghat located? Name its highest peak.
Answer: Eastern ghat is located in the Eastern coast. Mahendragiri is its highest peak.

Question 7. Name one mountain pass of Western Himalayas and one mountain pass of the Eastern Himalayas.
Answer: The Burzil pass (4,199 m) lies over the Great Himalayas of Western Himalayas. The communication is in between Srinagar and Gilgit. Nathula La in Sikkim of Eastern Himalayas. The communication is in between Sikkim and Tibet.

Question 8. What is the significance of the name Himalayas?
Answer: Hima means snow and Alaya means home. The vast snow fields attracted the attention of ancient Indian sages who rightly named it Himalaya.

Question 9. Name three hills of the Meghalayan plateau.
Answer: The three hills of the Meghalayan plateau are:
1. Garo,
2. Khasi and
3. Jayantia hills.

Question 10. Compare and contrast the East Coast with the West Coast of India.
Answer:

Question 11. Why is the Himalayan mountainous region prone to earthquakes?
Answer: Himalayas is extended from East to West in the north of India. It is a young fold mountain. The land is not yet balanced here. The geologists believe that the procedure of the formation of mountains is still not terminated. Hence, the balance of the earth is going on slowly. So, the Himalayan mountainous region is prone to earthquakes.

Question 12. Where are the Siwalik ranges located?
Answer: Siwalik Range is the southernmost range of the Himalayas. This range extends from Potwar Plateau in the West to the Brahmaputra valley in the East.

Question 13. Mention the extent of Himalayas in India.
Answer: Himalaya is extended from Nanga Parbat in Kashmir in the West to Namcha Barwa near Arunachal Pradesh in the East.

Question 14. State the origin of the Himalayas according to plate tectonic theory.
Answer: According to the theory of ‘Plate Tectonic’, the crust of the earth comprises six plates. All plates are moving. The two plates, ‘Indian peninsular plate’ and ‘Siberian plate’ collided with each other. As a result, the fringe of Indian Peninsular Plate folded forming the Himalayan Mountain.

Question 15. Name three mountain ranges of the Deccan plateau.
Answer: The Deccan plateau comprises of three important mountain ranges:
1. Satpura- Mahadev mountain range,
2. Ajanta and
3. Western Ghats.

Class 10 Geography West Bengal Board

Question 16. Where is the ‘Nanga Parbat’ located?
Answer: ‘Nanga Parbat’ is situated in North Kashmir on the Great Himalaya range. In the western region where the Indus bends and enters Pakistan, stands the Nanga Parbat (8,126 m.)

Question 17. Floods are frequent in the Brahmaputra Valley. Why?
Answer: Brahmaputra Valley is situated between the Himalayas and the Meghalaya Plateau. The region receives heavy rainfall throughout the year, so heavy rainfall causes floods. The river Brahmaputra along with its tributary deposit plenty of silt in the river bed and thereby making it shallow causing flood. The river Brahmaputra has taken a zigzag course causing flood. The region is prone to earthquakes and floods.

Question 18. Name the highest peak and the longest river of the Deccan.
Answer: Highest peak of the Deccan is Mt. Anaimudi. Longest river of the Deccan is Godavari.

Question 19. Name the highest peak of Nilgiri and name the highest peak of the Satpura Range.
Answer: Highest peak of Nilgiri is Mt. Dodabeta. Highest peak of Satpura is Mt. Dhupgarh.

Question 20. Name two famous valleys of Himachal Pradesh.
Answer: Kulu and Kangra Valleys.

Question 21. Divide Gujarat Plains.
Answer: Gujarat plains are divided into two parts:
1. Kuchchh peninsula and
2. Kathiawar peninsula.

Question 22. Name three mountain passes of the Himalayas.
Answer: The three mountain passes of the Himalayas are:
1. Banihal pass,
2. Zoji La pass and
3. Shipki La pass.

Question 23. Name the mountain gaps or passes of the Western Ghats mentioning their location.
Answer: The important gaps or passes in the Western Ghats are:
1. The Thai Ghat,
2. The Bhor Ghat in the eastern part of Mumbai and
3. Pal Ghat in the South of the Nilgiri hills.

Question 24. Name the glaciers of the Himalayan range.
Answer: Mountain peaks are covered by perpetual snow. Himalaya is the home of many glaciers such as Gangotri and Yamunotri on the Himalayas, Siachen, Great Baltora and Hesper on the Karakoram range.

Question 25. Name some of the beautiful valleys of the Himalayas.
Answer: The important valleys of the Himalayas are the valley of Kashmir, the Valley of Kulu and Manali, Dehradun, Kangra valley and so on.

Question 26. What do you mean by “Dun”?
Answer: Dun: Broad longitudinal valleys lying between the main Himalayas and the Shiwalik range formed by deposition of materials brought down by Himalayan rivers, are called ‘duns’. Eg: Dehradun

Class 10 Geography West Bengal Board

Question 27. Mention the divisions of the Himalayas.
Answer:
Divisions of the Himalayas:

From West to East: The Himalayas can be broadly divided into three divisions:
1. The Western Himalayas,
2. The Central Himalayas,
3. The Eastern Himalayas.

From North to South: The Himalayas can be divided into four divisions:
1. The Trans or Tethys Himalayas,
2. The Greater Himalayas,
3. The Lesser Himalayas,
4. The Outer Himalayas or Siwalik Rang

WBBSE Class 10 Geography Chapter 5 Question Answer India – Physiography Of India 3 Marks Questions And Answers:

Question 1. The Himalayan region is sparsely populated. Why?
Answer: The Himalayan region is sparsely populated because of the following reasons:
1. Rugged surface,
2. Harsh climate,
3. Lack of .fertile agricultural plain land,
4. Lack of transport and communication. Railways are absent here,
5. Absent of large-scale industry,
6. Lack of raw materials: though the region is rich in minerals, because of the rugged surface and lack of roadways, it is very difficult to explore them.
7. Earning of leaving is not easy here,
8. Lack of wide market.

Question 2. Kashmiris called ‘Heaven of the Earth’-Why? Or, Tourism has been developed in Kashmir- Explain why.
Answer: Kashmir lies in the mountain bed of the western Himalayas. The natural scenes are very attractive here. The peaks covered by sheets or blankets of snow, swift-flowing rivers, beautiful waterfalls, colourful flowers here and there, the sound of birds, and many more scenes make Kashmir like heaven. Hence, due to these attractive natural scenes, it is called “Heaven of the Earth”. Due to these factors, people come here from distant places to view and enjoy the natural beauty of Kashmir. Hence, it is a tourist abode place and many hotels are formed here.

Class 10 Geography West Bengal Board

Question 3. The Himalayan mountain chain is prone to earthquakes Why?
Answer: Himalayan mountains are newly formed fold mountains. Here the mountain-building activity has not yet been done completely. There are certain movements in the surface to stable the unstable equilibrium. Hence these movements are responsible for the origin and the occurrence of earthquakes. That is why the Himalayan mountain chain is prone to earthquakes.

Question 4. Heavy industries are not developed in the Himalayan mountainous region. Why?
Answer: The region of the Himalayas mountains has a scarcity of heavy industries due to the:
1. Absence of transport system The Himalayan region is mountainous and hard. So there is the absence of a Railway system. The rivers of this region are very swift flowing so they are not navigable. Hence, the transport system of this region is not developed leading to a scarcity of heavy industries.
2. Lack of raw materials As the surface is not fertile, there is no development or growth of agriculture. Due to lack of facilities, minerals are not mined. Hence agro-based or mineral-based industries are not developed due to a lack of necessary raw materials.
3. Lack of cheap labour due to lack of survival conditions here the population is low. Hence cheap and skilled labour is not available.
4. Absence of power stations Lack of coal and hydel power stations is another cause for an industry to develop in the Himalayan regions.

Question 5. Write in short about the Brahmaputra Valley.
Answer:
Bramhaputra Valley: The Brahmaputra valley has been built up by the aggradational work of the Brahmaputra valley and the lower Brahmaputra valley. A large number of isolated hillocks of monadnocks on both banks of the river right from Tezpur and Mikir Hills to as far West as Dhubri is another interesting feature of this valley.

Another significant physical characteristic of Brahmaputra valley is that the river itself is highly braided because of its very low gradient. There are a large number of river islands in it. Majuli is the largest river island in the world covering 929 sq. km. Brahmaputra valley is covering an area of 56,500 sq. km of the state of Assam. Floods are very frequent here because of the shallow river beds and heavy rainfall in this region. A huge deposition of silt has made the river bed shallower.

Question 6. Name the divisions of the Ganga plain.
Answer:

 

Question 7. What is Deccan Trap?
Answer: A vast area extending from the Arabian sea coast in the West as for as Nagpur and Gujarat in the North to Belgaon in the South is covered with a thick mantle of plateau mainly made of Basalt, called the Deccan Trap. It is a lava plateau. The mechanical weathering has given rise to flat-topped hills flanked by terraces or steps. The word trap is used to describe its structure because the trap is a Swedish word meaning steps or stairs.

Question 8. Name the three mountain passes of the Himalayas.
Answer: Mountain passes are the narrow gaps in mountain ranges. The three important mountain passes of the Himalayas are
(1) Banihal pass,
(2) Zojila pass and
(3) Shipki La pass.

Class 10 Geography West Bengal Board

Question 9. Name the glaciers of the Himalayan range.
Answer: The mountain peaks are covered by perpetual snow. Himalaya is the home of many glaciers; such as Gangotri and Yamunotri on the Himalayas, Siachen, Baltoro and Hisper on the Karakoram range.

Question 10. Name some of the beautiful valleys of the Himalayas.
Answer: The important valleys of the Himalayas are the valley of Kashmir, the valleys of Kulu and Manali, Dehradun, Kangra valley and so on.

