India covers 3,214 km from North land to South land and 2,933 km from eastwards to westwards. India has the land frontier of 15,106.7 km and a coastline of 7,516.6 km. Sri Lanka, Thailand, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Maldives, and Indonesia are the nations with which India accords marine borders. India is also surrounded in the … Read more
Pygmy, in anthropology, member of any human group whose adult males grow to less than 59 inches (150 cm) in average height. A member of a slightly taller group is termed pygmoid. The best-known Pygmy groups and those to whom the term is most commonly applied are the Pygmies of tropical Africa; elsewhere in Africa … Read more
The Peninsular plateau is flanked by stretch of narrow coastal strips, running along the Arabian Sea on the west and the Bay of Bengal on the east. The western coast, sandwiched between the Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea, is a narrow plain. It consists of three sections. The northern part of the coast is … Read more
Sex ratio is used to describe the number of females per 1000 of males. Sex ratio is a valuable source for finding the population of women in India and what is the ratio of women to that of men in India. In the Population Census of 2011 it was revealed that the population ratio in … Read more
The continental shelf is the extended margin of each continent occupied by relatively shallow seas and gulfs. It is the shallowest part of the ocean showing an average gradient of 1° or even less. The shelf typically ends at a very steep slope, called the shelf break. Geographical significance: The continental shelves are covered with … Read more
When it rains, it will increase the relative humidity because of the evaporation. The air where the rain is falling may not be completely saturated with water vapor. However, the longer it rains, the more the humidity will increase because of the air constantly drawing the water. The evaporation will cool the air and increase … Read more
Storage of food grains in open space Normally storage in open in the form of CAP is supposed to be resorted to during peak procurement seasons. The storage in the CAP should not be more than a year with at least one turn-over of the stock every 6 months to retain the quality of the … Read more
The biodiversity available at equator is highly unmatchable and it one of the riches area in terms of quanta and different types of flora and fauna. But this potential is difficult to translate into commercial extraction as Lack of pure strands as compared to taiga region. Every inch is filled with different kinds of tree. … Read more
The factors are as follows: Latitude: The insolation largely depends on the latitude. The intensity of insolation decreases from equator to poles. In addition to this the day length and seasons also depends upon the latitude. Hence lower latitude records high temperature as compared to higher latitudes. Altitude: As we know that temperature … Read more
According to Albert Einstein’s theory of general relativity, black holes are uninhabitable chasms of spacetime that end in a ‘singularity,’ or a mass of infinite density. Black holes, with gravitational fields so powerful that not even light could escape them, were inferred by quantum physics about a century ago. It’s a place so bleak that even the laws of physics … Read more
It involves applying irrigation water which is similar to natural rainfall. Water is distributed through a system of pipes usually by pumping. It is then sprayed into the air through sprinklers so that it breaks up into small water drops which fall to the ground. The pump supply system, sprinklers and operating conditions must be … Read more
Land tenure includes all forms of tenancy and also ownership in any form. Land tenancy and land tenure affect the agricultural operations and cropping patterns in many ways. The farmers and cultivators plan the agricultural activities and farm (fields) management keeping in mind their rights and possession duration on the land. In different communities of … Read more
The crops to be grown, the agricultural operations and agricultural patterns are closely influenced by the prevailing temperature conditions of the region. The agricultural scientists have proved that each crop has a specific zero below which it cannot grow. There is also an optimal temperature in which the crop is at its. Greatest vigour. For … Read more
Mono Cropping: Mono-cropping or monoculture refers to growing of only one crop on a piece of land year after year. It may be due to climatological and socio-economic conditions or due to specialisation of a farmer in growing a particular crop, e.g., under rained conditions, groundnut or cotton or sorghum are grown year after … Read more
Irrigation is consider boon for agriculture. Artificial injection of water increases the productivity and efficiency of the land. But there are negative fallouts attached with Irrigation. These are as follows: Associated problems of water logging and salinity. Poor irrigation practices lead to water logging and salinity. The productivity has been on decline in some areas … Read more
Sacred groves are the patches of forest or natural vegetation from a few trees to forest to several acres that are usually dedicated to local folk deities. The chief elements of protection are religious beliefs and traditional rituals. As sentiments are attached with it local community inherently are inclined toward their protection. Sometimes there is … Read more
The 2011 Census is the first one in many decades which counted less absolute number of children in the 0-6 age group. Compared to 2001 Census count of 164 million children, there were 159 million children in 2011, or there were 5 million fewer children in India. This is evident in the share of children … Read more
