CHAPTER-5

MAJOR DOMAINS OF THE EARTH

KEY ELEMENTS
 LITHOSPHERE: THE OUTER PART OF THE EARTH,
CONSISTING OF THE CRUST AND UPPER MANTLE IS
KNOWN AS LITHOSPHERE.
 HYDROSPHERE: DISCONTINUOUS LAYER OF WATER AT OR
NEAR EARTH’S SURFACE INCLUDES ALL LIQUID AND
FROZEN SURFACE WATERS.
 ATMOSPHERE: AN ATMOSPHERE IS THE LAYER OF GASES
SURROUNDING A PLANET OR OTHER CELESTIAL BODY.
 BIOSPHERE: BIOSPHERE IS MADE UP OF PARTS OF EARTH
WHERE LIFE EXIST.
 CONTINENTS: A CONTINENT IS ONE OF EARTH’S SEVEN
MAIN DEVISIONS OF LAND.
 OCEAN BASINS: A DEPRESSION OF THE EARTH’S
SURFACE IN WHICH AN OCEAN LIES.
 ISTHMUS: A NARROW STRIP OF LAND JOINING TWO
LANDMASSES.
 STRAIT: IT IS A NARROW PASSAGE OF WATER
CONNECTING TWO LARGE WATERBODIES.