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C.W. NOTES - CH 5 - The Hot Desert Region

The document summarizes key information about hot desert regions: 1) Hot deserts are located near the tropics between 15-30 degrees north and south, receiving less than 25cm of annual rainfall. Desert plants have adapted thick stems, waxy leaves, and extensive root systems to survive with little water. 2) Nomadic people like the Bedouin and Tuareg constantly move with their livestock in search of food and water, living in tents and gathering or hunting for survival. 3) The hot desert region faces challenges like global warming drying oases, desertification reducing agricultural land, and overgrazing damaging the fragile environment.

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Sohum Venkatadri
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1K views3 pages

C.W. NOTES - CH 5 - The Hot Desert Region

The document summarizes key information about hot desert regions: 1) Hot deserts are located near the tropics between 15-30 degrees north and south, receiving less than 25cm of annual rainfall. Desert plants have adapted thick stems, waxy leaves, and extensive root systems to survive with little water. 2) Nomadic people like the Bedouin and Tuareg constantly move with their livestock in search of food and water, living in tents and gathering or hunting for survival. 3) The hot desert region faces challenges like global warming drying oases, desertification reducing agricultural land, and overgrazing damaging the fragile environment.

Uploaded by

Sohum Venkatadri
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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CHAPTER 5

The Hot Desert Region

I. NEW WORDS
1. DESERT 8. TAUREG
2.ADAPTED 9. IRRIGATION
3. OASIS 10. CARAVANS
4. SOAR 11. DIMINISHING
5. HUMP 12. GLOBAL WARMING
6. NOMADIC 13. FUELS
7. BEDOUIN 14. PINTUPI

II. POINTS TO REMEMBER


● A Desert is a place which gets almost no rainfall. It receives very little
rainfall. In fact, some deserts do not receive any rainfall for years
together. The hot deserts of the world are located near the tropics,
between latitudes 15o and 30o north and South.
● The main deserts are the Sahara, the Great Australian Desert, the Arabian
Desert, the Thar, the Kalahari, the Namib, and the Atacama deserts.
● Region receives less than 25cm of rainfall in a year. Most deserts receive
less than 5cm of annual rainfall. Without clouds to block the heat, the
land heats up quickly during the day and cools down fast at night.
● Mining is an important activity in the Australian Desert as deposits of
minerals like iron ore, copper, borax, sodium nitrate and gems are found.

III. ANSWER THE GIVEN QUESTIONS


1. In what ways have desert plants adapted to the desert
environment?
Ans: Plants find it difficult to grow in deserts due to the lack of
water. The plants that do manage to grow here are hardy
plants (able to survive in difficult climatic conditions) that have
adapted to desert conditions.
● Some plants have thick stems that store water. The leaves of
desert plants usually have a wax coating or they are reduced to
spines or thorns. This helps reduce water lost from the leaves.
● Some plants that grow in the deserts, like the cactus, have a
wide network of roots close to the surface. This allows them to
absorb rain water quickly. Other plants like acacia, have long
roots that can reach water sources deep below the ground.
● Trees like the date palm grow around the oasis. An oasis is a
place in the desert where fresh water from a spring or well
comes up to the surface, supporting the growth of plants.

2. Write a note on the nomadic people of the hot deserts.


Ans: The nomadic people live in the interior parts of the deserts.
They constantly move from place to place in search of food and water
for their livestock. They do not have permanent homes and live in
tents made of wool or animal skin. The nomadic people are known as
the Bedouin in the Arabian Desert and the Tuareg in the Sahara. The
San people of the Kalahari and the Pintupi people of Australia are
also nomadic groups who live in the deserts. They are gatherers and
hunters.

3. Discuss the challenges facing the hot desert region.


● Global warming is one of the main challenges facing the people
living in the hot desert region. Oasis and water holes are drying
up rapidly. Wildfires have become common, destroying the little
vegetation that is present.
● The deserts are spreading. Valuable agricultural land is being
lost every year. As a result of over-irrigation, the amount of salt
in the soil is increasing, making it difficult for plants to survive.
Farming is therefore becoming increasingly difficult and
expensive.
● The traditional methods of grazing followed by the nomads were
environment friendly. Over-grazing, the result of modern
methods of raising livestock, is destroying the fragile desert
environment.

IV. Give Reasons:


1. Why is the importance of the caravan traders slowly fading?
Ans: The importance of the caravan traders is slowly diminishing
due to the introduction of faster means of transport like desert
jeeps, vans and trucks. Powerful ‘off-road’ vehicles have replaced
camels as the popular way of travelling across the desert. These
vehicles are causing great damage to the desert habitat.

V.Concept map:

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