Chapter 8: Transport and Communication
Ans:
i. Navigability of the water body/channel.
ii. Width and depth of the Canal/rivers etc.
iii. Continuity in the water flow.
iv. Transport technology
v. Demand
Q. Why is Road transport better than rail transport?
Ans: (i) Construction and maintenance is cheaper than railways.
(ii) Provides “Door to Door” services.
(iii) Can be constructed over undulating terrain.
Human beings have used different methods long distance communications of which the telegraph and the telephone were important. The telegraph was instrumental in the colonisation of the American West. During the early and mid-twentieth century, the American Telegraph and Telephone Company (AT&T) enjoyed a monopoly over U.S.A.’s telephone industry. In fact, the telephone became a critical factor in the urbanisation of America. Firms centralised their functioning at city headquarters and located their branch offices in smaller towns. Even today, the telephone is the most commonly used mode. In developing countries, the use of cell phones, made possible by satellites, is important for rural connectivity.
Q(a). Name two methods of long distance communication.
Ans: Telegraph and Telephone.
Q(b). Name are importance of cell phone.
Ans: Cell phones made possible by satellites and is important for rural connectivity.
Q(c). Name the Telegraph and Telephone company who enjoyed a monopoly over USA.
Ans: The American Telegraph and Telephone company (AT&T) enjoyed a monopoly over the USA.
Advantage of air transport are
(i) Fastest means of transport
(ii) Suitable for the longer distance
(iii) Suitable for rugged terrain
(iv) Most comfortable
(v) Suitable for snow and forest area
(vi) Suitable for desert area
Q. Describe the advantage of water transport
Ans: Advantage
(i) Cheapest
(ii) Suitable for heavy and bulky goods
(iii) No friction
(iv) List conceptions of fuel
(v) No route construction
(vi) Various type of ships can travel
Q. List out the advantages of pipeline transport.
Ans:.(i) Pipeline can be laid through difficult terrain as well as under water.
(ii) Initial cost of laying pipeline is high but subsequent cost of maintenance and operation is low.
(iii) Pipelines ensure steady supply.
(iv) It minimizes tranship losses and delays.
(v) It incolves very low consumption of energy.
(vi) It is a quick, cheap, efficient and environment friendly mode of transportation
Q. Mention any five problems of inland waterway
Ans: Problems of Inland waterways are-
(i) Competition with other means of ways
(ii) The diversion of water to the field for imigation.
(iii) Poor maintenance
(iv) Domestic and international trade can be done through rivers
(v) By dredging stabilizing rivers Bank and building dam and barrages for regulating the flow of water
Q. Mention any five features of trans Siberian railways.
Ans: (i) A runs form St. Petersburg in the west to Vladivostok on the pacific coast.
(ii) It is the most important route in Asia
(iii) It is the largest(9,323 Km) double tracked and electrified trance continental railways in the world.
(iv) It has helped in opening up its Asia region two West European market.
(v) It runs across the Ural mountains ob and yenisei rivers. Chita is an important agro center and Irkuisk a fur centre.
Q. “The Suez and the Panama canals are two vital man-made navigation canals which serve as gateways of commerce for both the eastern and western worlds.” In the light of this statement explain the economic significance of these two canals
Ans: Suez Canal:
(i)it connects Mediterranean sea with Red sea
(ii)It gives Europe a new gateway to the Indian ocean.
(iii) It reduces direct sea route distance between Liverpool and Colombo.
(iv) Before the construction of this canal, Cape of Good Hope route was followed which was very long.
(v) It is sea level canal, makes journey comfortable.
(vi) Suez canal is very suitable for commerce.
(vii) The economy of Egypt has been changing very fast mainly the income recover from trolls.
Panama Canal:
(i) It connects Atlantic and Pacific ocean.
(ii) It shortens the distance between New York and San Francisco by 13000 km by sea.
(iii) Likewise, the distance between Western Europe and West Coast of U.S.A. isshortened.
(iv) It also shortens the distances between East and North-eastern and Central U.S.A. and East and South East Asia.
(v) It has a six lock system and ships cross the different levels. It makes journey hardsome even that it save money.
(vi) It has provided grate boost to the economy of USA and Latin America also.
Ans:
- The significance of a mode depends on the type of goods and services to be transported, costs of transport and the mode available.
- International movement of goods is handled by ocean freighters. Road transport is cheaper and faster over short distances and for door-to-door services.
- Railways are most suited for large volumes of bulky materials over long distances within a country.
