CLIMATE LATITUDE Temperature Precipitation Vegetation Life Economy Mineral resources

5° N and S of uniform throughou heavy  Excessive heat Amazon basin the Gold, copper, diamonds,
Equator t the year.  the forest is so (sun-stroke)  Indian tribes collect and other precious metals
average is dense that it is and high wild rubber, and gemstones are
no Coriolis  no winter.  always called‘selvas’. humidity important resources that
Force above 150 cm creates serious Congo Basin are found in rainforests
Cloudiness  tropical physical and the Pygmies gather around the world.
no tropical and heavy no Month hardwood, e.g. mental nuts
cyclones precipitation without rain mahogany, ebony, handicaps. Extracting these natural
(distinct dry dyewoods etc. jungles of Malaysia resources is a destructive
Tropical Wet lowlands of diurnal range of season is High humidity the Orang Asli make activity that damages the
Climate (Af) the Amazon, temperature absent tropical rain feeds malaria all sorts of cane rainforest ecosystem.
The Hot, Wet the Congo, is small forests have been and yellow- products and sell
Equatorial Malaysia and evaporation cleared either for fever. them to people in Examples are gold mining
Climate’, the East and lumbering or villages and towns in the Brazilian and
‘Equatorial Indies. convectional shifting Communicable Peruvian Amazon, rare
Rainforest air currents cultivation. diseases are Shifting cultivation earth mining in the Congo,
Climate”‘Equa are set up, rampant large plantations have and gold and copper
torial followed Coastal areas and transmitted been established, mining in Indonesia and
Rainforests’, by heavy brackish through moist especially in Java, Papua New Guinea.
‘Equatorial thunderstorm swamps, mangrov air. Sumatra, Malaysia,
Evergreen s in the e forests thrive. West Africa and Some of the world’s most
Forests’, afternoons. Insects and Central America. promising oil and gas
‘Tropical pests not only deposits lie deep in
Moist spread diseases natural rubber tropical rainforests. 
Broadleaf but are Malaysia and
Forest’, injurious to Indonesia are the Oil and gas
‘Lowland crops. leading producers. development often takes a
Equatorial heavy toll on the
Evergreen Brazil exports environment and local
Rainforest’ practically no natural people (This happens in
rubber. Ecuador).

Cocoa is another More than 70 percent of

important crop which the Peruvian Amazon is
is cultivated in West now under concession for
Africa, bordering
the Gulf of Guinea. oil and gas
The two most
important producers
are Ghana and
Nigeria. All the cocoa
here goes into
American and
European chocolate
industry.

 oil palm, has done

equally well and many
countries like
Indonesia have now
taken to its cultivation.
Other important crops
include coconuts,
sugar, coffee (Brazil),
tea, tobacco, spices,
etc.
The plantations
resulted in the
destruction of nearly
half of equatorial
forest
Climate Latitude Temperature Precipitation Vegetation Life Economy

within 5° to Annual mean Annual mean Broad-leaved Monsoon climatic Much of the monsoon forest has been cleared for
30° N and S rainfall ranges from rainfall ranges hardwood trees. regions support agriculture. Subsistence agriculture is the major
200-250 cm. from 200-250 Well developed high population occupation.
cm. In some in southeast Asia. density.
In some regions it is regions it is Income levels are Farms are small and the people are forever  ‘landhung
Indian sub- around 350 cm. around 350 Trees are normally low as most of Industrialization make things worse.
continent, Places cm. deciduous, these regions are
Burma, like Cherrapunji & Places because of the underdeveloped or Tropical agriculture dependent on natural rainfall and
Tropical Thailand, Mawsynram receiv like Cherrapun marked dry period, developing. large labour force, reaches its greatest magnitude in th
Monsoon Laos, e an annual rainfall ji & during which they Subsistence farming monsoon lands.
Climate, Cambodia, of about 1000 Mawsynram r shed their leaves is the main
Tropical parts of cm. [They lie on the eceive an to withstand the occupation. (crops Farming is the dominant occupation of the Indian sub-
Marine Vietnam and windward side of annual rainfall drought [They grown with an continent, China, South- East Asia, eastern Brazil and t
Climate and south China the Meghalaya hills, of about 1000 shed their leaves intention to secure West Indies. The following types of agriculture are
Tropical and northern so the cm. [They lie to prevent loss food for the season. recognizable.
Monsoon Australia. resulting orographic on the water through The crops are not
Forests. lift (orographic windward side transpiration]. sold as the Rice is the most important staple crop.
rainfall) enhances of the production is very Irrigation water from rivers, canals, dams or wells
precipitation. Also, Meghalaya The forests are low). Other food crops like maize, millet, sorghum, wheat,
they are located hills, so the more open gram and beans are of subsidiary importance. They ar
between mountains resulting orogr and less Intensivecultivation cultivated in the drier or cooler areas where rice cann
which enhances aphic lift luxuriant than the is common in be grown.
cloud concentration (orographic equatorial jungle regions with
due to funneling rainfall) enhan and there are irrigational facilities. The most important crop in this category is cane sugar
effect] ces far fewer species. Shifting cultivation much as two-thirds of world’s sugar production come
precipitation. is followed in North- from tropical countries.
Also, they are Where the rainfall East India and Some of the major producers include India, Java,
located is heavy, e.g. in South-East Formosa, Cuba, Jamaica, Trinidad and Barbados.
between southern Burma, countries.
mountains peninsular India, Major crops include Jute is confined almost entirely to the Ganges –
which northern Australia rice, sugar, cotton, Brahmaputra delta, in India and Bangladesh.
enhances and coastal regions jute, spices, etc.. Other crops include cotton, a major commercial crop
cloud with a tropical Cattle and sheep the Indian sub-continent.
concentration marine climate, rearing is carried
due the resultant out for domestic Coffee originated in Ethiopia and Arabia.
to funneling vegetation is and commercial But Brazil accounts for almost half the world’s
effect] luxuriant. purposes. Livestock production of coffee.It is mainly grown on the eastern
With a decrease in industry is not as slopes of the Brazilian plateau.The crop is also cultivate
rainfall in summer, profitable as in on the highland slopes in the Central American states,
the forests thin out temperate regions India and eastern Java.
intothorny
 scrubland or
savanna with Tea originated in China and is still an important crop
scattered trees and there.It requires moderate temperatures (about 15°
tall grass. C), heavy rainfall(over 150 cm) and well drained highl
In parts of the slopes.It thrives well in the tropical monsoon zone
Indian sub- (highlands).The best regions are thus the Himalayan
continent, rainfall foothills of India and Bangladesh, the central highlands
is so deficient that Sri Lanka and western Java, from all of which it is
semi-desert exported.In China tea is grown mostly for local
conditions are consumption.
found in summer.
Monsoonal timber include Neem, Banyan, Mango, Teak, Sal, Acac
vegetation is thus Eucalyptus .Together with the forests are bamboo
most varied, thickets, which often grow to great heights.
ranging from
forests to thickets,
and from savanna Burma alone accounts for as much as three – quarter
to scrubland. the world’s production.Extensively used for ship build
furniture and other constructional purposes.

