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Fill in the Blanks1. The Indian river which

carries greatest amount ofwater is .............

2. Which is the highest hillstation in India?

3. Which river flows through theCorbett National Park inUttaranchal?

4. The Chambal is a tributary ofthe ............. river.

5. ............. is the highest peak inAndaman and Nicobar Islands.

6. Sugar bowl of India is .............7. The topographical maps of

India are prepared by .............8. The Lakshadweep are an

example of ............. type ofislands.

9. ............. separates India fromPakistan.

10. The Mc Mahon line is aboundary between ...... and ..........

11. .............river is sometimes referredto as ‘Dakshin Ganga’.

12. Nagarjunasagar Dam wasbuilt on river .............

13. Chennai harbour is a/an............. harbour.

14. Name the highest peak ofIndia .............

15. The wettest place in the worldis Mawsynram in Meghalaya.The hottest place is .............

16. The longest NationalHighway NH-7 links .............with .............

Answers1. Brahmaputra2. Gulmarg, Jammu & Kashmir3. Ram Ganga4. Yamuna5. Saddle Peak (Great Nicobar)6. Uttar Pradesh7. Survey of India8. Coral9. Radcliffe Line10. India and China11. Kaveri12. Krishna

Geography of India

13. Artificial14. Mt. Godwin Austin (K2)15. Al-Azizia (Libya)16. Varanasi - Kanyakumari

Short Notes1. Discuss the size and location

of India. What is IndianStandard Time (IST) andwhat is the difference betweenIST and GMT?

2 Why are the rivers of northernIndia more important thanthose of southern India?

3 Jhum Cultivation4. What is the significance of

Himalayas for the land andpeople of Indian subcontinent?

5. Write notes on DeccanPlateau, Western Ghats,Eastern Ghats and the DeccanTrap.

6. What is Desert DevelopmentProgra mme?

7. What are Mangroves8. Write a note on the occurrence of

refractory minerals in India?9. What is Gypsum? Where is it

found in India and what areits uses?

10. Why is the Western Ghatsconsidered to be a “‘hot spot”of biodiversity?

11. What are the types ofenvironmental problemsfaced in India?

12. Where are the followingsituated and why are theyfamous for?1. Singrauli 2. Jaykaynagar,3. Rishra 4. Bokaro

13. What is “sponge iron” andwhere is it used? Where is itproduced in India?

14 What is a rift valley? Name arift valley in India?

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15. What is the HBJ pipeline?Which States in India benefitfrom this?

16. Why is Kandla port not beingfavoured by shippingcompanies?

17. Which has been declared asIndia’s National WaterwayNo.1?

18. What is the great Rann ofKutch and how was itformed?

19. What is the “Deccan trap”and in which areas has itbeen formed?

20. Why is the Arabian Seabranch of the monsoon morespectacular than the Bay ofBengal branch?

21. What are fuel minerals?22. What are multipurpose river

projects;Answers1. India, with an area of

32,87,782 sq km, is theseventh largest country afterRussia, Canada, China, USA,Brazil and Australia and thesecond most populous (nextto China) country in theworld. It extends between 8°4' and 37° 6' North latitudesand 68° 7' and 97° 25' Eastlongitudes, lying north of theequator and thus belongs toNorthern Hemisphere. TheTropic of Cancer (23° 30' N)divides the country intoalmost two equal halves.While the southern halfcoinciding with peninsularIndia lies in the tropical zone,the northern half, somewhatcontinental in nature, belongsto the subtropical zone.Situated to the east of thePrime Meridian, India alsobelongs to the EasternHemisphere.

The country is of vast size.The north-south extension ofIndia covers about 30° oflatitude or measures about3,214 km and the east-westextention covers almost 30° oflongitude or measures about2,933 km which is one-twelfthof the Earth’s circumferenceat the Equator. India has aland frontier of 15,200 km anda coastline of about 6,100 km.India takes its standard timefrom the Meridian of 82° 30'E, which is 5½ hours aheadof Greenwich Mean Time (0°longitude).

2. The rivers of northern Indiahave a perennial source ofwater, which is utilised forirrigation and producingelectricity. These riversprovide fertile soil and aregood water ways forcommunication, etc. But therivers of the Deccan are fed bythe monsoons. Most of theyear, they are mere trickles inbeds of stone and sand.

3 Jhum Cultivation is shiftingcultivation practised by thetribals of North-East India,where the farmers usuallyclear the land for planting byslashing the vegetation andburning the debris. It leads toenvironmental degradation,soil-erosion, loss of fertility ofsoil and growth of secondaryvegetation.

4. The Himalayas are of greatsignificance for the land andpeople of the subcontinent.i. Physical Barrier: The

Himalayas act as phys-ical barrier between thesubcontinent and the restof Asia.

ii. Birthplace of Rivers: Themassive snowfields andglaciers of the Himalayas

are sources of manyperennial rivers uponwhose water dependsmuch of irrigation andhydroelectric power of theIndo-Gangetic plain. Thesilt brought by these rivershave made the Indo-Gangetic plain very fertile.

iii. Influence on Climate: TheHimalayas protect theIndo-Gangetic plain fromthe bitterly cold windswhich blow from CentralAsia and Tibet duringwinter. It compels the rain-bearing winds blowingfrom the sea in the south toshed all their load of rainon the Northern plain.

iv. Flora and Fauna: Theslopes of these moun-tains are forested andprovide shelter to a widevariety of wild life.

v. Mineral Resources: TheHimalayas have comm-ercially valuable mineralssuch as copper, lead, zinc,bismith, antimony,nickel, cobalt andtungsten. They are alsothe storehouse of preci-ous and semi-preciousstones. Coal and petrol-eum are the other mineralfuels found in this region.

vi. Other Economic Resour-ces: Green pasture oflower Himalayas haveenabled sheep and goatrearing an importantoccupation.

vii. Tourist Abode: The lowerand upper range ofHimalayas, because oftheir height, enjoy a cooland pleasant climate thusattracting a large numberof tourists during springand summer seasons.

