Worksheet Revision Part II

India

A. Short Answer
Q1. What is the longitudinal and Latitudinal extent of India?
Ans:

Longitudes: 68° 7' E & 92° 25'E, maximum stretch of India from E to W is about 3000
kms.

Latitudes 8° 4' N & 37° 6' N, India’s maximum stretch from N to S is 3214 kms.
Q2. What is the Indian Standard Time (IST)?

Ans: IST of India is calculated from 82° 30' E longitude, it is 5:30 hours ahead of the GMT
(Greenwich Mean Time).

Note: IST refers to the local time of Mirzapur near Allahabad (Uttar Pradesh).
Q3. Name the neighboring countries of India.
Ans: Trick to Remember

“Bachpan my MBAs”
Ba Ch PaN My M B A s
Ba – Bangladesh; Ch – China; Pa – Pakistan; N – Nepal; My – Myanmar; M – Maldives; B
– Bhutan; A – Afghanistan; S – Sri Lanka.
Q4. Briefly explain the Kal Baisakhi and Mango Shower?
Ans:
Kalbaishakhi: It is a thunderstorm with dusty winds common in Northern plains,
sometimes this violent storm also reaches the intensity of a Tornado, it is known as
Kalbaishakhi in Assam and West Bengal. Hence bring destruction in the month of
Baishakh.
Mango Shower: It is a pre-monsoon showers common in Kerala and Karnataka, which
bring drizzle and cool breeze follow the storms, providing relief from the scorching heat,
helping in ripening of Mangoes.
Note:
Burst of Monsoon: The sudden onset of rain from the monsoon wind is called the ‘Burst of
Monsoon’. As the arrival of monsoon is begins with thundering clouds and lightning, the
monsoon usually arrives in the Kerala in the first week of June.
Q5. What are the factors that affects the Climate of India?
Ans:
Latitude: The Tropic of Cancer passes through the middle of India. Dividing India into two
zones – Temperate and Tropical zone.
The Himalayas: It acts at climatic divide or barrier, as it protects India from Siberian cold
winds, and forces South West monsoon winds to shed their moisture in India.
Altitude: Temperature decrease with increase Hight known as Normal Lapse Rate;
Mountains are cooler than the adjoining Plain areas.
Distance from the Sea: Place near the coast enjoy the Equable Climate, however as we
move towards the interior of the continent the places witness the Extreme Climate.
Example: Mumbai (Coastal area) remains cool while Nagpur (interior and rain shadow area)
becomes very hot in summers.
Q6. Define National Park, give three examples of National Park of India.
Ans: It is a relatively large area of scenic beauty, protected and maintained by the
Government to preserve Flora and Fauna, Landscape, Historic objects of the area and
places of scientific interest.
Example: Kudermukh National Park (Karnataka), Silent Valley National Park (Kerala) and
Periyar National Park (Tamil Nadu).
Some extra points:
Conservation strategies of Natural vegetation and Wildlife
(i) Setting up National Park, Wildlife sanctuaries and Biosphere Reserves to protect
endangered species.
(ii) Undertaking of social awareness programmes like Vanmohatsava.
(iii) Revival of traditional conservation practices like “The Beej Bachao Andolan”
in Tehri Garhwal (Uttarakhand)
(iv) Implementing Wildlife Protection Act (India 1972), against the trade as well as
killing of birds and animals.
(v) Involvement of local communities in management and restoration process.
Q7. Name the Highest peak of Western and Eastern Ghat.
Ans:
I. The Highest peak of Western Ghat (Sahyadri) – Anai Mudi (2695 meters);
II. The highest peak of the Eater Ghat- Mahendragiri (1501 meters)
III. The Highest peak of Himalayas – Mount Everest (8859 meters)
IV. The highest peak of Himalayas in India – Kanchenjunga (8586 meters)
V. The highest peak of India – K2 (Godwin Austin) but disputed.
 B. Long Answer
Q8. Describe the physical division of India? With explanation.
Ans: On the basis of relief features, India can be divided into five divisions:
1. Northen Mountains: It comprises Trans Himalayas, Himalayas and Purvachal
(Eastern Hills).
a. Trans Himalayas: Karakoram, Ladakh and Zaskar range highest peaks K2.
b. Himalayas: Arc shaped, having a length of 2400 kms. And consist of three
ranges (i) Greater Himalayas (Himadri), Lesser Himalayas (Himanchal
Himalayas), and Outer Himalayas (Shiwalik range).
2. Northern Plains: Cradle of civilization and culture, covering a total area of 7 lakh
sq.kms. Extremely levelled formed by the sediments brough by the rivers of
Himalayas and peninsular India. It is further subdivided into Indus Plain, Ganga &
Brahmaputra
3. Peninsular Plateaus: It is triangle shaped, consist of Malwa and Deccan plateaus.
4. Coastal Plains: It is consist of Western coastal plain (Comprises Konkan, Kannad
and Malabar coastal plains) and Eastern Coastal plains (Utkal, Andhra and Tamil
Nadu coastal plains)
5. Islands: Consist of two island groups Lakshadweep (Only 11 island are inhabited, its
capital is Kavaratti) and Andaman and Nicobar Island ( consist of 576 islands, it is a
home of only active volcano of India that is Barren Island. Port Blair (Capital).

