Life in the Deserts

Q22. What are the four passes that Manali - Leh highway crosses?

Ans. Manali - Leh highway crosses four passes, Rohtang la, Baralacha la Lungalacha la and Tanglang la.

Q23. What are the main characteristics of the desert areas?

Ans. These areas are characterised by low rainfall, scanty vegetation and extreme temperatures.

Q24. Which are the two words that make the word Ladakh?

Ans. Ladakh is made up of two words – “La” meaning ‘mountain pass’ and “Dak” meaning ‘country’.

Q25. Which place recorded the highest temperature of 57.7°C in 1922?

Ans. Al Azizia in the Sahara desert, south of Tripoli, Libya recorded the highest temperature of 57.7°C in 1922.

Q26. Why does Ladakh desert get very little rainfall?

Ans. As the Ladakh desert lies in the rain shadow of the Himalayas, there is little rainfall, as low as 10 cm every year.

Q27. Name the trees that grow in Ladakh.

Ans. There are scanty patches of grasses and shrubs, groves of willows and fruit trees such as apples, apricots and walnuts grow in Ladakh.

Q28. Name the countries that touch the Sahara desert.

Ans. The Sahara desert touches eleven countries. These are Algeria, Chad, Egypt, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Sudan, Tunisia and Western Sahara.

Q29. Why oasis in the Sahara has settled population?

Ans. Oasis in the Sahara has settled population because these areas are fertile and people may settle around these water bodies and grow date palms and other crops.

Q30. Name some common birds of Ladakh.

Ans. Several species of birds are sighted in Ladakh. Robins, redstarts, Tibetan snowcock, raven and hoopoe are common. Some of these are migratory birds.

Q31. Why do people hunt Chiru or the Tibetan antelope?

Ans. The Chiru or the Tibetan antelope is an endangered species. It is hunted for its wool known as shahtoosh, which is light in weight and extremely warm.

Q32. Where is Ladakh desert located?

Ans. Ladakh is a cold desert lying in the Great Himalayas, on the eastern side of Jammu and Kashmir. The Karakoram Range in the north and the Zanskar mountains in the south enclose it.

Q33. Why there is scanty vegetation in the deserts?

Ans. There is scanty vegetation in the deserts because

                      i.        Climate of deserts is extremely hot and dry or cold and dry.

                     ii.        There is short rainy season or little rainfall, as low as 10 cm every year.

Q34. Why do nomadic tribes of Sahara desert rear livestock?

Ans. Nomadic tribes of Sahara desert rear livestock because these animals provide them with milk, hides from which they make leather for belts, slippers, water bottles; hair is used for mats, carpets, clothes and blankets.

Q35. What are the climatic conditions of the Sahara desert?

Ans. The climate of the Sahara desert is scorching hot and parch dry. It has a short rainy season. The temperatures during the day may soar as high as

50°C and the nights may be freezing cold with temperatures nearing zero degrees.

Q36. How did the Sahara become a desert?

Ans. Sahara once used to be a lush green plain. Cave paintings in Sahara desert show that there used to be rivers with crocodiles. Elephants, lions, giraffes, ostriches, sheep, cattle and goats were common animals. But the change in climate has changed it to a very hot and dry region.