Life in the Deserts

What are the characteristics of Deserts?

1\. low rainfall, 2. scanty vegetation and 3. extreme temperatures.

Where are hot deserts located?

In the tropical region between 20 N and 30 N latitudes.

Where are cold deserts located?

interior of the continents or in the rain shadow area of the mountains.

Location of Sahara?

It touches eleven countries - Algeria, Chad, Egypt, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Sudan, Tunisia and Western Sahara. (TAWNCLEMMMS)

Climate of Sahara

hot, dry, highest temp 55° C, nights are cold ,lowest temp near 0 degrees.

Physical Features of Sahara (highest/lowest)

Highest point - Mt. Emi Koussi In Tibesti mountains. Lowest point - Qattara depression.

gravel plains and elevated plateaus w rocky surface.

Vegetation of Sahara

Xerophytic plants like cactus, date palms and acacia. Small shrubs in the Mediterranean region.

Agriculture & Crops grown in the Sahara?

Date palm, wheat, rice, barley and vegetables grown. Crops like cotton are grown in the Nile valley in Egypt and is famous all over the world.

Importance of Oases

The water holes of the desert. Trade centre for the nomads.

Animal life of Sahara

Camels, hyenas, jackals, foxes, scorpions, snakes and lizards

People of Sahara

The main tribes are Arab Bedouins (white) and Tuaregs (blue) nomads.

main jobs - trading and agriculture;

salt, animal hides, dates, slavery, ivory, gold etc. = main trades

Water source in Sahara

The oasis in the Sahara and the Nile Valley in Egypt, The western Senegal & Niger, Lake Chad is the fresh water lake.

Changing landscape of Sahara

Desalination plants make fresh water by separating the saltwater.

Desert aquifers are used to draw water from underground

Trans-Saharan railways built by China

oil, gas, solar power plants

windmills

The nomadic herdsmen are now ---------------

migrating to cities for better job opportunities in oil and gas operations.

The Sahara desert is undergoing fast change due to

discovery of oil in Algeria, Libya and Egypt

minerals found are iron, phosphorus, manganese and uranium.

Trucks are now used in the salt trade.

Location of Ladakh

Ladakh lays in the Great Himalayas, on the eastern Jammu and Kashmir.

Jammu and Kashmir bifurcated into Jammu & Kashmir & Ladakh in 2019

Leh and Kargil are the main towns in Ladakh. Leh is the capital and also the largest district, used to be imp trade centre on silk route of CA.

Mountain ranges of Ladakh -

Greater Himalayas, Zanskar range, Karakoram range

Important passes of Ladakh –

Zoji La , Khardung La & Tang Lang la .

The altitude in Ladakh varies from --------- m in Kargil to more than ----------- m in the Karakoram.

3,000, 8,000.

The 2nd highest peak of the world K2 or ----------- is located in the ------------.

Godwen Austen, Karakoram range.

Ladakh is bordered to the ---------- by the --------------. To the north is the ------------

south west, Greater Himalayas, Zanskar range

Water source of Ladakh

The main river in Ladakh is the Indus river.

Zanskar river flows into Indus

North - Nubra & Shyok

The Pangong Tso bordering Tibet highest saltwater lake in world

Climate of Ladakh -

Freezing winds, burning hot sunlight. The mountains deny the entry of monsoon climate to Ladakh.

Rainfall is less than 10cms in a year.

Temperature - 25 deg. in morning, 10 deg night,

in winter: -15 deg - -35 deg

Vegetation of Ladakh -

The vegetation is sparse.

Willow groves and poplars along Nubra Valley.

Animals graze in Alpine Grasslands

Wood of willow used to make the finest cricket bats.

Animal life in Ladakh -

Shapu, Bharal, yak, the endangered Ibex, Snow leopard , lynx , wolves, marmots are found in higher altitudes.

The double-humped wild camels found in Nubra valley and Diskit.

animals provide milk, meat and leather.

Yak is the beast of burden

People of Ladakh -

They are strong built and friendly & fun loving in nature.

The Nomadic Khampas and Champa of Rupsu valley move with their herds of goats , yaks , cows and dzoz

Agricultural activity of Ladakh -

during the short summer season (may-aug) soil is thin and water is scarce. The fields are irrigated by a system of streams called Chu & Yura that funnels the melting snow of the mountains into the fields.

Main Crops of Ladakh -

Barley, Buck wheat , wheat and rice.

Fruits of Ladakh -

Apricots , apples, sea buck thorn are grown at lower elevation.

Vegetable of Ladakh -

beans, peas, potatoes and turnips.

Clothes of Ladakh -

Traditional dresses made of wool or silk & perky hats. Jewellery is made of silver.

Oases -

Small villages surround the water spots with cultivated fields.

Houses -

Made of mud & brick have flat roof tops to store grain & timber.

Religion -

Ladakh – Tibetan Buddhism

Kargil – Muslims.

Some famous Buddhist monasteries -

Hemis, Thiksey, Shey and Lamayuru

Ladakhi culture is close to --------------.

Tibetan culture

----------------- & Mane tung chu are a part of Ladakhi landscape

Ancient gompas, chortens, mani stones

\------------- of this region is famous.

Pashmina wool

Chewang Norphel ( Glacier man) -

An engineer of Rural development Department. built the 1st artificial glacier near Leh at a low cost. His artificial glaciers brought more land under cultivation. The agriculture area increased by 20% water availability.