Maharashtra Board Class 7 Geography Chapter 11 Contour Maps and Landforms Solutions

1. Answer The Following Questions:

Question 1. How can the distribution of the height and landform in a region be shown?
Answer:
(i) While studying different landforms on the surface of the earth, one has to consider various facets of landforms like altitude, relief, slope, direction of slope and the drainage.
(ii) For this maps prepared using mathematical survey methods are used.
(iii) These maps help us to understand the above characteristics of the landforms.
In simple words: The height and landform distribution in a region can be shown using maps created through mathematical survey methods, which illustrate aspects like altitude, relief, slope, and drainage.

🎯 Exam Tip: Focus on the key characteristics (altitude, relief, slope, drainage) that contour maps reveal about landforms.

Question 2. To whom are contour maps useful?
Answer:
(i) Contour maps are useful to mountaineers, trekkers, soldiers, defence officers.
(ii) The nature of the ground and its shape can be estimated.
(iii) Defence officers use contour maps for strategic planning.
(iv) It is possible to identify suitable site for any project from the contour map of the region.
In simple words: Contour maps are valuable tools for professionals like mountaineers, soldiers, and planners, helping them understand terrain, strategize, and identify suitable locations for various projects.

🎯 Exam Tip: Remember the specific professions and applications where contour maps are indispensable.

Question 3. What do you understand by observing contour lines?
Answer:
(i) Contour lines are isolines of height.
(ii) These are drawn by joining the places of equal altitude.
(iii) These help in identification of land forms and their altitude from sea level.
(iv) These lines also help us to understand the nature and direction of the slope.
In simple words: Contour lines show points of equal elevation, helping us understand the height of landforms from sea level and the steepness or direction of slopes.

🎯 Exam Tip: Key terms to remember are "isolines of height" and their function in identifying altitude and slope direction.

Question 4. How will a contour map be useful to a fanner?
Answer:
(i) It is helpful selecting the type of farming to be practiced plantation farming in hilly regions, intensive farming in low lying region.
(ii) In order to reduce the erosion of soil, trenches are dug out in the direction perpendicular to the slope of the land.
(iii) Trees are planted along such trenches. When the farmer digs out such trenches, he will be careful in maintaining the level.
In simple words: Farmers can use contour maps to choose appropriate farming methods for different terrains, reduce soil erosion by digging trenches along contours, and plan tree planting while maintaining level.

🎯 Exam Tip: Highlight practical agricultural applications such as choosing farming types and soil conservation techniques.

2. Fill The Blanks With Appropriate Words:

Question 1. If the contour lines are closer to each other, the slope is _____
Answer: steep
In simple words: When contour lines are packed closely together, it indicates a steep slope.

🎯 Exam Tip: Remember the inverse relationship: closer lines mean steeper slope, wider lines mean gentler slope.

Question 2. The contour lines on the map represent _____
Answer: places of same altitude
In simple words: Contour lines connect all points on a map that share the exact same elevation or height.

🎯 Exam Tip: The core definition of a contour line is a line joining points of equal altitude.

Question 3. The slope can be understood from the distance between the _____
Answer: contour lines
In simple words: By observing how far apart contour lines are, one can determine the steepness of the land's slope.

🎯 Exam Tip: The spacing of contour lines is a direct indicator of the gradient of the land.

Question 4. If the distance between two contour lines is more then the _____ is gentle.
Answer: slope
In simple words: A larger distance between contour lines signifies a gentle slope.

🎯 Exam Tip: This question tests the understanding of contour spacing and its relation to slope. Wider spacing = gentle slope.

3. Identify The Landforms In The Following Map:

ℹ️ चित्र व्याख्या (Diagram Explanation): एक समोच्च मानचित्र एक पहाड़ी क्षेत्र को दर्शाता है जिसमें विभिन्न ऊँचाईयों (50, 100, 150, 200, 250, 300 मीटर) को दर्शाने वाली समोच्च रेखाएँ हैं, साथ ही उत्तर दिशा का तीर भी है।
In simple words: This diagram is a contour map showing a hill, with each line representing a specific elevation, illustrating the shape and height of the landform.

🎯 Exam Tip: When identifying landforms from a contour map, look for the pattern of the lines (concentric circles for hills, V-shapes for valleys, etc.) and their elevation values.

