Ch 7 Human Environment - Settlement, Transport and Communication

Settlements
• Settlements are places where people build their homes.
• Settlements can be of two types:
→ Temporary: Settlements which are occupied for a short time are called temporary
settlements. Example: The people living in deep forests, hot and cold deserts and
mountains.

→ Permanent: Settlements which are made to live in for a long time are called permanent
settlements. Example: People build homes to live in.

Rural Settlements

• The villages are rural settlement where people are engaged in activities like agriculture,
fishing, forestry, crafts work and trading etc.

• Rural settlements can be compact or scattered.

→ A compact settlement is a closely built area of dwellings, wherever flat land is available.
→ In a scattered settlement dwellings are spaced over an extensive area. This type of
settlement is mostly found in hilly tracts, thick forests, and regions of extreme climate.
• In rural areas, people build houses to suit their environment.
→ In regions of heavy rainfall - houses have slanting roofs.
→ In regions where water accumulates in the rainy season - houses are constructed on a
raised
platform or stilts.
→ In the areas of hot climate - Thick mud walled houses with thatched roofs.
Urban Settlements
• The towns are small and the cities are larger urban settlements.
• In urban areas the people are engaged in manufacturing, trading, and services.
Transport
• Transport is the means by which people and goods move.
• In early days, People had to walk and used animals to carry their goods.
• With the passage of time different means of transport developed but even today people
use animals for transport.
→ In India donkeys, mules, bullocks and camels are common. 
→ In the Andes Mountains of South America, llamas are used.
→ In Tibet, yaks are used.
• The four major means of transport are:
→ Roadways
→ Railways
→ Waterways
→ Airways
Roadways
• Roads are most commonly used means of transport especially for short distances.
• Roads are classified into two types: 
→ Metalled (pucca) 
→ Unmetalled (kutcha)
• The plains have a dense network of roads.
• Roads are also present in terrains like deserts, forests and even high mountains. 
→ Manali-Leh highway in the Himlayan Mountains is one of the highest roadways in the
world.
• Roads built underground are called subways/under paths.
• Flyovers are built over raised structures.
Railways
• The railways carry heavy goods and people over long distances quickly and cheaply.
• Today, Diesel and electric engines have largely replaced the steam engines.
In places super fast trains have been introduced to make the journey faster.
• The railway network is well developed over the plain areas.
• With the advanced technological skills railway lines are also bein laid in difficult mountain
terrains also. However these are lesser in numbers.
• Indian railway network is well developed and largest in Asia.
Waterways
• Waterways are the cheapest for carrying heavy and bulky goods over long distances.
• These are mainly of two types 
→ Inland waterways 
→ Sea routes
Inland Waterways
• Navigable rivers and lakes are used as inland waterways.
• Important inland waterways: Ganga-Brahmaputra river system, the Great Lakes in North
America and the river Nile in Africa.
Sea Routes
• Sea routes and oceanic routes are mostly used for transporting merchandise and goods
from one country to another. 
→ These routes are connected with the ports.
• Important ports of the world: Singapore and Mumbai in Asia, New York, Los Angeles in
North America, Rio de Janerio in South America, Durban and Cape Town in Africa, Sydney
in Australia, London and Rotterdam in Europe.
Airways
• Airways is the fastest way of transport developed in the early twentieth century. 
• It is also the most expensive due to high cost of fuels.
• Air traffic is adversely affected by bad weather like fog and storms.
• It is the only mode of transport to reach the most remote and distant areas especially
where there are no roads and railways.
• Helicopters are extremely useful in most inaccessible areas and in time of calamities for
rescuing people and distributing food, water, clothes and medicines.
• Important airports are Delhi, Mumbai, New York, London, Paris, Frankfurt and Cairo.
Communication
• Communication is the process of conveying messages to others.
• The advancement in the field of communication has brought about an information
revolution in the world.
• Different modes of communication are used to provide information, to educate as well as
to entertain.
• Newspapers, radio and television are called mass media as they can communicate
with a large number of people.
Satellites
• The satellites have made communication even faster.
• Satellites have helped in oil exploration, survey of forest, underground water, mineral
wealth, weather forecast and disaster warning.
• Wireless telephonic communications through cellular phones have become very popular
today. 
Internet
• We can send electronic mails or e-mails through Internet.

