Geography Material

Physical Geography The Earth²Its Motions and their Effects The earth has two motions, viz., (1) Rotation around its axis or the daily motion. The axis of the earth is an imaginary line inclined at 66.5° to the plane of the orbit orbit of the earth. The earth rotates round its axis from west to east once in 24 hours. Effects: Days and ni ghts are caused. The sun, moon and other heavenly bodies appear to revolve round the earth from east to west. Direction of winds and currents is changed. (2) Revolution round the sun on its orbit, or the annual motion: The earth revolves round the sun once in about 365.25 days. Effects: It causes seasons; days and nights are of unequal length at the same place.

Important elements in the earth¶s crust The five most abundant elements in the earth¶s crust are: Oxygen, Silicon, Aluminium, Iron and Calcium. (The other three are ar e Sodium, Sodium, Potassium and Magnesium.) Magnesium.) Oceans²Their Importance Oceans are the source of all water on earth as t he evaporated water from over their surface is brought to earth by the winds passing over them. They are the highways of the world and most of the world tra de is carried through the sea. Innumerable fish and other animals living in the oceans ar e a great source sourc e of food to mankind. Minerals like salt, iodine etc. are derived from the ocean waters a nd sea-weeds. Ocean Currents: are rivers of warm or cold water flowing in an ocean. Their banks and beds also consist of water. Natural Regions A natural region is a large area in which t he topography, topography, climate and vegetation are largely similar, and therefore there is a certain uniformity in human activities. Natural Regions of the World (1) Equatorial Region (2) Hot-Grassland Region (3) Monsoon Region (4) Hot Deserts Region (5) Mediterranean Region (6) Steppe Region (7) Tundra Region (8) Warm Temperate Region (9) Cool Temperate Region. Natural Regions of India (1) The Himalayas a nd the adjacent mountains; (2) The Sutlej-Ganga Sutlej-Ganga plains; (3) The coastal coa stal plains of Western and Eastern ghats; (4) The Deccan plateau. Factors Determining Climate of a Place (1) Distance from the Equator (2) Height a bove sea-level (3) Distance from the sea (4) Winds (5) Direction of Mountains (6) Ocean currents (7) Slope of land (8) Nature of the soil (9) Forests. Factors Determining Temperature (i) sun rays, (ii) height above sea-level (iii) movements of at mospheric mospheric winds, (iv) ocea n currents. Rainfall

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Two important conditions must be satisfied in order to have rain: (1) There should be moisture-laden air, (2) There should be some means whereby air is cooled and condensation takes place. The air obtains water vapours by evaporation from the surface of large bodies of water, usually from the sea. Monsoons in India Monsoons are periodic winds which blow from sea to land for six months in summer and from land to sea for six months in winter. Monsoon winds prevail over India at different seasons. South-West Monsoons: These are rain-bearing winds which prevail from about the end of May to the end of September. During summer, the sun¶s rays fall vertically on the Tropic of Cancer making the Indian plains intensely hot. But the rays of the sun fall obliquely over the Indian Ocean during this period. The land is hotter than the sea, there is, therefore, t herefore, low pressure over the land and high pressure over the sea. The winds blow from high to low pressure i.e., from the sea to the land, and are therefore wet winds. Because of the rotation of the earth, the monsoon winds blowing over India deflect to the right after crossing the Equator and become south-west winds. These are, therefore, called south-west monsoons. monsoons. India depends largely on these rain-bearing south-west winds. These winds give to India about 90% of the total rainfall. During their their prevalence, the chief crops cultivated are rice, cotton, tobacco, tea, jawar and bajra. North-East Monsoons (or Winter Monsoons): During the months of November to January i.e., in winter, the sun¶s rays fall vertically on the Tropic of Capricorn. The air over the Indian Ocean during this period thus becomes hot and light and there is low pressure. The sun¶s rays fall obliquely on the plains of India during these months with the result that the air over these plains is cold and heavy and there is high pressure. The winds, therefore, blow from plains to the Indian Ocean. While crossing the Equator, they deflect to the left a nd are known as northeast monsoons.

The North-East Monsoons bring only about 10% of the total rain to India a s they are chilly chill y and dry land winds. But the moisture that they pick from the Bay of Bengal, little as it is, is very useful. Wheat, barley, oats, oilseeds and sugarcane are cultivated during this seas on. Thus these monsoon winds have much importance for India. Weather and Climate Weather means the atmospheric a tmospheric conditions e.g., temperature, rainfall, humidity, winds, sunshine and cloudiness of a particular place on a particular day. Climate, on the other hand, is the average condition of weather obtaining in a country or a place for a considerable period.