Regions Name of Shifting Cultivation

Malaysia Lacking

Burma Taungya

Thailand Tamrai

Philippines Caingin

Java Humah
Sri Lanka Chena

Africa and Central America Milpa

North-east India Jhum

 Savanna Climate or Tropical Wet and Dry Climate or Sudan Climate

Climate Latitude Temperature Precipitation Vegetation Life Economy

Mean annual temperature Mean annual rainfall The savanna landscape Many tribes live in The Sudan Climate,
is greater than 18° C. ranges from 80 – 160 is typified by tall grass savanna region. with distinct wet-and-dry
alternate wet and dry cm [Rainfall and short trees. Tribes like the Masai  periods is also
seasons similar to monsoon The monthly temperature decreases with tribes of the East responsible for the rapid
climate but hovers between 20° C and distance from The grasslands are also African plateau are deterioration of soil
has considerably less 32° C for lowland stations. equator]. called as ‘bush-veld’. pastoralists fertility.
annual rainfall. no distinct whereas Hausa of
rainy season like in Highest temperatures do In the northern The trees northern Nigeria are During the rainy season,
monsoon climate. not coincide with the period hemisphere, the are deciduous, settled cultivators torrential downpours of
of the highest sun (e.g. June rainy season begins shedding their leaves in . heavy rain cause leaching
Floods and droughts are in the northern hemisphere) in May and lasts till the cool, dry season to The old grazing of nitrates, phosphates
Savanna common. but occur just before the September. prevent excessive loss grounds of Masai and potash.
Climate or onset of the rainy season, i.e. of water through tribes in the Kenyan
Tropical Wet Vegetation, wildlife and April in Northern In the southern transpiration, e.g. Highlandswere taken During the dry season,
and Dry human life are quite Hemisphere and October in hemisphere, the acacias. over by the immigrant intense heating and
Climate or different from monsoon Southern Hemisphere. rainy season is from white settlers for evaporation dry up most
Sudan climate regions. October to March. Trees usually plantation agriculture of the water.
Climate Days are hot and nights are have broad trunks, (coffee, tea, cotton)
within the tropics and is cold. This extreme diurnal The prevailing winds with water-storing and dairy farming. Many savanna areas
best developed in Sudan, range of temperature is of the region are the devices to survive therefore have poor
hence its name the Sudan another characteristic Trade Winds, which through the prolonged The cattle kept by the lateritic soils which are
Climate feature of the Sudan type of bring rain to the drought. Masai are kept incapable of supporting
transitional type of climate climate. coastal districts. entirely for the supply good crops.
found between Many trees are of milk.
the equatorial They are strongest in umbrella shaped, They don’t slaughter The savanna is said to be
rainforests and hot the summer exposing only a narrow cattle formeat.  the natural cattle
deserts. [favorable position of edge to the strong country and many of the
ITCZ] but are winds Agriculture is barely native people
relatively dry by the
time they reach the . practiced. arepastoralists.
continental interiors In true savanna lands,
or the western coasts the grass is tall and The Hausa are a tribe But the qualityof grass
[Trade winds are coarse, growing 6 to 12 of settled cultivators doesn’t support large
easterlies – flow feet high. who inhabit the scale ranching.
from east to west. So The elephant savanna lands of the
rainfall decreases grass may attain a Nigeria. Grasses here are no
from east to west height of even 15 feet. They are more match to nutritious and
here]. advanced in their soft grasses of temperate
Grasses appear civilization. grasslands.
greenish and well-
nourished in the rainy They do not practice The cattle varieties are
In West Africa, the season but turns shifting cultivation. also poor and yield little
North-East Trades, in yellow and dies down Instead, they clear a meat or milk.
fact, blow off-shore in the piece of land and use
[continent to sea] dry season that it for severalyears. The export of either beef
from the Sahara follows. or milk from the tropical
Desert and reach the grasslands is so far not
Guinea coast as a As the rainfall important.
dry, dust-laden diminishes towards the
winds. deserts the savanna Few regions progressed
merges into thorny with the adaptation of
scrub. science and technology. 

The savanna is known Queensland has become

as the ‘big game Australia’s largest cattle
country’ as thousands producing state. Both
of animals are trapped meat and milk are
or killed each year by exported.
people from all over
the world.

There are two main

groups of animals in
the savanna, the grass-
eating herbivorous
animals and the
fleshing-eating
carnivorous animals.
 What is the reason for alternating wet and dry seasons in Savanna type climate?
 On shore winds is summer bring rains.
 Off-shore winds in winter keep the climate dry.
Which one of the following is the characteristic climate of the Tropical Savannah Region? [2012]
1. Rainfall throughout the year
2. Rainfall in winter only
3. An extremely short dry season
4. A definite dry and wet season

Hot Desert Climate – Mid-Latitude 

Climate Latitude Temperature Precipitation Vegetation Life Economy

There is no cold Deserts, whether hot hot and mid-latitude The life-giving It was gold that brought
season in the hot or mid-latitude have deserts is xerophytic or waters of the Nile immigrants scrambling
Hot Desert where evaporation exceeds deserts and the an annual drought-resistant. made it possible for into the Great Australian
Climate – precipitation. average summer precipitation of less This includes the cacti, the Egyptians to Desert.
Mid- temperature is high than 25 cm. thorny bushes, long- raise many crops as Some of them
Latitude  Hot desert : The aridity of the around 30°C. Atacama (driest rooted wiry grasses and early as 5,000 years like Kalgoorlie and
hot deserts is mainly due to the place on earth) has scattered dwarf acacias. ago. Coolgardie have become
effects of off-shore Trade Winds, The highest practically no rain at Modem concrete towns of considerable
hence they are also called Trade temperature all. Trees are rare except dams constructed size.
Wind Deserts. recorded is 57.77° C where there is abundant across the Nile In the Kalahari Desert,
in 1922 at A1 Azizia, Rain normally occurs ground water to support e.g. Aswan and the discovery
The major hot deserts of the Libya. as violent clusters of date palms. Sennar of diamonds and copper
world are located on the western thunderstorms of the Along the western Dams improved has brought many white
coasts of continents between The reasons for the convectional type. coastal deserts washed agriculture. men to the ‘thirstland’ as
latitudes 15° and 30°N. and S high temperatures It ‘bursts’ suddenly by cold currents as in the In the same way, it is called.
(Question asked in Previous are obvious—a and pours Atacama Desert, support desert cultivators Even in the most arid
Mains Exam). clear, cloudless sky, continuously for a a thin cover of rely on the Indus in Atacama, in northern
intense insolation, few hours over small vegetation. Pakistan, the Tigris- Chile, large mining camps
They include the biggest Sahara dry air and a rapid areas. Euphrates in Iraq, have been established
Desert (3.5 million square rate of evaporation. The thunderstorm is Absence of moisture and the Colorado in for the mining of caliche
miles), Great Australian Desert, so violent, and comes retards the rate of the Imperial Valley (cemented gravels) from
Arabian Desert, Iranian Desert, Coastal deserts by so suddenly that it decomposition and of California. which sodium nitrate, a
Thar Desert, Kalahari and Namib virtue of their has disastrous desert soils are very In the deserts, valuable fertilizer, is
Deserts. maritime influence consequences on deficient in humus. wherever there are extracted and exported
and the cooling desert landforms oases, some form to all parts of the world.
In North America, the desert effect of the cold Most desert shrubs have of settled life is Besides
extends from Mexico into U.S.A. currents have much [flash floods]. long roots and are well bound to follow. nitrates, copper is also
and is called by different names lower temperatures. Mid Latitude : spaced out to gather These are mined. Chuquicamata is
at different places, e.g. These inland basins moisture, and search for depressions of the world’s largest
the Mohave, Sonoran, The diurnal range of lie hundreds of miles ground water. Plants varying sizes, where copper town.
Californian and Mexican temperature in the from the sea, and are have few or no leaves underground, water Similarly in the deserts of
Deserts. deserts is very sheltered by the high and the foliage is reaches the surface. North America, silver is
great. Intense mountains all around either waxy, leathery, Some of them are mined in Mexico,
In South America, the Atacama insolation by day in them. As a result they hairy or needle- abnormally large uranium in Utah and
or Peruvian Desert (rain shadow a region of dry air are cut off from the shaped to reduce the like the Tafilalet copper in Nevada.
effect and off-shore trade winds) and no clouds rain-bearing winds. loss of water through Oasis in In recent years, the
is the driest of all deserts with causes the Occasionally transpiration. Morocco which discovery of oil, in many
less than 2 cm of rainfall temperature to rise depressions may measures 5,000 parts of the Saharan and
annually. with the sun. penetrate the Asiatic The seeds of many square miles. Arabian Deserts has
continental mass and species of grasses and transformed this
Mid latitude desert : bring light rainfall in herbs have thick, tough A wall is usually forgotten part of the
The temperate deserts are winter. Due to their skins to protect them constructed around globe.
rainless because of coldness and while they lie dormant. the oasis to keep Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq,
eithercontinentiality or rain- But as soon as the elevation, snow falls out the violent dust Kuwait, Algeria, Libya,
shadow effect. [Gobi desert is sun sets, the land in winter. storms Lebanon, Nigeria etc. are
formed due loses heat very The annual range of called simooms. important oil producing
to continentiality and Patagonia quickly by radiation temperature is much The most important desert countries.
n desert due to rain-shadow and the mercury greater than that of tree is the date
effect] levels drop. the hot deserts.  palm. The fruit is
Amongst the mid-latitude Continentiality accou consumed locally
deserts, many are found on High diurnal nts for these and also exported.
plateau and are at a considerable temperature extremes in Other crops
distance from the sea. range is a typical temperature. cultivated include
feature of hot Winters are often maize, barley,
These are Ladakh, The Kyzyl deserts. severe, freezing lakes wheat, cotton, cane
Kum, Turkestan, Taklimakan and and rivers, and strong sugar, fruits and
Gobi deserts of Central Asia, Frosts may occur at cold winds blow all vegetables
drier portions of the Great Basin night in winter the time. When the
Desert of the western United ice thaws in early
States and Patagonian Deserts summer, floods occur
of Argentina etc.. in many places.