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5. The Deccan Plateau extendsfrom the Vindhyas to thesouthern tip of the peninsula.This triangular plateau is atits widest in the north. TheVindhya range and its easternextension namely MahadevHills, Kaimur Hills andMaikal Range are its northernedge. Towards the west, theplateau has a steep slopewhich is considered to be theresult of faulting. This steepslope forms the WesternGhats which extends at mostcontinuously up to the end ofthe peninsula nearKanyakumari over a distanceof 1280 km. The WesternGhats are known by differentregional names such as theSahyadris in Maharashtraand Karnataka, the Nilgiris inTamil Nadu, and Annamalaiand the Cardamom hillsalong the Kerala and TamilNadu border. The elevation ofthe Ghats increases towardsthe south. The highest peak,Anamudi (2,695 m) is inKerala. The most importantgap in the Western Ghats isthe Palghat gap which linksTamil Nadu with Kerala. TheDeccan plateau is the highestalong its western edge andgently slopes towards by Bay

of Bengal in the east. Theeastern edge of the Deccanplateau is marked by a seriesof scattered hills known as theEastern Ghats. These hills risesteeply from the Coromandalcoastal plain. The EasternGhats are well developed inthe region between theGodavari and Mahanadirivers. The Eastern Ghats andWestern Ghats converge inthe Nilgiri hills. Dodda Betta(2,637 m) is the highest peakin the Nilgiri hills.The surface of the Deccanplateau slopes graduallytowards the east. While all themajor rivers of the peninsularblock flow into the Bay ofBengal. Narmada and Taptiare the only two riversflowing in the oppositedirection to fall in the ArabianSea. The northwestern part ofthe Deccan plateau inMaharashtra consists of anextensive lava plateauknown as the deccan trapregion. This consists of flattopped hill ranges forming ontheir flanks series of terraces.

6. The Desert DevelopmentProgramme (DDP) wasstarted in 1977-78 with theobjective of controllingdesertification, restoring

ecological balance andcreating conditions toimprove the economic level ofpeople in desert areas. Theseobjectives are sought to beachieved through activitiessuch as: (1) afforestation withspecial emphasis on shelter-belt plantation, grasslanddevelopment and ,sand dunestabilisation; (2) developmentand productive use of waterresources; and (3) const-ruction of water harvestingstructures and developmentof agriculture and horti-culture etc. It covers both hotand cold desert areas:Gujarat, Haryana andRajasthan (hot deserts) andHimachal Pradesh and J&K(cold deserts).

7. Mangroves are salt tolerentforest ecosystem foundmainly in tropical andsubtropical inter-tidal regionof the worls. They arereservoires of a large numberof plant and animal speciesassociated together over along revolution period andexhibitery remarkablecapacity of salt tolerance.They stabilise the shorelineand act as bulwark againstencroachment by the sea. Asper state of forest Report 2001

Important Sanctuaries and ParksName Location Reserve forBandipur Karnataka Tiger, Elephant, Panther etc.Corbett Nanital, Uttaranchal Tiger, Leopards etc.Dachigam Kashmir Kashmiri StagGhana Bird Sanctuary Bharatpur, Rajasthan Water birdsGir Forest Gujarat Gir Lion (India’s biggest

wildlife Sancutary)Kaziranga Assam RhinocerosRanthambore Rajasthan Tiger, Leopard etc.Sariska Rajasthan Tiger, Panther, Sambar etc.Manas Assam Rhinoceros

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Mangroves cover area of4,482 sq.km (0.14% of totalgeographical area)

8. Materials which are resistantto heat at high temperatures(1500° C) are called refract-ories. They are used formaking firebricks which linethe walls of high heatfurnaces. Refractory mineralsinclude fireclays, magnesite,graphite and aluminiumsilicates such as sillimaniteand kyanite.Magnesite occurs in TamilNadu, Karnataka, AndhraPradesh and Rajasthan.Fireclays are found inMadhya Pradesh, WestBengal, Bihar, Karnataka andAndhra Pradesh. Magnesiteis used in blast furnaces andother industrial furnaces andalso for producing liquidcarbon dioxide. Sillimanitewhich occurs in Meghalaya,Madhya Pradesh, Mahara-shtra, Kerala, Tamil Naduand Bihar is used for glasstank furnaces, where hightemperatures are developedand also in electric furnaces

because of its strength andlow electrical conductivity.Kyanite found in Bihar,Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka,Orissa, Rajasthan andMaharashtra is used forlining copper smeltingfurnaces. Graphite, scarce inIndia, is found in AndhraPradesh, Kerala, Bihar,Karnataka and Orissa and isused in foundries, graphitecrucibles and lead pencils.

9. Gypsum is a hydratedsulphide of calcium (CaSO4.2H2O). It occurs in massivelumps or transparent platesin sedimentary rockformations. Over 90 per centof the gypsum reserves ofIndia are found in Rajasthanmainly in the westerndistricts of Bikaner,Ganganagar, Bharatpur,Churu, Jaisalmer, Banner, Paliand Jodhpur. Other stateswhich have gypsum reservesare Jammu and Kashmir,Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, AndhraPradesh, Maharashtra,Himachal Pradesh and UttarPradesh. High quality

gypsum is used in themanufacture of ammoniumsulphate fertiliser. The cementindustry also uses gypsumbut of lesser purity than thatrequired for fertiliser industry.Other uses of gypsum are inagriculture where it is used assurface plaster for conservingmoisture in soil and for helpingin the process of nitrogenabsorption. It is also used formaking plaster of Paris, partitionblock sheets, insulating boardsetc.

10. The eco-system of the WesternGhats is specially suited forthe preservation of bio-diversity. With altitudesvarying from 900 to 1100metres they form a continuousbarrier of rugged topographywith heavy monsoon rainfall.The vegetation is generallyforested and changes fromevergreen to deciduous with agreat variety of trees andplants.The Ghats south of thePalghat gap are the mostcomplex mountain ranges ofthe peninsula. The southerncomplex includes Nilgiris,Anamalais and PalaniCardamom hills. The shola-grasslands in this complexhave existed for a very longperiod. This eco-system haspreserved fragmented forestslike the sholas surrounded bygrasslands (or Savannah).Large animals like sambharand birds move from shola toshola, whereas smalleranimals remain in a shola.The Western Ghats aretherefore able to sustain animmense variety of fauna andflora in the evergreen forestsand the semi evergreen forestson the lower slopes.

