Page 1 :
Chapter - 10 Geography, Life in the Deserts, , Desert is an arid region characterized by extremely high or low temperatures and has scarce, vegetation., , Depending on the temperature, there can be hot deserts or cold deserts., , The Hot Desert-Sahara:, , (i), , Sahara Desert in Africa is the world's largest hot desert., , (ii) It touches 11 countries and has got gravel plains and elevated plateaus with bare, rocky surface., , (iii) |The climate of Sahara is scorching hot and parch dry with temperature as high as, 50°C., , (iv) The nights are freezing cold with temperature nearing zero degrees., , (v) | Vegetation in the Sahara Desert includes cactus, date palms and acacia Camels,, hyenas, jackals, foxes, scorpions, snakes and lizards are the main animal species found, here., , (vi) Despite its harsh climate, Sahara is inhabited by various groups of people. The main, groups are Bedouins and Tuaregs., , (vii) The oasis in the Sahara and the Nile Valley in Egypt supports settled population., , (viii) The discovery of oil is constantly transforming this region. Other important minerals, found here are iron, phosphorus, manganese and uranium., , (ix) More and more nomadic tribes are taking to city life., , The Cold-Desert-Ladakh:, , (i) Ladakh is a cold desert lying in the Great Himalayas, on the eastern side of Jammu and, Kashmir., , (ii) The altitude in Ladakh varies from 3,000 m in Kargil to more than 8,000 m in, Karakoram., , (iii) |The area experiences freezing winds and burning hot sunlight., , (iv) Due to high aridity, the vegetation is sparse. Groves of willows and poplars are seen in, the valleys., , (v) | The animals of Ladakh are wild goats, wild sheep, yak and special kinds of dogs., , (vi) The animals are reared as they provide milk, meat and hides., , (vii) The population consists of either Muslims or Buddhists., , (viii) Some famous Buddhist monasteries are Hemis, Thiksey, Shey and Lamyuru., , (ix) In summer season, the people are busy cultivating barley, potatoes, peas, beans and, turnips., , (x) Tourism is a major activity with several tourists streaming in from within India and, abroad., , (xi) | People of Ladakh have over the centuries learnt to live in balance and harmony with, , nature.
Page 2 :
Chapter— 10, Life in the Deserts, , Exercise, , 1., (A) What are the two types of deserts found in the world?, , Answer:, , The two types of deserts found in the world are the hot deserts and cold, deserts., , NOTE: They are characterized by low rainfall, scanty vegetation and, extreme temperatures. Depending on the temperatures there can be hot, deserts or cold deserts. The people inhabit these lands wherever little, water is available to practice agriculture., , (B) In which continent is the Sahara desert located?, Answer:, The Sahara Desert is located in the African continent., , It covers a large area of Northern Africa. The Sahara Desert is the, largest desert in the world. It has an area of around 8.54 million sq. km., The Sahara desert touches eleven countries. These are Algeria, Chad,, Egypt, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Sudan, Tunisia and, Western Sahara., , (C) What are the climatic conditions of the Ladakh desert?, Answer:, , The altitude in Ladakh varies from about 3000m in Kargil to more than, 8,000m in the Karakoram. Due to its high altitude, the climate is, extremely cold and dry. The air at this altitude is so thin that the heat, of the sun can be felt intensely. The day temperatures in summer are, just above zero degree and the night temperatures well below -30°C. It
Page 3 :
is freezing cold in the winters when the temperatures may remain below, -40°C for most of the time., , Due to high aridity, the vegetation is sparse. There are scanty patches, of grasses and shrubs for animals to graze., , (D) What mainly attracts tourists to Ladakh?, Answer:, , Tourism is a major activity with several tourists streaming in from, within India and abroad. Visits to the gompas, treks to see the meadows, and glaciers, witnessing ceremonies and festivities are important, activities., , The women of Ladakh are very hard working. They work not only in, the house and fields, but also manage small business and shops. Leh,, the capital of Ladakh is well connected both by road and air. The, National Highway 1A connects Leh to Kashmir Valley through the Zoji, la Pass., , (E) What type of clothes the people of the Sahara Desert wear?, Answer:, , The people of Sahara Desert wear heavy robes as protection against, dust storms and hot winds., , The Sahara Desert despite its harsh climate has been inhabited by, various groups of people, who pursue different activities. Among them, are the Bedouins and Tuaregs. These groups are nomadic tribes rearing, livestock such as goats, sheep, camels and horses., , (F) Name the trees that grow in Ladakh., , Answer:
Page 4 :
Groves of willows and poplars are seen in the valleys. During the, summers, fruit trees such as apples, apricots and walnuts bloom in, Ladakh,, , The animals of Ladakh are wild goats, wild sheep, yak and special, kinds of dogs. The animals are reared to provide for the milk, meat and, hides.
Page 5 :
4., , (A) Give reasons, There is scanty vegetation in the deserts., , Answer:, , A desert is an arid region characterized by extremely high or low, temperatures and has scarce vegetation. People have learned to cope, with extreme harsh temperatures; in some places as hot as fire and some, as cold as ice. These are characterized by low rainfall, scanty vegetation, and extreme temperatures. Depending on the temperatures there can be, hot deserts or cold deserts. The people inhabit these lands wherever, little water is available to practice agriculture., , , , Explanation- It is difficult for anyone to live in places where there is no, , water to drink, where there is no grass for their cattle to feed on and, where there is no water to help the crops to grow.
