Selina Textbook Solutions: Asia Location, Extent, Political and Physical Features | Geography Class 8 ICSE PDF Download

 Page 1


Asia Location, Extent, Political and Physical Features 
Exercises 
A. Fill in the blanks 
1. A mountain range in South-west Asia that separates Asia from Europe 
: Caucasus mountains. 
2. I am a plain formed by the rivers Ob, Yenisei, and Lena :Great Siberian Plain or 
Northern Lowlands. 
3. An area of inland drainage into which the Amu Darya and, Syr Darya drain : Turan 
Plain. 
4. I am a small zone from which several mountain ranges appear to radiate 
out: Pamir Knot. 
5. A plateau that lies between the Alborz and Zagros mountain ranges : Plateau of 
Iran. 
B. Match the following 
 
Answer: 
 
 
Page 2


Asia Location, Extent, Political and Physical Features 
Exercises 
A. Fill in the blanks 
1. A mountain range in South-west Asia that separates Asia from Europe 
: Caucasus mountains. 
2. I am a plain formed by the rivers Ob, Yenisei, and Lena :Great Siberian Plain or 
Northern Lowlands. 
3. An area of inland drainage into which the Amu Darya and, Syr Darya drain : Turan 
Plain. 
4. I am a small zone from which several mountain ranges appear to radiate 
out: Pamir Knot. 
5. A plateau that lies between the Alborz and Zagros mountain ranges : Plateau of 
Iran. 
B. Match the following 
 
Answer: 
 
 
C. State whether the following are true or false 
1. Together with Europe, Asia is often referred to as Eurasia. 
Answer. True. 
2. Most of the Asian countries gained independence only after World War I. 
Answer. False. 
Most of the Asian countries gained independence only after World War II. 
3. Three rivers which flow northwards into the Arctic Ocean are the Ganga, the 
Brahmaputra and the Yamuna. 
Answer. False. 
Three rivers which flow northwards into the Arctic Ocean are the Ob, the Yenisei and 
the Lena. 
4. The Karakoram Range is a short range, which extends south-eastwards from the 
Pamir Knot between the Kunlun and the Himalayas. 
Answer. True. 
5. The Deccan Plateau of India lies between the Western Ghats and the Eastern Ghats. 
Answer. True. 
D. Answer the following questions in brief 
Question 1. 
Name the geographical features that border Asia in the north, south, east, and west. 
Answer: 
To the West of Asia are Ural mountains and the Caspian Sea. To the South-West are 
the Caucasus Mountains. To the North of Asia lies Arctic Ocean. To East lies the Pacific 
Ocean and to the south of Asia is Indian Ocean. 
Question 2. 
What do you understand by the term ‘archipelago ? Give two examples from the Pacific 
Ocean. 
Answer: 
Archipelago means a group of islands. Two examples in the Pacific Ocean are Japan 
and Philippines. 
Question 3. 
Name the rivers of the Great Siberian Plain. 
Answer: 
Rivers Ob, Yenisei and Lena have together built the Great Siberian Plain. 
Page 3


Asia Location, Extent, Political and Physical Features 
Exercises 
A. Fill in the blanks 
1. A mountain range in South-west Asia that separates Asia from Europe 
: Caucasus mountains. 
2. I am a plain formed by the rivers Ob, Yenisei, and Lena :Great Siberian Plain or 
Northern Lowlands. 
3. An area of inland drainage into which the Amu Darya and, Syr Darya drain : Turan 
Plain. 
4. I am a small zone from which several mountain ranges appear to radiate 
out: Pamir Knot. 
5. A plateau that lies between the Alborz and Zagros mountain ranges : Plateau of 
Iran. 
B. Match the following 
 
Answer: 
 
