NCERT Solutions Class 12 Geography Chapter 8 Transport and Communication

1. Choose the right answer from the four alternatives given below.

(i) The Trans–Continental Stuart Highway runs between
(a) Darwin and Melbourne
(b) Edmonton and Anchorage
(c) Vancouver and St. John’s City
(d) Chengdu and Lhasa
Answer : A

(ii) Which country has the highest density of railway network?
(a) Brazil
(b) U.S.A 
(c) Canada
(d) Russia
Answer : B

(iii) The Big Trunk Route runs through
(a) The Mediterranean – Indian ocean
(b) The North Atlantic Ocean
(c) The South Atlantic Ocean
(d) The North Pacific Ocean
Answer : B

(iv) The Big Inch pipeline transports
(a) Milk
(b) Liquid petroleum gas (LPG) 
(c) Water
(d) Petroleum
Answer : D

(v) Which one pair of the following places is linked by Channel Tunnel?
(a) London – Berlin
(b) Paris – London 
(c) Berlin – Paris
(d) Barcelona – Berlin
Answer : B

Question. The Trans-Canadian highway connects
(a) Edmonton to Anchorage
(b) Vancouver to St. John’s city
(c) Edmonton to Vancouver
(d) Vancouver to Anchorage
Answer : B

Question. Which type of transport is most suitable for large volume of bulky materials over long distances within a region?
(a) Airways
(b) Roadways
(c) Railways
(d) Seaways
Answer : C

Question. Which river supplies freshwater to the Suez canal?
(a) Amazon
(b) Nile
(c) Congo
(d) Murray
Answer : B

Question. Which of the following pairs is not correctly matched?
(a) Unmetalled roads – All weather roads
(b) Autobahns – In Germany
(c) Peaks – High traffic flow
(d) Troughs – Low traffic flow
Answer : A

Question. Consider the following statements and choose the correct option from the given options.
I. Freight transport by road has become important.
II. Road transport provides door to door services.
Codes
(a) Only I is correct
(b) Only II is correct
(c) Both statements are incorrect
(d) Both statements are correct and statement II correctly explains statement I.
Answer : D

Question. Which is the following pairs is not correctly matched?
(a) Highest road density in the world  – North America
(b) Highest number of registered vehicles in the world   – South America
(c) Longest National Highway in India   – NH 7
(d) Highest density of railways network in the world    – USA
Answer : B

Question. Consider the following statements.
I. Golden quadrilateral connects four big metro cities of India.
II. It comprises of high density traffic corridors.
Which of the above statements is/are correct ?
(a) Only I
(b) Only II
(c) Both I and II
(d) None of these
Answer : C

Question. Arrange the following stations of Trans-Australian railways starting from East to West.
I. Post Augusta II. Perth III. Sydney IV. Forrest
(a) III, I, IV, II
(b) II, I, III, IV
(c) IV, II, III, I
(d) III, IV, II, I
Answer : A

Question. Match the following.
Column-I                                                         Column-II
(Highways in the World)                             (Connected regions)
A. The Trans-Canadian Highway               1. Vancouver to St. John’s city
B. The Alaskan Highway                            2. Edmonton to Anchorage
C. The Pan-American Highway                 3. South America to Central America
D. Trans-Continental Stuart Highway        4. Darwin to Melbourne
E. African Highway                                    5. Algiers to Conakry
F. The National Highway No. 7                  6. Varanasi to Kanyakumari
Codes
    A B C D E F 
(a) 1 2 3 4 5 6
(b) 2 4 5 6 1 3
(c) 6 5 4 3 2 1
(d) 3 1 4 5 6 2
Answer : A

Question. Match the following.
Column-I (Railway Gauges)      Column-II (Features)
A. Broad gauge                            1. 1.44 m
B. Standard gauge                       2. 1 m
C. Metre gauge                            3. Below 1 m
D. Smaller gauge                         4. More than 1.5 m
Codes
     A B C D
(a) 1 2 3 4
(b) 4 1 2 3
(c) 3 1 4 2
(d) 1 2 4 3
Answer : B

2.  Answer the following questions in about 30 words.

(i) What are the problems of road transport in mountainous, desert and flood prone regions ?
Answer : The problem with road transport in the mountainous, desert and flood-prone areas is that it is not effective and serviceable for all season as it becomes unmotorable under extreme climatic conditions.

