Class 10 Geography Chapter 7 Extra Question Answers - Life Lines of National Economy

Short Answer Questions

Q.1. Why is international trade considered the economic barometers for a country? [2011 (T-2)]

Ans. Advancement of International Trade is an index of economic prosperity for a country.

Q.2. What is meant by road density? Describe any four advantages Roadways have over Railways.

Ans. The length of road per 100 sq. km of area is known as density of roads.
(i) construction cost of roads is much lower than that of railways.
(ii) roads can traverse comparatively more disseted and undulating topography than railways.
(iii) Road transport is economical in transportation of few persons and relatively smaller amount of goods over short distances.
(iv) Road provides door to door service, and thus the cost of loading and unloading is much lower.

Q.3. Why are metalled roads better than unmetalled roads? What is the role of border roads and national highways in transportation? [2011 (T-2)]

Ans. Metalled roads are made of either cement, concrete or even bitumen of coal therefore durable over unmetalled road. Unmetalled roads go out of use in rainy season. Border roads plays in important role in connecting strategically important difficult areas and helps in the economic development of the area. National Highways are the primary road system which links extreme parts of the country.

1-Metalled Road
2,3,4-Unmetalled Road

Q.4. Explain any four reasons why a dense and efficient network of transport and communication is a pre-requisite for trade of today. [2011 (T-2)]

Ans. A dense and efficient network of transport and communication is a pre requisite for the
(i) movement of goods and services from their supply locations to demand locations.
(ii) The pace of development of a country depends not only upon production of goods and services but also on their movement over space for fast economic development.
(iii) It also contributes socio-economic progress of the country in many ways.
(iv) a dense and efficient network of transport and communication is also a pre-requisite for local, national and global trade.

Q.5. Explain any four factors responsible for the development of iron and steel industries. [2011 (T-2)]

Ans.

(i) Low cost of iron ore, high-grade raw materials in proximity.
(ii) Cheap labour
(iii) Vast growth potential in the home market.
(iv) liberalisation and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) have given a boost to the industry.

Q.6. As an industry, how has tourism a bright future in India? Explain. [2011 (T-2)]

Ans. Tourism industry has a bright future in India because of its increasing contribution to foreign exchange (Rs 21828 crore) number of foreign tourists (2.6 million) and direct employment of 15 million people in tourism industry.

Q.7. What is the difference between personal communication and mass communication? State any two points of importance of mass communication. [2011 (T-2)]

Ans. Personal communication means a communication between two persons either through oral, letter or through telephone etc, while mass communication includes the use of Radio, television, press, films etc, for wider public audience. The two points of importance of mass communication are (i) provides entertainment and (ii) creates awareness among people about various national programmes and policies.

Q.8. Explain any four major problems faced by Indian Railways. [2011 (T-2)]

Ans. The Four major problems faced by Indian Railways are 

(i) large number of rivers requiring construction of bridges

(ii) Hilly terrain where railway tracts are laid through low hills, gaps or tunnels

(iii) sparse population and lack of economic viability

(iv) difficulties to lay railway lines on sandy plains and swamps.

Q.9. Why do roadways have an edge over railways? Explain. [2011 (T-2)]

Ans. Roadways have an edge over railways because it can be built and maintained at ease and at much lower cost. Roadways also provide door to door service.

Q.10. What are Golden Quadrilateral Super Highways? Mention any two objectives of this project. The North-South and East-West Corridors join which terminal cities? [2011 (T-2)]

Ans.

1. The Golden qudrilateral super Highways is a major road development project linking Delhi – Kolkata – Chennai – Mumbai and Delhi by six lane super highways.
2. The two major objectives of these super Highways projects are to reduce the time and distance between the megacities of India.
3. The North-South corridors linking Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) and Kanyakumari (Tamil Nadu) and East-West corridor connecting Silchar (Assam) and Porbander (Gujarat).

Q.11. Why is air transport an important means of transport in the north-eastern part of our country? Explain any four reasons. [2011 (T-2)]

Ans. Air transport is an important means of transport in northeastern states because of the following four reasons :
(i) presence of big rivers.

(ii) dissected relief.

(iii) dense forest and frequent floods.

(iv) International frontiers.

Q.12. ‘Transport, communication and trade are complementary to each other.’ Explain with four examples. [2011 (T-2)]

Ans.

(i) It linked with the country with the rest of the world.
(ii) Roadways, railways, newspaper, internet etc have been countributing to socio-economic progress in many ways.
(iii) Trades from local to international levels have boosted the economy.
(iv) It enriched life with many amenities that comforts life.

