Yearly Archives: 2022

Short Answer Type Questions:

Q1.How is weather forecasting useful for different groups?
Answer:
Weather forecasting is very important for all groups:

• Weather forecasts help in taking safety measures in advance in case of the likelihood of bad weather.
• It reduces the likely loss from natural calamities. Had tsunami been predicted in advance, the loss that happened could be minimized to a great extent.
• Predicting weather a few days in advance may prove very useful to farmers and to the crew of ships, pilots, fishermen, defence personnel, etc.

Q2.Explain in short about Wind Vane.
Answer:
Purpose: Wind vane is a device used to measure the direction of the wind. Structure: The wind vane is a light-weight revolving plate with an arrowhead on one end and two metal plates attached to the other end at the same angle. This revolving plate is mounted on a rod in such a manner that it is free to rotate on a horizontal plane. It responds even to a slight blow of wind.
Important Aspect: The arrow always points towards the direction from which the wind blows.

Q3.Explain in short about Anemometer.
Answer:

An anemometer is an instrument that measures wind speed and wind pressure. Anemometers are important tools for meteorologists, who study weather patterns. They are also important to the work of physicists, who study the way air moves. The most common type of anemometer has three or four cups attached to horizontal arms. The arms are attached to a vertical rod. As the wind blows, the cups rotate, making the rod spin. The stronger the wind blows, the faster the rod spins. The anemometer counts the number of rotations, or turns, which is used to calculate wind speed. Because wind speeds are not consistent—there are gusts and lulls-wind speed is usually averaged over a short period of time.

A similar type of anemometer counts the revolutions made by windmill-style blades. The rod of windmill anemometers rotates horizontally. Other anemometers calculate wind speed in different ways. A hot-wire anemometer takes advantage of the fact that air cools a heated object when it flows over it.

Q4.How do Weather observatories work in India?
Answer:
Each day weather maps are prepared for that day by the Meteorological Department from the data obtained from observations made at various weather stations across the world. In India, weather-related information is collected and published under the auspices of the Indian Meteorological Department, New Delhi, which is also responsible for weather forecasting.

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) was established in 1875, with its headquarters at Calcutta. The IMD headquarters are presently located at New Delhi.

Q5.Write a short note on Stevenson Screen.
Answer:
The Stevenson screen is designed to protect thermometers from precipitation and direct sunlight while allowing air to circulate freely around them. Formation: It is made from wood with louvered sides to allow free and even flow of air. It is painted white to reflect radiation. It stands on four legs and is about 3 feet 6 inches above the level of the ground. The legs must be sufficiently rigid and be buried sufficiently in the ground to prevent shaking.

The front panel is hinged at the bottom to form a door, which allows for maintenance and reading of the thermometers. The door of Stevenson screen is always towards the north in the northern hemisphere and towards the south in the southern hemisphere because direct sunrays also affect mercury.

Objective: The purpose of the Stevenson screen is to create a uniform temperature enclosure that closely represents the same temperature as the air outside.

Q6.What is aneroid barometer? How does it work?
Answer:
Aneroid barometer gets its name from the Greek word, aneros in which ‘a’ means ‘not’, ‘neros’ means ‘moisture’, hence aneroid means without liquid. It is a compact and portable instrument. It consists of a corrugated metal box made up of a thin alloy, sealed completely and made airtight after partial exhaustion of air.

It has a thin flexible lid, which is sensitive to changes of pressure. As the pressure increases, the lid is pressed inward, and this, in turn, moves a system of levers connected to a pointer, which moves clockwise over the graduated dial and gives higher reading. When the pressure decreases, the lid is pushed outward and the pointer moves counter clockwise, indicating lower pressure. Barograph works on the principle of aneroid barometer.

There are a number of vacuum boxes placed one above the other so that the displacement is large. A system of levers magnifies this movement which is recorded by a pen on a paper attached to a rotating drum. The readings of a barograph are not always accurate, and therefore, they are standardised by comparing them with a mercury barometer reading.

Q7.Explain about surface observatory in detail.
Answer:
A typical surface observatory has instruments for measuring and recording weather elements like temperature (maximum and minimum), air pressure,humidity, clouds, wind and rainfall. Information: Specialised observatories record elements like radiation, ozone atmospheric trace gases, pollution and atmospheric electricity. These observations are taken all over the globe at fixed times of the day as decided by the WMO and the use of instruments are made conforming to international standards, thus making observations globally compatible.

Different types of surface observatories in India: In India, meteorological observations are normally classified into five categories depending upon their instruments and the number of daily observations taken. The highest category is Class-I. Typical instrumental facility available in a Class-I observatory consists of the following: Maximum and minimum thermometers, Anemometer, and wind vane, Dry and Wet bulb thermometer, Rain gauge and Barometer.

Q8.Differentiate between:

(i) Wet bulb and dry bulb,
Answer:
The dry bulb and wet bulb thermometers are two identical thermometers fixed to a wooden frame. But they are different in following way:

Dry Bulb Thermometer	Wet Bulb Thermometer
It is used to measure lowest humidity	It is used to measure highest humidity.
The bulb of the dry bulb thermometer is kept uncovered and is exposed to the air	The bulb of the wet bulb thermometer is wrapped up with a piece of wet muslin, which is kept continuously moist by dipping a strand of it into a small vessel of distilled water.
Its temperature remains high.	The evaporation from the wet bulb lowers its temperature.

(ii) Aneroid Barometer and Mercury Barometer.
Answer:

Aneroid Barometer	Mercury Barometer
Aneroid barometer gets its name from the Greek word, aneros in which ‘a’ means ‘not’, ‘neros’ means ‘moisture’, hence aneroid means without liquid. It is a compact and portable instrument.	Mercury barometer is an accurate instrument and is used as a standard. In it the atmospheric pressure of any place is balanced against the weight of a column of mercury in an inverted glass tube.
It is filled with alcohol	It is filled with mercury
It is used to measure lowest temperature.	It is used to measure highest temperature.

(iii) Centigrade and the Fahrenheit.
Answer:
Both are units of measuring temperature but they have some differences.

Centigrade	Fahrenheit
On the Centigrade thermometer, the temperature of melting ice is marked 0°C and that of boiling water as 100°C, and the interval between the two is divided into 100 equal parts.	On the Fahrenheit thermometer, the freezing and boiling points of water are graduated as 32°F and 212°F respectively.
Centigrade = (Fahrenheit -32)	Fahrenheit= Centigrade ×95 +32

Long Answer Type Questions:

Q1.How is information about weather and related facts collected organized and dispensed in India?
Answer:

In India, weather-related information is collected and published under the auspices of the Indian Meteorological Department, New Delhi, which is also responsible for weather forecasting.

A typical surface observatory has instruments for measuring and recording weather elements like temperature (maximum and minimum), air pressure, humidity, clouds, wind and rainfall. Specialised observatories also record elements like radiation, ozone atmospheric trace gases, pollution and atmospheric electricity. These observations are taken all over the globe at fixed times of the day as decided by the WMO and the use of instruments are made conforming to international standards, thus making observations globally compatible. In India, meteorological observations are normally classified into five categories depending upon their instruments and the number of daily observations taken. The highest category is Class-I.

Typical instrumental facility available in a Class-I observatory consists of the following:

• Maximum and minimum thermometers
• Anemometer and wind vane
• Dry and Wet bulb thermometer
• Rain gauge
• Barometer

Observations are taken in these observatories normally at 00,03,06,09, 12,15,18,21 hours (Greenwich Mean Time) around the globe. However, for logistic reasons, some of the observatories take limited number of daily observations upper air observation during daytime only.

Weather satellites make comprehensive and large-scale observations of different meteorological elements at the ground level as well in the upper layers of the atmosphere. The geo-stationary satellites provide space-based observations about weather conditions. The Indian National Satellite (INSAT) provides valuable observations of temperature, cloud cover, wind and associated weather phenomena.

Q2.Explain the working of a barometer.
Answer:
The instrument used to measure atmospheric pressure is called a barometer. The unit of measurement is in the millibar. The most commonly used barometers are the mercury barometer, aneroid barometer and barographs. All the three work differently. Their working is explained below briefly:

1. Mercury barometer: It is an accurate instrument and is used as a standard. In it the atmospheric pressure of any place is balanced against the weight of a column of mercury in an inverted glass tube.

2.Aneroid barometer: It is a compact and portable instrument. It consists of a corrugated metal box made up of a thin alloy, sealed completely and made airtight after partial exhaustion of air. It has a thin flexible lid, which is sensitive to changes of pressure. As the pressure increases, the lid is pressed inward, and this, in turn, moves a system of levers connected to a pointer, which moves clockwise over the graduated dial and gives higher reading. When the pressure decreases, the lid is pushed outward and the pointer moves counter clockwise, indicating lower pressure.

3. Barograph: It works on the principle of aneroid barometer. There are a number of vacuum boxes placed one above the other so that the displacement is large. A system of levers magnifies this movement which is recorded by a pen on a paper attached to a rotating drum. The readings of a barograph are not
always accurate, and therefore, they are standardised by comparing them with a mercury barometer reading.

Q3.Write short notes on the following:
(i) Safe place for a thermometer
(ii) Indian Daily Weather report
Answer:
(i) Safe place for thermometer: It is not safe to keep a thermometer in sunlight. We should also not keep it in airtight surroundings. The Stevenson screen is designed to protect thermometers from precipitation and direct sunlight while allowing air to circulate freely around them. It is made from wood with louvered sides to allow free and even flow of air. It is painted white to reflect radiation. The purpose of the Stevenson screen is to create a uniform temperature enclosure that closely represents the same temperature as the air outside.

It stands on four legs and is about 3 feet 6 inches above the level of the ground. The legs must be sufficiently rigid and be buried sufficiently in the ground to prevent shaking. The front panel is hinged at the bottom to form a door, which allows for maintenance and reading of the thermometers. The door of Stevenson screen is always towards the north in the northern hemisphere and towards the south in the southern hemisphere because direct sunrays also affect mercury.

(ii) Indian Daily Weather Report: IMD became a member of the World Meteorological Organization after independence on 27 April 1949. The agency has gained in prominence due to the significance of the monsoon rains on Indian agriculture. It plays a vital role in preparing the annual monsoon forecast, as well as in tracking the progress of the monsoon across India every season.

IMD undertakes observations, communications, forecasting and weather services. In collaboration with the Indian Space Research Organisation, the IMD also uses the IRS series and the Indian National Satellite System (INSAT) for weather monitoring of the Indian subcontinent. IMD was the first weather bureau of a developing country to develop and maintain its own satellite system. IMD is one of the 6 worldwide Regional Specialized Meteorological Centers of the Tropical Cyclone Programme of the World Weather Watch of the World Meteorological Organization. It is regional nodal agency for forecasting, naming and disseminating warnings about tropical cyclone in the Indian Ocean north of the Equator.

Q4.Explain the history of weather forecasting in India.
Answer:
In 1686, Edmond Halley published his treatise on the Indian summer monsoon, which he attributed to a seasonal reversal of winds due to the differential heating of the Asian land mass and the Indian Ocean. The first meteorological observatories were established in India by the British East India Company. These included the Calcutta Observatory in 1785, the Madras Observatory in 1796 and the Colaba Observatory in 1826. Several other observatories were established in India during the first half of the 19th century by various provincial governments.