- High-value, light and perishable goods are best moved by airways. In a well-managed transport system, these various modes complement each other.
Q2.Write a short note on Trans Canadian railways?
Ans: Trans Canadian railway is 7050 km long and runs from Halifax in the east to Vancouver to the West, through Montreal, Ottawa and Winnipeg. It was initially constructed as a part of an agreement to make British Columbia on the West coast join the federation of states.
- It gained economic significance because it connected the Quebec-Montreal industrial region with the wheat belt of the Prairie region, and the coniferous forest region in the north, thus making each of them complimentary to the other.
- A loop line connects it to the important waterways of the world.
- It is the economic artery of Canada, and wheat and meat are important exports on this route.
Q3.What are the factors on which development of inland waterways depend?
Ans:
- Rivers, canals, lakes and coastal areas have been important waterways since time immemorial. Boats and steamers are used as means of transport for cargo and passengers.
- The development of inland waterways is dependent on the navigability width and depth of the channel, continuity in the water flow, and transport technology in use. Rivers are the only means of transport in dense forests.
- Very heavy cargo like coal, cement, timber and metallic ores can be transported through inland waterways.
Q4.What are the problems faced by inland waterways?
Ans: Though in the ancient times, rivers were the main highways of inland transportation, they lost importance because of competition from railways, lack of water due to diversion of water for irrigation and their poor maintenance.
Q 5.How many types of railway tracks are there?
Ans: The railway gauges vary in different countries and are roughly classified as broad (more than 1.5m), standard (1.44 m), metre gauge (1 m) and smaller gauges. The standard gauge is used in the U.K.
Q 6.Write a short note on inter-continental airways.
Ans:
- In the Northern Hemisphere, there is a distinct east-west belt of inter-continental air routes.
- Dense networks exist in Eastern U.S.A., Western Europe and Southeast Asia. The U.S.A. alone accounts for 60 per cent of the airways of the world.
- New York, London, Paris, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Rome, Moscow, Karachi, New Delhi, Mumbai, Bangkok, Singapore, Tokyo, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Chicago are the nodal points where air routes converge or diverge to all continents.
Q 7. Why is the North Atlantic Sea route significant?
Ans:
- This links North-eastern U.S.A. and Northwestern Europe, the two industrially developed regions of the world.
- The foreign trade over this route is greater than that of the rest of the world combined. One fourth of the world's foreign trade moves on this route.
- It is, therefore, the busiest in the world and otherwise, called the Big Trunk Route. Both the coasts have highly advanced ports and harbour facilities.
Long Answer Type Questions
Q1.What are the advantages and disadvantages of road transport?
Ans: Advantages:
- Most economical for short distance compared to railways.
- Freight transport by road is gaining importance as it offers door to door service.
- Roads are cheaper, easier and simple to construct and maintain than the railways.
- They can be taken through any terrain and negotiate bends unlike railways.
- Since railways cannot be taken to every corner, roads play an important role in the nation's trade and commerce and for promoting tourism.
Disadvantages:
- Unmetalled roads are not effective and serviceable throughout the year, even the metaled roads become unmotorable during heavy rains and floods.
- Carrying capacity of roadways per vehicle is much lower than the railways.
- The quality of roads in developing countries is not good as it requires heavy investment for construction and maintenance.
- City roads suffer from chronic traffic congestion. As a result of this most of the cities face the problem of traffic congestion.
Q 2 Why cape of good hope sea route has less traffic?
Ans: This sea route is another important one across the Atlantic Ocean which connects West European and West African countries with Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay in South America.
- The traffic is far less on this route because of the limited development and population in South America and Africa.
- Only southeastern Brazil and Plata estuary and parts of South Africa have large-scale industries.
- There is also little traffic on the route between Rio de Janeiro and Cape Town because both South America and Africa have similar products and resources.
Q3.Which canal has shortened the distance between Europe and Asia? Give five points on the canal.
Ans: Suez Canal has shortened the distance between Europe and Asia. This canal had been constructed in 1869 in Egypt between Port Said in the north and Port Suez in the south linking the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea.
- It gives Europe a new gateway to the Indian Ocean and reduces direct sea- route distance between Liverpool and Colombo compared to the Cape of Good Hope route.
- It is a sea-level canal without locks which is about 160 km and 11 to 15m deep.
- About 100 ships travel daily and each ship takes 10-12 hours to cross this canal.
