- According to area India is __ largest country in the World.
(a) 6th
(b) 3rd
(c) 2nd
(d) 7th
Answer: 7th - Which country is the second largest producer of rice?
(a) India
(b) USA
(c) China
(d) Canada
Answer: India - Which state of India has the largest area under forest?
(a) Rajasthan
(b) Uttar Pradesh
(c) Assam
(d) Madhya Pradesh
Answer: Madhya Pradesh - Which is the largest state in India?
(a) Uttar Pradesh
(b) Rajasthan
(c) Andhra Pradesh
(d) Madhya Pradesh
Answer: Rajasthan - Located in India it is largest residential university in Asia. Name it.
(a) Banaras Hindu University
(b) Anna University
(c) The Utkal University
(d) Jawaharlal Nehru University
Answer; Banaras Hindu University - Name the largest freshwater lake in India?
(a) Chilka Lake
(b) Powai Lake
(c) Wular Lake
(d) Dal Lake
Answer; Wular Lake - Name the largest freshwater lake in India?
(a) Dal Lake
(b) Powai Lake
(c) Wular Lake
(d) Chilka Lake
Answer: Wular Lake - Which is the smallest state in India?
(a) Goa
(b) Nagaland
(c) Orissa
(d) Kerala
Answer: Goa - Largest nandi in India is found at
(a) Sun Temple
(b) Lakshmi Venkatesha Temple Manel
(c) Leepakshi Temple
(d) Chamundeshwari Temple
Answer: Leepakshi Temple - Largest buddhist monastery in India is at
(a) Dharmashala
(b) Tawang
(c) Sarnath
(d) Darjeling
Answer: Tawang - Which company is India's largest transporter and marketer of petroleum gas?
(a) Reliance
(b) Gail
(c) ONGC
(d) HPCL
Answer: ONGC - Smallest state of India is
(a) Sikkim
(b) Nagaland
(c) Meghalaya
(d) Goa
Answer: Goa - 2nd largest state of India by area is
(a) Karnatka
(b) Madhya Pradesh
(c) Rajasthan
(d) andhrapradesh
Answer: Madhya Pradesh - Which is India's largest Private Sector Bank?
(a) ICICI
(b) IDBI
(c) HDFC
(d) UTI
Answer: ICICI - Where is the biggest ship building yard in India ?
(a) Vishakapatnam
(b) Tuticorin
(c) Mumbai
(d) Chennai
Answer: Vishakapatnam - The largest cantilever bridge of India is
(a) Chambal Bridge
(b) None of them
(c) Mahatma Gandhi Setu
(d) Howrah Bridge
Answer: Howrah Bridge - The largest city of India is
(a) Chennai
(b) Kolkata
(c) New Delhi
(d) Mumbai
Answer: Kolkata - The largest lake in India is
(a) Wular lake
(b) None of them
(c) Luni lake
(d) Sambhar lake
Answer: Wular lake - The smallest state of India is
(a) Rajasthan
(b) Himachal Pradesh
(c) Sikkim
(d) Goa
Answer: Goa - Which is the India's largest and the oldest museum?
(a) Indian Museum, Kolkata
(b) Salar Jung Museum, Hyderabad
(c) National Museum, New Delhi
(d) Allahabad Museum
Answer: Indian Museum, Kolkata - Which is the oldest paramilitary force in India?
(a) Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP)
(b) Border Security Force (BSF)
(c) Coast Guard
(d) Assam Rifles
Answer: Assam Rifles - Which is the state with largest urban population?
(a) Kerala
(b) Goa
(c) Maharashtra
(d) West Bengal
Answer: Maharashtra - Which state covers the largest area in India?
(a) Uttar Pradesh
(b) West Bengal
(c) Goa
(d) Rajasthan
Answer: Rajasthan - Largest Mosque in India is
(a) Moti Masjid
(b) Jama Masjid
(c) Tajjul-Masajid
(d) Mecca Masjid
Answer: Jama Masjid - The largest state of India is
(a) Utter Pradesh
(b) Maharastra
(c) Rajasthan
(d) Madhay Pradesh
Answer: Rajasthan - The largest share of India's national income originates in the
(a) None of these
(b) Primary Sector
(c) Secondary Sector
(d) Teritary Sector
Answer: Primary Sector - The largest revenue in India is obtained from
(a) Direct Taxes
(b) None of these
(c) Excise Duties
(d) Sales Tax
Answer: Excise Duties - The largest Public Sector Bank in India is
(a) Indian Overseas Bank
(b) State Bank of India
(c) Central Bank
(d) Punjab National Bank
Answer: State Bank of India - Name the Indian Bank which is having the largest number of branches abroad :
(a) Bank of India
(b) Central Bank of India
(c) Indian Overseas Bank
(d) State Bank of India
Answer: State Bank of India - Which one of the following is the largest mutual fund organisation in India ?
(a) Unit Trust of India
(b) Ind Bank Mutual Fund
(c) SBI Mutual Fund
(d) GIC Mutual Fund
Answer: Unit Trust of India - Which of following factors is responsible for the biggest problem faced by India's cotton textile industry ?
(a) Rising cost of Production
(b) Competition from handloom sector
(c) Obsolete machinery
(d) Falling demand
Answer: Rising cost of Production - Which of the following is the largest (in terms of profit) Public Sector organisation in India ?
(a) Bharat Heavy Electricals
(b) Steel Authority of India
(c) Bharat Petroleum
(d) Oil and Natural Gas Commisssion
Answer: Oil and Natural Gas Commisssion - The largest irrigation canal in India is called the
(a) Upper Bari Doab Canal
(b) Indira Gandhi Canal
(c) Yamuna Canal
(d) Sirhand Canal
Answer: Indira Gandhi Canal - The largest land holding in India is
(a) Basic holding
(b) Co-operative holding
(c) Economic holding
(d) Family holding
Answer: Family holding - Which of the following agricultural holdings have the largest percentage in India ?
(a) Small holdings
(b) Medium holdings
(c) Marginal holdings
(d) Large holdings
Answer: Marginal holdings - The largest nationalized bank of India is the
(a) Reserve Bank of India
(b) Central Bank of India
(c) Bank of India
(d) State Bank of India
Answer: State Bank of India - Which one of the following is the largest mutual fund organisation in India ?
(a) GIC Mutual Fund
(b) Ind Bank Mutual Fund
(c) Unit Trust of India
(d) SBI Mutual Fund
Answer: Unit Trust of India - The singloe largest donor to India has been
(a) the World bank
(b) Kuwait
(c) the USA
(d) the USSR
Answer: the USSR - Which of the following states, according to 2001 census, has the largest concentration of scheduled tribes population ?
(a) Madhya Pradesh
(b) West Bengal
(c) Andhra Pradesh
(d) Bihar
Answer: Madhya Pradesh - Which of the following states, according to 2001 census, has the largest concentration of scheduled castes population ?
(a) Uttar Pradesh
(b) west Bengal
(c) Madhya Pradesh
(d) tamil Naidu
Answer: Uttar Pradesh - Which of the following ports was the biggest port during the Mughal Period ?
(a) Chittagong
(b) Balasore
(c) Surart
(d) Hooghly
Answer: Surart - The country having a largest area under tea cultivation is
(a) Bangladesh
(b) U.S.S.R
(c) Brazil
(d) India
Answer: India - Which of the following states has the largest representation in the Lok Sabha ?
(a) Uttar Pradesh
(b) Madhya Pradesh
(c) Bihar
(d) Maharashtra
Answer: Uttar Pradesh - Which of the following states has the largest percentage of reserved parliamentary seats ?
(a) Madhya Pradesh
(b) Uttar Pradesh
(c) Orissa
(d) Bihar
Answer: Uttar Pradesh - The largest contribution to the total combined annual tax revenue of the Centre, States and Union Territories in India is made by
(a) Custom duties
(b) Union Excise duties
(c) Sales Tax
(d) Income and Corporation Tax
Answer: Union Excise duties - Next to Hindi, language spoken by the largest number of people in the Indian subcontinent is
(a) Tamil
(b) Marathi
(c) Telugu
(d) Bengali
Answer: Bengali - The state having the largest population of scheduled castes is
(a) Uttar Pradesh
(b) Bihar
(c) Rajasthan
(d) Tamil Nadu
Answer: Bihar - Which of the following is the second largest spoken language in India ?
(a) Telugu
(b) Punjabi
(c) Bengali
(d) Marathi
Answer: Telugu - Largest percentage of revenue is earned by the Government of India from
(a) Income tax
(b) Wealth tax
(c) Excise duty
(d) Customs duty
Answer: Excise duty - Which of the following states has the largest percentage of reserved parliamentary seats ?
(a) Orissa
(b) Madhya Pradesh
(c) Bihar
(d) Uttar Pradesh
Answer: Uttar Pradesh - The largest contribution to the total combined annual tax revenue of the Centre, States and Union Territories in India is made by
(a) Union Excise duties
(b) Custom duties
(c) Sales Tax
(d) Income and Corporation Tax
Answer: Union Excise duties - Which of the following provinces had the largest number of members in the constituent Assembly ?
(a) Madras
(b) United Provinces
(c) Bihar
(d) Bombay
Answer: United Provinces - The state having largest area of forest cover in India is
(a) Madhya Pradesh
(b) Assam
(c) Arunachal Pradesh
(d) Haryana
Answer: Madhya Pradesh - Which of the following groups of states has the largest deposits of iron ore ?
(a) Bihar and Orissa
(b) West Bengal and Assam
(c) Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka
(d) Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra
Answer: Bihar and Orissa - Which of the following foodgrain crops occupies the largest part of the cropped area in India ?
(a) Rice
(b) Wheat
(c) Barley and maize
(d) Jowar and bajra
Answer: Rice - Which of the following agricultural products is the largest earner of foreign exchange for India ?
(a) Tea
(b) Tobacco
(c) Sugarcan
(d) Jute
Answer: Tea - The largest river delta of India is of
(a) Kaveri
(b) Ganga
(c) Mahanadi
(d) Godavari
Answer: Ganga - The biggest lake in India is
(a) Sambhar lake
(b) Wular Lake
(c) Dal Lake
(d) Chilka lake
Answer: Wular Lake - Which States has a the largest coastline in India ?
(a) Karnataka
(b) Andhra Pradesh
(c) Gujarat
(d) Tamil Nadu
Answer: Andhra Pradesh - Which of the following states has the largest nimber of salt lakes in India ?
(a) West Bengal
(b) Maharashtra
(c) Rajasthan
(d) Gujarat
Answer: Gujarat - The biggest agregation of coral island in India is
(a) None of these
(b) Lakshadweep
(c) Andamans
(d) Nicobar
Answer: Lakshadweep - Which of the following is the highest Aravalli Peak ?
(a) None of these
(b) Guru Shikhar
(c) Mt. K2
(d) Taragarh
Answer: Guru Shikhar - The second largest river basin in India is of the river
(a) Godavari
(b) Krishna
(c) Brahmaputra
(d) Narmada
Answer: Godavari - Which of the following is the longest river in India ?