Cape of Good Hope, rocky promontory at the southern end of Cape Peninsula, Western Cape province, South Africa. It was first sighted by the Portuguese navigator Bartolomeu Dias in 1488 on his return voyage to Portugal after ascertaining the southern limits of the African continent. One historical account says that Dias named it Cape … Read more
As per the 2011 census, 43.63 percent of Indians speak Hindi as their mother tongue. Bengali, with 8.03 percent speakers, is second in the list, followed by Marathi at 3rd with 6.86 percent speakers, Telugu at 4th with 6.7 percent speakers and Tamil at 5th with 5.7 percent speakers. In all, 13 of the 22 … Read more
The monsoons in India form two branches: the first, the southwest monsoon, sweeps from the Arabian Sea and drenches the Malabar coast of western India and then sweeps down towards Sri Lanka. The second, the southeast, moves northward around the same time from the Bay of Bengal and drenches Bangladesh and eastern Indian and then … Read more
Sex ratio is used to describe the number of females per 1000 of males. Sex ratio is a valuable source for finding the population of women in India and what is the ratio of women to that of men in India. In the Population Census of 2011 it was revealed that the population ratio in … Read more
These are steep valleys, forming deep gorges on the ocean floor. They are mainly restricted to the continental shelf, slope and rise. Broadly, there are three types of submarine canyons: Small gorges which begin at the edge of the continental shelf and extend down the slope to very great depths, e.g., Oceanographer Canyons near New … Read more
In a penumbral eclipse, the Full Moon enters the Earth’s penumbral shadow. The light from the Earth is partially blocked, and the Moon grows dimmer. In principle, a penumbral eclipse can be a partial penumbral eclipse (with only part of the Moon in the penumbra) or a total penumbral eclipse, where the entire Moon is in the penumbra; however, … Read more
Climate is a major sculptor of landforms. One of generous precipitation often induces extensive erosion through plentiful runoff and stream flow. A moist, cool climate can even favor the formation of glaciers in mountains and high latitudes. Given the proper conditions, these massive ice bodies advance and heavily impact the terrain. A whole slew of … Read more
Earth’s core is the very hot, very dense center of our planet. The ball-shaped core lies beneath the cool, brittle crust and the mostly-solid mantle. The core is found about 2,900 kilometers (1,802 miles) below Earth’s surface, and has a radius of about 3,485 kilometers (2,165 miles). Planet Earth is older than the core. When … Read more
Main causes of the earthquake are plate tectonics, volcaniceruption or anthropogenic activities like explosions, reservoir induced seismicity etc. There is arelease of huge amount of energy in the form of sound and seismic waves causing shaking of earth’s surface. The regions which are on the boundaries of the tectonic plates are more prone to earthquake. … Read more
Grasslands are areas dominated by grasses. They occupy about 20% of theland on the earth surface. Grasslands occur in both in tropical and temperate regions whererainfall is not enough to support the growth of trees. Grasslands are known by variousnames in different parts of the world.Grasslands are found in areas having well defined hot and … Read more
It is a belt of low pressure which circles the Earth generally near the equator where the trade winds of the Northern and Southern Hemispheres come together. It is characterised by convective activity which generates often vigorous thunderstorms over large areas. It is most active over continental land masses by day and relatively less active … Read more
It is the lower most layer of atmosphere. It extends up to 18km at equator, 13 km at midlatitude and about 8km at poles.It contains approximately 90% of the total mass of the atmosphere.The entire weather phenomenon takes place in this layer. It contains all the watervapour, dust particles, clouds etc. In troposphere the temperature … Read more
It is a deflecting force experienced due to rotation of earth. Because of Coriolis the air appears to turn towards its right in the northern hemisphere and towards its left in the southern hemisphere. The coriolis always acts in the perpendicular direction of the motion ofair. It is zero at the equator and increases towards … Read more
A farming systems that are “capable of maintaining their productivity and usefulness to society indefinitely and must be resource-conserving, socially supportive, commercially competitive,and environmentally sound.” Major components of sustainable agricultural system Soil and water conservation to prevent degradation of soil productivity Efficient use of limited irrigation water without leading to problems of soil salinity,alkalinity and … Read more
Bishnoi Tribe of Rajasthan: Bishnois consider treesas sacred and protect the entire ecosystemincluding animals and birds that exists in theirvillages. Tribe has organized their own Tiger Forcewhich is a brigade of youth actively pursue wildlifeprotection. Chenchu Tribe of Andhra Pradesh: They areinvolved in tiger conservation at Nagarjunasagar Srisailam Tiger Reserve (NSTR). Maldhari Tribe in … Read more
In Fissure volcanic eruptions, the Lava comes out to the surface through the cracks of the rock strata and hence the fissure eruptions are not much explosive. The fissure eruptions are smooth and the Lava spreads to a larger area, so they form landscapes such as plateaus. The major component of volcano are basalt. Basalt is … Read more
A brief description of differences between the sugar industry of the northern and peninsular India is given below: Peninsular India has tropical climate which gives higher yield per unit area as compared to north India. The sucrose content is also higher in tropical variety of sugarcane in the south. The crushing season is also much … Read more