Mangrove eco system

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11. India generally faces two broadcategories of environmentalproblems (a) problemsassociated with the process ofdevelopment and (b) problemswhich arise from theconditions of poverty andunderdevelopment. Thecountry lacks financialresources for rapid develo-pment and the latest advancedtechnologies are therefore noteasily available to us. In ourefforts to improve our economicconditions as quickly aspossible, we are forced toadopt projects which are poorlyplanned. Schemes which donot incorporate the latestenvironmental protectiontechnologies are implementedin order to get the benefits ofdevelopment eg: PowerHouses without electrostaticprecipitators to arrestdischarges of smoke and ash,chemical factories withoutaffluent treatment plants etc.The other group ofenvironmental problemssprings from poverty and lowstandards of living. Pollutionof rivers by human actions areall too common due to the lackof awareness of the people.As the poor have hardly anyresources, they degradenatural resources.

12. 1. Singrauli is in UttarPradesh and is the site ofthe super-thermal powerstation established by theNational Thermal PowerCorporation (NTPC) witha capacity of 2000 MW.

2. Jaykaynagar in WestBengal is the place wherethe first unit to producealuminium from indige-nous bauxite was establi-shed in 1942.

3. Rishra is in West Bengalnear Calcutta. It is the sitewhere India’s first jute millwas established in 1854.

4. Bokaro in Jharkhand issituated near the Jhariaand Ranigunj coal fields.A modern integrated steelplant with collaborationof the former Soviet Unionwas established here inthe public sector with anultimate capacity of 10million tonnes.

13. “Sponge iron” is directlyreduced iron made byconverting iron ore directly toiron with non-coking coal ornatural gas. The normal ironmaking in integrated steelplants is by melting iron orewith coke and limestone. Thecoke is produced from cokingcoal which is scarce.Limestone serves to removethe impurities. “Sponge iron”is used as alternate orsupplement to scrap iron forproducing steel in mini-steelplants with electric furnaces.The most important projectfor making “sponge iron” islocated at Kothagudam inAndhra Pradesh with a finalcapacity of 60,000 tonnes perannum. Other plants havebeen set up in Orissa andMaharashtra.

14 Rift valleys are steep-sideddepressions on the earth’ssurface resulting fromgeological faults due tofracturing of the surface.Narmada valley is a rift valleyin India.

15. The Hazira-Bijaipur-Jagdis-hpur (HBJ) pipeline transportsnatural gas from Gujarat’s off-shore oilfields to Uttar Pradesh.It benefits industries in

Maharashtra, Gujarat, Mad-hya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.

16. Kandla is a tidal portsuffering from heavy siltationrequiring frequent dredging.It has also inadequate linearservices to various countries.Hence it is not fully utilised.

17. The Ganga Waterway fromHaldia to Allahabad is India’sNational Waterway No. 1.

18. It is a broad plain formed bydark silt and salt encrustationson the sea that once surroundedthe Kutch peninsula when itwas an island.

19. The volcanic lava of theDeccan peninsula filled upthe pre-existing topographyabout one million years ago.It is the Deccan trap occurs inparts of Maharashtra,Saurashtra, and MadhyaPradesh.

20. The Arabian Sea branch isSpectacular, because-(1) the Arabian Sea is larger(2) the entire Arabian Seabranch reaches India whilethe Bay of Bengal branchdivides into Myanmar,Malaysia and Thailand also.

21. Minerals which are useful forgenerating energy are called fuelminerals. Such mineralsinclude coal, petroleum, lignite,uranium, thorium etc.

22. Multipurpose river projectsare projects that aim to benefitour population and society inmore than one way. Theobjectives are (1) extension ofirrigation facilities byconstructing dams (2) powergeneration (3) flood controland making river navigable.Some of the majormultipurpose projects areDamodar Valley Project,Bhakra Nangal etc.

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Selected One wordQuestions1 The world’s biggest ocean is

the .......... ocean.2 .......... is the deepest lake in

the world.3. Hyetology refers to the study

of .......... .4. Meteorology may be described

as the study of ..........5. The highest of all plateaus in

the world is the .......... plateau.6. The largest city founded on

the river Ravi is ..........7. The state in the world

occupying the smallest areais ..........

8. What was Japan formerlyknown as?

9. On which river is Warsaw,the capital of Poland,situated?

10. Which of the following citieshas the largest zoo in India?

11. Jawahar Sagar, Rana PratapSagar and Gandhi Sagardams are all constructed onthe river ..........

12. With which of the rivers is theSardar Sarovar project (SSP)associated?

13. The Machkundahydroelectric project is a jointventure of the states of ........and ..........

14. The first oil well in the worldwas drilled at ..........

15. Pearl Harbour, (the target ofJapanese attack on theAmerican fleet) is in..........Islands.

16. Westerly winds blowingthrough out the year over theoceans of the southernhemisphere between 40° and60° latitudes are called ..........

17. Nahorkatiya oilfields arelocated in the state of ..........

18. Which is the largest island ofthe Philippines?

19. The Telungu - Ganga Projectsruns through the state of ..........and ...........

20. The finest natural harbour inIndia is ...........

21. Which country is known asthe “Cockpit of Europe”?

22. Which country is known asthe “Emerald Island”?

23. .......... Canal is gateway to thePacific.