(a) Godavari
(b) Ganga
(c) Narmada
(d) Brahmaputra
Answer: Ganga - The second largest basin in Peninsular India is
(a) Krishna Basin
(b) Godavari Basin
(c) Cauvery Basin
(d) Narmada Basin
Answer: Krishna Basin - The largest southernmost single island in India is
(a) Rameswaram island
(b) Great Nicobar island
(c) Car Nicobar island
(d) Minicoy island
Answer: Minicoy island - Which of the following states in India has the largest area under forests ?
(a) Kerela
(b) Madhya Pradesh
(c) Himachal Pradesh
(d) Assam
Answer: Madhya Pradesh - Which state is the largest producer of natural rubber ?
(a) Tamil Nadu
(b) Karnataka
(c) Kerela
(d) Assam
Answer: Kerela - The largest Zoo in India is at
(a) Bombay
(b) Madras
(c) Kolkata
(d) Delhi
Answer: Kolkata - Which of the following states in India is the largest producer of teak wood ?
(a) Madhya Pradesh
(b) Assam
(c) Rajasthan
(d) Maharashtra
Answer: Madhya Pradesh - Which of the following states has the largest average size of agriculture holding ?
(a) Maharashtra
(b) Rajasthan
(c) Punjab
(d) Tamil Naidu
Answer: Rajasthan - Which Indian state is the largest producer of pepper ?
(a) Tamil Naidu
(b) Karnataka
(c) Andhra Pradesh
(d) Kerela
Answer: Kerela - The largest coffee growing state in India is
(a) Tamil Naidu
(b) Maharashtra
(c) Kerela
(d) Karnataka
Answer: Karnataka - Which state is the largest producer of Groundnut ?
(a) Gujarat
(b) Maharashtra
(c) Madhya Pradesh
(d) Uttar Pradesh
Answer: Gujarat - The largest food crop of India is
(a) Gram
(b) Rice
(c) Wheat
(d) Maize
Answer: Rice - The largest no. of cattel are found in
(a) Bihar
(b) Rajasthan
(c) Madhya Pradesh
(d) Uttar Pradesh
Answer: Uttar Pradesh - The maximum edible oil in India is produced from
(a) Groundnut
(b) Sunflower
(c) Rapeseed and Mustard
(d) Til
Answer: Groundnut - Among the largest milk producing countries in the world, India stand
(a) Second
(b) Fourth
(c) First
(d) Third
Answer: Second - The largest producer of arecanut is
(a) Andhra Pradesh
(b) Kerela
(c) Maharashtra
(d) Tamil Nadu
Answer: Kerela - The largest producer of fresh water fish in India is
(a) Tamil Nadu
(b) Kerela
(c) West Bengal
(d) Maharashtra
Answer: West Bengal - Which state is the biggest producer of cashewnut ?
(a) Tamil Nadu
(b) Karnataka
(c) Kerela
(d) Andhra Pradesh
Answer: Tamil Nadu - The largest producer of sesamum in India is
(a) Madhya Pradesh
(b) Kerela
(c) Tamil Nadu
(d) Andhra Pradesh
Answer: Tamil Nadu - Which of the following is the largest livestock in India ?
(a) Sheep
(b) Horses and Ponies
(c) Bafaloes
(d) Goats
Answer: Goats - The largest tea producing state in India is
(a) Karnataka
(b) West Bengal
(c) Assam
(d) Kerela
Answer: Assam - The largest coal deposit in India is in
(a) Satpura valley
(b) Damodar valley
(c) Godavari valley
(d) Brahmani valley
Answer: Damodar valley - The largest coal producing state in India is
(a) Bihar
(b) Madhya Pradesh
(c) West Bengal
(d) Orissa
Answer: Bihar - The largest bauxite producer in India is
(a) Rajasthan
(b) Orissa
(c) Madhya Pradesh
(d) Bihar
Answer: Bihar - Which of the following state is the largest producer of gypsum in India ?
(a) Bihar
(b) Rajasthan
(c) Madhya Pradesh
(d) Orissa
Answer: Rajasthan - Which state is the leading producer of mica in India ?
(a) Bihar
(b) Orissa
(c) Rajasthan
(d) Andhra Pradesh
Answer: Bihar - Which state in India is the largest producer of maganese ?
(a) Madhya Pradesh
(b) West Bengal
(c) Orissa
(d) Bihar
Answer: Orissa - At present, India largest mineral resource is
(a) Copper
(b) None of these
(c) Iron-ore
(d) Col
Answer: Col - The biggest oil refinery in India is at
(a) Digboi
(b) Koyali
(c) Barauni
(d) Mathura
Answer: Koyali - Which is the biggest hinterland port in India ?
(a) Bombay
(b) Madras
(c) Vishakhapatnam
(d) Kandla
Answer: Bombay - Which of the following major sea ports handles the largest volume of our foreign trade ?
(a) Calcutta
(b) Vishakhapatnam
(c) Marmugao
(d) Bombay
Answer: Bombay - Which of the following sea ports is the largest exporter of iron ore from India ?
(a) Calcutta
(b) Kandla
(c) Bombay
(d) Vishakhapatnam
Answer: Vishakhapatnam - India's largest run off river is
(a) Godavari
(b) Ganga
(c) Narmada
(d) Mahanadi
Answer: Ganga - The largest quantity of iron ore is exported from India through the ports of
(a) Calcutta and Bombay
(b) Vishakhapatnam and Mormugao
(c) Bombay and Mormugao
(d) Madras and Vishakhapatnam
Answer: Vishakhapatnam and Mormugao - Which state has the largest length of roads ?
(a) Uttar Pradesh
(b) Bihar
(c) Andhra Pradesh
(d) Maharashtra
Answer: Maharashtra - Which one of the following is the industry in which the largest number of women are employed in India ?
(a) Tea
(b) Coal
(c) Textiles
(d) Jute
Answer: Tea - India is a leading producer of
(a) Meat
(b) Cheese
(c) butter
(d) Milk
Answer: Cheese - The largest industry in India is
(a) Textiles
(b) Sugar
(c) Aircraft
(d) Ship - building
Answer: Textiles - Which of the following states accounts for the largest share of industrial production and capital investment ?
(a) Maharashtra
(b) Gujarat
(c) West Bengal
(d) Karnataka
Answer: Maharashtra - Which of the following states in India is the largest in area ?
(a) Maharashtra
(b) West Bengal
(c) Uttar Pradesh
(d) Madhya Pradesh
Answer: Madhya Pradesh - Which is the largest states in India with regard to population ?
(a) Rajasthan
(b) Uttar Pradesh
(c) Tamil Nadu
(d) Madhya Pradesh
Answer: Uttar Pradesh - In terms of Area which of the following is the smallest state in India ?
(a) Sikkim
(b) Tripura
(c) Nagaland
(d) Goa
Answer: Goa - The largest city situated on river Gomti is
(a) Agra
(b) Meerut
(c) Lucknow
(d) Kanpur
Answer; Lucknow - Which of the following is the second largest spoken language in India /
(a) Marathi
(b) Bengali
(c) Telgu
(d) Punjabi
Answer: Telgu - The biggest public sector undertaking in the country is
(a) Iron and Steel plants
(b) Airways
(c) Roadways
(d) Railways
Answer: Railways - Which city in India is the largest according to 1991 census ?
(a) New Delhi
(b) Madras
(c) Kolkata
(d) Mumbai
Answer: Mumbai - Which state has propotionately the largest area covered by forests ?
(a) Arunachal Pradesh
(b) Nagaland
(c) Madhya Pradesh
(d) Bihar
Answer: Arunachal Pradesh - Which states account for the largest softwood resources in India ?
(a) Assam
(b) Himachal Pradesh
(c) Tamil Nadu
(d) Jammu and Kashmir
Answer: Himachal Pradesh - Which of the following is the largest district of Rajasthan ?
(a) Jaipur
(b) Jodhpur
(c) Bikaner
(d) Jaisalmer
Answer: Jaisalmer - The largest coconut producing state in India is
(a) Karnataka
(b) Tamil Nadu
(c) Andhra Pradesh
(d) Kerela
Answer: Kerela
Monday, February 6, 2012
GK India: Largest, Tallest, Biggest, Smallest
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan ( Primary Teacher-PRT) Solved Paper
G.K. Questions
(Exam held on 12-Feb-2011)
1. For instant energy, athletes take :
a) Sucrose
b) Vitamin C
c) Sodium chloride
d) Milk
2. Which Sufi Saint’s Dargah is at Ajmer?
a) Salim Chishti
b) Muinuddin Chisti
c) Baba Farid
d) Hazrat Nizamuddin
3. Through which one among the following materials does sound travel the slowest?
a) Air
b) Glass
c) Water
d) Wood
4. The wheel (chakra) in Indian National Flag contains how many spokes?
a) 12
b) 18
c) 24
d) 26
5. In eye donation, which of the following parts of eyes is utilized?
a) Iris
b) Lews
c) Corena
d) Retina
6. Which among the following is not a Tennis Player?
a) Serena Williams
b) Steffie Graff
c) Martina Navratilova
d) Ricky Ponting
7. The number of chromosomes in a normal human body is:
a) 46
b) 43
c) 44
d) 45
8. Indian Railways earn the maximum revenue from :
a) passenger fare
b) freight
c) traffic tax
d) passenger tax
9. The time gap between two successive sessions of Parliament is not to exceed :
a) 4 months
b) 6 months
c) One year
d) What is specified by the President
10. The pH of human blodd is between :
a) 5 – 6.5
b) 6.5 – 7.5
c) 7.5 – 8
d) 8 – 8.5
11.The process of metamorphosis of rocks may involve :
a) Sandstone turning into quartzite
b) Limestone becoming marble
c) Shale getting converted into slate
d) All of the above
12. The Constitution of India provides for the nominations of two members of Lok Sabha by the President to represent :
a) The Paris
b) Men of eminence
c) The business community
d) The Anglo-Indian community
13. Which language is not specified in the 8th Schedule of the Indian Constitution?
a) Sanskrit
b) Sindhi
c) Urdu
d) Rajasthani
14.Which of the following pairs of language and its one of the greatest poet are not correctly matched?
