Q 1. What are some key geographical features of India?
A. India has high mountains (the Himalayas), wide fertile plains (like the Gangetic Plains), plateaus (such as the Deccan Plateau), a hot desert (the Thar), long coastlines with beaches and deltas, and two big island groups (Lakshadweep and the Andaman-Nicobar Islands).
Q 2. How does India’s geographical diversity affect our lives?
A. These different landforms decide our weather, the crops we grow, the clothes we wear, the houses we build, and even the festivals we celebrate. For example, farmers use river water in the plains, people in deserts save rainwater carefully, and hill people build sloping roofs for snow and rain.
“LET’S EXPLORE” and In-text Activities
Q 3. Look at the map of India. Which landforms can you identify? What do the different colours mean?
A. On the map we see blue seas, brown mountains, green plains, yellow deserts, and light-brown plateaus. Darker colours show higher places; lighter colours show lower places.
Q 4. About where does India lie in latitude and longitude?
A. India stretches roughly from 8° N to 37° N latitude and 68° E to 97° E longitude.
Q 5. Identify on the physical map the Himalayas, the plains, the desert, the plateau and the islands.
A.
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Himalayas – along the northern border.
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Gangetic Plains – just south of the Himalayas.
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Thar Desert – western part of Rajasthan.
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Deccan (Peninsular) Plateau – middle and southern triangle of India.
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Lakshadweep – Arabian Sea off Kerala coast; Andaman-Nicobar – Bay of Bengal.
Q 6. Can you name the highest mountain in the world?
A. Mount Everest (8,848 m).
Q 7. Locate the states found in the three Himalayan ranges.
A.
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Himadri (Greater Himalayas): Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim.
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Himachal (Lower Himalayas): Same states plus parts of West Bengal (Darjeeling).
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Shivalik (Outer Himalayas): Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Punjab.
Q 8. Why is there a bright concentration of lights in satellite photos of the northern plains?
A. Lots of cities, villages, farms, roads and factories are close together on the flat fertile land, so many electric lights appear in the picture.
Q 9. What is the shape of a sand dune, and why do dunes keep that shape even though they are made of sand?
A. A dune is like a small hill with a gentle slope on one side and a steep slope on the other. Wind blows loose sand up the gentle side and drops it on the steep side, so the shape stays.
Q 10. Trace the Aravalli Hills on a map.
A. They run from near Delhi through Haryana and Rajasthan down to Gujarat, just east of the Thar Desert.
Q 11. Name the states through which the Aravalli range passes.
A. Delhi (a small part), Haryana, Rajasthan, and Gujarat.
Q 12. Notice the direction of flow of major peninsula rivers.
A. Most, like the Godavari, Krishna and Kaveri, flow east to the Bay of Bengal. A few, such as the Narmada and Tapti, flow west to the Arabian Sea.
Q 13. State examples of tribal-populated states on the peninsular plateau.
A. Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Telangana.
Q 14. Name five rivers that flow into the Bay of Bengal and list India’s coastal states.
A. Rivers: Ganga, Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna, Kaveri.
Coastal states: Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala (west coast); Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal (east coast).
Q 15. What do we call it when a river splits into many streams near the coast?
A. A delta (the smaller streams are called distributaries).
End-of-Chapter “Questions and Activities”
Q 16 (1). What are two important geographical features of India, and why?
A. (i) The Himalayas – they give us rivers, protect us from cold winds and defend the country. (ii) The Gangetic Plains – fertile soil supports farming and feeds millions of people.
Q 17 (2). Imagine India without the Himalayas.
A. Without them, icy winds could reach the plains, making the climate much colder. Major rivers like the Ganga and Brahmaputra would not exist, so farming and life would be harder.
Q 18 (3). Why is India called a ‘mini-continent’?
A. Because inside one country we find almost every kind of landform and climate – snowy peaks, deserts, rain-soaked forests, long beaches and islands – just like a small version of a whole continent.
Q 19 (4). Follow one big river and list its uses. (Example: the Ganga)
A. At its source snow melts into fresh water. In the mountains it makes hydro-electric power. In the plains it gives water for drinking and irrigation, supports fishing, carries boats for transport and is used in holy baths before it meets the sea.
Q 20 (5). Why is the south of India called a peninsular plateau?
A. It is a high, flat land (plateau) that sticks out into the sea on three sides like a peninsula.
Q 21 (6). Pick any UNESCO Heritage Site from the chapter and say why it interests you.
A. The Sundarbans interest me because they are the world’s largest mangrove forest and the home of the Royal Bengal Tiger. The mix of land, river and sea makes a special habitat.
Q 22 (7). Find your location on the maps and describe its physical feature.
A. Sample answer – Delhi: Delhi lies on the flat fertile Gangetic Plains, beside the river Yamuna.
Q 23 (8). Collect different Indian food-preservation methods.
A. Drying chillies and mango slices in the sun, making pickles with oil and salt, turning milk into ghee, smoking fish in coastal villages, and fermenting rice batter for idli are all ways to keep food safe for later.
Q 24 (9). How has geography helped to keep Indians united?
A. Rivers connect regions, old trade routes across plains and coasts link people for business and travel, and mountains and seas form natural borders that protect all of us together. Sharing these common natural gifts encourages unity.