Question 11. Name three mountain gaps or passes of the Western Ghats mentioning their location.
Answer: The important gaps or passes in the Western Ghats are:
(1) The Thai Ghat and
(2) The Bhor Ghat in the eastern part of Mumbai, and
(3) The Pal Ghat in the south of the Nilgiri Hills.

Question 12. Describe the relief of the Kashmir Himalayas and Himachal.
Answer:
1. The Kashmir Himalayas is located in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. The mountains of the region from South to North are Jammu and Punch hills of the Zaskar Range constitute the Great Himalayas. To the North of the Himalayas, there is the deep gorge created by the river Indus. To the extreme North of Jammu and Kashmir lies the Karakoram mountain with its highest peak Godwin-Austin or K.
2. The Himachal Himalaya includes the Siwalik mountain in the South, to its North lie the Middle Himalaya which include the Dhaoladhar, Pirpanjal, Nagtibba and Missouri ranges. Further North lies the Great Himalayas.

Question 13. Name the physiographic divisions of India.
Answer: India can be divided into the following physiographic divisions
1. Northern mountain.
2. Plains of North India.
3. The Peninsular Plateau.
4. Coastal Region.
5. Islands.

Question 14. Name the three parallel ranges of the Himalayas and state some typical characteristics of each.
Answer: The three parallel ranges of the Himalayas are
(1) Great Himalayas or the Himadri: The northernmost and loftiest range is called Himadri. Mount Everest is the highest peak in the world located in this range.
(2)Middle or lesser Himalayas other Himachal: All the important hill stations belong to this range such as Dalhousie, Dharmshala, Shimla, Mussoorie, Nainital and Darjeeling.
(3)Outer Himalayas or the Shiwalik Ranges: These ranges are made of unconsolidated river deposits and are prone to earthquakes and landslides.

Question 15. Where is the Assam Valley? Why is it so flood-prone?
Answer: Assam Valley is flood-prone: The Assam valley extends from Saidya in the east to Dhubri in the west where the Brahmaputra turns southwards and takes the western edge of the Garo hills and Meghalaya. The Brahmaputra floods normally begin in May with the thawing of snow in Tibet and the Eastern Himalayas and they are aggravated by the heavy monsoon rains from June to September. The rise in the level of water in the Brahmaputra prevents the water of the tributary streams from entering it. The blockade to the rise of water- levels in tributary streams causes widespread floods. The region is in the earthquake zones. Because of the inside movements, sometimes the riverbed rises causing food. The river Brahmaputra has taken a zigzag course. Because of the increase of water the river breaks through the narrow margin between two bends and causes floods.

Geography Class 10 Solutions WBBSE

Question 16. Write the significance of the coastal plains of India.
Answer: Significance of the Coastal Plains of India:
(1) The deltas of Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna and Kaveri on the Eastern coastal plain have rich fertile soil. They produce crops like rice, sugarcane, spices, etc. and support our agricultural economy,
(2) The ports of Mumbai, Marmagao, Cochin, Chennai, and Vishakhapatnam help to promote our international trade,
(3) The flat coastal plains present ideal sites for settlements,
(4)Marine fishing is an important occupation of the people of coastal plains,
(5) The deltas of Krishna, Godavari, Kaveri, etc. have been explored for oil and natural gas extraction. They can thus become potential sources of mineral oil.

Question 17. Write the significance of the islands of India.
Answer: The Islands:
(1) The islands of Andaman and Nicobar provide valuable timber like mahogany, ebony, teak, etc.
(2) Variety of spices are also produced on these islands which are mainly exported,
(3) The extraordinary beauty of these islands attracts tourists from far and wide. They thus help to develop the tourism industry also.

Question 18. Difference between Bhabar and Tarai:
Answer:

Bhabar	Trai
1.   It lies along the foot of the Shiwaliks from the Indus to the Tista.	1.    It lies to the south of the Bhabar and runs parallel to it
2.    It is 8 to 16 km wide.	2.    It is 20 to 30 km wide.
3.    It comprises pebble-studded rocks	3.   It is composed of comparatively finer alluvium and is covered by forests.
4.    Due to the porosity of the rocks, the streams disappear and flow underground.	4.    The underground streams of the bhabar re-emerge in the surface and give birth to marshy areas.
5.    This region is not much suitable for agriculture.	5.   Most parts of the terai area are reclaimed for agriculture.

 

Question 19. Difference between Bhangar and Khadar:
Answer:

Question 20. Difference between Western Ghats and Eastern Ghats.
Answer:

Question 21. Discuss the features of the Deccan plateau of India.
Answer: The Deccan Plateau has the following features:
(1)The northern part of the Deccan Plateau has the Maharashtra Plateau composed of lava sheets and displays flat and steep hills, ridges and shallow, broad valleys.
(2)The Andhra (Telangana) Plateau has hilly and forest-covered northern parts and plain land with small hills and minor depressions in its southern portion.
(3)The Karnataka Plateau forming the middle parts of the Deccan Plateau rises to the southwest and joins the Nilgiri Hills. Its northern area, less than 600 m in height, has the Krishna river flowing through its east. The southern area of the Karnataka Plateau is higher with an average elevation of 600 to 900 m. It has the Cauvery river running through its southeast.
(4)The Deccan Plateau displays a sudden narrowing of land below the Karnataka Plateau. Here, it comprises uplands made by the hills of Palni, Nilgiri, Cardamom and Annamalai. It is bordered on its sides by the Tamil Nadu and Kerala plains.

Geography Class 10 Solutions WBBSE

India – Physiography Of India 5 Marks Questions And Answers:

Question 1. Give a brief account of the physiography of the Western Himalayas of India.
Answer: Physiography of Western Himalaya: According to SirS. Burrard, the Himalayas are generally regarded as consisting of the following four main sections which are separated from one another by the gorges of rivers which pass through them:

(1)The Punjab HimalayasThis section between the Indus and the Sutlej is known as the Punjab Himalayas. It is also called Jammu-Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh Himalaya because most of this section is located in these two states. This section is 560 kilometres long. The important ranges of this section are the Ladakh, the Pir Panjal, the Dhaoladhar and the Zanskar. The Zoji La pass is at an altitude of 3,444 metres above the sea-level.
(2)The Kumaon Himalayas This section runs for a distance of 320 kilometres between the Satluj and the Kali rivers. This is higher than the Punjab Himalayas. Great rivers like Ganga and Yamuna have their sources in the Kumaon Himalayas.
(3)The Upper HimalayasThis is situated between the Kali and the Tista rivers and is 800 kilometres long. This is the highest part of the Himalayas where lofty peaks like the Mt. Everest, the Kanchenjungha, the Dhaulagiri, the Annapurna, the Makalu, etc. are located. The flat Kathmandu valley is also situated in the Nepal Himalayas.
(4)The Assam HimalayasIt extends for a distance of 720 kilometres between the Tista and the Dihang (Tsangpo-Brahmaputra).

Question 2. State the physiographic differences between the Eastern and Western Coastal Plains of India.
Answer: Differences between the Eastern and Western Coastal Plains of India:

Question 3. Discuss the origin of the Himalayas.
Answer:
Birth of the Himalayas: The recent geological research and observations provide new insight into the mechanism of Plate Tectonic Theory which led to the formation of the Himalayas.
Plate Tectonic Theory: The observations show a major reorganisation of the plate around the Indian Ocean about 50 million years ago and this is interpreted as the effect of the collision between Indian and Eurasia plates. In this process continental crust, squeezed by the collision, was then shortened by about 2,600 km. Before the continental mass of India collided with continental mass of Eurasia, the thinner oceanic crust of the then Tethys Sea to the North of India slipped quietly underneath the Eurasian crust. The collision which took place roughly 50 million years ago is responsible for the upthrusting that has produced the Himalayas..

Geography Class 10 Solutions WBBSE

Continental Drift Theory: According to Alfred Wegner, hundreds of million years ago all the land surfaces were joined together to form a massive continent. This supercontinent was known as Pangea. Due to certain factors, this Pangea was broken and each piece moved away from the other and ultimately formed the continents. But as the fragments of land moved away from their mother form, soon all of them approached each other and that resulted in the formation of fold mountains.
Contraction Theory: Due to continuous heat radiated from the interior of the earth the contraction process caused the outer surface to be crumbled like a skin of a dried apple. These formed the fold mountains.
Geosyncline Theory: According to this theory, the Himalayas are coming out of a sea called Tethys. Because of tremendous pressure, the sedimentary rocks of this Tethys Sea got folded and uplifted and thus created the Himalayas.

Question 4. Classify and describe Himalayas from East to West. Or, Describe the regional divisions of Himalayas.
Answer: Regional Division The Himalayas have been divided into three regional divisions, they are:
Western Himalayas They are again sub-divided into the following heads:
(1) Kashmir Himalayas It is located in the state of Jammu & Kashmir. It consists of Zanskar Range, Ladakh Range, etc. The Great Kashmir Valley lies in this region. The highest peak of India, K? (8,611m) & the highest plateau of India, Ladakh Plateau are
located here.
(2) Himachal Himalaya It is located from South: East of Jammu & Kashmir and enters in Himachal Pradesh. The Dhauladhar Range, the Pirpanjal Range, Nagtiba Range, Mussorie Range lie here.
(3) Kumaun Himalayas: The Himalayan stretch along the North of the U.P. are called Kumaun Himalayas. The region consists of mountain peaks like Nanda Devi (7,817m), Gangotri (6,614m), Kedarnath (6,990m), etc.

Central Himalayas: Central Himalayas are located in Nepal. Its highest peak is Mt. Everest which is the world’s highest peak.

