NCERT Solutions for Class 7 Geography Chapter 9 Life in the Deserts
NCERT Solutions for Class 7 Social Science Geography Chapter 9 Life in the Deserts contains the answers to the exercises given in the NCERT History book. These solutions are easy and accurate that help you to answer the questions asked in the examinations. NCERT Solutions for Class 7 Geography Chapter 9 are prepared by our subject experts in very easy language. Practice these solutions regularly to ensure excellent marks in the exams.
NCERT Solutions for Class 7 Social Science Geography Chapter 9
Question 1: Answer the following questions.
(a) What are the two types of deserts found in the world?
Solution: There are two types of deserts in the world:
- Hot Desert
- Cold Desert
(b) In which continent is the Sahara desert located?
Solution: The Sahara desert is located in the African continent.
(c) What are the climatic conditions of the Ladakh desert?
Solution: Ladakh is a cold desert that lies in the Great Himalayas. The altitude of Ladakh varies from 3000m to 8000m, because of which the climate is very cold and dry. The air at this altitude is very thin and it intensifies the heat from the sun. The temperature in winters is less than –40°C and the day temperature in summers is just above zero degrees.
(d) What mainly attracts tourists to Ladakh?
Solution: Ladakh is a famous tourist place. The tourists from within the country and abroad enjoy visiting Buddhist monasteries that dot the Ladakhi landscape with their traditional gompas.
The meadows and glaciers in Ladakh also attract these tourists. The ceremonies and festivities in which the local people keep themselves engaged during winter months are great attractions to the tourists.
(e) What type of clothes the people of the Sahara Desert wear?
Solution: The people of Sahara Desert wear heavy robes as protection against dust storms and wind.
(f) Name the trees that grow in Ladakh.
Solution: Trees like apple, apricot and walnut grow during the summer season in Ladakh. Other than that, there are scanty patches of shrubs and grass for animals to graze. Because of the cold climate, there is not much fauna in this region.
Question 2: Tick the correct answer.
(i) Sahara is located in which part of Africa
(a) eastern
(b) northern
(c) western
Solution: (b) northern
(ii) Sahara is what type of desert
(a) cold
(b) hot
(c) mild
Solution: (b) hot
(iii) The Ladakh desert is mainly inhabited by
(a) Christians and Muslims
(b) Buddhists and Muslims
(c) Christians and Buddhists
Solution: (b) Buddhists and Muslims
(iv) Deserts are characterised by
(a) scanty vegetation
(b) heavy precipitation
(c) low evaporation
Solution: (a) scanty vegetation
(v) Hemis in the Ladakh is a famous
(a) temple
(b) church
(c) monastery
Solution: (c) monastery
(vi) Egypt is famous for growing
(a) wheat
(b) maize
(c) cotton
Solution: (c) cotton
Question 3: Match the following.
| (i) Oasis | (a) Libya |
| (ii) Bedouins | (b) monastery |
| (iii) Oil | (c) glacier |
| (iv) Gangri | (d) depressions with water |
| (v) Lamayuru | (e) cold desert |
| (f) Sahara |
Solution:
| (i) Oasis | (d) depressions with water |
| (ii) Bedouins | (f) Sahara |
| (iii) Oil | (a) Libya |
| (iv) Gangri | (c) glacier |
| (v) Lamayuru | (b) monastery |
Question 4: Give reasons.
(i) There is scanty vegetation in the deserts.
Solution: A desert is an area characterised by low rainfall, scanty vegetation and extreme temperature. These climatic conditions are not suitable for the growth of plants. This is why there is scanty vegetation in the deserts.
(ii) People of the Sahara desert wear heavy robes.
Solution: The people of the Sahara desert wear long, loose-fitting, heavy robes, and head wrappings. The loose-fitting clothes allow air to circulate, prevent the sweat from evaporating quickly, and help the body retain fluids. They also keep the body cool. The long, heavy robes and head wrappings protect an individual against the sun, dust storms and hot winds.
Extra Questions
Very Short Answer Questions
1. What is a desert?
Answer: Desert is an arid region characterised by extremely high or low temperatures and has scarce vegetation.
2. Give the features of a desert.
Answer: The deserts are characterised by low rainfall, scanty vegetation and extreme temperatures.
3. What common animals are found in Sahara?
Answer: Camels, hyenas, jackals, foxes, scorpions and many varieties of snakes and lizards are found in Sahara.
4. Write a note on cultivation in Sahara.
Answer: The oasis in the Sahara and the Nile valley in Egypt supports settled population. Since water is available, the people grow date palms. Crops such as rice, wheat, barley and beans are also grown. Egyptian cotton is famous throughout the world.
