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Exploring Continents – North America and South America – Detailed Summary
Book: Samacheer Kalvi 7th Social Science
Term: Term 3
Subject: Geography
Unit: Unit 1
Lesson Name: Exploring Continents – North America and South America
About the Lesson
“Exploring Continents – North America and South America” is an important Geography lesson in the Samacheer Kalvi 7th Social Science book. This lesson explains the location, physical divisions, climate, rivers, natural vegetation, animals, agriculture, minerals, industries and population of North America and South America.
North America and South America are two important continents in the Western Hemisphere. They have great mountain ranges, vast plains, large river systems, rich forests, mineral resources, agricultural regions and industrial centres.
Learning Objectives
- To understand the location and extent of North America and South America.
- To learn the major physical divisions of North America.
- To know about Rocky Mountains, Appalachians, Great Plains and Central Lowlands.
- To understand important rivers, lakes and waterfalls of North America.
- To learn about agriculture, minerals and industries of North America.
- To understand the location and physical features of South America.
- To know about Andes, Amazon basin, Selvas, Llanos, Campos and Pampas.
- To learn about important rivers, crops, minerals, animals and industries of South America.
- To compare North America and South America for exam preparation.
Detailed Summary of the Lesson
1. Introduction
North America and South America are together known as the American continents. They are located mainly in the Western Hemisphere.
These continents have varied landforms such as mountains, plains, plateaus, basins, rivers, lakes, deserts, forests and grasslands. They also have rich natural resources and developed agricultural and industrial regions.
2. Discovery and Naming of America
North America was discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1492.
The landmass was named America in 1507 after the Italian explorer Amerigo Vespucci. This is an important additional one-mark point.
3. North America – Location
North America lies entirely in the Northern Hemisphere.
It lies between 7°N and 84°N latitudes. It is bounded by the Arctic Ocean in the north, the Atlantic Ocean in the east, the Pacific Ocean in the west and South America in the south.
4. Size of North America
North America is the third largest continent in the world after Asia and Africa.
It includes countries such as Canada, the United States of America, Mexico and countries of Central America.
5. Bering Strait
The Bering Strait separates North America from Asia.
This is a very important one-mark question from the textbook-back exercise.
6. North America and Time Zones
North America extends over a large area from east to west.
Because of this great east-west extent, North America has seven time zones.
7. Physical Divisions of North America
North America can be divided into several major physical divisions:
- Western Cordilleras
- Great Plains
- Central Lowlands
- Appalachian Highlands
- Canadian Shield
- Coastal Plains
8. Western Cordilleras
The Western Cordilleras are the great mountain system in the western part of North America.
The Rockies and the Coast Range are together called the Western Cordilleras. They contain many high peaks, plateaus, valleys and active volcanic regions.
9. Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains are one of the most important mountain ranges of North America.
They run from the north-west to the south-west of the continent and form part of the Western Cordilleras.
10. Appalachian Mountains
The Appalachian Mountains are located in the eastern part of North America.
They are older and lower than the Rocky Mountains. They contain important mineral resources, especially coal and iron ore.
11. Great Plains
The Great Plains are found to the east of the Rocky Mountains.
They are vast grasslands suitable for wheat cultivation and cattle rearing. These grasslands are called the Prairies.
12. Prairies
Prairies are temperate grasslands of North America.
They are famous for wheat production and cattle rearing. They are sometimes called the granaries of the world because of their high wheat production.
13. Central Lowlands
The Central Lowlands lie between the Appalachian Mountains and the Great Plains.
They are drained by important rivers such as the Mississippi and Missouri. These lowlands are fertile and important for agriculture.
14. Death Valley
Death Valley is the lowest part of North America.
It is 86 metres below sea level. This is an important fill-in-the-blank point.
15. Mount McKinley / Denali
Mount McKinley, now officially called Denali, is the highest peak of North America.
The textbook-back additional questions mention Mount McKinley as about 6194 metres above sea level.
16. Rivers of North America
North America has many important rivers.
The Mississippi-Missouri river system is the longest river system of North America. The Mackenzie River is another important river system and drains into the Arctic Ocean.
17. Mississippi-Missouri River System
The Mississippi and Missouri rivers form the longest river system in North America.
This river system stretches from Montana to the Gulf of Mexico. It is very important for agriculture, transport, trade and settlement.
18. The Big Muddy
The Mississippi River is nicknamed “The Big Muddy.”
It is called so because it erodes a lot of sand and mud as it rushes down the mountains.
19. Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are a group of large freshwater lakes in North America.
Lake Superior is the largest lake in North America. The Great Lakes support transport, fishing, industries and settlement.
20. Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls is one of the famous waterfalls of North America.
It is located between Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. It is an important tourist attraction and a source of hydroelectric power.
21. Grand Bank
Grand Bank is one of the world’s best fishing grounds.
It is located near Newfoundland in the Atlantic Ocean. It is important because warm and cold ocean currents meet here, supporting rich marine life.
22. Climate of North America
North America has varied climate because of its great latitudinal extent, mountain barriers and ocean currents.
The northern parts are very cold. The central parts have continental climate. The south and east are generally warm. The eastern coast, especially the USA, enjoys a mild climate.
23. Natural Vegetation of North America
North America has different types of natural vegetation.
