India

1. The bordering states of Madhya Pradesh are:

   1. Gujarat
   2. Rajasthan
   3. Uttar Pradesh
   4. Chhattisgarh
   5. Maharashtra

2. The states that have a common land boundary with Myanmar are:

   1. Arunachal Pradesh
   2. Nagaland
   3. Manipur
   4. Mizoram

3. The neighbouring countries that lie to the west and east of Sikkim are:

   1. Nepal (to the west)
   2. Bhutan (to the east)

4. The island group that lies in the Bay of Bengal is Andaman and Nicobar islands. Its capital is Port Blair.

5. The Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu is located in the western coast of India.

Argentina is smaller than India in area.

The Tropic of Cancer (23 1⁄2° N) passes through the middle of India.

False
Goa is the smallest state.

India can be divided into five physical divisions. They are:

• The northern mountains
• The northern plains
• The peninsular plateaus
• The coastal plains
• The islands

Pir Panjal Range

8° 4' N

Telangana

Rajasthan

Nilgiri

Minicoy

False

Reason — Cape Comorin near Kanniyakumari is the Southernmost tip of the mainland of India. Indira Point is the southern most tip of the whole country.

False

Reason — India has 28 States and eight Union Territories.

False

Reason — The northern plains lie towards the south of the northern mountains (i.e., The Himalayas).

True

False

Reason — The kayals are mostly found along the Malabar coast.

India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh are separated from the rest of Asia by the Himalayan mountain ranges and has a distinct geographical identity. That is why this region is called the Indian subcontinent.

The Rajasthan Plain is an area of inland drainage as it has a number of short seasonal streams which are unable to reach the sea.

The latitudinal and longitudinal extent of India are:

Latitudinal extent — 8° 4' N to 37° 6' N

Longitudinal extent — 68° 7' E to 97° 25' E

The southernmost tip of India is Indira Point. It is located in Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

The countries with whom India share a common land boundary are:

• Afghanistan
• Pakistan
• China
• Nepal
• Bhutan
• Bangladesh
• Myanmar

The water body that separates India and Sri Lanka is Palk Strait.

Rajasthan is the largest state of India.

Two glaciers in the Karakoram Mountains are:

1. Baltoro
2. Siachen

Narrow valleys are called duns. They are found in the Shiwalik range.

The Purvanchal Ranges are found along the eastern boundary of India.

The Northern plains are made up of fine silt brought by the rivers which come from the Himalayas and the central highlands.

The River Brahmaputra is known as Tsangpo in Tibet.

The three advantages of the northern plains are:

• A flat surface for building roads and railways.
• New deposits of alluvium every year.
• A favourable climate for round-the-year farming.

Three plateaus which form the central highlands are:

• Bundelkhand
• Baghelkhand
• Malwa

Anai Mudi is the highest peak of the Deccan Plateau.

The water body that separates Andaman islands from Nicobar islands is Ten Degree Channel.

True

The factors which affect the climate of India are:

1. Location of India
2. Physical features
3. Distance from the sea

Lucknow

Mediterranean

Karnataka

Kochi

retreating monsoon

West Bengal

June to September

Mawsynram

True

False

Reason — The coastal areas experience equable climate.

False

Reason — During winter the temperature decreases from south to north.

False

Reason — In summer, loo blows over the northern plains.

False

Reason — Cyclones are experienced during the season of retreating monsoon.

Udagamandalam experiences cold climate although it is located close to the equator because it is a hill station situated on higher altitude.

Tamil Nadu remains dry during the south-west monsoon season as it falls in the rainshadow area of the Arabian Sea branch of the monsoon and is parallel to the Bay of Bengal branch.

Our country is warm during winter because the Himalayan ranges do not allow the cold winds, which come from Central Asia, to enter India during winter.

The Deccan Plateau experiences extreme climate because it is far away from the sea and thus not affected by the moderating influence of the sea.

The main seasons in India are:

1. The cold weather season (winter)
2. The hot weather season (summer)
3. The south-west monsoon season (rainy season)
4. The season of retreating monsoon (autumn)

The cyclones that originate in Mediterranean sea and cause light rainfall in northern plains are called western disturbances.

After a western disturbance, the weather becomes very cold and there is widespread fog.

Hot, dry and dust-laden strong winds that blow over large part of northern plains during summer, is known as loo.

Towards the end of the summer season, Assam experiences pre-monsoon showers and thunderstorms, which are locally known as bardoichila.

They occur towards the end of the summer season.

The low pressure area over the landmasses is intense enough to attract the South-East Trade Winds from the southern hemisphere. After crossing the equator, these winds get deflected towards their right in the northern hemisphere and blow as the South-West Monsoon Winds or the summer monsoons.

The two branches of south-west monsoon winds are:

1. Arabian Sea branch
2. Bay of Bengal branch

The duration of the season of retreating monsoon is about two months, from middle of September and continues up to middle of November.