Overconsumption The energy crisis is a result of many different strains on our natural resources, not just one. There is a strain on fossil fuels such as oil, gas and coal due to overconsumption – which then in turn can put a strain on our water and oxygen resources by causing pollution. Overpopulation Another cause … Read more
All of the phases of water—solid, liquid and vapor—relate to glacier dynamics. Water has unique qualities that come into play in understanding the roles glaciers play in the Earth system. For example, water expands rapidly when it freezes—an increase of about 9% by volume. Also, water enters the atmosphere through the familiar cycle of melting … Read more
China China ranks first in the world in coal production. Nearly 38 per cent of world’s coal output is from China. All types of coal are found, including anthracite, bituminous coal and lignite. Although coal occurs in every province of China, but its greatest concentration is in Shanxi and Shaanxi (Shansi and Shensi). USA … Read more
As urban areas develop, changes occur in their landscape. Buildings, roads, and other infrastructure replace open land and vegetation. Surfaces that were once permeable and moist become impermeable and dry. These changes cause urban regions to become warmer than their rural surroundings, forming an “island” of higher temperatures in the landscape. Heat islands occur on … Read more
Boosting Rural Development through Agri-infrastructure Most of the perishable items are produced in the villages which remain confined to these due to the absence of road networks. The existing road and rail facilities are inadequate. Most of the areas which produce good quality fruits are still inaccessible. This coupled with the rough terrain of the … Read more
Dams and flood control The efficiency of dams to withhold floods has always been put to question. Critics have also termed dams as harbinger of floods claiming that the essential scientific assessment for consistent release of water to avoid build up is rarely done. Absence of a standard operating procedure for releasing water from the … Read more
EROSIONAL LANDFORMS Cirque Cirques are the most common of landforms in glaciated mountains. They are deep, long and wide troughs or basins with very steep concave to vertically dropping high walls at its head as well as sides. A lake of water can be seen quite often within the cirques after the glacier disappears. Such … Read more
urban settlements are classified on various bases. However, classification based on size and function are most common. Let us discuss them one by one Classification based on Population Size According to population size, census of India classifies urban centres into six classes. Classwise urban settlements and their population Class Population Class I 1,00,000 and above … Read more
The population structure associated with a DD is a natural stage of the demographic transition, which is when countries change from having high birth and death rates to having low birth and death rates. The first stage of the transition is typically a fall in child mortality due to improvements in healthcare, nutrition and overall … Read more
Major irrigation projects The Lower Bhavani Project The Lower Bhavani project was one of the British achievements in the Tamil country. For the preliminary works regarding the Lower Bhavani project that government appointed Sir. Charles Innes in 1906 as the Special Revenue Officer instructing him to report on the various aspects of the scheme. After … Read more
A fault is a fracture in the earth’s crust due to tension force. It can also occur due tocompression in hard and brittle rocks. When there is tension the crust ruptures. One block is thrown upwards and the otherdownwards. The upthrown block is called Horst while the downthrown block is calledGraben. The line along which … Read more
Isostacy:It is the state of gravitational equilibrium between Earth’s crust and mantle such that the crust”floats” at an elevation that depends on its thickness and density.Related to differences between oceanic crust, continental crust, and the mantle, is the principleof isostasy. In simplest terms, the lithosphere is “floating” on the denser, deformable,asthenosphere below. The addition of … Read more
Halley’s Thermal concept: Indian monsoon is because of contrast between Indian Subcontinent and adjoining Indian Ocean. Halley’s theory, suggested in 1686, considers the summer monsoon to be a regional phenomenon. Aerological concept: This was suggested by R. Scherhag in 1948. According to this theory, monsoon circulation develops due to changes in air temperature at all … Read more
There are many different views regarding the rural-urban continuum. Some scholars say that there are no sharp breaking points to be found in the degree or quantity of rural urban differences. Robert Redfield has given the concept of rural -urban continuum on the basis of his study of Mexican peasants of Tepoztlain.The rapid process of … Read more
Most important sorts of ocean deposits are: Terrigenous Deposits Body of water Deposits. There are loose sediments, deposited on the ocean bottom. These are ocean deposits. They vary from location to location. The study of ocean deposits is vital in beneath standing the rocks exposed on the earth’s surface that were once set under ocean. … Read more
1) Planetary Winds – The water beneath the wind forms surface water current. The pushing action of those winds makes the water flow in definite direction. 2) Rotation of Earth – the world rotates from the west to the east. As a result of the force, the permanent winds are deflected to the proper within … Read more
