Geography of Ancient India

Why is the soil nearby to the Bay of Bengal so fertile?

• Many kinds of fish live in the bay
• Flooding rivers deposit rich material
• Pure water flows from the mountains
• People have farmed there for centuries

Because of its large size and its position in relation to large masses of land and water, India is called:

• plateau
• isthmus
• ecosystem
• subcontinent

Compared with the Eastern and Western Ghats, the Deccan Plateau has:

• denser forests
• a longer coastline
• a drier climate
• steeper mountains

Farmers in the Deccan Plateau use iron-rich black soil principally to raise:

• tea
• cotton
• sheep
• oranges

During the summer in India, the monsoon brings: 

• heavy rain
• unbearable heat
• dust storms
• pleasant mornings

Which phrase best describes the Eastern and Western Ghats?

• fertile plains
• marshy wetlands
• mountain ranges
• sandy beaches

Which of the following parts of India has the most fertile farmland?

• the Hindu Kush
• the plains along the Ganges
• the Deccan Plateau
• the Himalaya Mountains

Much of the water in the Indus, Ganges, and Brahmaputra Rivers comes from:

• natural springs in the desert
• melting ice in the mountains
• large lakes in the northern plain
• rain-fed streams in the plateau

How has the location of the Himalaya Mountains benefited India?

• roads for trade routes
• consistent water supply
• prevention of earthquakes
• protection from enemies

The lower Indus River (the part nearer the sea) flows through what is now the country of:

• Pakistan
• Nepal
• Tibet
• Iran