Eastern Himalayas: This region can also be sub-divided into 3 regions
(1) Sikkim: Darjeeling Himalayas It is enclosed between Singalila & Dankhya Ranges. Kanchanjungha is situated in the Sikkim. On the southwestern corner of the region lie Darjeeling Himalayas.
(2) Bhutan Himalayas: The relief in this region is very rugged. The highest peak in this region is Chomolahari (7,314m).
(3) Assam or Arunachal Himalayas: This part of the Himalayas comprises several fertile valleys like Kamla valley. The Shiwalik Himalayas are very narrow here. Namcha Barwa is located in this region. The whole region is dissected by numerous rivers like Dibang, Kamla, Dihang and Subansiri.

Geography Class 10 Solutions WBBSE

Question 5. Compare and contrast the east coast with the west coast of India. Or, Draw a comparison between the eastern coastal plains and the western coastal plains.
Answer:

East Coast		West Coast
	1.  Width
1. It is wider, from 80-20 km.		1. It is narrow, from 40-80 km.
	2. Topography
2. Coastline is regular and compact.		2. Coastline is broken in many places.
	3. Neighbouring Sea
3. Coastal plains are washed by the Bay of Bengal.		3. Coastal plains are washed by the Arabian sea
	4. Division
4. It is divided into Coromandai coast, Northern Circar, Utkai coast, and Contai coast		4. It is divided into the Konkan coast, Kathiawar coast, Kutchchh coast, Kanarese coast and Malabar coast
	5. Rivers and their movement
5. The rivers are large and flow slowly.		5. The rivers are small and they flow swiftly.
	6. Rainfall
6. Receives less rainfall but twice in a year		6. Receives very heavy rainfall but once a year.
	7. Fertility
7. The soil is very fertile so agriculture is productive.		7. The soil is less fertile so agriculture is not so productive
	8. Deltas
8. The rivers have a delta on their mouth		8. The rivers do not form a delta in their mouth.
	9. Development
9. Moderate economic development.		9. Much economic development
	10. Population
10. Density of the population is very high		10. Density of the population is low except southern region

Question 6. State the importance of the Himalayas.
Answer: The social, financial, cultural and political conditions of India are affected by the Himalayas. The importance of the Himalayas are:
(1)Natural Barrier Himalayas act as a natural barrier to protect India from foreign invasion or foreign attacks.
(2)Source of Rivers Himalayas are mainly covered by snow. Hence it originates many rivers which are useful for humans and animals, e.g. Ganga, Yamuna, etc.
(3)Effect on AgricultureAs a mountainous region it is not suitable for agriculture. But terraced farming is practised on slopes and rice, tea, wheat, fruits are grown here.
(4)Production of H.E.P.The rivers originating from the Himalayas are very suitable for hydroelectric power.
(5)Rich wealth of Natural Vegetation Himalayas have nice forest cover. From these forests, wood of high quality can be obtained.
(6)Mineral Resources Himalaya is also known as a ‘storehouse of minerals’. The rocky part of the Himalayas is rich in minerals.
(7)Climatic influence
1. It prevents the cold winds of Central Asia to entering India. Hence it saves the people of India from severe cold.
2. It stops the southwest monsoon winds to cause heavy rainfall in northern India.
(8)Tourist abode places Having high elevation Himalayas are tourist attractions. The Jammu and Kashmir region and the Darjeeling region are famous.

Geography Class 10 Solutions WBBSE

Question 7. Write about the importance of the Great plains in the life of the Indian people.
Answer: The importance of the Great plains of India is the following
1. Fertile Land This plain is very fertile. Hence, the agriculture, and transport system is well-developed here.
2. AgricultureThe northern plain is an agricultural region (except the Rajasthan plains). Large amounts of rice, jute, sugarcane, wheat, cotton, pulses, oilseeds, etc. are produced. Hence this region is called the Granary of India.
3. Transport Facility It is a plain region, hence, roadways and railways are also navigable. Thus, while India is connected with this part.
4. Irrigational Facility: The surface is soft, so wells are made here. The perennial rivers are always ready to provide water for irrigation.
5. Dense population The population density is the highest in this region. India’s 45% population is inhabited here. Thus many large cities have grown in this plain, e.g. Delhi, Agra, Lucknow, Patna, Calcutta, Varanasi, etc.
6. Development of Industries There are many industries located here due to the advantages of communication, raw materials, cheap labour, etc. The major industries are Sugar Industry, Textile Industry, and Jute industry which is mainly agro-based industries.
7. Centre of Civilization and Culture From ancient times these plains are the centres of civilization and culture. Harappan civilization, Gangetic valley civilization, etc. are located here. Many pilgrimages are also located here.

Question 8. Describe the importance of the Deccan plateau region.
Answer: The importance of the Deccan plateau region are
1. This plateau is an important source of iron ore, coal, limestone, copper, manganese and other rich minerals. The north-eastern part of this plateau forms the Chotanagpur region and it is very rich in mineral resources and is, therefore, called the Storehouse of minerals in India.
2. The valleys of many rivers of the plateau produce cotton, rice, groundnut, onion, sugarcane, oranges, grapes and various other agricultural crops.
3. Easy availability of agricultural and mineral raw materials have helped in setting up many industries.
4. The rivers of the plateau are ideal for hydel power generation.
5. Another important resource of the plateau is the dense forest.
6. The natural beauty of this region has helped in the development of many tourist centres, e.g. Mount Abu in the Aravalli, Panchmari in the Mahadev hill, and Ootacamand in Karnataka.

Question 9. Classify the Himalayas from North to South and mention its characteristics.
Answer: The Himalayan range is the loftiest mountain range in the world with an average elevation of 5600 metres. The Himalayan mountain chain, all along its longitudinal axis, is arranged into four main series of parallel ranges. From the North to the South these mountain ranges are:
1. Tethys Himalayas,
2. Great Himalayas or Himadri,
3. Middle Himalayas or Himachal and
4. Siwaliks.

1. Tethys Himalayas: It is located farthest to the North; it gradually merges with the Tibetian plateau further North. The average height of the mountain lies between 5500-6000 metres. The second-highest mountain peak of the world and the highest mountain peak of India, namely K2 (Mt. Godwin Austin) stands here. A large number of glaciers are found along the southern face of the Karakoram.

2. Great Himalayas or Himadri: South of the Tethys Himalayas stretches this high mountain range with an average height of 6000 metres, known as the Great Himalayas or Himadri. It is covered with snow throughout the year. In this range of mountains, lofty peaks like Mount Everest or Sagarmatha (highest peak in the world, 8848 m), Kanchenjunga (8598 m), Dhaulagiri (8172 m), Nanga Parbat (8126 m) and Nanda Devi (7818 m) are all found. There are also many glaciers in this region.

Geography Class 10 Solutions WBBSE

3. Middle Himalayas or Himachal: This range has an average elevation of about 3000 metres and is covered with coniferous trees like spruce, fir, deodar, pine and willow. Some of the mountains here are Pir-Panjal, Dhauladhar, NagTiba and Mussorie range. Most of the important hill stations of India like Dalhousie, Shimla, Dharmshala, Mussorie, Nainital and Darjeeling are found here.

4. Siwalik Range or Outer Himalayas: BO lakh years ago, the 3rd stage of mountain building caused the Tethys, Himadri and Himachal Himalayas to rise up further. This was followed by an ice age. Large glaciers started eroding the Himalayas extensively. The eroded materials were deposited at the foot of the mountain. The deposits comprised of stones, boulders, pebbles, etc. Nearly 10 lakh years ago, during the 4th stage of mountain building, these unconsolidated materials were lifted up to form the Siwalik range. The average height of the Siwaliks vary between 600 to 1500 m. Its width varies from 10 to 50 km. Thereafter, the top of the Siwaliks started sinking slowly to the north to merge with the river valleys in the mountain. These are called Duns. These Duns are densely populated, e.g. Dehradun.

Question 10. Write the significance of the plains of northern India.
Answer: Significance of the Plains of Northern India: The plains of Northern India include the lowlands of three major rivers – the Ganga, the Brahmaputra and the Indus together with their tributaries. They occupy one-fifth of the area but support half the population of South Asia. These plains are the core area of its political, economic and cultural activities. These plains extend for 3,200 kilometres between the mouths of the Ganga and the Indus, along the mountains. The plains have a width of about 150 to 300 kilometres.
The longitudinal extent from the banks of the Ravi and the Sutlej to the Ganga delta alone is of 2,400 kilometres.

The plain is 280 kilometres wide near Allahabad and 160 kilometres wide near the Rajmahal Hills. It is narrowest in Assam varying between 90 and 100 kilometres. It is believed that the plains were once an area of the Tethys sea and were formed by the gradual filling of an initial marine depression by the sediments brought down by the Indus, the Ganga, the Brahmaputra and their tributaries. However, the infilling has not been homogenous as there are differences in the depth of the alluvium between their basins. There are differences in local relief over the entire plains from Sind to Assam. Thus, each segment of the plain has its own distinctive features.

Sub-Division of Plains: On the basis of regional characteristics, the Great Plains can be sub-divided into the following areas:
The Punjab Plains: With a distance of 640 km from northeast to south-west and 300 km from west to east, these flat plains occupy 1.75 lakhs sq km. Most of it lies in Pakistan. In India, these plains lie Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh. A significant feature of these plains is the doabs of the five tributaries of the Indus-Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Sutlej and Beas. In fact, Punjab derives its name from these, i.e., the land of five rivers. The watershed of the Aravalli Hills separates these plains from the Ganga Basin.

The Rajasthan Plains: These include the Marusthali or the Great Indian Desert. It is a sandy desert and is surrounded by the Sutlej in the northwest, the Aravalli range in the east, the Indus Valley in the west and the Rann of Kutchchh in the south. These plains extend over the northwest India (Rajasthan desert) and eastern Pakistan. They include the Rajasthan Bagar which is a semi-arid plain in the eastern side of the desert. Cultivation is done in small patches in this area with water provided by small streams which originate from the Aravalli during the rainy season. These fertile tracts are known as Rohi.