A model of the relief in an area is shown in fig. Observe it carefully and answer the following questions:

ℹ️ चित्र व्याख्या (Diagram Explanation): यह पृथ्वी की सतह का एक 3D भौतिक मॉडल है, जिसमें पहाड़ और नदी घाटियों जैसी विभिन्न भू-आकृतियाँ दिखाई गई हैं। किनजल, कोरेगांव, वाडी और भादगाँव जैसे प्रमुख स्थान भूभाग के भीतर चिह्नित हैं।
In simple words: This is a three-dimensional model of the Earth's surface, clearly showing diverse landforms like mountains and river valleys.

🎯 Exam Tip: When analyzing a geographical model, pay attention to the labels and the visual representation of elevations and depressions.

Question 1. Which landforms do you seen in the model?
Answer: Mountains & river valleys are seen in the model.
In simple words: The model displays both elevated mountains and low-lying river valleys.

🎯 Exam Tip: Observe the varying heights and depressions in the model to identify the different landforms present.

Question 2. Which colours have been used on them?
Answer: Yellow & blue colours have been used in the model.
In simple words: The model uses yellow and blue colors to represent different features of the land.

🎯 Exam Tip: Note the color coding in geographical models, as they often signify specific features or elevations (e.g., blue for water, green for lowlands, brown for highlands).

Model of the Earth's surface:

ℹ️ चित्र व्याख्या (Diagram Explanation): यह पृथ्वी की सतह का एक 3D भौतिक मॉडल है, जिसमें पहाड़ और नदी घाटियों जैसी विभिन्न भू-आकृतियाँ दिखाई गई हैं। किनजल, कोरेगांव, वाडी और भादगाँव जैसे प्रमुख स्थान भूभाग के भीतर चिह्नित हैं।
In simple words: This is a repeat of the 3D model, emphasizing its representation of various landforms like mountains and river valleys with marked locations.

🎯 Exam Tip: Understand that physical models help visualize complex terrain features like mountains and river systems effectively.

ℹ️ चित्र व्याख्या (Diagram Explanation): यह करहा नदी बेसिन का एक समोच्च मानचित्र है, जो 600 से 800 मीटर तक की समोच्च रेखाओं को दर्शाता है, जो पूरे क्षेत्र में बदलती ऊँचाई और ढलानों का संकेत देते हैं। सासवड़ और करहा नदी जैसे प्रमुख क्षेत्र दिखाई दे रहे हैं।
In simple words: This diagram is a contour map of the Karha river basin, showing contour lines that indicate the altitude and slope of the hilly region, including the river's course.

🎯 Exam Tip: When interpreting a contour map, pay attention to the contour intervals and the overall pattern of the lines to understand the terrain and water bodies.

Question 1. What all you seen in the map?
Answer: We can see many contour lines on the map showing a hilly region. We can see the altitude of the hill ranges as well as its slope.
In simple words: The map clearly shows numerous contour lines, revealing a hilly area along with the specific altitudes of its ranges and their slopes.

🎯 Exam Tip: In a contour map, look for the density and values of the contour lines to quickly grasp the region's topography, including hills and slopes.

Question 2. What is the general direction of the ranges shown in the map?
Answer: The general direction of the ranges shown in the map is east-west
In simple words: The mountain ranges depicted on the map generally extend from east to west.

🎯 Exam Tip: Use the compass rose (if available) and the alignment of the contour lines to determine the overall orientation of geographical features.

Question 3. Towards which direction is the flat land located in the map?
Answer: The flat land is located towards the east.
In simple words: The flatter areas on the map are situated towards the eastern side.

🎯 Exam Tip: Flat lands are indicated by widely spaced contour lines or areas with no contour lines (if the map scale permits), so identify these patterns to locate them.

Question 4. What are the maximum and minimum values of the lines in the map?
Answer: The maximum value of the lines in the map is 800 & minimum value is 600.
In simple words: The highest elevation marked by a contour line on the map is 800 units, and the lowest is 600 units.

🎯 Exam Tip: Always check the labeled contour lines to identify the highest and lowest elevations represented on the map.

Question 5. What do these values indicate?
Answer: These lines indicate the altitude of the region from the sea level.
In simple words: These values represent the height of different points in the region measured from mean sea level.

🎯 Exam Tip: Contour line values universally denote elevation above a standard reference point, typically sea level.

Question 6. Do you find any similarities in the map and the model in fig. (a)? What are those?
Answer: The model in figure (a) & the contour line map in figure (b) are of the same region. The values of latitudes & longitudes are same on both the maps.
In simple words: Both the 3D model (a) and the contour map (b) represent the same geographical area, sharing consistent latitude and longitude references.