- Tundra vegetation in the north
- Coniferous forests in Canada
- Temperate grasslands called Prairies
- Deciduous forests in the east
- Desert vegetation in dry regions
24. Agriculture in North America
North America has highly developed agriculture.
Wheat, maize, cotton, sugar beet, soya beans and barley are important crops. Canada and the USA are major exporters of wheat.
25. Maize and Wheat
Maize is the native food crop of North America.
Wheat was introduced by European settlers. Today, wheat is cultivated extensively in the Prairies.
26. Cotton and Soya Beans
Cotton grows well in the southern and western states of North America.
Soya beans are used for the extraction of edible oil. Sugar beet is used for making sugar.
27. Minerals of North America
North America is rich in mineral resources.
Important minerals include coal, iron ore, copper, petroleum, natural gas, gold, silver and uranium. The Appalachian region is known for coal and iron resources.
28. Industries of North America
North America is highly industrialised.
Important industries include iron and steel, automobiles, textiles, paper, cement, shipbuilding, meat packing, heavy engineering and synthetic fibres.
29. Industrial Centres of North America
Important industrial centres include Pittsburgh, Chicago, Ontario, Toronto, Cornwall, Kingston, New York, Philadelphia and San Francisco.
Pittsburgh is associated with iron and steel. Chicago is known for meat packing, woollen textiles and heavy engineering.
30. Population of North America
North America has a moderate population density.
Population is highly concentrated in industrial regions, river valleys, coastal plains and urban centres. Canada has a lower population density compared to the USA because of its cold northern regions.
31. South America – Location
South America lies mostly in the Southern Hemisphere.
It lies between 12°N and 55°S latitudes. It is bounded by the Atlantic Ocean in the east, the Pacific Ocean in the west, the Caribbean Sea in the north and Antarctica in the south.
32. South America and Latin America
South America, together with Central America, is also known as Latin America.
It is called so because it was colonised mainly by Latin-language speaking people such as the Spanish and Portuguese.
33. Isthmus of Panama
The Isthmus of Panama connects North America and South America.
An isthmus is a narrow stretch of land joining two large landmasses.
34. Strait
A strait is a narrow stretch of water joining two large water bodies.
This is an important additional fill-in-the-blank question.
35. Physical Divisions of South America
South America can be divided into major physical divisions:
- Andes Mountains
- Western Coastal Desert
- Central Plains
- Eastern Highlands
- Amazon Basin
- Grasslands such as Llanos, Campos and Pampas
36. Andes Mountains
The Andes is the longest mountain chain in the world.
It runs along the western edge of South America from north to south. The highest peak in the Andes is Mount Aconcagua on the Chile-Argentina border.
37. Mount Aconcagua
Mount Aconcagua is the highest peak in the Andes.
It is located on the Chile-Argentina border. This is an important fill-in-the-blank question.
38. Atacama Desert
The Atacama Desert is found along the western coast of South America.
It is one of the driest deserts in the world. It lies in the rain-shadow region of the Andes.
39. Amazon River
The Amazon is the greatest river of South America.
It flows through the Amazon basin and carries a huge volume of water. The Amazon basin receives rainfall almost every day because of its equatorial location.
40. Amazon Basin
The Amazon basin is one of the largest river basins in the world.
It has dense equatorial rainforests, hot and wet climate, rich biodiversity and many tributaries. It is important for global climate and oxygen production.
41. Selvas
The equatorial forests of the Amazon basin are called Selvas.
The Selvas are called the “lungs of the world” because they contain dense forests and release large amounts of oxygen.
42. Important Rivers of South America
South America has many important rivers.
- Amazon
- Orinoco
- Parana
- Paraguay
- Uruguay
- Negro
43. Angel Falls
Angel Falls is the highest waterfall in the world.
It is located in Venezuela in South America. It is an important geographical feature of the continent.
44. South American Grasslands
South America has different types of grasslands.
- Llanos – tropical grasslands in the Orinoco basin
- Campos – grasslands in Brazil
- Pampas – temperate grasslands of Argentina and Uruguay
45. Pampas
The Pampas are temperate grasslands of South America.
They are found mainly in Argentina and Uruguay. Wheat is grown extensively on the Pampas of Argentina.
46. Savanna and Pampas
Savanna grasslands are tropical grasslands with scattered trees.
Pampas grasslands are temperate grasslands. They are more suitable for wheat cultivation and cattle rearing.
47. Animals of South America
South America has rich animal life.
Important animals include llama, alpaca, anaconda, piranha, condor and jaguar. Llamas are typically found in South America. Piranha is a fierce flesh-eating fish found in the Amazon.
48. Condor
Condor is one of the biggest birds.
It is associated with the Andes region of South America.
49. Agriculture in South America
Agriculture is an important occupation in South America.
Coffee, cocoa, sugarcane, wheat, maize, cotton, rice and rubber are important crops. Coffee and cocoa are among the most important crops of South America.
50. Brazil and Coffee
Brazil is one of the leading producers of coffee in the world.
Minas Gerais and São Paulo are known as the “coffee pot” of the world in textbook-back answers.
51. Cuba – Sugar Bowl of the World
Cuba is known as the “sugar bowl of the world.”
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