Class 7 Geography Chapter 7 Human Environment: Settlement, Transport, and Communication Important Questions and Answers

CBSE Class 7 Geography Chapter 7 Human Environment: Settlement, Transport, and Communication Important Questions and answers cover all the major concepts of the chapter. Solving answers of these important questions help students to revise the Chapter most competently. We prepared these questions as per the latest NCERT book and CBSE syllabus. Practising class 7 important questions before the exam will ensure excellent marks in the exam.

Human Environment: Settlement, Transport, and Communication Class 7 Geography Important Questions

Very Short Answer Type Question

1: Where is the railway network well developed?
Answer: The railway network is well developed in the plain areas.

2: Which type of transport is used for short distance?
Answer: Roads are used for short distance.

3. Why did settlements grow near the river valleys? [V. Imp.]
Answer: Settlements grew near the river valleys because plenty of water was available there and land was fertile.

4. What are called temporary settlements? [Imp.]
Answer: Settlements which are occupied for a short time are called temporary settlements.

5. What do people living in temporary settlements practise?
Answer: They practise hunting, gathering, shifting cultivation and transhumance.

6. Why do people who rear animals move from place to place?
Answer: They move from place to place in search of new pastures according to changes in seasons.

7. Differentiate a compact settlement from a scattered settlement.
Answer: A compact settlement is a closely built area of dwellings wherever flat land is available. In a scattered settlement dwellings are spaced over an extensive area.

8. Where are scattered settlements found? [V. Imp.]
Answer: Scattered settlements are found in hilly tracts, thick forests and regions of extreme climate.

9. Name the materials used in building houses in rural areas?
Answer: Stones, mud, clay, straw, etc

10. Name some animals used for carrying goods in India ,
Answer: Donkeys, mules, bullocks and camels,

11. Where do you find a dense network of roads?
Answer: In plains

12. What have replaced the steam engine? [Imp.]
Answer: Diesel and electric engines have replaced the steam engines.

12. Name any two important ports of the world.
Answer: Singapore and Rio de Janerio.

13. When are helicopters proved to be very useful?
Answer: Helicopters are proved to be very useful in the time of calamities for rescuing people and distributing food, water, clothes and medicines,

14. How have satellites proved themselves helpful?        [V. Imp.]
Answer: Satellites have helped in oil exploration, survey of forest, underground water, mineral wealth, weather forecast and disaster warning,

15. Why is air travel very expensive?
Answer: Air travel is very expensive due to high cost of fuel.

Short Answer Type Questions

1: Human settlements become larger. How?

Answer: With the development of trade, commerce and manufacturing, human settlement becomes larger.

2: What is difference between permanent and temporary settlement?

Answer: Settlement which is occupied for a short time is called temporary settlement. Settlements where the people build homes to live in are called permanent settlement

3: Suggest some natural condition for selection of an ideal site.

Answer: The natural condition for an ideal site are:

  1. Favourable climate
  2. Availability of water
  3. Suitable land
  4. Fertile soil

4: Distinguish between compact and scattered settlement.

Answer: A compact settlement is closely built area of dwelling, where flat land is available. In scattered settlement dwelling are spaced over an extensive area. This type of settlement is mostly found in hilly tracts, thick forest and region of extreme climate.

5: Which type of house is very common in areas of hot climate?

Answer: Thick mud walled house with thatched roof are very common in areas of hot climate. Local materials like stones, mud, clay, straw are used to construct houses.

6: In which type of activities does urban people engaged?

Answer: In urban areas the people are engaged in manufacturing, trading and services.

7: What is means of transport?

Answer: The vehicles that carry goods from one place to another are called means of transport.

8: Name the highest roadways in the world?

Answer: Manali leh highway in the Himalayan Mountain is one of the highest roadways in the world.

9: What is the benefit of railways?

Answer: The railway carries heavy goods and people over long distance quickly and cheaply.

10: What is the use of water ways?

Answer: Waterways are the cheapest for carrying heavy and bulky goods over long distance.

11: Name the important inland water ways?

Answer: The important inland waterways are the Ganga-Brahmaputra river system, the great lakes in North America and the river Nile in Africa.

12: How oceanic route is important?

Answer: Sea routes and oceanic routes are mostly used for transporting merchandise and goods from one country to another. These routes are connected with ports.

13: Name the some of the important ports of the world.

Answer: Some important ports of the world are Singapore and Mumbai in Asia, New York, los angles in North America, Durban and Cape Town in Africa, Sydney in Australia.

14: How air ways is important to us?

Answer: It is the only mode of transport to reach the most remote and distant areas especially where there are no roads and railways. Helicopter is extremely useful in most inaccessible areas.