Some more detail Explanation

1. Northern Mountains
It is stretched from Kashmir in the Northwest to the Arunachal Pradesh in the East.
Covering a distance of approx. 3000 kms. Norther Mountains are subdivided into three
divisions, namely. Trans Himalayas, Himalayas and Purvachal (Eastern Hills).
(a) Trans Himalayas – It consist Karakoram, Ladakh and Zaskar Range. K2
(Godwin Austin) is the second highest peak of the world and highest in India is
located in Karakoram range. Karakoram range is a home to largest glaciers of the
world such as Siachen and Batro Glaciers.
(b) Himalayas – It is extended along the Northern Boundary of India in the Arc
shape over the length of 2400 kms. Breadth of Himalayas ranges vary between
150 and 400 kms. Parallel ranges of Himalayas are:
(i) Greater Himalayas (Himadri): Highest Mountain range of
Himalayas, Average height is 6000 meters, remains snow covered
throughout the year.
(ii) Lesser Himalayas (Himanchal): Average height is 3000 meters, Hill
station like Mussoorie (Uttarakhand) and Shimla (Himanchal Pradesh)
are located here.
(iii) Outer Himalayas (Shiwalik): It is not a continuous range, Average
height is 1250 meters, broad valleys found here are called ‘Dunes’
example - Dehradun.
 (c) Purvachal (Eastern Hills): Purvachal in Sanskrit means mountains located in the
lap of east, the hills extend in the North-East part of India to the east of
Brahmaputra gorge, collectively called as Purvachal hill. It comprises of Patkai
Bum, Naga Hills, Garo, Khasi and Jaintia hills. It separates India from
Myanmar

2. Northern Plains
This plain has been the Cradle of Civilization and culture in India. Fertile soil, a
suitable climate and abundance of water helped in the development of agriculture, so
that people could produce surplus crops.
(a) Extend of Plains - Extends roughly about 2500 kms form east to west. Breadth
of these plains vary from 150 to 300 kms, covering a total area of about 7 lakh
sq.km.
(b) Formation of the Plains- It is a extremely levelled plain formed of sediments
brought by rivers form the northern mountains and peninsular plateau. Depth of
the deposited sediments may reach 6000 meters.
(c) Sub Division of Northern Plains-
(i) The Indus Rivers Basin: Drained by the rivers Indus and its
tributaries – Jhelum, Beas, Ravi, Indus, Chenab and Sutlej.
Trick to remember: J – B – R – I – C – S
After independence: B – R – S
(ii) The Ganga and Brahmaputra:
• The Ganga Basin: Major portion of the northern plain
comprises Ganga Basin or Indo Gangetic Plain. Plain lies in
Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal. The tributaries of
Ganga are grouped in to two – The Himalayan tributaries and
Peninsular Tributaries.
Trick to remember Himalayas tributaries: Yamuna Ka
Rajasthani Ghaghara Ganda Tha
River’s name: Yamuna, Kosi, Ramganga, Ghaghar, Gandhak and
Tista.
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Trick to remember peninsular tributaries: Son Delhi Se
Banglore Chalo
River’s name: Son, Damodar, Sind, Betwa and Chambal.
• The Brahmaputra Basin: lies mainly in Assam, it is 90 to 100
kms wide. Extends between Sadiya and Dhubri. Most of the
basin are prone to devastating floods caused by river
Brahmaputra and its tributaries.
Brahmaputra tributaries: Dibang, Lohit, Manas, Subansiri.
3. Peninsular India
Three triangles to remember, the Peninsular plateau, the Malwa plateau and Deccan plateau.

(i) Peninsular Plateau: It is lies to the south of the Northern Plains. Entire of
Indian Peninsular is a Plateau. Oldest part of India. Made of Igneous and
Metamorphic Rocks, and resembles a Triangle shape. The elevation increases
towards the south (Kanyakumari).

(ii) The Malwa Plateau: It is Bounded by the Aravallis in the North west and by the
Vindhya in the South, and to the east by Bundelkhand and Baghelkhand in Uttar
Pradesh, Chhota Nagpur in Jharkhand.

(iii) The Deccan Plateau: It is the largest part of the Peninsular Plateau of India. Covering
the area of about 5 lakh sq. km. The plateau is bounded by Satpura Range and
Vindhya range in the northwest, the Maikal range and Mahadeo range in the North,
and Western and Eastern Ghat in the west and east respectively.
 • Western Ghat (Sahyadries): Extends from Tapi river (Gujarat) to
Kanyakumari over the distance of 1600 kms. Average height is 900 to
1100 meters. Anai Mudi (2695m) is the highest peak. Being
a continuous mountain range, it can be crossed only through Passes or
Gaps. It runs parallel to Arabian Sea. Many rivers that rise form the
Western Ghats like Godavari, Krishna, Kaveri and Tungabhadra etc.

