Life in deserts

Life in deserts

The Hot Desert – Sahara

The Sahara Desert in Africa is the world’s largest hot desert. It touches 11 countries and has got gravel plains and elevated plateaus with a bare rocky surface. The climate of Sahara is scorching hot and parched dry with temperature as high as 50° C. The nights are freezing cold with the temperature nearing zero degrees. Vegetation in the Sahara Desert includes cactus, date palms and acacia. Camels, hyenas, jackals, foxes, scorpions, snakes and lizards are the main animal species found here. Despite its harsh climate, Sahara is inhabited by various groups of people. The main groups are Bedouins and Tuaregs. The oasis in the Sahara and the Nile Valley in Egypt supports the settled population. The discovery of oil is constantly transforming this region.

The Cold Desert – Ladakh

• Ladakh is a cold desert lying in the Great Himalayas, on the eastern side of Jammu and Kashmir. The altitude in Ladakh varies from 3,000 m in Kargil to more than 8,000 m in the Karakoram. The area experiences freezing winds and burning hot sunlight. Due to high aridity, the vegetation is sparse. Groves of willows and poplars are seen in the valleys. The animals of Ladakh are wild goats, wild sheep, yak and special kinds of dogs. The population consists of either Muslims or Buddhists.Tourism is a major activity with several tourists streaming in from within India and abroad. People of Ladakh have over the centuries learnt to live in balance and harmony with nature. Leh and Kargil are the main towns in Ladakh.

Multiple Choice

Sahara desert is

• 3

• 2

• 5

• 1

• 4

Multiple Choice

Sahara desert is also known as

• Land of sand

• Land of camel

• Land of petrol

• Elkhela

• Elkhele

Multiple Select

Camel herders are

• Growing

• Declining

• Doing trade rapidly

Multiple Choice

On _________, the state of Jammu and Kashmir was bifurcated

• 31/2/2020

• 30/8/2019

• 31/10/2019

• I don't know

Multiple Choice

Ladakh is located in the

• desert shadow region

• Precipitation shadow region

• Rain shadow region

• Cold sunlight region

• Dry sunlight region

Multiple Choice

There is less precipitation in Ladakh because

• Pollution

• Dry monsoon winds

• Mountains

• desert shadow region

Multiple Choice

The trees in Ladakh are used to make

• Furniture

• Cotton

• Bats

• Doors