South America

South America along with Mexico, Central America and the islands of the Caribbean constitutes Latin America.

Population is unevenly distributed in the continent, as lofty mountains, rugged terrain, dense forests and dry desert areas do not encourage settlements. Fertile land and favourable climate of coastal regions have attracted people to settle there.

Two distinguishable features of a young fold mountain are as follows:

1. They are mountains that have been formed in the last 2 million years and occur in parallel ranges.
2. Steep slopes with sharp and high crests distinguish these mountains from old-fold ones.

The Andes were formed in relatively recent period in the long history of the Earth. Rocks on the Earth's surface were compressed and folded owing to the forces acting in the interior of the Earth. This continues even today and makes this region prone to earthquakes and volcanic activities.

1. Rainforest — Rainforest is a luxuriant, dense forest of hardwood evergreen trees found typically in tropical areas especially equatorial areas with consistently heavy rainfall throughout the year. They are renowned for their rich biodiversity.

2. Intermontane Plateau — Intermontane plateaus are surrounded by high mountains on all sides. The Andes consist of two or three parallel ranges with several intermontane plateaus lying between them. Notable among them is the Bolivian Plateau. It is the most extensive area of high plateau in the world after the Tibetan Plateau of Asia.

3. Landlocked countries — Landlocked countries are those countries that are entirely enclosed by land without any sea or ocean bordering them.

4. Pacific Ring of Fire — The Pacific Ring of Fire is a horseshoe-shaped zone around the edges of the Pacific Ocean known for its high volcanic and earthquake activity. It includes several tectonic plate boundaries where plates are colliding, sliding past, or moving apart, causing frequent earthquakes and volcanic activities surrounding the Pacific Ocean. Several peaks of the Andes are part of the Pacific Ring of Fire.

1. Bolivian Plateau — Bolivian Plateau is an Intermontane Plateau which lies between the parallel ranges of the Andes. It is the most extensive area of high plateau in the world after the Tibetan Plateau of Asia.

2. Lake Titicaca — Lake Titicaca is located in the Bolivian Plateau of the Andes. It is the highest navigable water body of the world.

Two notable features of the Eastern Highlands are as follows:

1. They are a part of the old land mass of Gondwanaland and are made up of very old rocks such as those found in the Deccan Plateau in India.
2. The old, hard rocks of the Eastern Highlands are rich sources of minerals such as iron ore and tin.

The Amazon Basin is home to the largest rainforest in the world. It consists of a wide variety of ecosystems ranging from grasslands to swamps. Two-thirds of this forestland lie in Brazil. The region experiences hot and humid climate as it receives abundant sunlight and rainfall. This has led to the development of thick rainforests of tall, hardwood, evergreen trees with layered vegetation.

The Amerindians, also known as Native Americans, live a forest-based life. They depend on the forest for everything— food, clothing, shelter and medicines. People depend mostly on primitive occupations such as hunting and food gathering. Since food gathering and hunting does not always provide a steady supply of food, Shifting cultivation is practised in the rainforest. About a hectare of land is cleared often by the slash-and-burn method.

Today the area under the Amazon rainforest or Selvas is rapidly declining because of the following reasons:

1. Shifting cultivation along with reckless human activities such as ranching, mining, logging and urbanisation.
2. In the recent past, forest fires have become the biggest threat to the Amazon rainforest. Sometimes, the forest continues to burn for a long time, thus reducing vast reserves of oxygen.
3. Millions of trees in the Amazon have been lost to logging and fires in recent years.
4. In the name of development, mining and logging are active in the region while the forest is paying a very heavy price. The forest dwellers remain mere spectators to the vanishing habitat.

Spanish, Portuguese

Brazil, Argentina

Brasilia

Parana, Sao Francisco

Patagonia

Differences between a peninsula and an isthmus:

Differences between the Guiana Highlands and the Brazilian Highlands:

Differences between the Andes and the Rockies:

South America lies entirely in the Western Hemisphere, and leaving a small part in the north. The Equator passes through the northern part, while the Tropic of Capricorn passes through the south-central part of the continent. Thus, a large part of the continent lies in the South Torrid Zone.