• Internet provides us with worldwide information and interaction

• We can also reserve tickets for railways, airways and even cinemas and hotels sitting at
home.
Ch 8 Human Environment Interactions: The tropical and subtropical regions
Life in the Amazon Basin

• The river Amazon flows through the tropical region lies very close to the equator; between
10°N and 10°S.
→ It is referred to as the equatorial region.
• The place where a river flows into another body of water is called the river’s mouth.
• Numerous tributaries join the Amazon River to form the Amazon basin.
• The river basin drains portions of Brazil, parts of Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Columbia and a
small part of Venezuela.
Climate of Amazon Basin
• The Amazon Basin is characterized by hot and wet climate throughout the year as it is
present on the equator.
• Both day and nights are almost equally hot and humid.
• The skin feels sticky.
• It rains almost everyday, that too without much warning.
• The day temperatures are high with very high humidity. 
→ At night the temperature goes down but the humidity remains high.
Rainforests in Amazon Basin
• Thick forests grow due to heavy rains.
→ These forests are so thick that the dense roof created by leaves and branches does not
allow the sunlight to reach the ground.
• The ground remains dark and damp which and only shade tolerant trees may grow here.
→ Orchids, bromeliads grow as plant parasites.
• The rainforest is rich in fauna.
→ Birds such as toucans, humming birds, bird of paradise are found. 
→ Animals like monkeys, sloth and ant-eating tapirs are found here.
→ Various species of reptiles and snakes such as Crocodiles, snakes, pythons, Anaconda
and boa constrictor also thrive in these jungles.
→ Several species of fishes including the flesh-eating Piranha fish is also found in the river.
People of the Rainforests

• Men hunt and fish along the rivers, women take care of the crops.

→ As hunting and fishing are uncertain it is the women who keep their families alive by
feeding them the vegetables they grow.

• People practice “slash and burn agriculture”.

• The staple food is manioc, also known as cassava that grows under the ground like the
potato.

→ They mainly grow tapioca, pineapple and sweet potato.

→ They also eat queen ants and egg sacs.

• Cash crops like coffee, maize and cocoa are also grown. • The rainforests provide a lot of
wood for the houses.

→ Some families live in thatched houses shaped like beehives while other large apartment-
like houses called “Maloca” with a steeply slanting roof.
• Life of the people of the Amazon basin is slowly changing.
→ Amazon highway made all parts of the rainforest accessible. 
→ Aircrafts and helicopters are also used for reaching various places. 
→ The indigenous population was pushed out from the area and forced to settle in new
areas where they continued to practice their distinctive way of farming.
•  The developmental activities are leading to the gradual destruction of the biologically
diverse rainforests.
Life in the Ganga-Brahmapura Basin
• The tributaries of rivers Ganga and Brahmaputra together form the Ganga-Brahmaputra
basin in the Indian subcontinent.
→ The basin lies in the sub-tropical region that is situated between 10°N to 30°N latitudes.
• The tributaries of the River Ganga like the Ghaghra, the Son, the Chambal, the Gandak,
the Kosi and the tributaries of Brahmaputra like Dibang River, Lohit River, Teesta, Manas
drain it.
• Main features of the basin: The plains of the Ganga and the Brahmaputra, the mountains
and the foothills of the Himalayas and the Sundarbans delta.
Climate
• The area is dominated by monsoon climate. 
→ The monsoon brings rains from mid-June to mid-September.
• The summers are hot and the winters cool.
Topography
• The basin area has varied topography.
• The mountain areas with steep slopes have inhospitable terrain therefore, less number of
people in the mountain area.
• Agriculture is the main occupation of the people in the plains because soil is fertile.
→ The density of population of the plains is very high.
• Paddy is the main crop while other crops grown are wheat, maize, sorghum, gram, millets,
jute and sugarcane.
→  Cash crops like sugarcane and jute are also grown.
→ In West Bengal and Assam tea is grown. 
→ Silk is produced through the cultivation of silk worms in parts of Bihar and Assam.
→ Crops are grown on terraces in the mountains and hills.
Vegetation
• The vegetation cover of the area varies according to the type of landforms.
• In the Ganga and Brahmaputra plain tropical deciduous trees grow, along with teak, sal
and peepal.
→ Thick bamboo groves are common in the Brahmaputra plain.
• In parts of Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh, coniferous trees like pine, deodar
and fir can be seen because the climate is cool and the slopes are steep.
Wildlife
• Elephants, tigers, deer and monkeys are common.
• The one-horned rhinoceros is found in the Brahmaputra plain.
• In the delta area, Bengal tiger, crocodiles and alligator are found.
• The most popular varieties of the fish are the rohu, catla and hilsa.
• Fish and rice is the staple diet of the people living in the area.
Towns and Cities
• The cities of Allahabad, Kanpur, Varanasi, Lucknow, Patna and Kolkata all with the
population of more than ten lakhs are located along the River Ganga.
• The wastewater from these towns and industries is discharged into the rivers which pollute
the rivers.
Transportation
• All the four ways of transport are well developed in the Ganga-Brahmaputra basin. 
→ In the plain areas the roadways and railways transport the people from one place to
another. 
→ The waterways, is an effective means of transport particularly along the rivers. 
→ The plain area also has a large number of airports.
Tourism Centres
• Tourism is another important activity of the basin.
• Some important places are: Taj Mahal on the banks of River Yamuna in Agra, Buddhists
stupas in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar etc.
 Ch 9 Life in the Temperate Grasslands
Grasslands