24. What is the type of rockformed by loose and brokenfragments of pre-existingrocks?

25. The country that celebratesChristmas in the summerseason is ..........

26. With what type of region arevolcanoes and earthquakesassociated?

27. The type of soil that has amarked capacity to retainwater is the ..........

28. What is the local time of aplace known with referenceto?

29. The winds getting deflecteddue to the rotation of the earthare termed as ..........

30. The atmospheric humidity ismeasured by means of the

31 What is the tide at itsmaximum height known as?

32. The region that specializes inthe cultivation of citrus fruitsis the .......... region.

33. The Mc Mohan line is aboundary between .......... and..........

34. Nagarjunasagar Dam wasbuilt on .......... river.

35. The first river valley projectstarted in India is ..........

36. The Savannas of Orinocobasin are termed as ..........

37. Name the state that is famousfor evergreen sandalwood?

38. Which physical regions ofIndia manifests a vegetationspectrum ranging from theTropical to the Alpine Type?

39. The sun always rises in theeast because the earthrevolves around the sun fromthe .......... to the ..........

40. Chandka Elephant Sanct-uary is in ..........

41. What is the currency ofThailand?

42. What does the take off stagedenote in an economy?

43. The first shore-based steelplant in India is in ..........

44. The first large-scale jute millin India was established at..........

45. The Indian state that is thelargest in terms of area is..........

46. Name the three groups oftribals which live exclusivelyin Meghalaya?

47. Where is the Korba SuperThermal Power Station, thelargest in the country,located?

48. Name the river on which theKrishnaraja Sagar Dam hasbeen built?

49. Name the canal that irrigatesa portion of the Thar desert.

50. Which region is known as the‘rice bowl of India’?

51. The most fertile milk-producing breed of goat inIndia is named as ..........

52. Which species constitutes thelargest livestock, in terms ofnumber, in India?

53. In India, the density of cattlepopulation per 100 hectares

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of gross cropped area is thehighest in ..........

54. To which country doesGreenland the largest islandin the world belong?

55. Cuttack is located on thebanks of the river ..........

56. The country also known as‘the land of golden fleece’ is..........

57. Where in India is the IntegralCoach Factory located?

58. The continent referred to as‘Dark Continent’ is ..........

59. The Malanjhand coppermines are located in the stateof ..........

60. In India Lac is found in................

61. What is the average timeinterval between twosuccessive high and low tides

62. On which date does thethermal equator coincide withthe Tropic of Cancer?

63. For what are the Zawarmines of Udaipur famous?

64. In which state of India is thelargest bauxite plant in Asialocated?

65. Where is the natural energyof hot springs, i.e. geothermalenergy, used to producepower?

66. Solar energy has been put topractical use in ..........

67. The state accounting for themaximum quantity ofasbestos in India is ..........

68. Diamond mines in India arechiefly located in ..........

69. The oil-bearing areas in Indiaare mostly associated with.......... rocks.

70. Where is India’s oldest oilrefinery located?

71. The country with the world’slargest diamond mines aswell as highest goldproduction is ..........

72. A cyclone occurs when thereis .......... pressure in the centreand .......... pressure all aroundit.

73. A cyclone in the northernhemisphere would move inan .......... direction.

74. What is the Beaufort scaleused to measure?

75. Some people in Manipur livein houses built on floatingislands of weeds anddecaying vegetation, heldtogether by suspended silt.Such islands are called ..........

76. Ferozabad in Uttar Pradesh isfamous for its .......... industry.

77. Which is the most sparselypopulated state in India?

78. What is viticulture and whereis it generally practised?

79. The Konkan Railway projecthas been completed in arecord time of .......... years.

80. In which country is the Rhur-Complex, a major industrialcentre, located?

81. Which strait divides Europefrom Africa?

82. The winter rains in TamilNadu are caused by the ..........monsoons.

83. The second-most popu-lous nation in the world is..........

84. Mineral deposits on theocean-floor are characterizedby the occurrence of ..........

85. What was Ethiopia earlierknown as?

86. Rubber plantations in Indiaare located mostly in ..........and ..........

87. The tobacco cultivated inGujarat is mostly used for themanufacture of ..........

88. In India, the maximum edibleoil is produced from ..........

89. Which radioactive mineral isabundantly found in thebeach sands of coastalKerala?

90. The petroleum refinery atKoyali is located in state of..........

91. The world’s largest producerof synthetic rubber is ..........

92. Sink holes are a phenomenonof .......... regions.

93. Coal, being an organicsedimentary rock formedfrom the remains of plants, isoften described as .......... fuel.

94 Next to oil, the most importantmineral produced from thesea is ..........

95. Stalagmites and stalactitesare features of the ..........regions.

96. Areas, where grasses andtwisted shrubs are grown, arecalled ..........

97. River Rhine of Europe drainsinto the ..........

98. Simoon is a hot and dry windblowing in the Sahara and..........

99. Neyveli power project is a.......... power project.

100. Name the mountain thatseparates France and Spain.

101. Milan, Turin and Genoaindustrial triangle is in thecountry of ..........

102. Canals serve as passage ofcommunication in the city of.......... in Italy

103. The highest navigable lakein the world is ..........

104. Moho discontinuity refers toa discontinuity between the

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.......... and .......... layers of theearth.

105. Name the volcanic island ofIndia.

106. Monsoons that alternatelyblow from the sea to the landand from the land to the seafor a period of six monthseach are called ..........

107. .......... is the world’s greatestsilk producer.

108. The retreating monsoonsblow in a northeasterlydirection over ..........

109. The term ‘midnight sun’refers to the sun shining inthe .......... and .......... circles.

110. Which state is famous forthe cultivation of rubber,coconut and black pepper?

111. The city that is also referredto as ‘the city of palaces’ is..........

112. Which city is known as ‘thegolden city’?

113. Where is the public sectorNepa newsprint factorylocated?

114. The deepest mine in India islocated in ..........

115. In which part of India isDogri spoken?

116. The seasonal movement ofpeople along with theircattle in the mountainsiscalled ..........

117. A narrow strip of landconnecting two large landmasses is known as ..........

118. Podsol is a type of soilwhich is characteristic of aregion under the cover of.......... forest.

119. Name the river along whichTokyo is located?

120. A line on a map connectingpoints receiving equalamounts of sunshine iscalled an ...........

121. The area of ocean fallingbeyond the territorial watersof any nation is termed ..........

122. Isohyets are lines on mapsjoining places having equal..........

123. What was Ghana calledprior to her independence?

124. Lines on maps linkingplaces of equal altitude arenamed as ..........

125. The length of the shadow of aspecific structure at noonwould be the same all throughthe year only at the ..........

126. The port of India connectedto the interior through thePalghat gap

127. Which is called the “Landof the Morning Calm”?

128. The river which rises in theKamarpet hill inChhotanagpur’ Plateau ofJharkhand and called``Sorrow of Bengal” is ..........

129. “Land of Fishermen” refersto ..........

130. The National Geophysica1Research Institute is locatedin ..........

131. ... .. .. .. . is known as the“Queen of Arabian Sea”.