School Geography Class 10 WBBSE

The only significant and largest river is Luni. The area north of Luni is a sandy plain. There exists an area of inland drainage on the north of the Luni basin. This is because the rivers of the area do not have sufficient water to reach the sea and dry up or disappear into the sand. These plains are dotted with a number of salt lakes on the eastern edge of the desert, such as the Sambhar, Kuchaman and Didwana. The Sambhar lake is the largest lake which lies on the border of Jaipur.

 

The Ganga Plains: These plains lie in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. They consist of a number of regions, i.e., the Ganga-Yamuna doab, Awadh Plains and Mithila Plains. These plains have been formed by sediments brought down by the rivers Ganga, Yamuna, Ghagra and their tributaries. Both the bhabarand terai belts are well-formed in the Uttar Pradesh plain. The Ganga Plain of UP merges with the deltaic plain in Bengal through a transitional zone lying in Bihar.

The Brahmaputra Plains: These low-level plains extend in Assam for about 640 kilometres with a width of 90 to 100 kilometres. They have been formed by deposits from the Brahmaputra river and its tributaries and are bordered by high mountains. The small, meandering streams of the north from marshy areas. In some places on the plain, many steeply-rising hillocks are found. Besides, there are a number of riverine islands including Majuli, which is the largest river island in the world.

Question 11. Describe the physiography of Kashmir.
Answer:
Physiography of Kashmir: The most picturesque and densely populated part of the Kashmir Himalaya is the valley of Kashmir. It occupies the site of an ancient lake which was filled up. The valley is enclosed by a ring of mountains extending from Pir Panjal in the south and Himadri in the north. It extends from southeast to northwest for a distance of 150 km with an average elevation of 1,700 m and a width of 80 km.

The valley is traversed by north-flowing Jhelum which rises from the southern end of the valley from a spring at Verinag, meanders for 130 km north-westwards as far as the Wular Lake and then flows westwards. Fringing the river bank lies a flat plain dissected into terraces called Karewas. Some of these karewa terraces, dry and treeless, depending on snow and rain for their cultivation. Others are irrigated streams and produce crops like rice, maize and saffron. There are seven beauty spots. Gulmarg is one of them. A grassy valley, rich in flowers, lies on the northern slope of the Pir Panjal. From Gulmarg, a fine view of Nanga Parbat, from where the crest of the Great Himalayas in Kashmir starts, can be seen. Srinagar is the heart of the Kashmir Valley. It is 1893 m above sea level. Dal Lake near Srinagar is another beauty spot.

School Geography Class 10 WBBSE

Question 12. Describe the peninsular plateau region of India.
Answer:
Peninsular Plateau Region of India: The plateau has an elevation of 600 to 900 m with an area of 1.6 million sq. km. It is the largest and the oldest of all the physiographic divisions. Its northwest limit is marked by the Aravalli range and its northern extreme has the raised Bundelkhand Plateau. At its western and eastern ends are the Western Ghats and the Eastern Ghats respectively. The plateau is largely a stable terrain though volcanic eruptions have occurred in some areas of northwest Deccan.

The plateau land can be divided as follows:
The Central Plateaus: The upland of central India with the Ganga to its north has the Kaimur-Maikal range to its east, the Aravallis and Kutch to its west, and the Vindhya and Satpura ranges to its south. The Central Plateaus comprise :
1. The 250-500 m high Mewar upland is composed of shales, limestones and sandstones.
2. The 100 to 300 m high Bundelkhand Upland.
3. The Malwa plateau in Madhya Pradesh is formed by lava flows. It lies to the north of the Vindhya range. The plateau is flat-topped and has hills covered by forests. tee a plateau is broken by ravines mainly in the Chambal, Yamuna and Banas valleys.

The Eastern Plateaus: These lie to the northeast of the Malwa Plateau. They comprise:
1. The Bundelkhand Plateau through which flow the Riband and Son rivers. It is marked by synclinal valleys and anticlinal hills.
2. The Chhotanagpur Plateau in Jharkhand lies to the east of Bundelkhand. The Chotanagpur Plateau is 700 m high and has steep borders. Its main rivers are Damodar and Subarnarekha.
3. The Chhotanagpur Plateau consists of the Ranchi Plateau in the south, the Hazaribagh Plateau in the north and the Rajmahal hills in the northeast. This region is rich in mineral resources and is known as the ‘Ruhr of India’.
4. To the south of the Bundelkhand is the Bastar or Dandakaranya upland which becomes rugged and forested in its south.
5. Beyond the Chhotanagpur Plateau is the Meghalaya plateau.

The Kathiawar and Kutch: These peninsulas are joined to the peninsular plateaus by the Gujarat plains. Deccan lavas make upthe Kathiawar region.
The Deccan Plateau: The triangular plateau is India’s largest, with a height ranging from 900 to 2700 m in the west and east respectively. It occupies land between the Western and the Eastern Ghats and the south of the Mahadeo, Maikal and Satpura ranges.

School Geography Class 10 WBBSE

The Deccan Plateau has the following features:
1. The northern part of the Deccan Plateau has the Maharashtra Plateau composed of lava sheets and displays flat and steep hills, ridges and shallow, broad valleys.
2. The Andhra (Telangana) Plateau has hilly and forest-covered northern parts and plain land with small hills and minor depressions in its southern portion.
3. The Karnataka Plateau forming the middle part of the Deccan Plateau rises to the southwest and joins the Nilgiri Hills. Its northern area, less than 600 m in height, has the Krishna river flowing through its east. The southern area of the Karnataka Plateau is higher with an average elevation of 600 to 900 m. It has the Cauvery river running through its south-east.
4. The Deccan Plateau displays a sudden narrowing of land below the Karnataka Plateau. Here, it comprises uplands made by the hills of Palni, Nilgiri, Cardamom and Annamalai. It is bordered on its sides by the Tamil Nadu and Kerala plains.
5. The North-eastern Plateau: It is an extension of the main peninsular plateau and comprises the Meghalaya plateau consisting of the Garo, Khasi and Jaintia hills. These hills have been named after the tribal groups which inhabit this region. This region receives maximum rainfall from the southwest monsoon. The Meghalaya plateau is rich in mineral resources like coal, iron ore, limestone and uranium.

Question 13. Explain the mountain ranges of the peninsular region.
Answer: The mountains of peninsular India can be classified as follows:
1. The Western Ghats (The Sahyadris): About 1600 km long and with an average elevation of 900 to 1100 m, they run along the west coast from the south of the Tapti river valley to Kanyakumari. Important peaks include the Salher peak (1,567 m) and Kalsubai peak (1,646 m) in the northern part and those exceeding a height of 2,400 m above the sea level, mainly the Vembadi Shola (2,505 m) in the Palni Hills, Makurti (2,554 m) and Doda Betta (2,637 m) in Nilgiris, and the Anai Mudi (2,695 m) in the Anaimalai Hills. The Deccan Trap constitutes the northern portion of the Ghats, which, around Mumbai, exposes flat-topped ridges. Near Mysore, the Ghats recede from the coast. The meeting point of the Western and Eastern Ghats in the Nilgiri Hills has the highest point at Doda Betta peak.

A break in the Western Ghats is in the form of the Palghat gap, south of the Nilgiris. Steep hills constitute the Western Ghats south of the Palghat gap. These hills are:
1. The Anaimalai, the top of which is a forested plateau,
2. The Palni, and
3. The Cardamom.
The main rivers of the Western Ghats such as the Godavari, Cauvery, and Krishna flow eastwards and fall into the Bay of Bengal.

2. The Eastern Ghats: These irregular hill ranges stretch from northern Orissa to the Nilgiris across coastal Andhra. They have an average elevation of 600 m above sea level and the highest peak is Mahendragiri (1,500 m) in Andhra Pradesh. The ranges are uniform in their northern portion up to Krishna river valley but are characterised by individual ranges as one goes farther west.

3. The Vindhya Range: Running from Sasaram (Bihar) in the east to Jobat (Gujarat) in the west, the fairly continuous range separates northern India from the southern mainland. The average elevation is over 600 m in the center but only around 500 m in the east and west. Mostly composed of sandstones, quartzites, and shales, it is lava-ridden in the west.

School Geography Class 10 WBBSE

4. The Satpura Range: The range extends from the Narmada valley in the north to the Tapti valley in the south. In the west, it comprises the Rajpipla Hills of Gujarat in the west, and the Pachmarhi, Ranchi Upland, Hazaribagh Hills, and the Maikal range in the east. Its northern and southern borders are composed of sandstone. Its eastern section is called the Maikala Plateau. The average elevation is 1,030 m above sea level.

5. The Aravallis: The 800 km long range stretching from the northeast to the southwest of India separates the semi-desert regions of Rajasthan from the fertile Udaipur and Jaipur regions. It constitutes one of the oldest fold mountain ranges of the world. It has a height of fewer than 400 m in its northern stretch but rises above 900 m elsewhere. The Gurushikhar peak (1,722 m) of the Abu Hills is the highest point of the range. Though the mountains are said to reach till Gujarat in the south and close to Delhi in the north, they actually extend beyond in both directions. The Delhi Ridge is included as the Aravalli’s northernmost part.

Question 14. Describe the natural environment of Peninsular India and explain how it has influenced the economic activities in this region.
Answer:
Natural Environment of Peninsular India: Physiographical, structurally, and stratigraphically, the Peninsular part of India is quite different from the extra-Peninsular part. A stable block of the earth’s crust, peninsular India has remained unaffected by organic or another movement since the geological past. The plateau is composed of some of the oldest crystalline rocks which have undergone metamorphism. These crystalline rocks form the basement complex on which sediments and lava flow of later ages have been deposited. Exposed from ancient times to the agents of erosion, the peninsular region presents an extensive plateau approaching peneplanation.

