GEOGRAPHY NOTES LIFE IN DESERT REGION

I. TICK THE CORRECT OPTION:

1. The three kinds of deserts are:
a. hot, cold and polar b. equatorial, cold, frigid c. sub-tropical, cold, polar

2. The rivers that flow through the fringes of the Sahara Desert are:
a. the Nile and Niger b. the Nubra and Shyok c. the Suru and Zanskar

3. The summer temperatures soar to this extent in the Sahara Desert:

a. 60 degree Celsius b. 55 degree Celsius c. 50 degree Celsius

4. The largest freshwater lake located in the Sahara desert is:

a. Lake Chad b. Lake Michigan c. Lake Superior

5. The camel is suited to the environment of:

a. Ladakh b. the Sahara c. both of them

6. The animal known as the 'ship of the desert' is the:

a. addax b. jackal c. camel

7. The yak-cows in Ladakh are known as:

a. kiang b. dzo c. addax

8. Dzo is an animal found in:

a. the Sahara b. Ladakh c. the Niger Valley

9. The name of the the highest motorable road in the world is:
a. Karakoram b. Zanskar c. Khardung La

10. The capital of Ladakh is:

a. Leh b. Drass c. Kargil

II. ANSWER THE FOLLOWING:

1. Where is the Sahara desert located?
Ans1. The Sahara Desert is a tropical or hot desert located in North Africa,
2. What kind of animal is the addax?
Ans2. Addax is a desert antelope

3. Name the nomadic tribes which traverse the Sahara.

Ans3. Many nomadic tribes traverse the Sahara. They are the Arab Bedouins in the
north, the Berbers near the Atlas Mountains and the Tuaregs in the southern half.

4. How is Ladakh accessible?

Ans4. Ladakh is accessible by road only in summer. In winter, due to heavy snowfall,
only air links are available.

5. Which animals are reared by Ladakhis and why?

Ans5. All Ladakhis keep herds of yak, dzo, sheep and goat which graze on high summer pastures and
feed on stored fodder in winter. Yak, besides being a beast of burden, also provides milk, wool and hair
while goats and sheep provide milk, meat and hide.

III. Answer the following questions in brief.

Q1. What is the main difference between the Sahara Desert and Ladakh?

Ans1.

Q2. How have the animals of the Sahara Desert adapted to the extreme climate?

Ans 2.

1. The animal species have adapted well to the extreme climatic conditions.
2. Small desert animals escape the fierce heat by hiding during the day under stones or
burrowing into the soil. They are usually swift runners and come out to feed at night.
3. The camel, known as the ‘ship of the desert’, is perhaps the best example of an
animal suited to the environment, besides the addax, a desert antelope.
4. The other animals found here are the jackal, hyena, snakes and lizards.

Q3. Describe the life of the nomadic tribes of the Sahara Desert.

Ans3.

 The Bedouins, Berbers and Tuaregs practice animal rearing and move with their herds
of camels, sheep, horses and goats, in search of water and grass.
 The animals provide them milk, meat and hide, which is used to make tents, belts,
water bags, and hair, which is used for making carpets, mats and blankets.
 Camels are also used for transportation.
 People wear long, loose white robes to beat the heat and protect themselves from the
dusty winds.
  Agriculture is practised near the oases or in the river valleys such as the Nile Valley.
 Various crops such as maize, millets, wheat, barley, and fruits such as figs, dates, apricots
and olives, are grown. The Egyptian cotton, grown in the Nile Valley, is famous for its
long fibres.

Q4. How has the discovery of oil led to a change in the lifestyle of the people of the Sahara
Desert?

Ans 4.

 The Sahara desert has rich reserves of mineral oil and natural gas in Libya, Egypt and
Algeria.
 The discovery of oil in this region has led to the migration of the tribal people to various
cities so that they can lead a settled life.
 Mining is also an important occupation due to the availability of minerals like copper,
iron ore and manganese.
 The development of transport and communication has brought a change in the lives of
people who inhabit the region.
 Airways and superhighways connect remote areas of agricultural fields near the Nile
River the desert to the world, while River Nile serves as an important inland waterway.
Cairo, Giza and Timbuktu, are the important cities with modern facilities such as schools,
hospitals, cultural and religious centres.

Q5. How do the rivers provide a change in the landscape of Ladakh?

