Page 184 - SST Class 07

People THE COLD DESERT – LADAKH

Different groups of people inhabit the Sahara Ladakh is a cold desert in India. It lies in the
Desert. They are engaged in different activities. Great Himalayas, on the eastern side of Jammu
Among them are the Bedouins and the Tuaregs. and Kashmir. It has the mighty Karakoram Range
These groups are nomadic tribes. They wear in the North and in the south, it is bound by the
heavy robes to protect them from the harsh Zanskar mountains. Several rivers flow through
climate, i.e., dust storms and hot winds. The Ladakh. The most important one is the Indus.
tribes are engaged in animal rearing. Animals These rivers form deep valleys and gorges. They
such as sheep, goats camels and horses are add to the scenic beauty of the place. Several
reared for the following purposes : glaciers are found in Ladakh. The Gangotri
g Milk glacier is an example. The altitude in Ladakh
g Hides : These are used to make leather for varies from about 3000 m in Kargil to more than
belts, slippers and water bottles. 8000 m in the Karakoram.

g Hair : This is used to make mats, carpets,
clothes and blankets.

g Growing date palms and agriculture.
The oasis in the Sahara and Nile valley in Egypt
supports settled population. Since water is
available, people grow date palms. Other crops
that are grown include rice, wheat barley, and
beans. Egyptian cotton is grown in Egypt.
Changes in the Desert

Sahara Desert is experiencing constant transfor-
A Valley in Ladakh
mation because of the discovery of oil. This
discovery has been made in Libya and Egypt. Climate of Ladakh
We can also find other important minerals like Due to its high altitude, Ladakh is always freezing
iron, phosphorus, manganese and uranium. cold and dry for most of the year. The air is so
g We also find a lot of changes caused due to thin that you can feel the sun’s heat intensely. In
business and infrastructural development. summers, the temperature during the day is just
g Gleaming glass cased office buildings tower above zero degrees and the night temperature is
over mosques and superhighways crisscross much below –30°C. In winters the temperature
the ancient camel paths. remains as low as –40°C most of the time.
The rainfall in this region is as low as 10 cm
g Trucks are replacing camels in the salt trade.
annually. This is because it lies in the rain
g Tuaregs are seen acting as guides to foreign
shadow of the Himalayas. The area experiences
tourists.
freezing winds and burning sunlight. Therefore, if
g Many nomadic tribes are finding jobs in the
you sit in the sun with your hand in the shade;
field of oil and gas operations and migrating
you will experience sunstroke as well as frostbite
to cities.
at the same time.

Social Science-7 184