 
C. State whether the following are true or false 
1. Together with Europe, Asia is often referred to as Eurasia. 
Answer. True. 
2. Most of the Asian countries gained independence only after World War I. 
Answer. False. 
Most of the Asian countries gained independence only after World War II. 
3. Three rivers which flow northwards into the Arctic Ocean are the Ganga, the 
Brahmaputra and the Yamuna. 
Answer. False. 
Three rivers which flow northwards into the Arctic Ocean are the Ob, the Yenisei and 
the Lena. 
4. The Karakoram Range is a short range, which extends south-eastwards from the 
Pamir Knot between the Kunlun and the Himalayas. 
Answer. True. 
5. The Deccan Plateau of India lies between the Western Ghats and the Eastern Ghats. 
Answer. True. 
D. Answer the following questions in brief 
Question 1. 
Name the geographical features that border Asia in the north, south, east, and west. 
Answer: 
To the West of Asia are Ural mountains and the Caspian Sea. To the South-West are 
the Caucasus Mountains. To the North of Asia lies Arctic Ocean. To East lies the Pacific 
Ocean and to the south of Asia is Indian Ocean. 
Question 2. 
What do you understand by the term ‘archipelago ? Give two examples from the Pacific 
Ocean. 
Answer: 
Archipelago means a group of islands. Two examples in the Pacific Ocean are Japan 
and Philippines. 
Question 3. 
Name the rivers of the Great Siberian Plain. 
Answer: 
Rivers Ob, Yenisei and Lena have together built the Great Siberian Plain. 
Question 4. 
What kind of plateau is the Plateau of Tibet ? 
Answer: 
The Plateau of Tibet is an inter-mountain plateau, i.e., a plateau located between 
mountain ranges. It lies between the Kunlun and the Himalayas. The Plateau of Tibet, is 
also called the ‘Roof of the World’ as it is the highest flat land in the world. 
Question 5. 
In which country of Asia are the Mesopotamian plains situated ? 
Answer: 
The Mesopotanian plains are situated in Iraq. 
E. Answer the following questions in detail 
Question 1. 
Describe the location of Asia. 
Answer: 
Asia lies almost wholly in the northern and eastern hemisphere. It is separated from 
Europe by the Ural Mountains and the Caspian Sea in the west and the Caucasus 
Mountain in the South-West. The Arctic Ocean lies to the north of Asia, the Pacific 
Ocean to the east and the Indian Ocean to the South of Asia. 
Latitudinally, Asia extends from 10°S to 80°N, (8690 km). It east-west extent is 9,700 
km, from 25°E to about 170°W. There are 48 independent countries in Asia. They vary 
in size from Russia, China and India which are the largest to Singapore, the Maldives 
and Bahrain which are the smallest. Some countries consist of group of islands like 
Japan, Philippines and Indonesia. 
Question 2. 
Describe the Northern Lowlands of Asia. 
Answer: 
The Northern Lowlands of Asia extend from the Ural Mountains in the west up to the 
Bering Strait in the north-east. These lowlands are traingular in shape and widest in the 
west. Lying between the Arctic Ocean in the north and the Central Mountains in the 
south,they form the world’s greatest continuous plains. Three rivers which flow 
northwards into the Arctic Ocean — Ob, Yenisey and Lena, have together built this 
plain. These marshy and swampy lowlands are also called as the Great Siberian plain. 
The lower courses and mouths of the rivers freeze in winter. So, water coming from the 
upper courses in warmer latitudes spreads out over large part of the plains. Another low 
lying land exists south of the Siberian Plains in Central Asia called as the Turan Plain. 
This plain is an area of inland drainage and is drained by rivers AmuDarya and 
SyrDarya. 
 
Page 4


Asia Location, Extent, Political and Physical Features 
Exercises 
A. Fill in the blanks 
1. A mountain range in South-west Asia that separates Asia from Europe 
: Caucasus mountains. 
2. I am a plain formed by the rivers Ob, Yenisei, and Lena :Great Siberian Plain or 
Northern Lowlands. 
3. An area of inland drainage into which the Amu Darya and, Syr Darya drain : Turan 
Plain. 
4. I am a small zone from which several mountain ranges appear to radiate 
out: Pamir Knot. 
5. A plateau that lies between the Alborz and Zagros mountain ranges : Plateau of 
Iran. 
B. Match the following 
 
Answer: 
 
