NCERT Solutions for Class 12 Geography Fundamentals of Human Geography Chapter 7: Transport and Communication

Chapter at a glance

Exercise Questions

Question 1 (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

The Stuart Highway in Australia runs north–south through the continent, from Darwin (north coast) through Tennant Creek and Alice Springs to Port Augusta, linking with roads to Melbourne (as given in the textbook).

1. Darwin and Melbourne

Question 1 (ii)

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

Answer

Among these, the USA has the densest and longest railway network (Europe as a region has the densest network overall).

2. U.S.A

Question 1 (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

The Northern Atlantic Sea Route links north-eastern USA and north-western Europe — the two industrially developed regions of the world. It is the busiest route, carrying about one-fourth of world trade, and is called the Big Trunk Route.

2. The North Atlantic Ocean

Question 1 (iv)

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

Answer

The Big Inch pipeline in the USA transports petroleum from the oil wells of the Gulf of Mexico to the north-eastern states.

4. Petroleum

Question 1 (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

The Channel Tunnel (Eurotunnel), operated by the Euro Tunnel Group through England, connects London with Paris under the English Channel.

2. Paris – London

Question 2 (i)

What are the problems of road transport in mountainous, desert and flood prone regions?

Answer

• Mountainous regions – steep slopes and rugged terrain make construction difficult and costly; landslides, avalanches and heavy snowfall block roads; sharp bends; maintenance is expensive.
• Deserts – shifting sand dunes cover roads; extreme temperatures damage roads; scarcity of water for construction; sparse population makes roads uneconomical.
• Flood-prone regions – roads get submerged, washed away or damaged during floods; waterlogging weakens roads; bridges and embankments are costly. In all these areas, roads are difficult to build and maintain, increasing costs, and traffic is disrupted.

Mountain roads face steep slopes, landslides, snow and high costs; desert roads face shifting sand, extreme heat, water scarcity and low traffic; and flood-prone areas see roads submerged, washed away or weakened — making construction and maintenance costly and traffic unreliable.

Question 2 (ii)

What is a trans–continental railway?

Answer

Trans-continental railways run across a continent and link its two ends (usually two coasts). They were constructed for economic and political reasons to facilitate long runs in different directions. Examples: the Trans-Siberian Railway (St. Petersburg to Vladivostok, Russia — the longest double-tracked electrified railway), the Trans-Canadian Railway (Halifax to Vancouver), the Union and Pacific Railway (New York to San Francisco, USA), the Australian Trans-Continental Railway (Perth to Sydney), and the Orient Express (Paris to Istanbul).

A trans-continental railway runs across a continent linking its two ends, built for economic and political reasons — e.g. the Trans-Siberian (St. Petersburg–Vladivostok), Trans-Canadian (Halifax–Vancouver), Union and Pacific (New York–San Francisco) and Australian Trans-Continental (Perth–Sydney) railways.

Question 2 (iii)

What are the advantages of water transport?

Answer

1. Cheapest mode – it does not require route construction (oceans are linked; inland waterways are natural); the friction of water is far less than that of land, so energy cost is lower.
2. Suitable for bulky and heavy goods over long distances (ores, coal, petroleum, grain).
3. Large carrying capacity of ships.
4. Environment-friendly – less fuel consumption and pollution per tonne-km.
5. International trade – most of the world’s trade is carried by sea, connecting continents.
6. Ships can also carry passengers; inland waterways serve interior regions.

Water transport is the cheapest mode as it needs no route construction and faces less friction, can carry heavy and bulky goods over long distances in large quantities, uses less fuel and causes less pollution per tonne-km, and carries most international trade.

Question 3 (i)

Elucidate the statement – “In a well managed transport system, various modes complement each other”.

