Social Studies Book 10_2078 Revised and Updated Edition

Exercise Short answer questions: 1. Frigid Zone remains extreme cold throughout the year. Why? 2. Compare Tundra region with Antarctica region. 3. Who are Inuit? Where and how do they live? 4. What is Taiga? Write its economic importance. 5. The people living in northern polar region are the citizens of developed and economically rich countries. However, they are living a primitive life. Present your logic. 6. Compare between the people living in northern polar region and people of your locality from backward community. List the similarities and differences between them. 7. There is a long gap between the lengths of day and night in Frigid Zone. Why? 8. Why has Antarctica region become a center of attraction for the scientists and explorers? Present your logics. 9. What are the economic activities of the people Siberian climate? Mention. 10. What is Igloo? Who uses it? 11. Give short introduction to the following: a. Tupik b. Lumbering c. Eskimos d. Lapps 12. Look at the following pictures and state the reasons why they can survive even in severe cold climate. 13. Discuss the polar climate in terms of its location, climate, vegetation and lifestyle. 14. Make a table and show the similarities and differences between the snowcapped region of Nepal and Frigid Zone. 15. What types of vegetation would you observe if you got opportunity to travel from equatorial region to polar region? Write the name of vegetations with reasons in four points. 16. Mention any four characteristics of Tundra climate. Project Work 201 Discuss with your friends and list the similarities and differences between: 1. The summer climate and winter climate 2. Taiga forest and the forest found in the higher hilly region of Nepal, and 3. Environment of mountain region of Nepal and polar region of the earth. Our Earth

5LESSON Alpine Climate or High Mountainous Climate The climate found in high mountains is called Alpine Climate or High Mountainous Climate. Different types of climate are found in different altitudes because 1°C temperature differs in each 165 m height. Climate and natural vegetations are different in different altitudes. Almost similar type of climate is experienced from the bottom to the top of the hill as we experience from equator to the polar region. There is difference in the economic activities, physical figure, cultural activities, costume, etc of people in different altitudes. We can take an example of the high Himalayan region of Nepal. Here, we can see different types of climate, natural vegetation, socio-economic activities of people, etc in different altitudes. Climatic Region: This climate Very cold Snowline is found in high mountains all Cold over the world above the tree Cool line. The climate above this line Warm is unfavourable for trees to grow. Hot The Himalayas, the Tibetan Plateau, the Rocky Mountains, Alpine Climate the Appalachian Mountains, the Atlas Mountains, the Andes, etc are the regions of Alpine climate. Climatic Characteristic: The climate is cold and dry throughout the year. Natural Vegetation and Animals: It is not possible to grow trees in this climate because of severe cold and scanty rainfall. Most of the lands are covered by snow. Some natural vegetation like wild potato, Bristle Cone, Moss Campion, etc are found. Similarly, animals like mountain goat, snow leopard, Yak, etc are found in this climate. Economic Activities: This climate is not appropriate for the production of crops. Buckwheat, millet, potato, barley, etc are some crops grown in few areas. Cattle rearing, collection of medicinal herbs, tourism, etc are the major occupation of people. Effect on Lifestyle: There is very less density of population. The lifestyle in this climatic region is very difficult due to fewer infrastructures of development and cultivable land. People make thatched houses using wood to live in it. They wear thick furry clothes to protect their body from extreme cold. 202 SOCIAL STUDIES - GRADE 10

Activities 1. Write the name of climates which you like and dislike. Mention the reasons why you like and dislike it. 2. Where is Alpine climate found? What are its climatic characteristics? Discuss. Exercise Short answer questions: 1. Mention the regions of Alpine climate? 2. Explain the economic activities and lifestyle of people in Alpine climate. 3. What is meant by alpine climate? Describe it in terms of climatic region, climatic characteristic, natural vegetation and animals, and lifestyle of people. Project Work Show the climatic region of alpine climate or high mountainous climate in an outline map of the world. Our Earth 203

6LESSON Climate, Vegetation and Animals in the World We have already studied about the different types of climates N found in the world. The climate directly affects the natural vegetation. Natural vegetations North Europe Asia differ according to difference in America climate. The natural vegetations South Africa Oceania are the product of climate. For Antarctica example tropical evergreen forest America is found in the hot and wet region Legend and coniferous forest is found in the cool climate. Likewise, tundra, ice deciduous forest is found in the coniferous forest regions where summer is hot and broadleaf forest Mediterranean scrub grassland savana semidesert desert dry tropical scrub subtropical forest monsoon forest tropical rain forest winter is cool. Mainly there are Natural Vegetation three types of forests: evergreen, deciduous and coniferous forest. The species, types, numbers and status of animals are also determined by the climate. The following table shows the interrelationship among climate, natural vegetation and animals: Forest Climate Vegetation Animals Evergreen Forest It is hot and wet throughout the year. Vegetations are Large animals like Deciduous Forest Rainfall takes place more than 200cm evergreen, umbrella elephant, tiger, annually. shaped, big and with rhinoceros, bear, Summer is hot-wet and winter is cold- less branches and python, crocodile, dry in this region. Annual rainfall is hard wood. Tuber, peacock, crane and about 100cm. Sal, Rosewood, different types of Teak, Mahogany, and snakes are found. Ebony are the major vegetations. The vegetations bear Animals like leaves in summer monkey, jackal, and shed leaves in leopard and birds winter. Oak, Maple, like sparrow, Birch, etc are the crane, crow, major vegetations. starlings are found. 204 SOCIAL STUDIES - GRADE 10

Coniferous Forest The climate is cold Evergreen and cone Animals like and annual average rainfall is 50 cm. shaped vegetations snow leopard, are found. Taiga Himalayan bear forest is an example and different types of this type of of birds are found. vegetation. Here, pine, fir and spruce are major vegetations found here. Activities 1. The natural vegetation found in your locality indicates that the nature of climate affects the vegetation. In this context, discuss in the class how the climate has affected the vegetation in your community. Present the conclusion. 2. Write the name of any ten vegetations found in your locality and identify their characteristics with the help of seniors. Exercise Short answer questions: 1. Write the differences between evergreen forest and deciduous forest. 2. “Coniferous forest has a great economic importance.” How? Explain with examples. 3. “All the three types of forest are found in Nepal.” Justify the statement with the name of the vegetations found there. 4. Complete the following table. Types of forest Climate Vegetation Animals found there Evergreen forest Deciduous forest Coniferous forest Community Work There may be some programs or groups related to forest in your community. Inquire about their objectives, aims and programs and present the acquired information in the class. Our Earth 205

7LESSON Effects of Climate and Topographic Diversity on Lifestyle Human life is greatly affected by the climate and topographical diversity. Climate and topographical diversity cause difference in people’s economic activities, development works, culture, religion, occupation, civilization, fooding, clothing, etc. The following examples justify that the climate and topographical diversity affect the lifestyle of people: The people who live in cold climate and hilly area are comparatively energetic, hardworking, courageous and daring than the people living in hot and plain region. This is why Europeans are energetic. The people living in the mountain region of Nepal are compelled to be courageous and hardworking due to the natural challenges. Thus, they are famous all over the world for adventurous works. The people living in the polar region and equatorial region are backward in every aspect of life due to the inappropriate climate and topography. Red Indians of Amazon basin and Pygmies of coastal region of Guinea are still living a primitive life. They are completely far from modern development. They are nomads and live on hunting and gathering. The people living in temperate zone in North America, Europe and Asia are comparatively educated, civilized and progressive than the people of other region. Majority of the scientists and explorers are from this region. It has big and famous cities of the world. There are more economic activities and physical activities in this region. Inuit people living in Northern Russia and Canada are very behind in development. They hunt animals with traditional domestic weapons, make clothes and tents from seal’s skin, and collect the edible roots as means of living. The people of Islam community wear loose and light clothes to save body from extreme hot sun rays. As Islam religion was originated in hot desert in Saudi Arabia, sand is mandatory in the construction of mosque. They are positive towards moon more than sun because the heat from the sun irritates them but the moon provides them coolness. 206 SOCIAL STUDIES - GRADE 10

Activities 1. Why is the climate different from place to place? Discuss in the class. 2. The lifestyle of people living in polar region is different than others due to the effect of climate. Present your logics. Exercise Short answer questions: 1. How are Red Indians and Pygmies different from Inuit? Show the differences on the basis of their lifestyle and place of residence. 2. Why is the lifestyle of mountain, hilly and Terai region different from each other? Clarify. 3. “The countries located in cold and temperate climate are advanced in term of development.” Why and how? 4. You would have definitely made a visit to any one geographical place in Nepal. Prepare a report on the basis of following points. • Objective • Major activities • Findings 5. “Religion and culture are also affected by the climate and topographic diversity.” Justify this statement by giving the examples of religion and culture practised in your locality. 6. What sorts of climate, natural vegetation and lifestyle did your experience while you were in a tour from Terai to mountain region of Nepal ? Show in a table with reasons. Community Work Meet some senior members of different religions and ask the following questions in order to acquire knowledge about those religions. Then, compare the religious features on the basis of their answers. 1. Where was the religion originated? 2. Name its founder and his/her birthpalce. 3. What are the things that should be done and should not be done? 4. Mention the religious festivals and time of their celebration. Our Earth 207

8LESSON North America: Geographical and Natural Environment Introduction N North America is the third largest continent in the world and has an area of about 24 million sq. km. It was originally inhabited by the Native Americans and Inuit who migrated from Central Europe via the Bering Strait. Though the continent was discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1492 AD, it was named much later after the Italian explorer Amerigo Vespucci who explored North and South America between 1497 and 1502 AD. After the discovery of America, the Europeans started to migrate and settled down in the east coast of the continent and gradually migrated westward. Later, people from Africa came and settled down. Thus, North America is a diversified continent with people of various races, colours and cultures. Location North America is located in the western hemisphere. It is separated from Europe by Atlantic Ocean. The vast Pacific Ocean lies between Asia and North America. The continent lies entirely north of the equator. It extends from 7°N to 84°N latitudes. The tropic of Cancer crosses the continent in the south. The Arctic Circle crosses the continent in the north. Most parts of the continent lie in the North Temperate Zone. The continent is separated from Asia by the narrow Bering Strait in the north-west and is linked with South America by the narrow Isthmus of Panama. North America has three large countries Canada, the USA and Mexico. Physical Features North America is characterized by clear and well-defined divisions into three physiographic regions. Each region is marked by a certain degree of uniformity in relief, climate, vegetation, soils and other environmental conditions. They are: a. The Western Mountain System b. The Central Lowlands c. The Eastern Highlands 208 SOCIAL STUDIES - GRADE 10

a. The Western Mountain System Rocky Mountain The Western Mountain System or the Grand Canyon Western Cordilleras are young fold Death Valley mountains like the Himalayas in our country. These ranges extend from Mississippi River Alaska in the north to the Panama in the south, a distance of about 6,500 209 km. The width of the mountain region is a maximum of 1,500 km in the middle and decreases towards the north and the south. The western mountain system consists of several mountain ranges running from north to south. The Rocky Mountain Range lies in the eastern margin, the Alaska Range in the north, the Cascade Range in the middle and the Coastal Range in the south. In between the mountain ranges there are plateaus, deep valleys and river basins. Grand Canyon (1,800 m deep), the deepest gorge made by the river Colorado lies here. Similarly, extremely hot and dry valley, the Death Valley lies to the east of Sierra Nevada range in California. The Western Mountain System has many peaks exceeding 4,000 meters above sea level. The highest peak Mt. McKinley (6,194 m) is in Alaska. This region is prone to earthquake and volcanoes. There are many active volcanoes in Mexico and Alaska. b. The Central Lowland The Central Plain, also known as the Great Plains, extends from Hudson Bay in the north to the Gulf of Mexico in the south east. This is undulating lowland formed by denudation of land by glaciers and rivers. The northern part around the Hudson Bay is known as the Canadian Shield, which covers a great part of Canada. Our Earth