• Definition: Grassland is a region where grasses form the dominant type of plant life.
• Grasslands make up almost 25% of the total land surface.
• Climate and soil influence the types of plants.
• Types of Grasslands: 
→ Temperate grasslands: grows in temperate regions.
→ Tropical grasslands: grows in tropical regions.

The Prairies

• The temperate grasslands of North America are known as the Prairies.

• It is a region of flat, gently sloping or hilly land.

• The Prairies are bound by the Rocky Mountains in the West and the Great Lakes in the
East.

• It covers parts of United States of America and parts of Canada.

→ In the USA, the area is drained by the tributaries of Mississippi.
→ In the Canada, the area is drained by the tributaries of Saskatchewan Rivers.
Climate

• The climate is of continental type with extreme temperatures because located in the
middle of a continent.
• The summers are warm with temperatures of around 20°C while in winter temperature
may be as low as -20°C.
→ In winters a thick blanket of snow covers this region.

• The annual rainfall is moderate and is ideal for the growth of grass.

• A local wind “Chinook” blows in this region due to the absence of the north-south barrier.
Flora and Fauna

• The region is tree less where water is available, trees such as willows, alders and poplars
grow.

• Places that receive rainfall of over 50 cm, are suitable for farming as the soil is fertile.

• Major crop is maize. 

→ Other crops includes potatoes, soybean, cotton and alfa-alfa.

• Large cattle farms called ranches are looked after by sturdy men called cowboys.

• Most important animal is Bison or the American buffalo. 

→ It nearly got extinct due to its indiscriminate hunting and is now a protected species.

• The other animals found in this region are rabbits, coyotes, gophers and Prairie dog.
People

• The people of this region are very hardworking. 

• They have successfully harnessed technology to utilise their rich natural resources. 

• The USA and Canada are two of the most developed countries are located in this region.

• The Prairies has huge surplus of wheat production, therefore known as the “Granaries of
the world,”

• Dairy farming is another major industry.

• This is the most industrialised region in the world due to large mineral deposits particularly
coal and iron and a good network of roads, railways and canals.
The Velds

• The temperate grasslands of South Africa are called the velds.

• Velds are rolling plateaus with varying heights ranging from 600 m to 1100 m.

• It is bound by the Drakensburg Mountains on the east and Kalahari Desert in the west.

• It covers parts of South Africa, Lesotho, Swaziland, Zimbabwe, Botswana, and Namibia.

• The region is drained by the tributaries of rivers Orange and Limpopo.

Climate

• The velds have a mild climate due to the influence of the Indian Ocean. 

• Winters are cold and dry. 

→ Temperatures vary between 5°C and 10°C.
→ July is the coldest month. 

• Summers are short and warm.

• The region receive rainfall mainly in the summer months from November to February
mainly because of the warm ocean currents that wash the shores of the velds.

Flora and Fauna

• The vegetation cover is sparse.

• Grasses dominate the landscape. 

→ Red grass grows in bush velds. 
→ Acacia and maroola are present in high velds.

• Lions, leopards, cheetah and kudu are the primary animals in velds.
People

• Velds are known for cattle rearing and mining.

• Sheep rearing is the most important occupation of the people mainly for wool.

