13.
Artificial
Geography of
India
Fill in the Blanks
1. The Indian river which
carries greatest amount of
water is .............
2. Which is the highest hill
station in India?
3. Which river flows through the
Corbett National Park in
Uttaranchal?
4. The Chambal is a tributary of
the ............. river.
5. ............. is the highest peak in
Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
6. Sugar bowl of India is .............
7. The topographical maps of
India are prepared by .............
8. The Lakshadweep are an
example of ............. type of
islands.
9. ............. separates India from
Pakistan.
10. The Mc Mahon line is a
boundary between ...... and ..........
11. .............river is sometimes referred
to as Dakshin Ganga.
14. Mt. Godwin Austin (K2)
15. Al-Azizia (Libya)
16. Varanasi - Kanyakumari
Short Notes
1. Discuss the size and location
of India. What is Indian
Standard Time (IST) and
what is the difference between
IST and GMT?
2 Why are the rivers of northern
India more important than
those of southern India?
3 Jhum Cultivation
12. Nagarjunasagar Dam was
4. What is the significance of
Himalayas for the land and
people of Indian subcontinent?
5. Write notes on Deccan
Plateau, Western Ghats,
built on river .............
Eastern Ghats and the Deccan
Trap.
13. Chennai harbour is a/an 6. What is Desert Development
............. harbour. Progra mme?
14. Name the highest peak of 7. What are Mangroves
India .............
8. Write a note on the occurrence of
15. The wettest place in the world refractory minerals in India?
is Mawsynram in Meghalaya.
9. What is Gypsum? Where is it
The hottest place is .............
found in India and what are
16. The longest National its uses?
Highway NH-7 links .............
10. Why is the Western Ghats
with .............
considered to be a hot spot
Answers of biodiversity?
1. Brahmaputra 11. What are the types of
2. Gulmarg, Jammu & Kashmir environmental problems
3. Ram Ganga faced in India?
4. Yamuna 12. Where are the following
5. Saddle Peak (Great Nicobar) situated and why are they
famous for?
6. Uttar Pradesh
1. Singrauli 2. Jaykaynagar,
7. Survey of India
3. Rishra 4. Bokaro
8. Coral
13. What is sponge iron and
9. Radcliffe Line where is it used? Where is it
10. India and China produced in India?
11. Kaveri 14 What is a rift valley? Name a
12. Krishna rift valley in India?
212
15. What is the HBJ pipeline?
Which States in India benefit
from this?
16. Why is Kandla port not being
favoured by shipping
companies?
17. Which has been declared as
Indias National Waterway
No.1?
18. What is the great Rann of
Kutch and how was it
formed?
19. What is the Deccan trap
and in which areas has it
been formed?
20. Why is the Arabian Sea
branch of the monsoon more
spectacular than the Bay of
Bengal branch?
21. What are fuel minerals?
22. What are multipurpose river
projects;
Answers
1. India, with an area of
32,87,782 sq km, is the
seventh largest country after
Russia, Canada, China, USA,
Brazil and Australia and the
second most populous (next
to China) country in the
world. It extends between 8
4' and 37 6' North latitudes
and 68 7' and 97 25' East
longitudes, lying north of the
equator and thus belongs to
Northern Hemisphere. The
Tropic of Cancer (23 30' N)
divides the country into
almost two equal halves.
While the southern half
coinciding with peninsular
India lies in the tropical zone,
the northern half, somewhat
continental in nature, belongs
to the subtropical zone.
Situated to the east of the
Prime Meridian, India also
belongs to the Eastern
Hemisphere.
The country is of vast size.
The north-south extension of
India covers about 30 of
latitude or measures about
3,214 km and the east-west
extention covers almost 30 of
longitude or measures about
2,933 km which is one-twelfth
of the Earths circumference
at the Equator. India has a
land frontier of 15,200 km and
a coastline of about 6,100 km.
India takes its standard time
from the Meridian of 82 30'
E, which is 5 hours ahead
of Greenwich Mean Time (0
longitude).
2. The rivers of northern India
have a perennial source of
water, which is utilised for
irrigation and producing
electricity. These rivers
provide fertile soil and are
good water ways for
communication, etc. But the
rivers of the Deccan are fed by
the monsoons. Most of the
year, they are mere trickles in
beds of stone and sand.
3 Jhum Cultivation is shifting
cultivation practised by the
tribals of North-East India,
where the farmers usually
clear the land for planting by
slashing the vegetation and
burning the debris. It leads to
environmental degradation,
soil-erosion, loss of fertility of
soil and growth of secondary
vegetation.
4. The Himalayas are of great
significance for the land and
people of the subcontinent.
i. Physical Barrier: The
Himalayas act as phys-
ical barrier between the
subcontinent and the rest
of Asia.
ii. Birthplace of Rivers: The
massive snowfields and
glaciers of the Himalayas
213
are sources of many
perennial rivers upon
whose water depends
much of irrigation and
hydroelectric power of the
Indo-Gangetic plain. The
silt brought by these rivers
have made the Indo-
Gangetic plain very fertile.
iii. Influence on Climate: The
Himalayas protect the
Indo-Gangetic plain from
the bitterly cold winds
which blow from Central
Asia and Tibet during
winter. It compels the rain-
bearing winds blowing
from the sea in the south to
shed all their load of rain
on the Northern plain.
iv. Flora and Fauna: The
slopes of these moun-
tains are forested and
provide shelter to a wide
variety of wild life.
v. Mineral Resources: The
Himalayas have comm-
ercially valuable minerals
such as copper, lead, zinc,
bismith, antimony,
nickel, cobalt and
tungsten. They are also
the storehouse of preci-
ous and semi-precious
stones. Coal and petrol-
eum are the other mineral
fuels found in this region.
vi. Other Economic Resour-
ces: Green pasture of
lower Himalayas have
enabled sheep and goat
rearing an important
occupation.
vii. Tourist Abode: The lower
and upper range of
Himalayas, because of
their height, enjoy a cool
and pleasant climate thus
attracting a large number
of tourists during spring
and summer seasons.
5. The Deccan Plateau extends
from the Vindhyas to the
southern tip of the peninsula.