After a tropical cyclone hit Calcutta in 1864, and the subsequent famines in 1866 and 1871 due to the failure of the monsoons, it was decided to organise the collection and analysis of meteorological observations under one roof.
As a result, the Indian Meteorology Department was established in 1875. Henry Francis Blanford was appointed the first Meteorological Reporter of the IMD. In May 1889,Sir John Eliot was appointed the first Director General of Observatories in the erstwhile capital, Calcutta. The IMD headquarters were later shifted to Shimla in 1905, then to Pune in 1928 and finally to New Delhi in 1944.

Q5.Explain the instruments used to measure atmospheric pressure.
Answer:
A barometer is a scientific instrument used in meteorology to measure atmospheric pressure. A simple barometer consists of a long glass tube (closed at one end, open at the other) filled with mercury and turned upside down into a container of mercury. The barometer works by balancing the mercury in the glass tube against the outside air pressure, just like a set of scales. As air pressure increases—that is, as the air becomes heavier—it pushes more of the mercury up into the tube. As air pressure decreases, more of the mercury drains from the tube. So the level of mercury in the tube provides a precise measure of air pressure.

Mercury barometer is . an accurate instrument and is used as a standard. In it the atmospheric pressure of any place is balanced against the weight of a column of mercury in an inverted glass tube. Aneroid barometer is a compact and portable instrument. It consists of a corrugated metal box made up of a thin alloy, sealed completely and made airtight after partial exhaustion of air. It has a thin flexible lid, which is sensitive to changes of pressure. As the pressure increases, the lid is pressed inward, and this, in turn, moves a system of levers connected to a pointer, which moves clockwise over the graduated dial and gives higher reading.

When the pressure decreases, the lid is pushed outward and the pointer moves counterclockwise, indicating lower pressure. Barograph works on the principle of aneroid barometer. There are a number of vacuum boxes placed one above the other so that the displacement is large. A system of levers magnifies this movement which is recorded by a pen on a paper attached to a rotating drum. The readings of a barograph are not always accurate, and therefore, they are standardised by comparing them with a mercury barometer reading.

Short Answer Type Questions:

Q1.What is a scanner? How does it work?
Answer:
A scanner is usually made up of a reception system consisting of a mirror and detectors. A scanning sensor constructs the scene by recording a series of scan lines. While doing so, the motor device oscillates the scanning mirror through the angular field of view of the sensor, which determines the length of scan lines and is called swath. It is because of such reasons that the mode of collection of images by scanners is referred bit-by-bit. Each scene is composed of cells that determine the spatial resolution of an image. The oscillation of the scanning mirror across the scene directs the received energy to the detectors, where it is converted into electrical signals. These signals are further converted into numerical values called Digital Number (DN Values) for recording on a magnetic tape.

Q2.Explain about different types of sensor resolutions.
Answer:
Remote sensors are characterised by spatial, spectral and radiometric resolutions that enable the extraction of useful information pertaining to different terrain conditions.

1. Spatial Resolution: Spatial resolution of the sensors refers to the capability of the sensor to distinguish two closed spaced object surfaces as two different object surfaces. As a rule, with an increasing resolution the identification of even smaller object surfaces become possible,

2. Spectral Resolution: It refers to the sensing and recording power of the sensor in different bands of EMR (Electromagnetic radiation). Multispectral images are acquired by using a device that disperses the radiation received by the sensor and recording it by deploying detectors sensitive to specific spectral ranges. The principles in obtaining such images is the extension of the dispersion of light in nature resulting in the appearance of the “rainbow”.

3.Radiometric Resolution: It is the capability of the sensor to discriminate between two targets. Higher the radiometric resolution, smaller the radiance differences that can be detected between two targets.

Q3.How can we classify the characteristics of an object?
Answer:
We can group the characteristics of the objects into two broad categories, i.e. image characteristics and terrain characteristics.

• Image Characteristics: The image characteristics include tone or colour in which objects appear, their shape, size, pattern, texture and the shadow they cast.
• Terrain Characteristics: Location and the association of different objects with their surrounding objects constitute the terrain characteristics.

Q4.Differentiate between:
(i) Photographs and images.
Answer:

Basis	Photograph	Image
Meaning	A photograph refers specifically to images that have been recorded on photographic film.	An image refers to pictorial representation, regardless of what regions of energy have been used to detect and record it.
Scope	All photographs are images. Therefore it is inclusive in images and its scope is narrow.	All images are not photographs. Images can be: digital images and photographic images. Therefore, its scope is wider.

(ii) Whiskbroom Scanners and Pushbroom Scanners.
Answer:
Whiskbroom scanners, also sometimes referred to as spotlight or across track scanners, use a mirror to reflect light onto a single detector. The mirror moves back and forth, to collect measurements from one pixel in the image at a time. It is shown below:

The moving parts make this type of sensor expensive and more likely to wear out.

Pushbroom Scanners:
Pushbroom scanners are also sometimes referred to as along track scanners. It is used a line of detectors arranged perpendicular to the flight direction of the spacecraft. As the spacecraft flies forward, the image is collected one line at a time, with all of the pixels in a line being measured simultaneously. It is shown with the help of following figure. A pushbroom scanner receives a stronger signal than a whiskbroom scanner because it looks at each pixel area for longer. One drawback of pushbroom sensors is that the detectors in the “pushbroom” can have varying sensitivity. If they are not perfectly calibrated, this can result in stripes in the data.

Sensors that use the push broom design include SPOT, IRS, QuickBird, OrbView etc.

(iii) Sun-synchronous (or polar) and geostationary orbits.
Answer:

Basis	Sun-Synchronous	Geostationary Orbits
Location	Satellites in this orbit provide medium to high resolution images of the whole earth which are mostly used for environmental monitoring. They orbit at altitudes of 300 to 1,400 km above earth.	Geostationary orbits are located about 36,000 km above the earth.
Revolution time	With every satellite orbit which takes about 90 min, the earth is rotating a bit further resulting in the fact that the satellite is “watching” different sections of the earth in narrow bands. Days or weeks later, the satellite orbits again above the same section.	At this altitude a satellite needs exactly 24 hours to orbit around the earth, the same time the earth takes to perform a complete revolution around its axis.
Expansion	It is expaided from 81 degree north to 81 degree south latitude.	It is expanded on one third of the globe.
Example	The US LANDSAT series is a well known example of a polar orbiting satellite.	METEOSAT is one example for a geostationary satellite.
Utility	It is important for earth resources	It is important for tele­communication and weather department.

(iv) Photographic and non-photographic sensors.
Answer:

Basis	Photographic sensors	Non-photographic Sensors
Meaning	A photographic sensor (camera) records the images of the objects at an instance of exposure.	A non-photographic sensor obtains the images of the objects in bit-by-bit form. These sensors are known as scanners.
Device	It is done through camera	It is done through scanners
Other name	It is also called Analogue sensors	It is also called digital sensors.

(v) Photographic image and digital image
Answer:

Basis	Photographic Image	Digital Image
Meaning	Photographs are acquired in the optical regions of the electromagnetic spectrum, i.e. 0.3 – 0.9 pm.	A digital image consists of discrete picture elements called pixels. Each one of the pixels in an image has an intensity value and an address in two­ dimensional image space.
Colour	Four different types of light sensitive film emulsion bases are used to obtain photographs. These are black and white, colour, black and white infrared and colour infrared.	It does not require any film.

Long Answer Type Questions:

Q1.How does remote sensing help in the collection of information about the properties of the objects and phenomena of the earth surface?
Answer:
Remote sensing help in the collection of information about the properties of the objects and phenomena of the earth surface:

1. Source of Energy: Sun is the most important source of energy used in remote sensing.

2. Transmission of Energy from the Source to the Surface of the Earth:
The energy that emanates from a source propagates between the source and the object surface in the form of waves of energy at a speed of light (300,000 km per second). Such energy propagation is called Electromagnetic Radiation (EMR).

3. Interaction of Energy with the Earth’s Surface: The propagating energy finally interacts with the objects of the surface of the earth. This leads to absorption, transmission, reflection or emission of energy from the objects.

4. Propagation of Reflected/Emitted Energy through Atmosphere: When energy is reflected from objects of the earth’s surface, it re-enters into the atmosphere.

5. Detection of Reflected/Emitted Energy by the Sensor: The sensors recording the energy that they receive are placed in a near-polar sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of 700 – 900 km. These satellites are known as remote sensing satellites (e.g. Indian Remote Sensing Series). As against these satellites, the weather monitoring and telecommunication satellites are placed in a Geostationary position (the satellite is always positioned over its orbit that synchronizes with the direction of the rotation of the earth) and revolves around the earth (coinciding with the direction of the movement of the earth over its axis) at an altitude of nearly 36,000 km (e.g. INSAT series of satellites).

6. Conversion of Energy Received into Photographic/Digital Form of Data: The radiations received by the sensor are electronically converted into a digital image. It comprises digital numbers that are arranged in rows and columns. These numbers may also be converted into an analogue (picture) form of data product. The sensor onboard an earth¬orbiting satellite electronically transmits the collected image data to an Earth Receiving Station located in different parts of the world.

7. Extraction of Information Contents from Data Products: After the image data is received at the earth station, it is processed for elimination of errors caused during image data collection. Once the image is corrected, information extraction is carried out from digital images using digital image processing techniques and from analogue form of data products by applying visual interpretation methods.

8. Conversion of Information into Map/Tabular Forms: The interpreted information is finally delineated and converted into different layers of thematic maps. Besides, quantitative measures are also taken to generate tabular data.

Q2.Explain about different types of multispectral scanners.
Answer:
In satellite remote sensing, the Multi-Spectral Scanners (MSS) are used as
sensors. These sensors are designed to obtain images of the objects while sweeping across the field of view.
The Multi-Spectral Scanners are divided into the following types:

1. Whiskbroom Scanners
2. Pushbroom Scanners

1. Whiskbroom Scanners: The whiskbroom scanners are made up of a rotating mirror and a single detector. The mirror is so oriented that when it completes a rotation, the detector sweeps across the field of view between 90° and 120° to obtain images in a large number of narrow spectral bands ranging from visible to middle infrared regions of the spectrum. The total extent of the oscillating sensor is known as the Total Field of View (TFOV) of the scanner. While scanning the entire field, the sensor’s optical head is always placed at a particular dimension called the Instantaneous Field of View (IFOV).

2. Pushbroom Scanners: The pushbroom scanners consist of a number of detectors which are equivalent to the number obtained by dividing the swath of the sensor by the size of the spatial resolution. In pushbroom scanner, all detectors are linearly arrayed and each detector collects the energy reflected by the ground cell (pixel) dimensions of 20 metres at a nadir’s view. For example, the swath of High-Resolution Visible Radiometer – 1 (HRVR – 1) of the French remote sensing satellite SPOT is 60 km and the spatial resolution is 20 metres. If we divide 60 km x 1000 metres/20 metres, we get a number of 3000 detectors that are deployed in SPOT HRV – 1 sensor.

Q3.Based upon the mechanism used in detecting and recording, in how many categories can we classify the remotely sensed data products?
Answer:
Based upon the mechanism used in detecting and recording, these may be broadly classified into two types:

1. Photographic Images
2. Digital Images

1. Photographic Images: Photographs are acquired in the optical regions of electromagnetic spectrum, i.e. 0.3-0. 9 pm. Four different types of light sensitive film emulsion bases are used to obtain photographs. These are black and white, colour, black and white infrared and colour infrared. However, in aerial photography black and white film is normally used. Photographs may be enlarged to any extent without loosing information contents or the contrast.

