Short Answer Questions
Q1: Where is the Amazon Basin located?
Ans: The Amazon Basin is located in South America, extending between the Brazilian Highlands in the south and the Guiana Highlands in the north, bordered by the Andes Mountains to the west and the Atlantic Ocean to the east.
Q2: What is the Amazon Basin known for?
Ans: It is known for being the world's largest equatorial rainforest with a rich biodiversity, housing a wide variety of plants, animals, and tribal communities.
Q3: Name two rivers that are tributaries of the Amazon.
Ans: The Madeira and the Rio Negro are two of the Amazon's tributaries.
Q4: What type of climate does the Amazon Basin have?
Ans: The Amazon Basin has a hot and wet climate throughout the year with average temperatures between 25°C and 30°C and annual rainfall exceeding 250 cm.
Q5: What are the main commercial activities in the Amazon Basin?
Ans: Rubber tapping, mining, and agriculture are the main commercial activities.
Q6: What are the main rivers forming the Ganga-Brahmaputra Valley?
Ans: The Ganga and Brahmaputra rivers, along with their tributaries, form the Ganga-Brahmaputra Valley.
Q7: Which regions does the Ganga-Brahmaputra Basin extend across?
Ans: It extends across regions like Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh in India, and parts of Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Tibet, and China.
Q8: What type of climate is found in the Ganga-Brahmaputra Basin?
Ans: The basin experiences a monsoon climate with hot, dry summers and cool, dry winters.
Q9: Name two types of vegetation found in the Ganga-Brahmaputra Basin.
Ans: Tropical monsoon deciduous forests and bamboo in the Brahmaputra valley are two types of vegetation found in the basin.
Q10: What are the main crops grown in the Ganga-Brahmaputra Basin?
Ans: Rice, jute, wheat, maize, millets, sugar cane, tea, oilseeds, and pulses are the main crops grown.
Long Answer Questions
Q1: Explain how the monsoon affects agriculture in the Ganga-Brahmaputra Basin.
Ans: The monsoon brings a well-defined rainy season with ample rainfall, particularly beneficial for agriculture in the delta region and the Brahmaputra Valley. It supports the cultivation of water-intensive crops like rice and jute, leading to high yields per acre.
Q2: Discuss the importance of the Sundarbans region within the Ganga-Brahmaputra Basin.
Ans: The Sundarbans region is crucial for its unique mangrove forests, which are adapted to saline and tidal conditions. It is a habitat for diverse wildlife including the Royal Bengal Tigers and serves as a natural barrier protecting inland areas from cyclones and tidal surges.
Q3: What challenges does rapid urbanization pose to the Ganga-Brahmaputra Basin?
Ans: Rapid urbanization leads to river pollution, slums, water and power shortages, crowded cities, housing deficits, and unemployment. These challenges demand efforts to balance human development with environmental conservation to ensure sustainable living conditions.
Q4: How do the Himalayas and the Peninsular Plateau influence the Ganga-Brahmaputra Basin?
Ans: The Himalayas to the north and the Peninsular Plateau to the south influence the climate, river flow, and sediment deposition in the basin. They act as natural barriers affecting weather patterns and provide the rivers with sediments that enrich the valley's soil, making it exceptionally fertile.
Q5: Describe the diversity of wildlife in the Ganga-Brahmaputra Basin and the factors contributing to its richness.
Ans: The basin's diverse habitats, from tropical forests to riverine ecosystems, support elephants, rhinoceroses, tigers, deer, various fish species, and unique birds. This biodiversity is attributed to the varied climate, ample water resources, and rich vegetation, making the basin a crucial area for conservation efforts.
Q6: Explain the significance of the Amazon river and its tributaries to the basin's ecosystem.
Ans: The Amazon river, being the largest river by water volume and one of the longest rivers in the world, along with its tributaries like the Madeira and Rio Negro, play a crucial role in draining the basin. They provide habitats for thousands of species, support local communities through fishing, and help in the transportation of goods and people across the region.
Q7: Describe the natural vegetation of the Amazon Basin and its commercial value.
Ans: The natural vegetation consists of dense, evergreen tropical rainforests known as selva, which are difficult to penetrate. They contain broadleaved hardwood trees such as mahogany, rubber, ebony, and rosewood, which are valuable for construction and furniture making.
Q8: Discuss the impact of deforestation in the Amazon Basin.
Ans: Deforestation in the Amazon Basin leads to loss of biodiversity, disrupts the habitat of numerous species, contributes to climate change by releasing stored carbon dioxide, and affects the livelihoods of indigenous communities. It emphasizes the need for sustainable practices to preserve the forest for the future.
Q9: How does the climate of the Amazon Basin affect its flora and fauna?
Ans: The hot and wet climate of the Amazon Basin is ideal for the growth of dense rainforests, supporting a diverse range of flora including hardwood trees and medicinal plants. It also creates a rich habitat for fauna such as monkeys, big cats, and thousands of fish species, making the Amazon a hotspot of biodiversity.
Q10: What challenges do tribal people face in the Amazon Basin, and how do they sustain their way of life?
Ans: Tribal people face challenges such as loss of habitat, conflicts over land, and the impact of commercial activities. They sustain their way of life by practicing hunting, gathering, fishing, and shifting cultivation, relying on the forest for resources and maintaining a close relationship with their environment.