The Central Plain is drained by river Mississippi and its tributaries. It is the most fertile plain in the world. The extensive temperate grassland known as the Prairies lies in the central plain of North America. c. The Eastern Highlands Rocky Mountain The Eastern Highlands are old fold mountains which have been denuded over millions of years. The ranges do not exceed 2,100 m in altitude. The eastern highlands are lower than the western mountains. It is formed by three important highlands, the Plateau of Greenland, the Canadian Shield covering a great part of Canada to the north of the St. Lawrence River and the Appalachian highland. The Appalachian highland lies to the south of the St. Lawrence River in the south east of the continent. To the east of the highland lies the Atlantic coastal plain. Rivers and Lakes St. Lawrence River The Mississippi is the most important river of North America. The Missouri River and Arkansas River are its tributaries which join River Mississippi and drains into the Gulf of Mexico. Rivers like the Nelson, the Mackenzie drain into the Arctic Ocean, the Yukon, the Fraser, the Columbia and the Colorado drain into the Pacific Ocean, while, the river St. Lawrence drains into the Atlantic Ocean. St. Lawrence is the busiest river in terms of trade and business. Most of the rivers drain towards the east of the continents. They have created extremely fertile plains. There are five important lakes in North Great Lakes America. They are Lake Superior, Huron, Erie, Ontario, and Michigan known as the Great Lake lying at the border of Canada and the USA. The famous Niagara Falls is located between Lake Erie and Ontario. 210 SOCIAL STUDIES - GRADE 10

Climate N The continent of North America experiences a variety of climate due to its vast latitudinal extent, varied relief features, impact of ocean currents and prevailing winds. North America lies in a wide belt of temperate region. It also includes the Tropical and Tundra climate in the south and north respectively. The northernmost part of the continent is extremely cold throughout the year. Western coast of Canada and north western part of the USA has a mild climate. The central part of the Climate Map of North America continent has an extreme climate. It is very hot in summer and very cold in winter. The eastern part of Canada and the areas around St. Lawrence River receives rainfall throughout the year. California and Florida receive rainfall only in winter. The south east part of the USA is under the influence of cyclones and receives rainfall in summer. The southernmost part of the continent is hot and wet throughout the year. South-west part of the USA has the desert climate. Natural Vegetation The natural vegetation largely depends on climate, soil and relief features. Due to great diversity in climate and relief, North America has a wide variety of vegetation. These vegetation belts broadly follow the climatic zones. It has tundra type of vegetation and coniferous forests in the northernmost part of Canada. This region is severely cold with short summers and that is why some quick flowering plants, bushes Coniferous Forest, Canada and coniferous trees are found here. The central part of the country has extensive temperate grassland called Prairies. This region receives low amount of rainfall and thus there is no thick growth of vegetation. Tall trees are absent and only grass grow here, which is the main vegetation. The areas around the St. Lawrence River and south east of the USA have mixed temperate forest comprising of coniferous and deciduous trees. Some important trees of these forests are oak, beech and maple. Our Earth 211

Activities 1. Identify the physical features of North America. 2. Present the features of climate, vegetation and geographical diversity of North America. 3. Look at the atlas and identify the regions of North America which are often affected by cyclone and storm. Exercise Short answer questions: 1. What is Prairies? What are its economic advantages? 2. Why is the forest extended in the northern region of North America considered as an important natural resource? Give reasons. 3. Rocky mountain range is advanced in tourism. Mention four reasons. 4. Write short note on the topic “Climate of North America”. 5. What are the three physical regions of North America? Explain each of them in brief. Long answer questions: 1. Draw outline maps of North America and insert the following items using appropriate symbols. • Mt. McKinley, Grand Canyon, Great Lake, River Mississippi • Prairies, Mt. Appalachian, Areas having rainfall only in winter, Hudson Bay • Washington, Los Angeles, Montreal, New York • Rocky Mountain Range, Death valley, Panama Canal, Taiga forest area • Gulf of Mexico, Cuba, Newfoundland Island, Ottawa • Niagara Falls, Florida, Washington DC, Mexico City • Miami, Lake Superior, Salt lake city, Labrador sea Community Work With the help of atlas, perform the following activities: Prepare a description including the famous places and geographical facts like mountains, rivers, plains, lakes and plateau of North America. Mention the main areas of settlement and industrial areas on the bases of their popularity. Find the facts about the distribution of natural resources like forest, minerals and others. 212 SOCIAL STUDIES - GRADE 10

9LESSON North America: Economic Activities and Social Life Introduction North America has now become the dreamland of majority of the people in the world. One of the main reasons for this is North America’s economic condition. The economic condition of North America is strong because of the availability of skilled manpower and maximum utilization of resources. Canada and USA occupy most of the lands in North America. The study of economic activities and social life of Canada and USA represent the economic activities and social life of whole North America. Canada Canada is the second largest country N in the world. It occupies most of the northern portion of North America (41% of the continent). Before European contact, Canada was inhabited by the native people called Inuit, who lived in the northern parts of Canada. Most scholars believe that Inuits migrated via the Bering Strait to North America. They lead a nomadic life far away from the cities and thus most people have retained their traditional ways. However, later people from France and Britain started migrating to Canada. Political map of Canada They brought along with them the modern ways of life which has influenced the life of the native people. Besides people from Britain and France, many people from Asia too have migrated and settled down in Canada. At present, people from all over the world can be found there. Canada is very rich in natural resources. Its per capita income was $46,213 in 2019 AD. Forest is one of the most important resources of Canada. About 49% of the total land area of Canada is covered with the coniferous forest. The timber is used in the manufacture of pulp and paper. Lumbering has been Canada’s chief industry from the earliest days. Logs are floated down the rivers to the saw mills. The forest resource has been of great economic advantage to Canada. Canada is rich in minerals and power. There are many mineral based industries. The important minerals are iron ore, copper, nickel, lead, zinc, gold, silver platinum, and asbestos. It has large deposits of coal, petrol and natural gas as well. Hydro power station Our Earth 213

at Niagara Falls in Canada and US generates huge amount of power for industries in both the countries. The abundance of power and mineral resources has provided the basis for industrial development of Canada. The prairies of Canada have become a good ground for animal husbandry and agriculture. Cattle and pigs are reared for meat and milk. Some parts of prairies of Canada have now been replaced by wheat cultivation. It is the second largest exporter of wheat in the world next to the USA. Eastern and western parts of Canada are favourable for growing potatoes and fruits such as apples. The rivers of Canada are very suitable for producing hydro- electricity and for fishing industry. YukonU.S.A. New Found Land territory SaskatchewanN.W. TerritoMryM M M British Manitoba Columbia Alberta Quebec NBeruwnswick C Ontario Nova Scotin M M M U.S.A. U.S.A. Natural resources of Canada 49% of the total land is covered with forests. Large pulp industries are run from raw materials available from the soft coniferous woods. Logs are floated down the rivers to saw mills. Canada has been benefited from the forest to a great extent. M Minerals in large scale are found here. Large scale industries based on minerals C run here. Copper, Nickel, Zinc, Iron, Asbestos and Silver are mainly found here. Abundant coal, petrol and gas are available. Large amount of wheat is grown in prairies. Canada is the second largest exporter of wheat. Potatoes are widely grown in the east and fruits are grown in the west. Especially apple is grown here. Gold, Platinum are found here Water is useful for hydroelectricity and fishing. Fishing business is well established here. Pigs and cattle are kept for milk and meat here. Industries are well developed here. SOCIAL STUDIES - GRADE 10 214

The USA The United States of America is known as the “melting pot” of cultures. People from all over the world have come and settled here. This trend of migration started 200 to 300 years ago after the Europeans discovered America. Even today, the process of migration to the USA is continued. About 12% of the total population is African American. Their ancestors were either brought or Political map of USA came from Africa. Most of the people of the USA have come from Europe. Many Asians have also permanently settled in the USA. The USA is endowed with both natural and human resources. The northern part of the country has a large area covered with coniferous forests. Forest based industries that produce wood pulp. Paper and newsprint are well developed here. Lumbering also provides employment to a large number of people. The United States is a major producer of petroleum and coal. The Gulf coast is the main producing area of petroleum. Copper mines are located in Rocky Mountains. The Central Lowlands of USA is very rich in agricultural productions. The prairie grasslands in USA have been converted into wheat lands. Maize, also known as corn, is grown over large areas in the USA. Cash crops such as cotton is grown in south eastern USA, tobacco is grown in southern USA, sugarcane grows well in the Gulf coast region of USA, California grows fruits like grapes, oranges, limes, etc. California grows the best grapes in the world and produces 90% of the wine in North America. Thus, California is also called the wine country. Due to suitable land and large land holdings per person, farming practice in USA is mechanized. As a matter of fact, its production is more than its consumption. Therefore, its surplus agricultural productions are exported. Almost all the parts of the USA are suitable for agriculture, cattle rearing and minerals. Animal rearing, especially cattle rearing has been developed on a commercial scale in the USA. Cattles are reared for beef and for dairy. Cattle and pigs are reared in the temperate grasslands in the interior and western USA. The USA is the largest producer of beef in the world. North east coastal areas and gulf region have been developed as important fishing centres. Western part of the USA with mountain ranges is rich in natural beauty. It is famous for tourism. Besides industries, trade, business are equally advanced and developed along with advancement of science and technology. The per capita income of the USA was $65,111.6 in 2019 AD. Our Earth 215