(ii) What is a trans–continental railway ?
Answer : The Trans–continental railways run across the continent and link their two ends. They were constructed for economic and political reasons to facilitate long runs in different directions.

(iii) What are the advantages of water transport ?
Answer : Water transport does not require route construction, and also cheaper because the friction of water is far less than that of land and has lower energy cost. The oceans are linked with each other and are negotiable with ships of various size.

3. Answer the following questions in not more than 150 words.

(i) Elucidate the statement– “In a well managed transport system, various modes complement each other”.
Answer : In a well managed transport system, various modes do not compete with each other but complement each other.
• Railways are more useful for moving bulky goods and passengers over long distances while Roadways are suitable for the faster movement over shorter distances and door-to-door services. They also act as feeder transport to railways.
• When urgent and faster movement required then air transport is the most appropriate option.
• International movement of bulky goods can be possible through ocean routes.
• Railways also serve ports so that goods can move faster and more cheaply.
• For crossing seas and mountains more faster we can use air tranposrt.
• Liquids and gases such as water, petroleum and natural gas can be transported better through pipelines than all other means of transport.

(ii) Which are the major regions of the world having a dense network of airways.
Answer : • Air Transport is the only means to reach mountainous snow fields or desert terrains.
• At present no place in the world is more than 35 hours away. This startling fact has been made possible due to people who build and fly airplanes.
• Frequent air services are available to many parts of the world. Although, U.K. pioneered the use of commercial jet transport, U.S.A. developed largely post-War international civil aviation.
• Today, more than 250 commercial airlines offer regular services to different parts of the world.
• Dense network exists in Eastern U.S.A., Western Europe and South East Asia. U.SA. 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 radiate to all continents. Africa, Asiatic part of Russia and South America lack air services.

(iii) What are the modes by which cyber space will expand the contemporary economic and social space of humans.
Answer : The modes by which cyber space will expand the contemporary economic and social space of humans are:
• e-mail - Electornic mail is a method of exchanging messages between people using electronics. These are delivered extremely fast when compared to traditional post thus, widely accepted by business, governments and non-governmental organizations in the developed world. Each email has the date and time recorded on it which is helpful in avoding confusion and dispute.
• e-commerce: It is a transaction of buying or selling online. It can take place 24 hours a day, seven days a week and can provide wide variety of options than traditional stores. The customer can order the product of their choice and get it delivered to their home.
• e-learning: It is the use of technology to enable people to learn anytime and anywhere. It can include training, the delivery of just-in-time information and guidance from experts. Knowledge can also be shared via the Internet, which is accessible 24/7, anywhere, anytime.
• e-governance: It is a style of governance in which information and communication technology (ICT) is applied for achieving the results. Through e-governance, government services will be made available to citizens in a convenient, efficient and transparent manner.

NCERT Solutions for Class 12 Geography Chapter 8 Transport and Communication Case Based MCQs

1. Read the case/source given and answer the questions that follow by choosing the correct option.

Most of the movement of goods and services takes place over land. In early days, humans themselves were carriers. Later animals were used as beasts of burden. With the invention of the wheel, the use of carts and wagons became important. The revolution in transport came about only after the invention of the steam engine in the 18th century. Perhaps the first public railway line was opened in 1825 between Stockton and Darlington in Northern England and then onwards, railways became the most popular and fastest form of transport in the 19th century. It opened up continental interiors for commercial grain farming, mining and manufacturing in U.S.A. The invention of the internal combustion engine revolutionised road transport in terms of road quality and vehicles (motor cars and trucks) plying over them. Among the newer developments in land transportation are pipelines, ropeways and cableways. Liquids like mineral oil, water, sludge and sewers are transported by pipelines. The great freight carriers are the railways, ocean vessels, barges, boats and motor trucks and pipelines. In general, the old and elementary forms like the human porter, pack animal, cart or wagon are the most expensive means of transportation and large freighters are the cheapest. They are important in supplementing modern channels and carriers which penetrate the interiors in large countries. In the densely populated districts of India and China, overland transport still takes place by human porters or carts drawn or pushed by humans.