This triangular plateau is at
its widest in the north. The
Vindhya range and its eastern
extension namely Mahadev
Hills, Kaimur Hills and
Maikal Range are its northern
edge. Towards the west, the
plateau has a steep slope
which is considered to be the
result of faulting. This steep
slope forms the Western
Ghats which extends at most
continuously up to the end of
the peninsula near
Kanyakumari over a distance
of 1280 km. The Western
Ghats are known by different
regional names such as the
Sahyadris in Maharashtra
and Karnataka, the Nilgiris in
Tamil Nadu, and Annamalai
and the Cardamom hills
along the Kerala and Tamil
Nadu border. The elevation of
the Ghats increases towards
the south. The highest peak,
Anamudi (2,695 m) is in
Kerala. The most important
gap in the Western Ghats is
the Palghat gap which links
Tamil Nadu with Kerala. The
Deccan plateau is the highest
along its western edge and
gently slopes towards by Bay
of Bengal in the east. The
eastern edge of the Deccan
plateau is marked by a series
of scattered hills known as the
Eastern Ghats. These hills rise
steeply from the Coromandal
coastal plain. The Eastern
Ghats are well developed in
the region between the
Godavari and Mahanadi
rivers. The Eastern Ghats and
Western Ghats converge in
the Nilgiri hills. Dodda Betta
(2,637 m) is the highest peak
in the Nilgiri hills.
The surface of the Deccan
plateau slopes gradually
towards the east. While all the
major rivers of the peninsular
block flow into the Bay of
Bengal. Narmada and Tapti
are the only two rivers
flowing in the opposite
direction to fall in the Arabian
Sea. The northwestern part of
the Deccan plateau in
Maharashtra consists of an
extensive lava plateau
known as the deccan trap
region. This consists of flat
topped hill ranges forming on
their flanks series of terraces.
6. The Desert Development
Programme (DDP) was
started in 1977-78 with the
objective of controlling
desertification, restoring
ecological balance and
creating conditions to
improve the economic level of
people in desert areas. These
objectives are sought to be
achieved through activities
such as: (1) afforestation with
special emphasis on shelter-
belt plantation, grassland
development and ,sand dune
stabilisation; (2) development
and productive use of water
resources; and (3) const-
ruction of water harvesting
structures and development
of agriculture and horti-
culture etc. It covers both hot
and cold desert areas:
Gujarat, Haryana and
Rajasthan (hot deserts) and
Himachal Pradesh and J&K
(cold deserts).
7. Mangroves are salt tolerent
forest ecosystem found
mainly in tropical and
subtropical inter-tidal region
of the worls. They are
reservoires of a large number
of plant and animal species
associated together over a
long revolution period and
exhibitery remarkable
capacity of salt tolerance.
They stabilise the shoreline
and act as bulwark against
encroachment by the sea. As
per state of forest Report 2001

Important Sanctuaries and Parks

Name Location Reserve for
Bandipur Karnataka Tiger, Elephant, Panther etc.
Corbett Nanital, Uttaranchal Tiger, Leopards etc.
Dachigam Kashmir Kashmiri Stag
Ghana Bird Sanctuary Bharatpur, Rajasthan Water birds
Gir Forest Gujarat Gir Lion (Indias biggest
wildlife Sancutary)
Kaziranga Assam Rhinoceros
Ranthambore Rajasthan Tiger, Leopard etc.
Sariska Rajasthan Tiger, Panther, Sambar etc.
Manas Assam Rhinoceros

214

Mangroves cover area of
4,482 sq.km (0.14% of total
geographical area)
8. Materials which are resistant
to heat at high temperatures
(1500 C) are called refract-
ories. They are used for
making firebricks which line
the walls of high heat
furnaces. Refractory minerals
include fireclays, magnesite,
graphite and aluminium
silicates such as sillimanite
and kyanite.
Magnesite occurs in Tamil
Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra
Pradesh and Rajasthan.
Fireclays are found in
Madhya Pradesh, West
Bengal, Bihar, Karnataka and
Andhra Pradesh. Magnesite
is used in blast furnaces and
other industrial furnaces and
also for producing liquid
carbon dioxide. Sillimanite
which occurs in Meghalaya,
Madhya Pradesh, Mahara-
shtra, Kerala, Tamil Nadu
and Bihar is used for glass
tank furnaces, where high
temperatures are developed
and also in electric furnaces
10. The eco-system of the Western
Mangrove eco system
because of its strength and
low electrical conductivity.
Kyanite found in Bihar,
Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka,
Orissa, Rajasthan and
Maharashtra is used for
lining copper smelting
furnaces. Graphite, scarce in
India, is found in Andhra
Pradesh, Kerala, Bihar,
Karnataka and Orissa and is
used in foundries, graphite
crucibles and lead pencils.
9. Gypsum is a hydrated
sulphide of calcium (CaSO4.
2H2O). It occurs in massive
lumps or transparent plates
in sedimentary rock
formations. Over 90 per cent
of the gypsum reserves of
India are found in Rajasthan
mainly in the western
districts of Bikaner,
Ganganagar, Bharatpur,
Churu, Jaisalmer, Banner, Pali
and Jodhpur. Other states
which have gypsum reserves
are Jammu and Kashmir,
Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Andhra
Pradesh, Maharashtra,
Himachal Pradesh and Uttar
Pradesh. High quality
215
gypsum is used in the
manufacture of ammonium
sulphate fertiliser. The cement
industry also uses gypsum
but of lesser purity than that
required for fertiliser industry.
Other uses of gypsum are in
agriculture where it is used as
surface plaster for conserving
moisture in soil and for helping
in the process of nitrogen
absorption. It is also used for
making plaster of Paris, partition
block sheets, insulating boards
etc.
Ghats is specially suited for
the preservation of bio-
diversity. With altitudes
varying from 900 to 1100
metres they form a continuous
barrier of rugged topography
with heavy monsoon rainfall.
The vegetation is generally
forested and changes from
evergreen to deciduous with a
great variety of trees and
plants.
The Ghats south of the
Palghat gap are the most
complex mountain ranges of
the peninsula. The southern
complex includes Nilgiris,
Anamalais and Palani
Cardamom hills. The shola-
grasslands in this complex
have existed for a very long
period. This eco-system has
preserved fragmented forests
like the sholas surrounded by
grasslands (or Savannah).
Large animals like sambhar
and birds move from shola to
shola, whereas smaller
animals remain in a shola.
The Western Ghats are
therefore able to sustain an
immense variety of fauna and
flora in the evergreen forests
and the semi evergreen forests
on the lower slopes.
