Previous Year Question
“Climate is extreme, rainfall is scanty and the people used to be nomadic herders.”
The above statement best describes which of the following regions?
African Savannah
Central Asian Steppe
North American Prairie
Siberian Tundra
Correct Answer: B
Detailed Solution
The statement describes the Central Asian Steppe. The steppes are extensive temperate grasslands in the interior of Eurasia, extending across different parts of Central Asia, Mongolia and Russia.
Owing to their great distance from the oceans, these regions experience a continental climate. Summers are warm or extremely hot, while winters are extremely cold. Consequently, the annual temperature range is very high and the climate is extreme.
Most of the region is arid or semi-arid. Scanty and uncertain rainfall prevents the development of dense forests and supports extensive grasslands dominated by short grasses.
Because of limited rainfall and the seasonal availability of pastures, the inhabitants traditionally moved with their livestock from one grazing ground to another. Nomadic pastoralism was therefore a major traditional economic activity of the Central Asian Steppe.
The African Savannah is a tropical grassland with distinct wet and dry seasons. Modern commercial farming and ranching are more developed in the North American Prairie. The Siberian Tundra is an extremely cold, treeless region characterised by permafrost.