3.13 Geography and Early Settlement of India

As the Brahmaputra River flows from the mountains to the valley, it becomes

• slower and deeper

• clearer and cleaner

• rockier and rougher

• narrower and colder

During the summer in India, the monsoon brings

• heavy rain

• dust storms

• unbearable heat

• pleasant mornings

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

• tea

• sheep

• cotton

• oranges

Which phrase best describes the Eastern and Western Ghats?

• fertile plains

• sandy beaches

• mountain ranges

• marshy wetlands

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

• denser forests

• drier climate

• longer coastline

• steeper mountains

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

• the Hindu Kush

• the Deccan Plateau

• the Himalaya Mountains

• the plains along the Ganges

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

• natural springs in the desert

• melting ice in the mountains

• rain-fed streams in the plateau

• large lakes in the northern plain

Travelers went through the Khyber Pass to cross the

• Hindu Kush

• Eastern Ghats

• Deccan Plateau

• Himalayas

How has the location of the Himalaya Mountains benefited India?

• roads for trade routes

• consistent water supply

• protections from enemies

• prevention of earthquakes

Where were the earliest known settlements in India?

• on the plateau

• near the desert

• beside the rivers

• in the mountains