a) Hindi – Kalidas
b) Bengali – R. N. Tagore
c) Urdu – Ghalib
d) Greek – Homer
15. Which of the following is concerned with the trade unions?
a) GNDU
b) BHU
c) INTUC
d) LDC
16. World No Tabacco Day is observed on :
a) 31 May
b) 11 June
c) 28 September
d) 10 October
17. Roof of the world is :
a) Pamirs
b) Tibet
c) Himalayas
d) Mount Everest
18. New Bank of India has been merged with which bank?
a) State Bank of India
b) Central Bank of India
c) Punjab National Bank
d) Canara Bank
19. Where are the head quarters of International Red Cross Committee?
a) Berlin
b) Prague
c) Moscow
d) Geneva
20. Choose the wrong definition :
a) Contour – Areas of equal height above the sea level
b) Isotherms – Area having the same temperature
c) Isohytes – Equal rainfall areas
d) Isobath – Places of equal atmospheric pressure
21. Which of the following countries is not grouped with caribbeans?
a) Cuba
b) Bermuda
c) Jordon
d) Anguilla
22. India’s national emblem is :
a) Lotus flower
b) Lioned Capital
c) Lion
d) Cow
23. ‘Davis Cup’ is associated with the sport :
a) Lawn Tennis
b) Cricket
c) Hockey
d) Badminton
24. Which of the following is a famous ‘violin’ player?
a) Zia Moinuddin Khan
b) S. Balchandran
c) Sajjad Hussain
d) L. Subramaniam
25. “Trippani” is a dance/ dance drama of the state:
a) Maharashtra
b) Rajasthan
c) Gujarat
d) Manipur
26. Match the following and choose the correct answer from the codes given below :
I. Govinda 1. Rashtrakutas
II. Aryabhatta 2. Gupta Dynasty
III. Banabhatta 3. Harshavardhana
IV. Samundra Gupta 4. Indian Napolean
Codes :
I II III IV
a) 2 3 4 1
b) 1 2 3 4
c) 3 4 2 1
d) 4 3 1 2
27. Wazir -e-Azam of Pakistan presently is :
a) Asaf Ali Zardari
b) Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani
c) Parvez Musharraf
d) Muhammad Mian Soomro
28. Oscar award 2010 for best picture was given to :
a) Avatar
b) District 9
c) The Hurt Locker
d) An Education
29. Rate of evaporation does not depend on :
a) temperature of the liquid
b) surface area of the liquid
c) total mass of the liquid
d) air pressure
30. Match the following and choose the correct answer from the codes given below :
I. Sodium bicarbonate 1. Bleaching powder
II. Calcium carbonate 2. Baking soda
III. Potash 3. Chalk
IV. Calcium hypochlorite 4. Alum
Codes :
I II III IV
a) 1 2 4 3
b) 2 3 4 1
c) 4 2 3 1
d) 3 1 4 2
31. Robert Koch worked on :
a) Tuberculosis
b) Cholera
c) Malaria
d) Diabetes
32. Right to property is a :
a) Fundamental Right
b) Directive Principle
c) Legal Right
d) Social Right
33. The fifity-fifth amendment 1986 conferred statehood on :
a) Chhattisgarh
b) Sikkim
c) Arunachal Pradesh
d) Jharkhand
34. The Vice-President of India is elected by an electoral college consisting of :
a) The elected members of Parliament
b) The members of both the houses of Parliament
c) The elected members of Parliament and State assemblies
d) Members of Loksabha and Legislative Councils
35. Which article of the Constitution provides the Parliament the power to amend the Constitution?
a) 370
b) 368
c) 390
d) 376
Monday, January 16, 2012
Geography of India:Monsoons in India
Monsoons in India
Monsoons are periodic winds which blow from sea to land for six months in summer and from land to sea for six months in winter. Monsoon winds prevail over India at different seasons.
South-West Monsoons: These are rain-bearing winds which prevail from about the end of May to the end of September. During summer, the sun’s rays fall vertically on the Tropic of Cancer making the Indian plains intensely hot. But the rays of the sun fall obliquely over the Indian Ocean during this period. The land is hotter than the sea, there is, therefore, low pressure over the land and high pressure over the sea. The winds blow from high to low pressure i.e., from the sea to the land, and are therefore wet winds. Because of the rotation of the earth, the monsoon winds blowing over India deflect to the right after crossing the Equator and become south-west winds. These are, therefore, called south-west monsoons.
India depends largely on these rain-bearing south-west winds. These winds give to India about 90% of the total rainfall. During their prevalence, the chief crops cultivated are rice, cotton, tobacco, tea, jawar and bajra.
North-East Monsoons (or Winter Monsoons): During the months of November to January i.e., in winter, the sun’s rays fall vertically on the Tropic of Capricorn. The air over the Indian Ocean during this period thus becomes hot and light and there is low pressure. The sun’s rays fall obliquely on the plains of India during these months with the result that the air over these plains is cold and heavy and there is high pressure. The winds, therefore, blow from plains to the Indian Ocean. While crossing the Equator, they deflect to the left and are known as north-east monsoons.
The North-East Monsoons bring only about 10% of the total rain to India as they are chilly and dry land winds. But the moisture that they pick from the Bay of Bengal, little as it is, is very useful. Wheat, barley, oats, oilseeds and sugarcane are cultivated during this season.
Thus these monsoon winds have much importance for India.
Weather and Climate
Weather means the atmospheric conditions e.g., temperature, rainfall, humidity, winds, sunshine and cloudiness of a particular place on a particular day. Climate, on the other hand, is the average condition of weather obtaining in a country or a place for a considerable period.
India has a great diversity of climatic conditions. Lying largely within the tropics and in the great Asiatic Continent and the vast expanse of the Indian Ocean to the South, the climate of India is essentially the tropical monsoon type. The average annual rainfall in India is 42 inches.
Monsoons are periodic winds which blow from sea to land for six months in summer and from land to sea for six months in winter. Monsoon winds prevail over India at different seasons.
South-West Monsoons: These are rain-bearing winds which prevail from about the end of May to the end of September. During summer, the sun’s rays fall vertically on the Tropic of Cancer making the Indian plains intensely hot. But the rays of the sun fall obliquely over the Indian Ocean during this period. The land is hotter than the sea, there is, therefore, low pressure over the land and high pressure over the sea. The winds blow from high to low pressure i.e., from the sea to the land, and are therefore wet winds. Because of the rotation of the earth, the monsoon winds blowing over India deflect to the right after crossing the Equator and become south-west winds. These are, therefore, called south-west monsoons.
India depends largely on these rain-bearing south-west winds. These winds give to India about 90% of the total rainfall. During their prevalence, the chief crops cultivated are rice, cotton, tobacco, tea, jawar and bajra.
North-East Monsoons (or Winter Monsoons): During the months of November to January i.e., in winter, the sun’s rays fall vertically on the Tropic of Capricorn. The air over the Indian Ocean during this period thus becomes hot and light and there is low pressure. The sun’s rays fall obliquely on the plains of India during these months with the result that the air over these plains is cold and heavy and there is high pressure. The winds, therefore, blow from plains to the Indian Ocean. While crossing the Equator, they deflect to the left and are known as north-east monsoons.
The North-East Monsoons bring only about 10% of the total rain to India as they are chilly and dry land winds. But the moisture that they pick from the Bay of Bengal, little as it is, is very useful. Wheat, barley, oats, oilseeds and sugarcane are cultivated during this season.
Thus these monsoon winds have much importance for India.
Weather and Climate
Weather means the atmospheric conditions e.g., temperature, rainfall, humidity, winds, sunshine and cloudiness of a particular place on a particular day. Climate, on the other hand, is the average condition of weather obtaining in a country or a place for a considerable period.
India has a great diversity of climatic conditions. Lying largely within the tropics and in the great Asiatic Continent and the vast expanse of the Indian Ocean to the South, the climate of India is essentially the tropical monsoon type. The average annual rainfall in India is 42 inches.
Geography of India: India's territory drains
More than 70 percent of India's territory drains into the Bay of Bengal via the Ganges-Brahmaputra river system and a number of large and small peninsular rivers.
The Ganges-Brahmaputra river system
The Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers, together with their tributaries, drain about one-third of India. The Ganges (Ganga), considered sacred by the country's Hindu population, is 1,560 miles (2,510 km) long. Although its deltaic portion lies mostly in Bangladesh, the course of the Ganges within India is longer than that of any of the country's other rivers. It has numerous headstreams that are fed by runoff and meltwater from Himalayan glaciers and mountain peaks. The main headwater, the Bhagirathi River, rises at an elevation of about 10,000 feet (3,000 metres) at the foot of the Gangotri Glacier, considered sacred by Hindus.
Areas draining into the Arabian Sea, accounting for about 20 percent of the total, lie partially within the Indus drainage basin (in northwestern India) and partially
within a completely separate set of drainage basins well to the south (in Gujarat,estern Madhya Pradesh, northern Maharashtra, and areas west of the Western Ghats).
Most of the remaining area, less than 10 percent of the total, lies in regions of interior drainage, notably in the Great Indian Desert of Rajasthan state (another is in the Aksai Chin, a barren plateau in a portion of Kashmir administered by China but claimed by India). Finally, less than 1 percent of India's area, along the border with Myanmar, drains into the Andaman Sea via tributaries of the Irrawaddy River.
Drainage into the Bay of Bengal
The Ganges-Brahmaputra river system
The Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers, together with their tributaries, drain about one-third of India. The Ganges (Ganga), considered sacred by the country's Hindu population, is 1,560 miles (2,510 km) long. Although its deltaic portion lies mostly in Bangladesh, the course of the Ganges within India is longer than that of any of the country's other rivers. It has numerous headstreams that are fed by runoff and meltwater from Himalayan glaciers and mountain peaks. The main headwater, the Bhagirathi River, rises at an elevation of about 10,000 feet (3,000 metres) at the foot of the Gangotri Glacier, considered sacred by Hindus.The Ganges-Brahmaputra river system
The Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers, together with their tributaries, drain about one-third of India. The Ganges (Ganga), considered sacred by the country's Hindu population, is 1,560 miles (2,510 km) long. Although its deltaic portion lies mostly in Bangladesh, the course of the Ganges within India is longer than that of any of the country's other rivers. It has numerous headstreams that are fed by runoff and meltwater from Himalayan glaciers and mountain peaks. The main headwater, the Bhagirathi River, rises at an elevation of about 10,000 feet (3,000 metres) at the foot of the Gangotri Glacier, considered sacred by Hindus.
The Ganges-Brahmaputra river system
The Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers, together with their tributaries, drain about one-third of India. The Ganges (Ganga), considered sacred by the country's Hindu population, is 1,560 miles (2,510 km) long. Although its deltaic portion lies mostly in Bangladesh, the course of the Ganges within India is longer than that of any of the country's other rivers. It has numerous headstreams that are fed by runoff and meltwater from Himalayan glaciers and mountain peaks. The main headwater, the Bhagirathi River, rises at an elevation of about 10,000 feet (3,000 metres) at the foot of the Gangotri Glacier, considered sacred by Hindus.Lakes and inland drainage
Resort house on Wular Lake in the Vale of Kashmir, Jammu and Kashmir state, India.
For such a large country, India has few natural lakes. Most of the lakes in the Himalayas were formed when glaciers either dug out a basin or dammed an area with earth and rocks. Wular Lake in Jammu and Kashmir, by contrast, is the result of a tectonic depression. Although its area fluctuates, Wular Lake is the largest natural freshwater lake in India.Saturday, January 14, 2012
PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY
The Earth—Its Motions and their Effects
The earth has two motions, viz., (1) Rotation around its axis or the daily motion. The axis of the earth is an imaginary line inclined at 66.5° to the plane of the orbit of the earth. The earth rotates round its axis from west to east once in 24 hours. Effects: Days and nights are caused. The sun, moon and other heavenly bodies appear to revolve round the earth from east to west. Direction of winds and currents is changed.