India has a great diversity of climatic conditio c onditions. ns. Lying largely within the tropics a nd in the great Asiatic Continent and the vast expanse of the Indian Ocean to the South, the climate of India is essentially the tropical monsoon type. type. The average annual a nnual rainfall in India is 42















Peat soils. Alluvial

soil and Black soil Alluvial soil is that soil which is formed by deposition of silts brought down by the rivers. It is rich in hydrated oxides of iron and is very fertile. Black soil or the black cotton soil has a good water-holding capacity and is best suited for deep-rooted crops like cotton. The black soil in wet condition is compact and sticky.

The most extensive soil cover of India comprises alluvial soils. Soil Erosion: The soils are usually six to twelve inches in depth. In course of time, the fertility level of the soil is depleted with the result that the soil no longer remains suitable for agriculture. Soil conservation is, therefore, necessary for continued agricultural prosperity.

The agencies of erosion are winds, water and waves of which the water erosion is most common. Rain water removes soil from the surface of sloping lands. Winds remove remove top soil of lands. Laterite soils are formed by the weathering of laterite rocks. These can be distinguished from other soils by their acidity. Laterite soils are generally poor on the higher levels and cannot retain moisture. In the plains, however, they consist of heavy loams loams and clay and ca n retain moisture.

Laterite soils occur in Madhya Pradesh, Pra desh, Assam and along the Eastern and Western Ghats. T ea plantation requires acidity which is there in the laterite soil. It is, t herefore, common in these areas. Star and Planet Star is the name given to a fixed celestial body which has its own light whereas Planet is the name given to a celestial body which revolves round the sun in elliptical (regular oval shape) orbit. A planet has no light of its own but reflects the light of the sun. Rocks Three main groups of rocks: Igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic. Classification of rocks Ig neous neous rocks: granite. sandstone; limestone; shale; coal. Sedimentary rocks: sandstone; Metamorphic rocks: marble. Phyllite: This rock is formed by deposits of animal shells and skeletons. Land Breeze and Sea Breeze Land Breeze: At night, land masses cool quicker than the sea. Therefore, in calm, cloudless weather, an air-stream passes from the land to the sea. This breeze carries no moisture, and is a little warm.















Alternate rise and fall of waters of the oc ean twice in the course of nearly twenty twenty four hours is termed as ³tides´. T he tides are caused by the gravitational gra vitational force exerted by the moon and to a lesser degree by the sun, on the earth. The tides do not always rise to the same height. At the time of the new and full moon, when the sun and moon are in a straight line with the earth, the tides rise higher and are known as Spring Tides. Midway between new and full moon when the sun and the moon are at right angles as to their direction from the earth, tides are at the lowest height and are called Neap Tides. Spring Tides and Neap Tides When a high tide is caused twice a month at new moon and again when the moon is full, spring tide is caused as a result of combined attraction of the sun and the moon.

When the high tide is not so high, nor the low tide so low, neap tides are caused as a result of the difference of attraction of the sun and the moon. Seasons The change of seasons is due to (i) revolution of the earth round the sun (ii) inclination of earth¶s axis at 66.5° to the plane of it s orbit and always pointing to the t he same direction. On the 21st June, the North Pole is inclined towards the sun a nd the South Pole is inclined away a way from it. The rays of t he sun fall perpendicularly perpendicularly at the Tropic of Cancer (23.5° North) a nd fall comparatively slanting in the southern hemisphere. Hence the days are longer than nights in the northern hemisphere and it is summer there. Just opposite is the case in the southern hemisphere where the nights are longer at that time and it is winter there. Latitudes and Longitudes India lies entirely to the north of the Equator, between latitudes 8°-4´ and 37°-6´ north and longitude 68°-7´ and 97°-25´ east.

The latitude of the South Pole is 90°. South Pole has no longitude. Longitude of a place is its distance east or west of a fixed meridian. The distance of any place north or south of the Equator is ca lled the Latitude of that place. Parallels of latitude: are lines drawn on a map (or globe) showing the latitude of a place. Meridians (or lines) of longitude: These are lines drawn on a map (or globe) showing the longitude of a place. These lines join the north and south pole cutting the Equator at right angles.

