Class 7 Geography Chapter 7 Question Answers - Life in the Deserts

Short Q & A :

Q1: Define desert.

Ans: It is an arid region characterized by extremely high or low temperatures and has less vegetation.

Q2: Where is the hot desert found?

Ans: The hot desert is found mainly on the western margins of the continent between latitudes 15 to 30 degrees both north and south of the equator.

Q3: Name the countries that touch the Sahara desert.

Ans: Countries are- Algeria, Chad, Egypt, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Sudan, Tunisia and Western Sahara.

Q4: Describe the type of animals and plants found in the hot Sahara desert region.

Ans: Vegetation in the Sahara desert includes cactus, dates, palms, and acacia. In some places, there are oasis and green islands with date palms surrounding them. Camels, hyenas, jackals, foxes, scorpions, Snakes, and lizards are the prominent species.

Q5: What is desertification?

Ans: Every year about 1, 22,000 sq. km of agricultural land is made worthless. This process is called desertification.

Q6: What is the location of the Ladakh desert?

Ans: 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 Zaskar Mountain in the south enclose it.

Q7: Describe the climatic condition of the Ladakh desert.

Ans: Due to the high altitude, the climate is extremely cold and dry. The day temperature in summer is just above zero degrees and the night temperature is well below – 30 degrees.

Q8: What mainly attracts tourists to Ladakh?

Ans: Meadows and glaciers mainly attract tourists to Ladakh.

Q9: What type of vegetation in the cold desert was Ladakh found?

Ans: In Ladakh, due to high aridity, the vegetation is sparse. There are scanty patches of grasses and shrubs for animals to graze. Groves of willows and poplars are seen in the valleys.

Q10: Name the famous monasteries of Ladakh.

Ans: The famous monasteries of Ladakh are Hemis, Thiksey, Shey, and Lamayuru.

Long Q&A:

Q1: Name the hot desert of the world.

Ans: In Africa, there are two desert areas: the Sahara and the Kalahari Desert. In Asia- the hot desert includes the whole of the Arabian Peninsula, southern Israel, Jordan, Syria, southern parts of Iraq and Iran. The desert area extends up to the Thar Desert of India and Pakistan, North America- it includes Lower California, the Arizona and Nevada states of the USA. South America- here, the Atacama Desert stretches in a narrow belt fringing the Andes mountain.

Q2: What flora and fauna are found in Ladakh?

Ans: Flora and Fauna found in Ladakh:

Due to dryness, vegetation is sparse.

• There are very sparse patches of grasses and shrubs for animals to graze.
• Groves of willows and poplars are found in the valleys.
• During summers, fruit trees like apples, apricots and walnuts bloom.

Fauna of Ladakh includes birds and animals.

• Several species of birds are sighted in Ladakh.
• Robins, Redstarts, Tibetan Snowcock, Raven and Hoopoe are common.
• Some of these are migratory birds.
• The animals of Ladakh are the wild goats, wild sheep, yak and special kinds of dogs.
• The animals provide milk, meat and hides.
• The yak’s milk is used to make cheese and butter.