WBBSE Chapter 10 Our Country India Chapter Introduction
1. A landmass, surrounded by water bodies on three sides, is known as a peninsula.
2. A waterbody, surrounded by landmasses on three sides, is known as a bay. The larger version of a bay is known as a gulf.
3. The countries located around a nation or a country are known as its neighboring countries.
4. The nature of landforms (rugged, undulating or plain) on the earth’s surface is known as a relief.
5. The summit or top of a mountain is known as its peak.
6. A series of mountains of varying heights when formed along a line, the resultant topographic feature is known as a mountain range.
7. The elevated land from where many mountains ranges spread in different directions is known as a mountain knot.
8. The low-lying land between two mountains is known as a valley.
9. The narrow, natural roadway between two mountains is called a mountain pass.
10. A Persistent body of ice that moves slowly down the slope of the land due to gravitational pull is known as a glacier.
11. The narrow valley between the Siwalik and the Himachal Himalayas is known as Dim or Doon.
12. The densely forested region at the foothills of the Siwalik Himalayas is termed Terai.
13. A river originating from a country or a continent that does not reach an ocean or sea but terminates in a lake or an inland sea or in a desert within that country or continent itself is known as an inland river.
14. The region along which the landmass meets the sea or the ocean is known as the coast;
15. The plain formed along a coast by deposits of sand, alluvium, and pebbles is known as a coastal plain.
16. The saline lakes locked by land on three sides but open on one side to the sea are known as lagoons.
17. The lagoons on the Malabar coast of Kerala are well known as kayaks.
18. A landmass surrounded by water on all sides is known as an island. A group of small islands closely situated form an archipelago.
19. Corals are a type of marine polyps. When skeletons of numerous such dead polyps accumulate in a marine environment, it forms a coral island.
20. An area, situated far away from the sea experiences extreme temperature changes. The weather becomes very hot during summers and very cold during winters. Such a climate is called an extreme or continental type of climate.
21. An area, situated nearer to the sea, experiences a maritime climate, i.e. neither too hot nor too cold.
22. During the months of May and June moisture-laden winds advance towards the Indian landmass from the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea.
These winds are known as southwest monsoon winds, as they blow from a south-westerly direction.
23. During the months of late September and early October, dry winds blow from the Indian landmass toward waterbodies.
These winds are known as northeast monsoon winds, as they blow from a northwesterly direction.
24. During the months of May and June moisture-laden winds advance towards the Indian landmass from the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea.
These winds are known as southwest monsoon winds, as they blow from a south-westerly direction.
During the months of late September and early October, dry winds blow from the Indian landmass toward waterbodies.
These winds are known as northeast monsoon winds, as they blow from a northwesterly direction.
WBBSE Class 6 India Cultural Heritage Notes
25. Soil is the thin upper layer of the earth’s surface, from where plants get their nutrients.
26. The alluvium mainly carried by rivers gets deposited on the banks along their courses for years to form the alluvial soil.
27. Fertile, young alluvial soil in India is known as Khadar.
28. Infertile, old alluvial soil in India is known as Bhangar.
29. The fertile soil found in areas of basalt rocks is known as black soil.
30. Breaking down of metamorphic rocks over a long period of time, and the resultant soil formed is known as red soil.
31. In areas of high temperature, heavy rainfall, and alternate wet and dry season, a deep red-colored soil forms. Such soil is known as laterite soil.
32. In areas of scanty rainfall and high temperature, a type of soil, develops that is saline and infertile. This is known as desert soil.
33. In humid temperate climates, the soil is rich in organic matter. This soil is known as mountain soil.
34. When the top layer of the earth’s surface gets eroded away due to different natural (action of river, glacier, wind, waves) and manmade reasons, it is known as soil erosion.
35. Checking soil erosion by different measures (such as afforestation, controlled grazing, reduced felling of trees, etc) and maintaining the fertility of the soil is collectively known as soil conservation.
36. The plants which grow naturally without any human interference together form the natural vegetation of a place.
37. The trees that remain green throughout the year are known as evergreen trees.
38. The trees which shed their leaves in the dry season are known as deciduous trees.
39. The thorny bushes and shrubs which grow in hot and dry climate form desert vegetation.
40. The vegetation which grows in saline coastal environments is known as mangrove vegetation.
41. Using forest resources wisely and protecting of the forest is collectively known as forest conservation.
42. Plants that have medicinal uses are called herbal plants.
43. Herbal medicines and plants have been used in India since ancient times. The medical method that has developed from it is known as Ayurveda.
44. Some birds from cold countries fly to hot countries (such as India) in the winter season and return back in summer. They are called migratory birds.
45. The forests in which hunting, grazing, and other human activities are prohibited are known as reserved forests.
46. The forests in which rights of activities like hunting and grazing are allowed to a certain extent to communities dependent on them are known as protected forests.
47. A Wildlife Sanctuary is an area where ” animal habitats and their surroundings are protected by law from any sort of disturbance.
48. Capturing, Killing, and poaching of animals are strictly prohibited, A National Park is an area set aside by the national government for the preservation of its natural environment.
The landscapes with their plants and animals are preserved in their natural state.
49. Agricultural crops that are grown mainly to meet the demand of consumption are called food crops.
50. Agricultural crops that are grown mainly for fiber or thread are known as fiber crops.
51. Agricultural crops that produce beverages other than water are known as beverage crops.
52. The process of watering agricultural fields by drawing water from near and far waterbodies when there is a shortage of rainwater, is known as irrigation.
53. The primitive practice of shifting cultivation by the tribesmen in hilly areas in which slash and burn of the standing vegetation are compulsory, is known as Jhum cultivation in India.
54. The method of cultivation in which crops are grown on human-cut flat surfaces or steps along a hill slope in order to check soil erosion is known as terrace cultivation.
55. The Indian agricultural practice changed a lot in the late 1960s. Due to the introduction of high-yielding seeds, irrigation facilities,
pesticides, and fertilizers, the production of food grains (like rice, and wheat) increased rapidly. This revolutionary change in the Indian agricultural sector is known as Green Revolution.
56. Tribal community refers to a group of people who have lived by hunting, animal rearing, and food gathering since ancient times. Their livelihood is totally dependent on nature.