(Lat itudes and Long Long itudes should tudes should b be clearly d i st ingui ngui shed f shed f rom rom P arallels arallels o f Lat Lat itude and M er er id ians o f Long Long itude respec respect ively ively.) .) By knowing these lines, we can find out exact location of a place. By knowing the latitude of a place we can find out its average temperature, as also its distance from the Equator. By knowing the longitude of a place, we ca n calc ulate its local time.















fact is used for determining the longitude of a place. All longitudes are measured from the meridian of Greenwich. We can determine the latitude of a place in the northern hemisphere by measuring the altitude of the Pole Star. The altitude of the Pole Sta r is the latitude of that place. For example, if the altitude of Pole Star at Delhi is 28.5° North, its latitude will als o be 28.5°N. The altitude of Pole Star is measured by an instrument called Sextant. Solar Eclipse and Lunar Eclipse Solar Eclipse: is the partial or complete obscuration of the sun because of the passage of the moon in front of it i.e., when the moon comes in between the sun and the earth.

The moon then appears as a dark object obscuring the sun. Over a small portion of the earth¶s surface, the moon is seen to blot out the sun completely and a total eclipse is seen by the people in that particular area. But over most of the earth¶s surface, the eclipse seen is partial because only a portion of the sun¶s face remains covered by the moon. Eclipse: is the partial or complete obscuration of the moon¶s surface when the earth comes in between the sun and the moon. The moon, when it moves through the shadow of the earth, loses its bright direct illumination by the sun, although its disc still remains faintly visible.

Lunar

An eclipse of the moon is visible and presents the same features at all places on the earth where the moon is above the horizon. The lunar eclipse can be seen with the naked eye, field glass or a small telescope. The lunar eclipse occurs at full moon only when the earth comes in between the sun and the moon which phenomenon does not occur at every full moon. Indian Standard Time The Indian Standard Time is a uniform time adopted by all palces in India without regard to their local time. It is usual for each country to have its standard time for use over the whole country as it would be very difficult if every town or village had its own local time and whenever we moved from one place to another, we should have to alter our watches. Indian Standard Time is the local time of a place pla ce near Allahabad situated at 82.5° East East longitude. Winds Air moving from one direction to another horizontally is called wind. It is the air in motion. Cause of Wind: The chief cause of winds is difference in pressure. Air always moves from region of high pressure to a region of low pressure to equalize the pressure. For example, the low pressure belt round the Equator is a region of calm known as the doldrums. Although there are no regular winds there, violent squalls and thunderstorms are frequent which come















Characteristics of the important Wind Systems of the World: 1. Trade Winds: The rays of t he sun fall almost vertically at the Equator and t he air there becomes hot and the pressure is low. The air rises towards the Poles and descends near 30°N and 30°S. The pressure is high near 30°N and 30°S. Because winds blow from high-pressure to low-pressure areas, winds from over over these altitudes blow towards the Equator and Trade Winds are caused. 2 . Westerlies (or Anti-Trade Winds): are winds which blow from about 40 degrees N to the Arctic Circle and from about 35 degrees S to the Antarctic Circle throughout the year. They derive their name from the direction in which they blow. In the northern hemisphere they blow in the south-westerly direction direct ion and bring winter rain to the Mediterranean regions etc. In the southern hemisphere, they blow in a north-westerly direction. 3 . Polar Winds: The winds which blow from the high pressure area around the poles towards the temperate regions are known as polar winds. They are extremely cold. T hey rise from the North West in the Northern H emisphere and from the South East in t he Southern Hemisphere. 4 . Periodical Winds: These are (i) Land a nd Sea Breezes and (ii) Monsoons which blow in one direction at a particular time ti me or during a particular season. In the hot season in India, the sun shines vertically over the Tropic of Cancer, i.e., roughly over over the great gr eat plains of the Ganges and Brahmaputra so that the air over the plains becomes very hot by about the month of May. At this time, South West Monsoon commences to blow. They bring heavy rains. Monsoon winds prevail over India at different seasons. India depends on the rain-bearing south-west winds which prevail from about the end of May to the end of September. These winds bring to India about 90% of all the rain that falls there. 5 . Variable Winds: are the t he irregular winds as Cyclones and Anti-Cyclones. Anti-Cyclones. Rainfall There is heavy rainfall on the West coast because the Western Ghat ranges receive the full force of the monsoons from the Arabian sea and there is heavy rainfall (about 100 inches). On the other hand, the Deccan Plateau gets very sca nty rainfall because it falls within the rain-shadow area.

