NCERT MOST IMPORTANT QUESTIONS CLASS – 12 | GEOGRAPHY INDIA- PEOPLE AND ECONOMY IMPORTANT QUESTIONS | CHAPTER- 20 | TRANSPORT AND COMMUNICATION | EDUGROWN |

In This Post we are  providing  CHAPTER 20 TRANSPORT AND COMMUNICATION NCERT MOST IMPORTANT QUESTIONS for Class 12 GEOGRAPHY INDIA- PEOPLE AND ECONOMY 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.
Which shipping canal links the Atlantic ocean and the Pacific ocean? Explain its any four characteristics.
Answer:
The canal that links the Atlantic and Pacific ocean is the Panama Canal. For the characteristics of the Panama Canal

The Suez and the Panama Canal are the two vital man-made navigation canals. Suez Canal links the Mediterranean sea and the Red Sea. It was constructed in 1869. It is the vital man-made shipping canal which acts as a linkage between the Eastern and Western world. For characteristics of Suez Canal,

Following are the main characteristics of the Suez Canal:

• Suez canal links Port Said in the North and Port Suez in the South connecting the Mediterranean sea and Red sea.
• It reduced the sea route distance between Liverpool and Colombo as compared to the Cape of Good Hope route.
• It opens a new route to the Indian Ocean for the Europeans
• It has no locks.
• It is 160 km long.
• The depth of the Suez Canal is 10 t < n deep.

Panama canal connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific. It is an artificial 48-mile waterway. Following are the main Characteristics of the Panama Canal:

• Panama canal links Colon on the Atlantic ocean to Panama in the Pacific ocean.
• It shortens the distance between New York and San Francisco by 13,000 km by sea. The distance between Western Europe and the West coast of the USA is also shortened.
• This canal is about 72 km long and involves a deep cutting for a length of 12 km.
• It has six lock systems and ships cross the different level through these lock systems.

Both the canals are economically significant as they have cut down the sea route by many thousand kilometres. The ships can now reach faster and hence more trade is possible. Though, the economic significance of the Panama canal is less than the Suez canal.

Question 2.
What is the importance of railways as a mode of land transport? Explain any four main features of the railway network in Europe.
OR
Explain any five characteristics of rail transport in Europe.
Answer:
Railways cover long distances and they are ideal for the transportation of bulky goods. A large number of people also travel by railways. They also form the connecting link between the ocean vessels, barges, boats, motor trucks and pipelines.

Following are the characteristics of rail transport in Europe:

• Most of the railways in Europe is double or multiple tracked.
• The total length of railway line in Europe is 440,0 km.
• Belgium has the highest railway density of 1 km of a railway for every 6.5 sq km area.
• In many countries of Europe, passenger transport is more important than freight.
• After the development of a more flexible system of roadways and airways. The trans-continental railway line has become less important.

Question 3.
Which is the longest trans-continental railway in North America? Describe its any four features.
Answer:
The longest trans-continental railway of North America is Trans-Canadian railway.
For the features of Trans-Canadian railway,

The Trans-Canadian railway line is considered the economic artery of Canada due to the following reasons:

• This railway line covers a distance of 7,050 km running from Halifax in the East to Vancouver on the Pacific coast.
• It connects important cities of Montreal, Ottawa, Winnipeg and Calgary.
• It connects the Quebec-Montreal industrial region with the wheat belt of the Prairie region, thus gaining economic significance.
• This line also connects the coniferous forest region in the North to Quebec-Montreal and the Prairies. All these regions have become complementary to each other.
• A loop line from Winnipeg to Thunder Bay (Lake Superior) connects this rail line with one of the important waterways in the world.

Question 4.
State any three characteristics of water transport. Why is traffic far less on the Cape of Good Hope route?
Answer:
Three characteristics of water transport are as follows:

1. Water transportation does not require route construction. The oceans are linked with each other and offer smooth routes travelable in all directions with fewer maintenance costs.
2. It is a cheaper means of transportation because the friction of water is less than that of the land and energy cost is lower.
3. Very heavy cargo like coal, cement, timber and metallic ores can be transported through inland waterways.

The reasons for the less traffic on the Cape of Good Hope route are as follows:

1. There are limited development and population in South America and Africa, so demand is less.
2. Both South America and Africa have similar products and resources.
3. Large scale industries are only present in South-Eastern Brazil and Plata estuary.
4. There is little traffic on the route which links Rio-de Janeiro and Cape Town.

Question 5.
Which continent has the highest road density? Why do traffic congestions occur on road? Explain any three measures to solve the problem of traffic congestion.
Answer:
North America has the highest road density. About 33% of the world’s total motorable road length is present in North America. North America also accounts for the highest number of vehicles as compared to Europe.