The Patagonian Desert is more

due to its rain-shadow position
on the leeward side of the lofty
Andes than to continentiality.
Tribe Desert Occupation
Bedouin Arabs Arabia nomadic herdsmen

Tuaregs Sahara nomadic herdsmen

Bushmen Kalahari primitive hunters and collectors.

Bindibu Australia primitive hunters and collectors.

Steppe Climate or Temperate Continental Climate or Temperate Grassland Climate

Climate Latitude Temperature Precipitation Vegetation Life &

Economy

The average rainfall Grasses : In recent years, the grasslands have been ploughed up
extremes of may be taken as about Greatest difference from the for extensive, mechanized wheat cultivation and are
interiors of the temperature. 45 cm, but this varies tropical savanna is that steppes now the‘granaries of the world’ [Prairies].
continents. according to location are practically  treeless and
 Westerly wind Temperatures from 25 cm to 75 cm. the grasses are much shorter. Besides wheat, maize is increasingly cultivated in the
belt [mid- vary greatly warmer and wetter areas
latitudes or between The heaviest rain Grasses are tall, fresh
temperate summer and comes in June and July and nutritious.The grass of the The tufted grasses have been replaced by the
region]. winter. (late spring and early wheat-lands in North America, more nutritious Lucerne or alfalfa grass for cattle and
summer). the rich black earth or sheep rearing.
Grasslands are The summers chernozem areas of Russian
practically are hot and the Most of the winter Ukraine and the better watered These temperate grasslands are now the leading
Steppe Climate treeless due to winters are cold. months have about an areas of the Asiatic Steppes. ranching regions of the globe.
or Temperate continentiality . 2.5 cm of precipitation,
Continental In Eurasia, they The steppe type brought by the Where the rainfall is light or This type of migratory animal grazing has almost
Climate or are called of climate in the occasional depressions unreliable, or the soil is poor, as disappeared from the major grasslands.
Temperate the Steppes, and southern of the Westerlies and in the continental interiors of
Grassland stretch hemisphere is coming in the form of Asia the short steppe type of The herders were wandering tribes e.g. the Kirghiz, and
Climate eastwards from never severe. snow. grass prevails. the Kazakhs.
the shores of the
Black Sea to the The maritime influence The grasses are not only shorter The harsh environment of the nomads, with long
foothills of the in the southern but also wiry [lean, tough] and droughts and unreliable showers made the Kirghiz a
Altai Mountains. hemisphere causes sparse [thinly dispersed or tough and fearless people, and they long resisted
[2,000 miles long more rainfall. scattered]. subjugation by the Russians.
belt].
On the eastern slopes These areas are less suitable for The steppes have been made into huge collective
of the Rockies in arable farming and are used for farms and state farms for ranching or producing cereals
Canada and U.S.A. a some form of ranching as in the
local wind, similar to High Plains of U.S.A. The temperate grasslands are ideal for extensive wheat
the Fohn in cultivation.
Switzerland, called the The growth of grasses is not
Chinook, comes in a abruptly checked by summer The levelness of the Steppes and other temperate
south-westerly droughts or winter cold. grasslands all over the world makes ploughing and
direction to the harvesting a comparatively easy job.
Prairies and has a Trees :
considerable effect on Polewards, an increase in In the Prairies, the Argentinian Pampas, the Ukrainian
the local pastures. precipitation gives rise to a Steppesand the Downs of Australia, agriculture is
It actually comes with transitional zone of wooded completely mechanized.
the depressions in steppes where
winter or early spring some conifers gradually appear. The natural conditions suit animal farming.
from the Pacific coast In the cultivated regions, such as
ascending the Rockies the wheat farms of the Prairies, With the development of refrigerated ships in the late
and then descending to double rows of trees are planted nineteenth century, the temperate grasslands became
the Prairies [katabatic around the house to shield the major pastoral regions, exporting large quantities of
wind]. occupants from the strong wind. beef, mutton, wool, hides.
a hot wind and may
raise the temperature Animals : Milk, butter, cheese and other dairy products are also
by 5° C within a matter Does not have much animal important in some parts of the North American
of 20 minutes. diversity. grasslands
It melts the snow- Horses are common in Asian
covered pastures and Steppes
animals can be driven
out of doors to graze in
the open fields.

Local farmers welcome

the Chinook for
frequent. Chinooks
[Snow eaters] mean
mild winters.
[Other important Local
Winds in different
regions: Loo, Mistral,
 Sirocco, Foehn etc.]

