ICSE Solutions for Class 8 Geography Voyage | India: Location, Extent, Political and Physical Features

Solutions for ICSE Geography Voyage Class 8 - India: Location, Extent, Political and Physical Features

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ICSE Solutions for Class 8 Geography Voyage - India: Location, Extent, Political and Physical Features

Exercises

A. Fill in the blanks

  1. There are seven union territories in India.
  2. The Tropic of Cancer divides India into two halves.
  3. The Himalayas literally means abode of snow.
  4. The Lakshadweep Islands have been formed by the growth of corals.

B. Identify who I am

  1. A river that divides the Peninsular Plateau of India into the Malwa and the Deccan plateaux : Narmada.
  2. A vast sandy low-lying plain in north-west Rajasthan : The Thar Desert.
  3. Barren Island is the only volcanically active island of India.
  4. The longest river of south India : Godavari.

C. Distinguish between each of the following pairs

Question 1.
The Eastern and the Western Ghats
Answer:
Western Ghats :

  1. They extend from the mouth of river Tapi to Kan niyakumari.
  2. The average height is 1,200 m but in some parts it rises to 2,440 m.
  3. They are continuous.
  4. They are the source of rivers that flow across the Deccan.
  5. They are steep and rugged, and rise abruptly from the arrow Western Coastal Plains.
  6. They lie close to the Arabian Sea.

Eastern Ghats :

  1. They extend from the Mahanadi Valley up to the Nilgiri Hills.
  2. The average height is 450 m, rarely exceeding 1,200 m.
  3. They are not continuous. Many rivers flow through them.
  4. They have gentle slopes that rise from the Eastern Coastal Plains.
  5. They lie at some distance from the Bay of Bengal.

Question 2.
The Eastern and the Western Coastal Plains
Answer:
Western Coastal Plains :

  1. They stretch from Kachchh in the north to Kanniya-kumari in the south.
  2. They lie between the Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea.
  3. They are narrower than the Eastern Coastal Plains.
  4. They do not have deltas, only estuaries and lagoons.
  5. They have different names in different parts—they are known as the Konkan Coast in Maharashtra, The Kanara Coast in Karnataka and the Malabar Coast The Kerala.
  6. They lie in the states of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa. Karnataka, and Kerala.
  7. Their important ports are Kandla, Mumbai, Marmagao, Mangalore, and Kochi.

Eastern Coastal Plains :

  1. They stretch from the mouth of the river Ganga in the north to Kanniyakumari in the south.
  2. They lie between the Eastern Ghats and the Bay of Bengal.
  3. They are wider than the Western Coastal Plains.
  4. They are composed of the deltas of all the majorrlvers of the Deccan.
  5. They have different names in different parts—they are known as the Northern Circars in the region north of the river Godavari and the Coromandel Coast in the region south of the river Godavari.
  6. They lie in the states of Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu.
  7. Their important ports are Vishakhapatnam, Paradwip, Chennai, and Tuticorin.

Question 3.
The Himalayan and peninsular rivers
Answer:
The Himalayan Rivers :

  1. They are also called as North Indian Rivers.
  2. The three important rivers are the Ganga, the Indus and the Brahmaputra.
  3. They are longer and slow moving.
  4. They are snow fed and hence perennial.
  5. These rivers are navigable.
  6. These rivers are more suitable for irrigation.

The Peninsular Rivers :

  1. They are also called as South Indian Rivers.
  2. The six important rivers are the Mahanadi, the Godavari, the Krishna, the Kaveri, the Narmada and the Tapi.
  3. They are shorter and fast flowing.
  4. They are rain-fed and not always perennial.
  5. These rivers are not navigable.
  6. These rivers are less suitable for irrigation.

Question 4.
The east and the west-flowing rivers of south India.
Answer:
The east-flowing rivers of South India :

  1. The main rivers are Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna and Kaveri.
  2. These rivers drain into the Bay of Bengal.
  3. These rivers make deltas at their mouth.
  4. These rivers have large- amount of water.
  5. These rivers originate from the western Ghats and flow eastwards.