Chennai gets winter rainfall as the north-east monsoons which blow in winter pick up moisture from the Bay of Bengal and bring rain to that city. The Bay of Bengal monsoons first bring rain to the eastern parts and then turn westwards. As Kolkata is in the t he east, it receives more rainfall. ra infall. As the monsoons blow westwards they become drier and cause less rainfall. So Delhi does not get as much rainfa ll as Kolkata. In the northern region, the Bay of Bengal monsoons first first bring rain to eastern parts and then turn westwards. As the monsoons blow westwards, they go on losing moisture and cause

















Two important conditions must be satisfied in order to have rain: (1) There should be moisture-laden air, (2) There should be some means whereby air is cooled and condensation takes place. The air obtains water vapours by evaporation from the surface surface of large bodies of water, usually from the sea.

The moisture-laden air is cooled in two ways: (i) by rising upward into colder upper regions of the atmosphere, (ii) by blowing as wind to colder regions. Thus we see: (a) Moist air is lighter than dry air and so it readily rises, expands in a short time, cools and falls. (b) When warm winds blow towards cooler regions, it is condensed by cooling effect and rain falls. (c) ( c) The land masses or mountains also tend to condense water vapours. When moisture-laden wind is obstructed by mountains, it is forced to rise. As it rises, it becomes cool and rainfall r esults. Rivers The work of a river is three-fold: (i) The Mountain Sta g e: e: The mountain or upper course of a river is swift as the slope at this stage of a river is steep. The main work of a river r iver at this stage is denudation (wearing away). In this swift upper course, the rivers carry big stones, pebbles etc. which go on eroding the sides and beds of the valleys. As time goes on, the river cuts away the spurs on both sides and the valleys become wider and deeper. The mountain stage of the Ganges in India extends from its source up to Hardwar. (ii) The Plain Sta g e: e: In this stage the river moves slowly as the slope is gradual and its main work is transportation (navigation) and irrigation. T he plain stage of the Ganges extends from Hardwar to Bhagalpur. (iii) The Delta Sta g e: e: This is the last stage and the rivers are very slow at this stage. In this slow lower or deltaic course, the main work of the river is deposition. The level of the bed at this stage rises due to mud and silt brought by it and deposited into several channels before falling into the sea. T he Ganges forms her delta from Bhagalpur up to t he sea.

The deltas are not formed at the mouths of rivers where tides carry away all the mud and silt deposited (at the mouth) e.g., the Narbada and the Tapti do not form any delta. Also rivers















excellent waterways for commerce. T he Peninsular rivers, on the other hand, have water during the monsoons but shrivel into muddy pools in the dry season. These rivers are of little use for navigation on account a ccount of their torrential nature in the upper course, and t he rapids that occur where they descend into deep gorges from the table land to the coastal plains. Climate and Vegetation The Equatorial type climate, in which t he temperature remains high all t he year round but does not vary much, produces hot, wet forests.

The Tropical type climate produces grasslands which ar e found on either side side of the equatorial belt where the rainfall usually occurs soon after the sun has been shining vertically while the dry season occurs in the colder part of the year. The lowlands along the Tropic of Cancer lie mainly in the high-pressure belt just outside the Tropics. The Trade Winds blow away from these lowlands towards the Equator and t he Westerly winds blow away from them towards the P oles. There are, therefore, no winds to bring rain to this r egion. Some of these lowlands are dry because these ar e very very far from the sea, like centre of Asia. There are fe w clouds and very very little rain with t he result that the sun¶s rays strike straight on the ground and make the days very hot. The temperature of the ocean varies much less than that of land because (i) water has a higher specific heat than land with the t he result that it both absorbs and a nd loses heat slowly as compared to land; and (ii) due to large surface of water at s ea more evaporation occurs than on land. Evaporation causes cooling and this results in the sea ha ving a lower temperature than tha n that on land. We may divide India into two parts for the purpose of climatological studies: (1) peninsular India and (2) Northern India. Peninsular India has the characteristic of tropical climate where ³the temperature is uniformly high and seasonal variation relatively low´. The climatic conditions in Northern India have no general similarity. This region lies beyond the Tropic of Cancer. The Western part of it includes East Punjab and Rajasthan where air is devoid of moisture and it is hot in summer and very cold in winter. The eastern part of this region includes U.P., Bihar, Assam and West Bengal. Here winter is mild and summer is very hot with plenty of moisture in the air.