• Eastern Ghats: It is low and discontinuous range, collectively called as

Eatern Ghats. It extends from the Odisha up to the Nilgiri Hills (Tamil
Nadu). Its highest peak is Mahendragiri (1501 m) located in Odisha.
The average height is 450 m. It runs parallel to Bay of Bengal. Many
rivers flow through them like the Godavari, Mahanadi, Krishna and
Kaveri etc.

• The Deccan Lava Plateau (Maharashtra Plateau): As most of its area

extends in Maharashtra, and some part in Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh.
It has a Lava origin an made up of Basaltic Rock.

4. Coastal Plains
(a) Western Coastal Plains: It is lie between the Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea.
Stretches from Run of Kachchh in the north to Kanyakumari in the south. It is
narrower than the Eastern Coastal Plains and do not have
deltas, only estuaries and lagoons.

Different names in different parts—they are known as the Konkan Coastal plains
(Maharashtra), Kanada Coastal plains (Karnataka) and Malabar Coastal (Kerala).

(b) Eastern Coastal Plains: It is lie between the Eastern Ghats and the Bay of
Bengal. Stretches from the mouth of the river Ganga in the north to
Kanyakumari in the south. It is wider than the Western Coastal Plains and
are composed of the deltas that rise from Western Ghat.

Different names in different parts—they are known as the Utkal Coastal plains
(Odisha), Andhra Coastal plains (Andhra Pradesh) and Tamil Nadu Coastal plain.
 5. Islands

Andaman and Nicobar Islands Lakshadweep Islands

Located in Bay of Bengal also known as Lakshadweep means hundred thousand
Bay Islands. Consist of 572 islands. islands, situated in Arabian sea. Consist
Barren Island is the only Active volcano. of 27 islands out of which only 11 are
Its capital is Port Blair. inhabited. Its capital is Kavaratti.

Q9. Differentiate between Western Coastal Plain and Eastern Coastal Plain.
Ans: Check the above answer
Q10. Describe the Tropical Evergreen and Deciduous Forest of India. Give the example
major trees.
Answer:
Tropical Evergreen Forest Tropical Deciduous Forest
Trees of these forest are evergreen, with Trees shed their leaves before summer (Feb
very dense. to March) to protect moisture for survival.

It is found primarily in the are receiving It is Found in the eastern slope of western
more than 200m of annual rainfall. Trees ghat, Shiwalik range (foothill of Himalayas),
are very tall (sometimes more than 50 m). Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand & Karnataka etc.

It is found in Western ghat, Andaman and It is found in the area receiving annual
Nicobar Islands, Manipur, Mizoram etc. rainfall of 100-200 cm.

Main Trees: Rosewood, Ebony, Jamun etc. Main Trees: Sal, Teak and Sandalwood etc.

Extra Notes:
Thorn forest: These plants have developed special features to conserve water for survival.
Thorn forest grows in the area receiving rainfall less than 70 cm annually. Bushes are hardly
1-2 meters in height. Found in Rajasthan, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh etc.
Main Trees: Babul, Acacia, Kikar, Palm and Cactus etc.
Tidal Forest: These trees are evergreen, also known as mangrove forest. It could survive in
both salt and fresh water. Primarily found in Delta regions of Ganga, Brahmaputra,
Mahanadi, Godavari etc. Biggest delta of the world knows as Sunderbans was named after
‘Sundari’ a tree species of mangrove forest.
Main Trees: Sundari, Ager, Bhendi, Klora etc.
Q11. Why Mumbai experiences moderate (less range) in temperature as compared to New
Delhi?
Ans: Delhi is in the interior of India where the moderating influence of the sea is absent
hence witness the continental climatic conditions (too hot and too cool). Mumbai on the
other hand lies closer to the sea, and enjoys the Marine climatic conditions (moderate).
Hence the annual range of temperature in Delhi is more than the annual range of temperature
in Mumbai.
Q12. Distinguish between the S.W. Monsoon and Retreating (explain in 4 points)
South West Monsoon Retreating Monsoon
The south west monsoon in India arrives in It is a time of South – West Monsoon
two branches. retreats form India, which happens during
(i) Arabian Sea branch October and November.
(ii) Bay of Bengal Branch
After the S.W. Monsoon retreats sky
Arabian sea branch: It brings orographic becomes clear and temperature rises.
rainfall in Western Ghat and Southern Parth However, humidity remains high making
of Himalayas as it is perpendicular to S.W. the condition very oppressive also know as
monsoonal wind. ‘October Heat’.
However, Rajasthan remain dry as it is
parallel to S.W. monsoon. During North East monsoon winds being to
blow over North East India (High Pressure)
Bay of Bengal Branch: The direction of toward the India Ocean (Low Pressure).
this branch is also South West, but after
striking the Purvachal Hills (Eastern During this time Most of the North India is
Hills) its direction becomes easterly. rainless. Whereas Destructive violent
cyclones strike the Eastern Coast and
It gives abundant rain to West Bengal and causes heavy rainfall.
North East India. Mawsynram (highest
rainfall receiving plain in world) is located Tamil Nadu receives the heavy rainfall
here. from cyclone.