 
C. State whether the following are true or false 
1. Together with Europe, Asia is often referred to as Eurasia. 
Answer. True. 
2. Most of the Asian countries gained independence only after World War I. 
Answer. False. 
Most of the Asian countries gained independence only after World War II. 
3. Three rivers which flow northwards into the Arctic Ocean are the Ganga, the 
Brahmaputra and the Yamuna. 
Answer. False. 
Three rivers which flow northwards into the Arctic Ocean are the Ob, the Yenisei and 
the Lena. 
4. The Karakoram Range is a short range, which extends south-eastwards from the 
Pamir Knot between the Kunlun and the Himalayas. 
Answer. True. 
5. The Deccan Plateau of India lies between the Western Ghats and the Eastern Ghats. 
Answer. True. 
D. Answer the following questions in brief 
Question 1. 
Name the geographical features that border Asia in the north, south, east, and west. 
Answer: 
To the West of Asia are Ural mountains and the Caspian Sea. To the South-West are 
the Caucasus Mountains. To the North of Asia lies Arctic Ocean. To East lies the Pacific 
Ocean and to the south of Asia is Indian Ocean. 
Question 2. 
What do you understand by the term ‘archipelago ? Give two examples from the Pacific 
Ocean. 
Answer: 
Archipelago means a group of islands. Two examples in the Pacific Ocean are Japan 
and Philippines. 
Question 3. 
Name the rivers of the Great Siberian Plain. 
Answer: 
Rivers Ob, Yenisei and Lena have together built the Great Siberian Plain. 
Question 4. 
What kind of plateau is the Plateau of Tibet ? 
Answer: 
The Plateau of Tibet is an inter-mountain plateau, i.e., a plateau located between 
mountain ranges. It lies between the Kunlun and the Himalayas. The Plateau of Tibet, is 
also called the ‘Roof of the World’ as it is the highest flat land in the world. 
Question 5. 
In which country of Asia are the Mesopotamian plains situated ? 
Answer: 
The Mesopotanian plains are situated in Iraq. 
E. Answer the following questions in detail 
Question 1. 
Describe the location of Asia. 
Answer: 
Asia lies almost wholly in the northern and eastern hemisphere. It is separated from 
Europe by the Ural Mountains and the Caspian Sea in the west and the Caucasus 
Mountain in the South-West. The Arctic Ocean lies to the north of Asia, the Pacific 
Ocean to the east and the Indian Ocean to the South of Asia. 
Latitudinally, Asia extends from 10°S to 80°N, (8690 km). It east-west extent is 9,700 
km, from 25°E to about 170°W. There are 48 independent countries in Asia. They vary 
in size from Russia, China and India which are the largest to Singapore, the Maldives 
and Bahrain which are the smallest. Some countries consist of group of islands like 
Japan, Philippines and Indonesia. 
Question 2. 
Describe the Northern Lowlands of Asia. 
Answer: 
The Northern Lowlands of Asia extend from the Ural Mountains in the west up to the 
Bering Strait in the north-east. These lowlands are traingular in shape and widest in the 
west. Lying between the Arctic Ocean in the north and the Central Mountains in the 
south,they form the world’s greatest continuous plains. Three rivers which flow 
northwards into the Arctic Ocean — Ob, Yenisey and Lena, have together built this 
plain. These marshy and swampy lowlands are also called as the Great Siberian plain. 
The lower courses and mouths of the rivers freeze in winter. So, water coming from the 
upper courses in warmer latitudes spreads out over large part of the plains. Another low 
lying land exists south of the Siberian Plains in Central Asia called as the Turan Plain. 
This plain is an area of inland drainage and is drained by rivers AmuDarya and 
SyrDarya. 
 
