1. Chapter at a Glance

Shanti and her family travel to some of India’s most special places. They start at the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, where Indira Point is India’s southernmost tip. There they see trees with huge support roots, birds found only on the islands, and corals that give shelter to sea creatures. They also learn about the people of North Sentinel Island, who live like ancient hunter-gatherers.

Next they visit the Sundarbans, the world’s largest mangrove forest, where special roots help trees breathe in salty mud. Then they go to Northeast India, the Seven Sisters and Sikkim, with living root bridges, Hargila bird protection and a close bond between people and nature. Their last stop is the Western Ghats, with rare animals like the lion-tailed macaque, many rivers and medicinal plants, and the Silent Valley that people saved from a dam.

The chapter teaches that each region has its own wildlife, people and wonders. People everywhere depend on nature, and we must learn about, respect and protect these places.

2. Word Meanings

3. Important Topics

A. Andaman and Nicobar Islands

• An island is land surrounded by water on all sides. India has over a thousand islands.
• Indira Point is the southernmost point of India. Kanyakumari is the southernmost point of the mainland.
• The islands lie in the Bay of Bengal, and their capital is Sri Vijaya Puram.
• Some trees have wide roots at the bottom that support them, like triangles supporting a paper roll.
• Birds found only here include the Andaman wood pigeon and the Andaman hornbill.
• Always wear a life jacket on a ferry.
• Corals give shelter to many sea creatures, so marine life is important for the whole Earth.
• The people of North Sentinel Island live like ancient hunter-gatherers and do not want visitors. They survived the 2004 tsunami, possibly by reading signs in nature.

B. Sundarbans

• It is the largest mangrove forest in the world, where the Ganga meets the sea.
• Mangroves grow in wet, salty, muddy land.
• Stick-like roots come out of the water to help the trees breathe.
• The roots hold the soil and stop waves from washing the land away.
• People depend on the forest for their daily needs and live in harmony with it.
• Some people wear a mask on the back of their head to confuse tigers, which attack from behind.

C. Northeast India

• It is made up of the Seven Sisters (Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura) plus Sikkim.
• Houses are built on bamboo structures.
• People live closely with nature, with weaving, crafts, music, dance and festivals.
• Women and children in Assam protect the Hargila bird (Greater Adjutant Stork), and its numbers are growing.
• Living root bridges in Meghalaya are made from tree roots grown across streams.
• Bhut Jolokia (ghost pepper) is one of the world’s hottest chillies. It is even used to keep elephants away from crops.
• Sikkim is India’s first organic state, and Mawsynram in Meghalaya is the wettest inhabited place on Earth.

D. Western Ghats

• A long chain of forested hills, running through six states: Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
• A nature hotspot, with animals like the lion-tailed macaque found only here.
• Many rivers begin here, such as the Godavari, Krishna and Kaveri.
• It has many medicinal plants, and tribal communities have lived in its forests for generations.
• Students and farmers recorded over 200 types of mangoes here.
• Silent Valley National Park in Kerala was saved from a dam by the Save Silent Valley Movement.
• It has over 50 protected areas, including national parks, wildlife sanctuaries and tiger reserves.

E. Main Message

Each place has its own special nature and people. People everywhere depend on nature and care for it in their own way, and we must protect these places for the future.

4. Question-Answers

Very Short Answer Questions

1. What is the southernmost point of India?
Indira Point.

2. What is an island?
Land surrounded by water on all sides.

3. What is the capital of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands?
Sri Vijaya Puram.

4. Name two birds found only in the Andaman Islands.
The Andaman wood pigeon and the Andaman hornbill.

5. Which is the largest mangrove forest in the world?
The Sundarbans.

6. What is the Hargila bird also called?
The Greater Adjutant Stork.

7. Which animal is found only in the Western Ghats?
The lion-tailed macaque.

8. Which is India’s first organic state?
Sikkim.

9. Which is the wettest inhabited place on Earth?
Mawsynram, Meghalaya.

10. What are protected areas?
Places kept safe by the government to protect plants, animals and nature.

Short Answer Questions

1. Why must we wear a life jacket on a ferry?
A life jacket keeps us afloat if we fall into the water, even if we know how to swim.

2. Why are coral reefs important?
Corals form reefs that give shelter and homes to many fish and sea creatures. Marine life is important for the sea and for the whole Earth.

3. How do mangrove roots help the trees?
The roots that stick out of the water help mangroves breathe in muddy, salty water. The roots also hold the soil together.

4. What are living root bridges?
They are bridges in Northeast India formed when tree roots grow across streams and become strong enough to walk on. People take care of them.

5. Why is the Western Ghats called a nature hotspot?
Many plants and animals found there, like the lion-tailed macaque, live nowhere else in the world.

6. How was the Silent Valley saved?
Villagers, students and scientists joined the Save Silent Valley Movement and stopped a dam that would have flooded the forest.

Long Answer Questions

1. Why are the Sundarbans special, and why must we protect them?
The Sundarbans are the largest mangrove forest in the world, where the Ganga meets the sea. Mangroves grow in salty, muddy land and have special roots that help them breathe. The roots hold the soil and protect the land from waves. The forest is home to tigers and many other animals, and people depend on it for daily needs. We must protect it because it saves the coast, supports wildlife and gives people a living.

2. How do people in different regions live in harmony with nature?
In the Sundarbans, people use the forest carefully and protect themselves from tigers. In the Northeast, people build bamboo houses, protect birds like the Hargila and look after living root bridges. In the Western Ghats, tribal communities use forest plants for food and medicine without destroying them. On North Sentinel Island, people read nature’s signs to stay safe. Everywhere, people depend on nature and care for it.

Textbook Exercise Answers

In which sea are the Andaman and Nicobar Islands located?
In the Bay of Bengal (the Andaman Sea lies on its eastern side).

Name the seven Northeastern states.
Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura.

Name the six states the Western Ghats pass through.
Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

Name three rivers that start from the Western Ghats.
Godavari, Krishna and Kaveri.

Name three protected areas in the Western Ghats.
Silent Valley National Park, Periyar Tiger Reserve and Bandipur National Park.

Why were forts built on hilltops?
From a height, guards could see enemies coming from far away, and it was hard for enemies to climb up and attack.

Match the aquatic animals with their features.

What is special about mangroves?
They grow in salty, muddy water, have breathing roots and protect the coast from waves and soil loss.