CLASS - VI Subject- Social Science (GEOGRAPHY) Topic- Ch 5: MAJOR DOMAINS OF

THE EARTH

GENERAL INSTURUCTIONS:
1. Note down all the question- Answers in the notebook or take print out.
2. Read the chapter thoroughly.

Major Domains of the Earth

Q1. Explain the four major domains of the earth.
Ans. 1. LITHOSPHERE
 It is the solid portion of the earth.
 It comprises of rocks of the earth’s crust and a thin layer of soil that contain nutrients to sustain organisms.
 There is major division of Earth’s surface into two parts- large land masses known as Continents and huge water
bodies known as Ocean Basins.
2. HYDROSPHERE
 It consists of that part of the earth which is covered with water.
 The running water in oceans, rivers, lakes, ice in glaciers, underground water and the water vapour in atmosphere, all
comprise the hydrosphere.
3. ATMOSPHERE
 The layer of gases that surround the earth is known as atmosphere.
 It is made up of oxygen, nitrogen, carbon-dioxide and other gases.
 It provides us the air use breathe and protects us from harmful effect of sun’s rays.
4. BIOSPHERE
 It is the narrow zone of contact between the land, water and air.
 It is in this zone that life exists.
Q 2. Why the earth is called the blue planet?
Ans. Earth is called the blue planet because more than 71% of the earth is covered with water.
Q 3. Why the Northern Hemisphere is called the land Hemisphere?
Ans. The greater part of the landmass lies in the Northern Hemisphere. It is thus called the land Hemisphere.
Q 4. Name the two continents that lie entirely in the southern Hemisphere.
Ans. Australia and Antarctica.
Q 5. Name the difference layers of atmosphere. Draw a neatly labelled diagram of the layers of atmosphere.
Ans. The atmosphere is divided into five layers based on their composition and temperature. These are:
Troposphere, Stratosphere, Mesosphere, Thermosphere and Exosphere.
Diagram given below.
Q 6. Why is the biosphere important for living organisms?
i. The biosphere is the narrow zone of contact between the land, water and air.
ii. Plant and animal Kingdom together make biosphere or living world.
 iii. All the living organisms including humans are linked to each other and to the biosphere for survival.

Q 7. What are the constituents of air? Or describe the composition of the atmosphere.
Ans.
i. The atmosphere is mainly composed of nitrogen (78%) and oxygen (21%). Together they make up 99% of clean and
dry air.
ii. Other gases like carbon-dioxide, argon and hydrogen comprise 1% by volume.
iii. Apart from these gases, tiny dust particles are also present in the air.
Q 8. What is the importance of atmosphere?
Ans.
i. Oxygen is the breath of life. Humans and animals take oxygen from air as they breathe.
ii. Carbon-di-oxide by absorbing heat radiated by the earth helps to keep the planet warm.
iii. Nitrogen helps in the growth of living organisms. Plants need nitrogen for their survival. Humans take some amount
of nitrogen into their lungs and exhale it.
Q 9. How are human activities disturbing the balance of nature?
Ans.
i. Cutting of forests for wood, or clearing land for agriculture is leading to fast removal of soil from slopes.
ii. Discharge of waste material into lakes & rivers is making the water unsuitable for human use.
iii. Emission from industries, thermal power plants and vehicles is polluting the air.

Q 10. Give a brief description of the major continents of the world.