Important Areas Crops/Fruits Near Gulf of Mexico in the South East Cotton, Sugarcane, Paddy Coastal areas in the east Peanuts, Tobacco, Sugar beet Central USA Wheat, Maize, Soyabean South-East and South-West USA Oranges and Grapes Economic activities of USA and Canada USA Canada Agriculture 1.41% Agriculture 1.49% Industry 19.18% Industry 19.39% Service 79.41% Service 79.12% People involved in various jobs People involved in various jobs Activities 1. Discuss about the economic activities of North America. 2. Why do most of the people of the world want to migrate to the USA and Canada? Discuss and write the reasons. 3. Write about the social life of North America. 4. With the help of Atlas, find the big and dense settlements of North America and write their names. Exercise Short answer questions: 1. Write a short note on the topic “Social life of North America”. 2. Make a list of the economic activities of North America. 3. Why is the Per Capita Income of USA and Canada high? Write your logics. 4. Why is the economic status of North America improved? Write the reasons. 5. Why are the eastern parts of Canada and the USA more developed than the western parts? 6. The agriculture is commercial in the USA and Canada. What should we learn from them to make our agriculture commercialized? Write in points. Project Work Make a political and a physical map of North America and paste on the wall of your classroom. 216 SOCIAL STUDIES - GRADE 10

NORTH AMERICA: Physical Map 80 SIERR A N EVA DA 180 160 140 120 100 80 60 40 20 Nord 80 0 Arctic Circle 160 Cherskiy East Greenland Sea Jan Mayen Siberian (NORWAY) RUSSIA Sea N Arctic Ocean Ittoqqortoormiit Pevek (Scoresbysund) Alert ICELAND Anadyr' Ellesmere Greenland Reykjavík Island Chukchi Qaanaaq (DENMARK) 20 (Thule) 40 180 Sea QUEEN ELIZABETH Denmark Provideniya ISLANDS Baffin Bay Strait Barrow 60 Pond Bering Inlet Tasiilaq Strait Nome BRO RANGE Prudhoe Beaufort Resolute Baffin Ilulissat O KS Bay Sea Island (Jakobshavn) Bering Sea RA NG E Inuvik Banks Sisimiut UNITED STATES Island (Holsteinsborg) Bethel Mt. McKinley Fairbanks Victoria Nuuk (highest point in Island (Godthåb) North America, 6194 m) Davis ALASK A Cambridge Bay Strait Qaqortoq Yukon Gjoa (Julianehåb) Haven Anchorage Dawson 160 A LEU T IA N T R EN C H Valdez River Mackenzie River Arctic Circle Iqaluit Gulf of Great Bear Alaska Whitehorse A ADA Labrador Sea Lake Juneau Fort Great Slave Rankin Hudson Bay Kuujjuaq Island of Nelson Happy Valley- Newfoundland CLake NInlet Goose Bay an St. John's SRlaivveer Arviat RO CKY bia River River Churchill Peace AtLhaakbeasca Prince Fort River Chisasibi Gulf of St. Pierre George McMurray St. Lawrence and Miquelon Nelson EdmoSnatskoatnchew (FRANCE) River Lake Moosonee Chicoutimi Saskatoon Winnipeg (Saguenay) Sydney Moncton Charlottetown North Québec Fredericton Vancouver St. JohHnalifax Victoria Calgary Regina 40 Seattle Thunder Sudbury OttaMwoantréal Winnipeg Bay MO UNT A INS C ASC A DES Colum Lake Superior 60 Sna Fargo Pacific Portland Missouri Lake Lake Boston Huron Ontario Providence Toronto Lake Hamilton Buffalo Hartford Minneapolis Michigan Lake Erie Boise London M O U N TAINS New York Milwaukee Detroit Philadelphia ke River Great Salt Lake Salt Lake City O c e a n US TN AI TT EE DS ANt loarntthi c140 Cleveland Baltimore Pittsburgh Mississipp Chicago Washington, D.C. Omaha Columbus Virginia Beach Sacramento River Indianapolis Cincinnati San Francisco River APPA LA C HIA N Bermuda Death Valley i Saint (U.K.) San Jose Denver Kansas City Louis Ohio Louisville Fresno (lowest point in River Arkansas River North America, -86 m) Los Angeles Colorado River Nashville Charlotte Las Memphis Atlanta Vegas Albuquerque Oklahoma San Diego Phoenix City Birmingham TijuaMneaxicali Tucson Dallas Jacksonville Ocean El Paso New Orlando THE BAHAMAS Tampa Nassau Ciudad Gra Austin Orleans Miami Juárez Rio Houston Hermosillo nde San Antonio Gulf of CaliforniaGuadeloupe Chihuahua Tropic SIERR A M AD RE O C C ID ENTA LTorreón Monterrey Gulf of Mexico Havana of Cancer CUBA MEXICO20 Matamoros Culiacán HAITI La Paz San Luis Cancun Kingston Potosí Tampico LéonAguasQcuaelireéntaterso Mexico Mérida JAMAICA Scale: 1:36,000,000 Guadalajara City Bahía de Lambert Conformal Conic Projection, Campeche standard parallels 25°N and 77°N Morelia Veracruz SIERR A Toluca Puebla BELIZE 0 300 600 Kilometers ISLAS M I D E AM Belmopan Caribbean 0 300 600 Miles REVILLAGIGEDO Sea D L M ADRE DEL SUR Oaxaca HONDURAS 120 (MEXICO) E RIC Tegucigalpa AAcaTpRulEcNo Guatemala City C H GUATEMALA NICARAGUA 100 San Salvador Managua 80 EL SALVADOR Our Earth 217

NORTH AMERICA: Political Map 80 180 160 140 120 100 80 60 40 20 Nord 80 0 Arctic Circle 160 Cherskiy East N Arctic Ocean Greenland Sea Jan Mayen Siberian (NORWAY) RUSSIA Ittoqqortoormiit Sea (Scoresbysund) Pevek Alert ICELAND Anadyr' Ellesmere Greenland Reykjavík Island Chukchi Qaanaaq (DENMARK) 20 (Thule) 40 Sea 180 Provideniya Denmark 60 Barrow QUEEN ELIZABETH Strait Bering PruBdahy oe ISLANDS Tasiilaq Strait Nome Ilulissat Beaufort Resolute Ba n Bay (Jakobshavn) Bering Sea Sea Banks Pond Sisimiut Inuvik Island Inlet (Holsteinsborg) Bethel UNITED STATES Victoria Ba n Nuuk Island Island (Godthåb) Fairbanks Cambridge Bay Davis Strait Qaqortoq Anchorage Yukon Gjoa (Julianehåb) Valdez Haven Dawson M Iqaluit ackenzie River Arctic Circle River GreLaatkeBear 160 Gulf of A Labrador Sea Alaska CGreLaatkSelave Whitehorse Rankin Juneau N A D AInlet Kuujjuaq Island of Arviat Happy Valley- Newfoundland SRlaivveer Hudson Bay Goose Bay St. John's Fort River Nelson Peace AtLhaakbeasca Churchill Prince Fort River Chisasibi Gulf of St. Pierre George McMurray St. Lawrence and Miquelon Nelson Edmonton Saskatchew (FRANCE) River WiLnankiepeg Moosonee Chicoutimi an Saskatoon (Saguenay) Sydney Moncton Charlottetown PNaocritfhi c40 Vancouver bia River Calgary Québec Victoria Fredericton Regina Thunder St. JohHnalifax Seattle Winnipeg Bay Colum Sudbury OttaMwoantréal 60 Portland Lake Superior HLuarkoen Fargo Toronto OLnatkaerio Boston Missouri Providence MLicahkiegan Hamilton Bu alo Hartford Lake Erie New York Ocean Boise Minneapolis Milwaukee DetLroonitdon ke Chicago Cleveland 140 Sna UNITED Pittsburgh Philadelphia River Baltimore GrLeaakt eSalt Salt Lake City Columbus Sacramento Omaha River Mississipp Indianapolis Cincinnati Washington, D.C. Virginia Beach San Francisco River i Saint Bermuda San Jose Denver Kansas City Louis Ohio Louisville (U.K.) Fresno River Arkansas River Las Vegas River Charlotte North Colorado STATES Nashville Los Angeles Memphis Atlanta Atlantic San Diego Phoenix Albuquerque OklCahitoyma Birmingham TijuaMnaexicali Tucson Dallas Jacksonville Ocean El Paso ONrleeawns Orlando THE BAHAMAS Houston Tampa Nassau CJuiuádreazd Miami Gra Austin Rio Hermosillo nde San Antonio Gulf of California Guadeloupe Chihuahua Tropic Torreón Monterrey Gulf of Mexico Havana CUBA of Cancer Culiacán MEXICO20 La Paz Matamoros HAITI Aguascalientes SPanotLousiís Tampico Cancun Kingston MoreliTaLoéluocnQaueMréCetxaitPriyocuoebla Mérida JAMAICA Scale: 1:36,000,000 Guadalajara CBaamhípaedcehe Lambert Conformal Conic Projection, Veracruz BELIZE Caribbean standard parallels 25°N and 77°N Belmopan ISLAS Oaxaca HONDURAS 0 300 600 kilometers REVILLAGIGEDO Tegucigalpa Sea 0 300 600 miles (MEXICO) 120 Acapulco GuaCteitmy ala GUATEMALA NICARAGUA San Salvador 100 EL SALVADOR Managua 80 218 SOCIAL STUDIES - GRADE 10

NORTH AMERICA N  Our Earth 219

10LESSON South America: Geographical and Natural Environment Introduction N South America is the fourth largest continent in the world. The continent occupies 12% of the world’s land area and has 6% of world’s population. The continent lies in the western hemisphere. South America is known for having the extremes of natural features and phenomena. For instance, it has the wettest region like the equatorial region, the driest deserts like the Atacama, the highest water fall known as Angel’s fall, the densest forest like the tropical rainforest, etc. For this reason, South America is often referred to as the “land of extremes”. Location South America lies between 12oN to 55oS latitudes. The Equator passes through the northern part of the continent. The tropic of Capricorn passes a little south of the middle of South America. It is bounded by the Caribbean Sea in the northwest and north, the Atlantic Ocean in the northeast, east and southeast, and the Pacific Ocean in the west. It is joined to North America by the Isthmus of Panama in the northwest. Physical Features There are three main geographical division of South America on the basis of physical features: a. The Andes b. The Central Lowlands c. The Eastern Highlands a. The Andes The Andes The Andes Mountains are the SOCIAL STUDIES - GRADE 10 second highest fold mountains, after Himalayas and were formed 10 to 15 million years ago. The Andes constitutes the western mountains of South America. The Andes is the longest chain of unbroken mountains 220