Question. Continental interiors in USA were opened due to which of the following?
(a) Large scale manufacturing
(b) Commercial agriculture
(c) Network of railways
(d) All of these
Answer : C

Question. Which of the following technology revolutionised road transport?
(a) Invention of Tyres
(b) Internal Combustion Engine
(c) Cart and Wagon
(d) Metalled Roads
Answer : B

Question. Semi solid liquids can be transported to long distance through ……… .
(a) Airways
(b) Pipelines
(c) Oil tankers
(d) Helicopters
Answer : B

Question. Which type of transport is suitable to connect a village in the hilly area with cities?
(a) Railways
(b) Shipping canals
(c) Inland waterways
(d) Roadways
Answer : B

2. Read the case/source given and answer the questions that follow.

Cyberspace is the world of electronic computerised space. It is encompassed by the internet such as the World Wide Web (WWW). In simple words, it is the electronic digital world for communicating or accessing information over computer networks without physical movement of the sender and the receiver. It is also referred to as the Internet. Cyberspace exists everywhere. It may be in an office,sailing boat, flying plane and virtually anywhere. The speed at which this electronic network has spread is unprecedented in human history. There were less than 50 million Internet users in 1995, about 400 million in 2000 A.D and over two billion in 2010. In the last few years there has been a shift among global users from U.S.A. to the developing countries. The percentage share of U.S.A. has dropped from 66 in 1995 to only 25 in 2005. Now the majority of the world’s users are in U.S.A., U.K., Germany, Japan, China and India.

As billions use the internet each year, cyberspace will expand the contemporary economic and social space of humans through e-mail, e-commerce, e-learning and e-governance. Internet together with fax, television and radio will be accessible to more and more people cutting across place and time. It is the modern communication systems, more than transportation, that has made the concept of global village a reality.

Question. Which term is used to refer to accessing information over computers?
Answer. The term used to refer to accessing information over computers is called cyberspace. It is the world of electronic computerised space.

Question. How has internet revolutionised the world?
Answer. Internet has revolutionised the world in the following ways
- It has widened the economic and social space of humans through e-mail, e-commerce, e-learning and e-governance.
- Internet together with fax, television and radio is accessible to more and more people cutting across place and time. It is the modern communication system that has made the concept of global village a reality.

Question. Why there has been a shift among global users in internet?
Answer. There has been a shift from USA to developing countries among internet users as internet is spreading rapidly to India, China, Japan and other developing countries of the world. The number of users is much higher in these countries.

NCERT Solutions for Class 12 Geography Chapter 8 Transport and Communication Short Answer Type Questions

Question. Explain any three points of economic significance of ‘Trans-Siberian railways.’ 
Answer : The Trans-Siberian railways is a major rail route of Russia. It runs from St. Petersburg in the West to Vladivostok in the East on the Pacific coast. The economic significance of these railways is
(i) It has made it possible to link Asian markets with the European markets. Now goods can be easily transported between the two continents, which provides a boost to the economies of both continents.
(ii) It connects various commercial centres in Europe and Asia and provides push to trade and commerce.For example, it runs through Ural mountains and connects Chita (agro centre) to Irkutsk (fur centre).
(iii) This railway network has improved connectivity towards its South by the connecting links such as towards Odessa (Ukraine), Ulan Bator (Mongolia), Beijing (China) etc. Thus, the economies of these regions have also integrated by the network.