In Peninsular India where regur r egur or black cotton soil is found and sufficient moisture moisture available, cotton is grown. It is the chief crop of the Deccan Peninsula²Mumbai and Berar being the chief producers. Coffee is grown on the Nilgiris in the South. Climatic Effect: India has on the whole monsoon-tropical climate: µMonsoon²lands µMonsoon²lands are dominated by the winds from sea to land in summer²the wet season and by winds from land to sea in winter²the dry season.¶ This type of climate is not very conducive to health and vigour. Man¶s well-being in such a cli mate depends largely on rainfall. The agricultural products do not grow if the monsoon fails and famine conditions break out. This dependence on rain, however, is not absolute owing to development of irrigation by means of projects, canals, wells etc. The desert type climate is hot and dry. The rainfall is scanty, not more than 10 inches a year. The day and night temperatures vary to much extent. The evenings and afternoons are marked by hot dust storms. The regions lie mainly in the high-pressure belts just outside the Tropics. The Trade Winds blow away from them towards the Equator and the Westerly Winds blow away from them towards the Poles. There are no winds which bring rain to this region and the climate remains hot and dry. Mediterranean Climate It is the type of cli mate experienced by the lands bordering the Mediterranean Sea, a nd also by other regions, in both hemispheres, situated in a similar geographical position. The characteristic features are ar e warmth of the t he summer, summer, mildness of the winter, and ample sunshine.

The entire west coast of the United States has Mediterranean type of climate because this region gets winter rainfall from ³Westerlies´ winds. Irrigation I rri Methods of I rri g ation: ation: The various systems of irrigation used in India are: (1) Canals; (2) Wells; (3) Tube-wells; and (4) Tanks. Canals: Canals are the most important of the systems of irrigation in India because: (i) the rivers are snow-fed and never run dry; (ii) the plain has a soft and alluvial soil, so















Tanks: Tanks are used in the Deccan plateau²especially plateau²especially in Tamil Ta mil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and in some parts of Madhya Pradesh. They are made by filling natural hollows with water or by building dams across the river valleys. As the soil is rocky in these areas, it is not easy to sink wells. The soil is not porous and the rain water flows off; Canals cannot be constructed as the rivers are not snow-fed. So the t anks are the chief means of irrigation irrigation in the Deccan plateau. Volcanoes and Earthquakes Volcanoes: By the pressure of the earth¶s crust the hot matter or lava in the int erior of the earth is pressed down. It gushes out through a crack or a hole when it finds a weak spot in the crust and begins to accumulate round it. By and by it cools down and solidifies and in the course of several years these accumulated layers of lava build up a conical mountain. Such lava mountains are called volcanoes.

Volcanoes are also formed when rain or sea water percolates in the soil and sinks deep down into the earth where it is converted into steam by the internal heat and forces its way out of the crust bringing with it large quantity of lava etc. Earthquakes: (i) When an active volcano bursts with great force or when a dormant volcano erupts into activity, the surrounding areas feel tr emors and earthquake is caused. (ii) When the interior part of the earth cools down and contracts, the outer crust cracks or a part of it actually drops down causing earthquake. (iii) Sometimes water percolates deep down into the earth and is converted into steam on account of internal heat. This steam forces its way out by expanding and thus causes earthquake eart hquake shocks. Fold and Block Mountains old Mountains: These are formed as a result of series of earthquakes by which in course of F old a long time, rocks are folded up above the general level and the agents of denudation start t o wear them away. The Himalayas, Hi malayas, the Andes, Andes, the Alps are example of Fold Mountains. Block Mountains: the formation of mountains when a mass of land is pushed up between several cracks, is known as Block Mountains as shown in the figure below. The narrow piece of the crust led down between two parallel cracks for ms what is called ³Rift Valley´. Mountain Ranges















Eastern Ghats: Towards the east are broken Eastern Ghats which descend to the low-lands of the Coromandal coast and are ar e broken by a number number of rivers, the most important of which are the Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna, Penner and Cauvery. These rivers flow south-east south-east across acr oss the plateau to the Bay of Bengal.

