Class 7 Notes

Class 7 Social Science Notes Chapter 7 (Human Environment–Settlement; Transport and Communication) – Our Environment Book

Philoid

Philoid

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Our Environment
Alright class, let's focus on Chapter 7: 'Human Environment–Settlement, Transport and Communication' from your 'Our Environment' textbook. This chapter is crucial as it explains how we humans interact with and modify our environment to meet our needs for shelter, movement, and sharing information. Pay close attention, as these concepts frequently appear in various government examinations.

Chapter 7: Human Environment–Settlement, Transport and Communication - Detailed Notes

1. Introduction:

  • Humans interact with the environment to fulfill basic needs like food, clothing, and shelter.
  • Early humans adapted to the natural environment but later learned to modify it.
  • This chapter explores three key aspects of human modification: Settlements (where we live), Transport (how we move), and Communication (how we connect).

2. Settlements:

  • Definition: Settlements are places where people build their homes to live in.
  • Evolution:
    • Early humans lived nomadic lives (in trees, caves) as hunter-gatherers.
    • With the development of agriculture, humans needed to stay in one place, leading to the first permanent settlements.
    • Settlements typically grew near river valleys due to the availability of water and fertile land (e.g., Indus Valley, Nile Valley).
    • Trade, commerce, and manufacturing spurred the growth of larger human settlements.
  • Types of Settlements:
    • Temporary Settlements: Occupied for a short time. Found in deep forests, hot/cold deserts, mountains. People practicing hunting, gathering, shifting cultivation, transhumance often live in these.
      • Transhumance: Seasonal movement of people with their livestock in search of pastures.
    • Permanent Settlements: Homes built to live in for a long period. Most settlements today are permanent.
  • Classification of Settlements:
    • Rural Settlements:
      • Villages where people are primarily engaged in activities like agriculture, fishing, forestry, crafts work, and trading (primary activities).
      • Types of Rural Settlements:
        • Compact Settlements: Dwellings are built very close to each other. Often found in fertile river plains.
        • Scattered Settlements: Dwellings are spaced far apart over an extensive area. Common in hilly tracts, thick forests, and regions of extreme climate.
      • Housing: Often built using locally available materials (mud, straw, stones). House design adapted to the environment (e.g., slanting roofs in heavy rainfall areas, thick walls/flat roofs in hot climates, raised platforms/stilts in water-logged areas).
    • Urban Settlements:
      • Towns and cities where people are mainly engaged in manufacturing, trading, and services (secondary and tertiary activities).
      • Characterized by higher population density, better infrastructure (roads, electricity, water supply, sanitation), and more complex economic/social structures.

3. Transport:

  • Definition: Transport is the means by which people and goods move from one place to another.
  • Evolution:
    • Early humans travelled on foot, using animals to carry goods.
    • The invention of the wheel revolutionized transport.
    • Over time, different means of transport developed, becoming faster and more efficient with technological advancements (e.g., steam engine, internal combustion engine, jet engines).
  • Importance: Essential for trade, travel, connecting people, accessing resources, and responding to emergencies.
  • Major Means of Transport:
    • Roadways:
      • Most common means, especially for short distances.
      • Can be metalled (pucca - made of cement, concrete, bitumen) or unmetalled (kutcha - mud roads).
      • Road networks are dense in plains, less so in mountains, forests, deserts.
      • Highways: Major roads connecting distant places. (e.g., National Highways, State Highways).
      • Example: The Manali-Leh highway in the Himalayas is one of the highest roadways in the world.
      • Example: The Golden Quadrilateral connects Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, and Kolkata in India.
      • Subways/underpaths and flyovers are built over raised structures to ease traffic congestion in cities.
    • Railways:
      • Efficient for carrying heavy goods and large numbers of people over long distances cheaply.
      • The invention of the steam engine and later diesel/electric engines boosted railway development.
      • Network density is highest in plain areas with high population and resources. Less developed in mountainous terrains.
      • Indian railway network is well-developed and one of the largest in Asia.
      • Example: The Trans-Siberian Railway is the longest railway system, connecting St. Petersburg (Western Russia) to Vladivostok (Pacific coast).
    • Waterways:
      • Oldest means of transport.
      • Cheapest for carrying very heavy and bulky goods over long distances.
      • Types:
        • Inland Waterways: Navigable rivers and lakes. (e.g., Ganga-Brahmaputra river system in India, the Great Lakes in North America, the Nile in Africa).
        • Sea Routes: Used for international trade, connecting continents through ports. (e.g., Singapore, Mumbai, New York, London, Rotterdam, Durban, Sydney are important ports).
    • Airways:
      • Fastest means of transport, developed in the early 20th century.
      • Most expensive due to high fuel costs.
      • Can reach the most remote and distant areas, especially where roads/railways are absent (mountains, deserts, dense forests).
      • Crucial during calamities for rescue operations and distributing essentials.
      • Helicopters are extremely useful in inaccessible areas.
      • Important airports include Delhi, Mumbai, New York, London, Paris, Frankfurt, etc.

