Voyage Solutions for ICSE Class 6 Geography Chapter 10 South America Location Area Political And Physical Features

POINTS TO REMEMBER

1. The Isthmus of Panama joins South America to North America. South America is triangular in shape and a greater part of it lies south of the equator.
2. South America can be divided into four physical divisions-the West Coastal Plains, the Andes Mountains, the Central Plains and the Eastern Highlands.
3. The West Coastal Plains are narrow plains lying between the Pacific Ocean and the Andes Mountains, in the western part of the continent. The Atacama Desert is located here.
4. The Andes are a long stretch of high, young fold mountains that run parallel to the Pacific Coast in the western part of the continent. Mt Aconcagua, the highest peak in South America, and Lake Titicaca, the second highest freshwater lake in the world, are located here. There are also several active dormant volcanoes located here such as Mt Chimborazo and Mt Cotopaxi.
5. The Central Plains are lowlands that lie between the Andes in the west and the Eastern Highlands in the east. The flat plains are formed by the rivers Amazon, Orinoco, Parana, Paraguay and Uruguay.
6. The Guiana Highlands and the Brazilian Highlands form the Eastern Highlands. The two highlands are separated by the river Amazon. These highlands extend in the eastern part of the continent along the Atlantic coast.
7. The Orinoco River, the Magdalena River and the Amazon River are some of the important rivers of South America. Rivers Paraguay, Parana and Uruguay form the La Plata river system. Lake Titicaca, Lake Poopo and Lake Maracaibo are the important lakes of die continent.

IMPORTANT TERMS

1. Llanos : The grasslands of the Orinoco Basin.
2. Selvas : The dense equatorial forest of the Amazon Basin.
3. Pampas : The extensive temperate grasslands of Argentina.

VALUES AND LIFE SKILLS

Question. What are the ways in which you can encourage a sustainable lifestyle?
Answer: We can encourage a sustainable lifestyle by following ways: 1. Become a member of a community garden. 2. Change the lights in your house (from light bulbs to CFL). 3. Become more efficient with your errands. 4. Start using Natural cleaners. 5. Walk, bike or car pool to work. These steps help us use less energy and keep our world clean.
Teacher's Tip: Think of "Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle" to help the Earth.
Exam Tip: List at least three points to get full marks for this type of question.

EXERCISES

A. Identify who I am

Question 1. I am a narrow neck of land that joins South America to North America and separates the Atlantic Ocean from the Pacific Ocean :
Answer: Isthmus of Panama. This is a thin piece of land connecting two big continents.
Teacher's Tip: Think of an "isthmus" as a land bridge.
Exam Tip: Remember that an isthmus connects land, while a strait connects water.

Question 2. I am a hot desert that lies in the western coastal region of South America and stretches across the Tropic of Capricorn :
Answer: Atacama desert. It is one of the driest places on Earth.
Teacher's Tip: Remember "Atacama" starts with "A," just like "Arid" which means very dry.
Exam Tip: Always mention it is located in the western part of the continent.

Question 3. I am one of the few gaps in the Andean Mountain chain :
Answer: Uspallata Pass. This is a path used to cross the high mountains.
Teacher's Tip: A "pass" is like a door through a mountain wall.
Exam Tip: Make sure to spell "Uspallata" correctly.

Question 4. I am the highest peak of the second highest young fold mountain chain of the world, with a height of 6,960 metres above sea level :
Answer: Mt. Aconcagua. This is the tallest mountain in the Andes range.
Teacher's Tip: It is the highest point in the Western Hemisphere.
Exam Tip: Mention the height (6,960m) if you want to impress the teacher.

Question 5. I am the second highest freshwater lake in the world :
Answer: Lake Titicaca. It is a very high and large lake found in the mountains.
Teacher's Tip: Think of the funny name "Titicaca" to remember this high lake.
Exam Tip: Remember it is a freshwater lake, not a saltwater one.

B. Write true or false.

Question 1. The 60 degree W longitude passes almost through the middle of South America.
Answer: True. This line runs right down the center of the continent.
Teacher's Tip: Look at a map to see how the line divides the land.
Exam Tip: Just write "True" clearly.