The West-flowing rivers of South India :

  1. The main rivers are Narmada and Tapi.
  2. These rivers drain in the Arabian Sea.
  3. These rivers do not make deltas.
  4. These rivers have less amount of water.
  5. These rivers originate in Central India and flow westwards.

D. Answer the following questions in brief

Question 1.
Do you think it is right to use the term ‘subcontinent’ for India and its neighbouring countries ?
Answer:
Yes, it is right to use the term ‘subcontinent’ for India and its neighbouring countries because although they are a part of Asia, they have developed their own distinct physical and cultural identity. This is due to the presence of protective barrier of the Himalayas which isolates these countries from the rest. of Asia.

Question 2.
How many states and union territories does India have ?
Answer:
India has 29 states and 7 union territories.

Question 3.
What do you know about the Purvanchal ranges ?
Answer:
The hills of the north-east India are collectively called the Purvanchal ranges. They lie along the eastern borders of India. Their average elevation is less than 3,000 m. They consist of several hill ranges such as Patkai Bum, Naga, Mizo, Garo, Khasi and Jaintia Hills.

Question 4.
Name the three divisions of the Great Northern Plains and the rivers responsible for their formation.
Answer:
The three divisions of the Great Northern Plains are :

  1. The Ganga Plains in the centre : They are formed by the alluvial deposits of the river Ganga and its tributaries such as Yamuna, Gomti, Ghaghara, Gandak, Chambal, Betwa and the Son. It is in U.P., Bihar and West Bengal.
  2. The Punjab Plains in the West : They are formed by the alluvial deposits of the tributaries of the rivers Indus — The Satluj, the Beas, the Ravi, the Chenab and the Jhelum. It is in Punjab and Haryana.
  3. The Brahmaputra Valley in the East: It is formed by the Brahmaputra River. It lies in Assam.

E. Answer the following questions in one or two paragraph:

Question 1.
Explain how India has benefited from its location.
Answer:
The location of India has helped in the development of trade and commerce. The existence of seas on three sides has encouraged international trade. From ancient times, India has had political, economic and cultural links with other countries. Today, India provides a link between the East and the West world. Its central position between the two world has helped the development of its own industries and trade.

Question 2.
Explain how the Himalayas have greatly influenced the life of the people of India.
Answer:
The Himalayas exert a significant influence on the life of the people of India in several ways.

  • They form a natural boundary between India and China.
  • They serve as a climatic barrier by preventing the entry of the cold winds from Central Asia and preventing the rain¬bearing monsoon winds from leaving India.
  • They are a source of perennial rivers such as the Indus, the Ganga, and the Brahmaputra and their tributaries.
  • Their rugged terrain is ideal for hydroelectric power generation.
  • The mountain slopes are forested. These forests provide different types of timber and forest products.
  • The Himalayas have beautiful hill Stations Shimla, Darjeeling, Mussorie, etc.

Question 3.
Explain why the Great Northern Plains are densely populated.
Answer:
The Great Northern Plains are densely populated because of the following reasons

  1. The fertile soil of the plains has helped in the development of agriculture.
  2. Its soft soil has made irrigation possible.
  3. Their flatness has promoted growth and development of a dense network of road and rail transport.
  4. Their rivers and tributaries provide cheap water transport.

Question 4.
Describe the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and the Lakshadweep Islands.
Answer:
There are two Island groups of India :

  1. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands — They lie in the Bay of Bengal. They are about 550 in number and are of volcanic origin. Barren Island is the only volcanically active island. They are separated by a wide channel called the Ten Degree channel.
  2. The Lakshadweep Islands — They lie in the Arabian Sea. They have been formed by the growth of corals and are fewer in number than the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Many of them are uninhabited. These islands form the smallest union territory of India.

F. Picture study.

This is a photograph of the river Ganga.

Question 1.
Which are the states through which this river flows?
Answer:
The river Ganga, which is about 2,510 km long, flows through four states of India – Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal.

Question 2.
Name any two left-bank tributaries of the river.
Answer:
Its left bank tributaries rise from the glaciers in the Himalayas. The Ramganga, the Gomti, The Ghaghara, the Gandak and the Kosi are the main left bank tributaries.