The present-day elevations represent erosion remnants left in various stages of denudation. The rivers of the peninsular region reached the base level of erosion and have built up broad and shallow valleys unlike the rivers of the extra peninsular region which are youthful and active eroding their beds. The mountains of Peninsular India include the Aravallis, the Vindhyas, the Satpuras, the Eastern and Western Ghats, the Rajmahal Hills, and those forming the plateaus of Assam. The oldest mountain ranges of India, the Aravallis are the remnant of the ancient ranges of tectonic origin. These mountains form a major watershed separating the drainage of the Indus river system from that of the Ganga. These mountains are composed of rocks of the Aravalli and Vindhyan systems. At Gurusikhar (in Mount Abu) the Aravalli reaches the highest elevation. Running from North-East to South-East these mountains divide Rajasthan into two parts-the north-western and south-eastern.

School Geography Class 10 WBBSE

A fairly continuous group of hill ranges or a series of plateaus formed of bedded quartzites, sandstone, limestone, and shale, the Vindhyan mountains separate the southern part of India from the northern part. The average height of these mountains is from 2500 feet to 4000 feet. The eastern part of the Vindhyan mountain is known as the Kaimur range. The Maikal forms a connecting link between the Vindhyas and the Satpuras. Together with Satpuras, these mountains form the watershed of Central India from which rise the Narmada, Chambal, Betwa, Ken, Son, and other rivers. Some of them flow into Jamuna and Ganga, while others flow into the Mahanadi and the Godavari. The Satpuras are situated between the Narmada and the Tapti rivers. They represent several hill ranges, starting from the Rajpipla hills in Maharashtra in the west; to the east, they continue as the Panchmari hills, Maikal range, and the Surguja hills. The Rajmahal hills are composed of lava flows of the Jurassic period. Basalt is the main constituent rock.

The Eastern Ghat represents a series of broken and detached hill ranges. These hills stretch from Orissa to the Nilgiri hills of Tamil Nadu. In fact, they comprise a series of relief mountains like the Nallalai, the Banksamo, Mahendragiri, Shevaroy, and Nilgiri hills. These hills are mostly composed of Archean and Guddapah rocks. The Western Ghats extend for about 1000 miles along the western coast of India from the Tapti to Cape Comorin. The Western Ghats, also known as Sahyadris, present a step-like character formed as a result of weathering of the horizontal layers of Deccan Basalts. The northern parts of these mountains up to the Tapti river is formed of the Deccan Traps, while the southern part consists of Archean guises, shirts, etc.

School Geography Class 10 WBBSE

The Western Ghats form a watershed of the Peninsula and most of the rivers originate from the Bay of Bengal to the east.
Due to the paucity of rainfall, and rugged relief, cultivation is practiced with much difficulty. In the fertile ‘black cotton soil’ region, however, cotton, jowar, and groundnut are cultivated with success. This is also rich in iron, manganese, mica, and other mineral resources. Consequently, upon the development of water power, industrial development has also been possible here on the plateau.

Question 15. What are the significances of the peninsular plateau region on the people of India?
Answer: Significance of Peninsular Plateau Region: The Peninsular Plateau of India is the oldest landmass of the Indian subcontinent and is said to be a part of the ancient Gondwanaland. The region has been immensely contributing to the prosperity of the country due to its richness in minerals, fauna, forests, etc.
1. Peninsular India is a depository of minerals. Jharkhand, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and south-east Rajasthan—all lying in Peninsular India—are associated with a variety of minerals, such as iron, bauxite, mica, manganese, copper, chromium, and coal. Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh have considerable reserves of iron, gold, chromium, and porcelain clay. The Telangana region has coal, mica, graphite, and corundum.
2. The north-western plateau of Peninsular India is covered with basaltic lava which is rich in iron. Soil formed of basaltic lava, i.e., black soil is conducive for the cultivation of cotton. This soil also facilitates the production of tea, rubber, coffee, and millet. Tobacco, groundnuts, and oilseeds are abundantly grown in the peninsular region.
3. The highlands of the plateau are covered with different types of forests. Deciduous and evergreen forests are the characteristics of Peninsular India. Ebony, mahogany, cane, bamboo, eucalyptus, sal, sisum, and sandalwood are prominent commercial timbers of the region, while tall grasses, shrubs, and herbs provide fodder.
4. The Peninsular rivers are marked by a number of waterfalls that are being harnessed for the production of hydroelectricity. These peninsular rivers have also been impounded for irrigation and hydroelectric power.
5. The Western Ghats are among the finest faunal tracts of India. These include the Nilgiri Ibex, the black monkeys, and the lion-tailed macaque in the southern reaches (Kerala and Tamil Nadu) of the Western Ghats. Forests in the peninsular region are also home to wild elephants, sambhar, cheetahs, leopards, and tigers.

Question 16. Write in brief what you know about the coastal plains of India.
Answer: The Deccan Plateau has a coastal strip in the east and in the west which are known as coastal plains. They run along the coastline of the peninsula from the Rann of Kutchchh in the west to the Ganga Brahmaputra delta in the east. The Western Coastal plains lie on the coastal strip along the Arabian Sea and west of the western Ghats while the Eastern Coastal plains lie between the Bay of Bengal and the Eastern Ghats. The two plains meet at the tip of the peninsula, i.e., at Cape Comorin.
Western Coastal Plains:

School Geography Class 10 WBBSE

 

1. Gujarat Plains: They are located in the southern side of the Thar Desert.
2. The Kutchchh Peninsula: The westernmost section of the Western Coastal Plains is called the Rann of Kutchchh which covers an area of 21,500 sq. km in northern Gujarat. This area is open to marine inundation and is composed of dark silt. Due to the deposition of silt, salt marshes are formed during the dry season.
3. The Kathiawar Peninsula: This peninsula is located in the south of the Kutchchh peninsula. It is a sandy plain with some hills like Mt. Girnar. Its southern part has mostly alluvium brought down by the rivers from the Western Ghats.
4. The Konkan Coast: The coastal plains from Daman to Goa are called the Konkan Coast. This 500 km stretch is generally flat and is composed of basaltic trap-rocks.
5. The Kanara Coast: It runs from Goa to Cannanore for 525 km. In this stretch, significant estuaries are formed near Goa.
6. The Malabar Coast: It is the southernmost stretch of the western coastal plain which runs from Cannanore to Cape Comorin for 500 km. It is known as the Malabar coast. Its characteristic features are the lagoons or backwaters called kayaks, such as the Ashtamudi and Vembanad lakes.

Eastern Coastal Plains: The coastal areas along the Bay of Bengal are broad and more leveled. The area is rocky, except for the delta region, and is highly dissected by small but fast-flowing rivers. Several depositional features such as spits, lagoons, and offshore bars are found along the coast. The prominent deltas are those of the Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna, and Cauveri. These deltas are not suitable for harbors as their mouths are full of silt. There are several lakes on the East Coast; these include the Chilika in Orissa and Kolleru and Pulicat in Andhra Pradesh. From the mouth of the Ganga to Nellore the plains are called Northern Circars. These plains lie between the Mahanadi and the Krishna rivers. The southern part of the Eastern Coastal Plains from Nellore to Kanyakumari is called Coromandel Coast in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.

Question 17. Give an account of the physiography of the islands of India.
Answer: Besides the mainland, India has two groups of islands, i.e., the Andaman and Nicobar islands in the Bay of Bengal and the Lakshadweep islands in the Arabian Sea.
Andaman and Nicobar islands: The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are a group of more than 300 islands, out of which 265 are uninhabited. The two groups of islands are separated by the Ten-degree channel. The Andaman Islands lie in the Bay of Bengal 1,255 km from Kolkata and 1,190 km from Chennai. The islands are 193 km from Cape Negrais in Myanmar. Five large islands grouped together are called the Great Andamans and to the south is the island of Little Andaman.

There are 204 islets. The Great Andaman group is about 467 km long and, at the widest, 51 km wide. Andaman and Nicobar Islands are formed by the elevated parts of submarine ridges that are extended southward from the Arakan Yoma Mountains of Myanmar. These islands are highly dissected and rise to 730 m in height. There are 550 islands, most of which are too small to be inhabited.

The Nicobar Islands are situated to the south of the Andamans, 121 km from Little Andaman. There are 19 islands, 7 uninhabited, with a total area of 1.841 sq km. The islands are usually divided into three sub-groups: southern, central, and northern. The chief islands are Great Nicobar and Car Nicobar. These islands are of volcanic origin. The only active volcano of India is found on Barren Island. Narcondam is another volcanic island in this group. They are surrounded by coral reefs and have narrow coastal plains.

The Lakshadweep Islands: Lakshadweep consists of a group of 36 islands, of which only 11 are inhabited and located about 280 to 480 km from the Kerala coast. It was constituted as a Union Territory in 1956 as the Laccadive, Minicoy, and Amindivi Islands, and renamed in November 1973 as Lakshadweep. The northern portion is called the Amindivis. The remaining islands are called the Laccadives (including Minicoy Islands).

School Geography Class 10 WBBSE

Question 18. Give a chart to show the divisions of India according to relief and structure.
Answer: According to the relief and structure of India, it can be divided into 5 main physical divisions. These are:

Question 19. Divide and explain the Ganga Plain.
Answer:
The Ganga plains can be divided into the following:
1. The Upper Ganga Plain: Occupying the western part of the UP, the Upper Ganga plain is agriculturally the most developed of the three segments of the Ganga plains. This region is a plain alluvial tract that has the Shiwaliks in the north, the Peninsular Plateau in the south, and the Yamuna in the west. It is drained by the rivers Ganga, Yamuna, Ghagra, Gomti, and Sharda. About three-fourths of the total area is under cultivation, two-thirds of which has irrigation by canals and tubewells/wells.