Name of the Grass land Regions Major Economics Activities

Pustaz Hungary and surrounding regions Rich black soil ; Abundant wheat production ; Sugar from
Sugar beet [Beta vulgaris, is a plant whose root contains a
high concentration of sucrose];
Countries like Hungary, Ukraine, Romania etc

Prairies North America [between the foothills of the Rockies and the Wheat Granaries ; Extensive Ranching
Great Lakes]

Pampas Argentina and Uruguay [Rain-shadow effect] Alfalfa: nutrient rich grass.; Ranching, cattle rearing; Dairy
products ; Extensive wheat producing region ; Economy
depends on wheat and beef export

Bush-veld (more tropical) Northern South Africa Maize farms ; Sheep and Cattle rearing

High Veld (more temperate) Southern South Africa

Downs Australia: Murray-Darling basin of southern Australia Sheep and Cattle rearing, ; Merino sheep: wool production

Canterbury New Zealand

Mediterranean Climate or Warm Temperate Western Margin Climate or Warm Temperate West Coast Climate

Climate Latitude Temperature Precipitation Vegetation Life Economy

Western portion Clear skies and high Trees with small Net exporter of citric
Rainfall in winter with on-shore Orchard farming
of continental temperatures; hot, dry broad leaves are fruits and net
Westerlies
masses, summers and cool, wet widely spaced importer of dairy
between 30° and winters. and never very tall. products.
45° north and The Mediterranean
south of the Climate is not The Mediterranean lands receive most of lands are also
The absence of
equator. extreme because of their precipitation in winter when the known as Clear skies in
shade is a distinct
cooling from water bodies. Westerlies shift equator wards. the world’s summer and good
feature of
orchard lands. andscapes encourage
 A dry, warm summer with
Mediterranean lands. A wide range tourism [Lot of
off-shore trades
The basic cause In the northern hemisphere, the of citrus fruits such Indian Songs are
of this type of prevailing on-shore Westerlies bring Plants are in a as oranges, shot here].
climate is much cyclonic rain from the Atlantic continuous struggle lemons, limes,
In summer when the sun is
the shifting of (Typical to Mediterranean Climate). against heat, dry air, citrons and are famous for their
overhead at the Tropic of
the wind belts. excessive evaporation grapefruit are health and pleasure
Cancer, the belt of
The rain comes in heavy showers and and prolonged grown. resorts, frequented
influence of the Westerlies
Mediterranean only on a few days with bright sunny droughts. by millions all-round
is shifted a little pole
Sea has the periods between them. This is another The thick, leathery the year.
wards. Rain bearing winds
greatest extent characteristic feature of the They are, in skin of the citrus
are therefore not likely to
of this type Mediterranean winter rain. short xerophytic fruits prevents
reach the Mediterranean
of ‘winter rain [drought tolerant], a excessive
lands.
climate’, and Though the downpours are infrequent word used to describe transpiration.
gives rise to the they are often very torrential and in the drought-resistant
The prevailing Trade Winds
name mountainous districts, destructive plants in an The long, sunny
[tropical easterlies] are off-
Mediterranean floods occur. environment summer enables
shore and there is
Climate. deficient in moisture. the fruits to be
practically no rain.
Local winds of the Mediterranean Climate ripened and
The best harvested.
Strong winds from inland Mediterranean
developed form
desert regions pose the evergreen forests
of this climatic Many local winds, some hot, others cold
risk of wildfires. Account for 70 per
type is found are common around the Mediterranean cent of the world’s
in central Chile. Sea. These are open exports of citrus
Other
woodlands fruits.
Sirocco with evergreen oaks.
Mediterranean
The olive tree in
regions include
The trees are Mediterranean
California
This is a hot, dry dusty wind which normally low, even cultivated
(around San
originates in the Sahara Desert. stunted, with massive vegetation.
Francisco),
the south- trunks, small leathery
It is most frequent in spring and normally leaves and a wide- Olive oil extracted
western tip of
lasts for only a few days. spreading root is a valuable
Africa (around
Cape Town), system in search of source of cooking
The Sirocco blows outwards in a water. oil in a region
southern
southerly direction (south to north) from deficient in animal
Australia, and
the desert interiors into the cooler The cork oaks are fat.
south-west
Mediterranean Sea. specially valued for
Australia
(Swanland). their thick barks, used Nut trees like
After crossing the Mediterranean Sea, the for making wine- chestnuts,
Sirocco is slightly cooled by the absorption bottle corks and for walnuts, hazelnuts
of the water vapour. export around the and almonds are
grown and the
Its scorching heat withers
[To dry up or shrivel from loss of moisture] world. nuts picked as
vegetation and crops. fruits or for the
In Australia, chocolate
This may be ‘blood rain’ because the the eucalyptus forests industry.
wind is carrying the red dust of the replace the evergreen
Sahara Desert. oak. Crop cultivation
and sheep rearing
Mistral The giant redwood is
typical of
the Californian trees. Wheat is the
Mistral is a cold wind from the north, leading food
rushing down the Rhone valley in violent Evergreen coniferous crop. Barley is the
gusts between 40 and 80 miles per hour. trees next most popular
cereal.
The velocity of the Mistral is intensified by
the funneling effect in the valley between These include the The mountain
theAlps and the Central Massif [Plateau various kinds of pines, pastures, with their
in France] firs, cedars and cooler climate,
cypresses which have support a few
evergreen, needle- sheep, goats and
shaped leaves and sometimes cattle.
tall, straight trunks.
Transhumance is
widely practiced
(moving up and
Mediterranean down the hills in
bushes and shrubs search of pastures
according to
seasons).
This is perhaps the
most predominant Wine production
type of
Mediterranean
vegetation. Viticulture is by
tradition a
Grass Mediterranean
occupation.

Conditions in the Mediterranean

Mediterranean do not Sea account for
suit grass, because three-quarters of
most of the rain the world’s
 comes in the cool production of
season when growth wine.
is slow.
85 per cent of
Even if grasses do grapes produced,
survive, they are go into wine.
so wiry [lean, tough]
and bunchy that they The long, sunny
are not suitable for summer allows the
animal farming. grapes to ripen.

Cattle rearing is thus

unimportant in the
Mediterranean.

Warm Temperate Eastern Margin Climate: Temperate monsoon Climate or China Type Climate, Gulf Type Climate and Natal Type Climate.
Climate Latitude Temperature Precipitation Vegetation Life &
Economy-

Found between 20° and The mean monthly Areas which experience Supports a luxuriant
Farming in monsoon China
35° N and S temperature varies this climate are very vegetation.
latitude (warm between 4° C and 25° C densely populated.
temperate latitudes just and is strongly modified The lowlands carry both
outside the tropics); on by maritime influence.  fairly uniform evergreen broad-leaved Monsoon China has all the ideal conditions
Temperate the east coast in both distribution of rainfall forests and deciduous for padi cultivation; a warm climate,
monsoon Occasionally, the throughout the year. trees [hardwood]. moderately wet throughout the year, and
extensive lowlands with fertile moisture-
Climate or China hemispheres.
Type Climate, penetration of cold air retentive alluvial soil, which if necessary,
Gulf Type warm moist summer and (Polar Vortex) from the Rain comes either from On the highlands, are can be easily irrigated.
Climate and a cool, dry winter (one continental interiors convectional sources or various species of conifers
Natal Type exception: winters are may bring down the as orographic rain in such as pines and As the flat lands are insufficient for rice
Climate. also moist in Natal Type temperature to freezing summer, or from cypresses which are cultivation, farmers move up the hill-slopes
point. depressions in important softwoods. and grow padi on terraced uplands.
China Type Climate prolonged showers in
Though frosts are rare winter. Perennial plant growth is Agriculture in the Gulf states
they occasionally occur not checked by either a
Temperate Monsoon or in the colder interiors. In summer, the regions dry season or a cold
China Type climate is are under the influence season. Lack of population pressure and the urge to
observed in most parts of of moist, maritime export gave rise to corn, cotton and
China. The climate is also airflow from the Timber tobacco.
observed in southern subtropical anticyclonic
parts of Japan. cells. Corn
The forests of China and
Gulf Type Climate Local storms, southern Japan also have
e.g. typhoons (tropical considerable economic The humid air, the sunny summer and the
cyclones), value and include oak, heavy showers suit the crop well.
Found in south-eastern and hurricanes, also camphor, etc..
U.S.A., bordering the Gulf occur. It is grown right from the Gulf coast to the
of Mexico where South-eastern Brazil, Mid-west south of the Great Lakes, with the
continental heating in eastern Paraguay, north- greatest concentration in the Corn Belt of
summer induces an eastern Argentina have Nebraska, Iowa, Indiana and Ohio.
inflow of air from the Parana pine, and
cooler Atlantic Ocean. the quebracho (axe- The region accounts for more than half the
breaker, an extremely hard world’s production of corn, but only 3 per
Natal Type Climate wood used for tanning). cent of the world’s export.