Question 3. 
Explain why the Pami Knot is called so. Write briefly about the mountain ranges that 
radiate from the Pamir Knot. 
Answer: 
Pamir Knot is called so because many mountain ranges appear to radiate outwards in 
different directions from this small zone. To the east of the Pamir Knot extend the 
Kunlun mountains and to the north extend the Tien Shan mountains. The Himalayas 
emerge from the Pamir Knot towards south-east direction. The Karakoram Range 
extends south-eastwards from the Pamir Knot between the Kunlun and the Himalayas. 
To the west of the Pamir Knot lies the Hindu Kush Range 
and to the south-west radiates the Sulaiman Range. 
Question 4. 
Write briefly about the Arabian Plateau and the Deccan Plateau. 
Answer: 
The Arabian Plateau in Asia is steeper in the west but gently slopes eastwards towards 
the Persian Gulf. It is a dry plateau as it is in the region of low rainfall and has no rivers. 
It grew in importance to the rest of the world after petroleum reserves were discovered 
here. 
The Deccan Plateau of India lies between the Western Ghats and the Eastern Ghats. It 
is steeper and higher along the Arabian Sea in the west but slopes gently towards the 
Bay of Bengal in the east. A number of rivers flow across this plateau like Godawari, 
Indravati, Krishna, Kaveri. 
Question 5. 
Describe the river valleys of Asia. 
Answer: 
The snow-fed and perennial rivers from the mountains form the river valleys which are 
very fertile and densely populated. Some of the river valleys of Asia are : 
1. The Mesopotamian plains in Iraq consist of the land between the two rivers – 
Tigris and Euphrates. 
2. The Ganga – Brahmaputra plains spread across north India and Bangladesh. It is 
built by the rivers Ganga and Brahmaputra. 
3. Plains in China are built up by the three big rivers — Huang He, Chang Jiang and 
Si Kiang. 
4. The Manchurian Plain is formed by river Amur. 
5. Plains of Indo-China are formed by the rivers Mekong and Menam. 
6. Large plain in Myanmar is formed by river Irrawaddy. 
7. Plains of Pakistan and Punjab are built by the river Indus and its five tributaries. 
Page 5


Asia Location, Extent, Political and Physical Features 
Exercises 
A. Fill in the blanks 
1. A mountain range in South-west Asia that separates Asia from Europe 
: Caucasus mountains. 
2. I am a plain formed by the rivers Ob, Yenisei, and Lena :Great Siberian Plain or 
Northern Lowlands. 
3. An area of inland drainage into which the Amu Darya and, Syr Darya drain : Turan 
Plain. 
4. I am a small zone from which several mountain ranges appear to radiate 
out: Pamir Knot. 
5. A plateau that lies between the Alborz and Zagros mountain ranges : Plateau of 
Iran. 
B. Match the following 
 
Answer: 
 
 
C. State whether the following are true or false 
1. Together with Europe, Asia is often referred to as Eurasia. 
Answer. True. 
2. Most of the Asian countries gained independence only after World War I. 
Answer. False. 
Most of the Asian countries gained independence only after World War II. 
3. Three rivers which flow northwards into the Arctic Ocean are the Ganga, the 
Brahmaputra and the Yamuna. 
Answer. False. 
Three rivers which flow northwards into the Arctic Ocean are the Ob, the Yenisei and 
the Lena. 
4. The Karakoram Range is a short range, which extends south-eastwards from the 
Pamir Knot between the Kunlun and the Himalayas. 
Answer. True. 
5. The Deccan Plateau of India lies between the Western Ghats and the Eastern Ghats. 
Answer. True. 
D. Answer the following questions in brief 
Question 1. 
Name the geographical features that border Asia in the north, south, east, and west. 
Answer: 
To the West of Asia are Ural mountains and the Caspian Sea. To the South-West are 
the Caucasus Mountains. To the North of Asia lies Arctic Ocean. To East lies the Pacific 
Ocean and to the south of Asia is Indian Ocean. 
Question 2. 
What do you understand by the term ‘archipelago ? Give two examples from the Pacific 
Ocean. 
Answer: 
Archipelago means a group of islands. Two examples in the Pacific Ocean are Japan 
and Philippines. 
Question 3. 
Name the rivers of the Great Siberian Plain. 
Answer: 
Rivers Ob, Yenisei and Lena have together built the Great Siberian Plain. 
Question 4. 
What kind of plateau is the Plateau of Tibet ? 
Answer: 
The Plateau of Tibet is an inter-mountain plateau, i.e., a plateau located between 
mountain ranges. It lies between the Kunlun and the Himalayas. The Plateau of Tibet, is 
also called the ‘Roof of the World’ as it is the highest flat land in the world. 
Question 5. 
In which country of Asia are the Mesopotamian plains situated ? 
Answer: 
The Mesopotanian plains are situated in Iraq. 
E. Answer the following questions in detail 
Question 1. 
Describe the location of Asia. 
Answer: 
Asia lies almost wholly in the northern and eastern hemisphere. It is separated from 
Europe by the Ural Mountains and the Caspian Sea in the west and the Caucasus 
Mountain in the South-West. The Arctic Ocean lies to the north of Asia, the Pacific 
Ocean to the east and the Indian Ocean to the South of Asia. 
Latitudinally, Asia extends from 10°S to 80°N, (8690 km). It east-west extent is 9,700 
km, from 25°E to about 170°W. There are 48 independent countries in Asia. They vary 
in size from Russia, China and India which are the largest to Singapore, the Maldives 
and Bahrain which are the smallest. Some countries consist of group of islands like 
Japan, Philippines and Indonesia. 
Question 2. 
Describe the Northern Lowlands of Asia. 
Answer: 
The Northern Lowlands of Asia extend from the Ural Mountains in the west up to the 
Bering Strait in the north-east. These lowlands are traingular in shape and widest in the 
west. Lying between the Arctic Ocean in the north and the Central Mountains in the 
south,they form the world’s greatest continuous plains. Three rivers which flow 
northwards into the Arctic Ocean — Ob, Yenisey and Lena, have together built this 
plain. These marshy and swampy lowlands are also called as the Great Siberian plain. 
The lower courses and mouths of the rivers freeze in winter. So, water coming from the 
upper courses in warmer latitudes spreads out over large part of the plains. Another low 
lying land exists south of the Siberian Plains in Central Asia called as the Turan Plain. 
This plain is an area of inland drainage and is drained by rivers AmuDarya and 
SyrDarya. 
 