(2) Revolution round the sun on its orbit, or the annual motion: The earth revolves round the sun once in about 365.25 days. Effects: It causes seasons; days and nights are of unequal length at the same place.
Important elements in the earth’s crust
The five most abundant elements in the earth’s crust are: Oxygen, Silicon, Aluminium, Iron and Calcium. (The other three are Sodium, Potassium and Magnesium.)
Oceans—Their Importance
Oceans are the source of all water on earth as the evaporated water from over their surface is brought to earth by the winds passing over them. They are the highways of the world and most of the world trade is carried through the sea. Innumerable fish and other animals living in the oceans are a great source of food to mankind. Minerals like salt, iodine etc. are derived from the ocean waters and sea-weeds.
Ocean Currents: are rivers of warm or cold water flowing in an ocean. Their banks and beds also consist of water.
Natural Regions
A natural region is a large area in which the topography, climate and vegetation are largely similar, and therefore there is a certain uniformity in human activities.
Natural Regions of the World
(1) Equatorial Region (2) Hot-Grassland Region (3) Monsoon Region (4) Hot Deserts Region (5) Mediterranean Region (6) Steppe Region (7) Tundra Region (8) Warm Temperate Region (9) Cool Temperate Region.
Natural Regions of India
(1) The Himalayas and the adjacent mountains; (2) The Sutlej-Ganga plains; (3) The coastal plains of Western and Eastern ghats; (4) The Deccan plateau.
Factors Determining Climate of a Place
(1) Distance from the Equator (2) Height above sea-level (3) Distance from the sea (4) Winds (5) Direction of Mountains (6) Ocean currents (7) Slope of land (8) Nature of the soil (9) Forests.
Factors Determining Temperature
(i) sun rays, (ii) height above sea-level (iii) movements of atmospheric winds, (iv) ocean currents.
Rainfall
Two important conditions must be satisfied in order to have rain: (1) There should be moisture-laden air, (2) There should be some means whereby air is cooled and condensation takes place. The air obtains water vapours by evaporation from the surface of large bodies of water, usually from the sea.
Monsoons in India
Monsoons are periodic winds which blow from sea to land for six months in summer and from land to sea for six months in winter. Monsoon winds prevail over India at different seasons.
South-West Monsoons: These are rain-bearing winds which prevail from about the end of May to the end of September. During summer, the sun’s rays fall vertically on the Tropic of Cancer making the Indian plains intensely hot. But the rays of the sun fall obliquely over the Indian Ocean during this period. The land is hotter than the sea, there is, therefore, low pressure over the land and high pressure over the sea. The winds blow from high to low pressure i.e., from the sea to the land, and are therefore wet winds. Because of the rotation of the earth, the monsoon winds blowing over India deflect to the right after crossing the Equator and become south-west winds. These are, therefore, called south-west monsoons.
India depends largely on these rain-bearing south-west winds. These winds give to India about 90% of the total rainfall. During their prevalence, the chief crops cultivated are rice, cotton, tobacco, tea, jawar and bajra.
North-East Monsoons (or Winter Monsoons): During the months of November to January i.e., in winter, the sun’s rays fall vertically on the Tropic of Capricorn. The air over the Indian Ocean during this period thus becomes hot and light and there is low pressure. The sun’s rays fall obliquely on the plains of India during these months with the result that the air over these plains is cold and heavy and there is high pressure. The winds, therefore, blow from plains to the Indian Ocean. While crossing the Equator, they deflect to the left and are known as north-east monsoons.
The North-East Monsoons bring only about 10% of the total rain to India as they are chilly and dry land winds. But the moisture that they pick from the Bay of Bengal, little as it is, is very useful. Wheat, barley, oats, oilseeds and sugarcane are cultivated during this season.
Thus these monsoon winds have much importance for India.
Weather and Climate
Weather means the atmospheric conditions e.g., temperature, rainfall, humidity, winds, sunshine and cloudiness of a particular place on a particular day. Climate, on the other hand, is the average condition of weather obtaining in a country or a place for a considerable period.
India has a great diversity of climatic conditions. Lying largely within the tropics and in the great Asiatic Continent and the vast expanse of the Indian Ocean to the South, the climate of India is essentially the tropical monsoon type. The average annual rainfall in India is 42 inches.
Types of Soil in India
The main categories of soils in India are: (i) Alluvial soils (ii) Black soils (iii) Red soils (iv) Laterite soils (v) Mountain and hill soils (vi) Terai soils (vii) Desert (or Arid) soil and (viii) Peat soils.
Alluvial soil and Black soil
Alluvial soil is that soil which is formed by deposition of silts brought down by the rivers. It is rich in hydrated oxides of iron and is very fertile. Black soil or the black cotton soil has a good water-holding capacity and is best suited for deep-rooted crops like cotton. The black soil in wet condition is compact and sticky.
The most extensive soil cover of India comprises alluvial soils.
Soil Erosion: The soils are usually six to twelve inches in depth. In course of time, the fertility level of the soil is depleted with the result that the soil no longer remains suitable for agriculture. Soil conservation is, therefore, necessary for continued agricultural prosperity.
The agencies of erosion are winds, water and waves of which the water erosion is most common. Rain water removes soil from the surface of sloping lands. Winds remove top soil of lands.
Laterite soils are formed by the weathering of laterite rocks. These can be distinguished from other soils by their acidity. Laterite soils are generally poor on the higher levels and cannot retain moisture. In the plains, however, they consist of heavy loams and clay and can retain moisture.
Laterite soils occur in Madhya Pradesh, Assam and along the Eastern and Western Ghats. Tea plantation requires acidity which is there in the laterite soil. It is, therefore, common in these areas.
Star and Planet
Star is the name given to a fixed celestial body which has its own light whereas Planet is the name given to a celestial body which revolves round the sun in elliptical (regular oval shape) orbit. A planet has no light of its own but reflects the light of the sun.
Rocks
Three main groups of rocks: Igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic.
Classification of rocks
Igneous rocks: granite.
Sedimentary rocks: sandstone; limestone; shale; coal.
Metamorphic rocks: marble.
Phyllite: This rock is formed by deposits of animal shells and skeletons.
Land Breeze and Sea Breeze
Land Breeze: At night, land masses cool quicker than the sea. Therefore, in calm, cloudless weather, an air-stream passes from the land to the sea. This breeze carries no moisture, and is a little warm.
Sea Breeze: In day-time, the land is hotter than the sea. The air over it rises, and is replaced by a cool breeze from the sea carrying some moisture.
Tides
Alternate rise and fall of waters of the ocean twice in the course of nearly twenty four hours is termed as “tides”. The tides are caused by the gravitational force exerted by the moon and to a lesser degree by the sun, on the earth. The tides do not always rise to the same height. At the time of the new and full moon, when the sun and moon are in a straight line with the earth, the tides rise higher and are known as Spring Tides. Midway between new and full moon when the sun and the moon are at right angles as to their direction from the earth, tides are at the lowest height and are called Neap Tides.
Spring Tides and Neap Tides
When a high tide is caused twice a month at new moon and again when the moon is full, spring tide is caused as a result of combined attraction of the sun and the moon.
When the high tide is not so high, nor the low tide so low, neap tides are caused as a result of the difference of attraction of the sun and the moon.
Seasons
The change of seasons is due to (i) revolution of the earth round the sun (ii) inclination of earth’s axis at 66.5° to the plane of its orbit and always pointing to the same direction. On the 21st June, the North Pole is inclined towards the sun and the South Pole is inclined away from it. The rays of the sun fall perpendicularly at the Tropic of Cancer (23.5° North) and fall comparatively slanting in the southern hemisphere. Hence the days are longer than nights in the northern hemisphere and it is summer there. Just opposite is the case in the southern hemisphere where the nights are longer at that time and it is winter there.
Latitudes and Longitudes
India lies entirely to the north of the Equator, between latitudes 8°-4´ and 37°-6´ north and longitude 68°-7´ and 97°-25´ east.
The latitude of the South Pole is 90°. South Pole has no longitude.
Longitude of a place is its distance east or west of a fixed meridian. The distance of any place north or south of the Equator is called the Latitude of that place.
Parallels of latitude: are lines drawn on a map (or globe) showing the latitude of a place.
Meridians (or lines) of longitude: These are lines drawn on a map (or globe) showing the longitude of a place. These lines join the north and south pole cutting the Equator at right angles.
(Latitudes and Longitudes should be clearly distinguished from Parallels of Latitude and Meridians of Longitude respectively.)
By knowing these lines, we can find out exact location of a place. By knowing the latitude of a place we can find out its average temperature, as also its distance from the Equator. By knowing the longitude of a place, we can calculate its local time.
Longitude is the angular distance of a place east or west of the prime meridian. The earth rotates upon its axis once in 24 hours and covers 360° in 24 hours. Thus it takes 60 x 24/360 or 4 minutes to cover a degree of longitude or we may say that in four minutes, the earth moves through 1°. There is thus a difference of 4 minutes for each degree of longitude. This fact is used for determining the longitude of a place. All longitudes are measured from the meridian of Greenwich.
We can determine the latitude of a place in the northern hemisphere by measuring the altitude of the Pole Star. The altitude of the Pole Star is the latitude of that place. For example, if the altitude of Pole Star at Delhi is 28.5° North, its latitude will also be 28.5°N. The altitude of Pole Star is measured by an instrument called Sextant.
Solar Eclipse and Lunar Eclipse
Solar Eclipse: is the partial or complete obscuration of the sun because of the passage of the moon in front of it i.e., when the moon comes in between the sun and the earth.
The moon then appears as a dark object obscuring the sun. Over a small portion of the earth’s surface, the moon is seen to blot out the sun completely and a total eclipse is seen by the people in that particular area. But over most of the earth’s surface, the eclipse seen is partial because only a portion of the sun’s face remains covered by the moon.
Lunar Eclipse: is the partial or complete obscuration of the moon’s surface when the earth comes in between the sun and the moon. The moon, when it moves through the shadow of the earth, loses its bright direct illumination by the sun, although its disc still remains faintly visible.
An eclipse of the moon is visible and presents the same features at all places on the earth where the moon is above the horizon. The lunar eclipse can be seen with the naked eye, field glass or a small telescope.
The lunar eclipse occurs at full moon only when the earth comes in between the sun and the moon which phenomenon does not occur at every full moon.
Indian Standard Time
The Indian Standard Time is a uniform time adopted by all palces in India without regard to their local time. It is usual for each country to have its standard time for use over the whole country as it would be very difficult if every town or village had its own local time and whenever we moved from one place to another, we should have to alter our watches.
Indian Standard Time is the local time of a place near Allahabad situated at 82.5° East longitude.
Winds
Air moving from one direction to another horizontally is called wind. It is the air in motion.
Cause of Wind: The chief cause of winds is difference in pressure. Air always moves from region of high pressure to a region of low pressure to equalize the pressure. For example, the low pressure belt round the Equator is a region of calm known as the doldrums. Although there are no regular winds there, violent squalls and thunderstorms are frequent which come from high pressure areas north and south of the Equator.