Question. In what ways rail transport is better than any other means of transport?
Answer : The ways in which rail transport is better than other means of transport are
- It is a cheap mode of transport for carrying bulky goods and passengers over long distances in a country or within two continents.
- Rail transport connects the commercial centres of a country and provides a boost to the economy and industry in the country. For example, development of railways has supported mining and manufacturing in USA.
- In the densely populated regions of the world, passenger trains carry millions of people to and from their work places. Thus, it is very important for commuting purposes in these regions.
- With the construction of trans-continental railways, movement of goods and people have become easier and provid a connecting link between continents.

Question. What are the different roles played by pack animals in transportation in different parts of the world?
Answer : Pack animals are those animals which are used as a means of transportation. Some of the roles played by pack animals are
- InWestern countries horses are used as a draught animal.
- Dogs and reindeers are used to draw sledges over snow covered area in North America, North Europe and Siberia.
- Camels are used in desert for caravan movement and bullocks carts in India.
- Mules are used in mountain areas for carrying people as well as goods.

Question. What is cyberspace? Describe any two advantages of Internet.
Answer : Cyberspace or internet refers to the electronic digital world that is used for communicating or accessing data information over computer networks without any physical movement of the sender and the receiver. The cyberspace works within the World Wide Web (WWW). It can be accessed anywhere, e.g. in offices, at homes, in schools etc. In the last few years, it has expanded rapidly. The user base has shifted from the developed countries like USA to less developed countries such as China and India.
The advantages of internet are
(i) It expands the social and economic space of people with the help of e-mail, e-commerce, e-learning, e-governance etc.
(ii) Internet communication has connected more and more people across the world. It has made the concept of global village a reality.

Question. Explain any two inland waterways of Europe.Explain any two factors that influence inland waterways.
Answer : The two inland waterways of Europe are
(i) The Rhine Waterway The Rhine river flows through Germany and Netherlands. It is navigable for 700 km from Rotterdam in Netherlands to Basel in Switzerland. It connects industrial areas of Switzerland, Germany, France, Belgium and Netherlands with the North Atlantic sea route.
(ii) Danube Waterway It rises near the Black forest mountains and flows Eastwards through many countries. It serves Eastern Europe. It is navigable upto Turnu Severin.Factors that influence inland waterways are
(i) The navigability width and depth of the channel affect inland waterways. Rivers are modified so that they can be used as waterways.
(ii) The continuity in water flow and the level of technology also affect inland waterways.

Question. Why is Rhine the world’s most heavily used waterway? Explain any three reasons. 
Or ‘The Rhine waterways is the world’s most heavily used inland waterway’. In the light of this statement, examine the significance of waterway.
Answer : The reasons for the Rhine to be the world’s most heavily
used waterway are
(i) The river Rhine is navigable for 700 km from Rotterdam in Netherlands to Basel in Switzerland.It flows through a rich coalfield which has made the whole region a prosperous manufacturing area.
(ii) The waterway links the industrial areas of Germany,France, Switzerland, Belgium, Netherlands with North Atlantic sea routes.
(iii) The Ruhr river joins the Rhine from its East. There is movement of huge volumes of freight to the South of Ruhr river. More than 20,000 ships and 20,00,000 inland vessels exchange their cargoes annually in this region.

NCERT Solutions for Class 12 Geography Chapter 8 Transport and Communication Long Answer Type Questions

Question. Elucidate the statement-‘‘In a well managed transport system, various modes complement each other. ’’
Answer : It is true that transport system is considered to be well managed if various modes of transport complement each other. This happens when production centres and consumption centres are well connected through transportation. Transport is the facility or service which provides movement of the goods and persons by using various modes.
Land, air, water and pipelines are important modes of transportation. These modes are used for transportation of man and materials within the country or between the two countries and continents. Trans-continental railways are constructed to facilitate long distance travel in different directions.
There are some factors like type of goods and services to be transported, costs of transport and the mode available, which determine the importance of a mode. Every mode of transport has its own significance, like road transport is cheaper for short distance travel as compared to railway. Railways are most suited for large volume of bulky materials. Airways are preferred for long distance travel and for the rapid movement of valuable goods on a worldwide scale. Pipelines are used to carry liquids and gaseous materials without any interruption.
Hence, these modes complement each other in providing an efficient and well managed transport system.