in the world and forms a continuous chain from Venezuela in the north to Tierra del Fuego in the south. It stretches for about 7,000 kilometres running almost parallel to the west coast. It is higher in the north than in the south and slopes gently towards the west. On the western side of the Central Andes mountain range, there lies the driest place in the world, the Atacama Aconcagua 6,960.8 m (22,837 ft) Desert. Many mountain peaks lying in this mountain range are 6,000 m above the sea level. Mount Aconcagua (6,960 m), the highest mountain peak of South America lies in Argentina. In between the mountain ranges lie several plateaus. Lake Titicaca, the largest and the world’s highest fresh water navigable lake lies here. There are many volcanoes in this mountain range with occasional earthquakes. b. The Central Lowlands The Central Lowlands extend from the Andes in the west to the Eastern Highlands in the east. This area is drained mostly by three large rivers-the Orinoco, the Amazon and the La Plata river system comprising of Paraguay-Parana, and Uruguay Rivers. The Orinoco river basin in the north Amazon Basin between the Guiana Highlands and Amazon basin is a fertile land with the alluvial soil brought down by the rivers flowing from the Andes. This region is covered by tropical grassland called the Llanos. The Amazon and its source in the Andes which is located in the rainy equatorial region is the largest river in the world. The Amazon basin is also the largest river basin in the world. This basin is covered with rich evergreen equatorial forests, also called the Selvas. These forests are of great economic value. South of the Parana River lies the vast Guiana Highlands temperate grassland called the Pampas. This region is well known for agriculture and animal rearing. To the south of Pampas lies the desert of Patagonia. Our Earth 221

c. The Eastern Highlands Located in the eastern part of the continent, the eastern highlands consists of two highlands, namely, the Guiana Highland in the north and Brazilian highland in the north-east. The Guiana Highlands are situated north of Angel Falls the Amazon basin, and are lower than the Brazilian Highlands. These regions receive lot of rainfall and are heavily forested. The Brazilian Highlands extend from the Amazon region to south-eastern Brazil. Mt. Pico da Bandeira (2,890 m) is the highest peak of this region. These highlands are older than the Andes, and composed of ancient rocks, which have been worn down due to prolonged erosion. The highest waterfall in the world, Angel Falls (979 m) lies in Guiana highland in Venezuela. Rivers The three major rivers of South America are: 1. The Orinoco River: It lies in the north between the Andes and the Guiana highlands. 2. The Amazon River (6,437 km): It is the largest river in the world in terms of volume of water. The wide mouth Amazon River of the Amazon provides an excellent waterway from the ocean to the interior of the continent. 3. The La Plata River System: It is formed by three important rivers, namely, Paraguay, Parana and Uruguay Rivers. The Paraguay River crosses the Bolivian hills and merges into Parana River which together empties into the La Plata. The Uruguay flows east of Parana and joins the La Plata River System. Climate South America extends over a wide range of latitudes and therefore exhibits a wide range of climates. Apart from the wide latitudinal extent, South America is narrow in the south, whereas, wider in the north, above the equator. Therefore, most parts of South America lie in the tropical zone. It has a wide variety of climates. The areas around Amazon basin have hot and wet climate throughout the year. The coastal area has a mild climate due to the influence of sea, ocean currents and wind directions. However, most part of the continent has a warm climate throughout the year. The higher altitude of Andes Mountain is cold all the year around. 222 SOCIAL STUDIES - GRADE 10

Natural Vegetation Llanos Pampas Grasslands Due to the varied climate experienced by different parts of South America, natural vegetation is also diverse. The Amazon Basin area of Bolivia, Brazil and Peru experiencing hot, wet equatorial climate has thick equatorial rainforest. The vegetation comprises of evergreen hardwood trees and thick undergrowth. The Orinoco basin in the north and the Brazilian plateau in the south have a similar kind of climate. This is also called tropical wet, dry or Savanna type. This area is characterized by the tropical grassland called Llanos in Orinoco basin in Colombia and Venezuela and Campos in Brazil. The north eastern parts of Argentina and Uruguay experience temperate climate. The vegetation in this region comprises of temperate grassland called Pampas. The grasslands are used for growing wheat and rearing cattle. Activities N 1. Show the physical features of South America in the map of South  America given alongside. 2. With the help of atlas, note down the name and height of any ten of the mountain peaks located in Andes Mountain. 3. Look at the physical map of South America and write the name of any six rivers. Our Earth 223

Exercise Short answer questions: 1. Give short introduction of the three physical regions of South America. 2. Why South America is called “The Land of Extreme”? 3. Give reasons: a. The Amazon valley is very hot and wet throughout the year. b. Amazon River basin has dense forest. c. Southern part of Chile has cool and pleasant climate. d. The Pampas of Argentina is more favourable than Campos for cattle rearing and wheat farming. 4. Which is the longest mountain range in the world? How long is it? Which one is the highest peak in the mountain range? Also mention its hight. 5. What types of climates are found in South America? Explain. 6. The Amazon basin is covered with rich evergreen equatorial forest called the Selvas. It has a great economic importance. Write a letter to your friend living in Brazil explaining how Brazil should take advantage of it. 7. What sorts of geographical structure and climate would you experience while you have been to Caribbean sea, northern part of South America to Capehorn, the southern part of it ? Write in four points of your findings. 8. ‘The mountains and deserts of South America are the means of development rather than barrier.’ Justify your answer with geographical reasons. Long answer question: 1. Draw outline maps of South America and insert the following facts: • Andes mountain range, Mt. Aconcagua, Lake Titicaca, River Amazon • Angel Falls, Atacama desert, Llanos, Peru • Campos, Pampas, Guiana highland, Chile • Rio-de Janeiro, Amazon basin, Brazilian highland, Selvas region • Buenos Aires, Lima, Bogota, Maracaibo Lake • Patagonia desert, Orinoco River, Cotopaxi, Cape Horn • Galapagos Island, Quito, Venezuela, Bolivia • Georgetown, Gulf of San Jorge, River Parana, Campos Project Work Draw a physical and political map of South America to paste on the wall of your classroom. 224 SOCIAL STUDIES - GRADE 10

11LESSON South America: Economic Activities and Social Life Introduction Before the invasion by the Europeans, South America was flourishing with organised Inca civilization from 1400 to 1500 AD. Later in the 15th century, the Spanish and Portuguese colonization led to the end of this civilization. South America became the colony of Spanish and Portuguese. Many Spanish and Portuguese started to migrate to South America. Natural resources and valuables things were exploited and taken back to their countries. Again during the Trans-Atlantic slave trade, South America (especially Brazil) became the home of millions of people brought from Africa. The different countries of the continent are inhabited by the descendent of Spanish, Portuguese and African people. At present, people from Italy, Germany, Japan, India, China, etc are also found living in different parts of this continent. South America is rich in its economic resources but they are not fully utilized. This is mainly due to the lack of technical knowledge in people. The major resources and economic activities of South America are: 1. Forest: The Selvas of the Amazon region is among the Cinchona densest and largest rain forests of the world. It is rich in large varieties of plant and animal life. Commercially, this forest provides several varieties of hardwood and other trees. Vanilla and rubber trees are found here. Mahogany, ebony, etc. are hardwood for furniture which is also found here. Wax used in furniture, shoe polish and candles are obtained from the Carnauba palm trees grown here. Quinine is extracted from cinchona tree found here. 2. Minerals: Oil and natural gas are found in Venezuela, Rubber Latex Ecuador, Columbia, Argentina and Brazil. Brazil also leads in the production of iron, bauxite and tin. Chile is the largest producer of copper and nitrates. Silver, copper, lead and zinc are mined in Peru. The slopes of Andes Mountains have rich reserves of gold and copper. There is an extensive gold mine in Atacama Desert. Brazil is also known for its water resource and hence, produces the largest amount of hydroelectricity in South America. Our Earth 225

3. Agriculture: About one-eighth of South America’s Plucking Coffee land is used for agriculture or grazing. Agriculture is chiefly done in the pampas in Argentina and Uruguay, parts of Brazilian Highlands, Chile and east coast. South America has some of the largest farms in the world. Argentina is one of the largest producers of wheat in the world. Wheat is grown in the pampas region. Corn (maize) is a native of tropical America and is mostly grown crop throughout the continent. Cocoa and sugarcane are grown abundantly in Brazil. Brazil is also the largest producer of coffee. 4. Animal Rearing: South America has extensive grasslands, and hence, animal rearing is an important activity. Cattles are reared for beef, which is exported. Sheep are reared for wool and meat. The indigenous tribes living in Andes Mountains region rear sheep of Llama species. Llamas are reared for carrying loads, meat and wool. 5. Industries: Industries are found in small scale in South Llamas America. Brazil is the industrial giant of this continent, followed by Argentina, Venezuela and Chile. 6. Fishing: South American rivers, especially the Wheat Farming Amazon, have abundant fish. Fishing, therefore, is an important industry. Chile has developed a large commercial marine fishing industry. Ecuador is the leader in shrimp exports. Argentina also has some good fishing grounds. 7. Trade: The chief exports of South America includes raw materials such as cocoa, banana, meat, sugar, wheat, timber, copper, wood, gold, bauxite, petroleum, etc. The chief imports include medicine, machinery, chemicals, textiles, etc. South American countries have mostly concentrated their trade with European countries. There are many countries in South America but the most Gold and Silver Aluminium important are Brazil and Argentina. The distribution Manganese of population is quite uneven in Brazil. The causes of uneven distribution of population are as follows: HEP Lead Oil (Potentrd) Gold 1. Amazon basin: Amazon basin is very hot and humid. Floods occur occasionally. The dense tropical rainforest Forest Iron is not easy to clear. Even if the forests are cleared, the Fertile Soil Manganese decrease in soil fertility due to the heavy convectional Minerals Gold rainfalls affects the population distribution. That is why Energy Diamonds Copper Coal 226 SOCIAL STUDIES - GRADE 10

government has not invested much in the development of this region. However Trans Amazon highway is under construction in Brazil. The process of cutting down the trees and mining is going on a very fast rate which may affect the environment and lifestyle of the people who live in Amazon basin. 2. Central Brazil: Central Brazil is an extensive plateau area and has uncertain rainfall which leads to severe droughts. Hence, it has less density of population. Some minerals are available. There is no good transportation facility. 3. Coastal Region of South Brazil: The southern coastal regions are narrow and lie in the temperate zone. It is greatly influenced by the sea and wind direction. It gets rainfall throughout the year. The coastal plains are favourable and fertile for cultivation. There are many ports and harbours to promote trade and business. Tourism industry is well developed. Government has made a lot of investment for the development of this region. This has led to high density of population in this region. 4. South East Brazil: South East Brazil is also under the influence of the sea. Higher plain areas have the most pleasant climate. Rainfall is regular and is most favourable for coffee production. Minerals are also available. There is a good facility of transportation. This is the most developed region. 5. North East Brazil: North-East Brazil is very hot throughout the year with uncertain rainfall. Sometimes this area is affected by terrible storms. There is scarcity of food and has a high birth rate. Agriculture, animal rearing, industry and fishing are the important economic activities of South America depending upon the natural resources available. Agriculture in South America is well developed in Brazilian highland, central Chile and northern part of Argentina. Brazil is the leading producer of coffee in the world. Brazil’s cotton is famous all over the world and is exported to countries of Asia. Argentina exports large quantities of wheat and wheat flour. Animal rearing is important in the tropical and temperate grasslands of South America. Argentina is one of the largest producer and exporter of meat and beef in the world. Here, the cattles are looked after by a group of cowboys called Gauchos. South America does not have much developed and large scale industries. Brazil is the leading industrial country where industries are run on foreign investment. Most of the industries are agro-based and mineral based. Next to Brazil is Argentina. It has industries based on meat packing, flour milling, leather tanning and food processing. There are some oil refineries in Venezuela and Peru. Chile and Peru are famous for fishing industries. Peru alone is one of the most important fishing nations in the world. Petroleum is one of the most important minerals found in South America. Venezuela is the main producer of petroleum. Gold is mined in Guiana highland and plateau of Brazil. Chile is the leading producer of copper while Peru is the third largest producer of silver. Brazil has large deposits of iron ore and copper. Brazil and Argentina are famous countries for football. Our Earth 227