Ans

• The rugged mountain terrain has been dissected by the upper course of the River Indus and its
tributaries—the Nubra, Shyok, Suru and Zanskar.
• These rivers have cut deep valleys and gorges and lend some greenery to the otherwise
bleak, dry landscape.
• Pangong Tso is a huge salt water lake in Ladakh.

IV. Answer the following questions in detail.

Q1. Write a note on the climatic conditions of the Sahara desert.

Ans1.

1. Extreme temperatures wherein summer temperatures soar to almost 55°C while winter
temperatures drop to 15°C, and even reach freezing point.
2. Days are scorching hot while nights are freezing cold.
3. Hot and dry winds blow across the desert region.
4. Rain-bearing winds from the Atlantic Ocean loose most of their moisture by the time they
reach this area. Thus, annual rainfall (less than 25 cm per year) is both unreliable and
irregular.
5. There is a rise in temperature and decrease in humidity as one moves eastwards. The Libyan
region is the most arid and El-Azizia records very high temperatures crossing 48°C.

Q2. How does the vegetation in the Sahara adapt to the low rainfall?
Ans2. The desert is home to
 • Xerophytic: vegetation such as small, spiny cacti bushes, and tufts of
coarse grass that have adapted well to the lack of water by growing long
roots, waxy leaves, fleshy stems and spines.
• Date palms that grow around the oases. They provide dates for food, the sap
is used to make wine, and the leaves are used for fodder and to make thatch
roofs.
• Cactus, acacia and baobab are the main plant species found in the
Sahara Desert.

Q3. Why is Ladakh called ‘the land of high passes’?

Ans 3.
 Ladakh is a Tibetan term meaning 'land of high passes.'
 Located to the east of Jammu and Kashmir in India, Ladakh is a cold,
mountainous rocky desert.
 Lying north of the Great Himalayas, it is bound by the Karakoram Range in
the north and the Zanskar Mountains in the south.
 The altitude here ranges from 3,000m near Kargil to about 8,000m in the
Karakoram Range.
 The average height of the Ladakh Range is 6,000 m. Several mountain passes
provide access to no rainfall. Ladakh, such as the Khardung La.

Q4. Describe the climate of Ladakh.

Ans 4.

• Lying in the rain-shadow of the Great Himalayan Range, Ladakh

virtually receives no rainfall
• The annual rainfall is as low as 10 cm
• Westerly disturbances and the bitter cold winds from Central Asia
bring snowfall to the region, which feeds the glaciers in the
mountains.
• The climate here is extreme with summer temperatures varying between
30°C during the day and –3°C at night while
• Winter temperatures remain below freezing point during the day and may
reach as low as –35°C at night.
• The winds entering through the passes bring heavy snowfall during winter.

Q5. Write a short note on the life of people in Ladakh.

Ans 5.

The Ladakhis are fiercely independent and extremely hardworking people. They are adept at
meeting the challenges of the inhospitable climate and terrain. In order to survive in such a
harsh environment,
the Ladakhi people have developed a lifestyle in harmony with nature and use their natural
resources very carefully.

1. The economy in Ladakh is based agriculture, animal rearing and tourism.

2. All Ladakhis keep herds of yak, dzo, sheep and goat which graze on high summer
pastures and feed on stored fodder in winter.Yak, besides being a beast of burden, also
provides milk, wool and hair while goats and sheep provide milk, meat and hide.
 3. During winter, the people engage themselves in weaving which is mostly done on
primitive
looms. Pashmina wool obtained from sheep is used to make shawls, blankets and
carpets.
4. Agriculture is practised during the summer months from May to September and cereals
such as wheat and barley are grown.
5. Horticulture is common and a variety of vegetables and fruits like peas, turnips, beans,
potatoes, apples, strawberries, apricots and mulberries are grown.
6. Desert conditions have forced the farmers to develop unique irrigation systems using
water melted from the glaciers.
7. Handicrafts also occupy an important place in traditional Ladakhi society in the form
of knitting, weaving, cabinet-making, woodcarving, metal work and making
embroidered tangkas or silk paintings. This activity continues through winter and
summer.
8. Cooperatives and training institutes, set up by the government, help the local
population
to make various crafts for sale to tourists who flock here in the summer.
9. Tourism also provides a source of livelihood for many Ladakhis in the summer season,
especially in the urban areas of Leh (the capital), Dras, Kargil and Diskit.