Long Answer Type Questions

1: Today’s world is shrinking. How?

Answer: With the every passing day the world is shrinking, and the globalisation process is taking place. Advancement in communication, transportation, and communication technology has played a major role in making a world a smaller place. Computer networking and fax machine allow world business to conduct negotiations within a second. Travelling abroad which once required days at sea, now only takes hours in the air. With the right equipment, people can talk to friends and family from the other side of the world. Technology advancement seems to make the world a smaller place to live hence we can assume that world is shrinking.

2. What do you mean by a site? Mention the natural conditions for selection of an ideal site?  [V. Imp.]

Answer: The place where a building or a settlement develops is called its site. The natural conditions of an ideal site are:

  • Favourable climate
  • Availability of water
  • Suitable land
  • Fertile soil.

3. Write down the features of houses built in rural areas.

Answer: The houses built in rural areas suit to the environment. In regions of heavy rainfall, people build houses with slanting roofs. Places where water accumulates in the rainy season the houses are constructed on a raised platforms or slits,

4. How did people in the early days travel long distances? What changes came with the passage of time?  [V. Imp.]

Answer: In the early days people have no means of transport. Whenever they had to go somewhere they walked on foot. They used animals to carry their goods. It took a great deal to time. The invention of the wheel proved to be a boon for the people. It made transport easier. By and by different means of transport such as railways, airways etc. developed. Aeroplanes have made travel faster. Now, we can cover a long distance within hours.

5. Write a short note on airways.

Answer: Airways is the fastest mode of transport today. It is very expensive due to high cost of fuels. It is the only mode of transport to reach the most remote and distant areas especially where there are no roads and railways. Helicopters are useful in most inaccessible areas and in time of calamities of rescuing people and distributing essential. Some important airports are Delhi, Mumbai, New York, London, Paris, Frankfurt and Cairo.

6. How has Internet made our lives more comfortable?   [V. Imp.]

Answer: Internet is the latest development in the field of information technology. It not only provides us with worldwide information and interaction but has also made our lives very comfortable. In this age of internet we can reserve tickets for railways, airways and even cinemas and hotels silting at home. We can chat with our friends and relatives living far off places.

7. How settlements become a necessity? What are its different types? [V. Imp.]

Answer: Settlements are places where people build their homes to live in. Early human beings did not need to develop settlements because they lived on trees and in caves. When they started to grow crops, it became essential to have a permanent home. Thus, settlements began to grow near the river valleys as water was available and land was fertile. By and by settlements became larger because trade, commerce and manufacturing developed.
Settlements can be permanent or temporary.

Temporary Settlement. Settlements which are occupied for a short time Eire called temporary settlements. The people living in deep forests, hot and cold deserts and mountains often dwell in such settlements. These people are engaged in hunting, gathering, shifting cultivation and transhumance.

Permanent Settlement. Under permanent settlements people build homes to live in.

8. Give a detailed description of waterways.

Answer: Waterways are the cheapest mode of transport. They carry heavy and bulky goods over long distances. They are mainly of two types—inland waterways and sea routes.

  • Inland Waterways. Navigable rivers and lakes are used as inland waterways. Some important inland waterways are the Ganga-Brahmaputra river system, the Great Lakes in North America and the river Nile in Africa.
  • Sea routes. Sea routes and oceanic routes are mostly used for transporting merchandise and goods from one country to another. These routes are connected with the ports. Some important ports are Singapore, Mumbai, Rio de Janerio, Sydney etc.

9. What are the major means of transport? Explain each of them [Imp.]
Answer: There are four major means of transport:

  1. Roadways
  2. Railways
  3. Waterways
  4. Airways

Roadways: Roads the most commonly used means of transport. Roads are of two types—metalled roads also known as pucca roads and unmetalled roads also known as Kutcha roads. The plains have a dense network of roads. Roads built underground are called subways or underpaths. Flyovers are built over raised structures.

Railways: The railways carry people and bulky goods. They cover long distances quickly and cheaply. The railway network is well developed over the plain areas. With the development of advanced technological skills we have now railway lines laid in difficult mountain terrains also. The Indian railway network is well developed and the largest in Asia.

Waterways: Waterways are the cheapest means of transport. They carry heavy and bulky goods over long distances. They are of two types—inland waterways and sea routes. Navigable rivers and lakes are used as inland waterways— for example, Ganga-Brahmaputra river system. Sea routes and oceanic routes are mostly used for transporting merchandise and goods from one country to another.

Airways: Airways are the most expensive means of transport. It is the only mode of transport to reach the most remote and distant areas especially where there are no roads and railways. Helicopters are useful in most inaccessible areas and in times of calamities.