Activities 1. “Spanish and Portuguese defeated South American indigenous tribes and destroyed Inca civilization, and established their civilization.” Discuss in the class and clarify this fact with examples. 2. Why do the people living in the areas of Andes Mountains use Llamas? Discuss and present in the class. Exercise Short answer questions: 1. About 75% of the total population of Brazil lives in the city areas. Write a paragraph comparing this fact with Nepal’s context. 2. “The economic activities of South American countries and Nepal are almost similar.” Present examples related to this fact. 3. Write similarities and differences between Yaks found in the mountain region of Nepal and Llamas found in the Andes Mountain range of South America. 4. The people living in the central parts of South American countries are migrating to the coastal areas and big cities. This trend has led high population density in the coastal region and lack of manpower in the central region. What impacts may it cause in the future? Prepare a list. 5. Describe the major economic activities of South America. 6. Give reasons: a. Argentina exports meat and wheat. b. Brazil is famous for coffee production. Long answer question: 1. Draw a map of South America and insert the following facts there. Equator, Amazon River, Pampas, and Patagonia desert Project Work Prepare a table showing the similarities and differences found between Andes Mountain range and Himalayan Mountain range. Present your work in the class. 228 SOCIAL STUDIES - GRADE 10

SOUTH AMERICA: Physical Map N Our Earth 229

SOUTH AMERICA: Political Map HONDURAS 80 Caribbean Sea Curacao Martinique (FRANCE) 60 40 Tegucigalpa Isla de (NETH.) ST. LUCIA BARBADOS Providencia Aruba North (COLOMBIA) (NETH.) ST. VINCENT AND Atlantic THE GRENADINES Ocean NICARAGUA GRENADA N VENEZUELAManagua Isla de Barranquilla Maracaibo Caracas Port of Spain San Andrés Cartagena TRINIDAD AND (COLOMBIA) BarquisimetVoalencia Barcelona TOBAGO San José Panama R'io OrinocoCiudad City Guayana San COSTA RICA PANAMA Cúcuta Cristóbal Georgetown Medellín Rio Magdalena Bucaramanga GUYANA Paramaribo Pereira Bogotá Cayenne Isla de Malpelo Ibagué COLOMBIA SURINAME French (COLOMBIA) ' Guiana (FRANCE) Cali Boa Vista Equator Quito Rio N Macapá 0 ECUADOR egroAmazon Amazon Belém 0 R'io Mamore Santarém Guayaquil Manaus São Luis UR'cioayali Cuenca R'io Maranón Iquitos Xingu Fortaleza Piura Natal Rio Madeira Teresina João Pessoa Chiclayo Pucallpa Rio Pôrto Rio Recife Trujillo Huánuco Branco Velho RioRioArTaogcuaanitains Maceió PERU R'io Beni BRAZIL Aracajú Salvador Huancayo 20 S o u t h Lima Cusco Francisco Pacific Ica Lago Trinidad Rio Paraguai Titicaca La PazBOLIVIA Cuiabá Brasília São Arequipa Goiânia Ocean Cochabamba Santa Rio Contagem Sucre Cruz 20 Arica Iquique Potosí Uberlândia Belo Horizonte Campo Grande Rio Para Vitória ná Londrina PARAGUAY Campinas Tropic of Capricorn Antofagasta Salta Asunción São Paulo Santos Rio de Janeiro San Miguel Ciudad Curitiba de Tucumán del Este Joinvile Isla San Félix Isla San Ambrosio Resistencia (CHILE) Florianópolis (CHILE) Rio Paraná CHILE Santa Porto Fe Alegre Córdoba ' Salto Valparaíso Mendoza Rosario URUGUAY South Santiago Atlantic ARCHIPIÉLAGO Buenos Aires Montevideo JUAN FERNÁNDEZ Concepción La Plata Ocean Temuco (CHILE) ARGENTINA Bahía Blanca Mar del Plata Puerto Montt San Carlos de Bariloche 40 40 Comodoro Rivadavia Scale 1:35,000,000 Punta Arenas Río Stanley South Georgia and 20 Azimuthal Equal-Area Projection 80 Gallegos Falkland Islands South Sandwich Islands (Islas Malvinas) 0 500 Kilometers MStargaietlloafn (administered by U.K., 0 500 Miles Ushuaia (administered by U.K., claimed by ARGENTINA) claimed by ARGENTINA) Boundary representation is Cape 40 100 not necessarily authoritative. Horn 60 230 SOCIAL STUDIES - GRADE 10

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12LESSON Africa: Geographical and Natural Environment Introduction N Africa is the second largest continent in size, next to Asia and occupies more than one-fifth of the Earth’s total area. In the past, Africa was called the “Dark Continent” because this continent was unexplored and unknown till the 19th century. Explorers faced many difficulties while exploring Africa. The impenetrable Sahara desert in the north, undulating plateaus and fast flowing rivers with waterfall made it difficult for explorers to discover Africa. It is also called the “Hottest Continent” because the equator passes almost through the middle of the continent that makes most parts in this region experience a hot, wet and humid climate. Location Africa is the only continent which is almost divided into two equal parts by the equator. It extends from 37°N to 35°S latitudes. Three of the major lines of the Earth: Equator (0°), Tropic of Cancer (23.5°N) and Tropic of Capricorn (23.5°S) lie in Africa continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean in the east and Atlantic Ocean in the west. The Mediterranean Sea in the north and the Strait of Gibraltar in the north-west separate Africa from Europe. The Isthmus of Suez connects Africa with Asia in the north-east. Now the man made canal, the Suez Canal separates the two continents Asia and Africa. The southernmost tip of Africa is called the Cape of Good Hope. Physical Features The major part of Africa is a plateau composed of ancient rocks. An area of high ground with fairly level surface is called plateau. Towards the narrow coasts, the plateau descends in the form of steps. In general, the plateau of Africa is lower in the north and higher in the south. The Africa continent is called a “Plateau Continent” because much of the land is raised well above sea level, dropping off sharply near the coastline. There are many plateaus in Africa continent. Thus, it is also called “Plateau of plateaus”. Africa can be divided into the following physical divisions: 1. The Atlas Mountain: The Atlas Mountain Atlas Mountain Range lies in North-Western Africa. There are young fold mountains. It comprises of three parallel ranges. The highest peak in the Atlas Mountains is Mt. Toubkal, which remains snow covered most of the year. 232 SOCIAL STUDIES - GRADE 10

2. The Central Plateau: The Central Plateau extends from the Atlantic Coast in the west to the Nile Valley in the east. The Sahara Desert forms a part of this plateau. The Tibesti Mountain and the Tassili Plateau are located in this region. 3. The High Plateau: The High Plateau of the south Drakensberg Mountains is divided into the Ethiopian Plateau, the Central Lake Plateau and the South African Plateau. This plateau of the south ends with the Drakensberg Mountains which form the high eastern edge of the plateau. The Namib and Kalahari Deserts are part of this plateau. Mt. Kilimanjaro (5,895 m), a snow-capped mountain near the equator, lies in this place. 4. The Great Rift Valley: The Great Rift Valley of Mt. Kilimanjaro 5,885 m (19,308 ft) Africa is a special feature of the southern plateau. It is a long narrow valley formed as a result of vertical cracks developed because of the movement within the earth. It extends for a distance of about 5,000 km. Many freshwater lakes like Malawi, Rudolf and Tanganyika are found here. 5. The Nile and Zaire Basins: The Nile and Zaire River Nile Basins have been built by these two big rivers ofAfrica. The Nile Basin is a flat dry region that borders the River Nile and its tributaries in north-eastern Africa. It is a very fertile land. The Zaire Basin (Congo) in the west-central Africa includes most of the land drained by the River Zaire (Congo) and its tributaries. Tropical rainforests cover much of the river basin. Rivers and Lakes The River Nile is the world’s longest river (6,670 km.) that flows northwards from east-central Africa to the Lake Victoria Mediterranean Sea. Though it flows through a desert for a greater part of its length, it has water throughout the year because its source is Lake Victoria in the rainy equatorial region. Most of Africa’s other major rivers including the Congo (Zaire) and Niger enters into the Atlantic Ocean. The rivers Limpopo and Zambezi flow into the Indian Ocean. The Chari flows into Lake Chad, forming an inland drainage area. The river Okavango flows through the Namib Desert. It is fed by rains in the mountains of Angola. Orange and Senegal are also important rivers in Africa. Most of Africa’s large lakes lie in the east in the rift valley. Lake Victoria is the largest lake in Africa. It is the world’s second-largest freshwater lake covering an area of Our Earth 233

69,490 sq. km. Lake Tanganyika is another important lake, which is also one of the longest freshwater lakes in the world. Other large lakes occupying the Great Rift are Nyasa, Albert and Turkana. Climate a. Equatorial Climate: The continent of Africa experiences several types of climates. The Zaire Basin, the coastal region of Gulf of Guinea and coastal region of Kenya has Equatorial type of climate. It is characterised by a high temperature throughout the year and heavy rainfall annually. Convectional rainfall occurs daily and mostly in the afternoon. This type of rainfall is the result of intense heating of land surface. During the day, there is lot of evaporation. By afternoon, when it starts cooling, the vapour condenses and falls as rain. b. Savanna Climate: This type of climate is found on either side of the equator. It is also called the Sudan type as it is mostly experienced in Sudan. Summers are hot and rainfall occurs mainly in hot season. Winters are short and dry. c. Tropical Desert Climate: The Sahara Desert in the north and the Kalahari Desert in south-central Africa experience the Hot Desert type of climate. Summers are hot and winters are cool. There is hardly any rainfall. The days are hot and nights are cold. d. Mediterranean Climate: The coastal areas of north-west Africa and a small area in the south-west of South Africa experiences Mediterranean type of climate. Summers are hot with plenty of sunshine but no rainfall. Winters are mild and wet. Westerly brings rainfall to these regions in winter season. e. Temperate Grassland: The high plateau of South Africa has Temperate Grassland type of climate. Summers are hot with rainfall and winters are cold with little or no rainfall. Due to the distance from the sea, there is great variation between summer and winter temperature. Natural Vegetation and Wildlife The natural vegetation and wildlife of Africa is highly influenced by climate. The large continent which extends in both side of the equator has several climatic regions. Each climatic region has its own special kinds of vegetation and animal life. a. Tropical Rainforest and Wildlife: The Equatorial climatic region of Gulf of Guinea and Congo Basin has vegetation consisting mainly of hardwood, broad-leaved and evergreen trees. Since this forest is a result of abundant rainfall and sunshine, it is also called Tropical Rainforest. Mahogany, ebony, rubber, coconut, palm and cocoa are some important trees found here. There is absence of large animals like elephants and wild cats as the jungle is very dense and it restricts their free movement. However this region abounds in animals such as chimpanzees, gorillas, monkeys, crocodiles, alligators, snakes and Cocoa Pods brightly coloured birds like parakeets and insects. 234 SOCIAL STUDIES - GRADE 10