🎯 Exam Tip: Similarities often include the geographical location and coordinate system, even if the representation format differs (3D vs. 2D). Comparing reference points is crucial.

Question 7. Which figure give us more information and what is that information?
Answer: Fig. (b) Contour line map gives more information. It gives us information about the altitude of the landforms slope of the land forms with latitudes & longitudes
In simple words: The contour line map (figure b) provides more detailed information, specifically about the precise altitude and slope of landforms, correlated with their exact geographical coordinates.

🎯 Exam Tip: Contour maps offer quantitative data like exact altitudes and gradient, which a basic 3D model might not detail as precisely.

Question 8. Is there any similarity between this map and the sketch map of the potato hill?
Answer: Yes, similar to the sketch map of the potato hill, the contour line map too is a 3D figure (Model of earth's surface) which has been converted into a 2D map. The Contour line map is depicting contour line intervals.
In simple words: Yes, both the contour map and a potato hill sketch represent 3D landforms converted into a 2D view, using lines to show elevation changes or contours.

🎯 Exam Tip: The key similarity lies in both methods representing a three-dimensional shape on a two-dimensional surface using lines of equal elevation.

Consider you have gone for mountaineering. You have to conquer a peak on the hill "A". A map of this hill is given below. Studying the contour lines in the map, find the side from which you will reach the peak safely and easily. Mark your path on the map with a pencil.

ℹ️ चित्र व्याख्या (Diagram Explanation): यह एक पहाड़ी का समोच्च मानचित्र है जिसमें संकेंद्रित समोच्च रेखाएँ (50, 100, 150, 200, 250, 300 मीटर) ऊँचाई में परिवर्तन दर्शाती हैं, जिसमें पश्चिम की ओर रेखाएँ पास-पास (खड़ी ढलान) और पूर्व की ओर दूर-दूर (हल्की ढलान) हैं, जो पूर्व दिशा से चढ़ने के लिए एक सुरक्षित मार्ग का संकेत देती हैं।
In simple words: This is a contour map of a hill, with contour lines showing elevations. The lines are closer on the western side, indicating a steeper slope, and further apart on the eastern side, indicating a gentler, safer slope for climbing.

🎯 Exam Tip: For mountaineering, always choose the path where contour lines are spread farther apart, indicating a gentler, safer ascent. Closely spaced lines mean a steep and potentially dangerous climb.

Answer: I will climb from eastwards to reach the peak safely as the slope eastwards is gentle and not steep. Lesser distance between the contour lines, indicates steep slope. The distance between the lines is greater eastwards, which shows the slope is more gentle on that side.
In simple words: To safely reach the peak, I would climb from the eastern side because the contour lines are more spread out there, indicating a gentler slope compared to the steeper western side where lines are closer.

🎯 Exam Tip: The ability to interpret contour spacing for slope steepness is critical for planning safe routes in mountainous terrain.

Fill In The Blanks:

Question 1. Contour lines join places with the same _______ on a map.
Answer: altitude
In simple words: Contour lines connect points that have the same height above sea level on a map.

🎯 Exam Tip: This is a fundamental definition of contour lines and often appears in basic geography quizzes.

Question 2. Generally, contour lines do not _______ each other.
Answer: cross.
In simple words: Typically, contour lines do not intersect one another, as a single point cannot have two different elevations.

🎯 Exam Tip: Contour lines crossing usually indicates an error or a unique geological feature like an overhanging cliff, which is rare on standard maps.

Answer The Following Questions:

Question 1. How are contour maps helpful to us?
Answer:
(i) Contour maps help us to understand various facets of landforms, like altitude, relief, slope, direction of slope and the drainage.
(ii) These maps are of immense use to mountaineers, trekkers, soldiers, defence officers, etc.
(iii) These maps prove to be of great use in planning of a region.
In simple words: Contour maps are vital for understanding land features like height, slope, and water flow, making them useful for diverse fields from outdoor activities to regional planning.

🎯 Exam Tip: Emphasize both the descriptive (understanding landforms) and practical (use by various professionals, planning) aspects of contour maps.

Question 2. Contour lines generally do not cross each other. Give reason.
Answer:
(i) Contour lines join places with the same altitude on a map.
(ii) Therefore they generally do not cross each other.
In simple words: Contour lines don't cross because each line represents a single specific elevation, and a point on the ground cannot have two different altitudes simultaneously.