2. Digital Images: A digital image consists of discrete picture elements called pixels. Each one of the pixels in an image has an intensity value and an address in two-dimensional image space. A digital number (DN) represents the average intensity value of a pixel. It is dependent upon the electromagnetic energy received by the sensor and the intensity levels used to describe its range. In a digital image, the reproduction of the details pertaining to the images of the objects is affected by the size of the pixel. A smaller size pixel is generally useful in the preservation of the scene details and digital representation. However, zooming of the digital image beyond certain extent produces loss of information and the appearance of pixels only. Using a digital image processing algorithms, the digital numbers representing their intensity level in an image may be displayed.

Q4.Explain various elements of visual interpretation.
Answer:
Elements of Visual Interpretation Whether we are conscious of it or not we use the form, size, location of the objects and their relationships with the surrounding objects to identify them in our day-to-day life. These characteristics of objects are termed as elements of visual interpretation.

1. Tone or Colour: All objects receive energy in all regions of spectrum. The interaction of EMR with the object surface leads to the absorption, transmittance and reflection of energy. It is the reflected amount of the energy that is received and recorded by the sensor in tones of grey, or hues of colour in black and white, and colour images respectively. The variations in the tone or the colour depend upon the orientation of incoming radiations, surface properties and the composition of the objects.

2. Texture: The texture refers to the minor variations in tones of grey or hues of colour. These variations are primarily caused by an aggregation of smaller unit features that fail to be discerned individually such as high density and low density residential areas; slums and squatter settlements; garbage and other forms of solid waste; and different types of crops and plants. The textural differences in the images of certain objects vary from smooth to coarse textures.

3. Size: The size of an object as discerned from the resolution or scale of an image is another important characteristic of individual objects. It helps in distinctively identifying the industrial and industrial complexes with residential dwellings.

4. Shape: The general form and configuration or an outline of an individual object provides important clues in the interpretation of remote sensing images. The shape of some of the objects is so distinctive that make them easy to identify. For example, the shape of the Sansad Bhawan is typically distinct from many other built- up features.

5. Shadow: Shadow of an object is a function of the sun’s illumination angle and the height of the object itself. The shape of some of the objects is so typical that they could not be identified without finding out the length of the shadow they cast. For example, the Question utub Minar located in Delhi, minarets of mosques, overhead water tanks, electric or telephone lines, and similar features can only be identified using their shadow.

6. Pattern: The spatial arrangements of many natural and man-made features show repetitive appearance of forms and relationships. The arrangements can easily be identified from the images through the utilisation of the pattern they form. For example, planned residential areas with the same size and layout plan of the dwelling units in an urban area can easily be identified if their pattern is followed.

7. Association: The association refers to the relationship between the objects and their surroundings along with their geographical location. For example, an educational institution always finds its association with its location in or near a residential area as well as the location of a playground within the same premises.

Short Answer Type Questions:

Q1.What are the advantages of aerial photographs?
Answer:
Given below are the advantages of aerial photographs:

• The photographs taken from ground provide us with a view of the object similar to the way we see them with our own eyes. In other words, we get a horizontal perspective of the objects photographed. Aerial photography provides a bird’s eye view of large areas, enabling us to see features of the earth surface in their spatial context.
• An aerial photograph is a record of the surface features at an instance of exposure. Therefore, it can be used as a historical record.
• The sensitivity of the film used in taking aerial photographs is relatively more than the sensitivity of the human eyes. Our eyes perceive only in the visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum, i. e. 0.4 to 0.7 pm whereas the sensitivity of the film ranges from 0.3 to 0.9 pm.
• Aerial photographs are generally taken with uniform exposure interval. It enables us in obtaining stereo pair of photographs.
• Such a pair of photographs also helps us in getting a three-dimensional view of the surface photographed.

Q2.The distance between two points on an aerial photograph is measured as 2 centimetres. The known distance between the same two points on the ground is 1 km. Compute the scale of the aerial photograph (Sp).
Answer:
Sp = Dp : Dg
= 2 cm :1 km
= 2cm : 1 x 100,000 cm
= 1 : 100,000/2 = 50,000 cm
= 1 unit represents 50,000 units
Therefore, Sp = 1: 50,000.

Q3.The distance measured between two points on a map is 2 cm. The corresponding distance on an aerial photograph is 10 cm. Calculate the scale of the photograph when the scale of the map is 1: 50,000.
Answer:
Photo scale (Sp) = Photo distance (Dp) : Map distance (Dm) x Map scale factor (msf)
= 10 cm : 2 cm x 50,000
= 10 cm : 100,000 cm
= 1 : 100,000/10 = 10,000 cm
= 1 unit represents 10,000 units
Therefore, Sp = 1: 10,000

Q4.Compute the scale of an aerial photograph when the flying height of the aircraft is 7500 m and the focal length of the camera is 15 cm.
Answer:
Focal Length (f) : Flying Height (H) = Photo distance (Dp) : Ground distance (Dg)
Sp = f: H
Or Sp = 15 cm : 7,500 x 100 cm
Or Sp = 1 : 750,000/15
Therefore, Sp = 1 : 50,000

Q5.Differentiate between:
(i) Aerial photograph and map.
(it) Aerial photographs and satellite images.
(iii) High oblique photograph and low oblique photograph.
(iv) Vertical photograph and high oblique photograph.
(v) Vertical photograph and low oblique photograph.
Answer:
(i)

Basis	Aerial Photograph	Map
Projection	It is a central Projection.	It is an orthogonal Projection.
Accuracy	An aerial photograph is geometrically incorrect. The distortion in the geometry is minimum at the centre and increases towards the edges of the photographs.	A map is geometrically correct representation of the part of the earth projected.
Scale	The scale of the photograph is not uniform.	The scale of the map is uniform throughout the map extent.
Impact of enlargement or reduction	Enlargement/reduction does not change the contents of the photographs and can easily be carried out.	Enlargement/reduction of the maps involves redrawing it afresh.
Utility	Aerial photography holds good for inaccessible and inhospitable areas.	The mapping of inaccessible and inhospitable areas is very difficult and sometimes it becomes impossible.

(ii)

Basis	Aerial Photographs	Satellite Images
Meaning	These are taken from an aeroplane or helicopter.	These are taken from man-made satellite launched in space.
Accuracy	These are less accurate as compared to satellite images.	These are more accurate as compared to aerial images.
Suitability	These are suitable for taking photographs of the earth.	These are used for taking photographs of other planets and celestial bodies.
Utility	Aerial photography holds good for inaccessible and inhospitable areas of the earth	It is useful in knowing climatic condition and weather forecast.
Disastermanagement	It is more useful in disaster management for providing relief.	It is more useful in disaster management by predicting weather and taking preventive actions.

(iii)

Basis	High Oblique Photograph	Low Oblique Photograph
Optical Axis	Deviation is more than 300 degree from the vertical axis.	Deviation is more than 30 degree from the vertical axis.
Coverage	It covers largest area.	It covers larger area.
Difference in comparison to map	It is greatest with high oblique photographs.	It is greater with low oblique photographs.
Utility	It is useful in illustrative comparison.	It is useful in recoqnaissance survey.

(iv)

Basis	Vertical Photograph	High Oblique Photograph
Optical Axis	Tilt< 3 degree i.e. exactly or nearly coincides with the vertical axis.	Deviation is more than 300 degree from the vertical axis.
Horizon	Horizon does not appear	Horizon does appear
Coverage	It covers small area.	It covers largest area.
Scale	Scale is uniform if the terrain is flat.	Scale keeps decreasing from foreground to background.
Difference in comparison to map	It is least with vertical photographs.	It is greatest with high oblique photographs.
Utility	It is useful in topographical and thematic mapping.	It is useful in illustrative comparison.

(v)

Basis	Vertical Photograph	Low Oblique Photograph
Optical Axis	Tilt< 3 degree i.e. exactly or nearly coincides with the vertical axis.	Deviation is more than 30 degree from the vertical axis.
Horizon	Horizon does not appear	Horizon does appear
Coverage	It covers small area.	It covers comparatively larger area.
Scale	Scale is uniform if the terrain is flat.	Scale keeps decreasing from foreground to background.
Difference in comparison to map	It is least with vertical photographs.	It is relatively greater with low oblique photographs.
Utility	It is useful in topographical and thematic mapping.	It is useful in reconnaissance survey.

Long Answer Type Questions:

Q1.Explain about different types of aerial photographs on the basis of position of camera axis.
Answer:
Types of Aerial Photographs Based on
the Position of the Cameral Axis:
1. Vertical Photographs: While taking aerial photographs, two distinct axes are formed from the camera lens centre, one towards the ground plane and the other towards the photo plane. The perpendicular dropped from the camera lens centre to the ground plane is termed as the vertical axis, whereas the plumb line drawn from the lens centre to the photo plane is known as the photographic/optical axis. When the photo plane is kept parallel to the ground plane, the two axes also coincide with each other. The photograph so obtained is known as vertical aerial photograph

2. Low Oblique: An aerial photograph
taken with an intentional deviation of 15° to 30° in the camera axis from the vertical axis is referred to as the low oblique photograph. This kind of photograph is often used in reconnaissance surveys. It is shown with the help of following figure.

3. High Oblique: The high oblique are photographs obtained when the camera axis is intentionally inclined about 60° from the vertical axis. Such photography is useful in illustrative surveys. It is shown with the help of following figure.

Q2.How can we classify aerial photographs on the basis of scale?
Answer:
There are three types of Aerial Photographs Based on Scale.

1. Large Scale Photographs: When the scale of an aerial photograph is 1:15,000 and larger, the photography is classified as large-scale photograph. It is shown with the help of following figure.
   
2. Medium Scale Photographs: The aerial photographs with a scale ranging between 1 : 15,000 and 1 : 30,000 are usually treated as medium scale photographs as shown in the figure given below:
   
3. Small Scale Photographs: The
   photographs with the scale being smaller than 1 : 30,000, are referred to as small scale photographs as shown in the figure.
   

Q3.Explain in detail about aerial photographs and satellite images.
Answer:
These days, it has become very easy to draw’ maps and interpret them through aerial photographs and satellite images. It requires a special type of training to understand and interpret aerial photographs. Many countries are making use of aerial photographs not only for defence purposes but also for planning land use, development of cities and towns, development of multipurpose projects etc.

Satellite images are used to predict climatic conditions. It becomes easy to predict weather by using satellite images, wre can find mineral availability, land use plan by making use of satellite images.

Q4.Explain different types of projection.
Answer:
There are three types of projection:
1. Parallel Projection: In this projection, the projecting rays are parallel but not necessarily perpendicular. The triangle ABC is projected on LL1 as triangle abc.

2. Orthogonal Projection: This is a special case of parallel projections. Maps are orthogonal projections of the ground. The advantage of this projection is that the distances, angles or areas on the plane are independent of the elevation differences of the objects. In the figure given below an orthogonal projection is where the projecting rays are perpendicular to the line LL1

3. Central Projection: Figure given below shows an example of Central Projection. In this figure the projecting rays Aa, Bb and Cc pass through a common point O, which is called the perspective Centre. The image projected by a lens is treated like a central projection. An aerial photograph, as discussed earlier is a central projection. In an absolutely vertical flat terrain the aerial photograph will be geometrically the same as the corresponding map of the area. However, because of the tilt of the photograph and relief variations of the ground photographed, an aerial photograph differs geometrically from the map of the corresponding area.