b. Savanna Grassland and Wildlife: The Tropical Alligators Grassland region of Sudan has a vast plain area with tall coarse grasses also known as Savanna. Many Parakeet different types of grass grow here with scattered trees, such as, acacia and baobab. The presence of Camels abundant grass attracts herbivorous animals such as deer, giraffe, elephant and zebra which in turn attracts Savanna Grassland carnivorous such as lion, leopard and cheetah. Thus, this region supports a variety of animals and this 235 region is often referred to as the “Zoo of the World”. c. Desert Vegetations and Wildlife: The Hot Deserts of Sahara and Kalahari have high temperature but no rainfall. So, it has very nominal vegetation. In fact, most of the trees and plants that grow in this region are highly modified to survive in the harsh desert climate. Some of the vegetations found in this region are cactus, rough grasses, thorny bushes and scrubs. Date palms are found only near oasis. The most important and largest animal of this region is camel. Camels are used in the desert for milk, food and transportation. It is also called as the “Ship of the Desert”. Other animal found in the desert includes desert foxes, rats, scorpions, snakes and insects. d. Mediterranean Vegetation and Wildlife: The Mediterranean region is characterized by hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters. So, this region support trees and plants that can withstand long summer droughts such as cork, olive, fig, etc. Citrus fruits such as oranges, lemons, grapes, etc also grow well here. As forests are not extensive and most of the natural vegetation has been cut down, not much wildlife is found in the Mediterranean region. e. Temperate Grassland Vegetation and Wildlife: The natural vegetation of the Temperate Grassland of the plateau of South Africa comprises mostly of short and coarse grasses called Veld. The little rain that falls mostly in summer cannot support tall trees. However, the hill slopes which receive slightly more rainfall than the interior have trees such as poplar, willow, etc. Antelope and donkeys are the common animals found in these grasslands. Our Earth

Activities 1. Explain the physical features of Africa continent. 2. Which is the highest peak of Africa continent? Where is it located? Discuss. Exercise Short answer questions: 1. Mention the major climates found in Africa continent. 2. Why Savanna is called “Zoo of the World”? Write the reasons. 3. Why Africa is called the plateau of plateaus? 4. “As a result of the geographical structure and location, Africa continent experiences extreme climate in most of its parts.” Justify this statement with reasons. 5. The extensive grassland in the Savanna region is an important natural resource of Africa Continent. What advantages can Africa continent take from this? Make a list. Long answer question: 1. Draw outline maps of Africa and insert the following facts: • Mt. Kilimanjaro, Atlas Mountain Range, Drakensburg Mountain, Lake Victoria • River Zambezi, River Congo (Zaire), River Senegal, River Orange • Equator, Tropic of Cancer, Tropic of Capricorn, Area of Equatorial Rainforest • Suez Canal, Strait of Gibraltar, Zanzibar Island, Canary Islands • Veld, East London, Cairo, Lake Chad • River Nile, River Niger, Sahara Desert, Kalahari Desert • Namib Desert, Great Rift Valley, Red Sea, Mediterranean Sea Project Work With the help of atlas, find the important physical features of Africa continent such as mountain ranges, highest peak, deserts, lakes, rivers, climatic regions, etc and insert them in the map of Africa. 236 SOCIAL STUDIES - GRADE 10

13LESSON Africa: Economic Activities and Social Life Introduction Africa continent is the home to many different ethnic and racial groups, with wide-ranging characteritics. It is estimated that more than 800 African races exist in this large continent. They established their kingdoms some 500 years ago. Many of these populations have diverse origins with different cultural, linguistic and social traits. The vast continent with varying climates has shaped the diverse lifestyle among its various populations. The Pygmies of hot, wet equatorial Congo are short statured native people who live a nomadic life. They are hunters and food gatherers. The Bushman of Kalahari Desert, unlike other natives of Africa, lives in small groups, moving from place to place in search of food. The Masai tribe of Savanna of Kenya and Tanzania has tall and sturdy people with dark complexion. They lead a much more settled life domesticating and rearing animals. The continent’s native inhabitants still live amidst desert and jungles while the immigrants from Europe, Asia and other parts of the world live in modern cities across the continent. The Arabs arrived from Asia in the 7th century, Coffee Plant introduced the Arabic language and Muslim religion to North Africa and invaded many territories in the continent. Later, in 1650 AD, the Europeans came as traders in Africa and slowly became the owners of the land. They ruled for about 80 years during which, most of the resources, both natural and human, were exploited and taken away. Then after much struggle and conflicts, the countries of Africa became independent. Though it is the second largest continent, it is not very developed compared to its size. Poverty, illiteracy, disease, famine, civil war, etc are Animals in Savanna Region the characteristics of this continent. The most critical problem faced by Africa at present is the epidemics of Ebola and AIDS. Thousands of young men and women are dying annually of this deadly disease leaving countless children orphans and to be cared and brought up by their family members. This is creating a scarcity of human resource to develop the continent. Our Earth 237

The vast land of Africa is rich in natural resources. Africa claims a huge potential of hydropower from its rivers like Zaire (Congo), Niger, Zambezi, etc. Nigeria is known for its larger reserves of mineral oil. Zaire is known for its huge reserves of cobalt, industrial diamonds, uranium, copper, tin, zinc, gold and manganese. But all these reserves have not been utilized fully and properly due to colonial exploitation, lack of skilled manpower, political unrest, etc. However, people are engaged in animal rearing, industry and tourism. Racial diversity, cultural differences and varieties of geographical structures are the important aspects of Africa. Pyramid of Egypt, Civilization of Nile River, National Parks of Savanna region and cultural and racial diversity are the attraction for the studies. Agriculture Despite the harsh climate and lack of proper irrigation and land, agriculture is the main occupation of the people in Africa. They practise subsistence farming, a type of farming in which people grow just enough crops for their household. Such type of farming does not produce any surplus for export. The main crops grown here are maize, paddy, wheat, millet, cotton, tea, coffee and cocoa. Maize is widely cultivated in the Savanna while the wheat, paddy and cotton are cultivated in the Nile Valley in Egypt. Animal Husbandry The climate and vegetation of most parts of Africa favours animal husbandry. Animal rearing has been practised in Africa for centuries. Even at present, almost all the countries of Africa practise animal rearing. Cattle and sheep are reared in large scale at the tropical and temperate grasslands. Commercial Farming Commercial Agriculture refers to a process of large-scale production of crops for sale. Farming is done in large and extensive farmlands. Such farms are called Estates. Commercial farming in Africa is done in the places having reliable rainfall, raw material and labour like Kenya, Tanzania, Botswana and South Africa. They Sugarcane Farming are run by the rich people, government or multinational companies. Banana, coffee, cocoa, and cysul (like jute) are cultivated in the Estates. They are largely exported to earn maximum foreign currency. Such estates have good provision of food, water and shelter for their workers. 238 SOCIAL STUDIES - GRADE 10

Tourism Africa, the second largest continent, with its diverse geography has a very good prospect for tourism. It is very rich in natural beauty and wildlife. The Savanna grassland of Africa is known as the “Zoo of the World” for its large varieties of wildlife. Many national parks have been established in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. Kenya alone has 40 national parks. These national parks attract millions of tourists every year. Thus, tourism is one of the important means of earning foreign currency for a continent like Africa. But there are some problems related to tourism in Africa. Vast areas in Africa have been converted to wildlife reserves, national parks and sanctuaries. In such places free movement and entry of people is restricted. Due to this, a large group of local people who depends on animal rearing and agriculture have lost their grazing and agricultural lands. Poaching of wild animals for its tusks, horns and skin has become a very serious problem in Africa. Many animals have become extinct or are on the verge of becoming extinct due to such illegal activities. Unorganised wildlife safaris are creating noise and air pollution in most of the reserves and parks. This is resulting in the extinction and displacement of many wildlife and birds from their natural habitat. Lack of proper and organised facilities for tourists such as animal viewing sites, food, water, transport and communication is also another major problem related to tourism in Africa. Some solutions of these problems are: The governments should maintain a balance while allotting land for wildlife reserves/ parks and to the local people for their livelihood. Such a balance will assure harmony between the local people and wildlife existence. Public should be aware of the adverse impact of poaching on tourism. The government should deploy skilled and trained people to control and stop such illegal activities. The public should also help the government by reporting any such illegal activities. Peaceful and natural environment should be provided to the wild animals and birds. Safaris should be properly organized so as not to pollute and disturb their natural habitat. There should be easy access to tourist needs and proper rules and regulations to maintain cleanliness and overcrowding in the park and reserve areas. Other Economic Activities Handicraft is an important industry of Africa. The hard wood of the equatorial forest is very good for handicraft products. Most of small industries are based on agriculture. Africa is rich in minerals like gold, diamond, copper, and iron ore. There are some mineral based industries like iron and steel, copper, aluminium, and oil refineries. Gold is mined in South Africa. Africa is the largest producer of gold in the world. Our Earth 239

Activities 1. “Racial, cultural and geographical diversities are the main aspects to observe and understand Africa continent.” Justify this statement with examples. 2. Look at the picture of Cairo, capital city of Egypt. It is one of the most developed cities of Africa in spite of receiving very little rainfall. What are its causes? Give reasons. 3. Write the name of any ten big African cities and the countries where they are located. Exercise Short answer questions: 1. Write the social and economic activities of Africa Continent in four points. 2. “There is a great possibility of tourism development in Africa.” Clarify the statement with examples. 3. In the past, Africa continent was called “Dark Continent”. Why was it called so? Write the reasons. 4. Africa continent is suffering from various problems like starvation, conflict, drought, war, diseases, illiteracy and poverty. In this context, suggest any four important activities to be carried out in order to make Africa a developed, peaceful, beautiful and capable continent. Project Work N Look at the given map of Africa with natural resources. Make a table and show the countries producing diamond, petroleum, gold and copper. M C M Gas & Oil Diamond Gold M Manganese C Copper U Uranium I Iron 240 SOCIAL STUDIES - GRADE 10

