SEBA Class 9 Elective Geography Chapter 2 People on the Earth

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SEBA Class 9 Elective Geography Chapter 2 People on the Earth

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People on the Earth

TEXTUAL QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

1. Give a definition of ‘human geography’ and mention its major branches.

Ans. The division of geography which studies man’s relation with natural environment and the man-made human environment done in spatio-temporal perspective is termed as human geography. This branch of study consists of several branches and sub-branches.

Some of the notable branches of human geography are: 

(i) Settlement geography.

(ii) Social geography.

(iii) Economic geography.

(iv) Cultural geography.

(v) Political geography.

(vi) Urban geography.

(vii) Population geography.

(viii) Medical geography.

(ix) Historical geography.

(x) Geography of regional development and planning, etc.

2. Briefly write about the subject matter of human geography.

Ans. Human geography is the study of man’s activities in the natural and man-made environment and the varying influences of one over the other. It is a vast subject and has an extensive area of study, but the study is mainly human-centric. The main subject- matter of human geography are:

(i) Study of relationship between the physical environment and man: Human geography studies the relationship between the physical environment and man. The physical environment greatly influences the activities of man. In turn, man adjusts himself to the environment for his sustenance.

(ii) Study of man-made environment and how man creates an environment: Human geography deals with man-made environment and how man creates such an environment. Man-made environment varies from region to region. e.g. human settlement in the plains is very dense while it is quite thin in the hilly region. Thus, the understanding of the nature of man-made environment in various forms and the causes behind them constitute an important area of study.

(iii) Study of various human characteristics in different places: Human geography focuses on different human characteristics in varied places just like the way earth’s surface is characterised by physical differences. Similarly, the physical structure, religious-linguistic composition, behaviour and customs, economic activities, educational qualities, etc. of nearly seven billion people living on the earth also varies.

(iv) Study of various changes and processes that take place: Human geography studies various changes and processes that take place in the relationship between environment and man which is dynamic in nature.

3. Write briefly, what you mean by ‘human race’. 

Ans. ‘Human race’ refer to a group of people having almost similar physical traits and skin colour and carrying breeds of similar characteristics from generation to generation through general reproduction process. Biologists and anthropologists opine that man was born in central Africa about 5-6 lakh years ago as a result of the process of evolution. This newly emerged animal human species came to be known as Homo sapiens. However, due to the impact of varying climatic, and geographical conditions of different places man with different physical characteristics were seen living on the earth from the very beginning of human life. As a result, noticeable differences emerged among people of different locations in body structure, skin colour, structure of nose and face, hair colour, etc. People of similar physical features are categorised together to form a human race. Biologists have divided human beings into three basic human races, viz. Caucasoid, Negroid and Mongoloid. 

4. Write briefly the bases or criteria of division of human race.

Ans. People living in different parts of the world have differences in their skin colour and various aspects of body structure. Nevertheless, people with similar physical features have been placed together to form what is known as human race. The term ‘human race’ refers to a group of people having almost similar physical characteristics which are transferred to the next generation through the process of heredity. People possessing similar physical features have been categorised into the following three broad groups, viz. Caucasoid race, Negroid race and Mongoloid race.

These groups have been categorised on the following main bases or criteria:

(i) Skin colour.

(ii) Hair colour.

(iii) Height.

(iv) Structure of nose.

(v) Facial features.

(vi) Structure of forehead.

5. Discuss in brief the origin of human and human race. 

Ans. Very little is known about the origin of human beings. According to the theory of evolution proposed by biologists and anthropologists, man seem to have originated from certain type of monkeys like ape, chimpanzee, gorilla, etc. This supposed to have taken place during the middle of Pleistocene period (about 5-6 lakh years ago) when the overall natural environment including climate was favourable. This newly emerged animal human species came to be called Homo sapiens. It is also presumed that this process must have taken place in central Africa and later these newly evolved man-like creatures migrated to other parts of the world.