Question 2. The Orinoco Plains are called the llanos.
Answer: True. Llanos is the local name for these grassy plains.
Teacher's Tip: "Llanos" sounds like "plains" in Spanish.
Exam Tip: Match the river Orinoco with the term Llanos.

Question 3. The selvas are another name for the grasslands of Argentina.
Answer: False. Correct- The pampas are another name for the grasslands of Argentina. Selvas are actually thick forests in the Amazon.
Teacher's Tip: Remember "P" for Pampas and "A" for Argentina.
Exam Tip: If a statement is false, always write the correct version to get full marks.

Question 4. The La Plata river system drains southwards into the Atlantic Ocean.
Answer: True. These rivers flow down to the sea in the south.
Teacher's Tip: Follow the river lines on a map to see them go down to the ocean.
Exam Tip: Remember the direction is Southwards.

Question 5. Lake Titicaca and Lake Poopo are saltwater lakes.
Answer: False. Correct - Lake Titicaca and Lake Poopo are freshwater lakes. People can use this water because it is not salty.
Teacher's Tip: Most large mountain lakes in this region are freshwater.
Exam Tip: Note the difference between fresh and salt water for lakes.

C. Match the columns
1. Argentina - (c) Buenos Aires
2. Peru - (d) Lima
3. Uruguay - (b) Montevideo
4. Venezuela - (e) Caracas
5. Colombia - (a) Bogota

Answer:
1. Argentina: Buenos Aires
2. Peru: Lima
3. Uruguay: Montevideo
4. Venezuela: Caracas
5. Colombia: Bogota. These are the countries matched with their capital cities.
Teacher's Tip: Use a map to find each city inside its country.
Exam Tip: Draw straight lines or write the correct letter next to the number.

D. Answer the following questions in brief

Question 1. What is the latitudinal extent of South America? In which hemisphere does the major part of it lie?
Answer: South America extends from 12 degree N to 55 degree S and from 35 degree W and 81 degree W. Major part of this continent lies in Southern hemisphere though some parts lie north of the equator. Most of the land is below the middle line of the Earth.
Teacher's Tip: Remember the continent looks like a big triangle pointing down.
Exam Tip: Make sure to include the "N" and "S" for North and South.

Question 2. Name the water bodies that lie to the east and the west of this continent.
Answer: The continent is bounded by Pacific ocean in West, Atlantic Ocean in East. The Caribbean sea lies north of this continent and it stretches as far South as the Southern Ocean. It is surrounded by water on all sides.
Teacher's Tip: East is Atlantic (think 'A' for Atlantic and 'A' for East side on some maps), West is Pacific.
Exam Tip: Mention both the East and West oceans for a complete answer.

Question 3. Identify the major physical divisions of South America.
Answer: The major physical divisions of South America are: The West Coastal Plains, The Andes Mountains, The Central Plains, and The Eastern Highlands. These are the four main types of land found there.
Teacher's Tip: Think of the continent in four big layers from left to right.
Exam Tip: List all four divisions to get full marks.

Question 4. In what respect is the Atacama Desert different from the Patagonian Desert?
Answer: Atacama desert is a hot desert which lies in the Western Coastal Region across the Tropic of capricorn in North Chile whereas Patagonian desert is a cold desert which lies between 40 degree S and 50 degree S in Argentina in eastern highlands. One is very hot while the other is quite cold.
Teacher's Tip: Atacama = Hot/West, Patagonia = Cold/East.
Exam Tip: Use the words "hot" and "cold" to show the main difference.

Question 5. Name three Andean towns that are also capital cities in South America.
Answer: Bogota, the capital of Colombia; Quito, the capital of Ecuador, and La Paz, the capital city of Bolivia, are important towns. These cities are built high up in the mountains.
Teacher's Tip: These are some of the highest capital cities in the world.
Exam Tip: Write both the city name and the country name.