- The tolls are so heavy that some find it cheaper to go by the longer Cape Route whenever the consequent delay is not important.
- A railway follows the canal to Suez, and from Ismailia there is a branch line to Cairo.
- A navigable fresh-water canal from the Nile also joins the Suez Canal in Ismailia to supply fresh-water to Port Said and Suez.
Q 3.Which canal has shortened the distance between eastern and western coasts of North America? What is its economic significance?
Ans: Panama Canal has shortened the distance between eastern and western coasts of North America. This canal connects the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west.
Its economic significance is:
- The canal is about 72 km. long and involves a very deep cutting for a length of 12 km.
- It has a six-lock system and ships cross the different levels (26 m up and down) through these locks before entering the Gulf of Panama.
- It shortens the distance between New York and San Francisco by 13,000 km by sea.
- Likewise, the distance between Western Europe and the West-coast of the U.S.A.; and North-eastern and Central U.S.A. and East and South-east Asia is shortened.
- The economic significance of this Canal is relatively less than that of the Suez. However, it is vital to the economies of Latin America.
Q 4.Which is the most heavily used inland waterways in the world? Why is it important?
Ans: Rhine waterway is the most heavily used inland waterways in the world.
- The Rhine flows through Germany and the Netherlands. It is navigable for 700 km from Rotterdam, at its mouth in the Netherlands to Basel in Switzerland.
- Ocean-going vessels can reach up to Cologne. The Ruhr River joins the Rhine from the east.
- It flows through a rich coalfield and the whole basin has become a prosperous manufacturing area.
- Dusseldorf is the Rhine port for this region. Huge tonnage moves along the stretch south of the Ruhr.
- This waterway is the world's most heavily used. Each year more than 20,000 ocean- going ships and 2,00,000 inland vessels exchange their cargoes.
- It connects the industrial areas of Switzerland, Germany, France, Belgium and the Netherlands with the North Atlantic Sea Route.
Q4. What are the advantages and disadvantages of air transport?
Ans: Advantages:
- *It is the fastest means of transportation.
- *Comfortable for long distance travel.
- *Suitable for rapid movement of valuable and perishable cargo.
- *It is the only means to reach inaccessible areas.
It is also highly effective during emergencies like when routes get blocked due to landslides, avalanches, floods etc. Strategically, airways are very significant.
Disadvantages:
- *Costly, not within reach of poor people.
- *It is also expensive to maintain aircraft as well as the airports. It's operation dependent on the
- *weather conditions. Construction of airports is limited by certain physical
constraints.
Q5.What are pipelines? Give the advantages and disadvantages of pipeline transportation.
Ans: Pipelines are used to transport liquids like water, oil, gas for uninterrupted flow. Advantages:
- *It can be taken through any terrain.
- *The initial cost is high but the maintenance cost is low.
- *It is eco-friendly as it requires no fuel.
- *Its operation is not affected by unwanted human intervention. Disadvantages:
- *Solids cannot be transported.
- *Any undetected leakage leads to wastage.
QUESTION BANK
1 Mark Questions
Q. 2. Why is west Asia the least developed in rail facilities? Explain one reason, (AISSCE 2017)
Q. 3. Define the term „Transport network‟. (Delhi 2015)
Q. 4. In which country are motorways called „autobahns? (AISSCE 2015)
Q. 5. Mention the busiest ocean route of the world. (Delhi 2014)
OR
Which is the busiest sea route in the world?(AISSCE 2011)