Short Answer Type Questions:

Q1.What are the features of contours?
Answer:
Some basic features of contour lines are:

• A contour line is drawn to show places of equal heights.
• Contour lines and their shapes represent the height and slope or gradient of the landform.
• Space between contour lines represents slope. Closely spaced contours represent steep slopes while widely spaced contours represent gentle slope.
• When two or more contour lines merge with each other, they represent features of vertical slopes such as cliffs or waterfalls.
• Two contours of different elevation usually do not cross each other.

Q2.Explain how do we interpret a topographical sheet?
Answer:
It is essential to have knowledge of map language and sense of direction are essential in reading and interpreting topo-sheets. We must first look for the northline and the scale of the map and orient ourselves accordingly. We must have a thorough knowledge of the legends / key given in the map depicting various features. All topo-sheets contain a table showing conventional signs and symbols used in the map. We must be acquainted with conventional symbols, signs and colours.

Q3.Under which heads is a topographical sheet interpreted? Explain each in short.
Answer:
A topographic sheet is usually interpreted under the following way:

• Marginal Information: It includes the topographical sheet number, its location, grid references, its extent in degrees and minutes, scale, the districts covered, etc.
• Relief of the Area: The general topography of the area is studied to identify different landforms along with peaks, ridges, spur and the general direction of the slope.
• Drainage of the Area: We also need to interpret the important rivers and their tributaries and the type and extent of valleys formed by them, the types of drainage pattern, i.e. dendritic, radial, ring, trellis, internal, etc.
• Land Use: It includes the use of land under different categories like Natural vegetation and forest which part of the area is forested, whether it is dense forest or thin, and the categories of the forest found there like Reserved, Protected, Classified / Unclassified.
• Transport and Communication: The means of transportation include national or state highways, districts roads, cart tracks, camel tracks, footpaths, railways, waterways, major communication lines, post offices, etc. topographical sheet presents each of these.
• Settlement: Settlements are studied under rural settlements and urban settlements.
• Occupation: The general occupation of the people of the area may be identified with the help of land use and the type of settlement.

Q4.What factors determine the site of settlements?
Answer:
Various factors determine the site of settlements like

• Source of water
• Provision of food
• Nature of relief
• Nature and character of occupation
• Defence.

Q5.Write a short note on map interpretation.
Answer:
Map interpretation involves the study of factors that explain the causal relationship among several features shown on the map. For example, the distribution of natural vegetation and cultivated land can be better understood against the background of landform and drainage. Likewise, the distribution of settlements can be examined in association with the levels of transport network system and the nature of topography.

Long Answer Type Questions:

Q1.Explain the steps involved in drawing, a Cross-section from their contours in different topographical landforms.
Answer:
The following steps may be followed to draw cross-sections of various relief features from their contours:

• Draw a straight line cutting across the contours on the map and mark it as XY.
• Take a strip of white paper or graph and place its edge along the XY line.
• Mark the position and value of every contour that cuts the line XY.
• Choose a suitable vertical scale, e.g. V2 cm =100 metres, to draw horizontal lines parallel to each other and equal to the length of XY. The number of such lines should be equal or more than the total contour lines.
• Label the appropriate values corresponding to the contour values along the vertical of the cross-section. The numbering may be started with the lowest value represented by the contours.
• Place the edge of the marked paper along the horizontal line at the bottom line of the cross-section in such a way that XY of the paper corresponds to the XY of the map and mark the contour points.
• Draw perpendiculars from XY line, intersecting contour lines, to the corresponding line at the cross-section base.
• Smoothly join all the points marked on different lines at the cross-section base.

Q2.Under which heads are topographical maps explained?
Answer:
A topographic sheet is usually interpreted in the following way:

• Marginal Information: It includes the topographical sheet number, its location, grid references, its extent in degrees and minutes, scale, the districts covered, etc.
• Relief of the Area: The general topography of the area is studied to identify different landforms along with peaks, ridges, spur and the general direction of the slope. These features are studied under the following heads:
  • Hill: With concave, convex, steep or gentle slope and shape.
  • Plateau: Whether it is broad, narrow, flat, undulating or dissected.
  • Plain: Its types, i.e. alluvial, glacial, karst, poastal, marshy, etc.
  • Mountain: General elevation, peak, passes, etc.
• Drainage of the Area: We also need to interpret the important rivers and their tributaries and the type and extent of valleys formed by them, the types of drainage pattern, i.e. dendritic, radial, ring, trellis, internal, etc.
• Land Use: It includes the use of land under different categories like Natural vegetation and forest, which part of the area is forested, whether it is dense forest or thin, and the categories of forest found there like Reserved, Protected, Classified / Unclassified.
• Transport and Communication: The means of transportation include national or state highways, district roads, cart tracks, camel tracks, footpaths, railways, waterways, major communication lines, post offices, etc. topographical sheet presents each of these.
• Settlement: Settlements are studied under the following heads:
  • Rural Settlements: The types and patterns of rural settlements, i.e. compact, semi-compact, dispersed, linear, etc.
  • Urban Settlements: Type of urban settlements and their functions, i.e. capital cities, administrative towns, religious towns, port towns, hill stations, etc.
• Occupation: The general occupation of the people of the area may be identified with the help of land use and the type of settlement. For example, in rural areas the main occupation of majority of the people is agriculture; in tribal regions, lumbering and primitive agriculture dominates and in coastal areas, fishing is practised. Similarly, in cities and towns, services and business appear to be the major occupations of the people.

Q3.Explain about identification of cultural features from topographical sheets
Answer:
Settlements, buildings, roads and railways are important cultural features shown on topographical sheets through conventional signs, symbols and colours. The location and pattern of distribution of different features help in understanding the area shown on the map.
Types of Settlements: Four types of rural settlements may be identified on the map:

1. Compact
2. Scattered
3. Linear
4. Circular

Urban centres are distinguished as:

• Cross-road town
• Nodal point
• Market centre
• Hill station
• Coastal resort centre
• Port
• Manufacturing centre with suburban villages or satellite towns
• Capital town
• Religious centre

Site of settlements:
It should be closely examined with reference to the contour and drainage map. Density of settlement is directly related to food supply. Sometimes, village settlements form alignments, i.e. they are spread along a river valley, road, embankment, coastline – these are called linear settlements. In the case of an urban settlement, a cross-road town assumes a fan-shaped pattern, the houses being arranged along the roadside and the crossing being at the heart of the town and the main market place. In a nodal town, the roads radiate in all directions.

Transport and Communication Pattern:
Relief, population, size and resource development pattern of an area directly influence the means of transport and communication and their density. These are depicted through conventional signs and symbols. Means of transport and communication provide useful information about the area shown on the map.

Short Answer Type Questions:

Q1.How are conical projections drawn?
Answer:
A Conical projection is drawn by wrapping a cone round the globe and the shadow of graticule network is projected
on it. When the cone is cut open, a projection is obtained on a flat sheet. A conical projection is one, which is drawn by projecting the image of the ‘ graticule of a globe on a developable cone, which touches the globe along a parallel of latitude called the standard parallel. As the cone touches the globe located along AB, the position of this parallel on the globe coinciding with that on the cone is taken as the standard parallel. The length of other parallels on either side of this parallel are distorted.

Q2.What is map projection?
Answer:
It is the system of transformation of the spherical surface onto a plane | surface. It is carried out by an orderly
and systematic representation of the parallels of latitude and the meridians of longitude of the spherical earth or part of it on a plane surface on a conveniently chosen scale. In map projection we try to represent a good model of any part of the earth in its true shape and dimension. But distortion in some form or the other is inevitable.

To avoid this distortion, various methods have been devised and many types of projections are drawn. Due to this reason, map projection is also defined as the study of different methods which have been tried for transferring the lines of graticule from the globe to a flat sheet of paper.

Q3.What are the qualities and limitations of a globe?
Answer:
Qualities of globe can be expressed as follows:

• A globe is the best model of the earth. Due to this property of the globe, the shape and sizes of the continents and oceans are accurately shown on it.
• It shows the directions and distances very accurately.
• The globe is divided into various segments by the lines of latitude and longitude.

Limitations:

• It is expensive.
• It can neither be carried everywhere easily nor can a minor detail be shown on it.
• Besides, on the globe the meridians are semi-circles and the parallels are circles. When they are transferred on a plane surface, they become intersecting straight lines or curved lines.

Q4.Classify the projections on the basis of method of construction.
Answer:
On the basis of method of construction, projections are generally classified into perspective, non-perspective and conventional or mathematical.

• Perspective projections: These can be drawn taking the help of a source of light by projecting the image of a network of parallels and meridians of a globe on developable surface.
• Non-perspective projections: These are developed without the help of a source of light or casting shadow on surfaces, which can be flattened.
• Mathematical or conventional projections: These are those, which are derived by mathematical computation and formulae and have little relations with the projected image.

Q5.Classify projections on the basis of global properties.
Answer:
On the basis of global properties, projections are classified into:

• Equal Area Projection
• Orthomorphic Projection,
• Azimuthal Projection and
• Equidistant Projections.
  • Equal Area Projection: It is also called homolographic projection. It is that projection in which areas of various parts of the earth are represented correctly.
  • Orthomorphic or True-Shape projection: It is one in which shapes of various areas are portrayed correctly. The shape is generally maintained at the cost of the correctness of area.
  • Azimuthal or True-Bearing projection: It is one on which the direction of all points from the centre is correctly represented.
  • Equidistant or True Scale projection: It is that where the distance or scale is correctly maintained.
• However, there is no such projection, which maintains the scale correctly throughout. It can be maintained correctly only along some selected parallels and meridians as per the requirement.

Q6.Write a short note on developable surface and zenithal projections.
Answer:
A developable surface is one, which can be flattened, and on which, a network of latitude and longitude can be projected. A cylinder, a cone and a plane have the property of developable surface. On the basis of nature of developable surface, the projections are classified as cylindrical, conical and zenithal projections.

1. Cylindrical Projections: These are made through the use of cylindrical developable surface. A paper-made cylinder covers the globe, and the parallels and meridians are projected on it.

2. Zenithal projection: It is directly obtained on a plane surface when plane touches the globe at a point and the graticule is projected on it. Generally, the plane is so placed on the globe that it touches the globe at one of the poles. These projections are further subdivided into normal, oblique or polar as per the position of the plane touching the globe.

• Normal Projection: If the developable surface touches the globe at the equator, it is called equatorial or normal projection.
• Oblique Projection: If it is tangential to a point between the pole and the equator, it is called the oblique projection;
• Polar Projection: If it is tangential to the pole, it is called the polar projection.

Q7.What is the need of map projection?
Answer:
The need for a map projection mainly arises to have a detailed study of a region, which is not possible to do from a globe. Similarly, it is not easy to compare two natural regions on a globe. Therefore, drawing accurate large-scale maps on a flat paper is required. It gives birth to a problem. The problem is how to transfer these lines of latitude and longitude on a flat sheet. If we stick a flat paper over the globe, it will not coincide with it over a large surface without being distorted. If we throw light from the centre of the globe, we get a distorted picture of the globe in those parts of paper away from the line or point over which it touches the globe.

The distortion increases with increase in distance from the tangential point. So, tracing all the properties like shape, size and directions, etc. from a globe is nearly impossible because the globe is not a developable surface.

