Class 12 Geography – Chapter 8: Transport and Communication
1. What is the significance of transport in human geography?
Answer:
Transport connects people, markets, and regions. It enables movement of goods, services, and ideas—crucial for economic integration, cultural exchange, and regional development.
2. Name the major types of transport.
Answer:
The major types are:
- Land transport: roads, railways, pipelines
- Water transport: inland waterways, ocean routes
- Air transport: domestic and international
- Pipeline transport
3. How do roads contribute to development?
Answer:
Roads provide door-to-door connectivity, enable short-distance trade, link rural areas with markets, and support social integration through easier movement of people.
4. What are the limitations of road transport?
Answer:
Roads are affected by weather, congestion, maintenance issues, and are less efficient for bulky goods or long-distance transport compared to rail or sea.
5. What is the importance of railways?
Answer:
Railways move large volumes of goods and people efficiently and cost-effectively across long distances. They support industrial growth and national integration.
6. Why is pipeline transport growing in importance?
Answer:
Pipelines are ideal for transporting liquids and gases over long distances safely and continuously, minimizing environmental hazards and reducing road congestion.
7. What is inland waterway transport?
Answer:
It involves movement through rivers, canals, and lakes. It’s energy-efficient, eco-friendly, and cost-effective, especially for bulk cargo like coal or cement.
8. What are the major inland waterways in the world?
Answer:
Notable ones include:
- Ganga-Brahmaputra (India)
- Rhine River (Europe)
- Mississippi River (USA)
- Yangtze River (China)
9. What are international ocean routes?
Answer:
They connect major ports globally. Key routes include the Atlantic crossing, Suez Canal route, Cape of Good Hope, and Panama Canal—vital for global trade.
10. What is the strategic importance of the Suez and Panama Canals?
Answer:
They shorten shipping distances significantly, reduce costs, and boost global trade by linking major oceans and continents quickly and efficiently.
11. What are the advantages of air transport?
Answer:
Fastest mode, ideal for long distances, emergencies, and high-value goods. It connects remote areas and boosts tourism and global business.
12. Mention the limitations of air transport.
Answer:
Expensive, weather-sensitive, limited cargo capacity, and requires advanced infrastructure—making it less suitable for bulk goods or low-income regions.
13. How do transport networks promote regional development?
Answer:
They link isolated areas to markets and services, attract industries, improve mobility, and reduce regional disparities by boosting accessibility.
14. What is the role of communication in today’s world?
Answer:
Communication allows exchange of information instantly across distances. It supports governance, education, commerce, social bonding, and disaster management.
15. What are the major modes of communication?
Answer:
- Personal: telephone, mobile, internet
- Mass communication: TV, radio, newspapers
- Digital: email, social media, satellite services
16. What is the digital divide?
Answer:
It refers to the gap between those who have access to modern communication technologies and those who do not—often based on location or income.
17. How does satellite communication help global connectivity?
Answer:
Satellites enable GPS, television, internet, and global calls—connecting remote regions, improving navigation, weather forecasting, and real-time communication.
18. What is the role of transport corridors?
Answer:
They are high-traffic routes (like Golden Quadrilateral) that boost trade, reduce transit time, and develop economic zones through concentrated infrastructure.
19. How does efficient transport improve trade?
Answer:
It reduces delivery time, lowers costs, improves reliability, and connects producers to global markets—enhancing competitiveness and supply chain efficiency.
20. How can transport be made sustainable?
Answer:
Use of clean fuels, better public transport, traffic management, electric vehicles, and eco-friendly infrastructure help reduce pollution and carbon emissions.