E. Answer the following questions in one or two paragraphs

Question 1. Describe the Andes under the headings: Extent, Position, Features, Significance
Answer:
Extent - Long stretch of young fold mountains that run parallel to pacific coast in Western part of South America.
Position - They are not one mountain range but several parallel ranges with basins and plateaux between them lying in the West Coastal region of South America.
Features - Despite being near the equator, the highest peak. Mt. Aconcagua remains snow covered. The Uspallata Pass is one of few gaps in the lofty mountain range. Lake Titicaca is the highest freshwater lake found in Andes. There are many active volcanic mountains present in Andes as they form a part of Pacific Ring of fire.
Significance - Andes are storehouse of mineral wealth like copper, gold, silver, tin, lead and platinum. Many short, swift rivers flowing down the Andes supply hydroelectricity. These mountains are important for their riches and for making power.
Teacher's Tip: Think of the Andes as the "backbone" of South America.
Exam Tip: Use the headings provided in the question to organize your answer.

Question 2. Explain the following : llanos, selvas, pampas and the Gran Chaco.
Answer:
1. Llanos - The Orinoco Plains are called llanos which means plains in Spanish.
2. Selvas - The Amazon Lowlands are called selvas.
3. Pampas - The temperate grassy plains of Argentina are called pampas.
4. Gran Chaco - The vast alluvial region which is not drained well and become marshy during rainy season in Parana- Paraguay lowlands are called Gran Chaco. Each name describes a different kind of flat land or forest.
Teacher's Tip: Associate each name with its specific country or river.
Exam Tip: Briefly define each of the four terms as requested.

Question 3. How are the Eastern Highlands different from the Andes Mountains?
Answer: The Eastern highlands are much lower in height than the Andes. The Andes are young fold mountains having active volcanic erruptions whereas the Eastern highlands are composed of old hard rocks and have Patagonian Desert which is a cold desert. The Andes are newer and taller, while the Highlands are older and shorter.
Teacher's Tip: Think of Andes as "young and tall" and Highlands as "old and short."
Exam Tip: Mention the difference in height and the type of rock.

Question 4. Describe the Amazon, the largest river of South America.
Answer: The Amazon River rises in the Andes Mountains and flow Westward across the widest part of the continent. This is the largest river in the world. The equator passes near the mouth of this river. It divides the Guiana Highlands and the Brazilian highlands. It carries more water than any other river.
Teacher's Tip: Imagine the Amazon as a giant road made of water crossing the whole continent.
Exam Tip: Remember to call it the "largest river in the world."

Question 5. Describe the La Plata river system.
Answer: The flat plains that are formed by the Parana, Paraguay and Uruguay rivers collectively is called La Plata river system. These rivers flow southwards and drain into the South Atlantic Ocean in a wide estuary in Argentina, which provides on excellent harbour. This system is a group of three rivers working together.
Teacher's Tip: Think of "P-P-U" for Parana, Paraguay, and Uruguay.
Exam Tip: Mention the three specific rivers that make up the system.

F. On a blank outline map of South America mark and name the following:
1. Isthmus of Panama and Cape Horn
2. Rivers Amazon, Paraguay, Uruguay and Orinoco
3. Selvas, pampas, Guiana Highlands and Brazilian Highlands
4. Mountain peaks - Aconcagua, Cotopaxi and Chimborazo
5. Lake Titicaca and Lake Poopo
Answer: Refer to the map provided in the book for correct placements. You must mark these spots on your own map carefully.
Teacher's Tip: Use different colors for rivers, mountains, and plains.
Exam Tip: Always label your map clearly so the teacher can read the names.

G. Picture study
The picture here shows the world’s highest waterfall, which is in South America.

Question 1. Identify the waterfall.
Answer: Angel Falls. It is the tallest waterfall on our planet.
Teacher's Tip: Think of an "Angel" falling from a very high place.
Exam Tip: Capitalize both words as it is a proper name.

Question 2. Which river forms this waterfall?
Answer: The world’s highest waterfall ‘Angel Falls’ are formed by tributary of the river Orinoco. The water comes from a branch of a bigger river.
Teacher's Tip: Link "Angel Falls" with "Orinoco River."
Exam Tip: Use the word "tributary" to show it is a smaller river joining a big one.