Eastern Australia have This is because most of the corn is used

Found in in New South Eucalyptus forests. for fattening animals, mostly cattle and
Wales (Australia), Natal pigs. [Thriving beef and pork industry]
(South Africa), Parana- In Natal palm trees thrive.
Paraguay-Uruguay basin The Gulf states of U.S.A. The fattened animals are then sold to the
(South America). have lowland deciduous meat plants in Chicago and Cincinnati to be
forests. processed into ‘corned beef’. [From here
Natal type is different the beef is exported through Great
from temperate Lakes and St Lawrence water way]
monsoon or China type
as it receives rainfall It gives almost twice as much food (mainly
from on-shore Trade
Winds all the year round. starch) per acre as wheat or other cereals.

This explains why it is so widely cultivated

in both the warm temperate and the
tropical latitudes.

Cotton

Of the cash crops grown in the Gulf states,

none is comparable with cotton.

The Gulf type of climate is undoubtedly

the best for cotton growing.

Its long, hot growing season with 200 days

frost free and a moderately high
temperature permits the crop to grow
slowly and mature within six months.

In the very south, in the Gulf-lands, the

heavy rainfall damages the lint. This area is
therefore less suitable for cotton and is
devoted to citrus fruits, cane
sugar and market gardening, as in Florida.

The commercial cultivation of cotton is now

concentrated only in the most favorable
areas which are the Mississippi flood
plains and Atlantic coastlands.

The most dreaded enemy of the Cotton Belt

is the boll-weevil. The pest multiplies
rapidly. The pest is responsible for
the westward migration of the Cotton Belt.

Tobacco

Native crop of America.

Virginia tobacco is famous.
The humid atmosphere, the warmth and the
well-drained soils of the Gulf states, enable
tobacco to be successfully cultivated in
many of the eastern states of U.S.A.

No less than half the tobacco that enters

international trade comes from these states.

Crop in Southern Hemisphere

In the coastlands of Natal, cane sugar is the

dominant crop, followed
by cotton andtobacco in the interior.

Maize is extensively cultivated for use both

as food and animal fodder for cattle rearing.

In South America where rainfall is less than

120 cm, there is much grassland on which
many cattle and sheep are kept for meat,
wool and hides.

The extensive natural pastures provide

valuable forage for both cattle and sheep.

Further north in southern Brazil, the rainfall

increases to more than 120 cm and forest
gradually replaces grass.

Here the important occupations are the

cultivation of yerba mate (Paraguay tea) and
the lumbering of araucaria or Parana pine.
Cattle and sheep are reared, and maize and
cane sugar are grown.

In eastern Australia, Giant eucalyptus trees

rise one above the other right up the Eastern
Highlands.
 But with the influx of European immigrants,
much of the forest has been cleared for
settlement and dairying.

The eastern margin of New South Wales is

now the chief source of Australia’s milk,
butter and cheese, besides cotton, cane
sugar and maize which are increasingly
grown in the north.

British Type Climate or Cool Temperate Western Margin Climate or North-West European Maritime Climate
Climate Latitude Temperature Precipitation Vegetation Life &
Economy

British Type Westerlies come Moderately warm  adequate rainfall throughout the The natural vegetation of this
Lumbering is quite profitable
Climate or Cool all the year summers and fairly year with a tendency towards a climatic type is deciduous
Temperate round. mild winters. slight winter maximum (due to forest.
Western Margin frontal cyclones).
Climate or Unlike the equatorial forests,
There is a Rainfall occurs The trees shed their leaves in
North-West the deciduous trees occur in pure
tendency throughout the Western margins have the the cold season.
European stands and have greater lumbering value.
towards an year with winter heaviest rainfall due to
Maritime autumn or maxima. westerlies. Shedding begins in autumn,
Climate winter maximum The open nature of the forests with sparse
the ‘fall’ season.
of rainfall. undergrowth is useful in logging
The mean annual Relief can make great differences
Light snow falls temperatures are in the annual amount. This is Some of the common species operations.
in winter. usually between 5° particularly significant in New include oak, elm, ash, birch,
C and 15° C. Zealand where the western beech, and poplar. Easy penetration means much cost can be
Ports are never margins are subjected to heavy saved in the movement of the logs.
frozen but frosts Winters orographic rainfall whereas the In the wetter areas grow
do occur on cold are abnormally eastern Canterbury willows (Light weight cricket The deciduous hardwoods are excellent
nights. mild. This is plains receive comparatively less bats are made from willows. for both fuel and industrial purposes.
because of the rainfall due to rain-shadow In India willows are found in
The seasons are warming effect effect. Kashmir). In Tasmania, the temperate eucalypts are
very distinct . brought by warm also extensively felled for the lumbering
North Atlantic As in other temperate regions industry.
And the climate Drift. there are four distinct seasons.
is very favorable Higher up the mountains, conifers
for maximum Sometimes,  Winter is the season of (softwood) are felled and transported
human output unusual cold spells cloudy skies, foggy and to paper and pulp industry. They are
are caused by the misty mornings, and extensively used in cardboard making.
The cool invasion of cold many rainy days from the
temperate polar continental passing depressions. Industrialization
western margins air (Polar  Spring is the driest and
are under the Vortex) from the the most refreshing
influence of the interiors season
The regions are highly industrialized with
Westerlies all-  This is followed by the
high standard of living.
round the year. long, sunny summer.
 Next is the autumn with
The countries are concerned in the
They are the the roar of gusty winds;
production of machinery, chemicals,
regions of frontal and the cycle repeats
textiles and other manufactured articles
cyclonic activity itself.
rather than agriculture, fishing or
[Temperate lumbering, though these activities are
Cyclones]. well represented in some of the
countries.
This type of climate with its
four distinct seasons is Fishing is particularly important in Britain,
something that Norway and British Columbia.
is conspicuously absent in the
tropics. [Rainforest == Only
This type of Britain, France and Germany have
Rainy season, Tropical
climate is typical significant mineral resources and are
Monsoon == Summer, Winter
to Britain, hence heavily industrialized.
and Rainy, Tropical Savanna
the name ‘British
== Summer (rains) and
Type’. Ruhr region in Germany, Yorkshire,
Winter]
Manchester and Liverpool regions in
Also called as Britain are significant for wide ranging
North-West
European manufacturing industries.
Maritime Climate
due to greater Automobile industry is the most
oceanic significant. (BMW, Volkswagen, Audi,
influence. Mercedes-Benz and many other world
leading car manufacturers have their
headquarters in Germany).

Industries based on dairy products thrive

in Denmark, Netherlands and New
Zealand.