132. The smallest UnionTerritory of India is ..........

133. Which of the following is theworld’s largest lake?

134. Teak and sal represent theprincipal trees in the forestscalled ..........

135. Pastaz is the name oftemperate grasslands foundin ..........

136. The Elephant Pass is locatedin ..........

137. Which of the following doesthe Kiel Canal link?

138. The largest archipelago inthe world is ..........

139. India ranks the .......... in theworld, in terms of annualmilk production.

140. The State called the‘granary of India’ is ..........

141. The State leading the othersin the production , of marinefisheries is

142. The largest producer offresh water fish in India is..........

143. The type of climate mostsuited for the cultivation ofspices in India is ..........

144. In the Gulf of Kutch, a coralland is used for nestinggreen turtles, which is called..........

145. Periyar Wild life Sanctuaryis located in .......... state.

146. The highest gravity dam inIndia is the .......... dam.

147. The most typical Australiantree which sheds its barkinstead of leaves is ..........

148. The strait that separatesTasmania from themainland of Australia is..........

149. The debris of fragments ofrock material brought downwith the movement of aglacier is called ..........

150. Which country is theworld’s largest juteproducer?

151. Clouds that stem from auniform base and extendlike a dark grey sheet fromone side of the horizon to theother are called ..........

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152. The world’s leadingsugarcane grower is ..........

153. Which country has thehighest yield per hectare ofsugarcane in the world?

154. The method mostly used formining iron ore andlimestone is ..........

155. The Damodar Valley, InnerMongolia and Pennsyl-vania are all importantmining centres of ..........

156. The leading producer ofcoal in former soviet Unionis ..........

157. The most importantagricultural region of theUnited States is the ..........

158. The Hawaiian Islandsspecialise in the cultivationof ..........

159. Narimanam oil field islocated in

160. Where is the Forest ResearchInstitute located?

161. Natural vegetation that ismarked by pine, fir andspruce trees would denote.......... forests.

162. What is the white liquidobtained from rubber treescalled?

163. The Rhine is the busiestinland waterway of Europe,primarily because its courseis never frozen .........

164. What is the BrandenburgGate?

165. Trees with sharp, needle-likeleaves are typical of ..........forests.

166. The world’s largestnewsprint producer is ...........

167. The Green Revolution inIndia has been the mostsuccessful in the case of.......... and ..........

168. The famous Trimurti statuewith the faces of Brahma,Vishnu and Shiva is foundin the .......... caves.

169. The major proportion ofagricultural land in India isunder .......... crops.

170. The Indian state that is thelargest producer of largecardamom is ..........

171. The equatorial rain forests ofBrazil are known as the..........

172. Prairies refer to extensivetreeless tracts covered withtall coarse grass found in..........

173. Carbonoceous rocks thatproduce coal and oil belongto the category named ..........

174. The world’s leading ship-building nation is ..........

175. Gold and silver are bothextracted from .......... rocks.

176. Doldrums refer to the areasthat lie between the latitudes5° to the north and south ofthe ..........

177. The world’s largest tinproducer is ..........

178. Inversion of temperaturerefers to ........ in temperaturewith height.

179. Yercaud, a hill station ofSouth India, is situated onthe .......... hills.

180. Rihand Valley Project islocated in the State of ..........

181. Boll-Weevil is a pest thatattacks the .......... crop.

182. The desert regions of the worldoccupy about .......... part of theland surface of the earth.

183. Tokyo, the capital of Japan,is situated in the island of..........

184. Which Indian state occupiesthe first place in literacy?

185. Which country assistedIndia in the launching of herfirst satellite ̀ `Aryabhatta”?

186. What is called the study oflakes and ponds?

187. The approximate equatorialcircumference of the earth is..........

188. The manufacture of diesellocomotives takes place in..........

189. Electric locomotives are builtin

190. Where in India is the CRRI(Central Rice ResearchInstitute) located?

191. Where is India’s biggestrailway marshalling yardlocated?

192. Which river is called a riverbetween the two mountains?

193. The Rourkela Steel Planthad been constructed with.......... help.

194. Where is the CogentrixThermal Power Projectproposed to be set up?

195. Krivoy Rog, KerchPeninsula, Magnito-gorskare major producers of ..........in former Soviet Union .

196 Berlin is situated on the rivercanal ..........

197. Pedology is a science of thestudy of ..........

198. The Khasi and Jaintia Hillsare located in ..........

199. The loktak lake, a big lake ofNorth-East India is locatedin ..........

200. Which is the busiest airportof the world?

201. The Duncan Passage issituated between .......... and.......... islands.

202. With which reference wasthe biggest ever environme-

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ntal protest made by thepeople against the destru-ctive aspects of develop-ment?

203. The country that uses its oldname of Helvetia on itspostage stamp is ..........

204. For which is the Kouroucity well known?

205. With how many countriesIndia has a common border?

206. The .......... river valley isdominated by ravines.

207. The ‘’Tehri dam’’ is beingconstructed at theconfluence of the rivers ..........and ..........

208. Which is the animal that theWWF (World WildlifeFund) has adopted as itssymbol?

209. The state with the maxi-mum number of peopleliving below the poverty lineis ..........

210. How many national waterways are there in India?

211. The plateau, which has anaverage elevation of about 4kilometres above the sealevel is the .......... plateau.

212. India’s largest industrialcluster is located in andaround ..........

213. What is the mean density ofthe earth?

214. The .......... type of fog is theone commonly occurringalong the seacoasts.

215. The process of thedisintegration of rockswithout any changeoccurring in their chemicalcomposition is called ..........

216. The tropical cyclones oftenfollow the direction ofmovement from .......... to ..........

217 Name the capital city ofSomalia.

218. Which Indian state is thesmallest in terms of area?

219. The daily weather mapshowing isobars is anexample of a/an .......... map.

220. The average salinity of seawater is ..........

221. The variety of coal in whichthe deposit contains recogn-izable traces of the originalplant material is ..........

222. What is condensation?223. The largest Inland water

way in India is ...........224. The time required for

moonlight to reach the earthis .......... seconds.