11. India generally faces two broad
categories of environmental
problems (a) problems
associated with the process of
development and (b) problems
which arise from the
conditions of poverty and
underdevelopment. The
country lacks financial
resources for rapid develo-
pment and the latest advanced
technologies are therefore not
easily available to us. In our
efforts to improve our economic
conditions as quickly as
possible, we are forced to
adopt projects which are poorly
planned. Schemes which do
not incorporate the latest
environmental protection
technologies are implemented
in order to get the benefits of
development eg: Power
Houses without electrostatic
precipitators to arrest
discharges of smoke and ash,
chemical factories without
affluent treatment plants etc.
The other group of
environmental problems
springs from poverty and low
standards of living. Pollution
of rivers by human actions are
all too common due to the lack
of awareness of the people.
As the poor have hardly any
resources, they degrade
natural resources.
12. 1. Singrauli is in Uttar
Pradesh and is the site of
the super-thermal power
station established by the
National Thermal Power
Corporation (NTPC) with
a capacity of 2000 MW.
2. Jaykaynagar in West
Bengal is the place where
the first unit to produce
aluminium from indige-
nous bauxite was establi-
shed in 1942.
3. Rishra is in West Bengal
near Calcutta. It is the site
where Indias first jute mill
was established in 1854.
4. Bokaro in Jharkhand is
situated near the Jharia
and Ranigunj coal fields.
A modern integrated steel
plant with collaboration
of the former Soviet Union
was established here in
the public sector with an
ultimate capacity of 10
million tonnes.
13. Sponge iron is directly
reduced iron made by
converting iron ore directly to
iron with non-coking coal or
natural gas. The normal iron
making in integrated steel
plants is by melting iron ore
with coke and limestone. The
coke is produced from coking
coal which is scarce.
Limestone serves to remove
the impurities. Sponge iron
is used as alternate or
supplement to scrap iron for
producing steel in mini-steel
plants with electric furnaces.
The most important project
for making sponge iron is
located at Kothagudam in
Andhra Pradesh with a final
capacity of 60,000 tonnes per
annum. Other plants have
been set up in Orissa and
Maharashtra.
14 Rift valleys are steep-sided
depressions on the earths
surface resulting from
geological faults due to
fracturing of the surface.
Narmada valley is a rift valley
in India.
15. The Hazira-Bijaipur-Jagdis-
hpur (HBJ) pipeline transports
natural gas from Gujarats off-
shore oilfields to Uttar Pradesh.
It benefits industries in
216
Maharashtra, Gujarat, Mad-
hya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.
16. Kandla is a tidal port
suffering from heavy siltation
requiring frequent dredging.
It has also inadequate linear
services to various countries.
Hence it is not fully utilised.
17. The Ganga Waterway from
Haldia to Allahabad is Indias
National Waterway No. 1.
18. It is a broad plain formed by
dark silt and salt encrustations
on the sea that once surrounded
the Kutch peninsula when it
was an island.
19. The volcanic lava of the
Deccan peninsula filled up
the pre-existing topography
about one million years ago.
It is the Deccan trap occurs in
parts of Maharashtra,
Saurashtra, and Madhya
Pradesh.
20. The Arabian Sea branch is
Spectacular, because-
(1) the Arabian Sea is larger
(2) the entire Arabian Sea
branch reaches India while
the Bay of Bengal branch
divides into Myanmar,
Malaysia and Thailand also.
21. Minerals which are useful for
generating energy are called fuel
minerals. Such minerals
include coal, petroleum, lignite,
uranium, thorium etc.
22. Multipurpose river projects
are projects that aim to benefit
our population and society in
more than one way. The
objectives are (1) extension of
irrigation facilities by
constructing dams (2) power
generation (3) flood control
and making river navigable.
Some of the major
multipurpose projects are
Damodar Valley Project,
Bhakra Nangal etc.

Selected One word
Questions
1 The worlds biggest ocean is
the .......... ocean.
2 .......... is the deepest lake in
the world.
3. Hyetology refers to the study
of .......... .
4. Meteorology may be described
as the study of ..........
5. The highest of all plateaus in
the world is the .......... plateau.
6. The largest city founded on
the river Ravi is ..........
7. The state in the world
occupying the smallest area
is ..........
8. What was Japan formerly
known as?
9. On which river is Warsaw,
the capital of Poland,
situated?
10. Which of the following cities
has the largest zoo in India?
11. Jawahar Sagar, Rana Pratap
Sagar and Gandhi Sagar
dams are all constructed on
the river ..........
12. With which of the rivers is the
Sardar Sarovar project (SSP)
associated?
13. The Machkunda
hydroelectric project is a joint
venture of the states of ........
and ..........
14. The first oil well in the world
was drilled at ..........
15. Pearl Harbour, (the target of
Japanese attack on the
American fleet) is in
..........Islands.
16. Westerly winds blowing
through out the year over the
oceans of the southern
hemisphere between 40 and
60 latitudes are called ..........
17. Nahorkatiya oilfields are
located in the state of ..........
18. Which is the largest island of
the Philippines?
19. The Telungu - Ganga Projects
runs through the state of ..........
and ...........
20. The finest natural harbour in
India is ...........
21. Which country is known as
the Cockpit of Europe?
22. Which country is known as
the Emerald Island?
23. .......... Canal is gateway to the
Pacific.
24. What is the type of rock
formed by loose and broken
fragments of pre-existing
rocks?
25. The country that celebrates
Christmas in the summer
season is ..........
26. With what type of region are
volcanoes and earthquakes
associated?
27. The type of soil that has a
marked capacity to retain
water is the ..........
28. What is the local time of a
place known with reference
to?
29. The winds getting deflected
due to the rotation of the earth
are termed as ..........
30. The atmospheric humidity is
measured by means of the
31 What is the tide at its
maximum height known as?
32. The region that specializes in
the cultivation of citrus fruits
is the .......... region.
33. The Mc Mohan line is a
boundary between .......... and
..........
34. Nagarjunasagar Dam was
built on .......... river.
35. The first river valley project
started in India is ..........
217
36. The Savannas of Orinoco
basin are termed as ..........
37. Name the state that is famous
for evergreen sandalwood?
38. Which physical regions of
India manifests a vegetation
spectrum ranging from the
Tropical to the Alpine Type?
39. The sun always rises in the
east because the earth
revolves around the sun from
the .......... to the ..........
40. Chandka Elephant Sanct-
uary is in ..........