Map projection helps to solve this problem. In map projection we try to represent a good model of any part of the earth in its true shape and dimension. But distortion in some form or the other is inevitable. To avoid this distortion, various methods have been devised and many types of projections are drawn. Due to this reason, map projection is also defined as the study of different methods which have been tried for transferring the lines of graticule from the globe to a flat sheet of paper.

Long Answer Type Questions:

Q1.Explain the qualities of Mercator projection.
Answer:
Mercator’s Projection is very useful for navigational purposes. A Dutch cartographer Mercator Gerardus Karmer developed this projection in 1569. The projection is based on mathematical formulae.
Properties:

• It is an orthomorphic projection in which the correct shape is maintained.
• The distance between parallels increases towards the pole.
• Like cylindrical projection, the parallels and meridians intersect each other at right angle. It has the characteristics of showing correct directions.
• A straight line joining any two points on this projection gives a constant bearing, which is called a Laxodrome or Rhumb line.
• All parallels and meridians are straight lines and they intersect each other at right angles.
• All parallels have the same length which is equal to the length of equator.
• All meridians have the same length and equal spacing. But they are longer than the corresponding meridian on the globe.
• Spacing between parallels increases towards the pole.
• Scale along the equator is correct as it is equal to the length of the equator on the globe; but other parallels are longer than the corresponding parallel on the globe; hence the scale is not correct along them.
• Shape of the area is maintained, but at the higher latitudes distortion takes place.
• The shape of small countries near the equator is truly preserved while it increases towards poles.
• It is an azimuthal projection.
• This is an orthomorphic projection as scale along the meridian is equal to the scale along the parallel.

Q2.Explain properties, limitations and uses of cylindrical equal area projection.
Answer:
The cylindrical equal area projection is also known as the Lambert’s projection. It has been derived by projecting the surface of the globe with parallel rays on a cylinder touching it at the equator. Both the parallels and meridians are projected as straight lines intersecting one another at right angles. The pole is shown with a parallel equal to the equator; hence, the shape of the area gets highly distorted at the higher latitude.

Properties

• All parallels and meridians are straight lines intersecting each other at right angle.
• Polar parallel is also equal to the equator.
• Scale is true only along the equator.

Limitations

• Distortion increases as we move towards the pole.
• The projection is non-orthomorphic.
• Equality of area is maintained at the cost of distortion in shape.

Uses

• The projection is most suitable for the area lying between 45° N and S latitudes.
• It is suitable to show the distribution of tropical crops like rice, tea, coffee, rubber and sugarcane.

Q3.Explain properties of Conical Projection with one Standard Parallel.
Answer:
A conical projection is one, which is drawn by projecting the image of the graticule of a globe on a developable cone, which touches the globe along a parallel of latitude called the standard parallel. As the cone touches the globe located along AB, the position of this parallel on the globe coinciding with that on the cone is taken as the standard parallel.

Properties

• All the parallels are arcs of concentric circle and are equally spaced.
• All meridians are straight lines merging at the pole. The meridians intersect the parallels at right angles.
• The scale along all meridians is true.
• An arc of a circle represents the pole.
• The scale is true along the standard parallel but exaggerated away from the standard parallel.
• Meridians become closer to each other towards the pole.
• This projection is neither equal area nor orthomorphic.

Q4.Explain the limitations and uses of Conical Projection with one Standard Parallel.
Answer:
Limitations

• It is not suitable for a world map due to extreme distortions in the hemisphere opposite the one in which the standard parallel is selected.
• Even within the hemisphere, it is not suitable for representing larger areas as the distortion along the pole and near the equator is larger.

Uses

• This projection is commonly used for showing areas of mid-latitudes with limited latitudinal and larger longitudinal extent.
• A long narrow strip of land running parallel to the standard parallel and having east-west stretch is correctly shown on this projection.
• Direction along standard parallel is used to show railways, roads, narrow river valleys and international boundaries.
• This projection is suitable for showing the Canadian Pacific Railways, Trans- Siberian Railways, international boundaries between USA and Canada and the Narmada Valley.

Q5.Prepare graticule for a Cylindrical Equal Area Projection for the world when R.F. is 1: 300,000,000 and the interval is 15° apart.
Answer:
Construction

• Draw a circle of 2.1 cm radius;
• Mark the angles of 15°, 30°, 45°, 60°, 75° and 90° for both, northern and southern hemispheres;
• Draw a line of 13.2 cm and divide it into 24 equal parts at a distance of 0.55cm apart.
• This line represents the equator;
• Draw a line perpendicular to the equator at the point where 0° is meeting the circumference of the circle;
• Extend all the parallels equal to the length of the equator from the perpendicular line; and Complete the projection as shown in figure given below:
  

Q6.Draw a Mercator Projection for the world map when the R.F. is 1:250,000,000 and the interval between the latitude and longitude is 15°.
Answer:
Calculation: Radius of the reduced earth R is “1 is 1: 250,000,000 Length of the equator 2πR or

1 × 227 × 2=6.28 inches

Construction

• Draw a line of 6.28″ inches representing the equator as Equation.
• Divide it into 24 equal parts. Determine the length of each division using the following formula: Length of the equator multiplied by interval divided by 360°.
• Calculate the distance for latitude with the help of the table given below:
  Latitude Distance 15° 0.25 x 1 = 0.25″ inch 30° and so on, Complete the projection as shown in Figure given below:

Short Answer Type Questions:

Q1.When it is 12:00 noon in Greenwich then what will be the time at Thimbu, capital of Bhutan which is located at 90° east?
Answer:

At one degree time changes by 4 minutes Difference between Greenwich and Thimbu is equal to 90°
Therefore time difference = 90 x 4
= 360 minutes = 6 hours (360/60)

Q2.When it is 12:00 noon in Greenwich then what will be the time at New Orleans which is located at 90° west?
Answer:
At one degree time changes by 4 minutes Difference between Greenwich and New Orleans is equal to 90°
Therefore time difference = 90 x 4
= 360 minutes = 6 hours (360/60)
Since it is towards, west, time will decrease by 4 minutes on each longitude. Therefore, it will be 6 am in the morning.

Q3.When it is 12:00 noon in Greenwich then what will be the time at New York which is located at 74° west?
Answer:
At one degree time changes by 4 minutes Difference between Greenwich and New York is equal to 74°
Therefore time difference
= 74 x 4
= 296 minutes
= 4 hours 56 minutes (296/60)
Since it is towards, west, time will decrease by 4 minutes on each longitude.
Therefore, it will be 7:04 am in the morning.

Q4.What is International Date Line? What
is its importance?
Answer:
The world is divided into 24 time zones, there has to be a place where there is a difference in days, somewhere the day truly “starts” on the planet. The 180° line of longitude is approximately where the International Date Line passes. The time at this longitude is exactly 12 hours from the 0° longitude, irrespective of one travels westward or eastward from the Prime Meridian. Time decreases east of the Prime Meridian and increases to its west. Hence, for a person moving east of the Prime Meridian, the time would be 12 hours less than the time at 0° longitude. For another person moving westward, the time would be 12 hours more than the Prime Meridian. For example, a person moving eastward on Tuesday will count the day as Wednesday once [ the International Date Line is crossed.
Similarly, another person starting his journey on the same day, but moving westward will count the day as Monday after crossing the line.

Long Answer Type Questions:

Q1.Explain the relationship between r longitude and time,
Answer:
The earth rotates from west to east over its axis. It makes the sun rise in the east and set in the west. The rotation of
the earth over its axis takes 24 hours to complete one circle or 360° of longitudes. As 180° of longitudes fall both east and west of the Prime Meridian, the sun, thus takes 12 hours’ time to traverse the eastern and western hemispheres. In other words, the sun traverses 15° of longitudes per hour or one degree of longitude in every four minutes of time. The time decreases when we move from west to east and increases with our westward movement. The rate of the time at which the sun traverses over certain degrees of longitudes is used to determine the local time of an area with respect to the time at the Prime Meridian (0°Longitude). For example when it is 2 pm in Greenwich, it will be 3 pm in 15° east. (15×4 = 60 minutes = 1 hour).

Q2.Explain the process or drawing latitudes.
Answer:
Process of drawing latitudes:

• Draw a circle.
• Divide it into two equal halves by drawing a horizontal line in the centre. This represents the equator.
• Place a protractor on this circle in a way that 0° and 180° line on the protractor coincide with the equator on the paper.
• Now to draw 20°S, mark two points at an angle of 20° from the equator, east and west in the lower half of the circle.
• The arms of the angle cut the circle at two points. Join these two points by a line parallel to the equator. It will be 20°S.
  

Q3.Explain the process of drawing longitudes Ans. Process of drawing longitudes:
Answer:

• Draw a circle whose centre represents the North Pole. The circumference will represent the equator.
• Draw a vertical line through the centre of the circle, i.e. crossing the North Pole. This represents the 0° and 180° meridians, which meet at the North Pole as shown in figure given below:
  
• To draw a longitude, imagine that you are on the North Pole, i.e. at the centre of the circle as shown in Figure given above.
• Observe now that the relative directions of east and west would reverse in this case and east would be towards your left while west would be towards your right.
• Now, draw 45° E and W as shown in Figure given below:
  
• For this, place your protractor along the vertical line, coinciding with the 0° and 180° meridians and then measure 45° on both the sides, which will denote 45° . E meridian and 45° W meridian on your left and right, respectively.
• The diagram will represent the appearance of the earth if we look at it from directly above the North Pole.

Short Answer Type Questions:

Q1.What is the utility of scale in a map?
Answer:
A map scale provides the relationship between the map and the whole or a part of the earth’s surface shown on it. We can also express this relationship as a ratio of distances between two points on the map and the corresponding distance between the same two points on the ground.

1. Scale of a map determines whether it can reflect minor details on it. For example to locate Palam Vihar in Gurgaon if we locate it on world map, it will be of no use. It is better to use a map of Gurgaon to locate Palam Vihar on it.
2. On the basis of scale, maps are classified into small-scale maps and large-scale maps.

Q2.What factors must be kept in mind while selecting scale?
Answer:
We must consider following aspects while selecting scale:

• Purpose of map: If map is being drawn to study the minor details then we should make use of large scale maps and if it is to show physical features or large areas, we can use small scale maps as well. For example scale of a map of a house will be larger than map of a country.
• Space Available: Scale is also affected by availability of space for drawing maps.

Q3.What are limitations of representative fraction?
Answer:
There are many limitations of representative fraction method. These are as follows:

• This method is only a fraction. It does not make use of any measurement system. Therefore it cannot be used to measure the direct distance between two places.
• Whenever maps are changed using computers, these fractions get changed.
• It is not easy to understand method for a layman.

Q4.In a scale statement it is mentioned that 1 inch represents four miles. Express it in representative fraction.
Answer:
1 inch on map represents 4 miles on ground.
Or 1 inch = 4 x 63360 ( 1 mile = 63360 inches)
1 inch = 2,53,440 inches.
Therefore 1 inch on map represents a distance of 2,53,440 inches on ground. In other words, 1 unit on map represents 2,53,440 units on ground.
Therefore Representative fraction

Q5.Convert Representative fraction 1:2,53,440 into a statement of scale (metric system).
Answer:
The given representative fraction can be converted into statement of scale in following steps:
1: 2,53,440 means that 1 unit on map represents 2,53,440 units on the ground. In other words, 1 cm will represent 2,53,440/1,00,000 km (because 1 km = 1,00,000 cm)
Therefore, 1 cm = 2.5344 km In statement of scale form we can say that 1 cm represents 2.5344 km.