Question 3. 
Explain why the Pami Knot is called so. Write briefly about the mountain ranges that 
radiate from the Pamir Knot. 
Answer: 
Pamir Knot is called so because many mountain ranges appear to radiate outwards in 
different directions from this small zone. To the east of the Pamir Knot extend the 
Kunlun mountains and to the north extend the Tien Shan mountains. The Himalayas 
emerge from the Pamir Knot towards south-east direction. The Karakoram Range 
extends south-eastwards from the Pamir Knot between the Kunlun and the Himalayas. 
To the west of the Pamir Knot lies the Hindu Kush Range 
and to the south-west radiates the Sulaiman Range. 
Question 4. 
Write briefly about the Arabian Plateau and the Deccan Plateau. 
Answer: 
The Arabian Plateau in Asia is steeper in the west but gently slopes eastwards towards 
the Persian Gulf. It is a dry plateau as it is in the region of low rainfall and has no rivers. 
It grew in importance to the rest of the world after petroleum reserves were discovered 
here. 
The Deccan Plateau of India lies between the Western Ghats and the Eastern Ghats. It 
is steeper and higher along the Arabian Sea in the west but slopes gently towards the 
Bay of Bengal in the east. A number of rivers flow across this plateau like Godawari, 
Indravati, Krishna, Kaveri. 
Question 5. 
Describe the river valleys of Asia. 
Answer: 
The snow-fed and perennial rivers from the mountains form the river valleys which are 
very fertile and densely populated. Some of the river valleys of Asia are : 
1. The Mesopotamian plains in Iraq consist of the land between the two rivers – 
Tigris and Euphrates. 
2. The Ganga – Brahmaputra plains spread across north India and Bangladesh. It is 
built by the rivers Ganga and Brahmaputra. 
3. Plains in China are built up by the three big rivers — Huang He, Chang Jiang and 
Si Kiang. 
4. The Manchurian Plain is formed by river Amur. 
5. Plains of Indo-China are formed by the rivers Mekong and Menam. 
6. Large plain in Myanmar is formed by river Irrawaddy. 
7. Plains of Pakistan and Punjab are built by the river Indus and its five tributaries. 
F. Picture study 
The mountain peak seen in the picture is the highest peak in the world. 
 
Question 1. 
What is the height of this peak ? 
Answer: 
8850 m 
Question 2. 
In which mountain range does it lie ? 
Answer: 
Himalayas 
G Map study 
On an outline map of Asia, mark and name the following 
1. Rivers — Amur, Ob, Chang Jiang 
2. Gulfs — Persian Gulf, Gulf of Martaban 
3. Straits — Bering Strait, Strait of Malacca 
4. Seas — Arabian Sea, Caspian Sea, Sea of Japan 
5. Oceans — Arctic, Pacific, Indian 
6. Mountain ranges — Himalayas, Urals, Hindukush 
7. Write ROOF OF THE WORLD and GREAT SIBERIAN PLAIN in appropriate 
places on the map.