• Dairy farming is the next important occupation. 

→ Cattle are reared in the warmer and wetter regions
→ The dairy products like butter, cheese are produced for both domestic supply and also
for export.
• The soils are not very fertile in the velds due to the presence of discontinuous grasses
exposing barren surface.
→ Where the land is fertile crops are grown. 
→ The main crops are maize, wheat, barley, oats and potato. 
→ Cash crops like tobacco, sugarcane and cotton are also grown.

• The velds have rich reserve of minerals.

→ Iron and steel industry has developed where coal and iron are present. 
→ Gold and diamond mining are major occupations of people of this region. 

• Johannesburg is known for being the gold capital of the world. 

• Kimberley is famous for its diamond mines.

 Ch 10 Life in the Deserts
Deserts

• Desert is an arid land with little or no vegetation.

• Depending on the temperatures, deserts are of two types:

→ Hot deserts
→ Cold deserts
The Hot Desert - Sahara

• Sahara is the world’s largest desert.

• It has an area of around 8.54 million sq. k m.

• The Sahara desert touches eleven countries. 

→ These are Algeria, Chad, Egypt, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Sudan , Tunisia
and Western Sahara.

• Sahara desert is covered with, there are also gravel plains and elevated plateaus with
bare rocky surface which may be more than 2500m high at some places.
Climate

• The climate of the Sahara desert is extremely hot and dry.

• It has a short rainy season.
• Days are unbelievably hot.
• The temperatures during the day may rise as high as 50°C, heating u p the sand and the
bare rocks, which in turn radiates heat making everything around hot.
• The nights may be freezing cold with temperatures nearing zero degrees.

Flora and Fauna

• The vegetation includes cactus, date palms and acacia. 

• In some places, there are oasis – green islands with date palms surrounding them. 

• Camels, hyenas, jackals, foxes, scorpions, many varieties of snakes and lizards are the
prominent animal species here.
People

• Various groups of people inhabit the Sahara desert.

• The Bedouins and Tuaregs are nomadic tribes are among them.

→ They rear livestock such as goats, sheep, camels and horses for milk, hair and leather.

• 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 also grown in Egypt which is famous worldwide.

• Oil is also discovered in Algeria, Libya and Egypt which constantly transforming the
Sahara desert.
• Nowadays, the Sahara Desert is developing.
→ Gleaming glass cased office buildings tower over mosques
→ Superhighways replacing the ancient camel paths.
→ Trucks are replacing camels in the salt trade.
→ Tuaregs are seen acting as guides to foreign tourists.
→ More and more nomadic herdsmen are finding jobs in oil and gas operations.
The Cold Desert - Ladakh

• Ladakh is a cold desert lying in the Great Himalayas, on the eastern side of Jammu and
Kashmir.

• The Karakoram Range in the north and the Zanskar mountains in the south enclose it.

• Indus is the most important river of Ladakh.

• Several glaciers are found in Ladakh, for example the Gangri glacier.
Climate

• The altitude in Ladakh varies from about 3000m in Kargil to more than 8,000m in the
Karakoram.
→ High altitude makes the climate extremely cold and dry.

• The day temperatures in summer are just above zero degree and the night temperatures
well below –30°C.

• There is little rainfall, as low as 10 cm every year as the area lies in the rain shadow of the
Himalayas.

•The area experiences freezing winds and burning hot sunlight.

Flora and Fauna

• Due to high aridity, the vegetation is sparse.

→ There are thin patches of grasses and shrubs for animals to graze.

• During the summers, fruit trees such as apples, apricots and walnuts grow.

• Robins, redstarts, Tibetan snowcock, raven and hoopoe are common species of birds
seen in Ladakh.

• The animals of Ladakh are wild goats, wild sheep, yak and special kinds of dogs.
→ The animals are reared to provide for the milk, meat and hides.
People

• In the summer season, the people cultivate barley, potatoes, peas, beans and turnip. 
• The winter months are very harsh, people keep themselves engaged in festivities and
ceremonies.
• The women are very hard working. 
→ They work not only in the house and fields, but also manages mall business and shops.
• Leh, the capital of Ladakh is well connected both by road and air. 
→ The National Highway 1A connects Leh to Kashmir Valley through the Zoji la Pass.
• Tourism is a major activity with several tourists streaming in from within India and abroad.