Q. 6. Name the seaports on each end of Suez Canal. (Delhi 2014).
Q. 7. Define the term road density. (Delhi 2014)
Q. 8. What is the meaning of cyberspace? (AISSCE 2014)
Q. 9. Name the most important inland waterway of Germany. (AISSCE 2014)
Q. 10. Name the terminal stations of „Australian trans-continental railway.‟ (Delhi 2013, 2009)
Q. 11. Which highway connects North America and South America? (AISSCE 2013)
Q. 12. Name the navigational canal that serves as a gateway of commerce for both the continents of Asia and Europe. (Delhi 2011)
Q. 13. Give the significance of river St Lawrence as an inland waterway. (Delhi 2011)
Q. 14. Name the terminal stations of the orient express railway. (AISSCE 2011)
Q. 15. Name the terminal stations of Australian Trans-continental railway. (Delhi 2009)
Q. 16. Name the terminal stations of longest railway route in the world. (AISSCE 2009)
Q. 17. Which is the famous petroleum pipeline‟ of USA? (AISSCE 2000)
Q. 18. Describe any three advantages of water transport in the world. (Delhi 2013)
Q. 19. Explain any three points of the economic significance of „Trans- Siberian railway‟. (Delhi 2013)
Q. 20. What is cyberspace? Describe any two advantages of the Internet. (Delhi 2013)
Q. 21. Why is the Rhine the world's most heavily used waterway? Explain any three reasons. (Delhi 2013)
Q. 22. Mention the famous oil pipeline in the USA. How are pipelines one of the most convenient modes of transport? (Delhi 2011)
5 Marks Questions
Q. 23. Classify means of communication on the basis of scale and quality into two categories. Explain any two characteristics of each category. (AISSCE 2017)
Q. 24. „The Suez and the Panama Canal are two vital man-made navigation canals which serve as the gateways of commerce for both the Eastern and Western worlds.‟ In light of this statement, explain the economic significance of these two canals. (Delhi 2016)
OR
Name the vital man-made shipping canal linking the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. Write any four characteristics of this canal. (AISSCE 2010)
Q. 25. „Trans- Canadian railway line is considered as the economic artery of Canada.‟ Support the statement with suitable examples, (AISSCE 2016)
Q. 26. “The Rhine waterways is the world‟s most heavily used island waterway”. “In the light of this statement, examine the significance of the waterway. (AISSCE 2016)
Q. 27. Explain the importance of „communication services‟ in the world. (AISSCE 2016)
Q. 28. Which means of transport is extensively used for carrying water, petroleum, natural gas and other liquids? Describe the network of this means of transport in the world. (Delhi 2015)
Q. 29. Describe the journey of development of land transport from the days of humans as carriers and the cableways of today, (Delhi 2015)
Q. 30. Name the longest Trans-Continental railway in the world. Describe its any four features. (Delhi 2015)
Q. 31. Which shipping canal links the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean? Explain its any four characteristics. (AISSCE 2015)
Q. 32. What is the importance of railways as a mode of land transport? Explain any four main features of the railway network in Europe. (AISSCE 2015)
OR
Explain any five characteristics of rail transport in Europe. (AISSCE 2012)
Q. 33. Which is the longest trans-continental railway in North America? Describe its any four features. (AISSCE 2015)
Q. 34. State any three characteristics of water transport. Why is traffic far less on the Cape of Good Hope route? (Delhi 2012)
Q. 35. Which continent has the highest road density? Why do traffic congestions occur on road? Explain any three measures to solve the problem of traffic congestion. (Delhi 2012)
Q. 36. Explain the merits and demerits of road transport in the world. (AISSCE 2012)
Q. 37. Explain the significance of each of the transport and communication services available in the world. (Delhi 2010)
Q. 38. Name the principal mode of transportation in the world which is used for carrying liquid and gaseous materials only. Mention any four characteristics of this mode of transportation. (Delhi Board 2010)
Q. 39. What is the significance of inland waterways? Explain the three factors responsible for the development of inland waterways in the world. (All India 2010)
Q. 40. What are the highways? Explain the significance of highways with examples from different continents, (AISSCE 2009).
Q. 41. What is the importance of roads? Explain any three reasons for the existence of good quality roads in the developed countries. (AISSCE 2009)
Q. 42. Write any six characteristics of the Suez Canal. (Delhi 2009)
Q. 43. Mention any six advantages of oceanic routes. (Delhi 2009)
Q. 44. Which is the busiest sea route in the world? Describe its four characteristics. (Delhi 2008)
Q. 45. Define the term „Trans-Continental railways.‟ Write four characteristics each of Trans- Siberian railways and Trans-Canadian railways. (Delhi 2008)
Q. 46. Define the term „transport‟. Describe any four features of highways of North America. (Delhi 2008)
Q. 47. Study the map given below carefully and answer the Questions that follow. (2011)
(i) Identify and name the canal shown in the map.
(ii) Write any four characteristics of this canal.
Q. 48. Study the map and answer the Questions that follow. (AISSCE 2014)
(i) Identify and name the railway line shown on the map.
(ii) Name the continents linked by this rail route.
(iii) Explain how this railway line is helpful for the promotion of trade in this region?
Q.50.On the given political map of the world, the following seven features are shown. Identify any five of these features and write their correct names on the lines marked near each feature.
A. A Sea Port of South America (2009)
B. An airport of Asia (2008)
C.A Sea Port of Africa (2011)
D. An Airport of Europe (2012)