Answer

Each mode of transport — road, rail, water, air and pipelines — has its own advantages and limitations. In a well-managed transport system, they work together (complement each other) rather than compete:

1. Roads – most economical for short distances; offer door-to-door service; reach remote areas; act as feeders to railways, ports and airports.
2. Railways – most suitable for long-distance transport of bulky goods and passengers at lower cost; but cannot provide door-to-door service — so roads carry goods from the station to the destination.
3. Water transport – cheapest for heavy, bulky goods over long distances and for international trade; ports are linked inland by railways and roads.
4. Air transport – fastest, suitable for perishable, valuable goods and passengers over long distances, and for reaching inaccessible areas; airports are linked to cities by roads.
5. Pipelines – best for continuous transport of liquids and gases (oil, gas, water).

Example: a consignment of goods may be transported from a factory to a railway station by road, then by rail to a port, by ship to another country, and then by rail and road to the market. Containerisation and multimodal (intermodal) transport allow smooth transfer of goods between modes. Thus, an integrated system reduces costs and time and increases efficiency.

Each mode has its strengths — roads for short distances and door-to-door service, railways for long-distance bulk traffic, water for the cheapest transport of heavy goods and international trade, air for speed and perishable or valuable goods, pipelines for liquids and gases. In a well-managed system they complement each other, e.g. goods moving factory → road → rail → port → ship → rail → road, aided by containerisation and multimodal transport, reducing cost and time.

Question 3 (ii)

Which are the major regions of the world having a dense network of airways.

Answer

1. Eastern USA – the densest air network in the world, connecting major cities (New York, Chicago, Atlanta, Washington).
2. Western Europe – dense network connecting London, Paris, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Madrid, Rome etc.
3. South-east Asia and East Asia – dense network in Japan, China, South Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong and India.
4. Others include the Middle East hubs (Dubai, Doha), and the network in Australia (east coast).

In the Northern Hemisphere, there is a distinct east–west belt of inter-continental air routes. The USA alone accounts for a large share of the world’s airway traffic. Africa, the Asian part of Russia and South America lack dense air services; there are limited air services between 10° and 35° latitudes in the Southern Hemisphere due to sparse population, limited landmass and economic development.

Dense air networks are found in the eastern USA (the densest), western Europe and south-east and east Asia (Japan, China, Singapore, India), with major hubs in the Middle East; Africa, Asian Russia and South America have sparse air services.

Question 3 (iii)

What are the modes by which cyber space will expand the contemporary economic and social space of humans.

Answer

Cyberspace is the world of electronic computerised spaces — the internet, the World Wide Web. It is everywhere — in an office, in a sailing boat, in a flying plane — and expands the economic and social space of humans through:

1. E-mail and instant messaging, social media – instant communication across the world (e.g. WhatsApp, video calls), bringing people closer; social networking.
2. E-commerce – buying and selling goods and services online (Amazon, Flipkart); online marketplaces reach customers worldwide.
3. E-banking and digital payments – UPI, net banking, mobile wallets; financial inclusion.
4. E-learning – online education, digital libraries, MOOCs (e.g. SWAYAM), access to knowledge anywhere.
5. E-governance – online government services (Digital India, Aadhaar, online filing of taxes, applications).
6. Work from home and outsourcing – remote work, BPO/KPO services, global collaboration.
7. Telemedicine – online consultation and healthcare.
8. Entertainment and media – streaming, online news, gaming.
9. Research and information sharing – global access to databases and scientific collaboration.

In 2000 there were about 400 million internet users; this has grown to billions. The internet has expanded economic and social space far beyond geographical limits, creating a global village — though the digital divide must be bridged.

Cyberspace expands human economic and social space through e-mail, messaging and social media; e-commerce; e-banking and digital payments; e-learning; e-governance; work from home and outsourcing; telemedicine; online entertainment; and global research and information sharing — creating a global village, though the digital divide must be addressed.

Topic checklist

• ☒ Roads, railways and their problems (Q 1 (i), 1 (ii), 2 (i), 2 (ii))
• ☒ Water and pipeline transport (Q 1 (iii), 1 (iv), 2 (iii))
• ☒ Air transport and the Channel Tunnel (Q 1 (v), 3 (ii))
• ☒ Complementarity of modes and cyberspace (Q 3 (i), 3 (iii))

Total questions answered: 11 of 11