AF RICA: Physical Map 40 20 0 20 Minsk 40 60 IRE. LondUo.BnKr.uAssmeNlsEstTeHr.damGERMBeArNliYn BELARUS PORTUGAL Warsaw RUSSIA KAZAKHSTAN Lisbon POLAND Kyiv ASeraal Nor t h Atlantic BEL. LUX. PragueCZ. REP. UKRAINE Volga Tashkent Paris UZBEKISTAN N Ocean Vienna SLOV. TURKMENISTAN 40 FRANCE SWITZ. AUS. Budapest MOL. SAezaoovf Ashgabat SLO. HUNG. ROM. CRO. Belgrade Bucharest BOS.& Danube ITALY HER. SER. Sofia Black Sea GEO. Caspian AND. Corsica MONT. KOS. BULG. ARM. AZER. Sea MACE. AZORES Madrid Rome Ankara (PORTUGAL) SPAIN Sardinia ALB. TURKEY GREECE Algiers Sicily Athens Tehran Constantine MADEIRA ISLANDS Strait of Gibraltar Oran Tunis MALTA Tigris AFG. (PORTUGAL) Rabat Fès CYPRUS LEB. SYRIA EupIhBRraatAesgQhdad IRAN Casablanca Beirut Damascus TUNISIA Mediterranean Sea MOROCCO Jerusalem Alexandria ISRAEL CANARY ISLANDS Marrakech Tripoli Benghazi Amman (SPAIN) Cairo JORDAN KUWAIT Al J-izah ALGERIA Persian EGYPT Laayoune Tropic of Cancer LIBYA Gulf Abu Western Aswa-n BAHR. Sahara Admin. QATAR Dhabi Riyadh Muscat U.A.E OMAN SAUDI 20 Nouadhibou SAHARA boundary ARABIA 20 MAURITANIA Port Red Sudan Sea CAPE VERDE Praia Nouakchott Timbuktu NIGER Omdurman hite Nile Nile ERITREA YEMEN Arabian Dakar SENEGAL Khartoum Asmara Sanaa Sea MALI Agadez SUDAN Lac'Assal Gulf of Socotra Banjul Bamako Niger BURKINA Niamey Zinder CHAD (lowest point in Djibouti Aden (YEMEN) THE GAMBIA FASO W Africa, -155 m) DJIBOUTI Bissau N'Djamena Nile GUINEA-BISSAU GUINEA Ouagadougou Kano SOUTH Blue Moundou SUDAN Conakry BENIN NIGERIA CENTRAL AFRICAN Addis L E Y Hargeysa REPUBLIC Juba Freetown CÔTE GHANA Niger Abuja Ababa VAL SIERRA LEONE D'IVOIRE Volta TOGO Bangui Ogbomoso Benue ETHIOPIA Prov. Monrovia Ibadan CAMEROON admin. Yamoussoukro AccrLaomé PNoorvtLooa-gos Douala RIFT line SOMALIA LIBERIA Abidjan Malabo Yaoundé CONGO UGANDA GREAT Mogadishu EQUATORIAL GUINEA Congo Gulf of Guinea REP. OF Kampala KENYA SAO TOME THE Kisangani Equator AND PRINCIPE 0 Ascension São Tomé Victoria SEYCHELLES Annobón (EQUA. GUI.) TRENCH IOncdeiaann0 Libreville BASIN Nairobi GABON CONGO RWANDA Kigali Kilimanjaro Bukavu Lake (highest point in DEM. REP. Africa, 5895 m) BujumburaVictoria Brazzaville OF THE CONGO BURUNDI Mombasa Pointe-Noire Kinshasa ANGOLA TanLgaakneyika Dodoma Zanzibar (Cabinda) Mbuji-Mayi TANZANIA Dar es AMIRANTE M I D - AT L A N T I C Luanda Salaam Lake COMOROS Glorioso Islands Nyasa Lubumbashi Moroni (FRANCE) ANGOLA Kitwe MALAWI Cidade Mayotte Lilongwe (admin. by France, Namibe Lubango ZAMBIA de Nacala claimed by Comoros) Saint Helena Windhoek Lusaka Blantyre Juan de Nova Mahajanga Tromelin Island Walvis Bay Island (FRANCE) South Atlantic NAMIBIA Zambezi (FRANCE) Ocean NAMIB Harare MOZAMBIQUE Toamasina ZIMBABWE Mozambique Antananarivo Port Beira Channel Louis 20 20 Tropic of Capricorn BOTSWANA St. Denis RIDGE Bassas MAURITIUS KALAHARI da India MADAGASCAR Reunion (FRANCE) Europa DESERT Island (FRANCE) Gaborone Pretoria (FRANCE) RIDGE WA LV I S DESERT Johannesburg Mbabane Maputo Saint Helena, Ascension, SOUTH SWAZILAND and Tristan da Cunha Ora Maseru (U.K.) eng AFRICA Durban Indian Ocean LESOTHO Cape Town Port Elizabeth Scale 1:51,400,000 TRISTAN Azimuthal Equal-Area Projection DA CUNHA 0 800 Kilometers Gough Island RISE 0 800 Miles 40 C A P E Boundary representation is 40 not necessarily authoritative. 20 0 20 40 60 Our Earth 241

AF RICA: Political Map 40 20 IRE. U.K. 0 20 Minsk 40 60 London N North Amsterdam Berlin Warsaw BELARUS RUSSIA KAZAKHSTAN Atlantic NETH. GERMANY POLAND Kyiv Volga ASreaal 40 Ocean AZORES Brussels PORTUGAL BEL. LUX. Prague CZ. REP. (PORTUGAL) Lisbon Paris UKRAINE FRANCE SWITZ. Vienna SLOV. MOL. SAezaovof Tashkent AUS. Budapest UZBEKISTAN AND. HUNG. SLO. CRO. Belgrade ROM. TURKMENISTAN Bucharest Ashgabat BOS.& SER. Danube Black Sea ITALY HER. So a GEO. Caspian Sea Corsica KOS. BULG. ARM. AZER. Rome MONT. MACE. Madrid Sardinia SPAIN ALB. Ankara TURKEY GREECE Strait of Gibraltar Algiers Tunis Sicily Athens Tigris Tehran AFG. Constantine IRAN MADEIRA ISLANDS Rabat Oran SYRIA EupIhBRraaAtegsQhdad Casablanca Damascus (PORTUGAL) Fès MALTA CYPRUS LEB. Beirut MOROCCO TUNISIA Mediterranean Sea Jerusalem CANARY ISLANDS Marrakech Tripoli Benghazi Alexandria ISRAEL Amman (SPAIN) Cairo JORDAN Laayoune ALGERIA LIBYA Al Ji-zah KUWAIT Persian Abu Muscat Western Riyadh Gulf Dhabi OMAN Sahara Tropic of Cancer Al Jawf EGYPT U.A.E BAHR. Aswa-n QATAR Admin. 20 Nouadhibou boundary SAUDI ARABIA 20 MAURITANIA Port Red Sudan Sea CAPE VERDE Praia Nouakchott Timbuktu NIGER CHAD Omdurman White Nile Nile ERITREA YEMEN Arabian Dakar SENEGAL N'Djamena Khartoum Asmara Sanaa Sea MALI Agadez Moundou SUDAN Addis Gulf of Socotra Banjul Bamako Niger BURKINA Niamey Zinder CENTRAL AFRICAN Ababa Djibouti Aden (YEMEN) THE GAMBIA GUINEA FASO Kano REPUBLIC SOUTH ETHIOPIA DJIBOUTI SUDAN Nile Bissau Ouagadougou Bangui Blue Juba GUINEA-BISSAU BENIN GHANA Conakry Niger NIGERIA Hargeysa Abuja Freetown CÔTE TOGO Benue SIERRA LEONE D'IVOIRE Ogbomoso CAMEROON Prov. Douala admin. Monrovia Yamoussoukro AccraLomé Ibadan line SOMALIA PNoortvooL-agos LIBERIA Abidjan Malabo Yaoundé Congo UGANDA Mogadishu EQUATORIAL GUINEA REP. OF Kisangani Kampala KENYA Gulf of Guinea THE Nairobi SAO TOME AND PRINCIPE CONGO 0 São Tomé Victoria Annobón SEYCHELLES (EQUA. GUI.) OI ncdeiaann0 Equator Libreville OF TDHEEMC. ROENPG. OBRuWkaAvNuDA Kigali Mombasa Ascension GABON Bujumbura ViLcatkoeria Zanzibar BURUNDI Dar es Brazzaville Kinshasa TanLgakaenyika Dodoma Pointe-Noire Mbuji-Mayi TANZANIA ANGOLA (Cabinda) Luanda Salaam South Lubumbashi NLyaaksea COMMoOrRoOnSi Glorioso Islands Atlantic (FRANCE) Ocean ANGOLA Kitwe MALAWI Cidade Mayotte ZAMBIA Lilongwe de Nacala c(aladimmeind. bbyy CFroamncoer,os) Lubango Namibe Tromelin Island St. Helena Lusaka Blantyre Juan de Nova (FRANCE) Island Mahajanga Zambezi Harare ZIMBABWE (FRANCE) MOZAMBIQUE Toamasina 20 Beira Mozambique Antananarivo Port Tropic of Capricorn Channel St. Denis Louis Windhoek Saint Helena, Ascension, Walvis Bay 20 and Tristan da Cunha (U.K.) NAMIBIA BOTSWANA Bassas MADAGASCAR MAURITIUS da India Reunion Gaborone (FRANCE) Europa (FRANCE) Island (FRANCE) Pretoria Maputo Johannesburg Mbabane SOUTH SWAZILAND Orang Maseru Indian Ocean e Durban AFRICA LESOTHO Cape Town Port Elizabeth TRISTAN Scale 1:51,400,000 DA CUNHA Azimuthal Equal-Area Projection 0 800 Kilometers Gough Island 0 800 Miles 40 40 Boundary representation is not necessarily authoritative. 20 0 20 40 60 242 SOCIAL STUDIES - GRADE 10