Q.13. “Efficient means of transport are pre-requisites for fast development”. Support the statement with suitable examples. [2011 (T-2)]

Ans. The pace of development of a country depends upon the production of goods and services as well as their movement overspace. Therefore, efficient means of transport are pre-requisites for fast economic and social development.

Q.14. Explain four advantages of road transport in India. [2011 (T-2)]

Ans. The four advantages of road transport in India are
(i) Road transport is economical.
(ii) It provides door-to-door services.
(iii) The cost of loading and unloading much lower.
(iv) It can be used as feeder to other modes of transport.

Q.15. What is meant by international trade. State any features of India’s international trade. [2011 (T-2)]

Ans.

(i) Trade between two countries is called International trade.
(ii) One of the features of international trade of India is information technology.

Q.16. “The distribution pattern of the Railways network in the country has been largely influenced by physiographic factors” - Support the statement with four examples. [2011 (T-2)]

Ans. Physiographic factors regulate the distribution pattern of railways network. High mountains, broad rivers, dense forest, swampy land caused hindrance in the distribution pattern of railway networks in India.

Q.17. Explain any four advantages of pipeline transportation. [2011 (T-2)]

Ans. The four advantages of pipelines transportation are

(i) Both solid (when converted into slurry) liquid and gases can be transported through pipelines
(ii) Initial cost of laying pipelines is high but subsequent runing costs are minimal.
(iii) Trans-shipment of losses and delays are minimum.
(iv) It is economical to transport petroleum, natural gas, ferlilizers to interior places.

Q.18. What is the importance of railways transport? Explain three major problems faced by Indian railways. [2011 (T-2)]

Ans. It is the principal mode of transportation for freight and passengers. The three major problems faced by Indian railways are
(i) passengers travelling without ticket

(ii) thefts and damages of railways property.

(iii) people pulls chain to stop trains.

Q.19. Define the following terms: [2011 (T-2)]
 (i) Trade
 (ii) International trade
(iii) Favourable Balance of Trade
 (iv) Unfavourable Balance of Trade

Ans.

(i) The exchange of goods among people, states and countries is referred to as trade.
(ii) Trade between two countries is called International Trade.
(iii) When the value of export exceeds the value of imports, it is called a favourable balance of trade.
(iv) When the value of imports exceeds the value of exports, it is termed as unfavourable balance of Trade.

Q.20. Describe any four major problems faced by road transportation in India. [2011 (T-2)]

Ans. Road transport in India faced four major problems. They are as follows :
(i) The volume of traffic and passengers, the road network is inadequate.
(ii) About half of the roads are unmetalled not usable during rainy season.
(iii) The National Highways are in adequate
(iv) The roadways are highly congested in cities and most of the bridges and culverts are old and narrow.

Q.21. Why are the means of transportation and communication called the lifelines of national economy? Give any four reasons to support your answer. [2011 (T-2)]

Ans. The means of transportation and communication are called the lifelines of National economy because

(i) it linked the world with transport network
(ii) Railways, roadways newspaper, television, cinema and internet have been contributing to socio-economic progress.
(iii) The trades from local to international levels have added to the vitality of its economy.
(iv) It has enriched our life and added substantially to growing amenities and facilities for the comforts of life.

Q.22. Explain any four qualitative improvements made in Indian Railways. [2011 (T-2)]

Ans.

(i) Conversion of metre gauge to broad gauge.
(ii) Steam engines have been replaced by diesel and electric engines. This has increased the speed and haulage capacity.
(iii) The replacement of steam engine run by coal has improved the environment of stations and its surroundings.
(iv) Railways routes have been extended to areas were there was no railway lines earlier.

Q.23. Study the following table carefully and answer the questions that follow : [2011 (T-2)]

(i) What was the total length of railways route in 2000-2001?
(ii) How much increase occurred in the length of electrified routes between 1999-2000 and 2000-2001?
(iii) How is narrow gauge different from broad gauge?

Ans.

(i) 1,40,581 kms
(ii) 484 kms
(iii) Narrow Gauge (0.762 and 0.610 metres). Broad Gauge (1.676 metres) difference = 0.914 metres between Broad Gauge and Narrow Gauge.

Q.24. Describe the changing nature of the international trade in the last fifteen years. [2011 (T-2)]

Ans. International trade has undergone a sea change in the last fifteen years. Exchange of commodities and goods have been superseded by the exchange of information and knowledge. India has emerged as a software giant at the international level and is earning large foreign exchange through the export of information technology.

Q.25. Name the longest National Waterway of India. Write any three points of importance of waterways? [2011 (T-2)]

Ans. The Ganga river waterways between Allahabad and Haldia (1620 km) N.W. No. 1 is the longest water ways of India.