Living in different physical environment caused further biological developments in human beings. As a result of the influence of physical environment around them, different physical characteristics began to appear in Homo sapiens settled in different parts of the world. Accordingly, the human beings settled in the hot regions of Africa were identified as Negroid (i.e.dark skin colour), colder regions of earth were named as Caucasoid (i.e. while skin colour) and the colder regions of Central Asia were identified as Mongoloids (i.e. yellow skin colour). Thus, these three groups can be considered as the primary human races of the world. However over the years, a number of sub-races seemed to have emerged from these primary groups. All human beings living today belong to one of these primary groups or from a combination of primary groups or their sub-races.

6. Divide man on the earth based on the physical characteristics like hair, nose, face, height, skin, etc.

Ans. On the basis of physical characteristics such as hair colour, facial structure, height, skin colour, etc., the human race can be divided into following three broad categories:

(i) Caucasoid race.

(ii) Negroid race.

(iii) Mongoloid race.

7. Mention the characteristics of the three major human races in the world.

Ans. The major human races in the world are:

The main characteristics of the three major human races are:

Sl.No.BasicsCaucasoid raceNegroid raceMongoloid race
(i)Skin colourPale reddish, white to olive brown.BlackSaffron to yellow brown
(ii)Eye colourLight blue to dark brown.Black to dark brownBrown to dark brown
(iii)Hair colourLight blonde to dark brownCurlyBlack, long and and straight
(iv)FaceNarrow to medium.Broad to narrowBroad and flat
(v)LipsThinThickNormal
(vi)NoseSharp and narrow.Wide and bluntFlat or low
(vii)HeightMedium to tall.Short to tallRelatively small
(Viii)Head formLong to broad and short.ElongatedGenerally flattened

8. Which regions of the world are considered first origin of man? With the help of sketch briefly write about the spread and distribution of major human races in the world.

Ans. There are no conclusive evidences to say when or where exactly man began to live on earth. But information of modern archaeology reveal that human beings were first seen in the eastern part of tropical Africa of the old world at least one lakh years ago. About 25-30 thousand years ago, human beings started moving towards other parts of the world. The long period of migration and impact of geographical conditions and climatic changes, etc. brought tangible changes in the physical characteristics of man at that time. It is believed that human body structure at that time was merely a mixture of the major human race, viz. Caucasoid, Negroid and Mongoloid race. But due to migration and process of natural selection or heredity, differences among human races began to emerge in man settled in different parts of the world.

It can be said that the first migration started from Central Africa, the centre of human origin. The human race began to move towards north and north-east directions. Initially, this group must have used the island groups as the vast oceans stood as block

towards east and west. Besides, the snow-covered oceans during the Pleistocene ice-age acted as linkage between the landmasses. This enabled them to cross Bering Strait between Siberia and Alaska. Similarly, the people of Central Asia of Mongoloid racial origin moved towards North, Central and South America. Moreover, people of Caucasoid racial origin migrated from south-west Asia and moved to North and Western Europe and North and East Africa and from Central Africa to South and East Africa and some parts of South Asia.

The people residing in India belong to sub-race called Mediterranean class of the Caucasoid racial group who migrated from Southern Europe. The white people living in south Africa, Australia and New Zeeland belong to the Nordic class of the Caucasoid racial group which migrated from Western Europe.

Thus, we can say that people living in different parts of the world is a mixed population of different races.

9. What are the major religions? Discuss the salient characteristics and distribution of these religious groups along with their population size.

Ans. The major religions of the world are Christianity, Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism. These four religions constitute about 75% of the world’s population. The population size of these religions as per 2006 estimate is given below:

NamePopulation size(in crores)Percentage
1. Christianity213 crores33%
2. Islam135 crores21%
3. Hinduism90 crores14%
4. Buddhism38 crores6%

[I] Christianity: Christianity was founded about 2000 years ago by Jesus Christ. Though this religion started in old Israel, soon it began to spread to other parts of the world through missionary activities. Particularly in the then Roman empire.

Some of the main features of Christianity are:

(i) Christians are monotheists (belief in one God). 