AF RICA N  Our Earth 243

14LESSON North America, South America, Africa and Nepal N NN N Nepal North America South America Africa North America and Nepal North America is a continent located in the western hemisphere while Nepal is a small Asian country entirely in the eastern hemisphere. Due to great longitudinal difference, the day and night in these two places is exactly opposite i.e. when it is day in North America, it is night in Nepal. Besides the longitudinal difference, culture, tradition, religion and the condition of development are also very different. However, in terms of physical features, North America is similar to Nepal. Rocky Mountains of North America and Himalayas of Nepal are young fold mountains and originated at the same time. North America, especially the USA and Canada, has a very good diplomatic relationship with Nepal. Nepal has established diplomatic relations with the USA and Canada in 1948 AD and 1965 AD respectively. Besides, the USA and Canada are countries with immense opportunities. A large numbers of Nepali youths go there for better education or for further studies. Some of the students are also granted scholarships in their universities. Nepal can benefit a lot by availing good opportunities to the highly qualified Nepali manpower in the country. Nepal can also benefit economically and technically for its development with the help in the form of grants and aids provided by these countries. South America and Nepal South America is a continent and Nepal is a country. South America is in western hemisphere while Nepal is located in eastern hemisphere. Same as North America, the time of day and night in South America and Nepal is exactly opposite. Andes Mountain in South America and Himalayas of Nepal both are young fold mountains and originated at the same time. The culture, tradition and religion are different. The state of development between these two places is not much different. The relationship of Nepal with South American countries is also increasing nowadays. Most of the countries of South America are less developed 244 SOCIAL STUDIES - GRADE 10

like Nepal. During the Falkland War between Britain and Argentina, the name of Nepal was much in highlight because the British Gorkha soldiers were deployed in the war. The British Gorkha soldiers earned name and fame for their bravery in the war. Nepal has established its embassy in Brazil. Many people from Nepal visit South America annually for trade and travel. Africa and Nepal The continent of Africa is very close to Asia in comparison to North and South America. But despite its closeness to Asia, Africa is different from Nepal in many respects. Nepal is not so familiar with the continent of Africa. But, it has good relationship with Egypt, one of the most developed countries of Africa. At present, some people from Nepal have also settled down in Africa doing trade and business. Like Africa, Nepal too is rich in natural beauty. Nepal can learn a lot from the national parks established in Kenya and Tanzania regarding the management of national parks and development of tourism. Nepali peace keeping force has been deployed to many countries of Africa to settle down their internal conflicts and maintain peace in the continent. Geographical similarities among Nepal, North America, South America and Africa Facts Nepal North South Africa Features America America Mountain Himalayan Rocky Andes Drakensberg Young fold ranges mountain mountain mountain range range range and Atlas mountains mountain ranges Mt. Everest Mt. Mt. Mt. Kilimanjaro Highest Aconcagua (5,895 m), (8,848 m), McKinley (6,960 m), highest in highest Africa and Mountain highest in the (6,194 m), in South highest volcanic Peaks America mountain peak world highest in the world in North America Himalayan Prairies Campos and Veld and Used for Grasslands Kharkas cattle Llanos Savanna rearing Koshi, St. Lawrence, Amazon, Nile, Congo, Permanent Gandaki and and with Rivers Karnali Mississippi, Parana, Zambezi and high volume of water Missouri and Paraguay and Niger Colorado Orinoco Climate Climatic Climatic Climatic Climatic Climatic diversity due diversity due diversity due diversity due diversity to altitudinal to latitudinal to latitudinal to latitudinal variation extension extension extension In term of social and economic activities, North America is ahead of all while Africa is very behind in development. The economic and social condition of Nepal and South American countries is almost similar. They are developing gradually. Our Earth 245

Activities 1. Observe the geographical structures of North America, South America and Africa in atlas. Compare the mountain ranges and big cities located there and located in Nepal. 2. When did Nepal establish diplomatic relations with the USA and Canada? Find and write. 3. Make a table and show the highest peaks of North America, South America, Africa and Nepal. Exercise Short answer questions: 1. About 75% of the total population of Africa and 3% of Canada are engaged in agriculture. Nepal is also an agricultural country. Compare Nepal with these countries and prepare a note giving reasons for it. 2. Name the animals used as means of transportation in Andes region (S. America), the deserts (Africa) and mountain region of Nepal. 3. What should Nepal learn from the South American, North American and African countries to promote tourism and agriculture? 4. Prairies of North America, Campos and Llanos of South America, Veld and Savanna of Africa and Himalayan Kharka are appropriate for cattle rearing. Make a list showing the geographical characteristic of each of them. 5. Make a table and show the geographical similarities among Nepal, North America, South America and Africa. Project Work Draw the outline maps of North America, South America and Africa. Then mark the main cities in the map. 246 SOCIAL STUDIES - GRADE 10

15LESSON Natural Disasters: Earthquake and Tsunami Introduction (hypocentre) A sudden and terrible event resulting from natural processes of the earth is called natural disaster. Natural disasters cause serious loss, destruction, hardship, unhappiness, or death. Avalanche, earthquake, flood, landslide, drought, explosion, cyclone, hailstone, forest fire, hurricane, lightning, tornado, tsunami, volcanic eruption, etc are the major natural disasters in which a huge amount of lives and properties is lost every year in the world. In this lesson, a short description about Earthquake and Tsunami has been presented below: Earthquake Any sudden movement of earth’s crust due to a natural cause which produces a shaking or trembling is known as earthquake. During the time of earthquake, if the earth’s crust shakes vertically, it is called Vertical Quake and if it shakes horizontally, it is called Horizontal Quake. The powerful vibrations, tremors or shock waves produced by an earthquake are known as seismic or earthquake waves. The waves travel outward in all direction like ripples in water. The place below the earth’s surface where an earthquake originates is known as focus or hypocentre. Most earthquakes have their focus at depths of less than 60 km. The point on the earth’s surface directly above the focus is known as the epicentre. The impact of the earthquake is felt most at the epicentre. Measuring earthquakes TIME The intensity of an earthquake is measured on Richter Scale the Richter scale, so named after the American seismologist Charles F. Richter in 1935 AD. Richter scale ranges from 0 to 9. However, the world’s largest earthquake with an instrumentally documented magnitude occurred on May 22nd, 1960 in southern Chile. It was assigned a magnitude of 9.5 by the United States Geological Survey. Earthquakes of 7 and above intensity on Richter scale are highly destructive. A highly sensitive instrument used for Our Earth 247

measuring the intensity of an earthquake is Rotationg drum Support Support called the seismograph.Aseismograph can Pen measure both the vertical and horizontal Spring Heavy movements and vibrations. Heavy weight weight Pen Causes of earthquakes Rotationg drum The solid crust of the earth is divided into several plates known as Continental Vertical Earth motion Horizontal Earth motion Plates. These plates are floating on molten Seismograph mass called the mantle. Some of these plates have large oceans and continents on them. Sometimes these huge plates move towards Continental Rigid each other and sometime away from each other due plate tectonic plate to tectonic force developed deep inside the surface of the earth. Such movement causes the plates to Oceanic bend, fracture and overlap resulting in earthquake. plate Earthquakes also occur as a result of volcanic eruption. Plate boundary: Shield area most tectonic activity in middle of Distribution of earthquakes takes place here plate: little tectonic activity occurs here Earthquakes are common along fault lines and Continental Plates plate boundaries which are the weaker zones of the earth’s surface. Earthquakes and volcanoes occur in the same region. The earthquake zones of the world are the region surrounding Pacific Ocean also known as “Pacific Ring of Fire”, the Rocky Mountain Range, the Andes Mountain Range, South East Asia, Hindu Kush and Suleiman Ranges, Himalayan range of Asia, Iran, Iraq, Turkey and the Alps of Europe. Earthquakes occurred in Nepal Nepal was hit by the earthquakes on 2nd Magh 1990 BS, on 5th Bhadra 2045 BS and on 12th and 29th Baishakh, 2072 BS severely. They all caused huge loss of life and property. The massive earthquake occurred on 12th Baishakh 2072 BS Destruction by Earthquake was very devastating. The epicenter of this earthquake was in Barpak village of Gorkha. It was measured 7.8 Richter scale in magnitude. This was a highly destructive earthquake which Nepal faced within about 80 years period. It caused unprecedented loss of life and property. It mainly affected the Western and Central region of Nepal. The houses, cultural, religious and historical monuments of these regions were completely destroyed. Thousands of people became homeless and were compelled to spend the days and nights under open sky. Immediately after the earthquake, our neighbouring countries provided rescue and relief operation in affected areas like Kathmandu Valley, 248 SOCIAL STUDIES - GRADE 10

Gorkha, Sindhupalchowk, Dolkha, Rasuwa, Kavre, Nuwakot and other districts. Different donor countries and agencies helped financially and technically for the reconstruction of destroyed settlement areas, monuments and heritages. The Government of Nepal also formed National Reconstruction Authority to accelerate the reconstruction of the destroyed villages and heritages of Nepal. The government also decided to provide financial support to the people for reconstruction of the destroyed structures. Tsunami Alarge destructive wave caused by an underwater earthquake or another movement of the Earth’s surface is known as tsunami. In Japanese language, tsunami means “harbour wave”. When a severe earthquake takes place below the ocean bed, its tremors give rise to a huge wall like sea waves rushing to the coastal low lying areas. They cause destruction of human lives and property in a very large scale. The waves caused by submarine Destruction by Tsunami earthquake are called “tsunamis”. These sea waves are often as high as 27 meters and as long as 160 km travelling at a jet speed of 800 km per hour. The tsunami occurred on the coastal area of Sumatra Island of Indonesia had affected whole Indian Ocean. It had caused the huge loss of property and death of about 40 million people. Similarly, the earthquake and tsunami occurred on 11th March, 2011 AD in the coastal region of Japan caused the death of 15,894 people. During that disaster, 6,152 people were injured and 2,562 were lost. Effects of Earthquake and Tsunami Causes loss of lives and properties, Damages the physical structures, Spreads the epidemics leading further problems, Causes the creation of faults on the Earth’s crust through which eruption may occur, The sources of water may appear or disappear. Awareness and safety measures Natural disasters are inevitable. It is always advisable to be aware of its causes and consequences. Therefore the government as well and the people living in the earthquake and tsunami prone areas should adopt a high level of alertness and appropriate safety measures. The educational institutes should conduct exercises on how to take safety measures on a regular basis. The following awareness and safety measures should be adopted to minimize the loss in the disastrous time. Physical structures should be constructed with disaster resistant technology. In order to minimize the effects from the disaster pre-cautions and preparations should be adopted before the occurrence of disasters. There should be easy access of information to be safe from possible disaster. Essential material should be kept in ready position for the disastrous time. Our Earth 249

Activities 1. Earthquakes cannot be predicted before its occurrence. It is a dreadful natural disaster. It may cause huge loss of lives and properties. We have not been able to protect ourselves from such disasters. Consult with the seniors in your society about their experiences about the earthquake and present it in the class. 2. Write two paragraphs about the massive earthquake occurred in 2072 BS. Exercise Short answer questions: 1. What is an earthquake? Can it be prevented? Explain. 2. Differentiate between Epicentre and Hypocentre. 3. How does Seismograph measure the magnitude of earthquake? Clarify it with figures. 4. Write the differences between earthquake and tsunami. 5. Though the earthquake cannot be prevented, its loss can be minimized. How? 6. Give an introduction of tsunami and mention any three safety measures to be secured from tsunami. 7. What should be done before, during and after the earthquake for safety and alertness? Discuss and write two measures for each. 8. Write a paragraph about the massive earthquake of 2072 BS. 9. Note the role of state regarding natural disaster reduction, precaution and awareness in four points. 10. Fill the following table with causes and effects of earthquake and tsunami. Causes of Effects of Causes of Tsunami Effects of Tsunami Earthquake Earthquake Community Work When and how did you feel the earthquake for the first time? When and how did the senior member of your family feel it? Discuss with him/her and write the experiences on a chart paper and present in front of your friends. 250 SOCIAL STUDIES - GRADE 10