CBSE Class 7 Social Science Geography Revision Notes Chapter 9
CBSE Class 7 Geography Chapter 9 Notes – Life in the Deserts
The physical characteristics of the Earth are unique and varied. One can find varied landscapes like plains as well as elevated regions like plateaus. Mountains, grasslands, islands, coastal regions, and deserts are just a few examples of other natural features. Life in the Desert is the chapter of Class 7 Geography Chapter 9. Students will study the major types of deserts and their characteristics.
Extramarks provides Class 7 Geography Chapter 9 Notes Life in the Deserts written by experienced subject matter experts. With the aid of these Class 7 Geography Chapter 9 Notes, students will be able to formulate quality answers and score better marks in the exams.
Life in the Deserts Class 7 Notes Geography Chapter 9 Notes
Access Class 7 Social Science (Geography) Chapter 9 Notes – Life in the Deserts Notes
Overview
The desert is a dry, desolate area with little vegetation that experiences incredibly high or low temperatures. There may be hot deserts or cold deserts depending on the temperatures.
The Hot Desert – Sahara
The Sahara is the world’s largest desert.
It is roughly 8.54 million square kilometres in size. Algeria, Chad, Egypt, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Sudan, Tunisia, and Western Sahara are the 11 nations that share the Sahara desert.
The Sahara Desert contains gravel plains and upland plateaus with exposed rock surfaces.
In some places, the height of these rock surfaces can reach over 2500 metres.
Climate
The Sahara desert has a harsh, scorching, and dry climate.
The wet season is brief. There are clear skies throughout the day.
In this case, moisture evaporates more quickly than it accumulates.
Daytime temperatures can reach 50°C, warming the bare rocks and sand, which then radiate heat into the surrounding area.
Near-freezing temperatures are observed during the night.
Flora & Fauna
Cacti, date palms, and acacia are among the plants that can be found in the Sahara desert.
Oasis are lush islands surrounded by date palms that are found in a few places.
The main animal species found here are camels, hyenas, jackals, foxes, scorpions, various kinds of snakes, and lizards.
People
Despite its harsh climate, many different groups of people live in the Sahara Desert and engage in a variety of activities there.
The Bedouins and the Tuaregs are two of these. These are nomadic tribes that raise animals like horses, camels, goats, and sheep.
These animals supply them with milk, and skins from which they make leather for belts, slippers, and water bottles; the hair is used for mats, carpets, garments, and blankets.
To shield themselves from sandstorms and hot winds, they cover themselves in thick robes. The colonised people are supported by the oasis in the Sahara and the Nile Valley in Egypt. The cultivation of date palms is done where water is available.
They also grow beans, wheat, barley, and rice. Egyptian cotton, a type of fabric famous across the world, is grown in Egypt.
The Sahara desert is constantly changing as a result of the discovery of oil, a resource that is highly sought after on a global scale, in Algeria, Libya, and Egypt.
Iron, phosphorus, manganese, and uranium are some additional significant minerals that are present here. The Sahara is experiencing a change in its cultural landscape.
Trucks take the place of camels in the salt trade. Foreign tourists often use Tuaregs as their guides.
Nomadic herdsmen are ending their lives in greater numbers in order to work in oil and gas operations in the city.
The Cold Desert – Ladakh
On the eastern side of Jammu and Kashmir, in the great Himalayas, is the cold desert region of Ladakh.
It is encircled by the Karakoram Range to the north and the Zanskar Mountains to the south.
Ladakh is traversed by numerous rivers, with the Indus being the most significant. Ladakh is home to many glaciers, including the Gangri Glacier.
In Ladakh, the altitude varies from about 3000 metres in Kargil to more than 8000 metres in Karakoram.
The area has a very cold and dry climate as a result of its high elevation. At this altitude, the air is so thin that the sun’s heat is verynoticeable.
Summertime temperatures range between slightly above zero degrees and well below -30 degree celsius at night.
Ladakh receives little rain, as little as 10 cm annually, because it is located in the Himalayas’ rain shadow.
The region is known for its chilly winds and warm sunshine.
Flora and Fauna
The vegetation is thin due to the intense dryness.
There are a few shrubs and grassy patches for animals to graze on.
In the valleys, willow and poplar groves can be seen. Trees of fruits like apples, apricots, and walnuts blossom in the summer.
Ladakh is home to robins, redstarts, Tibetan snowcocks, ravens, and hoopoes. Some bird species migrate.
Ladakh is home to a variety of animals, including canines of certain species as well as wild yaks, sheep, goats, and sheep. Livestock is raised for milk, meat, and leather.
People
The majority of people in Ladakh are either Muslims or Buddhists.
In fact, a number of Buddhist monasteries with their distinctive “gompas” dot the Ladakhi landscape.
The monasteries of Hemis, Thiksey, Shey, and Lamayuru are well-known.
Barley, potatoes, peas, beans, and turnips are some of the summer crops found in Ladakh.
People celebrate and hold ceremonies because the winter weather is so harsh. In addition to working at home and in the fields, women also own and operate small businesses.
The Ladakh region capital, Leh, has good air and road connections for easy transportation.
With numerous visitors arriving from the interior of India and abroad, tourism is a significant industry in that region.
Modernisation is changing how people live their lives. However, the people of Ladakh have learned to coexist in harmony and balance with nature over the years.
Resources like fuel and water are utilised carefully and reverently in Ladakh due to their scarcity.
Class 7 Geography Chapter 9 Life in the Deserts Notes
Deserts are regions that experience extreme weather at different times. These areas are characterised by low levels of precipitation, fewer plant and animal species, arid weather, etc. They can be divided into two categories, Hot Desert and Cold Desert, based on the temperature of the region. Students will learn everything about deserts in the Class 7 Geography Chapter 9 Notes.
Conclusion
Extramarks provides Class 7 Geography Chapter 9 Notes created by subject matter experts following the most recent NCERT and CBSE curriculum. These notes discuss deserts, one of the key geographical landscapes. According to the curriculum, students will learn the two important and distinctive types of desserts from around the world, along with their characteristics and related ideas.
The Class 7 Chapter 9 Geography Notes will aid students in understanding the concepts of this chapter and thoroughly revising them before the exams. These Class 7 Chapter 9 Geography Notes are available on the Extramarks website.
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
1. Write a short note about a cold desert.
Ladakh is a cold desert found in the east of Jammu and Kashmir along the Great Himalayas. It is a distinct Union Territory in India with Leh as its capital. It lies between the Zanskar range in the south and the Karakoram range in the north. In contrast to winter, when it is extremely cold and frequently below -40°C, summer temperatures are only slightly above 0°C during the day and can drop as low as -30°C at night. Various species can be found here, including wild dogs, yaks, goats, sheep, and sheep. They supply things like milk, meat, and hides. This area has a range of altitudes. It has a dry and cold climate and altitudes that range from 3000m in the Kargil region to more than 8000m in the Karakoram.
2. Write a brief essay on one of the world's hot deserts.
The Sahara desert, which is located in North Africa, is the largest desert in the world. Deserts are one of the Earth’s most significant landscapes. It spans nearly 11 countries and has an area of 8.54 million square kilometres. It gets up to 50°C or more during the day, which is extremely hot. The night temperature is cold and can reach up to zero degrees Celsius. Cacti, dates, palms, and acacia are the main types of vegetation in this area, and numerous crops, including wheat, rice, barley, beans, and others, are grown there.