Direction of Winds: As the earth is rotating daily on its axis from west to east, all winds are deflected. According to Ferrel’s Law, winds are deflected to the right in Northern Hemisphere and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere.
Characteristics of the important Wind Systems of the World:
1. Trade Winds: The rays of the sun fall almost vertically at the Equator and the air there becomes hot and the pressure is low. The air rises towards the Poles and descends near 30°N and 30°S. The pressure is high near 30°N and 30°S. Because winds blow from high-pressure to low-pressure areas, winds from over these altitudes blow towards the Equator and Trade Winds are caused.
2. Westerlies (or Anti-Trade Winds): are winds which blow from about 40 degrees N to the Arctic Circle and from about 35 degrees S to the Antarctic Circle throughout the year. They derive their name from the direction in which they blow. In the northern hemisphere they blow in the south-westerly direction and bring winter rain to the Mediterranean regions etc. In the southern hemisphere, they blow in a north-westerly direction.
3. Polar Winds: The winds which blow from the high pressure area around the poles towards the temperate regions are known as polar winds. They are extremely cold. They rise from the North West in the Northern Hemisphere and from the South East in the Southern Hemisphere.
4. Periodical Winds: These are (i) Land and Sea Breezes and (ii) Monsoons which blow in one direction at a particular time or during a particular season. In the hot season in India, the sun shines vertically over the Tropic of Cancer, i.e., roughly over the great plains of the Ganges and Brahmaputra so that the air over the plains becomes very hot by about the month of May. At this time, South West Monsoon commences to blow. They bring heavy rains. Monsoon winds prevail over India at different seasons. India depends on the rain-bearing south-west winds which prevail from about the end of May to the end of September. These winds bring to India about 90% of all the rain that falls there.
5. Variable Winds: are the irregular winds as Cyclones and Anti-Cyclones.
Rainfall
There is heavy rainfall on the West coast because the Western Ghat ranges receive the full force of the monsoons from the Arabian sea and there is heavy rainfall (about 100 inches). On the other hand, the Deccan Plateau gets very scanty rainfall because it falls within the rain-shadow area.
Chennai gets winter rainfall as the north-east monsoons which blow in winter pick up moisture from the Bay of Bengal and bring rain to that city.
The Bay of Bengal monsoons first bring rain to the eastern parts and then turn westwards. As Kolkata is in the east, it receives more rainfall. As the monsoons blow westwards they become drier and cause less rainfall. So Delhi does not get as much rainfall as Kolkata.
In the northern region, the Bay of Bengal monsoons first bring rain to eastern parts and then turn westwards. As the monsoons blow westwards, they go on losing moisture and cause decreasing rainfall.
In the southern region, the Arabian Sea monsoons first strike the western ghats and the moisture is drained on the western side whereas rainfall goes on decreasing towards eastern region.
Two important conditions must be satisfied in order to have rain: (1) There should be moisture-laden air, (2) There should be some means whereby air is cooled and condensation takes place. The air obtains water vapours by evaporation from the surface of large bodies of water, usually from the sea.
The moisture-laden air is cooled in two ways: (i) by rising upward into colder upper regions of the atmosphere, (ii) by blowing as wind to colder regions.
Thus we see: (a) Moist air is lighter than dry air and so it readily rises, expands in a short time, cools and falls. (b) When warm winds blow towards cooler regions, it is condensed by cooling effect and rain falls. (c) The land masses or mountains also tend to condense water vapours. When moisture-laden wind is obstructed by mountains, it is forced to rise. As it rises, it becomes cool and rainfall results.
Rivers
The work of a river is three-fold:
(i) The Mountain Stage: The mountain or upper course of a river is swift as the slope at this stage of a river is steep. The main work of a river at this stage is denudation (wearing away). In this swift upper course, the rivers carry big stones, pebbles etc. which go on eroding the sides and beds of the valleys. As time goes on, the river cuts away the spurs on both sides and the valleys become wider and deeper. The mountain stage of the Ganges in India extends from its source up to Hardwar.
(ii) The Plain Stage: In this stage the river moves slowly as the slope is gradual and its main work is transportation (navigation) and irrigation. The plain stage of the Ganges extends from Hardwar to Bhagalpur.
(iii) The Delta Stage: This is the last stage and the rivers are very slow at this stage. In this slow lower or deltaic course, the main work of the river is deposition. The level of the bed at this stage rises due to mud and silt brought by it and deposited into several channels before falling into the sea. The Ganges forms her delta from Bhagalpur up to the sea.
The deltas are not formed at the mouths of rivers where tides carry away all the mud and silt deposited (at the mouth) e.g., the Narbada and the Tapti do not form any delta. Also rivers which deposit all their mud into the lakes through which they pass do not form delta e.g., the St Lawrence in Canada.
Estuary is formed at the mouth of a river where tidal effects are evident and where fresh water and sea water mix. In most cases it is due to subsidence of coastal low-land.
Delta is the triangular piece of land formed by the deposition of mud and silt near the mouth of a river. In the case of delta formation, more solid material is deposited which cannot be removed by tidal or other currents.
The rivers of Northern India are more important than those of Southern India because they have a flow of water throughout the year. Even in summer these rivers receive water from the melting of Himalayan snow. Flowing through broad basins, they form large tracts or rich alluvial soil on either side. It is no wonder, therefore, that their fertile basin are the natural grannaries of the country. Further, the Ganga and the Brahmaputra are navigable and provide excellent waterways for commerce. The Peninsular rivers, on the other hand, have water during the monsoons but shrivel into muddy pools in the dry season. These rivers are of little use for navigation on account of their torrential nature in the upper course, and the rapids that occur where they descend into deep gorges from the table land to the coastal plains.
Climate and Vegetation
The Equatorial type climate, in which the temperature remains high all the year round but does not vary much, produces hot, wet forests.
The Tropical type climate produces grasslands which are found on either side of the equatorial belt where the rainfall usually occurs soon after the sun has been shining vertically while the dry season occurs in the colder part of the year.
The lowlands along the Tropic of Cancer lie mainly in the high-pressure belt just outside the Tropics. The Trade Winds blow away from these lowlands towards the Equator and the Westerly winds blow away from them towards the Poles. There are, therefore, no winds to bring rain to this region. Some of these lowlands are dry because these are very very far from the sea, like centre of Asia. There are few clouds and very little rain with the result that the sun’s rays strike straight on the ground and make the days very hot.
The temperature of the ocean varies much less than that of land because (i) water has a higher specific heat than land with the result that it both absorbs and loses heat slowly as compared to land; and (ii) due to large surface of water at sea more evaporation occurs than on land. Evaporation causes cooling and this results in the sea having a lower temperature than that on land.
We may divide India into two parts for the purpose of climatological studies: (1) peninsular India and (2) Northern India. Peninsular India has the characteristic of tropical climate where “the temperature is uniformly high and seasonal variation relatively low”.
The climatic conditions in Northern India have no general similarity. This region lies beyond the Tropic of Cancer. The Western part of it includes East Punjab and Rajasthan where air is devoid of moisture and it is hot in summer and very cold in winter. The eastern part of this region includes U.P., Bihar, Assam and West Bengal. Here winter is mild and summer is very hot with plenty of moisture in the air.
These climatic conditions are however, disturbed by two Monsoon Currents—the South West Monsoon and the North-East Monsoon. The South-West Monsoon causes heavy rainfall in Assam, West Bengal and U.P. It begins to retreat from Northern India in early October and this retreat is completed by mid-December. During this retreat period the weather in Northern India becomes dry.
The North-East monsoons begin in January and last till March. These winds cause light rain in Northern India, particularly in the Punjab plains. This scanty rainfall is very important for Rabi crops.
Vegetation: Agriculture is the most important occupation of the people of India. In Northern India, typical monsoon land crops are grown such as rice in Bengal with its warm and humid climate; wheat and maize in Northern plains, Punjab and U.P.; jute in Bengal and Assam and tea in Assam.
In Peninsular India where regur or black cotton soil is found and sufficient moisture available, cotton is grown. It is the chief crop of the Deccan Peninsula—Mumbai and Berar being the chief producers. Coffee is grown on the Nilgiris in the South.
Climatic Effect: India has on the whole monsoon-tropical climate: ‘Monsoon—lands are dominated by the winds from sea to land in summer—the wet season and by winds from land to sea in winter—the dry season.’ This type of climate is not very conducive to health and vigour. Man’s well-being in such a climate depends largely on rainfall. The agricultural products do not grow if the monsoon fails and famine conditions break out. This dependence on rain, however, is not absolute owing to development of irrigation by means of projects, canals, wells etc.
The desert type climate is hot and dry. The rainfall is scanty, not more than 10 inches a year. The day and night temperatures vary to much extent. The evenings and afternoons are marked by hot dust storms.
The regions lie mainly in the high-pressure belts just outside the Tropics. The Trade Winds blow away from them towards the Equator and the Westerly Winds blow away from them towards the Poles. There are no winds which bring rain to this region and the climate remains hot and dry.
Mediterranean Climate
It is the type of climate experienced by the lands bordering the Mediterranean Sea, and also by other regions, in both hemispheres, situated in a similar geographical position. The characteristic features are warmth of the summer, mildness of the winter, and ample sunshine.
The entire west coast of the United States has Mediterranean type of climate because this region gets winter rainfall from “Westerlies” winds.
Irrigation
Methods of Irrigation: The various systems of irrigation used in India are: (1) Canals; (2) Wells; (3) Tube-wells; and (4) Tanks.
Canals: Canals are the most important of the systems of irrigation in India because:
(i) the rivers are snow-fed and never run dry; (ii) the plain has a soft and alluvial soil, so canals can be easily dug; (iii) the rainfall is insufficient for irrigation and wells alone cannot satisfy the needs of agriculturists.
Of the total irrigated land in India, 40 per cent is irrigated by canals.
Wells: Wells are found all over India but these are largely used in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana and Bihar. They are also used in Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Rajasthan. The reason for irrigation by wells is that the soil is porous and after a rainfall, water is stored up below the soil, and wells can be easily sunk.
Tube-wells: Irrigation by tube-wells has become very popular these days. Tube-wells are worked by electric power. These are much deeper than the ordinary wells. Due to shortage of power, the agriculturists do face the difficulty in running the tube-wells as and when they require but the prosperous ones are making use of the diesel engines for the purpose.
Tanks: Tanks are used in the Deccan plateau—especially in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and in some parts of Madhya Pradesh. They are made by filling natural hollows with water or by building dams across the river valleys. As the soil is rocky in these areas, it is not easy to sink wells. The soil is not porous and the rain water flows off; Canals cannot be constructed as the rivers are not snow-fed. So the tanks are the chief means of irrigation in the Deccan plateau.
Volcanoes and Earthquakes
Volcanoes: By the pressure of the earth’s crust the hot matter or lava in the interior of the earth is pressed down. It gushes out through a crack or a hole when it finds a weak spot in the crust and begins to accumulate round it. By and by it cools down and solidifies and in the course of several years these accumulated layers of lava build up a conical mountain. Such lava mountains are called volcanoes.
