The Earth’s surface is a meeting point of four great realms: the solid land, the air, the water and the narrow band of life. Together these — lithosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere and biosphere — make up the environment in which everything lives.
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Four Realms That Meet
The Four Domains
- The solid portion of the Earth is the lithosphere, made of rocks and covered by a thin layer of soil; it provides forests, grasslands, farmland and mineral wealth. (NCERT 6 / Ch5) (NCERT 7 / Ch1)
- The atmosphere is the thin blanket of air around the Earth, held by gravity, that protects life from harmful solar rays. (NCERT 6 / Ch5) (NCERT 7 / Ch1)
- The hydrosphere is the domain of water — rivers, lakes, seas, oceans and groundwater — essential for all living organisms. (NCERT 6 / Ch5) (NCERT 7 / Ch1)
- The biosphere is the narrow zone where land, water and air meet and where all life is found. (NCERT 6 / Ch5) (NCERT 7 / Ch1)
- Environment is our basic life-support system: it gives the air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat and the land we live on. (NCERT 7 / Ch1)
Blue Planet
- More than 71 per cent of the Earth is covered by water and about 29 per cent by land, which is why it is called the blue planet. (NCERT 6 / Ch5)
- There are seven continents (Asia largest, Australia smallest) and five oceans, with the Pacific the largest. (NCERT 6 / Ch5)
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