South America
Query Corner
1. Choose the correct option.
a. The important latitude of South America other than the Equator
i. Tropic of Cancer. [ ]
ii. Arctic Circle. [ ]
iii. Tropic of Capricorn. [✓]
b. A country that does not have common boundary with Brazil
i. Ecuador. [✓]
ii. Argentina. [ ]
iii. Peru. [ ]
c. The country through which the Andes mountain does not pass
i. Venezuela. [✓]
ii. Chile. [ ]
iii. Brazil. [ ]
d. Fertile grassy lowlands of Argentina and Uruguay
i. Mato Grasso. [ ]
ii. Patagonia. [ ]
iii. Pampas. [✓]
e. Landlocked countries of South America are Bolivia and
i. Peru. [ ]
ii. Paraguay. [✓]
iii. Uruguay. [ ]
2. Fill in the blanks.
a. The predominantly spoken languages of South America are Spanish and Portuguese.
b. Brazil is the largest country of South America followed by Argentina in the second position.
c. The capital of Brazil is Brasilia.
d. Parana and Sao Francisco are two important rivers that have their source in the Brazilian Highlands.
e. The Plateau of Patagonia has evolved as a cold desert.
3. Name the following.
a. The main mountain range of South America.
= Andes;
b. The largest river basin of the world.
= Amazon;
c. The dried desert of the world.
= Atacama Desert;
d. The landform that connects South America to North America.
= Isthmus of panama;
e. The geographical feature that separates the continent from Antarctica.
= Drake Passage;
f. The mountain titled 'Roof of the Americas'.
= Aconcagua;
g. The highest navigable water body of the world.
= Lake Titicaca;
h. The world's highest waterfall.
= Angel Falls;
i. The group of islands off the coast of Ecuador in the Pacific.
= Galapagos Islands;
4. Give reasons to explain the following.
a. South America is predominantly a continent of South Torrid zone.
= The Equator passes through the northern part, while the Tropic of Capricorn passes through the south-central part of South America. Thus, a large part of the continent lies in the South Torrid Zone.
b. The continent of South America forms a peninsula.
= South America is bounded by the Atlantic Ocean in the east, the Pacific Ocean in the west and the Caribbean Sea in the north-west. The Drake Passage separates it from Antarctica. Thus, the entire continent is surrounded by water except a narrow stretch of land in the north. This makes the continent a peninsula.
c. The Andes mountains have several volcanic peaks.
= The Andes mountain have several volcanic peaks as these are young fold mountains and were formed in relatively recent period in the long history of the Earth.
d. Hunting is done in a group in the Amazon River Basin.
= Hunting is done in a group in the Amazon River Basin because it is a group activity, which requires planned, large-scale expeditions and well-developed division of labour. Efficient techniques are required to track down animals or lay snares or traps.
5. Find the differences between -
i. Peninsula and isthmus.
=
|
Peninsula |
Isthmus |
|---|---|
|
Peninsula is a piece of
land surrounded by water on three sides and connected to the mainland on one
side. |
On the other side, isthmus is a
narrow stretch of land which connects two continents. |
ii. Guiana Highlands and Brazilian Highlands.
=
|
Guiana Highlands |
Brazilian Highlands |
|---|---|
|
They are in the north of Eastern Highlands. |
They are in the east-central part of Eastern Highlands. |
|
They cover a smaller area. |
They cover a larger area. |
|
They are lower in elevation. |
They are higher in elevation. |
|
There is not much rivers having their sources in the Guiana
Highlands. |
Several rivers have their respective sources in the Brazilian
Highlands. |
iii. Andes and Eastern Highlands.
=
|
Andes |
Eastern Highlands |
|---|---|
|
These are young fold mountains. |
These are old land mass of the Gondwanaland. |
|
It has high elevation. |
It has comparatively lower elevation. |
|
There is many snow covered mountain peaks. |
It has no peaks. |
|
It has no rivers. |
It has many rivers having their sources in the Brazilian Highlands. |
6. Answer the following questions.
a. Which regions are collectively referred to as Latin America? Why are they so named?
= South America along with Mexico, Central America and the islands of the Caribbean constitutes Latin America.
It is so called because peoples of this region predominantly speak languages such as Spanish and Portuguese. Since these languages are derived from ancient Latin, the region is known as Latin America.
b. Why is the population distribution is South America uneven?
= Population is unevenly distributed in the continent of South America, as lofty mountains, rugged terrain, dense forests and dry deserts areas do not encourage settlements.
c. State two distinguishable features of a young fold mountain.
= Two distinguishable features of a young fold mountain are -
❐ They have steep slopes.
❐ They are with sharp and high crests.
d. How were the Andes mountains formed?
= The Andes mountains were formed in relatively recent period in the long history of the Earth. Rocks on the Earth's surface were compressed and folded owing to the forces acting in the interior of the Earth.
e. Explain the following geographical terms :-
i. Rainforest.
= Rainforest is a luxuriant, dense forest of hardwood evergreen trees found typically in tropical areas especially equatorial areas with consistently heavy rainfall throughout the year; they are renowned for their rich biodiversity.
ii. Intermontane Plateau.
= Intermontane Plateau is a plateau that is situated among the two or three parallel ranges of a mountain. Example :- Bolivian Plateau.
iii. Landlocked countries.
= Landlocked countries are the countries or states that is entirely enclosed by land without any sea or ocean bordering it.
iv. Pacific Ring of Fire.
= Pacific Ring of Fire is a zone of earthquake and volcanic activities surrounding the Pacific Ocean.
f. State the location and the significance of each of the following features.
i. Bolivian Plateau.
= The Andes consist of two or three parallel ranges with several intermontane plateaus lying between them. Notable among them is the Bolivian Plateau.
It is the most extensive area of high plateau in the world after the Tibetan Plateau of Asia.
ii. Lake Titicaca.
= Lake Titicaca is located in the Bolivian Plateau.
It is the highest navigable water body of the world.
g. State two notable features of the Eastern Highlands.
= Two notable features of the Eastern Highlands are -
❐ They are mainly consist of the Guiana Highland in the north and the Brazilian Highlands in the east-central part.
❐ They are a part of the old land mass of Gondwanaland and are made up of very old rocks such as those found in the Deccan Plateau in India.
h. Describe the vegetation of the Selvas. Explain the ways of livelihood practised by the people in the rainforest.
= The Amazon Basin is home to the largest rainforest in the world which is also known as the Selvas. It consists of a wide variety of ecosystems ranging from grasslands to swamps.
People depend mostly on primitive occupations such as hunting and food fathering. Food gathering is practiced in isolated pockets throughout the Amazon Basin. Fishing is practiced in the river banks, whereas hunting is practiced in the dense forests.
i. State the reasons behind the depletion of the Amazon rainforest?
= Today the area under the Amazon rainforest or Selvas is rapidly declining. It is not only because of the shifting cultivation but also due to reckless human activities such as ranching, mining, logging and urbanisation.