The three points of importance of waterways are

(i) cheapest means of transport
(ii) suitable for carrying heavy and bulky goods.
(iii) It is a fuel efficient and environmental friendly mode of transport.

Q.26. “Modern means of transport and communication serve as lifelines of our nation.” Explain.

Ans. Modern means of transport and communication serve as lifelines of our nation. It integrates local, national and global trade by boosting the economy and providing the comforts of life.

Q.27. How do physical and economic factors influence the distribution pattern of Indian railway network? Explain with suitable examples. [2004 & 2009]

Ans. The distribution pattern of the railway network in India has been greatly influenced by physical and economic factors.

Level lands of the Northern Plains of India with high density of population, rich agriculturalm resources and greater industrial activity have favoured the development of railways in this region. The region, therefore, has the densest network of railways in India. The rugged terrain of the Himalayan mountain region in the north and the north-eastern states with sparse population and lack of economic opportunities are unfavourable for construction of railway lines and railway network is lacking in these regions.

Sparsely populated sandy deserts of Rajasthan, hilly contiguous tracts of the Sahyadri swamps of Gujarat, forested tracks of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Orissa and Jharkhand, frequently flooded floodplains of Bihar and Assam have posed great difficulty in laying of railway lines. On account of the economic importance of the region, the Konkan Railways were developed in recent times along the west coast in spite of problems of sinking of tracks, landslides and need for construction of tunnels.

Long Answer Questions

Q.1. Write a short note on (a) Personal written communication (b) Telecom network of India. [2010]

Ans.

(a) Personal written communication includes cards and enevelopes which is also called first class mail.
(b) India has one of the largest telecom networks in Asia. Exclunding urban places more than two thirds of the villages in India have already been covered with Subscriber Trunk Dialling (STD) telephone facility. The development of space tachnology with communication technology has made integrated development of telecom network successful.

Q.2. Explain any four merits of pipleline transport in India. [2010]

Ans. The four merits of pipeline transport in India are as follows :
(i) Both liquid, gases and solid (when converted into slurry) materials can be transported through pipelines.
(ii) Initial cost of laying pipelines is high but subsequent running costs are minimal.
(iii) It’s trans-shipment losses or delays are minimum.
(iv) Pipelines can be laid down over long distances.

Q.3. Explain any four merits of pipleline transport in India. [2010]

Ans. Pipelines are used for the transportation of crude oil, petroleum products and natural gas. The merits of pipeline transportation in India are as follows :
(i) Pipelines help in the growth of refineries, petrochemicals, and fertiliser factories and big thermal power plants by providing raw materials directly from producing areas to the factories and plants.

(ii) Pipelines can take petroleum and natural gas to places far off from the oil and gas fields. They help in setting up of refineries in far inland locations to cater to the demands of markets inland. The refineries of Barauni, Mathura and Panipat were possible due to development of pipelines.

(iii) The initial cost of laying the pipelines may be high but subsequent running costs are nominal.

(iv) Pipelines transport petroleum and natural gas directly from producing areas to demand areas, hence, they rule out trans-shipment losses or delays.

Q.4. Why is road transport more useful than rail transport in India? Explain four reasons. [2009]

Ans. The four advantages of road transport in India are
(i) Road transport is economical.
(ii) It provides door-to-door services.
(iii) The cost of loading and unloading much lower.
(iv) It can be used as feeder to other modes of transport.

Q.5. How do physical and economic factors influence the distribution pattern of the Indian railway network? Explain with examples. [2009]

Ans. The distribution pattern of the Railways network in the country has been largely influenced by physiographic and economic factors. The northern plains with their vast level land, high population density and rich agricultural resources provided the most favourable condition of its growth. While the Himalayan region with its high relief, sparse population and lack of economic opportunities have always retarded its growth and development.

Q.6. Explain, why is air transport preferred in northeastern states of India? [2009]

Ans. The northeastern part of the country is marked with the presence of difficult hilly and\ mountainous terrain, dissected relief, large number of rivers, dense forest, heavy rainfall and frequent floods. International frontiers also mark this region. Air transport is the best mode of travel in these areas as airways can negotiate over geographical obstacles and political\ boundaries with great ease. Roads and railways cannot be properly laid out in such difficult terrain and heavy rainfall and frequent floods disrupt all other modes of transportation. Air transport is the only means of communication under such situations. They can access remote and inaccessible areas in these north-eastern states. They are the fastest and most comfortable means of transport. Domestic airlines have made special provisions to extend air service to the northeastern states at subsidised rates to meet the requirement of the common people. So, the airways are also within the financial reach of the common people in this region. On account of all these factors, airways is the preferred mode of transportation in the north eastern states of India.