Ans: The seven major Continents are as follows: -

1) ASIA
a) Asia is the largest continent.
b) It lies in the Eastern Hemisphere and covers about one-third of the total land area of the Earth.
c) Asia is separated from Europe by Ural Mountains on the west.
d) The combined landmass of Europe and Asia is called Eurasia (Europe+ Asia)
2) EUROPE
a) Europe is smaller than Asia and the Arctic circle passes through it. It is bound by water bodies on three sides.
b) The continent lies to the west of Asia.
3) AFRICA
a) Africa is the second largest continent and a large part of Africa lies in the Northern Hemisphere.
b) The Equator or 0 Degree latitude runs almost through the middle of the continent.
c) Africa is the only continent through which Tropic of Cancer, the Equator and the Tropic of Capricorn pass.
d) The Sahara Desert, the world’s largest hot desert, is located in Africa.
e) The world’s longest river the Nile flows through Africa.
4) NORTH AMERICA
a) It is the third largest continent
b) It lies in Northern and Western hemisphere
c) It is linked to South America by a very narrow strip of land called the Isthmus of Panama.
d) Three oceans surround this continent
5) SOUTH AMERICA
a) It lies mostly IN THE Northern hemisphere.
b) The Andes, world’s longest mountain range runs through its length from North to South.
c) It has world’s largest river the Amazon.
6) AUSTRALIA
a) It’s the smallest continent, lying entirely in the Southern hemisphere.
b) It is surrounded on all sides by the oceans and seas. It is called an island continent.
 7) ANTARCTICA
a) Antarctica lies in the southern hemisphere; South Pole lies almost at the center of the continent.
b) It is located in the South Polar region, so it is permanently covered with thick ice sheets.
c) Having no permanent human settlements, it has Indian research stations – Maitri and Dakshin Gangotri.

Q 11. Briefly describe the major oceans of the world.

Ans. Five major Oceans are The Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, Southern Ocean, Arctic Ocean in the order of
their size.
1. PACIFIC OCEAN
a) The Pacific Ocean is the largest ocean.
b) It is spread over one – third of the Earth. Mariana Trench, the deepest point of the Earth, lies in the Pacific Ocean.
2) ATLANTIC OCEAN
a) The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest ocean in the world. It is ‘S’ shaped.
b) The coastline of Atlantic Ocean is highly intended. This irregular and indented coastline provides ideal location for natural
harbors and ports.
c) From the point of view of commerce, it is the busiest ocean.
3) INDIAN OCEAN
a) The Indian Ocean is the only ocean named after a country, that is India.
b) The shape of the ocean is almost triangular.
4) SOUTHERN OCEAN
a) The Southern Ocean encircles the continent of Antarctica and extend northward to 60 degrees south latitude.
5) ARCTIC OCEAN
a) The Arctic Ocean is located within the Arctic circle and surrounds the North Pole.
b) It is connected with the Pacific Ocean by a narrow stretch of shallow water known as Bering Strait. It is bound by northern
coasts of North America and Eurasia.
Q 12. What are the three chief movements of ocean water?
Ans. The three chief movements of the ocean waters are waves, tides and ocean currents.
Q 13. Name the first Indian woman who climbed the Mount Everest.
Ans. Bachendri Pal on 23 May, 1984.
Q 14. What are the two main division of the earth’s surface?
Ans. The two main divisions of the earth’s surface are:
i) The large landmasses known as the continents.
ii) The huge water bodies called the Ocean basins.
Q 15. Define the following terms:
i. Strait – A strait is a narrow passage of water connecting two large water bodies like seas and oceans.
ii. Isthmus – A narrow strip of land joining two landmasses.
iii. Global Warming –Increase in industries has led to increase in pollution. Carbon-dioxide is an important constituent of
air. But increase in amount of CO2 due to human activities has led to increase in global temperatures. This is termed
as global warming.
iv. Wind – Air always move from high pressure to low pressure areas. This moving air is known as wind.
Map Work (Refer to the map given in textbook)
Q. On an outline map of the world, mark the following:
Continents
1. The largest and the most populous continent – Asia
2. Second largest continent – Africa
3. Continent to the west of Asia – Europe
 4. Smallest and Island Continent – Antarctica
5. Third largest continent of the world – North America
6. South America
Oceans
1. Largest Ocean Ocean which is triangular in shaped – Indian
Deepest Ocean – Pacific Ocean Ocean
Circular Ocean Ocean named after a country
2. Second largest Ocean 4. Southern Ocean (Antarctic Ocean)
S- Shaped Ocean – Atlantic Ocean 5. Smallest Ocean
Busiest Ocean Ocean that surrounds the North Pole – Arctic
Ocean between American and Europe Ocean
3. Third largest ocean
General Map Work
1. World’s largest hot desert – Sahara Desert, Africa
2. Longest Mountain range of South America – Andes
3. World’s longest river – Nile, Africa
4. Mountains which form the boundary between Europe and Asia – Ural Mountains.
5. Strait between India & Sri Lanka – Palk Strait
6. Isthmus linking North America and South America – Isthmus of Panama.