Volcanoes are also formed when rain or sea water percolates in the soil and sinks deep down into the earth where it is converted into steam by the internal heat and forces its way out of the crust bringing with it large quantity of lava etc.
Earthquakes: (i) When an active volcano bursts with great force or when a dormant volcano erupts into activity, the surrounding areas feel tremors and earthquake is caused. (ii) When the interior part of the earth cools down and contracts, the outer crust cracks or a part of it actually drops down causing earthquake. (iii) Sometimes water percolates deep down into the earth and is converted into steam on account of internal heat. This steam forces its way out by expanding and thus causes earthquake shocks.
Fold and Block Mountains
Fold Mountains: These are formed as a result of series of earthquakes by which in course of a long time, rocks are folded up above the general level and the agents of denudation start to wear them away. The Himalayas, the Andes, the Alps are example of Fold Mountains.
Block Mountains: the formation of mountains when a mass of land is pushed up between several cracks, is known as Block Mountains as shown in the figure below. The narrow piece of the crust led down between two parallel cracks forms what is called “Rift Valley”.
Mountain Ranges
Himalayas: The Himalayan ranges stretch for about 2400 km from the eastern extremity of Assam to the western limit of Kashmir. Their width varies from 150 km to 450 km. These are fold mountains and consist of long lines of folded ranges.
Arvalies: It stretches from Gujarat in the west to Delhi in the north.
Indian Plateau: It is the table-land region of the Deccan lying south of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. It is bounded on the north by the ranges of Vindhyas and the Satpuras running east to west.
Vindhyas and Satpura: The Vindhyas lie north of the Narbada Valley, whereas the Satpuras Range lies south. Satpura ranges are an example of Volcanic mountains.
Western Ghats: In the west, the plateau is margined by the Western Ghats which rise abruptly from the Malabar and the Konkan coasts and run parallel to the sea coast with an average height of 1200 metres.
Eastern Ghats: Towards the east are broken Eastern Ghats which descend to the low-lands of the Coromandal coast and are broken by a number of rivers, the most important of which are the Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna, Penner and Cauvery. These rivers flow south-east across the plateau to the Bay of Bengal.
The earth has two motions, viz., (1) Rotation around its axis or the daily motion. The axis of the earth is an imaginary line inclined at 66.5° to the plane of the orbit of the earth. The earth rotates round its axis from west to east once in 24 hours. Effects: Days and nights are caused. The sun, moon and other heavenly bodies appear to revolve round the earth from east to west. Direction of winds and currents is changed.
(2) Revolution round the sun on its orbit, or the annual motion: The earth revolves round the sun once in about 365.25 days. Effects: It causes seasons; days and nights are of unequal length at the same place.
Important elements in the earth’s crust
The five most abundant elements in the earth’s crust are: Oxygen, Silicon, Aluminium, Iron and Calcium. (The other three are Sodium, Potassium and Magnesium.)
Oceans—Their Importance
Oceans are the source of all water on earth as the evaporated water from over their surface is brought to earth by the winds passing over them. They are the highways of the world and most of the world trade is carried through the sea. Innumerable fish and other animals living in the oceans are a great source of food to mankind. Minerals like salt, iodine etc. are derived from the ocean waters and sea-weeds.
Ocean Currents: are rivers of warm or cold water flowing in an ocean. Their banks and beds also consist of water.
Natural Regions
A natural region is a large area in which the topography, climate and vegetation are largely similar, and therefore there is a certain uniformity in human activities.
Natural Regions of the World
(1) Equatorial Region (2) Hot-Grassland Region (3) Monsoon Region (4) Hot Deserts Region (5) Mediterranean Region (6) Steppe Region (7) Tundra Region (8) Warm Temperate Region (9) Cool Temperate Region.
Natural Regions of India
(1) The Himalayas and the adjacent mountains; (2) The Sutlej-Ganga plains; (3) The coastal plains of Western and Eastern ghats; (4) The Deccan plateau.
Factors Determining Climate of a Place
(1) Distance from the Equator (2) Height above sea-level (3) Distance from the sea (4) Winds (5) Direction of Mountains (6) Ocean currents (7) Slope of land (8) Nature of the soil (9) Forests.
Factors Determining Temperature
(i) sun rays, (ii) height above sea-level (iii) movements of atmospheric winds, (iv) ocean currents.
Rainfall
Two important conditions must be satisfied in order to have rain: (1) There should be moisture-laden air, (2) There should be some means whereby air is cooled and condensation takes place. The air obtains water vapours by evaporation from the surface of large bodies of water, usually from the sea.
Monsoons in India
Monsoons are periodic winds which blow from sea to land for six months in summer and from land to sea for six months in winter. Monsoon winds prevail over India at different seasons.
South-West Monsoons: These are rain-bearing winds which prevail from about the end of May to the end of September. During summer, the sun’s rays fall vertically on the Tropic of Cancer making the Indian plains intensely hot. But the rays of the sun fall obliquely over the Indian Ocean during this period. The land is hotter than the sea, there is, therefore, low pressure over the land and high pressure over the sea. The winds blow from high to low pressure i.e., from the sea to the land, and are therefore wet winds. Because of the rotation of the earth, the monsoon winds blowing over India deflect to the right after crossing the Equator and become south-west winds. These are, therefore, called south-west monsoons.
India depends largely on these rain-bearing south-west winds. These winds give to India about 90% of the total rainfall. During their prevalence, the chief crops cultivated are rice, cotton, tobacco, tea, jawar and bajra.
North-East Monsoons (or Winter Monsoons): During the months of November to January i.e., in winter, the sun’s rays fall vertically on the Tropic of Capricorn. The air over the Indian Ocean during this period thus becomes hot and light and there is low pressure. The sun’s rays fall obliquely on the plains of India during these months with the result that the air over these plains is cold and heavy and there is high pressure. The winds, therefore, blow from plains to the Indian Ocean. While crossing the Equator, they deflect to the left and are known as north-east monsoons.
The North-East Monsoons bring only about 10% of the total rain to India as they are chilly and dry land winds. But the moisture that they pick from the Bay of Bengal, little as it is, is very useful. Wheat, barley, oats, oilseeds and sugarcane are cultivated during this season.
Thus these monsoon winds have much importance for India.
Weather and Climate
Weather means the atmospheric conditions e.g., temperature, rainfall, humidity, winds, sunshine and cloudiness of a particular place on a particular day. Climate, on the other hand, is the average condition of weather obtaining in a country or a place for a considerable period.
India has a great diversity of climatic conditions. Lying largely within the tropics and in the great Asiatic Continent and the vast expanse of the Indian Ocean to the South, the climate of India is essentially the tropical monsoon type. The average annual rainfall in India is 42 inches.
Types of Soil in India
The main categories of soils in India are: (i) Alluvial soils (ii) Black soils (iii) Red soils (iv) Laterite soils (v) Mountain and hill soils (vi) Terai soils (vii) Desert (or Arid) soil and (viii) Peat soils.
Alluvial soil and Black soil
Alluvial soil is that soil which is formed by deposition of silts brought down by the rivers. It is rich in hydrated oxides of iron and is very fertile. Black soil or the black cotton soil has a good water-holding capacity and is best suited for deep-rooted crops like cotton. The black soil in wet condition is compact and sticky.
The most extensive soil cover of India comprises alluvial soils.
Soil Erosion: The soils are usually six to twelve inches in depth. In course of time, the fertility level of the soil is depleted with the result that the soil no longer remains suitable for agriculture. Soil conservation is, therefore, necessary for continued agricultural prosperity.
The agencies of erosion are winds, water and waves of which the water erosion is most common. Rain water removes soil from the surface of sloping lands. Winds remove top soil of lands.
Laterite soils are formed by the weathering of laterite rocks. These can be distinguished from other soils by their acidity. Laterite soils are generally poor on the higher levels and cannot retain moisture. In the plains, however, they consist of heavy loams and clay and can retain moisture.
Laterite soils occur in Madhya Pradesh, Assam and along the Eastern and Western Ghats. Tea plantation requires acidity which is there in the laterite soil. It is, therefore, common in these areas.
Star and Planet
Star is the name given to a fixed celestial body which has its own light whereas Planet is the name given to a celestial body which revolves round the sun in elliptical (regular oval shape) orbit. A planet has no light of its own but reflects the light of the sun.
Rocks
Three main groups of rocks: Igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic.
Classification of rocks
Igneous rocks: granite.
Sedimentary rocks: sandstone; limestone; shale; coal.
Metamorphic rocks: marble.
Phyllite: This rock is formed by deposits of animal shells and skeletons.
Land Breeze and Sea Breeze
Land Breeze: At night, land masses cool quicker than the sea. Therefore, in calm, cloudless weather, an air-stream passes from the land to the sea. This breeze carries no moisture, and is a little warm.
Sea Breeze: In day-time, the land is hotter than the sea. The air over it rises, and is replaced by a cool breeze from the sea carrying some moisture.
Tides
Alternate rise and fall of waters of the ocean twice in the course of nearly twenty four hours is termed as “tides”. The tides are caused by the gravitational force exerted by the moon and to a lesser degree by the sun, on the earth. The tides do not always rise to the same height. At the time of the new and full moon, when the sun and moon are in a straight line with the earth, the tides rise higher and are known as Spring Tides. Midway between new and full moon when the sun and the moon are at right angles as to their direction from the earth, tides are at the lowest height and are called Neap Tides.
Spring Tides and Neap Tides
When a high tide is caused twice a month at new moon and again when the moon is full, spring tide is caused as a result of combined attraction of the sun and the moon.
When the high tide is not so high, nor the low tide so low, neap tides are caused as a result of the difference of attraction of the sun and the moon.
Seasons
The change of seasons is due to (i) revolution of the earth round the sun (ii) inclination of earth’s axis at 66.5° to the plane of its orbit and always pointing to the same direction. On the 21st June, the North Pole is inclined towards the sun and the South Pole is inclined away from it. The rays of the sun fall perpendicularly at the Tropic of Cancer (23.5° North) and fall comparatively slanting in the southern hemisphere. Hence the days are longer than nights in the northern hemisphere and it is summer there. Just opposite is the case in the southern hemisphere where the nights are longer at that time and it is winter there.
Latitudes and Longitudes
India lies entirely to the north of the Equator, between latitudes 8°-4´ and 37°-6´ north and longitude 68°-7´ and 97°-25´ east.
The latitude of the South Pole is 90°. South Pole has no longitude.
Longitude of a place is its distance east or west of a fixed meridian. The distance of any place north or south of the Equator is called the Latitude of that place.
Parallels of latitude: are lines drawn on a map (or globe) showing the latitude of a place.
Meridians (or lines) of longitude: These are lines drawn on a map (or globe) showing the longitude of a place. These lines join the north and south pole cutting the Equator at right angles.
(Latitudes and Longitudes should be clearly distinguished from Parallels of Latitude and Meridians of Longitude respectively.)