Chief Crops and Producing States (The first first ment ment ioned i s the chie f produci producing ng S S tate tate ) Bajra (millets): M aharashtra aharashtra , Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh and Rajast han. .P., Bihar, Haryana. Its cultivation requires cool climate. Barley: U .P., Cardamom: Karnataka. I nd nd ia i s the largest produ largest produccer o er o f cardamom cardamom in the world . Cashewnut: Kerala. Cinchona: Tami Tamil N l N adu adu (Nilgiri Hills); West Bengal (Darjeeling). Coconut: Kerala is the leading producer of coconut in India. A coconut tree normally yield 60-70 nuts in a year. arnataka , Tamil Nadu (Nilgiri Hills) and Kerala. I Kerala. I t i t i s a tropic tropical al shrub. shrub. Coffee: K arnataka Cotton: Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Punjab and Maharashtra. aharashtra , Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Ta mil Nadu. Cotton Seeds: M aharashtra, Gram and Pulses: U .P., .P., Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Maharashtra and Karnataka. Groundnut: Gujarat , Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh. Hemp: M aharashtra aharashtra , Madhya Pradesh and U.P. Jute: A ssam , West Bengal, Bihar and Orissa. Linseed: M adhya adhya P radesh radesh , Bihar, Orissa, U.P., Maharashtra and West Bengal. Maize: U .P., .P., Bihar and the Punjab. Mustard and Rape-seed (Sarson): U .P., .P., West Bengal, Punjab, Bihar and Orissa. Poppy (opium plant ): U .P., .P., Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Ja mmu and Kashmir. Rice: Andhra P radesh radesh , West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Tamil Nadu and Orissa. Rice Rice i s sow sown on the largest acreage in I nd nd ia. Rubber: K erala erala , Tamil Nadu, Karnataka. S a ff ron: ron: Jammu and Kashmir. I Kashmir. I t i t i s obtai tained f ned f rom rom the st the st i gma o f the f the sa sa ff ron plant ron plant

















Rabi Crops: are winter crops sown in October and November and reaped in April. These are wheat, gram, linseed and mustard. mustard. Favourable climate and soil conditions for the growth of certain crops Wheat: Its plant requires a cool climate in the beginning, warm and dry weather at the time of harvesting and rainfall at intervals²be int ervals²between tween 20¶¶ to 30¶¶. A clayey soil is very favourable. Barley: cool climate and a s oil poorer than that r equired for wheat. Rice: hot and moist climate with rainfall from 40¶¶ to 80¶¶ or over and rich soil. The plant is required to remain under water for several days in the beginning. A marshy soil is very suitable. Sugarcane: an evenly high temperature with sufficient rainfall²about rainfall²about 40¶¶. It needs a fertile soil, having lime and salt in it. Tobacco: hot and moist climate; rich soil. , cinnamon ci nnamon , cardamom cardamom , clo clo ves , nutmegs ) hot, moist and even climate. Spices: (pepper Opium: It requires hot and moist climate with a rich soil. Maize: warm and moist (but not very moist) climate. Cotton: It requires warm, moist and even climate where summer is long and where the soil contains salt. Sea-breeze is beneficial for quality of the fibre. T he ideal situation for plantation is lowlands near the sea coast or on islands in semi-tropical latitudes. Jute: It requires a high temperature with a minimum of about 80°F during the period of growth. It also needs r ich sandy soil, sufficient rainfall well distributed over the period of growth, ample supply of water for soaking of plants and for washing the stripped fibre. It als o needs suitable and sufficient labour to handle t he crop at the proper ti time me.. rubber trees is better adapted to areas where the climate is warm Rubber: The plantation of rubber and humid.















Mineral Resources of India India possesses huge mineral wealth but it is not much exploited. Coal, gold, mica, building materials, salt, petroleum, manganese ore, iron ore, copper ore and ilmenite are produced in quantities to be of real importance to industry and other sectors of economy. Out of these, mica, manganese ore and ilmenite are largely exported. exported. India has, however, adequate resources of industrial clay, steatite, bauxite, chromite, titanium ore etc. Minerals²Where Found (The first-ment first-ment ioned i oned i s the S tate tate in which ich the mineral i s chie f ly ly f ound ound ) Aluminium: Kerala. It is extracted from Bauxite. unjab and Karnataka. Antimony: Antimony deposits are found in the P unjab Asbestos: K arnataka arnataka and Rajasthan. Tamil N l N adu adu , Andhra Andhra Pradesh, Manbhum and Singhbhum Barytes: (Barium Sulphate) Tami districts of Jharkhand. Rajasthan and Jammu and Kashmir. Bantonite: Rajasthan Bauxite: Ranchi and Palamau districts of Jharkhand Jharkhand , Belgaum, Kharia and Thana districts of Maharashtra; Balaghat, Jabalpur, Mandia a nd Bilaspur districts of Madhya Pradesh. I t i t i s an ore o f alum f alumiinium. um. ajasthan , Tamil Nadu, Kashmir and Bihar. Beryllium Sands: R ajasthan Cement: Katni in M.P., in M.P., Lakheri Lakheri in Rajasthan, Jabalpur (M.P.), Guntur (Andhra Pradesh), Jhinkapani (Singhbhum (Singhbhum district of Jharkhand), Surajpur (Haryana). China Clay: Rajmahal Hills, Singhbhum district of Bihar Bihar , Kerala. C hromi hromite: Singhbhum and Bhagalpur (Jharkhand ); ) ; Ratnagiri, Salem (Tamil Nadu); Na du); Karnataka; Keonjhar (Orissa); Ladakh (Kashmir).