4. Communication:

  • Definition: Communication is the process of conveying messages, ideas, and information to others.
  • Evolution:
    • Early methods involved gestures, spoken language, drum beats, smoke signals, carrier pigeons.
    • Invention of printing, postal system marked significant steps.
    • Technological advancements (telegraph, telephone, radio, television, satellites, internet) have revolutionized communication, making it faster and easier.
  • Importance: Essential for sharing knowledge, information, culture; facilitating trade, education, governance; connecting people globally.
  • Types:
    • Personal Communication: Between individuals (e.g., letters, telephone, email, SMS).
    • Mass Media: Communicating with a large number of people simultaneously.
      • Examples: Newspapers, Radio, Television. They provide information, education, and entertainment.
  • Role of Technology:
    • Satellites: Have made communication faster. Used for television broadcast, telephony, internet access, weather forecasting, disaster warning, resource mapping (oil exploration, forest survey, groundwater).
    • Internet: Provides global information and interaction instantly. Allows access to email, e-commerce (electronic buying/selling), online education, entertainment, etc. Wireless telephony through cellular phones is widespread.

5. Interrelation:

  • Settlements, transport, and communication are deeply interconnected.
  • Efficient transport and communication networks facilitate the growth and development of settlements (both rural and urban).
  • Settlements act as nodes in transport and communication networks.
  • Advances in transport and communication shrink distances and bring the world closer, creating a 'global village'.

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs):

  1. Which type of settlement is occupied for a short time, often by people practicing transhumance?
    a) Permanent Settlement
    b) Urban Settlement
    c) Temporary Settlement
    d) Compact Settlement

  2. Settlements where people are primarily engaged in activities like agriculture, fishing, and forestry are known as:
    a) Urban Settlements
    b) Scattered Settlements
    c) Compact Settlements
    d) Rural Settlements

  3. Which of the following is an example of a scattered settlement pattern?
    a) Dwellings built close together in river valleys
    b) Houses found far apart in hilly tracts or thick forests
    c) Large apartment buildings in a city center
    d) Villages located near major highways

  4. Which is the cheapest means of transport, particularly suitable for carrying heavy and bulky goods over long distances?
    a) Airways
    b) Roadways
    c) Railways
    d) Waterways

  5. The Manali-Leh highway is significant because it is:
    a) The longest highway in the world
    b) Part of the Golden Quadrilateral
    c) One of the highest roadways in the world
    d) An important inland waterway

  6. The Trans-Siberian Railway connects:
    a) New York to Los Angeles
    b) London to Paris
    c) St. Petersburg to Vladivostok
    d) Mumbai to Chennai

  7. Which invention revolutionized transport in early times?
    a) Steam Engine
    b) Wheel
    c) Satellite
    d) Internet

  8. Newspapers, radio, and television are examples of:
    a) Personal Communication
    b) Mass Media
    c) Transport Networks
    d) Temporary Settlements

  9. Which technology has greatly aided in weather forecasting, disaster warning, and resource mapping?
    a) Railways
    b) Roadways
    c) Satellites
    d) Postal System

  10. What is the process of conveying messages and ideas to others called?
    a) Transport
    b) Settlement
    c) Communication
    d) Transhumance

Answer Key for MCQs:

  1. (c)
  2. (d)
  3. (b)
  4. (d)
  5. (c)
  6. (c)
  7. (b)
  8. (b)
  9. (c)
  10. (c)

Make sure you understand these concepts thoroughly. Go through your textbook again, focusing on the examples and definitions provided. Good luck with your preparation!

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