G Map work
Mark and label each of the following in an outline map of India

  1. The Tropic of Cancer
  2. The neighbouring countries of India
  3. The Palk Strait
  4. The Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal
Answer:

Extra Questions

Question 1.
Describe the location of India.
Answer:
India lies entirely in the northern and eastern hemispheres. It extends from 8°4’N to 37°6’N latitudes and 68°7’E to 97°25 ‘E longitudes. The Tropic of Cancer divides India into two parts by passing through it. The approximate area is 3.3 million sq km. The Himalayas separate it from the rest of Asia. It has many neighbouring countries with whom it makes a subcontinent. South of the Tropic of Cancer lies peninsular India-triangular mass of land projecting into the Indian Ocean. It is surrounded by water on three sides. The Arabian Sea in the west, the Bay of Bengal in the east and the India Ocean in the south. The central position of India between the East and the West world has helped in the development of trade and commerce.
India at a Glance
Latitudinal extent: 8°4′ N – 37°6’ N
Longitudinal extent: 68°7’E – 97°25’E
Area : 32, 87, 263 sq. km
North-south extent: 3,214 km
East-west distance : 2,933 km
Length of land frontier : 15,200 km
Length of coastline : 7,500 km
Number of states : 29
Number of union territories : 7
Capital: New Delhi
Total population (According to 2011 Census) : 1.21 billion
Average population density : 382 persons per sq km

Question 2.
Name the countries that form India subcontinent.
Answer:
India, Pakistan, Nepal Bhutan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka form the Indian subcontinent.

Question 3.
What is the percentage of urban and rural population in India ?
Answer:
Percentage of urban population in India – 31%
Percentage of rural population in India – 69%

Question 4.
What is taken as the standard meridian for India and why?
Answer:
The 82 ×/2 °E longitude passing through Allahabad is taken as the standard meridian for India because it lies in the middle of the long east-west extent of India. For every 1° of longitude, there is a difference of 4 minutes. So there is a difference of two hours in the local time of Gujarat in the west and Arunachal Pradesh in the east. To avoid confusion and have a uniform time in the entire country, standard meridian has been formed.

Question 5.
Name the neighbouring countries of India.
Answer:
Pakistan, Afghanistan, China, Nepal, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Bhutan, island country of Sri Lanka and the Maldives.

Question 6.
What separates India from Sri Lanka ?
Answer:
Sri Lanka is separated from India by the Palk Strait and the Gulf of Mannar.

Question 7.
Name the three water bodies which surround the India Peninsular.
Answer:

  1. The Arabian Sea in the west
  2. The Bay of Bengal in the east
  3. The Indian Ocean in the south.

Question 8.
On what basis were the states of India reorganised after independence ? Name the states and union territories of India along with their capitals. (Political divisions).
Answer:
The states were re-organised on the basis of language after independence. There are 29 states and 7 union territories of India at present.

              State

1.       Andhra Pradesh
2.       Arunachal Pradesh
3.       Assam
4.       Bihar
5.       Chhattisgarh
6.       Goa
7.       Gujarat
8.       Haryana
9.       Himachal Pradesh
10.   Jammu and Kashmir
11.   Jharkhand
12.   Karnataka
13.   Kerala
14.   Madhya Pradesh
15.   Maharashtra
16.   Manipur
17.   Meghalaya
18.   Mizoram
19.   Nagaland
20.   Odisha
21.   Punjab
22.   Rajasthan
23.   Sikkim
24.   Tamil Nadu
25.   Tripura
26.   Uttar Pradesh
27.   Uttarakhand
28.   West Bengal
29.   Telangana

       Capital

1.       Hyderabad
2.       Itanagar
3.       Dispur
4.       Patna
5.       Raipur
6.       Panaji
7.       Gandhinagar
8.       Chandigarh
9.       Shimla
10.   Srinagar
11.   Ranchi
12.   Bengaluru
13.   Thiruvananthapuram
14.   Bhopal
15.   Mumbai
16.   Imphal
17.   Shillong
18.   Aizawl
19.   Kohima
20.   Bhubaneshwar
21.   Chandigarh
22.   Jaipur
23.   Gangtok
24.   Chennai
25.   Agartala
26.   Lucknow
27.   Dehra Dun
28.   Kolkata
29.   Hyderabad