Manganese: Madhya Pradesh. Marble: Jaipur (Rajasthan). Mica: Koderma in Hazaribagh district, Monghyr ( Bihar Bihar ), ) , Nellore in Andhra Pradesh. Pra desh. Monazite Sands: are found in abundance in Travancore coast (K erala State). Thorium is processed from Monazite sands. Bihar , U.P., Tamil Nadu and Punjab. Nitre: Bihar Petroleum: Digboi, Badarpur, Musimpur and Patharia fields of A ssam , Cambay basin near Baroda where oilfields have ha ve been discovered and production has started. Large-scale Large-scale drilling for oil is in progress in India in Bombay and Gujarat. Pitchblende: Gaya (Bihar). Red Stone: Jodhpur Jodhpur (Rajasthan). Salt: Sambhar Lake (Rajasthan), and is als o obtained from ocean water of Ra nns of Kutch, on the north-western and south-eastern littoral (sea-shore) of India. unjab, U.P. and Bihar. Saltpetre: P unjab, Silmanite: Khasi Hills ( A ssam ); Rewa (M.P.). Silman Silmaniite i s used i used in the manu f acture o f f urnac urnace-l ining i ng in iron and steel i steel industry. ndustry. I t i t i s also used i used in glass and c and ceramic eramic industry industry.. Silver: K arnataka; arnataka; Singhbhum and Manbhum (Jharkhand); Tamil Nadu a nd Rajasthan. Guntur ( Andhra P radesh radesh ), Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Pradesh, U.P., Karnataka and Rajasthan. Steatite: Guntur ( Tin: (Bihar) Hazaribagh district. Thorium: (Processed from monazite sand) Travancore (Kerala). Tungsten: Bihar Bihar , Nagpur (Maharashtra) and Marwar. Uranium: Bihar. Zinc: from Zawar mines in Udaipur (Rajasthan). Zircon: occurs in the beach sands of K erala and Cape Comorin.















Plastic Goods: U .S. .S. A., England. w orld¶s leading supplier. Rock Phosphate: Morocco is world¶s Rubber: M alaysi alaysia , Indonesia and Sri Lanka. About 40% out 40% o f the f the world¶s natural ru natural rubb bber er ii s produc produ ced b ed b y M alaysi alaysia. Silk: C hina , U.S.A., France. exico o , U.S.A., Peru and India. Silver: M exic Steel: U .S. .S. A., Germany, CIS and England. Engla nd. Cuba. Sugar: Tea: I nd nd ia , China, Sri Lanka, Japan and a nd Indonesia. Indonesia. alaysia , Indonesia. Tin: M alaysi Wool: Austral ia , Argentina, New Zealand and South Africa.

Major Irrigation Projects in India Nagarjunasagar (Andhra Pradesh): on the Krishna river near Nandikona village (about 44 km from Hyderabad.) Tungabhadra (Joint project of Andhra Pradesh and Karnatka): On t he Tungabhadra river. Gandak (joint project of Bihar and Uttar Pra desh): Nepal also derives irrigation and power benefits from this project. Kosi(Bihar): A multipurpose project , which s erves bihar and Nepal.















