Class 6 Social Science Chapter 2 – Oceans and Continents Extra Questions and Answers
Class 6 Social Science Chapter 2 Extra Questions and Answers for “Oceans and Continents” (based on NCERT textbook Exploring Society: India and Beyond).
EXTRA IMPORTANT QUESTIONS WITH ANSWERS – Social Studies Chapter 2 – Oceans and Continents
Class 6 Social Science – Exploring Society: India and Beyond
Theme A — India and the World: Land and the People
Chapter 2: Oceans and Continents
This includes All types of Questions normally asked in school exams, tests, and NCERT exercises.
Chapter 2: Oceans and Continents – Extra Important Questions with Answers
Very Short Answer Questions
1. Why is the Earth called the ‘Blue Planet’?
Answer:
The Earth is called the Blue Planet because nearly three-fourths of its surface is covered with water, which appears blue when seen from space.
2. What do the blue and brown colours represent on the Earth’s image from space?
Answer:
Blue represents water bodies, and brown represents land.
3. What are oceans?
Answer:
Oceans are vast bodies of salty water that cover most of the Earth’s surface.
4. What is a landmass?
Answer:
A landmass is a large body of land on the Earth’s surface.
5. What is a continent?
Answer:
A continent is a large continuous expanse of land.
6. How much of the Earth’s surface is covered by land?
Answer:
A little over one-fourth of the Earth’s surface is covered by land.
7. Name the five oceans of the world.
Answer:
Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, Arctic Ocean, Southern Ocean.
8. Which is the largest ocean on Earth?
Answer:
The Pacific Ocean.
9. Which is the smallest ocean?
Answer:
The Arctic Ocean.
10. What is marine life?
Answer:
Marine life includes plants and animals that live in oceans and seas.
Short Answer Questions
11. Why does the Earth appear mostly blue from outer space?
Answer:
The Earth appears mostly blue because oceans cover almost three-fourths of its surface, and water reflects blue light.
12. Why are oceans important for life on Earth?
Answer:
Oceans regulate climate, produce oxygen, support marine life, provide rainfall, and help sustain all life forms including humans.
13. Why is seawater unfit for drinking?
Answer:
Seawater contains dissolved salts, making it salty and unsuitable for consumption by humans and most land animals.
14. Where is freshwater found on Earth?
Answer:
Freshwater is found in glaciers, rivers, lakes, the atmosphere, and underground as groundwater.
15. Why is there water scarcity despite abundant water on Earth?
Answer:
Most of Earth’s water is salty and unusable. Freshwater is limited, unevenly distributed, polluted, and often wasted.
16. Are oceans separate water bodies? Explain.
Answer:
No, oceans are interconnected. The boundaries shown on maps are conventional and do not exist in nature.
17. Name the marine flora and fauna mentioned in the chapter.
Answer:
Marine flora includes algae and seaweeds. Marine fauna includes fish, dolphins, whales, and deep-sea creatures.
18. What is meant by marine?
Answer:
Marine refers to things related to or found in oceans and seas.
19. Which hemisphere has more land and which has more water?
Answer:
The Northern Hemisphere has more land, while the Southern Hemisphere has more water.
20. Name the two water bodies on either side of India.
Answer:
The Arabian Sea lies to the west and the Bay of Bengal lies to the east of India.
Long Answer Questions
21. Explain the distribution of water and land on the Earth.
Answer:
Nearly three-fourths of the Earth’s surface is covered with water, mainly in the form of oceans. Land covers a little more than one-fourth of the surface. This distribution is uneven between the hemispheres. The Northern Hemisphere has more land, while the Southern Hemisphere has more water.
22. Describe the role of oceans in regulating Earth’s climate.
Answer:
Oceans absorb heat, regulate temperature, produce rainfall, and are a key part of the water cycle. They also produce more than half of the Earth’s oxygen and sustain marine life, making them essential for maintaining Earth’s climate.
23. Explain how oceans can cause natural disasters.
Answer:
Oceans give rise to cyclones with strong winds and heavy rainfall. Tsunamis, caused by underwater earthquakes or volcanic eruptions, originate in oceans and can cause massive destruction along coastlines.
24. Write a note on the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.
Answer:
On 26 December 2004, a powerful tsunami caused by an earthquake in Indonesia struck India and 13 other countries. Over two lakh people lost their lives. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands and the coasts of Tamil Nadu and Kerala were severely affected.
25. Why are oceans called the ‘lungs of the planet’?
Answer:
Oceans produce more than half of the world’s oxygen through marine plants, making them essential for life on Earth.
Case-Based / Application Questions
26. Why would the Earth become a desert without oceans?
Answer:
Without oceans, there would be no rainfall, no water cycle, and no oxygen production, making life impossible.
27. How do oceans influence Indian agriculture?
Answer:
Monsoon winds originate over oceans and bring rainfall essential for Indian agriculture.
28. Why are early warning systems important for coastal areas?
Answer:
They help detect tsunamis and cyclones in advance, reducing loss of life and property.
Continents-Based Questions
29. Why is the number of continents counted differently?
Answer:
Some continents form a single landmass but are divided due to historical, cultural, or geological reasons.
30. What is Eurasia?
Answer:
Eurasia is a single landmass formed by Europe and Asia, often considered one continent by geologists.
31. Which list of continents is most widely accepted today?
Answer:
The list of seven continents is most widely accepted.
32. Name the seven continents.
Answer:
Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Europe, Australia, Antarctica.
33. Which is the coldest continent and why?
Answer:
Antarctica is the coldest continent because it is covered with ice and located near the South Pole.
Islands-Based Questions
34. What is an island?
Answer:
An island is a piece of land surrounded by water on all sides.
35. Why are continents not called islands?
Answer:
Continents are very large landmasses, unlike islands which are smaller.
36. Name the largest island in the world.
Answer:
Greenland.
37. Name the two major island groups of India.
Answer:
Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep Islands.
Environment and Awareness Questions
38. How are human activities harming oceans?
Answer:
Plastic waste, chemical pollution, oil spills, and overfishing are damaging marine ecosystems.
39. Why is World Oceans Day celebrated?
Answer:
World Oceans Day is celebrated on June 8 to highlight the importance of oceans and encourage their protection.
40. What is overfishing?
Answer:
Overfishing means excessive fishing that reduces marine life faster than it can recover.
One-Line Revision Questions
41. Which ocean is the third largest?
Answer:
Indian Ocean.
42. Which continent is the smallest?
Answer:
Australia.
43. Which ocean surrounds Antarctica?
Answer:
Southern Ocean.