Question

Explain how pastoral nomadism is an adaptation to specific geographical conditions. Illustrate your answer with examples from different regions of the world.

Answer 1

Pastoral nomadism, or nomadic herding, 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. Each nomadic community occupies a well-identified territory as a matter of tradition.
A wide variety of animals are kept in different regions. In tropical Africa, cattle are the most important livestock, while in the Sahara and Asiatic deserts, sheep, goats and camels are reared. In the mountainous areas of Tibet and the Andes, yaks and llamas are the most important animals, and in the Arctic and sub-Arctic areas, reindeer are the most important animals.
The process of migration from plain areas to pastures on mountains during summers and again from mountain pastures to plain areas during winters is known as transhumance. In mountain regions, such as the Himalayas, Gujjars, Bakarwals, Gaddis and Bhotiyas migrate from the plains to the mountains in summers and to the plains from the high-altitude pastures in winters. Similarly, in the tundra regions, the nomadic herders move from south to north in summers and from north to south in winters.