Class 7 NCERT Geography Chapter 8
Human-Environment Interactions - The Tropical and the Subtropical Region
Life in the Amazon Basin
• The river Amazon flows through the
tropical region lies very close to the
equator; between 10°N and 10°S.
→ It is referred to as the equatorial
region.
• The place where a river flows into
another body of water is called the
river’s mouth.
• Numerous tributaries join the Amazon
River to form the Amazon basin.
• The river basin drains portions of
Brazil, parts of Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador,
Columbia and a small part of Instagram
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Rainforests in Amazon Basin Instagram
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• Thick forests grow due to heavy rains.
→ These forests are so thick that the dense roof created by leaves
and branches does not allow the sunlight to reach the ground.
• The ground remains dark and damp which and only shade tolerant
trees may grow here.
→ Orchids, bromeliads grow as plant parasites.
• The rainforest is rich in fauna.
→ Birds such as toucans, humming birds, bird of paradise are
found.
→ Animals like monkeys, sloth and ant-eating tapirs are found here.
→ Various species of reptiles and snakes such as Crocodiles,
snakes, pythons, Anaconda and boa constrictor also thrive in these
jungles.
→ Several species of fishes including the flesh-eating Piranha fish
is also found in the river.
Climate of Amazon Basin
• The Amazon Basin is characterized by hot and wet
climate throughout the year as it is present on the
equator.
• Both day and nights are almost equally hot and humid.
• The skin feels sticky.
• It rains almost everyday, that too without much
warning.
• The day temperatures are high with very high humidity.
→ At night the temperature goes down but the humidity
remains high.
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People of the Rainforests
• Men hunt and fish along the rivers, women take care of the crops.
→ As hunting and fishing are uncertain it is the women who keep their families alive by feeding them
the vegetables they grow.
• People practice “slash and burn agriculture”.
• The staple food is manioc, also known as cassava that grows under the ground like the potato.
→ They mainly grow tapioca, pineapple and sweet potato.
→ They also eat queen ants and egg sacs.
• Cash crops like coffee, maize and cocoa are also grown.
• The rainforests provide a lot of wood for the houses.
→ Some families live in thatched houses shaped like beehives while other large apartment-like
houses called “Maloca” with a steeply slanting roof.
• Life of the people of the Amazon basin is slowly changing.
→ Amazon highway made all parts of the rainforest accessible.
→ Aircrafts and helicopters are also used for reaching various places.
→ The indigenous population was pushed out from the area and forced to settle in new areas where
they continued to practice their distinctive way of farming.
• The developmental activities are leading to the gradual destruction of the biologically diverse
rainforests. Instagram
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Life in the Ganga-Brahmapura Basin
• The tributaries of rivers Ganga and Brahmaputra together
form the Ganga-Brahmaputra basin in the Indian
subcontinent.
→ The basin lies in the sub-tropical region that is situated
between 10°N to 30°N latitudes.
• The tributaries of the River Ganga like the Ghaghra, the
Son, the Chambal, the Gandak, the Kosi and the tributaries
of Brahmaputra like Dibang River, Lohit River, Teesta,
Manas drain it.
• Main features of the basin: The plains of the Ganga and
the Brahmaputra, the mountains and the foothills of
the Himalayas and the Sundarbans delta.
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Climate
• The area is dominated by monsoon climate.
→ The monsoon brings rains from mid-June to mid-September.
• The summers are hot and the winters cool.
Topography
• The basin area has varied topography.
• The mountain areas with steep slopes have inhospitable terrain therefore, less number
of people in the mountain area.
• Agriculture is the main occupation of the people in the plains because soil is fertile.
→ The density of population of the plains is very high.
• Paddy is the main crop while other crops grown are wheat, maize, sorghum, gram,
millets, jute and sugarcane.
→ Cash crops like sugarcane and jute are also grown.
→ In West Bengal and Assam tea is grown.
→ Silk is produced through the cultivation of silk worms in parts of Bihar and Assam.
→ Crops are grown on terraces in the mountains and hills.
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Vegetation
• The vegetation cover of the area varies according to the type of landforms.
• In the Ganga and Brahmaputra plain tropical deciduous trees grow, along with
teak, sal and peepal.
→ Thick bamboo groves are common in the Brahmaputra plain.
• In parts of Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh, coniferous trees like
pine, deodar and fir can be seen because the climate is cool and the slopes are
steep.
Wildlife
• Elephants, tigers, deer and monkeys are common.
• The one-horned rhinoceros is found in the Brahmaputra plain.
• In the delta area, Bengal tiger, crocodiles and alligator are found.
• The most popular varieties of the fish are the rohu, catla and hilsa.
• Fish and rice is the staple diet of the people living in the area. Instagram
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Towns and Cities
• The cities of Allahabad, Kanpur, Varanasi, Lucknow, Patna and Kolkata all with
the population of
more than ten lakhs are located along the River Ganga.
• The wastewater from these towns and industries is discharged into the rivers
which pollute the rivers.
Transportation
• All the four ways of transport are well developed in the Ganga-Brahmaputra
basin.
→ In the plain areas the roadways and railways transport the people from one
place to another.
→ The waterways, is an effective means of transport particularly along the rivers.
→ The plain area also has a large number of airports.
Tourism Centres
• Tourism is another important activity of the basin.
• Some important places are: Taj Mahal on the banks of River Yamuna in Agra,
Buddhists stupas in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar etc. Instagram
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Exercises
1. Answer the following questions.
(i) Name the continent in which the Amazon Basin is located.
Answer
Amazon Basin is located in South America.
(ii) What are the crops grown by the people of the Amazon
Basin.
Answer
The people of the Amazon Basin mainly grow crops like tapioca,
pineapple and sweet potato. They also grow manioc also known
as cassava, cocoa and coffee.
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(iii) Name the birds that you are likely to find in the rainforests of the
Amazon.
Answer
Toucans, humming birds and bird of paradise are the birds that likely
to find in the rainforests of the Amazo.
(iv) What are the major cities located on the River Ganga.
Answer
Allahabad, Kanpur, Lucknow, Varanasi, Patna and Kolkata are the
major cities located on the River Ganga.
(v) Where is the one-horned rhinoceros found?
Answer
The one-horned rhinoceros is found in the Brahmaputra plain. Instagram
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Correctly matched
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4. Give reasons.
(i) The rainforests are depleting.
(ii) Paddy is grown in the Ganga-Brahmaputra plains.
Answer
(i) The rainforests are depleting due to following reasons:
→ The indigenous population was pushed out for the developmental
activities which is leading to the the destruction of the rainforests.
→ Large scale deforestation for construction of roads, industries and
houses.
→ For getting wood from forests in order to increase economical profit.
(ii) Paddy is grown in the Ganga-Brahmaputra plains the availability of
sufficient amount of water in this area.
Paddy requires fertile alluvial soil and much water to grow which is easily
available in this plain. The rainfall and temperature also support the growth
of paddy.
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