"Climate is extreme, rainfall is scanty and the people used to be nomadic herders".

The above statement best describes which of the following regions?

The correct answer is the Central Asian Steppe.

Key Points

• Nomadic herding or pastoral nomadism is a primitive subsistence activity, in which the herders rely on animals for food, clothing, shelter, tools and transport.
• They move from one place to another along with their livestock, depending on the amount and quality of pastures and water, thus there is an irregular pattern of movement.
• When we come to the statement given in the question, it says: Climate is extreme, rainfall is scanty and the people used to be nomadic herders.
• The question says “used to” and “not use to”, it is in fact describing the Nomadic empires such as Mongols and the question checks your history via geography.
  • Hence the correct answer is 2.
• Siberian Tundra must be opted out even if you take it as “use to be” because, in Tundra, the main economic activity is not Nomadic herding but is Hunting. Hunting and trapping reindeer have provided food and hides to the local population.

​​​Additional Information

• African Savanna
  • The belt includes West African Sudan and then curves southwards into East Africa and southern Africa north of the Tropic of Capricorn.
• South American Savanna
  • There are two distinct regions namely the llanos of the Orinoco basin [north of equator] and the compos of the Brazilian Highlands [South of equator].
• Australian savanna
  • The Australian savanna is located south of the monsoon strip (northern Australia) running from west to east north of the Tropic of Capricorn.
• Indian Savanna
  • Certain parts across Northern Karnataka, Southern Maharashtra and Telangana exhibit characteristics of both semi-arid and savanna climate.
  • Due to irrigation and cultivation, this region is different from other savanna regions.