Question. Describe the journey of development of land transport from the days of humans as carriers and the cable ways of today. 
Answer : There is a significant development of land transport from the days of humans as carriers to the cable ways of today. In older days, human and animals were important carriers. For example, Palanquin (palki/doli) was used to carry brides by four persons (Kahars in North India). Later, animals were used as means of transport. For example, mules, horses, camels, oxen, etc were used in rural areas.With the invention of the wheel, the use of carts and wagons became important.
The 18th century marks the revolution in transport which came about only after the invention of the steam engine. In the 19th century, railways became the most popular and fastest form of transport with the opening of the first public railway line in 1825 between Stockton and Darlington in Northern England.
The invention of the internal combustion engine revolutionised road transport in terms of road quality and vehicles (motor cars and trucks) flying over them. The newer forms of land transportation have also emerged in recent times. It includes are pipelines, ropeways and cableways. These are faster and more efficient as compared other means of transport.

Question. Explain the importance of ‘communication services’ in the world. 
Answer : The importance of communication services is
- Communication connects the people in different parts of the world. They can exchange, information, ideas and make it easy to send or receive message.
- Communication through optic fibre networks allows large amount of datas to be transmitted rapidly, securely and error free.
- Development of communication networks has become a crucial factor in developing urbanisation in various countries. e.g. in America.
- In developing countries, use of cell phones has made it possible to connect the rural areas of the country.
- New technologies such as satellite communication has made it possible to communicate with anyone anywhere in the world. Thus, communication has become faster.
- The use of internet for communication has made the concept of global village a reality.

Question. Explain the merits and demerits of road transport in the world. 
Answer : Merits of road transport are
- Economical Road transport is cheap and most economical mode of transport for short distance travel and freight movement.
- Connectivity Road transport offers the best connectivity among all the means of transport as it offers door to door services.
- Transporting Perishable Goods Perishable goods such as milk, vegetables etc. are transported by road transport.It is best suited for transporting these items.
-  Trade and Commerce Road transport plays an important role in promoting trade and commerce in the country. It also promotes tourism and other economic activities.
- Flexible Road transport is flexible in nature as multiple routes can be travelled to reach a particular place.
Demerits of road transport are
- Heavy Expenditures The construction and maintenance of roads require heavy expenditures. This affects road quality.
- Traffic Road transport is severely affected by traffic and congestion. When roads are not able to cope up with the demands of the traffic, then congestion occurs.
- Not Sustainable for All Seasons During the rainy season, the unmettaled roads are severely damaged.Even the metalled roads are damaged during floods.
- Difficulty in Construction Roads are difficult to construct in various areas such as mountains. Here, specialised agencies are required to construct roads.

Question. State any three characteristics of water transport. Why is traffic far less on the South Atlantic sea route? 
Answer : Three characteristics of water transport are
(i) Water transportation does not require route construction. The oceans are linked with each other and offer smooth routes travelable in all directions with less maintenance costs.(ii) It is cheaper means of transportation because the friction of water is less than that of the land and energy cost is lower.
(iii) Very heavy cargo like coal, cement, timber and metallic ores can be transported through inland waterways.

The reasons for less traffic on South Atlantic Sea route are
(i) The population is very less in South America and Africa. There is less development in the countries ofSouth America as well as Africa. Due to this, the demand in these regions is very less and trade is very low.
(ii) Both South America and Africa have similar products and resources. Due to this, the trade declines as trade of similar products is not economically feasible.
(iii) There are very few industrial regions in both the continents. Only parts of South Africa and South-Eastern Brazil and Plata Estuary have industrial regions. This leads to lesser trade between these regions and tesser traffic on the South Atlantic Sea route.