41. What is the currency of
Thailand?
42. What does the take off stage
denote in an economy?
43. The first shore-based steel
plant in India is in ..........
44. The first large-scale jute mill
in India was established at
..........
45. The Indian state that is the
largest in terms of area is
..........
46. Name the three groups of
tribals which live exclusively
in Meghalaya?
47. Where is the Korba Super
Thermal Power Station, the
largest in the country,
located?
48. Name the river on which the
Krishnaraja Sagar Dam has
been built?
49. Name the canal that irrigates
a portion of the Thar desert.
50. Which region is known as the
rice bowl of India?
51. The most fertile milk-
producing breed of goat in
India is named as ..........
52. Which species constitutes the
largest livestock, in terms of
number, in India?
53. In India, the density of cattle
population per 100 hectares
 of gross cropped area is the
highest in ..........
54. To which country does
Greenland the largest island
in the world belong?
55. Cuttack is located on the
banks of the river ..........
56. The country also known as
the land of golden fleece is
..........
57. Where in India is the Integral
Coach Factory located?
58. The continent referred to as
Dark Continent is ..........
59. The Malanjhand copper
mines are located in the state
of ..........
60. In India Lac is found in
................
61. What is the average time
interval between two
successive high and low tides
62. On which date does the
thermal equator coincide with
the Tropic of Cancer?
63. For what are the Zawar
mines of Udaipur famous?
64. In which state of India is the
largest bauxite plant in Asia
located?
65. Where is the natural energy
of hot springs, i.e. geothermal
energy, used to produce
power?
66. Solar energy has been put to
practical use in ..........
67. The state accounting for the
maximum quantity of
asbestos in India is ..........
68. Diamond mines in India are
chiefly located in ..........
69. The oil-bearing areas in India
are mostly associated with
.......... rocks.
70. Where is Indias oldest oil
refinery located?
71. The country with the worlds
largest diamond mines as
well as highest gold
production is ..........
72. A cyclone occurs when there
is .......... pressure in the centre
and .......... pressure all around
it.
73. A cyclone in the northern
hemisphere would move in
an .......... direction.
74. What is the Beaufort scale
used to measure?
75. Some people in Manipur live
in houses built on floating
islands of weeds and
decaying vegetation, held
together by suspended silt.
Such islands are called ..........
76. Ferozabad in Uttar Pradesh is
famous for its .......... industry.
77. Which is the most sparsely
populated state in India?
78. What is viticulture and where
is it generally practised?
79. The Konkan Railway project
has been completed in a
record time of .......... years.
80. In which country is the Rhur-
Complex, a major industrial
centre, located?
81. Which strait divides Europe
from Africa?
82. The winter rains in Tamil
Nadu are caused by the ..........
monsoons.
83. The second-most popu-
lous nation in the world is
..........
84. Mineral deposits on the
ocean-floor are characterized
by the occurrence of ..........
85. What was Ethiopia earlier
known as?
86. Rubber plantations in India
are located mostly in ..........
and ..........
218
87. The tobacco cultivated in
Gujarat is mostly used for the
manufacture of ..........
88. In India, the maximum edible
oil is produced from ..........
89. Which radioactive mineral is
abundantly found in the
beach sands of coastal
Kerala?
90. The petroleum refinery at
Koyali is located in state of
..........
91. The worlds largest producer
of synthetic rubber is ..........
92. Sink holes are a phenomenon
of .......... regions.
93. Coal, being an organic
sedimentary rock formed
from the remains of plants, is
often described as .......... fuel.
94 Next to oil, the most important
mineral produced from the
sea is ..........
95. Stalagmites and stalactites
are features of the ..........
regions.
96. Areas, where grasses and
twisted shrubs are grown, are
called ..........
97. River Rhine of Europe drains
into the ..........
98. Simoon is a hot and dry wind
blowing in the Sahara and
..........
99. Neyveli power project is a
.......... power project.
100. Name the mountain that
separates France and Spain.
101. Milan, Turin and Genoa
industrial triangle is in the
country of ..........
102. Canals serve as passage of
communication in the city of
.......... in Italy
103. The highest navigable lake
in the world is ..........
104. Moho discontinuity refers to
a discontinuity between the
 .......... and .......... layers of the
earth.
105. Name the volcanic island of
India.
106. Monsoons that alternately
blow from the sea to the land
and from the land to the sea
for a period of six months
each are called ..........
107. .......... is the worlds greatest
silk producer.
108. The retreating monsoons
blow in a northeasterly
direction over ..........
109. The term midnight sun
refers to the sun shining in
the .......... and .......... circles.
110. Which state is famous for
the cultivation of rubber,
coconut and black pepper?
111. The city that is also referred
to as the city of palaces is
..........
112. Which city is known as the
golden city?
113. Where is the public sector
Nepa newsprint factory
located?
114. The deepest mine in India is
located in ..........
115. In which part of India is
Dogri spoken?
116. The seasonal movement of
people along with their
cattle in the mountains
iscalled ..........
117. A narrow strip of land
connecting two large land
masses is known as ..........
118. Podsol is a type of soil
which is characteristic of a
region under the cover of
.......... forest.
119. Name the river along which
Tokyo is located?
120. A line on a map connecting
points receiving equal
amounts of sunshine is
called an ...........
121. The area of ocean falling
beyond the territorial waters
of any nation is termed ..........
122. Isohyets are lines on maps
joining places having equal
..........
123. What was Ghana called
prior to her independence?
124. Lines on maps linking
places of equal altitude are
named as ..........
125. The length of the shadow of a
specific structure at noon
would be the same all through
the year only at the ..........
126. The port of India connected
to the interior through the
Palghat gap
127. Which is called the Land
of the Morning Calm?
128. The river which rises in the
Kamarpet hill in
Chhotanagpur Plateau of
Jharkhand and called
``Sorrow of Bengal is ..........
129. Land of Fishermen refers
to ..........
130. The National Geophysica1
Research Institute is located
in ..........
131. .......... is known as the
Queen of Arabian Sea.
132. The smallest Union
Territory of India is ..........
133. Which of the following is the
worlds largest lake?
134. Teak and sal represent the
principal trees in the forests
called ..........
135. Pastaz is the name of
temperate grasslands found
in ..........
219
136. The Elephant Pass is located
in ..........
137. Which of the following does
the Kiel Canal link?
138. The largest archipelago in
the world is ..........