Tasmania is important for merino wool

production. Wool produced here is
exported to textile factories in England,
Japan, China etc..

Agriculture

A large range of cereals, fruits and root

crops are raised, mainly for home
consumption rather than for export.

North-West Europe, which includes some

of the most crowded parts of the globe,
has little surplus for export. It is, in fact,
a net importer of food crops, especially
wheat.

Mixed farming

With the rise of industry, more arable

farms are being devoured by factories
and wheat is now a net import item in
Europe.

Throughout north-western Europe,

farmers practice both arable farming
(cultivation of crops on ploughed land)
and pastoral farming (keeping animals on
grass meadows).

Amongst the cereals, wheat is the most

extensively grown, almost entirely for
home consumption.

The next most important cereal raised in

the mixed farm is barley. The better
quality barley is sold to the breweries
for beer-making or whisky distilling.

The most important animals kept in the

mixed farm are cattle.

The countries bordering the North Sea

(Britain, Denmark, the Netherlands) are
some of the most advanced dairying
countries where cattle are kept on
a scientific and intensive basis.

Dairying

The temperate western margin type of

climate is almost ideal for intensive
dairying.

Cheese is a specialized product of the

Netherlands.

From Denmark and New Zealand comes

high-quality butter.

Milk is converted to cream, which is less

perishable than fresh milk and is exported
to all regions across the globe.

Fresh milk is converted into various forms

of condensed or evaporated milk, and
exported around the world for baby-
feeding, confectionery, ice-cream and
chocolate making.

Beef cattle

Besides dairying, some cattle are kept as

beef cattle.

In Argentina or Australia, meat

production is the primary concern.

The high rate of beef consumption in

Europe necessitates large imports
of frozen and chilled beef.

The pigs and poultry act

as scavengers that feed on the left-overs
from root-crops and dairy processes. In
this way, Denmark is able to export large
quantities of bacon [cured meat from the
back or sides of a pig] from pigs that are
fed on the skimmed milk, a by-product of
butter-making.

Sheep rearing

Sheep are kept both for wool and

mutton.

Britain is the home of some of the best

known sheep breeds.

Britain was once an exporter of wool (But

now it imports from Australia). But today
exports only British pedigree animals to
the newer sheep lands of the world
(Australia).

In the southern hemisphere, sheep rearing

is the chief occupation of New Zealand,
with its greatest concentration in
the Canterbury Plain [The rain shadow
region]. It has been estimated that for
every New Zealander there are 20 sheep.

Though New Zealand has only 4 per cent

of the world’s sheep population, it
accounts for two-thirds of the world’s
mutton exports, and one sixth of world
wool exports.

In Tasmania and southern Chile, sheep

rearing has always been a predominant
occupation with surplus sheep products
for the international trade.

Other agricultural activities

Amongst the food crops, potatoes feature

prominently in the domestic economy of
the cool temperate regions.

It is the staple food in supplementing

wheat or bread for millions of people.

In terms of starch, potato yields far more

food than any cereals and can be
cultivated over a wide range of climatic
and soil types.

Today almost two-thirds of the world’s

annual production of potatoes comes from
Europe, of which Poland, Germany, France
and UK are the major producers.

Beet Sugar

Found almost exclusively in north-western

Europe (including European Russia) and
parts of U.S.A.
 The need for such a crop was greatly felt
during the Napoleonic Wars around 1800
when military blockades caused a scarcity
of sugar.

The beet is crushed for sugar and the

green tops are used as animal fodder.

The crop thrives best in the warmer and

drier east of Britain and in mainland
Europe. The highest sugar yield is obtained
when the autumn is both dry and sunny.