225. African name of Rhodesiawhich is dominated bywhite minority is ........

226. Port Louis is the capital of..........

227. Natural gas is a mixture of.........., .......... and ...........

228. The largest entreport of theworld is ..........

229. The first district in India tohave telephones in all itsvillages is ..........

230. Which is known as thehuman’s most useful tree?

231. Which countryis known asIsland of Cloves?

232. The largest island in theIndian ocean is ..........

233. The largest river delta ofIndia is of the river ..........

234. The artificial lake ‘GovindSagar’ is in the state ..........

235. The number of states inIndia is ..........

236. To which country would thetitle “garden in the desert”refer?

237. A narrow stretch of seaconnecting two extensiveareas of sea is called a ..........

238. The world’s largest port is..........

239. India’ s fastest train is theShatabdi Express between.......... and ..........

240. Organisms that live in thesoil are refered to as ..........

241. World’s largest solar powerplant is located in ..........

242. The continent throughwhich the Equator, Tropic ofCancer and the Tropic ofCapricorn pass, is ..........

243. The shipping canal thatconnects the North Sea andthe Baltic sea is called the..........

244. Sriharikota, and importantunit of the Indian SpaceResearch Organisation, islocated in the state of ..........

245. According to 1991 censusthe % of literacy in India isabout ..........

246. The number of officiallyrecognised languages inIndia is ..........

247. Mt. Dhaulagiri, one amongthe high peaks ofHimalayas, lies in thecountry of ..........

248 The great one hornedIndian Rhino is found in.......... Game Sanctuary.

249. The ‘Rhur of India’ is..........Valley region.

250. An important gas in theatmosphere that absorbssun’s ultraviolet rays is..........

251. The .......... route is the busiestocean route of the world.

252. The .......... railway is thelargest railway route in theworld.

253. The point below the surfacewhere an earthquakeoriginates is called ..........

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254. ‘Schist’ is the metamorphicequivalent of ..........

255. Doldrum is an area of ..........pressure.

256. The ... . . .. . . . mountainscrossing the Great Plainsand the Sea further southseparate Europe fromAsia

257. The .......... river in Europehas the largest volume oftraffic.

258. Suez Canal was completedin the year ..........

259. Zuari and Mandovi arenavigable Indian rivers inthe state of ..........

260. The Pacific terminal ofTrans-Siberian Railway is..........

261. The Sea that separatesGreece and Italy is ..........

262. The only port in erstwhileSoviet Union, that is ice freethroughout the year is ..........

263. The biggest railway junction inthe United States is ..........

264. Western Gateway to theUnited States is ___.

265. The National Highway 1connects Delhi to ..........

266. The deepest land lockedand protected port in Indiais .......

267. .......... islands are the “Crossroads of the Pacific’’.

268. Tin Bigha corridor is an issuebetween India and ..........

269. The National Institute ofOceanography is located at..........

270. The Internationally recog-nised scale for describingwind speed is ..........

271. In winter the Eskimos of theTundra region live in ..........

272. Foehn is a local wind of thecountry ..........

273. The 90° East Ridge lies inthe .......... Ocean.

274. Imaginary lines connectingplaces in oceans havingequal salinity are called..........

275. Which state is called the'agricultural epitome ofIndia.

276. The inclination of theearth’s axis to its plane oforbital is ..........

277. What is the wind system inthe equatorial areas knownas?

278. The constituent of theatmosphere that causes thegreatest changes in weatherand climate is ..........

279. What are clouds showing avertical developmentcalled?

280. The rock that gets trans-formed into marble is ..........

281. The planet of the solarsystem that spins at thefastest rate is ..........

282. Who are the Fellahins?283. What is the Richter scale

used for measuring?284. What is the capacity of a

rock to allow water to passthrough it called?

285. The Central Building Rese-arch Institute is located at..........

286. Name the biggest Indianport?

287. What does the term ‘certifiedseed’ denote?

288. The word ‘monsoon’ isderived from the .......... word..........

289. The castes of Lingayats andOkkaligas are associatedwith the state of ..........

290. Soft wood trees are mostlyfound growing in ..........forests.

291. The country that is thelargest supplier of meat inthe world is ..........

292. The nuclear power plantthat provides power mainlyfor agriculture is located at..........

293. Name the union governmentagency that is responsiblefor the mapping and explor-ation of minerals?

294. The international airport inTamil Nadu is in ..........

295. The longest passenger railroute in India connectsJammu Tawi with ..........

296. Nava Sheva, a major Ind-ian port, is in the state of..........

297. The saltiest sea in the worldis ..........

298. New Moore Island issituated in the ..........

299. The strait that separatesAsia from North America is..........

300. The strait connecting theBay of Bengal and ArabianSea is

301. What does large-scaledeforestation result in?

302. The most important meansof irrigation in Tamil Naduis ..........

303. The soil that is the mostsuitable for the cultivation oftea is .......... soil.

304 Vidyasagar Setu, India’slongest cable stayed bridge,is built across the river ..........

305. The construction of theSunkosh multipurposehydroelectric project is a co-operative effort betweenIndia and ..........

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306. The longest dam in India?307. The Himalayan mountain

system belongs to whichtype of mountains.

308. Around which mountainsdoes the river Brahmaputraturn into India?

309. The .......... forms the westernboundary of the Indiansubcontinent.

310. The Konkan coast stretchesbetween Goa and ..........

311. The Siachen glacier is in...........

312. The retreating monsoonsexercise the most effect on thestate of ..........

313. In which months do theretreating monsoons causerainfall?

314. Which is the smallest IndianUT (Union Territory)?

315. The state that is on theeasternmost part of India is..........

316. The great Indian bustard isfound in the state of ..........

317. In which country will youfind the Mansarovar lake?

318. The country that is famousfor its pyramids is ..........

319. Most of the world’srequirement of newsprint issupplied by the .......... typeof forest belt.

320. New York is situated on thebank of the river

321. The first stage in theformation of coal isrepresented by the type..........

322. The Maikal range is situatedin the state of ..........

323. The important line thatdivides India quite neatlyinto two climatic regions is..........

324. The functional classifica-tion of Indian cities has beendone by ..............

325. The Salal hydroelectricproject is in ...........

326 The Rajiv Gandhi air term-inal is situated in ..........

327. Mesopotamia is the formername of ..........

328. Volcanoes that are notcurrently active but have thepotential of future eruptionsare called .......... volcanoes.

329. Next to Iran, which is the largestmanufacturer of carpets.

330. Fog characterized by largeparticles of moisture iscalled ..........

331. What is Rome also knownas?

332. Which country is referred to as‘the playground of Europe’?

333. Where are the Negritos, theearliest arrivals in India,mainly to be found now?

334 The forces responsible formovements of the earth’scrust, the eruption ofvolcanoes and the causingof earthquakes are called..........