The months of October and November are marked by clear skies and a slight rise in temperature. The weather becomes oppressive due to excessive heat and high humidity. This is known as the October heat.

Three areas that receive an average annual rainfall of more than 200 cm are:

1. The western coastal plain
2. The western slopes of the Western Ghats
3. Meghalaya

Two areas that receive an average annual rainfall of less than 50 cm are:

1. Western Rajasthan
2. Ladakh

1. Basil
2. Neem
3. Aloe vera
4. Amla
5. Peepal

True

The major forests types found in India are:

1. Tropical rainforests
2. Tropical deciduous forests
3. Desert vegetation
4. Tidal forests
5. Alpine vegetation

Monsoon forests

Three states where desert vegetation is found are:

1. Punjab
2. Haryana
3. Rajasthan

Mangrove

Teak

spruce

salt and fresh

Sultanpur

Madhya Pradesh

False

Reason — Forests grow well in areas where there is enough rainfall.

True

False

Reason — The wood of the Sundari tree is widely used for construction work and to make boats.

True

False

Reason — The Keibul Lamjao National Park is in Manipur.

Desert plants have deep roots because it enables the plants to absorb water from great depths. It is an adaptation of xerophytic plants to survive in desert area.

The number of animal species has reduced in recent times because:

1. The fast reducing forest cover has adversely affected the wildlife due to loss of habitat.
2. Humans recklessly kill animals for personal enjoyment and gain.

Natural vegetation can be defined as the plant cover in its original form without much changes done by humans.

The tropical rainforests are found in hot and humid climate with a short dry season. They are found along the rainy slopes of the Western Ghats, the hills of eastern India, the Andaman and Nicobar islands and in some parts of West Bengal and Odisha.

Two characteristics of these forests are:

1. Trees are either evergreen or semi-evergreen.
2. Average rainfall is around 200 centimetres.

The trees in tropical deciduous forests shed their leaves during the long dry season.

Four trees Which grow in the monsoon forests are:

1. Mahua
2. Sandalwood
3. Khair
4. Semul

Three trees found in dry areas of Rajasthan are:

1. Acacia
2. Babul
3. Kikar

Sundarbans got its name from the Sundari trees which are found here in large number.

Shrubs and grasses of alpine variety are found at an altitude of above 3500 metres.

The forest cover of India is one-fifth or 20%.

Three products obtained from forests are:

1. Timber-wood and fire-wood
2. Resin
3. Lac

Three functions of forests are:

1. They maintain the water cycle and regulate the flow of water in streams.
2. They meet nearly 40 percent of the total energy requirements of our country.
3. They provide about 25 percent of the fodder required for the livestock in India.

Indian lions are found in Gir forests.

Assam and Tripura

True

Uttar Pradesh and Bihar

Maharashtra

Haryana and Punjab

True

The capacity and capability of human beings to produce useful goods is known as human skills.

high

30 per cent

Haryana, with a sex ratio of 879/1000 is the state with the lowest sex ratio.

Nowadays, more emphasis is given to human skills than their numbers.

In 2011, the density of population of India was 382 persons per square kilometre.

The sex ratio of India decreased between 1901 and 2011.

People who have education, training and sufficient work experience are called skilled human resources.

Hilly Area

Sex ratio

65

Unskilled Human Resources

Human beings have the capability to discover, exploit, develop and convert natural resources into useful articles. Thus, they add value to the natural resources and hence are the most important resource on the earth.

The death rate has gone down while the life expectancy at birth has increased because of better public health, prevention of infectious diseases and availability of modern medical techniques in diagnosis and treatment of diseases.

The people living in a country or region are called the human resources.

Two factors on which human skills depend are:

1. The people must be literate. They should posses technical, vocational and professional skills.
2. The people should be provided with proper environment and machines to work effectively.

The states where about half of the total population of India live are:

• Uttar Pradesh
• Maharashtra
• Bihar
• West Bengal
• Andhra Pradesh

The factors responsible for moderate density of population in an area are:

1. Moderate Rainfall
2. Comparatively less fertile soil

Two factors responsible for low and declining sex ratio in India are:

1. Males get preferential treatment, while females are neglected. This results in higher female mortality.
2. Female infanticide is practised

Kerala.

Two components that help in the growth and development of human resources are:

1. Health
2. Education

Education is a very important and essential component of human development. The capability of human beings improves, when they are properly and suitably educated. The investment in educating the people can make or convert them into rich human resources. The educated persons can suitably contribute to the growth and development of family, society and country. Education can help people to make better use of natural resources and convert the raw materials into wealth.

The central and state governments started to lay emphasis on skill development of the youths so as to help them secure a better livelihood. Only skilled work force can effectively use the natural resources in a systematic and proper manner.

Three impacts of skilled human resources on socio-economic development in India are:

1. They have the capability and capacity to use the natural resources in the best possible way.
2. They can develop techniques for the sustainable use of various natural resources.
3. The skilled people can establish industries, which not only helps in economic growth, but also create employment opportunities for others.