139. India ranks the .......... in the
world, in terms of annual
milk production.
140. The State called the
granary of India is ..........
141. The State leading the others
in the production , of marine
fisheries is
142. The largest producer of
fresh water fish in India is
..........
143. The type of climate most
suited for the cultivation of
spices in India is ..........
144. In the Gulf of Kutch, a coral
land is used for nesting
green turtles, which is called
..........
145. Periyar Wild life Sanctuary
is located in .......... state.
146. The highest gravity dam in
India is the .......... dam.
147. The most typical Australian
tree which sheds its bark
instead of leaves is ..........
148. The strait that separates
Tasmania from the
mainland of Australia is
..........
149. The debris of fragments of
rock material brought down
with the movement of a
glacier is called ..........
150. Which country is the
worlds largest jute
producer?
151. Clouds that stem from a
uniform base and extend
like a dark grey sheet from
one side of the horizon to the
other are called ..........
152. The worlds leading
sugarcane grower is ..........
153. Which country has the
highest yield per hectare of
sugarcane in the world?
154. The method mostly used for
mining iron ore and
limestone is ..........
155. The Damodar Valley, Inner
Mongolia and Pennsyl-
vania are all important
mining centres of ..........
156. The leading producer of
coal in former soviet Union
is ..........
157. The most important
agricultural region of the
United States is the ..........
158. The Hawaiian Islands
specialise in the cultivation
of ..........
159. Narimanam oil field is
located in
160. Where is the Forest Research
Institute located?
161. Natural vegetation that is
marked by pine, fir and
spruce trees would denote
.......... forests.
162. What is the white liquid
obtained from rubber trees
called?
163. The Rhine is the busiest
inland waterway of Europe,
primarily because its course
is never frozen .........
164. What is the Brandenburg
Gate?
165. Trees with sharp, needle-like
leaves are typical of ..........
forests.
166. The worlds largest
newsprint producer is ...........
167. The Green Revolution in
India has been the most
successful in the case of
.......... and ..........
168. The famous Trimurti statue
with the faces of Brahma,
Vishnu and Shiva is found
in the .......... caves.
169. The major proportion of
agricultural land in India is
under .......... crops.
170. The Indian state that is the
largest producer of large
cardamom is ..........
171. The equatorial rain forests of
Brazil are known as the
..........
172. Prairies refer to extensive
treeless tracts covered with
tall coarse grass found in
..........
173. Carbonoceous rocks that
produce coal and oil belong
to the category named ..........
174. The worlds leading ship-
building nation is ..........
175. Gold and silver are both
extracted from .......... rocks.
176. Doldrums refer to the areas
that lie between the latitudes
5 to the north and south of
the ..........
177. The worlds largest tin
producer is ..........
178. Inversion of temperature
refers to ........ in temperature
with height.
179. Yercaud, a hill station of
South India, is situated on
the .......... hills.
180. Rihand Valley Project is
located in the State of ..........
181. Boll-Weevil is a pest that
attacks the .......... crop.
182. The desert regions of the world
occupy about .......... part of the
land surface of the earth.
183. Tokyo, the capital of Japan,
is situated in the island of
..........
184. Which Indian state occupies
the first place in literacy?
220
185. Which country assisted
India in the launching of her
first satellite ``Aryabhatta?
186. What is called the study of
lakes and ponds?
187. The approximate equatorial
circumference of the earth is
..........
188. The manufacture of diesel
locomotives takes place in
..........
189. Electric locomotives are built
in
190. Where in India is the CRRI
(Central Rice Research
Institute) located?
191. Where is Indias biggest
railway marshalling yard
located?
192. Which river is called a river
between the two mountains?
193. The Rourkela Steel Plant
had been constructed with
.......... help.
194. Where is the Cogentrix
Thermal Power Project
proposed to be set up?
195. Krivoy Rog, Kerch
Peninsula, Magnito-gorsk
are major producers of ..........
in former Soviet Union .
196 Berlin is situated on the river
canal ..........
197. Pedology is a science of the
study of ..........
198. The Khasi and Jaintia Hills
are located in ..........
199. The loktak lake, a big lake of
North-East India is located
in ..........
200. Which is the busiest airport
of the world?
201. The Duncan Passage is
situated between .......... and
.......... islands.
202. With which reference was
the biggest ever environme-
 ntal protest made by the
people against the destru-
ctive aspects of develop-
ment?
203. The country that uses its old
name of Helvetia on its
postage stamp is ..........
204. For which is the Kourou
city well known?
205. With how many countries
India has a common border?
206. The .......... river valley is
dominated by ravines.
207. The Tehri dam is being
constructed at the
confluence of the rivers ..........
and ..........
208. Which is the animal that the
WWF (World Wildlife
Fund) has adopted as its
symbol?
209. The state with the maxi-
mum number of people
living below the poverty line
is ..........
210. How many national water
ways are there in India?
211. The plateau, which has an
average elevation of about 4
kilometres above the sea
level is the .......... plateau.
212. Indias largest industrial
cluster is located in and
around ..........
213. What is the mean density of
the earth?
214. The .......... type of fog is the
one commonly occurring
along the seacoasts.
215. The process of the
disintegration of rocks
without any change
occurring in their chemical
composition is called ..........
216. The tropical cyclones often
follow the direction of
movement from .......... to ..........
217 Name the capital city of
Somalia.
218. Which Indian state is the
smallest in terms of area?
219. The daily weather map
showing isobars is an
example of a/an .......... map.
220. The average salinity of sea
water is ..........
221. The variety of coal in which
the deposit contains recogn-
izable traces of the original
plant material is ..........
222. What is condensation?
223. The largest Inland water
way in India is ...........
224. The time required for
moonlight to reach the earth
is .......... seconds.
225. African name of Rhodesia
which is dominated by
white minority is ........
226. Port Louis is the capital of
..........
227. Natural gas is a mixture of
.........., .......... and ...........
228. The largest entreport of the
world is ..........
229. The first district in India to
have telephones in all its
villages is ..........
230. Which is known as the
humans most useful tree?
231. Which countryis known as
Island of Cloves?
232. The largest island in the
Indian ocean is ..........
233. The largest river delta of
India is of the river ..........
234. The artificial lake Govind
Sagar is in the state ..........
235. The number of states in
India is ..........
236. To which country would the
title garden in the desert
refer?
237. A narrow stretch of sea
connecting two extensive
areas of sea is called a ..........