Long Answer Type Questions:

Q1.Construct a graphical scale for representative fraction 1:50,000 in which distance is given in furlongs and miles.
Answer:
For graphical scale, to know the length of the line we need to make following calculations. 1:50,000 means 1 unit on map represents 50,000 units on ground.
In this way, 1 inch = 50,000 inches
6 inches = 50,000 x 6/63360
6 inches = 4.73 miles
Since 4.73 miles is not an integer, therefore we take 5 as an integer on number line. Now we need to make following calculations to present number line as 5 miles.
Since 6 inches = 4.73 miles
Therefore 5 miles = 6 x 5/4.73
5 miles will be represented by 6.34 inches.
We can make the graph by following steps:
First of all draw a 6.34 inches line and divide it in 5 important parts. Except one part from the left, let us give all parts a distance of 1.268 inch. Now divide the first part in 4 equal parts and each part will be equal to 0.32 inch.

Q2.Construct a graphical scale for scale 1 inch = 1 mile and which can be read in furlongs and miles.
Answer:
For graphical scale, to know the length of the line we need to make following calculations.
1 inch = 1 mile
Since 1 inch = 1 mile and therefore, 6 inches = 6 miles We can make the graph by following steps:
First of all draw a 6 inches line and divide it in 6 important parts. Except one part from the left, let us give all parts a distance of one 1 inch. Now divide the first part in 4 equal parts and each part will be equal to 0.25 inch.

In This Post we are  providing  CHAPTER 7 TERTIARY AND QUATERNARY ACTIVITIES NCERT MOST IMPORTANT QUESTIONS for Class 12 FUNDAMENTALS OF HUMAN GEOGRAPHY which will be beneficial for students. These solutions are updated according to 2021-22 syllabus. These MCQS  can be really helpful in the preparation of Board exams and will provide you with a brief knowledge of the chapter

NCERT MOST IMPORTANT QUESTIONS ON TERTIARY AND QUATERNARY ACTIVITIES

Question 1.
Give the meaning of the digital divide.
Answer:
A digital divide is an economic and social inequality arising in the countries due to unequal access and use of knowledge or Information and Communication Technologies (ICT).

Question 2.
Explain any three characteristics of quaternary activities.
Answer:
The three characteristics of quaternary activities are as follows:

1. Quaternary activities centre around research and development and may be seen as an advanced form of services involving specialised knowledge and technical skills.
2. Quaternary activities involve the collection, production and dissemination of information.
3. Like some of the tertiary functions, quaternary activities can also be outsourced. They are not tied to resources, affected by the environment or necessarily localised by markets.

Question 3.
Explain any three characteristics of periodical markets of rural areas in the world.

Answer:
The three characteristics of periodical markets of rural areas in the world are as follows:

1. Periodical markets in rural areas are found where there are no regular markets. Local periodical markets are organised at different intervals.
2. These may be weekly, bi-weekly markets and people from the surrounding areas meet their demand.
3. These markets are held on specific days and move from one place to another. The shopkeepers thus, remain busy on all the days while a large area is served by them.

Question 4.
What are the two factors affecting tourism in the world? Explain each factor with example. Answer:
The two factors affecting tourism in the world are:
Demand It is the prime factor for tourism. For last few centuries, the demand for recreational and entertainment related activities have increased significantly. The living of the people is being standardised and the nature of work is creating demand for tourism.

Transport The second important factor that affects the tourism sector is transport. The development in transport sector increases the demand for tourism. The easy accessibility to tourist locations and places encourages people to move or visit there. The expansion of air and rail network in the last decade has influenced tourism in increasing the number of tourists. Apart from this, the improvement in infrastructure as tourist spots has also increased demand for tourism.

Question 5.
‘Outsourcing has resulted in opening up a large number of job opportunities in several countries.’ Analyse the statement with three suitable examples.
Answer:
Outsourcing has resulted in the opening up of a large number of call centres in India, China, Eastern Europe, Israel, Philippines and Costa Rica. It has created new jobs in these countries. Outsourcing is coming to those countries where cheap and skilled workers are available. These are also out-migrating countries. But with the work available in the form of outsourcing, the migration from these countries has come down.

This can be explained through these examples:

1. The Knowledge Processing Outsourcing (KPO) industry includes research and development, e-learning, business research, etc.
2. The Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) industry involves highly skilled workers. It is information driven knowledge outsourcing.
3. Data processing is another IT related service that employs large number of people in Asian countries.

Question 6.
How does the climate of a region attract tourists? Explain with examples from different regions of the world.
Answer:
The climatic conditions of any region decide the demand for tourism. The climate of a region attracts tourists in the following ways:

1. People from colder places want to visit warm places as tourist. That’s why the Mediterranean lands and Southern Europe, due to their considerable higher temperature, sunny days and less rainfall attract tourists from Europe.
2. People from warmer regions love to visit colder places. That’s why tourists from Northern plains of India prefer to go to tourist places located in the Himalayan region or other hill stations.
3. Climatic conditions of a region also provide some adventurous activities to do and attract tourists, e.g. ice skating and skiing in snowy regions, sea surfing on beaches, etc.

Question 7.
Compare the features of rural and urban marketing centres of the world in three points. Answer:
Comparison between the features of rural and urban marketing centres are given below:

Basis	Rural Marketing Centres	Urban Marketing Centres
Serving area	They provide services to nearby settlements.	They serve the needs of a large area as compared to rural marketing centres.
Nature of services	They sen/e as trading centres of quasi-urban type. Personal and professional services are not well-developed here.	They provide specialised urban services. They provide ordinary goods and services as well as many of the specialised goods and services.
Types of services	They are local collecting and distributing centres. Most of these have mandis (wholesale markets) and also retailing areas.	Urban centres offer manufactured goods, as well as many specialised markets, develop, e.g. markets for labour, housing, semi or finished products, services of educational institutions and professionals such as teachers, lawyers, physicians, etc.

5 Marks Questions

Question 8.
What is tourism? Analyse any four tourist attractions in the world.
OR
Define the term tourism. Explain any four factors which attract tourists in the world.
Answer:
Tourism is travel which is done for the purpose of recreation rather than business. It is one of the largest sectors of tertiary activities in terms of providing employment. It also generates the largest revenue. The four factors which attract tourists in the world are as follows:

Climate The climatic conditions of any region decide the demand for tourism. People from colder places want to visit warm places and vice versa. People from hilly terrain want to visit beaches and people living around sea-shore wish to visit hilly areas, e.g. the Mediterranean lands and Southern Europe, due to their considerable higher temperature during winters attract tourists from Europe.

Landscape Attractive environment like mountains, lakes, spectacular sea coasts and landscapes not completely altered by man are important tourist destinations.

History and Art The archaeological site attracts more people because of its rich past. The area with historical remains like castles, forts, battle fields, palaces, religious monuments, excavation sites are tourist attractions.

Culture and Economy For experiencing ethnic and local customs, tourists like to visit a place. Besides, if a region provides the needs of tourists at a cheap cost, it is likely to become very popular.

Question 9.
What is medical tourism? Explain the scope of medical services for overseas patients in India.
Answer:
When medical treatment is combined with international tourism activity, it leads itself to what is commonly known as medical tourism. The scope of medical tourism for overseas patients in India is as follows:

1. In 2005, about 55,000 patients from USA visited India for treatment. In this way, India has emerged as the leading country of medical tourism in the world.
2. It bring foreign currency to India.
3. World class hospitals with latest technology are located in metropolitan cities of India. These hospitals cater to patients all over the world.
4. This kind of tourism brings abundant benefits to developing countries like India. Therefore, medical tourism has wide scope in India.

Question 10.
‘Services are very important aspect for economic development of a country.’ Analyse the statement by explaining five components of a service sector.
Answer:
Service sector is very important for the development of economy in the world. It is related to all kinds of services like education, health, welfare, business services, etc in exchange of payments. This sector also provides employment to a large number of people.

The major components of services are:

• Business services like advertising, legal services, public relations and counselling.
• Finance, insurance and real estate includes banking services.
• Wholesale and retail trading with the producers and consumers.
• Transport and communication such as railway, roadway, shipping, airline services, etc.
• Entertainment and mass media such as television, radio, films, magazines and newspapers.

In This Post we are  providing  CHAPTER 8 TRANSPORT AND COMMUNICATION NCERT MOST IMPORTANT QUESTIONS for Class 12 FUNDAMENTALS OF HUMAN GEOGRAPHY which will be beneficial for students. These solutions are updated according to 2021-22 syllabus. These MCQS  can be really helpful in the preparation of Board exams and will provide you with a brief knowledge of the chapter

NCERT MOST IMPORTANT QUESTIONS ON TRANSPORT AND COMMUNICATION

Question 1.
Describe any three advantages of pipelines as a means of transport in India.
Answer:
(i) Pipelines are used to transport liquids and gases.
(ii) It is environmental-friendly means of transport.
(iii) Pipelines can be laid through difficult terrain and also under water.

Question 2.
Define the term ‘communication.’ Describe the importance of telecommunication.
Answer:
Communication is an activity of conveying information through the exchange of thoughts, messages or information by speech, visual, writing or behaviour.
Importance of Telecommunication:

• Telecommunication is an important tool for busines. This device is used to receive and send messages, access data etc.
• This refers to the exchange of information with electronic and electrical means over a long distance.
• Telecommunication also useful for students.
• Telecommunication is helpful for people living in areas that do not have special care facility. With this they get in touch with a healthcare provider.
• Telecommunication play a vital role in transport sector.

Question 3.
Describe the distribution of railways in India.
Answer:
Distribution of Railways. A close look at the railway map of India in any atlas would reveal the following pattern of the railway network:
(1) Northern plains. A dense network of railways has been developed in the Northern Indian Plain from Amritsar to Howrah with a few focal points like Delhi- Kanpur-Mughal Sarai, Lucknow, Agra and Patna.

The whole of Northern Plain is very well connected. While connectivity is more efficient in east-west direction, it is not so efficient in the north and south direction from the trunk routes. The rail network in this plain is highly correlated to the level of agricultural and industrial development. Delhi is the focal point from where railway lines radiate in all directions. It is connected with ports through superfast trains.

Many favourable factors have led to development of a dense network of railways in Northern Plains.
Favourable factors. A dense network of railways is developed in the north Indian plains. About 50% of the total length of railways in India is found in northern India. The northern railways is the longest railway with a length of 10,977 kms. Many physical and economic factors are responsible for it.

• Northern plain is a level plain with low altitude. It is best suited for construction of railway.
• Due to dense population, big towns have developed which have led to high density of railway.
• The intensive development of agriculture and industries h as promoted the construction of railway lines.
• It is essential to connect Mumbai and Kolkata with their hinterlands of northern plain.

(2) Peninsular plateau. The peninsular region, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu have a denser rail network as compared to other parts. The whole of the peninsular region has a hilly and plateau terrain. The concentration of population is moderate. Therefore, the rail network is also sparse. Trunk routes are aligned in such a way that there are efficient connections between Mumbai-Chennai, Chennai-Cochin, Chennai- Delhi and Chennai-Hyderabad.

(3) Coastal plains. There is a distinct contrast in the rail network between eastern coastal plains and western coastal plains. There exists a long trunk route all along the east coast. Such a rail track is the Konkan Railway of 837 km. long which has been built along the western coast from Mumbai to Cochin.