2. The Middle Ganga Plain: It comprises the eastern part of UP and the northern part of Bihar. The middle Ganga plain is a flat gently sloping area. It measures 600 km from east to west and about 330 km from north to south. It is surrounded by the Shiwaliks in the north and the Deccan plateau in the south. It is drained by the Ganga and its numerous tributaries, among which Ghaghra, Gandak, and Kosi are the major ones. The Mahananda river defines its eastern boundary. This area is also dotted with oxbow lakes, levees, marshes, etc. Rainfall is high in this region. It causes frequent floods in this area. Moreover, the rivers keep on shifting their course. The river Kosi called the ‘sorrow of Bihar’ has shifted its course over 120 km in recent times. About two-thirds of this area is under cultivation. Nearly one-third of it is irrigated by canals and tube wells. Rice ranks as the leading crop which accounts for 40 percent of the cropped area. The other major food crops are wheat, barley, maize, and pulses. Sugarcane is the major cash crop.

3. The Lower Ganga Plain: This region coincides with the lower course of the river. It is a flat river plain. It is drained by the Ganga which is known as Padma, and other streams, such as the Damodar, Rupnarayan, and Subarnarekha. These streams originate from the adjacent Chotanagpur plateau. The Ganga along with the Brahmaputra forms the world’s largest delta. A large part of this delta is covered by thick forests called the SundarbAnswer: Estuaries, mangroves, swamps, sandbanks, etc. mark the sea-face of the delta. Agriculture is the livelihood of a majority of the population in this region. Nearly two-thirds of the total area is under cultivation, and two-thirds of the area under cultivation is under rice cultivation. Jute is a prominent commercial crop.

WBBSE Solutions for Class 10 Geography and Environment

Chapter 1 Exogenic Processes And Resultant Landforms MCQs

Question 1. The process by which, the elevation of the earth’s surface decreases, is called:
1. Volcanic
2. Aggradation
3. Deposition
4. Degradation

Answer: 4. Degradation

Question 2. The highland between two river basins is called:
1. Water divide
2. River terrace
3. Natural levee
4. Doad

Answer: 1. Water divide

Question 3. A lake carved out by glacier is:
1. Corrie lake
2. Playa lake
3. Ox-bow lake
4. Lagoon

Answer: 1. Corrie lake

Read and Learn More WBBSE Class 10 Geography Multiple Choice Question and Answers

Question 4. Plain formed by wind deposition is called:
1. Dune
2. Hamada
3. Dhiran
4. Loess

Answer: 4. Loess

Question 5. Lakes containing saline water in the Sahara desert are called:
1. Shotts
2. Balson
3. Dhand
4. Tal

Answer: 1. Shotts

Question 6. The process by which, soil and rock layers move down along the slope of highlands by gravity is called:
1. Weathering
2. Gradation Process
3. Endogenic processes
4. Mass wasting process

Answer: 4. Mass wasting process

Question 7. In peneplain, low-lying hills of hard rocks remain as residual landform is called:
1. Yardang
2. Zeugen
3. Sand Dunes
4. Inselberg

Answer: 4. Insellberg

Question 8. The process by which the height of the earth’s surface increases is:
1. Aggradation
2. Degradation
3. Weathering
4. Denudation

Answer: 1. Aggradation

Question 9. Deep cracks on the surface of the mountain glacier are called:
1. Nunatak
2. Crevasse
3. Arete
4. Cirque

Answer: 2. Crevasse

Question 10. The gorge formed in the arid regions is called as
1. Canyon
2. ‘V’ Shaped valley
3. Potholes
4. Dhand

Answer: 1. Canyon

Question 11. Bird-foot delta is formed at the mouth of
1. River Nile
2. Hwang Ho
3. Indus river
4. Mississippi-Missouri river

Answer: 4. Mississippi-Missouri river

Question 12. The process by which natural agents reshape the existing landscape over the earth’s surface is known as:
1. Exogenetic process
2. Endogenetic Process
3. Orogenetic process
4. Epeirogenetic Process

Answer: 1. Exogenetic process

Question 13. The geomorphic process that shapes and reshapes land externally is called:
1. Endogenicprocess
2. Exogenic process
3. Earthquake
4. Volcanism

Answer: 1. Exogenic process

Question 14. The factor responsible for the melting of ice caps and consequent rise in sea level is
1. Change in the ocean floor
2. Upliftment of land
3. Global warming
4. Subsidence of coastal areas

Answer: 3. Global warming

Question 15. The exogenetic processes are
1. Sudden
2. Fast
3. Slow
4. Very slow

Answer: 4. Very slow

Question 16. By graduation, the height of landforms is
1. Reduced
2. Remains the same
3. Increased
4. Subsided

Answer: 3. Increased

Question 17. Pothole is formed by
1. Hydraulic action
2. Corrasion
3. Abrasion
4. Attrition

Answer: 2. Abrasion

Question 18. The waterfall is found in the rivers in
1. Youthful stage
2. Mature stage
3. Old Stage
4. All Stages

Answer: 1. Youthful stage

Question 19. The main activity of a river in the lower course is
1. Vertical Erosion
2. Lateral Erosion
3. Deposition
4. Transportation

Answer: 3. Deposition

Question 20. Which one of these regions has continental glaciers?
1. Himalaya
2. Alps
3. Greenland
4. Antarctica

Answer: 3. Greenland

Question 21. Which landform is produced by glacial erosion?
1. Arete
2. Moraine
3. Drumlin
4. Water Fall

Answer: 1. Arete

Question 22. Which landform is produced by glacial deposition?
1. Cirque
2. Hanging Valley
3. Medial Moraine
4. Potholes

Answer: 3. Medial Moraine

Question 23. Wind acts as an agent of denudation in
1. Humid region
2. Arid region
3. Polar region
4. Deposition

Answer: 2. Arid region

Question 24. The process by which sand and dust are blown away from the surface is called
1. Corrasion
2. Deflation
3. Abrasion
4. Deposition

Answer: 4. Deposition

Question 24. The process by which sand and dust are blown away from the surface is called
1. Corrasion
2. Deflation
3. Abrasion
4. Deposition

Answer: 2. Deflation

Question 25. Yardangs are formed by
1. Wind Erosion
2. Arid deposition
3. Wave Erosion
4. Glacial deposition

Answer: 1. Wind Erosion

Question 26. Hamada refers to
1. Sandy desert
2. Gravelly desert
3. Rocky desert
4. Plain region

Answer: 1. Sandy desert

Question 27. Crescent-shaped sand dunes are called
1. Seifs
2. Barkhans
3. Loess
4. Moraine

Answer: 2. Barkhans

Question 28. Global warming affects delta regions by
1. Submerging coastal areas
2. Increasing Rainfall
3. Creating droughts
4. All of the above

Answer: 1. Submerging coastal areas

Question 29. The Sahara desert is extending towards the
1. North
2. South
3. East
4. West

Answer: 1. North

Question 30. The following landform is produced by a glacier:
1. Inselberg
2. Meander
3. Pyramidal peak
4. Waterfall

Answer: 3. Pyramidal peak

Question 31. Wind erosion produces:
1. Ox-bow lake
2. Sand dunes
3. Yardang
4. Moraines

Answer: 3. Yardang

Question 32. Ox-bow lake is formed due to
1. Erosion by river
2. Decrease of slope
3. Decrease of slope
4. Glacial deposition

Answer: 1. Erosion by river

Question 33. Waterfalls are formed by:
1. Glacial erosion
2. Wide deposition by the river
3. Decrease of slope
4. Transportation Of river

Answer: 3. Decrease of slope

Question 34. The extensive floodplain is found in the basin of the river
1. Narmada
2. Tapti
3. Ganga
4. Sabarmati

Answer: 3. Ganga

Question 35. The Gour is formed by the action of
1. River
2. Glacier
3. Wind
4. Ocean

Answer: 3. Wind

Question 36. The depositional feature of an almost triangular shape at the mouth of a river is called
1. Delta
2. Estuary
3. OX-bow lake
4. Hanging valley

Answer: 1. Delta

Question 37. The kettle-like small depressions in the rocky beds of the river valley are called
1. Potholes
2. Gorges
3. Yardangs
4. Floodplain

Answer: 1. Potholes

Question 38. In the middle course of a river
1. Gorges
2. Flood-plains
3. Delta
4. Estuary

Answer: 2. Flood-plains

Question 39. Lagoons are common in a river in
1. Valleys
2. Coastal regions
3. Plain region
4. None of the above

Answer: 2. Coastal regions

Question 40. Waterfalls are common in the course of a
1. River
2. Glacier
3. Deposition
4. All

Answer: 1. River

Question 41. The main work of a river in its middle course is
1. Erosion
2. Transportation
3. Deposition
4. All

Answer: 2. Transportation

Question 42. The side-cutting of a river is mostly found in
1. Upper course
2. Middle course
3. Lower course
4. In all course

Answer: 1. Upper courses

Question 43. On the two sides of a river flood
1. Plains
2. Deltas
3. Meanders
4. Region

Answer: 1. Plains

Question 44. Roche mountaineer is created by the work of
1. River
2. Wind
3. Glacier
4. All
Answer: 3. Glacier

Question 45. The height of the snowline is affected by
1. Longitude
2. Latitude
3. Time
4. Pressure

Answer: 1. Latitude

Question 46. The snowline at the lowest height is found on the Poles due to
1. Low rainfall
2. Low temperature
3. Low humidity
4. None of these

Answer: 3. Low temperature

Question 47. The Greenland ice sheet is the best example of
1. Valley glacier
2. Continental glacier
3. Piedmont glacier
4. None of these

Answer: 2. Continental glacier.