221
238. The worlds largest port is
..........
239. India s fastest train is the
Shatabdi Express between
.......... and ..........
240. Organisms that live in the
soil are refered to as ..........
241. Worlds largest solar power
plant is located in ..........
242. The continent through
which the Equator, Tropic of
Cancer and the Tropic of
Capricorn pass, is ..........
243. The shipping canal that
connects the North Sea and
the Baltic sea is called the
..........
244. Sriharikota, and important
unit of the Indian Space
Research Organisation, is
located in the state of ..........
245. According to 1991 census
the % of literacy in India is
about ..........
246. The number of officially
recognised languages in
India is ..........
247. Mt. Dhaulagiri, one among
the high peaks of
Himalayas, lies in the
country of ..........
248 The great one horned
Indian Rhino is found in
.......... Game Sanctuary.
249. The Rhur of India is
..........Valley region.
250. An important gas in the
atmosphere that absorbs
suns ultraviolet rays is
..........
251. The .......... route is the busiest
ocean route of the world.
252. The .......... railway is the
largest railway route in the
world.
253. The point below the surface
where an earthquake
originates is called ..........
254. Schist is the metamorphic
equivalent of ..........
255. Doldrum is an area of ..........
pressure.
256. The .......... mountains
crossing the Great Plains
and the Sea further south
separate Europe from
Asia
257. The .......... river in Europe
has the largest volume of
traffic.
258. Suez Canal was completed
in the year ..........
259. Zuari and Mandovi are
navigable Indian rivers in
the state of ..........
260. The Pacific terminal of
Trans-Siberian Railway is
..........
261. The Sea that separates
Greece and Italy is ..........
262. The only port in erstwhile
Soviet Union, that is ice free
throughout the year is ..........
263. The biggest railway junction in
the United States is ..........
264. Western Gateway to the
United States is ___.
265. The National Highway 1
connects Delhi to ..........
266. The deepest land locked
and protected port in India
is .......
267. .......... islands are the Cross
roads of the Pacific.
268. Tin Bigha corridor is an issue
between India and ..........
269. The National Institute of
Oceanography is located at
..........
270. The Internationally recog-
nised scale for describing
wind speed is ..........
271. In winter the Eskimos of the
Tundra region live in ..........
272. Foehn is a local wind of the
country ..........
273. The 90 East Ridge lies in
the .......... Ocean.
274. Imaginary lines connecting
places in oceans having
equal salinity are called
..........
275. Which state is called the
'agricultural epitome of
India.
276. The inclination of the
earths axis to its plane of
orbital is ..........
277. What is the wind system in
the equatorial areas known
as?
278. The constituent of the
atmosphere that causes the
greatest changes in weather
and climate is ..........
279. What are clouds showing a
vertical development
called?
280. The rock that gets trans-
formed into marble is ..........
281. The planet of the solar
system that spins at the
fastest rate is ..........
282. Who are the Fellahins?
283. What is the Richter scale
used for measuring?
284. What is the capacity of a
rock to allow water to pass
through it called?
285. The Central Building Rese-
arch Institute is located at
..........
286. Name the biggest Indian
port?
287. What does the term certified
seed denote?
288. The word monsoon is
derived from the .......... word
..........
289. The castes of Lingayats and
Okkaligas are associated
with the state of ..........
222
290. Soft wood trees are mostly
found growing in ..........
forests.
291. The country that is the
largest supplier of meat in
the world is ..........
292. The nuclear power plant
that provides power mainly
for agriculture is located at
..........
293. Name the union government
agency that is responsible
for the mapping and explor-
ation of minerals?
294. The international airport in
Tamil Nadu is in ..........
295. The longest passenger rail
route in India connects
Jammu Tawi with ..........
296. Nava Sheva, a major Ind-
ian port, is in the state of
..........
297. The saltiest sea in the world
is ..........
298. New Moore Island is
situated in the ..........
299. The strait that separates
Asia from North America is
..........
300. The strait connecting the
Bay of Bengal and Arabian
Sea is
301. What does large-scale
deforestation result in?
302. The most important means
of irrigation in Tamil Nadu
is ..........
303. The soil that is the most
suitable for the cultivation of
tea is .......... soil.
304 Vidyasagar Setu, Indias
longest cable stayed bridge,
is built across the river ..........
305. The construction of the
Sunkosh multipurpose
hydroelectric project is a co-
operative effort between
India and ..........
306. The longest dam in India?
307. The Himalayan mountain
system belongs to which
type of mountains.
308. Around which mountains
does the river Brahmaputra
turn into India?
309. The .......... forms the western
boundary of the Indian
subcontinent.
310. The Konkan coast stretches
between Goa and ..........
311. The Siachen glacier is in
...........
312. The retreating monsoons
exercise the most effect on the
state of ..........
313. In which months do the
retreating monsoons cause
rainfall?
314. Which is the smallest Indian
UT (Union Territory)?
315. The state that is on the
easternmost part of India is
..........
316. The great Indian bustard is
found in the state of ..........
317. In which country will you
find the Mansarovar lake?
318. The country that is famous
for its pyramids is ..........
319. Most of the worlds
requirement of newsprint is
supplied by the .......... type
of forest belt.
320. New York is situated on the
bank of the river
321. The first stage in the
formation of coal is
represented by the type
..........
322. The Maikal range is situated
in the state of ..........
323. The important line that
divides India quite neatly
into two climatic regions is
..........
324. The functional classifica- 340. What is the boundary line
tion of Indian cities has been between Pakistan and
done by .............. Afghanistan called?
325. The Salal hydroelectric 341. Lines drawn on a map
project is in ........... linking places having the
same atmospheric pressure
326 The Rajiv Gandhi air term-
are called ..........
inal is situated in ..........
342. A reversal in the direction of
327. Mesopotamia is the former wind, with the change of
name of ..........
seasons, is a characteristic
328. Volcanoes that are not feature of the ..........
currently active but have the 343. Where is the Tulu language
potential of future eruptions spoken?
are called .......... volcanoes. Answers to Selected Questions
329. Next to Iran, which is the largest 1. Pacific
manufacturer of carpets.
2 Lake Baikal
330. Fog characterized by large
3. Rain and snow
particles of moisture is
called .......... 4. Atmosphere
5. Tibetan
331. What is Rome also known
6. Lahore
as?