335. The marshy and forestedland in northern part ofUttar Pradesh is callled .......

336. The Indian states were firstdelimited lingustically on............

337. Which country leads theworld in wool production?

338. What percentage of the globeis covered by water?

339. A narrow inlet of seabetween cliffs or steepslopes, particularly associ-ated with Scandinavia, iscalled a/an ..........

340. What is the boundary linebetween Pakistan andAfghanistan called?

341. Lines drawn on a maplinking places having thesame atmospheric pressureare called ..........

342. A reversal in the direction ofwind, with the change ofseasons, is a characteristicfeature of the ..........

343. Where is the Tulu languagespoken?

Answers to Selected Questions1. Pacific2 Lake Baikal3. Rain and snow4. Atmosphere5. Tibetan6. Lahore7. Vatican City8. Nippon9. Vistula10. Kolkatta11. Chambal12. Narmada13. Orissa, Andhra Pradesh14. Pensylvania, the USA15. Hawaiian16. Roaring Forties.17. Assam18. Luzon19. Andhra Pradesh, Tamil

Nadu20. Mumbai21. Belgium22. lreland23. Panama24. Sedimentary rocks25. Australia26. Faulted and folded regions27. Regur soil28. Its longitudinal position29. Geostrophic winds

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30. Hygrometer31 Spring Tide32. Mediterranean33. lndia and China34. Krishna35. Damodar Valley Project36. Llanos37. Karnataka38. The Himalayas39. West, East40. Orissa41. Baht42. It denotes the period when the

steady growth begins.43. Vishakhapatnam44. Rishra45. Rajasthan46. Garos, Khasis and Jaintias47. Chhattisgarh48. Cauveri49. Indira Gandhi Canal50. The Krishna-Godavari delta51. Beetal52. Goats53. Haryana54. Denmark55. Mahanadi56. Australia57. Perambur58. Africa59. Chhattisgarh60. West Bengal61. 24 hours and 52 minutes62. 21st June63. Zinc64. Orissa65. Manikaran, Himachal Pradesh66. Rajasthan67. Rajasthan68. Panna69. Sedimentary70. Digboi, Assam

71. South Africa72. Low; high73. anticlockwise74. Wind velocity75. Phoomdis76. Glass77. Arunachal Pradesh78. The science of growing

grapes, in the Mediterraneanregion.

79. 980. Germany81. Gibraltar82. Northeast83. lndia84. Manganese nodules85. Abyssinia86. Kerala, Karnataka87. Beedi88. Groundnut89. Monozite90. Gujarat91. The USA92. Limestone or Karst93. Fossil94 Gas95. Karst (or limestone)96. Moorlands97. North Sea98. The Arabian Desert99. Thermal100. Pyrenees101. Italy102. Venice103. Titicaca104. Crust, Mantle105. Narcondam106. Periodical winds107. Japan108. The Bay of Bengal109. Arctic, Antarctic110. Kerala

111. Kolkatta112. Johannesburg113. Madhya Pradesh114. Kolar, Karnataka115. Jammu and Kashmir116. Transhumance117. Isthmus118. Coniferous119. Arokawa120. Isohel121. High seas122. Rainfall123. Gold Coast124. Contours125. Equator126. Cochin127. Korea128. Damodar.129. Norway.130. Hyderabad131. Cochin132. Lakshadweep133. Caspian Sea134. Tropical moist deciduous135. Hungary136. Sri Lanka137. North Sea and Baltic Sea138. Indonesia139. first140. Punjab141. West Bengal142. West Bengal143. Hot and moist144. Bhydar145. Kerala146. Bhakra147. Eucalyptus148. Bass strait149. Moraine150. Bangladesh151. Stratus clouds

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152. Cuba153. Hawaii154. Opencast mining155. Coal156. Donetz basin157. Corn belt158. Sugarcane159. Cauvery basin160. Dehradun161. Coniferous162. Latex163. throughout the year164. The main gate between East

and West Berlin165. Coniferous166. Canada167. Rice, wheat168. Ellora169. Food170. Sikkim171. Selvas172. North America173. Sedimentary174. Japan175. Igneous176. Equator177. Malaysia178. increase179. Shevaroy Hills180. Uttar Pradesh181. cotton182. l/3rd183. Honshu.184. Kerala185. Former USSR186. Limnology187. 40,000 km188. Varanasi189. Chittaranjan190. Cuttack191. Kapurthala192. Narmada

193. German194. Mangalore195. lron Ore196 Spree197. soils198. Meghalaya199. Manipur200. New York201. South Andaman and Little

Andaman202. Tehri Dam Project203. Switzerland204. Satellite launching205. 7

[Pakistan, Afghanistan,China, Nepal, Bhutan,Myanmar, Bangladesh]

206. Chambal207. Bhagirathi and Bhilangana208. Panda.209. Bihar210. 5211. Tibetan212. Ahmedabad-Vadodara213. 5.5 g/cc214. Advection215. Exfoliation216. East to West217 Mogadishu218. Goa219. Isopleth220. 35%221. Peat222. Change of vapour into

liquid223. Kerala224. 1.3225. Zimbabwe226. Mauritius227. methane, butane, propane228. Singapore229. Dakshin Kannada

230. Teak231. Zanzibar (Africa)232. Madagascar233. Ganga234. Himachal Pradesh235. 28236. Ethiopia237. Strait238. New York/New Jersey239. New Delhi and Jhansi240. Terricolous241. Majave Desert, USA.242. Africa243. Kiel Canal244. Andhra Pradesh245. 52%246. 22247. Nepal248 Kaziranga249. Damodar250. Ozone251. North Atlantic252. Trans-Siberian253. Focus254. Shale255. low256. Ural257. Rhine258. 1869259. Goa260. Vladivostok261. The Adriatic262. Murmansk263. Chicago264. San Francisco265. Amritsar266. Vishakhapatnam267. Hawaiian268. Bangladesh269. Goa270. The Beaufort Scale271. Igloos