Union Territories – Capital   
      
1. Andaman and Nicobar Islands – Port Blair
2. Chandigarh – Chandigarh
3. Dadra and Nagar Haveli – Silvassa
4. Daman and Diu – Daman
5. Lakshadweep – Kavaratti
6. Delhi – Delhi
7. Puducherry – Puducherry
8. India – New Delhi

Question 9.
Name the point in the Himalayas where the boundaries of five countries meet. Name the countries.
Answer:
Indira Col in the Himalayas is the point where the boundaries of five countries meet. The countries are :
India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, China and Tajikistan.

Question 10.
Name the six main physical divisions of India.
Answer:

  1. The Northern Mountains
  2. The Great Northern Plains
  3. The Peninsular Plateau
  4. The Coastal Plains
  5. The Thar Desert
  6. The Islands

Question 11.
What do the Northern Mountains consist of ?
Answer:
The Northern Mountains consist of the Himalayas and the hills of north-east India and together they form the northern and north-eastern boundaries of the country.

Question 12.
The Himalayas are rising even now. Comment.
Answer:
The Himalayas are relatively young mountains formed from the sediment deposited in the ancient Tethys Sea. The Tethys Sea lay between ancient land masses of Laurasia in the north and Gondawanaland in the south about 185 million years ago. The two land masses moved closer due to movements inside the earth and then collide with each other. This caused the seabed of the Tethys Sea to fold upwards, forming the mountains. The Himalayas are rising even now.

Question 13.
Name the three main ranges of the Himalayas. Compare them.
Answer:
The Himalayas consist of three parallel ranges of mountains

  1. The Greater Himalayas (Himadri)
  2. The Lesser Himalayas (Himachal)
  3. The Outer Himalayas (Shiwalik)

Question 14.
Name few passes or gaps in the Himalayas that serve as important passages through the northern mountain wall.
Answer:
Shipki La, Thaga La, Nathu La and Jelep La.

Question 15.
What is the location and extend of the Great Northern Plains ? Which rivers have formed it ?
Answer:
The Great Northern Plains lie between the Northern Mountains in the north and the Peninsular Plateau of India in the south. They extend from Punjab in the west to the Brahmaputra. Valley in the east for about 2,400 km. These plains are formed by three major rivers — the Indus, the Ganga, and the Brahmaputra, and their tributaries.

Question 16.
Where do the Ganga and the Brahmaputra join and where do they drain ?
Answer:
The Ganga and the Brahmaputra join in Bangladesh where they flow as one river — the Padma — which drains into the Bay of Bengal. Together these rivers have built the largest delta in the world the Sundarbans.

Question 17.
Write a short note on the Peninsular Plateau.
Answer:
The Peninsular Plateau is an ancient land mass made up of hard crystalline rocks of igneous and metamorphic origin. The plateau is triangular in shape, broad in the north and tapering towards Kanniyakumari in the south. The plateau extends from the Aravalli Range in the west up to the Chota Nagpur Plateau in the east. The Peninsular Plateau is divided by the river Narmada into two parts —

(a) The Malwa Plateau :

  1. Bounded by the Vindhya Range in the south, the Aravalli Range in the west and the Chota Nagpur Plateau in the east.
  2. Drained by the rivers Chambal, Sind, Betwa, Ken, Son, and Damodar.

(b) The Deccan Plateau :

  1. Bounded by the Satpura Range in the north, the hills of the Western Ghats in the west and the hills of the Eastern Ghats in the east.
  2. Drained by the rivers Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna, and Kaveri.

Question 18.
How have the rocks of the Deccan Plateau formed ?
Answer:
The rocks that make up the Deccan Plateau have solidified from the outpourings of lava from large fissures in the earth. These spread out in sheets to form one of the most extensive and thickest accumulations of lava flows in the world.

