GCERT Class 9 Social Science Chapter 14 Solution

1) Archipelagos of India
Ans. Area of sea where there are many islands is called Archipelago. There are few archipelagos in India. Andaman —Nicobar and Lakshadweep are major archipelagos among them.
1) Lakshadweep – There are many smaller islands in Lakshadweep and these are located at some distance off Kerala coast. These islands have a horse-shoe shape. Such coral islands are called ‘Atolls’.
2) Andaman – Nicobar islands – They are situated in the Bay of Bengal. Here, the number of islands is also more and these are situated very far from Indian coast. There are few mountain ranges, some of which are formed due to the volcanic activity. These islands are spread over 350 km and have a strategic importance. The only active volcano in India is in ‘Barren’ Island in Andaman—Nicobar archipelago. Narkondam, which is very near to it is a dormant volcano.

(2) State the types of soils of India and give a detailed information.
Ans. Soils in India are classified into six types :
1) Alluvial Soil: Alluvial soil can be divided into two types : (1) Khadar, and (2) Bangar. The soil formed due to the fresh alluvial deposit is known as Khadar soil. As this soil is formed due to the river floods, it is found mostly nearby the rivers. Generally such soil is sandy. Soil containing old alluvium in the upper valley region of a river is called Bangar soil. It is sticky and has dark colour. Alluvial soil is seen in many parts of the country. Their fertility is also different at different places. Generally, such soil is very fertile. It is found in Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal etc.
(2) Black Soil: This soil is found mostly in Maharashtra, western Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Tamil Nadu. Black soil is the gift of peninsular plateau. This soil is very sticky and fertile. It can retain humidity for a prolonged time. It is formed from the igneous rocks and is very useful for cotton cultivation. That is why it has become famous as Black Cotton Soil. It is also known as regur soil.
(3) Red Soil: Such soil is found in regions of igneous and metamorphic rocks. Its red colour is due to its ferrous and other humus contents. The soil is porous and fertile. Such soil is seen in Goa, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Jharkhand.
(4) Laterite Soil: Laterite soil develops as a result of excessive erosion by rain. Due to heavy rain, the humus contents from the top soil descend into the lower strata which is called leaching. As the soil contains less humus it is less fertile. The red sandstones contain iron and aluminium. The erosion of these rocks results into its red colour. Such soil is found in mountainous region of Deccan, Karnataka, Kerala, Odisha and some parts of North-East.
(5) Mountainous Soil: Humus content is more due to the forests, although it differs from place to place. Such soil on Shivalik Range is less fertile and less developed. The soil is sandy and porous and does not contain humus. Such soil is found in the mountainous region of the country, such as in Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, eastern hill ranges, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu-Kashmir and Laddakh (Union Territories).
(6) Desert Soil: Such soil is found in the arid and semi-arid regions of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab and Haryana. The soil here is more alkaline and has less humus contents. Agriculture has been made possible in such soil only through irrigation.

(3) Classify the minerals.
Ans. A general classification of minerals can be done as follows :
(1) Metallic minerals :
(a) Precious metallic minerals : Gold, silver, platinum etc.
(b) Light metallic minerals : Magnesium bauxite, titanium etc.
(c) Minerals of general use : Iron, copper, lead, zinc, tin, nickel etc.
(d) Minerals used alloys : Chromium, manganese listens vanadium etc.
(2) Non — Metallic minerals : Limestone, chak, asbestos, mica, fluorspar, gypsum, sulphur, diamond etc.
(3) Energy resources : Coal, mineral oil and natural gas, uranium, thorium etc.