7. Vatican City
332. Which country is referred to as
the playground of Europe? 8. Nippon
333. Where are the Negritos, the 9. Vistula
earliest arrivals in India, 10. Kolkatta
mainly to be found now? 11. Chambal
334 The forces responsible for 12. Narmada
movements of the earths 13. Orissa, Andhra Pradesh
crust, the eruption of
14. Pensylvania, the USA
volcanoes and the causing
of earthquakes are called 15. Hawaiian
.......... 16. Roaring Forties.
335. The marshy and forested 17. Assam
land in northern part of 18. Luzon
Uttar Pradesh is callled .......
19. Andhra Pradesh, Tamil
336. The Indian states were first Nadu
delimited lingustically on 20. Mumbai
............ 21. Belgium
337. Which country leads the 22. lreland
world in wool production?
23. Panama
338. What percentage of the globe 24. Sedimentary rocks
is covered by water?
25. Australia
339. A narrow inlet of sea
26. Faulted and folded regions
between cliffs or steep
slopes, particularly associ- 27. Regur soil
ated with Scandinavia, is 28. Its longitudinal position
called a/an .......... 29. Geostrophic winds
223
30. Hygrometer 71. South Africa 111. Kolkatta
31 Spring Tide 72. Low; high 112. Johannesburg
32. Mediterranean 73. anticlockwise 113. Madhya Pradesh
33. lndia and China 74. Wind velocity 114. Kolar, Karnataka
34. Krishna 75. Phoomdis 115. Jammu and Kashmir
35. Damodar Valley Project 76. Glass 116. Transhumance
36. Llanos 77. Arunachal Pradesh 117. Isthmus
37. Karnataka 78. The science of growing 118. Coniferous
38. The Himalayas grapes, in the Mediterranean 119. Arokawa
region.
39. West, East 120. Isohel
79. 9
40. Orissa 121. High seas
80. Germany
41. Baht 122. Rainfall
81. Gibraltar
42. It denotes the period when the 123. Gold Coast
steady growth begins. 82. Northeast
124. Contours
43. Vishakhapatnam 83. lndia
125. Equator
44. Rishra 84. Manganese nodules
126. Cochin
45. Rajasthan 85. Abyssinia
127. Korea
46. Garos, Khasis and Jaintias 86. Kerala, Karnataka
128. Damodar.
47. Chhattisgarh 87. Beedi
129. Norway.
48. Cauveri 88. Groundnut
89. Monozite 130. Hyderabad
49. Indira Gandhi Canal
90. Gujarat 131. Cochin
50. The Krishna-Godavari delta
91. The USA 132. Lakshadweep
51. Beetal
92. Limestone or Karst 133. Caspian Sea
52. Goats
93. Fossil 134. Tropical moist deciduous
53. Haryana
94 Gas 135. Hungary
54. Denmark
95. Karst (or limestone) 136. Sri Lanka
55. Mahanadi
96. Moorlands 137. North Sea and Baltic Sea
56. Australia
97. North Sea 138. Indonesia
57. Perambur
98. The Arabian Desert 139. first
58. Africa
99. Thermal 140. Punjab
59. Chhattisgarh
100. Pyrenees 141. West Bengal
60. West Bengal
101. Italy 142. West Bengal
61. 24 hours and 52 minutes
102. Venice 143. Hot and moist
62. 21st June
63. Zinc 103. Titicaca 144. Bhydar
64. Orissa 104. Crust, Mantle 145. Kerala
65. Manikaran, Himachal Pradesh 105. Narcondam 146. Bhakra
66. Rajasthan 106. Periodical winds 147. Eucalyptus
67. Rajasthan 107. Japan 148. Bass strait
68. Panna 108. The Bay of Bengal 149. Moraine
69. Sedimentary 109. Arctic, Antarctic 150. Bangladesh
70. Digboi, Assam 110. Kerala 151. Stratus clouds

224
152. Cuba 193. German 230. Teak
153. Hawaii 194. Mangalore 231. Zanzibar (Africa)
154. Opencast mining 195. lron Ore 232. Madagascar
155. Coal 196 Spree 233. Ganga
156. Donetz basin 197. soils 234. Himachal Pradesh
157. Corn belt 198. Meghalaya 235. 28
158. Sugarcane 199. Manipur 236. Ethiopia
159. Cauvery basin 200. New York 237. Strait
160. Dehradun 201. South Andaman and Little 238. New York/New Jersey
161. Coniferous Andaman 239. New Delhi and Jhansi
162. Latex 202. Tehri Dam Project 240. Terricolous
163. throughout the year 203. Switzerland 241. Majave Desert, USA.
164. The main gate between East 204. Satellite launching 242. Africa
and West Berlin 205. 7 243. Kiel Canal
165. Coniferous [Pakistan, Afghanistan, 244. Andhra Pradesh
166. Canada China, Nepal, Bhutan, 245. 52%
167. Rice, wheat Myanmar, Bangladesh]
246. 22
168. Ellora 206. Chambal 247. Nepal
169. Food 207. Bhagirathi and Bhilangana 248 Kaziranga
170. Sikkim 208. Panda. 249. Damodar
171. Selvas 209. Bihar 250. Ozone
172. North America 210. 5 251. North Atlantic
173. Sedimentary 211. Tibetan 252. Trans-Siberian
174. Japan 212. Ahmedabad-Vadodara 253. Focus
175. Igneous 213. 5.5 g/cc 254. Shale
176. Equator 214. Advection 255. low
177. Malaysia 215. Exfoliation 256. Ural
178. increase 216. East to West 257. Rhine
179. Shevaroy Hills 217 Mogadishu 258. 1869
180. Uttar Pradesh 218. Goa 259. Goa
181. cotton 219. Isopleth 260. Vladivostok
182. l/3rd 220. 35% 261. The Adriatic
183. Honshu. 221. Peat 262. Murmansk
184. Kerala 222. Change of vapour into 263. Chicago
185. Former USSR liquid 264. San Francisco
186. Limnology 223. Kerala 265. Amritsar
187. 40,000 km 224. 1.3 266. Vishakhapatnam
188. Varanasi 225. Zimbabwe 267. Hawaiian
189. Chittaranjan 226. Mauritius 268. Bangladesh
190. Cuttack 227. methane, butane, propane 269. Goa
191. Kapurthala 228. Singapore 270. The Beaufort Scale
192. Narmada 229. Dakshin Kannada 271. Igloos