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272. Switzerland273. lndian274. Isohalines275. Uttar Pradesh276. 66½°277. Trade winds278. Water vapour279. Cirrocumulus280. Limestone281. Jupiter282. Farmers of the Nile Valley283. Intensity of earthquakes284. Permeability285. Roorkee286. Mumbai287. Seeds approved by the

National Seeds Corporation288. Arabic; mausim289. Karnataka290. Coniferous291. Argentina292. Narora293. The GSI (Geological Survey

of India)294. Meenambakkam295. Kanyakumari296. Maharashtra297. Dead Sea298. Bay of Bengal299. Bering Strait300. Palk Strait301. Soil erosion302. Canals303. Laterite304 Hooghly305. Bhutan306. Hirakud307. Fold308. Namcha Barwa309. Hindukush

310. Daman311. Ladakh312. Tamil Nadu313. October and November314. Lakshadweep315. Arunachal Pradesh316. Rajasthan317. China318. Egypt319. Coniferous320. Hudson321. Peat322. Madhya Pradesh323. The Tropic of Cancer324. Ashok Mitra325. Jammu & Kashmir326 Hyderabad327. Iraq328. Dormant329. lndia330. Mist331. The City of Seven Hills332. Switzerland333. Andaman Islands334 Tectonic forces335. Tirai

336. 1956337. Australia338. 71%339. Fjord340. Durand Line341. lsobars342. Monsoon regions343. Karnataka

LadakhLadakh is a province in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmirsandwiched between the Kunlun mountain range in the north andthe main Great Himalayas to the south, inhabited by people of Indo-Aryan and Tibetan descent. It is one of the most sparsely populatedregions in Kashmir.Historically, the region included the Baltistan (Baltiyul) valleys, theIndus Valley, the remote Zanskar, Lahaul and Spiti to the south, Ngariincluding the Rudok region and Guge in the east, and Nubra valleysto the north over Khardung La in the Ladakh mountain range.Contemporary Ladakh borders Tibet to the east, the Lahaul and Spitito the south, the Vale of Kashmir, Jammu and Baltiyul regions to thewest, and the Trans -Kun lun territory of East Turkistan in CentralAsia on the other side of the Kun lun range in Kashmir to the north.Running southwest to northeast, the Altyn Tagh converges with theKun Lun range in Kashmir which runs southeast to northwest forminga “V” shape which converges at Pulu.

Hindu KushThe Hindu Kush is a mountainrange in Afghanistan as well asin the North-West FrontierProvince and Northern Areas ofPakistan. It is the westernmostextension of the PamirMountains, the KarakoramRange, and the Himalayas.The name Hindu Kush isusually applied to the whole ofthe range separating the basinsof the Kabul and Helmandrivers from that of the AmuDarya (or ancient Oxus), ormore specifically, to that part ofthe range to the northwest ofKabul.

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Selected ShortQuestions1. What is continental drift?

The ‘Theory of continentaldrift’ expounded by AlfredWegner in 1915 holds thatportions of the originalcontinent which comprisedthe entire landmass of theworld, underwent a series ofhorizontal displacementbefore the present continentsever formed. According toWegner after the breaking ofthe super continent (Pangea),the movement of thecontinents took place in twodirections one towards theequator due to centrifugalforce of the earth which gaverise to fold mountains like theHimalayas etc and anothertowards west due to tidalforce of the sun and the moonwhich gave rise to Andes andRockies.

2. What is Plate tectonis?Plate tectonics deals with rockstructures which are in theform of plates and it is not onlythe continents which are inmotion but the ocean as well.These plates not only carriesthe earths upper crust butalso the part of denser mantlebelow. They have an averagethickness to 100 km. Theyfloat on the plastic uppermantle called Asthenosphereand carry the continents andoceans as well. The edge of theplates are designed asboundaries and marginswhere movements occur.

3. Define ‘Ring of Fire’?About 68% of theearthquakes on earth isexperienced in the regionaround pacific known as

‘Ring of Fire’. This is theregion of crustal dislocationand volcanoes.

4. Where are the followingvolcanoes situated?(1) Mt. Vesuvius (2) Mt. Etna(3) Mt. Stromboli(1) Italy (2) Sicily of Italy(3) Italy

5. What is epicentre?Epicentre is the point on theearth surface, vertically abovethe focus, the most affectedarea of the earthquake.

6. What is Isoseismal Line?The line joining places whichexperiences the earthquake atthe same time.

7. What is the percentage of thefollowing gases in atmos-phere(1) Nitrogen (2) Oxygen(3) Argon (4) Carbon Dioxide(1) 78% (2) 21% (3) 0.93%(4) 0.03%

8. What are jet streams?Jet streams are high speedwind which blow from thewest in the upper atmosphereover mid latitude area. It hasan important role in theformation of weather condi-tions.

9. Define dew point?Dew point is the temperatureat which a parcel of air wouldhave to bee cooled in order toreach saturation. Thefavourable conditions aremoist air, light winds andclear night skies to ensuremaximum cooling byradiation.

10. Name the area where thefollowing tropical cyclonesare seen(1) Cyclone (2) Typhoon(3) Hurricane (4) Willy Willies

(1) South Indian Ocean(2) Phillipines, Japan andChina(3) West Indies and USA(4) Australia

11. Define Humidity.Humidity refers to the contentof water vapour present in airin gaseous form at a particulartime and place. Hygrometer is used to

measure humidity12. What is sleet?

Sleet is the mixture of rain andsnow

13. What is hail?Hail is small pieces of icewith a diameter ranging from5 to 50 mm.

14. What is fog?Fog is microscopically smalldrops of water condensed inform and suspended in the airnear the earth surface insufficient number to reducevisibility.

15. What is smog?Smog is formed when dirt andpolluted air is mixed withsmoke. It is generally foundin large industrial centres.

16. What is barrier reef?Barrier reef is the largest andmost extensive of all reefs. Thereef itself grows from the deepbottom and lie at distanceaway from the coast. Hence ashallow and broad lagoondevelops between the reefand shore.eg: Great Barrier Reef ofAustralia

17. Ozone DepletionOzone Depletion is thethinning of ozone layer in thestratosphere of earth’satmosphere.