Question 48. The Malaspina glacier of Alaska is an example of

1. Continentalgalcier
2. Running glacier
3. Valley glacier
4. Piedmont glacier

Answer: 4. Piedmont glacier

Question 49. The basket of eggs topography is related with
1. Eskers
2. Drumlins
3. Outwash plain
4. Corrie

Answer: 2. Drumlins

Question 50. In France Corrie is known as
1. Cirque
2. Arete
3. Drumlin
4. None of these

Answer: 1. Cirque

Question 51. Matterhorn of Switzerland is an example of
1. Corrie
2. Arete
3. Burgshrund
4. Potholes

Answer: 2. Arete

Question 52. Cresent-shaped sand dunes are common in the
1. Desert
2. River valley
3. Glacial Valley
4. Mountainous region

Answer: 1. Desert

Question 53. _______ valley is common in the mountain area.
1. U-shaped
2. V-shaped
3. T-shaped
4. D-shaped

Answer: 1. U-shaped

Question 54. Bars are common near the
1. Sea coast
2. Mountain areas
3. River basin
4. River mouth

Answer: 1. Sea coast

Question 55. Cirques are common in the
1. River Basin
2. Mountain Areas
3. Desert regions
4. All of these

Answer: 2. Mountain Areas

Question 56. The wind is an important agent of erosion in

1. Arid region
2. Mountain region
3. Coastal region
4. None of these

Answer: 1. Arid region

Question 57. A large depression formed by deflation is called
1. Blowhole
2. Blowout
3. Sinkhole
4. Sink out

Answer: 2. Blowout

Question 58. The steep-sided, dome-shaped pyramids formed by wind erosion are called
1. Yardangs
2. Inselbergs
3. Zeugens
4. Roche Moutonnee

Answer: 2. Inselbergs

Question 59. Sword-like long narrow ridges of sand in the Sahara are called
1. Barkhans
2. Seifs
3. Sand dunes
4. Loess

Answer: 2. Seifs

Question 60. Extensive deposits of loess is found in
1. North-West China
2. Thar desert
3. Sahara desert
4. Equatorial region

Answer: 1. North-West China.

Question 61. A stony desert is called an/a
1. Erg
2. Hamada
3. Reg
4. Sief

Answer: 3. Reg

Question 62. Atmospheric ozone gas is concentrated in the layer of
1. Stratosphere
2. Mesosphere
3. Ionosphere
4. Troposphere

Answer: 3. Ionosphere

Question 63. The temperature decreases by ______ for every 1000 m rise in height.
1. 5.4°C
2. 6.4°C
3. 6.7°C
4. 5.7°C

Answer: 2. 6.4°C

Question 64. The percentage of solar energy reflected back into space by the atmosphere and earth’s crust is
1. 35%
2. 64%
3. 34%
4. 66%

Answer: 3. 34%

Question 65. The layer of the atmosphere where the inversion of temperature is noticed is
1. Ionosphere
2. Troposphere
3. Stratosphere
4. Mesosphere

Answer: 2. Troposphere

Question 66. Rainfall is measured by
1. Rain Gauge
2. Barometer
3. Chronometer
4. Sextant

Answer: 1. Rain Gauge

Question 67. Relative humidity can be measured by
1. Hygrometer
2. Thermometer
3. Rain Gauge
4. Barometer

Answer: 1. Hygrometer

Question 68. Chinook is found in
1. Rockies
2. Rhine river valley
3. Rhone river valley
4. None of these

Answer: 1. Rockies

Question 69. The process by which water of rivers, lakes, and oceans turns into water vapour due to heat is called:
1. Precipitation
2. Saturation
3. Evaporation
4. Condensation

Answer: 3. Evaporation

Question 70. All the land drained by a river, its tributaries and distributaries, is called:
1. River basin
2. Water divide
3. Hanging Valley
4. Outwash plain

Answer: 1. River basin

Question 71. The isolated residual hill in the desert formed due to wind erosion is called:
1. Monadnock
2. Inselberg
3. Mesa & Butte
4. Gour

Answer: 2. Inselberg

Question 72. The fragments of rocks shattered by frost action and brought down the valley by a glacier are called:
1. Alluvium
2. Salt pans
3. Moraines
4. Pyroclasts

Answer: 3. Moraines

Question 73. The largest reservoir of freshwater on earth is
1. River
2. Glacial ice
3. Oceans
4. Groundwater

Answer: 2. Glacial ice

 

Chapter 2 Atmosphere MCQs

Question 1. “Horse Latitude” is located at:
1. Equatorial low-pressure belt
2. Sub-tropical high-pressure belt
3. Sub-polar low-pressure belt
4. Polar high-pressure belt

Answer: 2. Sub-tropical high-pressure belt

Question 2. The diurnal range of temperature is maximum in:
1. Equatorial climatic region
2. Hot desert climatic region
3. Tropical Monsoon climatic region
4. Mediterranean climatic region

Answer: 2. Hot desert climatic region

Question 3. The annual range of temperature remains minimum in the:
1. Equatorial climatic region
2. Monsoon climatic region
3. Mediterranean climatic region
4. Steppe climatic region

Answer: 1. Equatorial climatic region

Read and Learn More WBBSE Class 10 Geography Multiple Choice Question and Answers

Question 4. The cold local wind that blows in the Rhone valley of France is called:
1. Chinook
2. Sirocco
3. Mistral
4. Bora

Answer: 3. Mistral

Question 5. The Meteors that come towards the earth get burnt in the layer of
1. ionosphere
2. Stratosphere
3. Mesosphere
4. Exosphere

Answer: 3. Mesosphere

Question 6. A Tornado, the most destructive cyclone of the world, is also called in the USA as
1. Cyclone
2. Twister
3. Typhoon
4. Hurricane

Answer: 2. Twister

Question 7. The uppermost layer of the heterosphere is
1. Hydrogen layer
2. Helium layer
3. Atomic oxygen layer
4. Molecular nitrogen layer

Answer: 1. Hydrogen layer

Question 8. The instrument by which the humidity of air mass is measured is
1. Thermometer
2. Barometer
3. Hygrometer
4. Anemometer

Answer: 3. Hygrometer

Question 9. The Louisa
1. Periodical wind
2. Local wind
3. Permanent wind
4. Sudden wind

Answer: 2. Local wind

Question 10. The subtropical high-pressure belt lies between latitudes.
1. 25°-35° North and South
2. 6€0°—70° North and South
3. 0°-10° North and South
4. 35°-65° North and South

Answer: 1. 25°-35° North and South

Question 11. The factor that increases the amount of rainfall is
1. Increase in humidity
2. Decrease in humidity
3. Rise in air temperature
4. None of these

Answer: 3. Rise in air temperature

Question 12. The slope of the Himalayas! in India that is warmer is
1. Eastern slope
2. Northern slope
3. Southern slope
4. Western slope

Answer: 3. Southern slope

Question 13. The amount of nitrogen in the atmosphere is
1. 87%
2. 70%
3. 78%
4. 67%

Answer: 3. 78%

Question 14. The amount of oxygen in the atmosphere is
1. 20.0%
2. 20.9%
3. 20.1%
4. 20.21%

Answer: 2. 20.9%

Question 15. The two most abundant gases in the atmosphere are
1. N, and water vapour
2. 0, and CO,
3. N, and O,
4. Helium & Argon

Answer: 3. N, and O,

Question 16. Radio waves are reflected by the
1. Troposphere
2. Stratosphere
3. Ozonosphere
4. Mesosphere

Answer: 3. Ozonosphere

Question 17. About 34% of insolation returned to space is known as
1. Effective solar radiation
2. Earth’s Albedo
3. Heat balance
4. None of the above

Answer: 2. Earth’s Albedo

Question 18. The lapse rate of temperature is
1. 4.6°C
2. 6.0°C
3. 6.4°C
4. 5.4°C

Answer: 3. 6.4°C

Question 19. The highest annual range of temperature will be seen in which region?
1. Chennai
2. Mumbai
3. Delhi
4. Kolkata

Answer: 1. Chennai

Question 20. The annual range of temperature is minimum in which region?
1. Equatorial
2. Tropical
3. Polar
4. Bothb&c

Answer: 3. Polar

Question 21. Standard sea level air pressure is
1. 1013.2
2. 1013.1
3. 1013.0
4. 1012.2

Answer: 1. 1013.2

Question 22. An imaginary line on a map joining places with the same air pressure is called
1. Isotherm
2. Isohyite
3. lobar
4. None of these

Answer: 3. Isobar

Question 23. Low pressure in the equatorial region is called
1. Horse Latitudes
2. Doldrums
3. Roaring Forties
4. Shocking Sixties

Answer: 2. Doldrums

Question 24. Westerlies are___ winds.
1. Local
2. Periodic
3. Planetary
4. Equatorial

Answer: 3. Planetary

Question 25. Trade winds blow in
1. Tropical regions
2. Polar regions
3. Equatorial regions
4. All regions

Answer: 1. Tropical regions

Question 26. Monsoons are
1. Periodic winds
2. Sudden winds
3. Local winds
4. Planetary winds

Answer: 1. Periodic winds

Question 27. Winds deflect according to
1. Ferrel’slaw
2. Buy Ballot’s law
3. Bergeson’slaw
4. Newton’s law

Answer: 1. Ferrel’s law

Question 28. Temperate cyclones form mainly during the season.
1. Summer
2. Winter
3. Autumn
4. Rainy

Answer: 2. Winter

Question 29. The actual mass of water vapour in the air is called
1. Relative humidity
2. Absolute humidity
3. Specific – humidity
4. Real humidity

Answer: 2. Absolute humidity

Question 30. The instrument used to measure humidity is
1. Barometer
2. Hygrometer
3. Anemometer
4. Thermometer

Answer: 2. Hygrometer

Question 31. Wind speed is measured by
1. Anemometer
2. Sextant
3. Hygrometer
4. Barometer

Answer: 1. Anemometer

Question 32. Smog is a combination of
1. Smoke and water
2. Smoke and fog
3. Water vapour and fog
4. Sulphur, Magnesium and Oxygen gas

Answer: 2. Smoke and fog

Question 33. The ratio of weight (in grams) of water vapour to the total weight (in Kilogram) of moist air is expressed as:
1. Specific humidity
2. Relative humidity
3. Absolute humidity
4. Dew point