The outcrops of the Western Ghats being very close to the coast, restrict the extent of the coastal plain while the eastern coast is wider and the Ghats lie away from the coast.

(4) Areas with sparse Rail network. Himalayas, west Rajasthan, Brahmaputra valley, North East hilly region have sparse rail-network.

(a) Himalayan Region. The mountainous terrain of the Himalayas is such a noteworthy region. The rugged terrain, hill and valley topography, backward economy and sparse population are the factors responsible for the sparse rail network in this region.

(b) Western Rajasthan. In western Rajasthan a few metre gauge railway lines have penetrated the arid tract.

(c) Brahmaputra valley. The Brahmaputra Valley has two parallel lines but no railway line has been constructed on the Meghalaya plateau.

(d) N.E. Region. In Tripura, Mizoram, Manipur and Nagaland, no railways have been constructed. The main reasons for the absence of a railway network are the hilly terrain and forested tracts. The cost involved in providing railway tracks in these regions is too high. The sparse population is another important aspect which has not encouraged this investment.

Question 4.
Describe the major oil and gas pipelines of India.
Answer:
(1) Naharkatiya Barauni pipeline. Oil India Limited constructed the first pipeline of 1,152 km from Naharkatiya oilfield in Assam to Barauni refinery in Bihar via Noonmati (1962-68).

2. Haldia-Kanpur pipeline. To transport refined petroleum products. Barauni-Kanpur pipeline was laid down in 1966. Haldia-Maurigram-Rajbandh pipeline was constructed later.

3. Ankleshwar-Koyali pipeline. Extensive network of pipelines has been constructed in the Gujarat region. First pipeline connected the Ankleshwar oilfield to Koyali refinery (1965). Later, Kalol-Sabarmati crude pipeline, the Navagaon-Kalol-Koyali pipeline and the Mumbai High-Koyali pipeline were laid.

4. Ahmedabad-Koyali pipeline. Ahmedabad has been linked with Koyali by pipeline for transport of petroleum products.

5. Ankleshwar-Vadodara pipeline. Gas pipelines have also been laid down between Khambhat and Dhuvaran, Ankleshwar and Uttaran, and Ankleshwar and Vadodara. Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL) operates over 4,200 km of pipeline in the country and supplies gas to power plants.

6. HBJ gas pipeline. Construction of a cross country 1,750 km long Hazira-Bijapur-Jagdishpur (HBJ) pipeline has already been completed. This pipeline has now been extended from Bijapur to Dadri in Uttar Pradesh.

7. Kandla-Delhi pipeline. GAIL is also implementing a 1,246 km long LPG pipeline project from Kandla/Jamnagar in Gujarat to Luni in Uttar Pradesh via Delhi.

8. Mathura-Jalandhar pipeline. The Mathura refinery gets its crude from the Mumbai High through pipeline, which extends from Salaya on the Gulf of Kachchh to Mathura, Petroleum product supply pipeline exists between Mathura and Jalandhar via Delhi and Ambala, and between Mumbai and Pune for the transport of petroleum products.

Question 5.
Describe the main features of development of roads in India.
Answer:
The history of roads construction in India is very old. Sher Shah Suri constructed Grand Trunk Road. After independence, a 10 year road development scheme known as the Nagpur Plan, was prepared. Four types of roads are found in India:
(i) National Highways (79,243 km)
(ii) State Highways (1,31,899 km)
(iii) District Roads (4,67,763 km)
(iv) Village Roads (26,50,000 km)

Main features of Roads in India:

(1) India has 13,94,000 kms of metalled roads.
(2) India has 8,73,500 kms of unmetalled roads.
(3) India has just 41 km. road length for every
100 sq. km. area. It has a road length of 251 km for every 1 lakh people.
(4) India has 79,243 kms of National highways.
(5) About 26 lakh automobiles move on roads of India.
(6) Annual income from roads is about 1500 crore rupees.
(7) Indian roads carry about 30% of total freight of the country.
(8) The important National highways are:

• Sher Shah Suri Marg (G.T. Road) Kolkata to Jammu.
• Delhi-Mumbai Road
• Kolkata-Mumbai Road
• Mumbai-Chennai Road
• Great Deccan Road (Varanasi to Kanyakumari)
• Kolkata-Chennai Road.
• Pathankot-Srinagar Road.
• The Border Road Development Board was established in 1960.

It has got constructed about 38,028 km. long metalled roads in border areas. It has constructed the world’s highest road from Manali (H.P.) to Leh (Ladakh). The average height of this road is 4,270 metres.

Question 6.
Describe the main features of develop¬ment of railways in India.
Answer:
Railways in India. The first railway line was constructed between Mumbai and Thane in the year 1853. It was only 34 km. long. Railways are the chief means of transport in India.

Main Characteristics:

• Indian Railways have a total length of 62,759 kms.
• It is the largest railway system in Asia and the fourth largest in the world.
• More than 18 lakh workers are engaged in Indian railways.
• Indian railways have about 12,670 trains which operate over 6,867 stations for a distance of 13 lakh kms.
• These railways carry 130 lakh passengers and 13 lakh tons freight daily.
• Railways have an investment of a capital of 8.0 crore rupees and yield an annual income of ? 21,000 crore.
• Indian railways have about 11,000 locomotives,38.0 coaches and 4 lakh wagons.
• Most of the railways are found in the level Gangetic plain.
• Railways have not been extensively developed in Jammu-Kashmir and Ladakh N.E. India, Western ghats, Chhotta Nagpur Plateau and Thar Desert (Rajasthan).
• In Southern India, construction of railways is retarded due to hilly areas and rivers.
• India has 4,259 diesel locomotives, 2,302 electric locomotives and 347 steam locomotives. The electric trains run over a distance of 11,772 kms.

Indian railways run of three gauges:

• Broad gauge—1.67 metres wide (49%)
• Metre gauge—1 metre wide (44%)
• Narrow gauge—0.76 metre wide (7%)

During year 1996-97, seven new rail zones have been created out of existing ones. The four following zones have been started:

• North-Central with headquarters at Allahabad.
• Central-Eastern with headquarters at Hajipur (Bihar).
• North-Western with headquarters at Jaipur.
• West-Southern with headquarters at Bangalore.
• Central with headquarters at Jabalpur.
• Eastern with headquarters at Bhubneshwar.
• S.E. Central Railway at Bilaspur.

Question 7.
Describe the inland waterways of India.
Answer :
For the development, maintenance and regulation of natural waterways in India, the inland waterways authority was set up in 1986. It has identified 13 inland waterways which could be upgraded.

Inland Waterways: Water transport is a cheaper means of transport and is suitable for carrying heavy and bulky materials. India is endowed with many navigable rivers and inland water bodies but the share of inland waterways is only one per cent in the country’s transport system.

(1) A total river length of 3,700 km. of major rivers is navigable by mechanised boats but only 1,700 km. of this length is utilised.

(2) We also have a network of about 4,300 km. of canals, of which a stretch of 485 km. is navigable by mechanised crafts but only 3.5 km. is actually utilised. It shows that the inland waterways are greatly underutilised.

(3) Ganga, Brahmaputra and their tributaries are navigable. The deltaic areas of Godawari, Krishna and Mahanadi, lower reaches of Narmada and Tapti, backwaters of Kera, Mondoai and Juari rivers of Goa are some of the major inland waterways.

(4) Buckingham canal in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu and the Cumberjua Canal are also important navigable canals. The policy for the development of inland waterways is formulated by Central Inland Water Transport Board, New Delhi. The national waterways are developed, maintained and managed by the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) which was set up in 1986. The national waterways

(Prayagraj-Haldia stretch of Ganga-Bhagirathi-Hugli River system) Act, 1982 has the provision that the regulation and development of this waterway is the responsibility of the Central Government. The river navigation services are operated for carrying goods between Kolkata and Assam, Kolkata and Farakka and Kolkata and Cachar, by Central Inland Water Transport Corporation, which is a Government of India undertaking.

Question 8.
Transport plays an important role in strengthening the social, political and economic unity of India. Explain the statement by giving five examples.
Or
“The triple transport system plays an important role in strengthening the social, political economic unity of India.” Explain.
Answer:
Integrating role of transport. Means of transport are the lifeline of a country. A developed and efficient system of transport is vital for maintaining the sovereignty and economic unity of the country. Under the 20 years Nagpur Plan, a balanced and integrated transport system of rail, road and waterways has been aimed at. The different means of transport have played an integrating role in the political and economic unity of India.

(i) These have connected far flung areas with one another. Leh has been connected with Kanniyakumari, while Assam has been connected with Kutch.

(ii) Means of transport distribute foodgrains, manufactured goods, raw materials and minerals to different parts of the country.

(iii) Pipelines supply petroleum and gas to different areas.

(iv) The commercialisation of agriculture, manufacturing growth of towns and cities have been achieved due to means of transport.

(v) The new road, railway lines have integrated the border areas with the rest of the country. Jawahar tunnel connects Kashmir valley with India.

(vi) Railways line through gaps in the Vindhyan- Satpura hills and in Western Ghats have provided easy connection between the North and South.

(vii) Ganga as a waterway has acted as a unifying agent right from U.P. to West Bengal. Thus, each means of transport has played its own role in a unified system of transport.

Question 9.
Why is air transport important for India ? Describe the different types of Air trans¬port in India.
Answer:
Importance of Air Transport
Air transport is the fastest but costliest mode of transport. It is an important mode for a country of the size of India where the terrain and the climatic conditions are so diverse and important commercial and industrial centres are located at great distances. It is vital for our internal transport system as well as for the links with other countries. India occupies a central location between western Europe and Africa on the one hand and South-East and East Asia, on the other.

Types of Air transport: The air transport in India has two sectors.
(i) Air India : The Air India handles the foreign traffic, both passengers and cargo from four focal points, Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata. It connects all the continents through its services. The Air India carried 21.33 lakh passengers in 1997-98.

(ii) Indian Airlines. The domestic traffic is handled by the Indian Airlines Corporation. It carries passengers, cargo and mail to different destinations within the country as well as to eight neighbouring countries.

(iii) Vayudoot. To augment the air transport in the country the Vayudoot airlines was set up in 1981. It generally provides links with remote and inaccessible areas which are not covered by the Indian Airlines.

(iv) Pawan Hans. In 1985, the Pawan Hans Limited was established to provide helicopter services in order to link far-flung and inaccessible areas in hilly and forested regions.

Question 10.
Describe the different type of Roads.
Or
Evaluate the utility of ‘Golden Quadrilateral.’
Answer :
Six types of Roads are formed in India :
(i) Golden Quadrilateral Super Highways. A major road development project linking Delhi-Kolkata- Chennai-Mumbai by six-lane super highways. North South corridor links Srinagar with Kanya Kumari and The East-West corridor links Silchar with Porbandar. It is 5,846 km. long.

(ii) National Highways. They connect capitals and main towns. These are maintained by the Central Public Works Department (CPWD), are known as the National Highways. There was a road length of National Highways 79,243km in 2010-11.

(iii) State Highways : The States and Union territories also construct and maintain roads. The state capital is linked with the district headquarters by state highways. It has a total length of 1,31,899km. and is 20% of the total length of roads.

(iv) District Roads. These connect district headquarters of a state. It has a total length of 6 lakh kms. 4,67,763 km is the total length of district road.