There is a problem of chronic traffic congestion in most of the cities of the world. The congestion occurs because of the failure of the road networks in meeting the demands of traffic. In recent years, the traffic on roads has substantially increased. We can see peaks and troughs of traffic flow on roads at different times of the day.

The measures to solve the problem of traffic congestion are as follows:

1. The parking fee should be high.
2. Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) system should be developed.
3. The public bus services should be improved.
4. Expressways should be developed to facilitate smooth traffic flow.

Question 6.
Explain the merits and demerits of road transport in the world.
Answer:
Merits of road transport are:

• It is the most economical mode for short distances as compared to railways.
• It offers door-to-door services.
• It is best suited for the transportation of perishable and breakable goods.
• Construction of the road is comparatively cheaper and easy.
• In road transport, it is very easy to monitor vehicles and goods.

Following are the demerits of road transport:

• Road transport is not sustainable in all seasons.
• Unmetalled roads become unmotorable during the rainy season. Metalled ones are also damaged by floods.
• Road construction is very difficult in mountainous or desert areas.
• The maintenance of roads requires heavy expenditure.
• Goods are susceptible to damage through careless driving.
• Transport is subject to traffic delay in the case of road transport.

Question 7.
Explain the significance of each of the transport and communication services available in the world.
Answer:
Significance of various transport services are as follows:
Road Transport It is a cheaper and faster mode of transport over short distances and for door-to-door services.

Railways It is best suited for bulky goods and passengers for long distances.

Water Transport It is the cheapest mode of transport because of less friction of water. Ocean routes are cheaper for carrying of bulky material from one continent to another.

Air Transport is the fastest means of transportation. It is best suited for long distance travel and worldwide transportation of valuable cargo.

Pipelines It is used to carry liquids and gases from the producing areas to the consuming areas.
Significance of various communication services are as follows:

Satellite Communication In contemporary time, satellites communication has become very important with the Internet as the largest electronic network on the planet connecting about 1000 million people in more than 100 countries.

Cyber Space-Internet This electronic network has spread unprecedently the number of users from 400 million in AD 2000 to over two billion in 2010. It has brought people from different parts of the world closer to each other.

Question 8.
Name the principal mode of transportation in the world which is used for carrying liquid and gaseous materials only. Mention any four characteristics of this mode of transportation.
Answer:
The principal mode used for carrying liquid and gaseous material is pipeline transport.
For the characteristics of a pipeline,

The means of transport used extensively for carrying water, petroleum, natural gas and other liquids is pipeline transport. There is a dense network of pipelines in the USA which runs from the producing areas to the consuming areas. One such famous pipeline is Big Inch.

Pipelines are used extensively to connect oil wells to pots and the refineries or domestic markets. The longest proposed international oil and natural gas pipeline’ will pass through Iran, India and Pakistan.

In New Zealand, milk is being supplied through pipelines from farms to factories. In Europe, Russia and West Asia, oil wells are linked to refineries through pipelines. Turkmenistan in Central Asia has extended pipelines to Iran and also to parts of India.

Question 9.
What is the significance of inland waterways? Explain the three factors responsible for the development of inland waterways in the world.
Answer:
Inland waterways consist of rivers, lakes, canals and streams linking the coastal areas. They have been used as waterways from time immemorial. Inland waterways are important for domestic and international transport and trade. Many rivers are modified to make inland waterways possible in different developed countries. The significance of inland waterways has been rising.

The three factors responsible for the development of inland waterways in the world are:
Navigability This means the width and depth of the channel that makes navigation possible.
Water Flow Another factor is the continuous flow of water throughout the year so that ships, boats can easily move in the waterways.
Transport Technology Development of proper technology so that very heavy cargo like coal, timber, metallic ores can also be easily transported through inland waterways.

Question 10.
What are the highways? Explain the significance of highways with examples from different continents,
Answer:
Highways are metalled roads constructed for uninterrupted vehicular movement. Highways link even city and port town in developed countries. The significance of highways can be explained through the following examples:

North America Highways link the cities located on the Pacific coast with those of the Atlantic coast. Highway density is very high in North America, about 0.65 km per sq km. The Pan-American Highway connects the countries of, South America, Central America and USA.
Europe In Europe, there is a well-developed network of highways, but faces competition from railways and waterways.
Russia In Russia, important industrial regions are linked through highways. The Moscow-Vladivostok highway serves the region and it is one of the important highways of Russia.
China All the major cities in China are linked through the highways.
India In India, highways are connecting the major towns and cities. NH7 is the longest in the country which connects Varanasi and Kanyakumari.
Africa In Africa, Algiers in the North is connected to Conakry in Guinea and Cairo is connected to Capetown through highways.