🎯 Exam Tip: This is a key principle of contour mapping; a point in space has only one elevation, preventing contour lines from intersecting.

Observe the model and the map given below and answer the following questions:

ℹ️ चित्र व्याख्या (Diagram Explanation): यह सासवड़ में करहा नदी बेसिन का एक 3D भौतिक मॉडल है, जो मुला-मुथा बेसिन, करहा नदी बेसिन, जेजुरी, पुरंदर और नारायणपुर जैसी विशेषताओं के साथ स्थलाकृति को दर्शाता है, जिसमें विविध भू-आकृतियाँ दिखाई गई हैं।
In simple words: This is a three-dimensional model showing the Karha river basin in Saswad, highlighting geographical features like river basins and surrounding areas.

🎯 Exam Tip: Visual models help in understanding the overall topographical layout and the relative positions of different geographical features.

ℹ️ चित्र व्याख्या (Diagram Explanation): यह सासवड़ में करहा नदी बेसिन से संबंधित एक समोच्च मानचित्र है, जो मीटरों (500 से 650 तक) में समोच्च रेखाओं को प्रदर्शित करता है, जो ऊँचाई, ढलान और करहा नदी तथा कटराज-दिवेघाट जैसी आसपास की पर्वतमालाओं की प्रवाह दिशा को दर्शाते हैं।
In simple words: This contour map corresponds to the Karha river basin, showing contour lines that provide detailed information on altitudes, slopes, and the flow direction of the Karha River and adjacent ranges.

🎯 Exam Tip: When given a model and a map of the same area, compare how each represents elevation, water bodies, and slopes to understand their complementary information.

A 3D model is given in fig. (a) The northern part of the model shows the basin of the rivers Mula-Mutha. To its south is the Katraj-Diveghat range extending from the west to the east. Beyond that some portion of Karha basin is seen.

Question 1. In which direction does fort Purandar lie?
Answer: Fort Purandar lies in the south direction.
In simple words: Fort Purandar is located towards the south.

🎯 Exam Tip: Always use the compass directions provided on the map or model to accurately determine the relative position of features.

Question 2. What is the direction of flow of the river Karha?
Answer: River Karha flows from west to east.
In simple words: The Karha river moves from the western side towards the eastern side.

🎯 Exam Tip: Rivers generally flow from higher elevations (where contour lines are closer) to lower elevations (where they are farther apart). Look for the V-shape of contour lines pointing upstream.

Question 3. In which parts are the hill ranges not observed?
Answer: The hill ranges are not observed in the eastern parts.
In simple words: Hill ranges are absent in the eastern sections of the area.

🎯 Exam Tip: Areas without closely spaced contour lines or distinct elevated patterns indicate the absence of hill ranges.

Question 4. Which part of the model is not seen in the map? Why?
Answer: The Karha river & the direction of its flow, the contour height and the slope of the land are part of map & not seen in the model.
In simple words: Details like the precise flow direction of the Karha river, exact contour heights, and specific land slopes are clearly visible on the map but not explicitly detailed in the 3D model.

🎯 Exam Tip: Understand that while models offer visual representation, maps provide precise, measurable data like elevation values and exact flow directions.

Question 5. In which direction does the altitude of Katraj- Diveghat range decrease?
Answer: The altitude of katraj-Diveghat range decreases from west to east.
In simple words: The height of the Katraj-Diveghat range gets lower as you move from the west to the east.

🎯 Exam Tip: Identify the contour lines along the range; if the values decrease in a particular direction, that's the direction of decreasing altitude.

Question 6. In which direction are higher hill ranges located?
Answer: Higher hill ranges are located in the southern direction.
In simple words: The taller hill ranges are found towards the south.

🎯 Exam Tip: Look for areas with the highest contour values or visually more pronounced elevations on the map/model to identify the location of higher ranges.

Use Your Brain!

When one sees a landform on a contour map, what is the observer's position with respect to landform? For example, a hill is shown with the help of contours on a map. From where do you think you are looking at it?
Answer: Aerial view. From somewhere above, may be from an aeroplane or helicopter.
In simple words: When viewing a contour map, the observer is effectively looking down on the landform from an aerial perspective, similar to being in an airplane or helicopter.

🎯 Exam Tip: Always remember that contour maps provide a bird's-eye, two-dimensional representation of a three-dimensional landscape.