(ii) It is the biggest religion in the world with nearly 213 crores people belonging to this religion (as per 2006 data)

(iii) Christianity has two major divisions, viz. Roman Catholics and Protestants.

(iv) Their holy book is the ‘Bible’.

[II] Islam: Islam was founded by Prophet Mohammad about 1400 years ago in the desert region of Middle East and soon it spread to parts of Africa, South Asia and South-east Asia.

Some of the features of this religion are:

(i) Muslims are monotheists (belief in one god). 

(ii) The two major groups of Islam are Shia and Sunni.

(iii) It is the second largest religious group in the world. 

(iv) Their holy book is called the ‘Quran’.

[III] Hinduism: Hinduism is considered as the world’s oldest religion. It was founded after Aryans settled in the Indo-Gangetic valley about 5000 years ago.

The salient features of this religion are: 

(i) Hinduism came to be known after the name of its birth place-India, located on the east of the river Indus. 

(ii) It was founded about 5000 years ago. 

(iii) This religion is closely associated with many of the social and cultural practices of India.

(iv) It is practised by majority of the Aryans and Dravidians. 

(v) Their chief holy books are the four Vedas, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata.

[IV] Buddhism: Buddhism was founded by Lord Gautam Buddha about 2500 years ago in the Bodh Gaya region of northern India. This religion spread from India to the neighbouring countries of Bhutan, China, Sri Lanka South-East Asia, etc.

Some of the main features of Buddhism are:

(i) Its two major divisions are Hinayana and Mahayana sects.

(ii) The main holy book of Buddhists is Tripitaka.

10. Write in brief about religious composition and distribution of population in India. 

Ans. India is a land of many religions, India has been the birthplace of major religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism. 

Religious composition: The religious compositions of India are:

Sl. No.ReligionsPercentage
(i)Hindus81.4%
(ii)Muslims12.4%
(iii)Christians2.3%
(iv)Sikhs1.9%
(v)Buddhists0.8%

Distribution: The largest religious group in India is the Hindus who live throughout all parts of the country. The chief Islam-dominated state in India is Jammu and Kashmir. People of Islam religion are also found in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, etc. The Sikhs mostly live in the states of Punjab and Haryana. North-eastern states such as Nagaland, Mizoram and Meghalaya have high concentration of Christians. They are also found in certain pockets in different parts of the country. The Buddhists are mostly found in Sikkim, western part of Arunachal Pradesh, northern part of West Bengal and northern part of Bihar. The Jains mostly live in Rajasthan.

11. Write short notes on:

(a) Man and human geography.

Ans. Man seems to have originated millions of year ago as a result of the process of evolution from certain animals like monkeys, chimpanzee, gorilla, etc. This may have happened in central Africa around 5-6 lakh years ago and later they spread to other parts of the world. This aspect of origin, developmental and existence of man and his influence on the environment are the major areas of the study of human geography. As a result of the impact of environment on man, people in different places began to have different physical characteristics, which in the process led to the formation of three distinct human races named Caucasoid race, Negroid race and Mongoloid race. Over the years numerous sub-races have been formed from these primary races in different parts of the world. The science that studies this development of man and his relationship between the physical environment and man-made environment and the impact and influence of one over the other is known as human geography.

(b) Human race.

Ans. According to biologists and anthropologists man seem to have originated in central parts of Africa about 5-6 lakh years ago as a result of the process of evolution. The newly emerged man belonged to a group of species called Homo sapiens. According to anthropologists man seem to have passed through several stages to reach the present level of development. During the later stage, man seem to have migrated to different parts of the world. As a result of the impact and influence of the geographical conditions, further physical differences began to emerge among the people of the world. Nevertheless, people with similar physical features have been placed together to form what is known as human race. The term ‘human race’ refers to a group of people having almost similar physical characteristics which are transferred to the next generation through the process of heredity. On this basis, man has been categorised into three primary human races called Caucasoid, Negroid and Mongoloid races.

(c) Negroid population group.

