Page 283 - New Medley 4 Semester 1

2. The ranges protect us from the cold winds coming from the far north.

3. They check the monsoon winds coming from the Arabian Sea and
the Bay of Bengal, and thus provide heavy rainfall.

4. Many rivers originate from the glaciers in the mountains.

5. The forests on the mountains provide us with wood.

6. Dams, which are built across many rivers, help in producing electricity.

• Critical thinking
Answer these questions.

1. What does the word, ‘Himalaya’ mean?
2. What is the second highest mountain peak in the Himalayas?
3. What is the Lower Himalayas known as?

The northern mountains run through Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal
Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, West Bengal (northern part only), Arunachal

Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura.

The lifestyle of the people in the Northern Mountains differs from State

to State. It is due to varied landforms and climatic conditions.

Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand

Jammu and Kashmir is well known for its natural beauty. Tourists come
here from all over the world. It is known as the Paradise on Earth. The

Dal and Wular are beautiful lakes where houseboats are used as hotels.
Srinagar is the summer capital and Jammu is the winter capital of the

Union Territory. The main tourist centres are Vaishno Devi Temple,
Amarnath Caves, Gulmarg, Pahalgam, Anantnag, etc. Here people speak

Kashmiri, Dogri, and Urdu languages. Most of the people are Muslims,
Hindus and Buddhists. People here wear a loose gown, called phiran,

and salwar. To keep warm in the cold weather, the people use kangri,
an earthen pot with burning coal, under the phiran. The main festival

celebrated is Shivaratri. Farming is the main occupation in the summer
season. The main crops grown are rice, maize, rajma, fruits, vegetables

and saffron. People weave carpets and make woollen and pashmina shawls.

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