Taiga Climate or Boreal Climate or Siberian Climate or Cool Temperate Continental Climate or Continental Sub-
Polar Climate
Climate Latitude Temperature Precipitation Vegetation Life &
Economy
Taiga Climate or continuous belt Summers are brief Maritime influence in  evergreen coniferous forest. Lot of coniferous forests in the northern
Boreal Climate or across central and warm reaching the interiors is hemisphere are still untouched due
Siberian Climate Canada, some parts 20-25 °C whereas absent. The conifers, which require little to remoteness.
of Scandinavian winters are long and moisture are best suited to this type
Europe and most brutually cold – Frontal disturbances of sub-Arctic climate. Only a small fraction of coniferous forests
of central and always 30-40 °C might occur in in Canada, Russia etc. are exploited leaving
southern below freezing. winter. The greatest single band of the a huge potential for the future.
Russian. [50° to 70° coniferous forest is the taiga (a
N] Annual temperature It is quite well Russian word for coniferous forest) More accessible forests are cleared for
range of the Siberian distributed in Siberia. lumbering on a large scale.
Found only in the Climate is throughout the year,
northern the greatest [Almost with a summer In Europe the countries that have a Agriculture is most unlikely as few crops
hemisphere [due to 50-60 °C in Siberia] maxima [convectional similar type of climate and forests can survive in the sub-Arctic climates.
great east-west rain in mid-summer – are Sweden and Finland.
extent. Absent in lowest temperatures 15 °C to 24 °C] Trapping
the southern in the world are There are small amounts of natural
hemisphere recorded In winter the coniferous forest in Germany,
because of the in Verkhoyansk (68°N precipitation is in the Poland, Switzerland, Austria and Many fur-bearing animals are trapped in
narrowness in the . 113°E) where -67 °C form of snow, as other parts of Europe. northerly lands of Canada and Eurasia.
high latitudes]. was once recorded. mean temperatures
are well below In North America, the belt stretches Wherever the cold is severe, the quality
Experienced in the All over Russia, nearly freezing all the time. from Alaska across Canada into Labr and thickness of the fur increases.
regions just below all the rivers ador.
Arctic circle. are frozen. In normal The most severe winters produce the finest
years, the Volga is ice- Softwood trees furs.
On its poleward covered for about 150
side, it merges into days. In Canada trappers and hunters, armed
the Arctic tundra. The coniferous forest belts of with automatic rifles, reside in log cabins
Occasionally cold, Eurasia and North America are in the midst of the coniferous forests to
The climate fades northerly polar local the richest sources of softwood. track down these animals.
into the winds such as
temperate Steppe the blizzards of Softwood is used in building
climate. Canada and buran of construction, furniture,
Eurasia blow matches, paper and pulp, rayon and Muskrat, ermine, mink, and silver fox are
Absent in Southern violently. other branches of the chemical the most important fur-bearing animals.
Hemisphere industry.
To ensure a more regular supply of furs
The world’s greatest softwood many fur farms have been established in
Narrowness of the Permafrosts [a thick producers are Russia, U.S.A., Canada Canada and Siberia.
southern continents subsurface layer of and the Fenoscandian countries
in the high latitudes soil that remains (Finland, Norway and Sweden). Lumbering
is the main reason. below freezing point
throughout the year] In the production of wood pulp (by
The strong oceanic are generally absent both chemical and mechanical This is the most important occupation of
influence reduces as snow is a poor methods), the U.S.A. is the leader. the Siberian type of climate.
the severity of the conductor of heat and
winter. protects the ground But in th0e field of
from the severe cold The vast reserves of coniferous forests
newsprint, Canada accounts for provide the basis for the lumbering
Coniferous forests above almost half of the world’s total industry.
are found only on annual production.
the mountainous
Lumberjacks: Contract laborers called
uplands of southern
lumber jacks used to temporarily move to
Chile, New Zealand,
the forest regions to fell the trees. Now
Tasmania and There are four major species in the felling is done by machines.
south-east Australia coniferous forests – Pine, Fir, e.g.
Douglas fir and balsam fir; Spruce Rivers for transportation: The soft wood
and Larch. logs easily float on rivers. Hence rivers are
used to transport logs to the sawmills
Their presence in pure stands and
the existence of only a few species
are a great advantage in
commercial forest exploitation.
Relatively inaccessible taiga of
Siberia will remain the richest
reserve of temperate softwood.
Characteristics of Coniferous forests
Unlike the equatorial rain forests,
Coniferous forests are of moderate
density and are more uniform. The
trees in coniferous forests grow
straight and tall.
Almost all conifers are evergreen.
There is no annual replacement of
new leaves as in deciduous trees.
The same leaf remains on the tree
for as long as five years. Food is
stored in the trunks, and the bark is
thick to protect the trunk from
excessive cold.
Conifers are conical in shape. Their
conical shape and sloping branches
prevent snow accumulation. It also
offers little grip to the winds.
Transpiration can be quite rapid in
the warm summer. So, leaves are
small, thick, leathery and needle-
shaped to check excessive
transpiration.
The soils of the coniferous forests
are poor. They are
excessively leached and very acidic.
Humus content is also low as the
located down the stream.
Saw milling: Logs are processed in saw mills
into timber, plywood, and other
constructional woods.
Paper and pulp industry: Timber is pulped
by both chemical and mechanical means to
make wood pulp. Wood pulp is the raw
material for paper-making and newsprint.
Canada and U.S.A. are leading suppliers
of newsprint and wood pulp respectively.
As a fuel: Very little softwood is burnt as
fuel as its industrial uses are far more
significant.
As an industrial raw material: In Sweden,
matches form a major export item.
From other temperate countries, timber is
used for making furniture, wood- carvings,
toys, packing cases etc..
From the by-products of the timber, many
chemically processed articles are derived
such as rayon turpentine, varnishes, paints,
dyes, liquid resins, wood-alcohols,
disinfectants and cosmetics.
Factors that favor lumbering
Coniferous forests is characterized by the
following favorable features for Lumbering.
The conifers are limited in species. Pine,
spruce and fir in the northern forests and
larch in the warmer south are the most
evergreen leaves barely fall and the
rate of decomposition is slow.
Under-growth is negligible because
of the poor soil conditions.
Absence of direct sunlight and the
short duration of summer are other
contributory factors.
Coniferous forests are also found in
regions with high elevation
[Example: The forests just below
the snowline in Himalayas].
But on very steep slopes where soils
are immature or non-existent, even
the conifer cannot survive
[Example: Southern slopes of
Greater Himalayas].
important.
Unlike rainforests, they occur
in homogeneous groups [Pure stands]. This
saves time, costs and enhances the
commercial value of the felled timber.
Lumbering is normally carried out in the
winter when the sap ceases to flow. This
makes felling much simpler.
The snow-covered ground makes logging
and haulage [commercial transport of
goods] a relatively easy job.
The logs are dragged to the rivers and float
to the saw-mills downstream when the
rivers thaw [unfreeze] in spring. This has
greatly assisted the lumbering industry in
eastern Canada and Sweden.
Lumbering is quite easy in Canada, Norway
and Sweden as the rivers are not frozen for
a greater part of the year. But in Russian
taiga most of Siberian rivers drain poleward
into the Arctic Ocean which is frozen for
three-quarters of the year, and there are
few saw-mills there.
With the use of the Northern Sea Route,
which links Murmansk and Vladivostok via
the Arctic Ocean, development is
increasing.
Cheap hydro-electricity for driving the saw-
mills is harnessed in the mountainous
uplands of North America and Europe and
has greatly assisted the lumbering industry.
 Laurentian Climate or Cool Temperate Eastern Marine Climate
Latitude
Climate
Intermediate type of climate
between the British Type
Climate (moderate) and
the Taiga Type Climate
(extreme) of climate.
Laurentian
Climate or It has features of both the
Cool maritime and the
Temperate continental climates.
Eastern
Marine Laurentian type of climate is
Climate found only in two regions
and that too only in the
northern hemisphere.
North American region
North-eastern North
America, including eastern
Canada, north-east U.S.A.,
and Newfoundland. This may
be referred to as the North
American region.
Asiatic region
Eastern coastlands of Asia,
including eastern Siberia,
North China, Manchuria,
Korea and northern Japan.
Absent in Southern
Temperature Precipitation
Characterized by cold, Rainfall occurs throughout
dry winters and warm, the year with summer
wet summers. maxima [easterly winds
from the oceans bring rains]
Winter temperatures is
below freezing-point Annual rainfall ranges from
and snow fall is quite 75 to 150 cm [two – thirds
natural. of rainfall occurs in the
summer].
Summers are as warm
as the tropics (~25 °C). Dry Westerlies that blow
from continental interiors
dominate winters.
The North American region
In summer, prolonged heat
waves cause discomfort.
In winter, the temperature
drops below freezing and
snowfall occurs.
Precipitation occurs all-
round the year due to the
influence of Atlantic ocean
(summer)and the Great
Lakes (winter).
The warm Gulf
Stream increases the
Vegetation
The predominant vegetation
is cool temperate forest.
The heavy rainfall, the warm
summers and the damp air
from fogs, all favor the
growth of trees.
Forest tend to
be coniferous north of the
50°N latitude.
In the Asiatic region (eastern
Siberia and Korea), the
coniferous forests are a
continuation of the great
coniferous belt of the taiga.
Lumbering
Timber and fish are the
leading export items.
Much of the coniferous
forests of fir, spruce and
larch are exploited to a great
extent.
Eastern Canada is the heart
of the Canadian timber and
wood pulp industry [St.
Lawrence River helps in
Life &
Economy
Lumbering and its
associated timber, paper and
pulp industries are the most
important economic undertaking.
Agriculture is less important
because of long and severe
winters.
In the North American region,
farmers are engaged in dairy
farming.
The Annapolis valley in Nova
Scotia is the world’s most
renowned region for apples.
Fishing is, however, the most
outstanding economic activity.
Fishing off Newfoundland
Regions around the Grand Banks of
Newfoundland are the world’s
largest fishing grounds.
Mixing of warm Gulf
Stream and cold Labrador
currents make the region the most
productive fishing ground on earth.
Fish feed on minute marine
organisms called plankton.