By knowing these lines, we can find out exact location of a place. By knowing the latitude of a place we can find out its average temperature, as also its distance from the Equator. By knowing the longitude of a place, we can calculate its local time.
Longitude is the angular distance of a place east or west of the prime meridian. The earth rotates upon its axis once in 24 hours and covers 360° in 24 hours. Thus it takes 60 x 24/360 or 4 minutes to cover a degree of longitude or we may say that in four minutes, the earth moves through 1°. There is thus a difference of 4 minutes for each degree of longitude. This fact is used for determining the longitude of a place. All longitudes are measured from the meridian of Greenwich.
We can determine the latitude of a place in the northern hemisphere by measuring the altitude of the Pole Star. The altitude of the Pole Star is the latitude of that place. For example, if the altitude of Pole Star at Delhi is 28.5° North, its latitude will also be 28.5°N. The altitude of Pole Star is measured by an instrument called Sextant.
Solar Eclipse and Lunar Eclipse
Solar Eclipse: is the partial or complete obscuration of the sun because of the passage of the moon in front of it i.e., when the moon comes in between the sun and the earth.
The moon then appears as a dark object obscuring the sun. Over a small portion of the earth’s surface, the moon is seen to blot out the sun completely and a total eclipse is seen by the people in that particular area. But over most of the earth’s surface, the eclipse seen is partial because only a portion of the sun’s face remains covered by the moon.
Lunar Eclipse: is the partial or complete obscuration of the moon’s surface when the earth comes in between the sun and the moon. The moon, when it moves through the shadow of the earth, loses its bright direct illumination by the sun, although its disc still remains faintly visible.
An eclipse of the moon is visible and presents the same features at all places on the earth where the moon is above the horizon. The lunar eclipse can be seen with the naked eye, field glass or a small telescope.
The lunar eclipse occurs at full moon only when the earth comes in between the sun and the moon which phenomenon does not occur at every full moon.
Indian Standard Time
The Indian Standard Time is a uniform time adopted by all palces in India without regard to their local time. It is usual for each country to have its standard time for use over the whole country as it would be very difficult if every town or village had its own local time and whenever we moved from one place to another, we should have to alter our watches.
Indian Standard Time is the local time of a place near Allahabad situated at 82.5° East longitude.
Winds
Air moving from one direction to another horizontally is called wind. It is the air in motion.
Cause of Wind: The chief cause of winds is difference in pressure. Air always moves from region of high pressure to a region of low pressure to equalize the pressure. For example, the low pressure belt round the Equator is a region of calm known as the doldrums. Although there are no regular winds there, violent squalls and thunderstorms are frequent which come from high pressure areas north and south of the Equator.
Direction of Winds: As the earth is rotating daily on its axis from west to east, all winds are deflected. According to Ferrel’s Law, winds are deflected to the right in Northern Hemisphere and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere.
Characteristics of the important Wind Systems of the World:
1. Trade Winds: The rays of the sun fall almost vertically at the Equator and the air there becomes hot and the pressure is low. The air rises towards the Poles and descends near 30°N and 30°S. The pressure is high near 30°N and 30°S. Because winds blow from high-pressure to low-pressure areas, winds from over these altitudes blow towards the Equator and Trade Winds are caused.
2. Westerlies (or Anti-Trade Winds): are winds which blow from about 40 degrees N to the Arctic Circle and from about 35 degrees S to the Antarctic Circle throughout the year. They derive their name from the direction in which they blow. In the northern hemisphere they blow in the south-westerly direction and bring winter rain to the Mediterranean regions etc. In the southern hemisphere, they blow in a north-westerly direction.
3. Polar Winds: The winds which blow from the high pressure area around the poles towards the temperate regions are known as polar winds. They are extremely cold. They rise from the North West in the Northern Hemisphere and from the South East in the Southern Hemisphere.
4. Periodical Winds: These are (i) Land and Sea Breezes and (ii) Monsoons which blow in one direction at a particular time or during a particular season. In the hot season in India, the sun shines vertically over the Tropic of Cancer, i.e., roughly over the great plains of the Ganges and Brahmaputra so that the air over the plains becomes very hot by about the month of May. At this time, South West Monsoon commences to blow. They bring heavy rains. Monsoon winds prevail over India at different seasons. India depends on the rain-bearing south-west winds which prevail from about the end of May to the end of September. These winds bring to India about 90% of all the rain that falls there.
5. Variable Winds: are the irregular winds as Cyclones and Anti-Cyclones.
Rainfall
There is heavy rainfall on the West coast because the Western Ghat ranges receive the full force of the monsoons from the Arabian sea and there is heavy rainfall (about 100 inches). On the other hand, the Deccan Plateau gets very scanty rainfall because it falls within the rain-shadow area.
Chennai gets winter rainfall as the north-east monsoons which blow in winter pick up moisture from the Bay of Bengal and bring rain to that city.
The Bay of Bengal monsoons first bring rain to the eastern parts and then turn westwards. As Kolkata is in the east, it receives more rainfall. As the monsoons blow westwards they become drier and cause less rainfall. So Delhi does not get as much rainfall as Kolkata.
In the northern region, the Bay of Bengal monsoons first bring rain to eastern parts and then turn westwards. As the monsoons blow westwards, they go on losing moisture and cause decreasing rainfall.
In the southern region, the Arabian Sea monsoons first strike the western ghats and the moisture is drained on the western side whereas rainfall goes on decreasing towards eastern region.
Two important conditions must be satisfied in order to have rain: (1) There should be moisture-laden air, (2) There should be some means whereby air is cooled and condensation takes place. The air obtains water vapours by evaporation from the surface of large bodies of water, usually from the sea.
The moisture-laden air is cooled in two ways: (i) by rising upward into colder upper regions of the atmosphere, (ii) by blowing as wind to colder regions.
Thus we see: (a) Moist air is lighter than dry air and so it readily rises, expands in a short time, cools and falls. (b) When warm winds blow towards cooler regions, it is condensed by cooling effect and rain falls. (c) The land masses or mountains also tend to condense water vapours. When moisture-laden wind is obstructed by mountains, it is forced to rise. As it rises, it becomes cool and rainfall results.
Rivers
The work of a river is three-fold:
(i) The Mountain Stage: The mountain or upper course of a river is swift as the slope at this stage of a river is steep. The main work of a river at this stage is denudation (wearing away). In this swift upper course, the rivers carry big stones, pebbles etc. which go on eroding the sides and beds of the valleys. As time goes on, the river cuts away the spurs on both sides and the valleys become wider and deeper. The mountain stage of the Ganges in India extends from its source up to Hardwar.
(ii) The Plain Stage: In this stage the river moves slowly as the slope is gradual and its main work is transportation (navigation) and irrigation. The plain stage of the Ganges extends from Hardwar to Bhagalpur.
(iii) The Delta Stage: This is the last stage and the rivers are very slow at this stage. In this slow lower or deltaic course, the main work of the river is deposition. The level of the bed at this stage rises due to mud and silt brought by it and deposited into several channels before falling into the sea. The Ganges forms her delta from Bhagalpur up to the sea.
The deltas are not formed at the mouths of rivers where tides carry away all the mud and silt deposited (at the mouth) e.g., the Narbada and the Tapti do not form any delta. Also rivers which deposit all their mud into the lakes through which they pass do not form delta e.g., the St Lawrence in Canada.
Estuary is formed at the mouth of a river where tidal effects are evident and where fresh water and sea water mix. In most cases it is due to subsidence of coastal low-land.
Delta is the triangular piece of land formed by the deposition of mud and silt near the mouth of a river. In the case of delta formation, more solid material is deposited which cannot be removed by tidal or other currents.
The rivers of Northern India are more important than those of Southern India because they have a flow of water throughout the year. Even in summer these rivers receive water from the melting of Himalayan snow. Flowing through broad basins, they form large tracts or rich alluvial soil on either side. It is no wonder, therefore, that their fertile basin are the natural grannaries of the country. Further, the Ganga and the Brahmaputra are navigable and provide excellent waterways for commerce. The Peninsular rivers, on the other hand, have water during the monsoons but shrivel into muddy pools in the dry season. These rivers are of little use for navigation on account of their torrential nature in the upper course, and the rapids that occur where they descend into deep gorges from the table land to the coastal plains.
Climate and Vegetation
The Equatorial type climate, in which the temperature remains high all the year round but does not vary much, produces hot, wet forests.
The Tropical type climate produces grasslands which are found on either side of the equatorial belt where the rainfall usually occurs soon after the sun has been shining vertically while the dry season occurs in the colder part of the year.
The lowlands along the Tropic of Cancer lie mainly in the high-pressure belt just outside the Tropics. The Trade Winds blow away from these lowlands towards the Equator and the Westerly winds blow away from them towards the Poles. There are, therefore, no winds to bring rain to this region. Some of these lowlands are dry because these are very very far from the sea, like centre of Asia. There are few clouds and very little rain with the result that the sun’s rays strike straight on the ground and make the days very hot.
The temperature of the ocean varies much less than that of land because (i) water has a higher specific heat than land with the result that it both absorbs and loses heat slowly as compared to land; and (ii) due to large surface of water at sea more evaporation occurs than on land. Evaporation causes cooling and this results in the sea having a lower temperature than that on land.
We may divide India into two parts for the purpose of climatological studies: (1) peninsular India and (2) Northern India. Peninsular India has the characteristic of tropical climate where “the temperature is uniformly high and seasonal variation relatively low”.
The climatic conditions in Northern India have no general similarity. This region lies beyond the Tropic of Cancer. The Western part of it includes East Punjab and Rajasthan where air is devoid of moisture and it is hot in summer and very cold in winter. The eastern part of this region includes U.P., Bihar, Assam and West Bengal. Here winter is mild and summer is very hot with plenty of moisture in the air.
These climatic conditions are however, disturbed by two Monsoon Currents—the South West Monsoon and the North-East Monsoon. The South-West Monsoon causes heavy rainfall in Assam, West Bengal and U.P. It begins to retreat from Northern India in early October and this retreat is completed by mid-December. During this retreat period the weather in Northern India becomes dry.
The North-East monsoons begin in January and last till March. These winds cause light rain in Northern India, particularly in the Punjab plains. This scanty rainfall is very important for Rabi crops.
Vegetation: Agriculture is the most important occupation of the people of India. In Northern India, typical monsoon land crops are grown such as rice in Bengal with its warm and humid climate; wheat and maize in Northern plains, Punjab and U.P.; jute in Bengal and Assam and tea in Assam.
In Peninsular India where regur or black cotton soil is found and sufficient moisture available, cotton is grown. It is the chief crop of the Deccan Peninsula—Mumbai and Berar being the chief producers. Coffee is grown on the Nilgiris in the South.
Climatic Effect: India has on the whole monsoon-tropical climate: ‘Monsoon—lands are dominated by the winds from sea to land in summer—the wet season and by winds from land to sea in winter—the dry season.’ This type of climate is not very conducive to health and vigour. Man’s well-being in such a climate depends largely on rainfall. The agricultural products do not grow if the monsoon fails and famine conditions break out. This dependence on rain, however, is not absolute owing to development of irrigation by means of projects, canals, wells etc.