Ans. Negroids are mostly found in Africa, Southern India, Sri Lanka, some parts of south- east Asia and in certain parts of Oceania. The people belonging to the Negroid racial group have tall stature with dark or dark-brown body skin, curly hair and wide and blunt nose.

The sub-races of the Negroid population group are:

(i) Nelotic-Hemitic of eastern Africa. 

(ii) Bantu of Central and Southern Africa.

(iii) Bushman and Pigmy of Western Africa.

(iv) Negrito of Southern India and South-east Asia. 

(v) Melanesian of South-western Pacific Ocean region.

(vi) Australoid of Oceania.

(d) Religious composition.

Ans. The set of rules and morals that guide people of different places or groups living on the earth for a proper living is termed as religion. From time immemorial, people all over the world practised some form of religion or other. The four major religions of the world are Christianity, Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism. They constitute about 75% of the world’s population and the rest 25% consists of Sikhs, Jains, Chinese Folk religion, Confucius, Bahai, Judai (Ziu-Himbru), Shinto, Vaishnab, etc. 

The religious composition of the people of the world is: (according to 2006 estimate)

Sl. No.NamePopulation size(in crores)Percentage(%)
1.Christianity21333.0
2.Islam13521.0
3.Hinduism9014.0
4.Buddhism386.0
5.Judai religion1.60.2
6.Chinese Folk religion396.1
7.Sikh religion2.30.3
8.Bahai religion70.1
9.Other religions124.619.3

(e) Buddhist religion.

Ans. Buddhism was founded by Gautam Buddha about 2500 years ago in the Bodh Gaya region of Northern India. The two major divisions of Buddhists are Hinayana and Mahayana sects. The main holy book of Buddhism is Tripitaka. According to 2006 estimate, there were about 38 crores Buddhists in the world. They constitute about 6 per cent of the world’s population. Buddhism spread from India to the countries of Bhutan, China, Sri Lanka, South-East Asia, etc. 

Distribution:

(i) The Buddhists of Hinayana sect mostly live in Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, etc.

(ii) The Buddhists of Mahayana sect are found in countries such as Tibet, Mongolia, Taiwan, Sikiang region of China, Japan, North and South Korea, Bhutan, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, etc.

(f) People of Christian religion in India.

Ans. According to 2001 census, nearly 2.3 per cent of the population in India are Christians. Christians are mostly found in the states of Nagaland, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, etc. Christians are of mainly two types, viz. Roman Catholics and Protestants. The Protestants are further divided into several subgroups each emphasising different aspect of Christianity. All these groups are found in India. They are one of the fastest growing religions in India mostly due to their missionary work throughout the country.

12. Choose the correct answer: 

(a) When was human being born on the earth?

(i) 5-6 lakh years ago.

(ii) 1-2 lakh years ago.

(iii) 50-60 lakh years ago.

(iv) 10-12 lakh years ago.

Ans. (i) 5-6 lakh years ago.

(b) Which is the largest religious group in terms of population? 

(i) Islam.

(ii) Hindu.

(iii) Christian.

(iv) Chinese Folk religion.

Ans. (iii) Christian.

(c) In which continent did man appear/originate first?

(i) Asia.

(ii) Africa.

(iii) Europe

(iv) Oceania.

Ans. (i) Africa

(d) With which racial did the people of China belong?

(i) Caucasoid group.

(ii) Negroid group.

(iii) Mongoloid group.

(iv) Australoid group.

Ans. (ii) Mongoloid group.

13. Collect data about religious composition of population in your village or locality under the guidance of your teacher and prepare a table.

Suggestion: (Student Do Yourself.) Students should do it themselves with the help of teacher.

14. Divide the human population of the world on the basis of hair colour, shape of the nose and face, height and skin colour.

Suggestion: (Student Do Yourself.) Refer to chart given at the beginning of chapter

15. Draw a sketch map of the world and show there in the migration of people from the original area of birth.

Suggestion: (Student Do Yourself.) [Refer to Map of Question No 8 of Textbook

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