5. Name the passes in Manali–Leh Highway.
Answer: It has four passes: Rohtang La, Baralacha La, Lungalacha La and Tanglang La.
Short Answer Questions
1. Give physical landscape of Sahara desert.
Answer: The Sahara desert covers a large part of North Africa. It is the world’s largest desert with an area of 8.54 million sq. km. The desert touches eleven countries which include Algeria, Chad, Egypt, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Sudan, Tunisia and Western Sahara. Along with vast stretches of sand, the Sahara desert is also covered with gravel plains and elevated plateaus with bare rocky surface.
2. Examine the climate of Sahara desert.
Answer: (i) The climate of Sahara desert is scorching hot and parch dry. It has a short rainy season with clear skies.
(ii) Days are hot and temperature during the day may soar as high as 50°C, heating up the sand and areas around.
(iii) The nights may be freezing cold with temperatures nearing zero degrees.
3. Describe the flora and fauna of Sahara desert.
Answer: (i) Vegetation in the Sahara desert includes cactus, date palms and acacia.
(ii) Camels, hyenas, jackals, foxes, scorpion, snakes and lizards are the prominent animal species found here.
4. Describe the flora of Ladakh.
Answer: Due to high aridity, the vegetation is sparse. Groves of willows and poplars are seen in the valleys. During the summers, fruit trees such as apples, apricots and walnuts bloom.
5. Describe the fauna of Ladakh.
Answer: Various species of birds are sighted in Ladakh. Robins, red starts, Tibetan snow cock, raven and hoopoe are common. A few of these are migratory birds. The animals of Ladakh are wild goats, wild sheep, yak and special kinds of dogs. The animals are reared to provide milk, meat and hides. ‘Yak’ milk is used to make cheese and butter.
Long Answer Questions
1. Describe the life of people in Ladakh.
Answer: (i) People here are either Muslims or Buddhists. Buddhist monasteries dot the Ladakhi landscape with their traditional gompas.
(ii) In summer season, people grow barley, potatoes, peas, beans and turnips. Women manage house, fields and even small business and shops.
(iii) Leh, the capital of Ladakh, is well-connected by road and air. The National Highway 1A connects Leh to Kashmir Valley through the Zojila Pass.
(iv) Tourism is a major activity in this region.
(v) Life of people is undergoing a change. People have learnt to live in balance and harmony with nature. Due to scarcity of resources like water and fuel, they are used with reverence and care.
2. Examine the altitude and climate of Ladakh.
Answer: (i) The altitude in Ladakh varies from 3,000 m in Kargil to more than 8,000 m in Karakoram.
(ii) Due to its high altitude, the climate is extremely cold and dry. The air is so thin that the heat of sun is felt intensely.
(iii) The day temperatures in summers is generally above zero degree and night temperature is below –30°C.
(iv) It is freezing cold in the winters when the temperature may remain –40°C most of the time.
(v) As this is a rain shadow area, rainfall is below 10 cm every year.
3. How are depressions and oasis formed?
Answer: (i) Depressions are formed when the wind blows away the sand. In the depression where underground water reaches the surface, an oasis is formed.
(ii) These areas are fertile.
(iii) People may settle around these water bodies and grow date palms and other crops.
(iv) Sometimes the oasis may be abnormally large.
(v) Tafilalet oasis in Morocco is a large oasis with an area of about 13,000 sq.km.
4. Describe the physical landscape of Ladakh.
Answer: (i) Ladakh is a cold desert lying in the Great Himalayas, on the eastern side of Jammu & Kashmir.
(ii) The Karakoram range in the North and the Zanskar mountains in the South enclose it.
(iii) Several rivers flow through it, Indus being the most important.
(iv) The rivers form deep valleys and gorges.
(v) Several glaciers like the Gangri glacier are found in Ladakh.
Hots (Higher Order Thinking Skills)
1. Write a note on inhabitation of Sahara.
Answer: (i) Despite its harsh climate, people of Sahara pursue different activities.
(ii) The Bedouins and Tuaregs are famous nomadic tribes rearing livestock like goats, sheep, camels and horses.
(iii) These animals provide milk, hides from which they make leather for belts, slippers, water bottles, hair is used for mats, carpets, clothes and blankets.
(iv) People wear heavy robes as protection against dust storms and hot winds.
Class 7 Geography Chapter 9 NCERT Questions and Answers
CBSE Solutions for Class 7 Social Science Geography Chapter 9 Life in the Deserts are given above. All our solutions are updated as per the latest CBSE Syllabus and Guidelines. Download these NCERT solutions for free from our app and use offline.