225
272. Switzerland 310. Daman
273. lndian 311. Ladakh Hindu Kush
274. Isohalines 312. Tamil Nadu The Hindu Kush is a mountain
275. Uttar Pradesh 313. October and November range in Afghanistan as well as
314. Lakshadweep in the North-West Frontier
276. 66 Province and Northern Areas of
277. Trade winds 315. Arunachal Pradesh
Pakistan. It is the westernmost
316. Rajasthan extension of the Pamir
278. Water vapour
317. China Mountains, the Karakoram
279. Cirrocumulus
318. Egypt Range, and the Himalayas.
280. Limestone
319. Coniferous The name Hindu Kush is
281. Jupiter usually applied to the whole of
320. Hudson
282. Farmers of the Nile Valley the range separating the basins
321. Peat of the Kabul and Helmand
283. Intensity of earthquakes 322. Madhya Pradesh rivers from that of the Amu
284. Permeability 323. The Tropic of Cancer Darya (or ancient Oxus), or
285. Roorkee 324. Ashok Mitra more specifically, to that part of
286. Mumbai the range to the northwest of
325. Jammu & Kashmir Kabul.
287. Seeds approved by the 326 Hyderabad
National Seeds Corporation 327. Iraq
288. Arabic; mausim 328. Dormant 336. 1956
289. Karnataka 329. lndia 337. Australia
290. Coniferous 330. Mist 338. 71%
291. Argentina 331. The City of Seven Hills 339. Fjord
292. Narora 332. Switzerland 340. Durand Line
293. The GSI (Geological Survey 333. Andaman Islands 341. lsobars
of India) 334 Tectonic forces 342. Monsoon regions
294. Meenambakkam 335. Tirai 343. Karnataka
295. Kanyakumari
296. Maharashtra Ladakh
297. Dead Sea Ladakh is a province in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir
298. Bay of Bengal sandwiched between the Kunlun mountain range in the north and
the main Great Himalayas to the south, inhabited by people of Indo-
299. Bering Strait
Aryan and Tibetan descent. It is one of the most sparsely populated
300. Palk Strait regions in Kashmir.
301. Soil erosion Historically, the region included the Baltistan (Baltiyul) valleys, the
302. Canals Indus Valley, the remote Zanskar, Lahaul and Spiti to the south, Ngari
including the Rudok region and Guge in the east, and Nubra valleys
303. Laterite to the north over Khardung La in the Ladakh mountain range.
304 Hooghly Contemporary Ladakh borders Tibet to the east, the Lahaul and Spiti
305. Bhutan to the south, the Vale of Kashmir, Jammu and Baltiyul regions to the
west, and the Trans -Kun lun territory of East Turkistan in Central
306. Hirakud
Asia on the other side of the Kun lun range in Kashmir to the north.
307. Fold Running southwest to northeast, the Altyn Tagh converges with the
308. Namcha Barwa Kun Lun range in Kashmir which runs southeast to northwest forming
a V shape which converges at Pulu.
309. Hindukush

226

Selected Short
Questions
1. What is continental drift?
The Theory of continental
drift expounded by Alfred
Wegner in 1915 holds that
portions of the original
continent which comprised
the entire landmass of the
world, underwent a series of
horizontal displacement
before the present continents
ever formed. According to
Wegner after the breaking of
the super continent (Pangea),
the movement of the
continents took place in two
directions one towards the
equator due to centrifugal
force of the earth which gave
rise to fold mountains like the
Himalayas etc and another
towards west due to tidal
force of the sun and the moon
which gave rise to Andes and
Rockies.
2. What is Plate tectonis?
Plate tectonics deals with rock
structures which are in the
form of plates and it is not only
the continents which are in
motion but the ocean as well.
These plates not only carries
the earths upper crust but
also the part of denser mantle
below. They have an average
thickness to 100 km. They
float on the plastic upper
mantle called Asthenosphere
and carry the continents and
oceans as well. The edge of the
plates are designed as
boundaries and margins
where movements occur.
3. Define Ring of Fire?
About 68% of the
earthquakes on earth is
experienced in the region
around pacific known as
Ring of Fire. This is the
region of crustal dislocation
and volcanoes.
4. Where are the following
volcanoes situated?
(1) Mt. Vesuvius (2) Mt. Etna
(3) Mt. Stromboli
(1) Italy (2) Sicily of Italy
(3) Italy
5. What is epicentre?
Epicentre is the point on the
earth surface, vertically above
the focus, the most affected
area of the earthquake.
6. What is Isoseismal Line?
The line joining places which
experiences the earthquake at
the same time.
7. What is the percentage of the
following gases in atmos-
phere
(1) Nitrogen (2) Oxygen
(3) Argon (4) Carbon Dioxide
(1) 78% (2) 21% (3) 0.93%
(4) 0.03%
8. What are jet streams?
Jet streams are high speed
wind which blow from the
west in the upper atmosphere
over mid latitude area. It has
an important role in the
formation of weather condi-
tions.
9. Define dew point?
Dew point is the temperature
at which a parcel of air would
have to bee cooled in order to
reach saturation. The
favourable conditions are
moist air, light winds and
clear night skies to ensure
maximum cooling by
radiation.
10. Name the area where the
following tropical cyclones
are seen
(1) Cyclone (2) Typhoon
(3) Hurricane (4) Willy Willies
227
(1) South Indian Ocean
(2) Phillipines, Japan and
China
(3) West Indies and USA
(4) Australia
11. Define Humidity.
Humidity refers to the content
of water vapour present in air
in gaseous form at a particular
time and place.
Hygrometer is used to
measure humidity
12. What is sleet?
Sleet is the mixture of rain and
snow
13. What is hail?
Hail is small pieces of ice
with a diameter ranging from
5 to 50 mm.
14. What is fog?
Fog is microscopically small
drops of water condensed in
form and suspended in the air
near the earth surface in
sufficient number to reduce
visibility.
15. What is smog?
Smog is formed when dirt and
polluted air is mixed with
smoke. It is generally found
in large industrial centres.
16. What is barrier reef?
Barrier reef is the largest and
most extensive of all reefs. The
reef itself grows from the deep
bottom and lie at distance
away from the coast. Hence a
shallow and broad lagoon
develops between the reef
and shore.
eg: Great Barrier Reef of
Australia
17. Ozone Depletion
Ozone Depletion is the
thinning of ozone layer in the
stratosphere of earths
atmosphere.