second phases have been substantially completed . multipurpose project consisting of a masonry dam Bargi Project (Madhya pradesh): It is a multipurpose across Bargi river in the Jabalpur district and a left bank a canal. cana l. Bhima (Maharashtra) : Comprises two dams , one on the Pawana river near Phange in Pune district and the other across the t he Krishna river near Ujjaini in Sholapur district. Jayakwadi (Maharashtra) : A masonry spillway acr oss the river Godavari . Kukadi Project (Maharashtra) : Five independent independent storage da ms ,i.e., Yodgaon, Manikdohi, Manikdohi, Dimba, Wadaj and Pimpalgaon jog . T he canal system comprises (1) Kukadi left ba nk canal, (2) Dhimba left bank canal, cana l, (3) Dhimba right bank canal (4)Meena feeder and (5) Meena branch . Krishna Project (Maharashtra ): Dhom dam near Dhom village on Krishna and Kanhar village on Varna river in Satna Sat na district. Upper Penganga (Mahrarhtra ) : Two r eservoirs on Penganga river at Isapur in Yavatmal district and the other on Rayadhu river at Sapli in Parbhani district. Hirakud (Orrisa): World¶s longest dam, is located on the Maha nadi river. Mahandi Delta Scheme (Orissa): The irrigation scheme will utilize r eleases from the Hirakud reservoir. Bhakra Nangal (Joint project of Har yana, Punjab and Rajasthan): India¶s biggest multipurpose multipurpose river valley project comprises a straight gravity da m across the Satlej at Bhakra, the Nangal dam, the Nangal hydal channel, two power houses at Bhakra dam at and two power station at Ganguwal and Kotla. Beas (Joint venture of Haryana , Punjab , and Rajasthan) : It consists of Beas-Sutlej link and Beas dam at Pong. Thein Dam (Punjab): The project envisages Constroction of a da m across river Ravi and a power plant on its left bank.

















Damodar Valley Project(West Bengal and Bihar): A multipurpose project project for t he unified development of irrigation, flood control and power Generation in west Bengal and Bihar. It comprises multipurpose multipurpose dams at Konar, Tilaiya, Maithon and Panchet, hydel hydel power stations at Tilaiya, Konar, Maithon and Panc het barrage at Durgapur; and thermal t hermal power houses at Bokaro, Chandrapura and Durgapur. The Project is administered by the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC)

Geographical

Sobriquets

Surname

Name

Bengals Sorrow

Damodar River

Blue Mountains

Nilgiri Hills















Garden City

Chicago

Gate of Tears

Strait of Bab-el Mandeb

Gateway of India

Mumbai

Gift of the Nile

Eqypt

Granite City

Aberdeen (Scotland)

Hermit Kingdom

Korea

Herring Pond

Atlantic Ocean















Land of Rising Sun

Japan

Loneliest Island

Tristan De Gunha (Mid-Atlantic)

Manchester of Japan

Osaka

Pillars of Hercules

Strait of Gibraltar

Pearl of the Antilles

Cuba

Playground of Europe

Switzerland

Quaker City

Philadelphia















Bihu

Assam

Bhangra

Punjab

Chhau

Bihar, Orissa, W. Bengal and Jharkhand

Garhwali

Uttaranchal

Garba

Gujarat

Hattari

Karnataka

Kathak

North India















Maharashtra

Kathakeertan, Lezin, Dandaniya, Tamasha, Gafa, Dahikala, Lovani, Mauni, Dasavtar.

Karnataka

Huttari, Suggi Kunitha, Yakashagana

Kerala

Kaikottikali, Kaliyattam, Tappatikkali

Tamil Nadu

Kolattam, Pinnal Kolattam, Kummi, Kavadi, Karagam

Andhra Pradesh

Ghanta Mardala, Veedhi Natakam, Burrakatha

Orissa

Ghumara Sanchar, Chadya Dandanata, Chhau

















Lakhia, Sambhu Maharaj, Sitara Devi Kuchipudi

Josyula Seetharamaiah, Vempathi Chinna Sthyam















Dhrupad

Ustad Rahim Fahimuddin Dagar, Zahiruddin Dagar, Waslfuddin Dagar, Bundecha Bandhu, Uday Bhawalkar, Pt. Abhay Narayan Mallick, Pt. Ritwik Sanyal















12. The Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), Kolkata and its 16 regional stations are responsible for

surveying the faunal resources of India. 13. India has a great variety of fauna, numbering 89,451 species.















May 1986 with the objective to increase the production of oilseeds, reduce the import of edible oils and to achieve self-sufficiency in edible oils. 25. India is the third largest producer and consumer of fertilizers in the world, after China and USA. It

contributes to 9.5 per cent of world production and 10.6 per cent of world consumption of NPK















39. Farm Machinery Training and Testing Institutes are located at Budni (Madhya Pradesh), Hissar

(Haryana), Garladinne (Andhra Pradesh) and Biswanath Chariali (Assam). 40. India accounts for 57 per cent of the world's buffalo population and 15 per cent of the cattle





































































































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