Hemisphere
In the southern hemisphere
only a small section of
continents extends south of
40°S latitude.
small sections come under
the rain-shadow region of
Andes (Patagonia) and hence
Westerlies hardly ever reach
these regions.
So these regions are
subjected to aridity rather
than continentiality.
In other regions, the oceanic
influence is so profound that
neither the continental nor
the eastern margin type of
climate exists.
moisture of easterly winds.
The prevailing Westerlies
carry depressions over the
Great Lakes towards eastern
regions causing wet
conditions in winter [vital
for the agricultural
activities].
Convergence of the warm
Gulf Stream and the cold
Labrador Current near
Newfoundland produces
dense mist and fog and
gives rise to much
precipitation.
It is said that Newfoundland
experiences
more drizzles than any other
part of the world.
The Asiatic region
Rainfall distribution of the
Asiatic region is far less
uniform when compared to
North American Region.
Winters are cold and very
dry while summers are very
warm and exceptionally
wet.
The rainfall regime
resembles the tropical
monsoon type in India.
Intense heating of the
mountainous interior of
export].
South of latitude 50°N., the
coniferous forests give way
to deciduous forests. Oak,
beech, maple and birch are
most common.
Almost homogeneous
species of trees [pure
stands], and the
predominance of only a
handful of species greatly
enhance the commercial
value of these forests.
They have been extensively
felled for the extraction
of temperate
hardwood. [From Laurentian
Climate regions, both
temperate hardwood and
temperate softwood are
obtained]
In Manchuria, Korea and
Japan, the forests have made
way for the agriculture.
Plankton is abundantly available in
shallow waters [continental
shelves] where they have access to
both sunlight as well as nutrients.
Also, cold and warm water mixing
creates upwelling of cold nutrient
rich water to the surface.
The gently sloping continental
shelves stretch for over 200 miles
south-east of Newfoundland, and
off the coasts of the Maritime
Provinces and New England.
Hence microscopic plankton are
abundant [Continental Shelf +
Mixing of Warm and Cold Ocean
Currents].
Fish of all types and sizes feed and
breed here and support a thriving
fishing industry.
Along with Canada and U.S.A.,
countries like Norway, France,
Britain, Portugal, Denmark, Russia
and Japan, also send fishing fleets
to the Grand Banks.
In Newfoundland, fishing provides
employment for almost the entire
population.
Further inland, in lakes and rivers,
such as the St. Lawrence and the
Great Lakes, freshwater fish, e.g.
salmon etc. are caught.
All the fishing activities are carried
out by highly mechanized trawlers
which can store fish in refrigerated
chambers for months.
China in summer creates a
region of extreme low
pressure, and moisture-
laden winds from the
Pacific Ocean and the Sea of
Japan blow in as the South-
East Monsoon.
Thus the Laurentian type of
climate in China is often
described as the Cool
Temperate Monsoon
Climate.
It has a very long, cold
winter, and a large annual
range of temperature.
Much of the winter
precipitation in northern
China, Korea and Hokkaido,
Japan, is in the form
of snow.
Japan
The climate of Japan is
modified by the meeting of
warm and cold ocean
currents.
It receives adequate rainfall
from both the South-East
Monsoon in summer and
the North- West Monsoon
in winter (western coasts of
Japan)
The warm Kuroshio makes
St. John’s, chief port of
Newfoundland is the headquarters
of the Grand Banks fishing
industries.
All processing activities like cutting,
cleaning, packing for disposal are
done at the ports itself.
Over-fishing is a growing problem.
Fishing off Japan
North-west Pacific surrounding the
islands of Japan is another very
important fishing grounds of the
world.
Majority of the people in the region
depend on fishing for survival.
Hakodate and Kushiro are large
fishing ports with complete
refrigeration facilities.
The Japanese fishing trawlers
venture far and wide into the Arctic,
Antarctic and the Atlantic waters.
Large whaling fleets with processing
plants venture into distant regions
as far as Arctic and Antarctic [Japan
is criticized for its whaling
operations].
Japan accounts for a sixth of the
world’s total annual fish caught.
The Japanese make use of fish
wastes, fish meal and seaweeds as
the climate of Japan less
extreme.
The meeting zone
between warm
Kuroshio from south
and cold Oyashio from the
north produce fog and mist,
making north Japan
a ‘second Newfoundland’.
Fishing replaces agriculture
as the main occupation in
many of the indented
coastlands
fertilizers in their farms.
Japan is one of the few countries
that has taken to seaweed
cultivation (India is taking baby
steps in seaweed cultivation).
Coastal farms that are submerged in
water grow weeds for sale as
fertilizers, chemical ingredient and
food.
Another aspect of Japanese fishing
is pearl culture. Pearls are
harvested from pearl oysters.
As natural pearls are difficult to
obtain in large numbers, so the
Japanese have begun to harvest
‘cultured pearls’.
Why is fishing the dominant
occupation of Japan?
The mountainous nature of Japan
and parts of mainland eastern Asia
support little agricultural activity [80
per cent land in Japan is classed as
‘non-agricultural’. Around 50% of
the total land is covered by
forests].Japan is not well endowed
with natural resources. So, she has
to take to the sea if she wants to
survive.The scarcity of meat (there
is little pasture in Japan for livestock
farming of any kind) popularized
fish as the principal item of diet and
the chief protein food of the
Japanese and the Chinese as well.
There exists a great demand for fish
and fish products in the nearby
countries where fishing industry in
under-developed.

Japan has huge stakes in

international fishing enterprises and
her advanced fishing techniques
give her an edge over competitors.

Advanced financial services,

encouraging government policy,
advanced technology at hand,
skilled workforce with decades of
experience in fishing and the only
available natural resource to
exploit, make Japan a leader in
fishing industry.

Geographical advantage

The continental shelves around the

islands of Japan are rich in
plankton, due to the meeting of
the warm Kuroshio and the cold
Oyashio currents and provide
excellent breeding grounds for all
kinds of fish.

The indented coastline of Japan,

provides sheltered fishing ports,
calm waters and safe landing
places, ideal for the fishing industry.
 Tundra Climate – Polar Climate – Arctic Climate

Climate Latitude Temperature Precipitation Vegetation Life &

Economy
Tundra Climate or Polar Found in regions north of The tundra climate is Precipitation is mainly in There are no trees in the Human activities of the tundra are
Climate or Arctic Climate the Arctic Circle and characterized by a the form of snow and tundra. largely confined to the coast.
south of Antarctic Circle. very low mean annual sleet.
temperature. Lowest form of People live a semi-nomadic life.
The ice-caps are confined Convectional rainfall is vegetation like mosses,
to highlands and high In mid-winter generally absent. lichens etc. are found In Greenland, northern Canada and
latitude regions of temperatures are as low here and there. Alaska live the Eskimos.
Greenland and as 40 – 50 °C below
Antarctica. freezing. In the brief summer, During winter they live in
berry-bearing bushes and compact igloos.
In the southern Summers are relatively Arctic flowers bloom.
hemisphere, Antarctica warmer. Their food is derived from fish,
is the greatest single In the summer, birds seals, walruses and polar bears.
stretch of ice-cap (10,000 Normally not more than migrate north to prey on
feet thick). four months have the numerous insects Now a days rifles instead of
temperatures above which emerge when the traditional harpoons are used to
The lowlands – coastal freezing-point. snow thaws. track down animals.
strip of Greenland, the
barren grounds of Within the Arctic and Mammals like the Recent Development of the Arctic
northern Canada and Antarctic Circles, there wolves, foxes, musk-ox,
Alaska and the Arctic are weeks of continuous Arctic hare and
seaboard of Eurasia, have
tundra climate. darkness (Rotation and lemmings also live in Region
Revolution). tundra regions.

The ground remains Penguins live only in New settlements have sprung up
solidly frozen and is Antarctic regions. because of the discovery of
inaccessible to plants. minerals.

Frost occurs at any time Gold is mined in Alaska, petroleum

and blizzards, reaching a in the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska; and
velocity of 130 miles an copper at the Rankin Inlet, Canada.
hour are not infrequent.
With the declining reserves of iron
ore around the Great Lakes, iron
ore deposits in Labrador are
gaining importance. New railway
lines have been constructed to
bring the ores to the St. Lawrence
River.

Rich deposits of iron ores at Kiruna

and Gallivare helped Sweden enjoy
a prosperous export trade in iron
and steel and other metallurgical
products.

New ports on the Arctic seaboard

of Eurasia has made it possible to
ship timber and fur from Siberia.
Modern ice-breakers makes the
frozen seas navigable