Answer: 2. Relative humidity

Question 34. The disastrous storms which occur in West Indies (Tropical region) are:
1. Typhoon
2. Hurricane
3. Pampero
4. Tornado

Answer: 2. Hurricane

Question 35. Adry and warm air blowing from Sahara to Egypt is:
1. Harmattan
2. Sirocco
3. Khamsin
4. Phon

Answer: 3. Khamsin

Question 36. Land and sea breezes are
1. Planetary winds
2. Periodic winds
3. Local winds
4. Sudden winds

Answer: 2. Periodic winds

Question 37. Nor’westers occur over Gangetic West Bengal during:
1. October-November
2. August-September
3. January-February
4. April-May

Answer: 4. April-May

Question 38. The highest proportion among various gases in the atmosphere is occupied by:
1. Oxygen
2. Nitrogen
3. Carbon dioxide
4. Neon

Answer: 2. Nitrogen

Question 39. Katabatic wind
1. Glides down the snow-capped mountain
2. Blows in the desert area
3. Blows from the sea towards the land
4. Blows from land towards the sea

Answer: 1. Glides down the snow-capped mountain

Question 40. A sudden lowering of the barometer reading indicates:
1. Fairweather
2. Rainfall
3. Storm
4. Cold waves

Answer: 3. Storm

Question 41. The layer of the atmosphere where changes in daily weather take place is called:
1. Troposphere
2. Stratosphere
3. Exosphere
4. ionosphere

Answer: 1. Troposphere

Question 42. The strongest insolation of a day is received
1. Early in the morning
2. At night
3. At noon
4. In the evening

Answer: 3. At noon

 

Chapter 3 Hydrosphere MCQs

Question 1. The formation of ocean currents depends on:
1. Prevailing winds
2. Earth’s revolution
3. Sandbanks
4. All of them are applicable

Answer: 1. Prevailing winds

Question 2. The time difference between high and low tides at a place is nearly:
1. More than two hours
2. More than six hours
3. More than four hours
4. More than eight hours

Answer: 2. More than six hours

Question 3. The place, where warm and cold ocean currents converge, is called:
1. Cold wall
2. Iceberg
3. Avalanches
4. Sargassum

Answer: 1. Cold wall

Read and Learn More WBBSE Class 10 Geography Multiple Choice Question and Answers

Question 4. When the distance between the earth and the moon is farthest, it is called:
1. Syzygy
2. Perigee
3. Apogee
4. Aphelion

Answer: 3. Apogee

Question 5. The merging of the cold Labrador current and warm Gulf stream current creates dense fogs and stormy weather conditions along
1. Newfoundland coast
2. Guinea coast
3. Florida cost
4. Peru coast

Answer: 1. Newfoundland coast

Question 6. On the days of Neap Tides, the sun and the moon are at the following angle to each other in respect of the earth
1. 180°
2. 360°
3. 90°
4. 120°

Answer: 3. 90°

Question 7. The influence of El Nino is observed in:
1. Atlantic ocean
2. Pacific ocean
3. Indian ocean
4. Arctic ocean

Answer: 2. Pacific ocean

Question 8. When the distance between the earth and the moon becomes least, the generating tide is called:
1. Spring tide
2. Neap tide
3. Perigean tide
4. Apogean tide

Answer: 3. Perigean tide

Question 9. Spring tides occur:
1. Twice a month
2. Thrice a month
3. Once a month
4. Fourtimesina month

Answer: 1. Twice a month

Question 10. The regular movements of water from one part of the ocean to another are called:
1. Tide
2. Wave
3. Ocean current
4. Tsunami

Answer: 3. Ocean current

Question 11. The rise and fall of the surface of the ocean is called:
1. Tide
2. Wave
3. Ocean current
4. Tsunami

Answer: 2. Wave

Question 12. The currents that flow from tropical areas towards the Polar regions are:
1. Cold currents
2. Both warm and cold currents
3. Warm currents
4. Neither warm nor cold current

Answer: 3. Warm currents

Question 13. The warm, occasional Pacific surface water along the coast of Peru is called:
1. El Nino
2. Gulf stream
3. North Atlantic drift
4. Labrador’s current

Answer: 1. El Nino

Question 14. The ocean currents get deflected to the right in the Northern Hemisphere due to the:
1. Earth’s revolution
2. Earth’s rotation
3. Salinity
4. Temperature

Answer: 2. Earth’s rotation

Question 15. The periodic rise and fall in the level of oceans is called
1. Tide
2. Wave
3. Ocean current
4. Tsunami

Answer: 1. Tide

Question 16. Peruvian Current flows through the:
1. Indian Ocean
2. Atlantic Ocean
3. Pacific Ocean
4. Arctic Ocean

Answer: 3. Pacific Ocean.

Question 17. The interval between the two primary tides is
1. 6 hours 13 minutes
2. 12 hours 26 minutes
3. 24 hours 52 minutes
4. 12 hours 52 minutes

Answer: 3. 24 hours 52 minutes.

Question 18. Cold Wall is seen in the
1. North Atlantic
2. Pacific ocean
3. South Atlantic
4. Arctic circle

Answer: 1. North Atlantic.

Question 19. Sargasso sea is very prominent in the
1. Atlantic Ocean
2. Pacific ocean
3. Arctic Ocean
4. NorthernCoastofJapan

Answer: 1. Atlantic Ocean.

Question 20. Drifts are mainly caused by
1. Wind
2. Temperature
3. Pressure
4. Sea waves

Answer: 1. Wind.

Question 21. Grand Bank is a great
1. Fishing centre
2. Business centre
3. Banking hub
4. Tourist centre

Answer: 1. Fishing centre.

Question 22. The deflection of Ocean water in the Northern hemisphere is towards
1. Left
2. Right
3. Straight
4. None

Answer: 2. Right.

Question 23. The Gulf stream is one of the strongest warm currents of the____
1. Pacific Ocean
2. Atlantic Ocean
3. Indian Ocean
4. Arctic Ocean

Answer: 2. Atlantic Ocean.

Question 24. The ocean current which is found on the north-west coast of the Atlantic is:
1. Brazilian Current
2. South Equatorial Current
3. Labrador Current
4. Guinea Current

Answer: 3. Labrador Current

Question 25. Warm Gulf Stream current originates in the:
1. Bay of Bengal
2. Bay of Biscay
3. Gulf of Mannar
4. Gulf of Mexico

Answer: 4. Gulf of Mexico

Question 26. Canary current flows along the coast of:
1. Peru
2. Portugal
3. Japan
4. Canada

Answer: 2. Portugal

Question 27. ______is good for fishinhg.
1. Continental Shelf
2. Continental Slope
3. Continental Fishery
4. Continental Bay

Anwer: 1. Continental Shelf

Question 28. The major cause for the origin of ocean currents is
1. Earth’s rotation
2. Prevailing wind
3. Temperature differences
4. Salinity differences

Answer: 2. Prevailing wind

Question 29. The ocean current tends to move towards the right in the northern hemisphere and towards the left in the southern hemisphere due to
1. Temperature of ocean water
2. Salinity of ocean water
3. Rotation
4. Cold wall

Answer: 3. Rotation

Question 30. The Warm Gulf Stream current flows along the
1. North-East Australia
2. North-West Europe
3. North-East Asia
4. South-West Europe.

Answer: 2. North-West Europe

Question 31. The Benguela cold current flows along the
1. East coast of Africa
2. West coast of Africa
3. East coast of South America
4. West coast of South America.

Answer: 2. West coast of Africa

Question 32. The main controlling factor for ocean currents is
1. Rotation
2. Prevailing wind
3. Location of the continent
4. Salinity of water.

Answer: 2. Prevailing wind

Question 33. Give an example of a cold current.
1. West Australian Current
2. South Equatorial Current
3. Counter Equatorial Current
4. Agulhas Current

Answer: 1. West Australian Current

Question 34. The Coast Of Norway remains ice-free due to
1. Labrador Current
2. Agulhas current
3. Guinea’s current
4. Gulf stream current

Answer: 4. Gulf stream current

Question 35. A cold current also known as ‘Oyashio current’ is_____
1. Kuroshio’s current
2. Californian current
3. Kurile current
4. Humboldt current.

Answer: 3. Kurile’s current

Question 36. Kuroshio current is a current of
1. Arctic ocean
2. Antarctic ocean
3. Atlantic ocean
4. Pacific ocean.

Answer: 4. Pacific ocean.

Question 37. The amount of the earth’s surface covered by water is:
1. 30percent
2. 90percent
3. 50percent
4. 70percent

Answer: 4. 70 percent.

Question 38. A major pollutant for ozone depletion is
1. Water vapour
2. Dust
3. Chlorofluro carbon
4. None of these

Answer: 3. Chlorofluro carbon

Question 39. Acid rain is a serious problem in:
1. Cape town
2. New York
3. Rome
4. Greece

Answer: 2. New York

Question 40. Preventive measure for Air Pollution is_____
1. Controlled use of fossil fuels
2. Control of air pollution
3. Control of dust
4. All the above

Answer: 1. Controlled use of fossil fuels

Question 41. The ozone layer is found over a distance of
1. 5 to 6 km
2. 10 to 35 km
3. 55 to 69 miles
4. 80 to 100 km

Answer: 2. 10 to 35 km

Question 42. The gulf stream current is
1. Hot wind
2. Cold wind
3. Very cold in nature
4. Very mild in nature

Answer: 1. Hot wind

Question 43. The sea waves generated by tides are called:
1. Tidal current
2. Tidal waves
3. Tidal bores
4. Tidal shores

Answer: 2. Tidal waves

Question 44. The direction of ocean water movement in the northern hemisphere is:
1. Clockwise
2. Anti-clockwise
3. Straight
4. None of these

Answer: 1. Clockwise