Geography as a Discipline
NCERT Solutions • Class 11 Geography • Chapter 11. Multiple Choice Questions
(i) Which one of the following scholars coined the term ‘Geography’?
(b) Eratosthenes
Note: He was a Greek mathematician and astronomer who combined ‘Geo’ (Earth) and ‘Graphos’ (Description).
Note: He was a Greek mathematician and astronomer who combined ‘Geo’ (Earth) and ‘Graphos’ (Description).
(ii) Which one of the following features can be termed as ‘physical feature’?
(c) Plain
Reason: Ports, roads, and water parks are cultural (man-made) features, whereas a plain is a natural landform.
Reason: Ports, roads, and water parks are cultural (man-made) features, whereas a plain is a natural landform.
(iii) Make correct pairs from the following two columns and mark the correct option.
(d) 1C, 2A, 3D, 4B
| Branch of Geography | Related Discipline |
|---|---|
| 1. Meteorology | C. Climatology |
| 2. Demography | A. Population Geography |
| 3. Sociology | D. Social Geography |
| 4. Pedology | B. Soil Geography |
(iv) Which one of the following questions is related to cause-effect relationship?
(a) Why
Reason: “What” identifies features, “Where” identifies distribution, “When” identifies time. “Why” explains the causal relationship between phenomena.
Reason: “What” identifies features, “Where” identifies distribution, “When” identifies time. “Why” explains the causal relationship between phenomena.
(v) Which one of the following disciplines attempts temporal synthesis?
(d) History
Reason: Geography attempts spatial synthesis, while History attempts temporal (time-based) synthesis.
Reason: Geography attempts spatial synthesis, while History attempts temporal (time-based) synthesis.
2. Short Answer Questions
(i) What important cultural features do you observe while going to school? Should they be included in the study of geography?
While going to school, we observe cultural features like houses, roads, markets, bridges, and religious places. These are dissimilar in design and function.
Yes, they should be included in Geography (Human Geography) because geography studies the relationship between humans and their environment, and these features are the result of human modification of the earth’s surface.
Yes, they should be included in Geography (Human Geography) because geography studies the relationship between humans and their environment, and these features are the result of human modification of the earth’s surface.
(ii) Which item (tennis ball, cricket ball, orange, pumpkin) resembles the shape of the earth? Why?
The Orange resembles the shape of the earth.
Reason: Like an orange, the Earth is not a perfect sphere. It is slightly flattened at the poles and bulges at the equator. This unique shape is technically called a Geoid.
Reason: Like an orange, the Earth is not a perfect sphere. It is slightly flattened at the poles and bulges at the equator. This unique shape is technically called a Geoid.
(iii) Do you celebrate Van Mahotsava? Why do we plant trees? How do trees maintain ecological balance?
Yes, we celebrate Van Mahotsava. We plant trees to combat pollution, prevent soil erosion, and provide habitat for wildlife.
Ecological Balance: Trees maintain balance by absorbing Carbon Dioxide ($CO_2$) and releasing Oxygen ($O_2$), maintaining the water cycle through transpiration, and supporting food chains in the ecosystem.
Ecological Balance: Trees maintain balance by absorbing Carbon Dioxide ($CO_2$) and releasing Oxygen ($O_2$), maintaining the water cycle through transpiration, and supporting food chains in the ecosystem.
(iv) Elephants, deer, earthworms, trees and grasses. Where do they live? Name and describe the sphere.
They live in the Biosphere.
Features: The Biosphere is the narrow zone of the Earth where the Lithosphere (Land), Hydrosphere (Water), and Atmosphere (Air) interact to support life. It contains all ecosystems and living organisms. [Image of biosphere interactions]
Features: The Biosphere is the narrow zone of the Earth where the Lithosphere (Land), Hydrosphere (Water), and Atmosphere (Air) interact to support life. It contains all ecosystems and living organisms. [Image of biosphere interactions]
(v) Effect of distance on time taken to reach school. Can you convert time into space?
Distance directly affects the time taken; greater distance requires more time unless speed is increased. If the school were across the road, the time taken would be negligible.
Converting Time into Space: Yes, space is often measured in terms of time in geography (e.g., “it is a 10-minute walk”). This concept is known as Time-Space Compression, where improved transport reduces the “time-distance” between places.
Converting Time into Space: Yes, space is often measured in terms of time in geography (e.g., “it is a 10-minute walk”). This concept is known as Time-Space Compression, where improved transport reduces the “time-distance” between places.
3. Long Answer Questions
(i) Can you argue that geography is the study of “areal differentiation”?
Yes, Geography is fundamentally the study of areal differentiation.
We observe that the earth’s surface is not uniform. There are variations in:
We observe that the earth’s surface is not uniform. There are variations in:
- Physical Phenomena: Mountains, hills, plains, deserts, forests, and water bodies vary from region to region.
- Cultural Phenomena: Settlements, crops, clothing, food habits, and industries differ across the world.
(ii) Attempt an integration of geography, history, civics, and economics highlighting their interface.
Geography acts as an integrating discipline that synthesizes knowledge from other social sciences:
- Geography and History: History deals with time (temporal synthesis), while Geography deals with space. Geography provides the “stage” on which history is enacted. Historical events (wars, civilization growth) are deeply influenced by geographical factors like terrain, climate, and rivers. This interface creates Historical Geography.
- Geography and Civics (Political Science): Civics studies the state, government, and territory. Geography analyzes the spatial aspects of political units (boundaries, constituencies, geopolitics). This interface forms Political Geography.
- Geography and Economics: Economics deals with production, distribution, and consumption. Geography studies the spatial distribution of resources, industries, and trade routes. This interface forms Economic Geography.
Project Work
Topic: Forest as a Natural Resource
(i) Map of India (Forest Distribution):
Guidance: Locate the following zones:
(ii) Economic Importance:
(iii) Chipko Movement:
The Chipko movement was a non-violent forest conservation movement where villagers hugged trees to prevent them from being cut down.
Guidance: Locate the following zones:
- Tropical Evergreen: Western Ghats, North East India.
- Deciduous: Central India (MP, UP, Bihar).
- Thorny/Desert: Rajasthan, Gujarat.
- Montane: Himalayas (J&K, Himachal, Uttarakhand).
- Mangrove: Sundarbans (West Bengal).
(ii) Economic Importance:
- Source of timber for construction and furniture.
- Provides raw materials for paper, rubber, and medicinal industries.
- Essential for tourism and wildlife sanctuaries.
- Supports livelihood of tribal communities (honey, lac, gum collection).
(iii) Chipko Movement:
The Chipko movement was a non-violent forest conservation movement where villagers hugged trees to prevent them from being cut down.
- Rajasthan (Historical): Led by Amrita Devi Bishnoi in 1730 AD to protect Khejri trees.
- Uttarakhand (Modern): Started in 1973 in Reni village, led by Sundarlal Bahuguna and Gaura Devi against logging contractors.