"Climate is extreme, rainfall is scanty and the people used to be nomadic herders."
The above statement best describes which of the following regions?
Smart Elimination
Clue 1 - Extreme climate → very hot summers + very cold winters
Clue 2 - Rainfall is scanty → semi-arid grassland region
Clue 3 - Nomadic herders → classic feature of Steppe lifestyle (Mongols, Turkic nomads etc.)
Other options:
• African Savannah → supports settled cattle herding + wildlife; rainfall not scanty, has a wet season
• North American Prairie → highly productive farmland today; higher rainfall than steppe
• Siberian Tundra → extremely cold but almost no herding of large livestock on grassy plains; permafrost, not grassland
Potential Trap
Confusing Tundra (Nomadic herders too) with Steppe.
Answer Key & Explanation
Answer: BThe correct answer is Option B.
Analysis:
- Description: "Climate is extreme (Continental), rainfall is scanty (semi-arid), nomadic herders."
- African Savannah: Warm climate, distinct wet/dry seasons. Not 'extreme' in terms of cold.
- Central Asian Steppe: Far from oceans (Extreme/Continental climate). Low rainfall. Historically the land of nomadic tribes (Kirghiz, Kazakhs) herding horses/sheep. (Correct)
- North American Prairie: Developed agriculture (Wheat), not primarily nomadic herding now.
- Siberian Tundra: Extremely cold, but rainfall implies 'precipitation' which is low, yet the term 'extreme' usually fits the Continental Steppe range (Hot summer/Cold winter) better than Tundra (Always cold).
Value Addition
- Temperate Grasslands: Steppes (Eurasia), Prairies (USA), Pampas (Argentina), Veld (S. Africa), Downs (Australia).
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Foundational question based on core concepts.