Question 19.
Write a short note on Thar desert.
Answer:
The Thar Desert is a vast low-lying plain with sandy ridges and shifting sand dunes. It lies mainly between the Aravallis in the east and the Sind Desert of Pakistan in the west. This desert lies primarily in north-western Rajasthan. The region receives very less rainfall, less than 25 cm annually and hence lacks water resources. River Luni is the only river that carries little water. The India Gandhi Canal has changed the desert into fertile land to some extent. Crops such as wheat, barley, grapes and melons grow here now.

Question 20.
Name the two categories of rivers of India.
Answer:
On the basis of the area of origin, the rivers of India are divided into the categories :

  1. the north Indian rivers or the Himalayan rivers — which originate from glaciers in mountains.
  2. the south Indian rivers or peninsular rivers — which are fed by rains.

Question 21.
Name the five tributaries of river Indus.
Answer:
The Satluj, the Beas, the Ravi, the Chenab and the Jhelum are the five main tributaries of the Indus (Panchnadi).

Question 22.
Name the states from where the river Indus, Ganga and Brahmaputra flow in India.
Answer:
The river Indus flows through the state of Jammu and Kashmir (from Tibet) and enters Pakistan.
The river Ganga flows through 4 states — Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal.
The river Brahmaputra flows through Arunachal Pradesh and Assam.

Question 23.
Which river is called the ‘Ganga of the South’ ?
Answer:
The Godavari river.

Question 24.
Define the following:

  1. Alluvial plain
  2. A Pass
  3. Tributary

Answer:

  1. Alluvial plain — It is a plain formed by the sedimentary deposits of a river.
  2. Pass — It is a gap through a mountain range that provides a route for travelling through it.
  3. Tributary — It is a small river that flows into a larger river, thereby contributing water to it.

Question 25.
How are rivers important to humans ?
Answer:
Rivers are very important to humans as :

  1. They are a source of water for domestic, agricultural and industrial purposes and of food and livelihoods.
  2. They are also a source of transportation.
  3. The are often used for recreational and religious activities.

26. Fill in the blanks

  1. India is a part of the continent of Asia.
  2. India is seventh largest country and has second largest population in the world.
  3. India lies entirely in the northern and eastern hemispheres.
  4. The 82 1/2° E longitude is the Standard Meridian for India.
  5. The Himalayas separate India from the rest of the Asia.
  6. Indira Col is the point in the Himalayas where the boundaries of five countries meet.
  7. Delhi is referred to as the National Capital Territory of India.
  8. The Himalayas are the source of perennial rivers such as the Indus, the Ganga and the Brahmaputra rivers.
  9. The Great Northern Plains extend from Punjab in the west to the Brahmaputra Valley in the east.
  10. The alluvial soil of the river valleys/plains is very fertile.
  11. The largest delta in the world built by the Ganga and the Brahmaputra is Sundarbans.
  12. The Peninsular Plateau of India is triangular in shape.
  13. On either side of the Peninsular Plateau of India are the Coastal Plains of India.
  14. Coconut Palms grow profusely in the Coastal Plains of India.
  15. The Thar Desert receives less than 25 cm rain annually.
  16. Luni is the only significant river in the Thar desert but carries very little water.
  17. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are separated by a wide channel called the Ten Degree channel.
  18. The Lakshadweep Islands lie at a distance of 200-400 km from the Malabar Coast.
  19. The Lakshadweep Islands is the smallest union territory of India.
  20. The river Indus and river Brahmaputra originate in Tibet before entering India.
  21. The river Ganga has it source in the Gangotri glacier.
  22. River Brahmaputra enters India in Arunachal Pradesh from Tibet.
  23. The west flowing rivers of the Peninsular rivers drain into the Arabian Sea.
  24. The margins of the Deccan Plateau consist of hills called the Eastern Ghats in the east and the Western Ghats in the west.

Map Skills

1. On a Political Map of India, show all the States and Union territories of India along with their Capitals.

2. On an outline map of India, show the important physical features.

ICSE Solutions for Class 8 Geography Voyage - India: Location, Extent, Political and Physical Features

👉 Solutions for ICSE Class 8 Geography Voyage - All Chapters 👈

ICSE Solutions for Class 8 Geography Voyage - India: Location, Extent, Political and Physical Features