Question

Give geographical reasons for the following statements:
1. Farmers in the Rajasthan desert depend on animal husbandry.
2. Plantation agriculture is mainly confined to the southern parts of the Western Ghats.
3. Mining activities are well developed on the Chota Nagpur Plateau.
4. Regionalisation is very essential.

Answer 1

1. (a) Due to very scanty, irregular and uncertain rainfall in the Rajasthan Desert, farmers can not depend only on agriculture for their livelihood. So, a large number of farmers rear animals like sheep, goats, cows, bullocks, camels etc., on their farms to get supplementary income.

(b) Vast areas in the desert are unfit for cultivation but have pastures. Moreover, grasslands here are not transformed into cropland due to lack of water. Babul is one of best fodder trees here. Owing to these reasons, farmers in the Rajasthan Desert depend on animal husbandry.

2. (a) Long rainy season and deep weathering are the main factors that favour plantation agriculture.
(b) The coffee plantations in Baba Budan Hills, tea plantations in Udagamandalam and Munnar area's or spices in Kerala and Tamil Nadu Ghat areas are some of the major plantations in these areas.

(c) The coastal strips from Konkan southwards are typically spotted with plantations of coconut and areca nut. Though the size of these plantation plots are small, they greatly support the economy of the region.

3. (a) Much of this plateau spreads in Jharkhand and extends into the adjoining states like West Bengal, Chhattisgarh and Odisba.

(b) It is one of the mineral rich regions of out country.

(c) Granite gneiss is found in large tracts in the central part of this region

(d) The rocks of Gondwana formation bearing high grade coal seams have made Chota Nagpur a mineral-rich region.

4. (a) The region is an important base fore economic development.

(b) It is also very important for many historical, political, economic and sociological analysis.

(c) It is very useful and essential in the planning process.

(d) It helps the planners to decide developmental strategies.