The desert type climate is hot and dry. The rainfall is scanty, not more than 10 inches a year. The day and night temperatures vary to much extent. The evenings and afternoons are marked by hot dust storms.
The regions lie mainly in the high-pressure belts just outside the Tropics. The Trade Winds blow away from them towards the Equator and the Westerly Winds blow away from them towards the Poles. There are no winds which bring rain to this region and the climate remains hot and dry.
Mediterranean Climate
It is the type of climate experienced by the lands bordering the Mediterranean Sea, and also by other regions, in both hemispheres, situated in a similar geographical position. The characteristic features are warmth of the summer, mildness of the winter, and ample sunshine.
The entire west coast of the United States has Mediterranean type of climate because this region gets winter rainfall from “Westerlies” winds.
Irrigation
Methods of Irrigation: The various systems of irrigation used in India are: (1) Canals; (2) Wells; (3) Tube-wells; and (4) Tanks.
Canals: Canals are the most important of the systems of irrigation in India because:
(i) the rivers are snow-fed and never run dry; (ii) the plain has a soft and alluvial soil, so canals can be easily dug; (iii) the rainfall is insufficient for irrigation and wells alone cannot satisfy the needs of agriculturists.
Of the total irrigated land in India, 40 per cent is irrigated by canals.
Wells: Wells are found all over India but these are largely used in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana and Bihar. They are also used in Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Rajasthan. The reason for irrigation by wells is that the soil is porous and after a rainfall, water is stored up below the soil, and wells can be easily sunk.
Tube-wells: Irrigation by tube-wells has become very popular these days. Tube-wells are worked by electric power. These are much deeper than the ordinary wells. Due to shortage of power, the agriculturists do face the difficulty in running the tube-wells as and when they require but the prosperous ones are making use of the diesel engines for the purpose.
Tanks: Tanks are used in the Deccan plateau—especially in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and in some parts of Madhya Pradesh. They are made by filling natural hollows with water or by building dams across the river valleys. As the soil is rocky in these areas, it is not easy to sink wells. The soil is not porous and the rain water flows off; Canals cannot be constructed as the rivers are not snow-fed. So the tanks are the chief means of irrigation in the Deccan plateau.
Volcanoes and Earthquakes
Volcanoes: By the pressure of the earth’s crust the hot matter or lava in the interior of the earth is pressed down. It gushes out through a crack or a hole when it finds a weak spot in the crust and begins to accumulate round it. By and by it cools down and solidifies and in the course of several years these accumulated layers of lava build up a conical mountain. Such lava mountains are called volcanoes.
Volcanoes are also formed when rain or sea water percolates in the soil and sinks deep down into the earth where it is converted into steam by the internal heat and forces its way out of the crust bringing with it large quantity of lava etc.
Earthquakes: (i) When an active volcano bursts with great force or when a dormant volcano erupts into activity, the surrounding areas feel tremors and earthquake is caused. (ii) When the interior part of the earth cools down and contracts, the outer crust cracks or a part of it actually drops down causing earthquake. (iii) Sometimes water percolates deep down into the earth and is converted into steam on account of internal heat. This steam forces its way out by expanding and thus causes earthquake shocks.
Fold and Block Mountains
Fold Mountains: These are formed as a result of series of earthquakes by which in course of a long time, rocks are folded up above the general level and the agents of denudation start to wear them away. The Himalayas, the Andes, the Alps are example of Fold Mountains.
Block Mountains: the formation of mountains when a mass of land is pushed up between several cracks, is known as Block Mountains as shown in the figure below. The narrow piece of the crust led down between two parallel cracks forms what is called “Rift Valley”.
Mountain Ranges
Himalayas: The Himalayan ranges stretch for about 2400 km from the eastern extremity of Assam to the western limit of Kashmir. Their width varies from 150 km to 450 km. These are fold mountains and consist of long lines of folded ranges.
Arvalies: It stretches from Gujarat in the west to Delhi in the north.
Indian Plateau: It is the table-land region of the Deccan lying south of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. It is bounded on the north by the ranges of Vindhyas and the Satpuras running east to west.
Vindhyas and Satpura: The Vindhyas lie north of the Narbada Valley, whereas the Satpuras Range lies south. Satpura ranges are an example of Volcanic mountains.
Western Ghats: In the west, the plateau is margined by the Western Ghats which rise abruptly from the Malabar and the Konkan coasts and run parallel to the sea coast with an average height of 1200 metres.
Eastern Ghats: Towards the east are broken Eastern Ghats which descend to the low-lands of the Coromandal coast and are broken by a number of rivers, the most important of which are the Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna, Penner and Cauvery. These rivers flow south-east across the plateau to the Bay of Bengal.
Saturday, January 7, 2012
General Knowledge Questions
| No. | Question | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| 01 | The first Prime minister of Bangladesh was | Mujibur Rehman |
| 02 | The longest river in the world is the | Nile |
| 03 | The longest highway in the world is the | Trans-Canada |
| 04 | The longest highway in the world has a length of | About 8000 km |
| 05 | The highest mountain in the world is the | Everest |
| 06 | The country that accounts for nearly one third of the total teak production of the world is | Myanmar |
| 07 | The biggest desert in the world is the | Sahara desert |
| 08 | The largest coffee growing country in the world is | Brazil |
| 09 | The country also known as "country of Copper" is | Zambia |
| 10 | The name given to the border which separates Pakistan and Afghanistan is | Durand line |
| 11 | The river Volga flows out into the | Capsian sea |
| 12 | The coldest place on the earth is | Verkoyansk in Siberia |
| 13 | The country which ranks second in terms of land area is | Canada |
| 14 | The largest Island in the Mediterranean sea is | Sicily |
| 15 | The river Jordan flows out into the | Dead sea |
| 16 | The biggest delta in the world is the | Sunderbans |
| 17 | The capital city that stands on the river Danube is | Belgrade |
| 18 | The Japanese call their country as | Nippon |
| 19 | The length of the English channel is | 564 kilometres |
| 20 | The world's oldest known city is | Damascus |
| 21 | The city which is also known as the City of Canals is | Venice |
| 22 | The country in which river Wangchu flows is | Myanmar |
| 23 | The biggest island of the world is | Greenland |
| 24 | The city which is the biggest centre for manufacture of automobiles in the world is | Detroit, USA |
| 25 | The country which is the largest producer of manganese in the world is | USA |
| 26 | The country which is the largest producer of rubber in the world is | Malaysia |
| 27 | The country which is the largest producer of tin in the world is | Malaysia |
| 28 | The river which carries maximum quantity of water into the sea is the | Mississippi |
| 29 | The city which was once called the `Forbidden City' was | Peking |
| 30 | The country called the Land of Rising Sun is | Japan |
| 31 | Mount Everest was named after | Sir George Everest |
| 32 | The volcano Vesuvius is located in | Italy |
| 33 | The country known as the Sugar Bowl of the world is | Cuba |
| 34 | The length of the Suez Canal is | 162.5 kilometers |
| 35 | The lowest point on earth is | The coastal area of Dead sea |
| 36 | The Gurkhas are the original inhabitants of | Nepal |
| 37 | The largest ocean of the world is the | Pacific ocean |
| 38 | The largest bell in the world is the | Tsar Kolkol at Kremlin, Moscow |
| 39 | The biggest stadium in the world is the | Strahov Stadium, Prague |
| 40 | The world's largest diamond producing country is | South Africa |
| 41 | Australia was discovered by | James Cook |
| 42 | The first Governor General of Pakistan is | Mohammed Ali Jinnah |
| 43 | Dublin is situated at the mouth of river | Liffey |
| 44 | The earlier name of New York city was | New Amsterdam |
| 45 | The Eifel tower was built by | Alexander Eiffel |
| 46 | The Red Cross was founded by | Jean Henri Durant |
| 47 | The country which has the greatest population density is | Monaco |
| 48 | The national flower of Britain is | Rose |
| 49 | Niagara Falls was discovered by | Louis Hennepin |
| 50 | The national flower of Italy is | Lily |
| 51 | The national flower of China is | Narcissus |
| 52 | The permanent secretariat of the SAARC is located at | Kathmandu |
| 53 | The gateway to the Gulf of Iran is | Strait of Hormuz |
| 54 | The first Industrial Revolution took place in | England |
| 55 | World Environment Day is observed on | 5th June |
| 56 | The first Republican President of America was | Abraham Lincoln |
| 57 | The country famous for Samba dance is | Brazil |
| 58 | The name of Alexander's horse was | Beucephalus |
| 59 | Singapore was founded by | Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles |
| 60 | The famous British one-eyed Admiral was | Nelson |
| 61 | The earlier name of Sri Lanka was | Ceylon |
| 62 | The UNO was formed in the year | 1945 |
| 63 | UNO stands for | United Nations Organization |
| 64 | The independence day of South Korea is celebrated on | 15th August |
| 65 | `Last Judgement' was the first painting of an Italian painter named | Michelangelo |
| 66 | Paradise Regained was written by | John Milton |
| 67 | The first President of Egypt was | Mohammed Nequib |
| 68 | The first man to reach North Pole was | Rear Peary |
| 69 | The most famous painting of Pablo Picasso was | Guermica |
| 70 | The primary producer of newsprint in the world is | Canada |
| 71 | The first explorer to reach the South Pole was | Cap. Ronald Amundson |
| 72 | The person who is called the father of modern Italy is | G.Garibaldi |
| 73 | World literacy day is celebrated on | 8th September |
| 74 | The founder of modern Germany is | Bismarck |
| 75 | The country known as the land of the midnight sun is | Norway |
| 76 | The place known as the Roof of the world is | Tibet |
| 77 | The founder of the Chinese Republic was | San Yat Sen |
| 78 | The first Pakistani to receive the Nobel Prize was | Abdul Salam |
| 79 | The first woman Prime Minister of Britain was | Margaret Thatcher |
| 80 | The first Secretary General of the UNO was | Trygve Lie |
| 81 | The sculptor of the statue of Liberty was | Frederick Auguste Bartholdi |
| 82 | The port of Banku is situated in | Azerbaijan |
| 83 | John F Kennedy was assassinated by | Lee Harry Oswald |
| 84 | The largest river in France is | Lore |
| 85 | The Queen of England who married her brother-in-law was | Catherine of Aragon |
| 86 | The first negro to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize was | Ralph Johnson Bunche |
| 87 | The first British University to admit women for degree courses was | London University |
| 88 | The principal export of Jamaica is | Sugar |
| 89 | New York is popularly known as the city of | Skyscrapers |
| 90 | Madagascar is popularly known as the Island of | Cloves |
| 91 | The country known as the Land of White Elephant is | Thailand |
| 92 | The country known as the Land of Morning Calm is | Korea |
| 93 | The country known as the Land of Thunderbolts is | Bhutan |
| 94 | The highest waterfalls in the world is the | Salto Angel Falls, Venezuela |
| 95 | The largest library in the world is the | United States Library of Congress, Washington DC |
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