(v) Rural Roads. The rural areas are inter-linked by rural roads, which are generally dusty tracks. It can safely be said that the lower the level of roads in its type-hierarchy the poorer the quality of the road.26,50,000 km is the total length.

(vi) Border Roads. The border roads organisation was set up in 1960 for the development of roads of strategic importance in Northern and North-eastern borders. It has completed 30,028 kms. roads inaccessible areas of difficult terrain.

In This Post we are  providing  CHAPTER 9 INTERNATIONAL TRADE NCERT MOST IMPORTANT QUESTIONS for Class 12 FUNDAMENTALS OF HUMAN GEOGRAPHY which will be beneficial for students. These solutions are updated according to 2021-22 syllabus. These MCQS  can be really helpful in the preparation of Board exams and will provide you with a brief knowledge of the chapter

NCERT MOST IMPORTANT QUESTIONS ON INTERNATIONAL TRADE

Question 1.
What do you mean by trade ?
Answer:
The term trade simply means the voluntary exchange of goods and services. Trade is one of the most important human (economic) activities. It refers to the movement of goods and services from areas of surplus to areas of deficit. In simple words, it is exchange of products or marketing between nations and regions. For both the parties, trade is mutually beneficial.

Question 2.
What is barter system ?
Answer:
The initial form of trade in primitive societies was the barter system. In this, direct exchange of goods takes place. Two parties sell and purchase their products by exchanging these.

Question 3.
Where is barter system practised in India ?
Answer:
Every January, after the harvest season, Jon Beel Mela takes place in Jagirod, 35 km away from Guwahati. It is, the only fair in India where barter system is alive among tribes and communities.

Question 4.
Describe the different forms of art and craft developed in certain countries.
Answer:
(i) China produces the finest porcelains and brocades.
(ii) Iran is famous for carpets.
(iii) North Africa is famous for leather work.
(iv) Indonesian batik cloth is valuable.

Question 5.
Distinguish between Barter trade and Monetary trade.
Answer:

Barter Trade	Monetary Trade
1. It is the earliest form of local trade.2. Barter system means the exchange of goods without the use of money.3. It is limited in nature and has the difficulty of rate of exchange of goods.	1. It is modern system of international trade.2. Monetary  system means the exchange of goods where one item is exchanged for the other.3. It is used for trade of a number of commodities from different countries.

Question 6.
Distinguish between National trade and International trade.
Answer:

National Trade	International Trade
1. National trade means the wholesale trade on a large scale within the boundaries of a country’.2. Tt is also known as internal trade.3. National  trade depends upon the extent of a country.	1. International trade means exchange of goods, services, capital across the national boundaries.2. It is also known as foreign trade.3. Internationa trade depends upon the surplus production and purchasing power

Question 7.
Distinguish between favourable balance of trade and unfavourable balance of trade.
Or
What is meant by balance of trade?
Answer:

Favourable balance	Unfavourable balance
1. When there is an excess of exports, it is called a favourable balance of trade.2. In 1976-77 in India, the imports were of value = 5073 crore rupees while exports were of value = 5142 crore rupees. Balance of trade was + 69 crore rupees.3. It helps to strengthen the economy of a country.	1. When there is an excess of imports, it is called an unfavourable balance of trade.2. In India, in 1982-83. imports were of value = 14047 crore rupees. exports were of value = 8637 crore rupees. Balance of trade was 5410 crore rupees.3. It creates problems for the economy of a country.

Question 8.
Explain any five bases of international trade.

Or
“The difference in national resources is the basis of international trade.” Analyse the statement.
Answer:
International trade means exchange of surplus goods among different nations. It depends upon some geographical and economic factors. These factors are known as the basis of international trade.

Basis of international trade

1. Difference in Natural Resources. The world’s Natural resources are unevenly distributed because of differences in their physical make up i.e. geology, relief soil and climate.

(a) Geological structure determines the mineral resource base and topographical differences ensure diversity of crops and animals raised. Lowlands have greater agricultural potential. Mountains attract tourists and promote tourism.

(b) Mineral resources are unevenly distributed the world over. The availability of mineral resources provides the basis for industrial development.

(c) Climate influences the type of flora and fauna that can survive in a given region. It also ensures diversity in the range of various products e.g. wool production can take place in cold regions, bananas, rubber and cocoa can grow in tropical regions.

2. Population factors. Size, distribution and diversity between people affect the type anf volume of goods traded.

(a) Cultural factors : Distinctive forms of art and craft develop in certain culture which are prized the world over e.g.: China produces the finest porcelains and brocades. Carpes of Iran are famous while North African leather work and Indonesian batik cloth are prizes handicrafts.

(b) Size of population: Densely populated countries have large volume of internal trade but little external trade because most of the agricultural and industrial production is consumed in the local markets. Standard of living of the population determines the demand for better quality imported products because with low standard of living only a few people can afford to buy imported costly goods.

3. Stage of economic development. At different stages of economic development of countries, the nature of items traded undergoes changes. In agricultural economics, agro products are exchanged for manufactured goods whereas industrialised nations export machinery and finished products and import foodgrains and other raw materials.

4. Extent of foreign Investment. Foreign investment can boost up trade in developing countries which lack in capital required for the development of mining, oil drilling, heavy engineering, lumbering and plantation agriculture. By developing such capital intensive industries in developing countries, the industrial nations ensure import of food stuffs and minerals and a market for finished products. This entire cycle steps up the volume of trade between nations.

5. Transport. In olden times lack of adequate and efficient means of transport restricted trade to local areas. Only high valued items e.g. gems to silk spices were traded over large distances. With expansions of rail, ocean and air transport, better means of refrigeration and preservation, the trade has experienced spatial expansion.

Question 9.
Classify ports on different basis. Describe each type giving examples.
Or
Mention any two features of ‘Commercial Ports’.
Answer:
Types of Ports. Ports are the gateways of international trade. Generally, ports are classified according to the types of traffic which they handle.

Types of port according to cargo handled :

• Industrial Ports. These ports specialise in bulk cargo-like grain, sugar, ore, oil, chemicals and similar materials.
• Commercial Ports. These ports handle general cargo-packaged products and manufactured good. These ports also handle passenger traffic.
• Comprehensive Ports. Such ports handle bulk and general cargo in large volumes. Most of the world’s great ports are classified as comprehensive ports.

Types of port on the basis of location :
(i) Inland Ports. These ports are located away from the sea coast. They are linked to the sea through a river or a canal. Such ports are accessible to flat bottom ships or barges. For example, Manchester is linked with a canal; Memphis is located on the river Mississippi; Rhine has several ports like Mannheim and Duisburg; and Kolkata is located on the river Hoogli, a branch of the river Ganga.

(ii) Out Ports. These are deep water ports built away from the actual ports. These serve the parent ports by receiving those ships which are unable to approach them due to their large size. Classic combination, for example, is Athens and its out port Piraeus in Greece.

Types of port on the basis of specialised functions :
(i) Oil Ports. These ports deal in the processing and shipping of oil. Some of these are tanker ports and some are refinery ports. Maracaibo in Venezuela, Esskhira in Tunisia, Tripoli in Lebanon are tanker ports. Abadan on the Gulf of Persia is a refinery port.

(ii) Ports of Call. These are the ports which orginally developed as calling points on main sea routes where ships used to anchor for refuelling, watering and taking food items. Later on, they developed into commercial ports. Aden, Honolulu and Singapore are good examples.

(iii) Packet Station. These are also known as ferry ports. These packet stations are exclusively concerned with the transportation of passengers and mail across water bodies covering short distances. These stations occur in pairs located in such a way that they face each other across the water body, e.g. Dover in England, and Calais in France across the English Channel.

(iv) Entrepot Ports. These are collection centres where the goods are brought from different countries for export. Singapore is an entrepot for Asia. Rotterdam for Europe, and Copenhagen for the Baltic region.

(v) Naval Ports. These are ports which have only strategic importance. These ports serve warships and have repair workshops for them. Kochi and Karwar are examples of such ports in India.

Question 10.
Describe the different regional trading blocks.
Or
Give information on the growing importance of the Regional Trade Blocks in International Trade with special reference to the European Union (EU) and the Oil Producing and Exporting Countries (OPEC).
Answer:
Regional Trading Blocks. Most governments, have reduced tarrifs and quotas on import. Many countries have simple bilateral agreements with trading partners.

GATT. Since World War II, the primary vehicle for serving this purpose on the global level has been the General Agreement on Trade and Tarrifs (GATT). Through series of negotiations, it has systematically lowered tarrif rates worldwide. This has contributed to global economic boom in the post World War II period. Most countries of the world are now its members.

WTO. In 1995, the GATT metamorphosed into World Trade Organization (WTO), a permanent rather than adhoc organization in Geneva that also settles trade disputes. The WTO regulates trade in services too, but has yet to include important non-tarrif barriers, such as export restraints, inspection requirements, health and safety standards, and import licensing which inhibit imports.

Other Trading Blocs

1. European Union (E.U.) Originally it was founded in 1957 by six members—Italy, France, West Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxemburg. It was called the European Economic Community (EEC). Later it expanded to include most of Western Europe. The EEC changed into the European Union in 1995. It has harmonized several production and trade regulations.

A common currency, the euro; launched in early 1999, is effectively binding diverse countries into a single economy. With 400 million people, the EU is the largest single market in the world. Within Europe, the Mediterranean and East European states may be benefited more than their northern counterparts because labour moves north and capital flows south.

2. European Free Trade Association (EFTA). In 1960, seven countries i.e. United Kingdom, Austria, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Portugal and Switzerland joined together to form EFTA with the objective of bringing cooperation in the field of trade. They abolished the tarrif between different members countries.

In December, 1972, United Kingdom and Denmark abandoned their membership and joined EEC while Iceland joined this Association and Finland accepted its co-membership. Now again there are seven members.

3. NAFTA. Compared to the EU, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) is considerably more modest. NAFTA’s origin lay in the 1988 U.S.—Canada Free Trade Agreement, which gradually eliminated trade restrictions between the world’s two largest trading partners. In 1994, NAFTA was expanded to include Mexico. NAFTA has now been extended to include Latin American countries too. It has thus created a free trade zone extening from Alaska to Tirra del Fuego.

4. Organisation of Petroleum Export Countries (OPEC). The 13 member countries of OPEC are Algeria, Ecuador, Gabon, Indonesia, Iran, Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Venezuela. This organisation was formed by the petroleum producing countries in 1960 to decide policies regarding petroleum crude oil prices.

5. ASEAN. The Association of South East Asian Nations was formed in 1967. Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines and Singapore, growing countries of this region, are its members. Tariff between ASEAN and the rest of the world is growing faster than within the region. ASEAN also helps its members by presenting a joint negotiating stance when dealing with Japan, EU and Australia and New Zealand. India has now become an associate member.

6. SAARC. The South Asian Countries (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Maldives) have formed South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation. One of its objectives is to trade among the member nations. The progress on the trade front has been slow due to Indo-Pak relations.

7. CIS. This block is called Commonwealth of Independent States. Its headquarters are Minskat (Belarus). Twelve countries are its members namely Armenia, Azerbaiyan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Turkmenistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan. The items of trade are crude oil, natural gas, gold, cotton, fibre, aluminium. They cooperate on matters of economics, defence and foreign policy.

8. LAIA. It is called Latin American Integration Association. Its headquarters is in Montevideo (Uruguay). Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Columbia, Ecudor, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela are its members