Geographical Diversity of India: NCERT Solutions for Class 7 Social Science Chapter 1

1. What, in your opinion, are two important geographical features of India? Why do you think they are important?
Ans: Two important geographical features of India are the Himalayas and the Gangetic Plains. The Himalayas act as a natural barrier in the north, influencing climate and providing river sources. The Gangetic Plains are fertile and support agriculture and a large population.

2. What do you think India might have looked like if the Himalayas did not exist? Write a short note or sketch a drawing to express your imagination.
Ans: If the Himalayas did not exist, northern India would have been exposed to cold winds from Central Asia, making it much colder. There would be no major rivers like the Ganga, and much of North India might have been a desert.

3. India has been called a ‘mini-continent’. Based on what you’ve read, why do you think this is so?
Ans: India is called a ‘mini-continent’ because it has a great variety of landforms, climates, flora, fauna, and cultures. Its vast area includes mountains, plains, deserts, plateaus, coasts, and islands, similar to the diversity found across a whole continent.

4. Follow one of India's big rivers from where it starts to where it meets the ocean. What are the different ways in which people might utilise this river along its journey? Discuss in groups in your class.
Ans: For example, the Ganga starts at Gaumukh and travels across North India to the Bay of Bengal. Along its journey, people use its water for drinking, irrigation, transportation, fishing, and generating hydroelectricity. It is also important for religious and cultural activities.

5. Why is the southern part of India referred to as a peninsular plateau?
Ans: The southern part of India is called a peninsular plateau because it is a large, elevated area with flat terrain surrounded by water on three sides: the Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal, and Indian Ocean. This makes it a peninsula with a plateau landform.

6. Which UNESCO Heritage Site mentioned in this chapter did you find more interesting? Write a short paragraph to describe what about it is interesting.
Ans: The Great Himalayan National Park is very interesting because of its rich diversity of plant and animal life. It is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and its beautiful forests and unique animals like the snow leopard are being preserved for future generations.

7. Look at the two maps of India, physical as well as political, given at the end of this book. Identify the place you are at now. Which physical feature of India would you use to describe its location?
Ans: Example: I am in Kolkata, West Bengal. According to the map, Kolkata is located in the Gangetic Plains, near the delta of the Ganga River and close to the eastern coastline of India.

8. Food preservation techniques differ from place to place across India. They are adapted to local conditions. Do a class project. Gather different methods of preserving food. Hint: Drying vegetables when they are in season for use during the off-season.
Ans: Some food preservation methods found in India are drying vegetables and fish in arid regions, pickling in vinegar and spices in humid areas, fermenting foods like idli and dosa batter in the south, and making jams and chutneys from seasonal fruits.

9. Despite having such different regions (mountains, deserts, plains, coasts), India remains one country. How do you think our geography has helped unite people?