The continent of South America forms a peninsula as it is covered by water on three sides and connected to the mainland on one side. The continent is bounded by the Atlantic Ocean in the east, the Pacific Ocean in the west and the Caribbean Sea in the northwest. The Drake Passage separates it from Antarctica. Thus, the entire continent is surrounded by water except a narrow stretch of land in the north.

During the formation on the Andes, rocks on the Earth's surface were compressed and folded owing to the forces acting in the interior of the Earth. This continues even today and makes this region prone to earthquakes and volcanic activities.

Also, several peaks of the Andes Mountains are volcanic peaks as the Andes are part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, a zone of earthquake and volcanic activities surrounding the Pacific Ocean.

Hunting is done in a group in the Amazon River Basin because it requires planning, cooperation, and a clear division of tasks. The dense rainforest makes it difficult to track animals, so group hunting improves the chances of success. Working together also helps in setting traps, surrounding animals, and ensuring safety from wild creatures.

Tropic of Capricorn

Ecuador

Brazil

Pampas.

Paraguay.

Aconcagua

Andes Mountains

The Amazon River Basin

Atacama Desert

Isthmus of Panama

The Drake Passage

Lake Titicaca

Angel Falls

The Galapagos Islands

1. The occupation being discussed in the given passage is Shifting Cultivation, which is also known as Slash-and-burn agriculture.

2. The usual practice of making the soil nutrient-rich is to burn the felled trees and then mix their ashes in the soil as nutrients.

3. The crops that are grown there include yams, manioc, beans, tobacco, cocoa and pumpkins.

4. This practice contributes to environmental degradation because it involves clearing and burning sections of rainforest, which leads to:

   1. Loss of forest cover
   2. Soil erosion
   3. Loss of biodiversity
   4. Air pollution from burning
   5. Repeated clearing over time reduces the forest's ability to regenerate.

The similarities between the forests of Canada (mostly coniferous forests) and the rainforests of Brazil (Amazon) are:

1. Rich Natural Resources: Both forests are rich in natural vegetation and resources—Canada’s forests provide timber and pulp, while Brazil’s rainforests offer hardwood trees, medicinal plants, and more.

2. Support Wildlife: Both forests support diverse wildlife, though the species vary due to climate. They serve as habitats for animals, birds, and insects.

3. Important for Economy: Forestry is an important economic activity in both countries — timber, paper, and forest products are major exports.

4. Environmental Importance: Both forests play a vital role in maintaining ecological balance — they absorb carbon dioxide, produce oxygen, and influence the climate.

5. Under Threat: Both are facing threats from deforestation, though the reasons may differ — logging and mining in Canada, and Shifting cultivation along with reckless human activities such as ranching, mining, logging and urbanisation in Amazon Rainforests.

1. The creatures in the image are found in the Galapagos Islands.

2. The Galapagos Islands lie off the coast of Ecuador in the Pacific Ocean.

3. The picture on the left shows Blue-footed booby, which is known for its distinctive bright blue feet.
   The picture on the right shows Galapagos giant tortoise, which is known for its long lifespan, sometimes living over 100 years, and its large size, being the largest living species of tortoise.

Picture 1

1. The given picture depicts Atacama Desert, which is the driest region of the world.

2. The Atacama Desert is located in Chile, South America.

3. Diverse wildlife adapted to these extreme conditions includes the Andean flamingo, various species of reptiles, and the gray fox.

Picture 2

1. Cotopaxi (5,911 m) is one of the highest active volcanic peaks in the world.

2. This peak belongs to the Andes Mountains.

3. The Andes were formed in relatively recent period in the long history of the Earth. Rocks on the Earth's surface were compressed and folded owing to the forces acting in the interior of the Earth. This continues even today and makes this region prone to earthquakes and volcanic activities.

1. Amazon river

2. It originates in the Andes Mountains drains into the Atlantic Ocean.

3. The Amazon ecosystem is experiencing:

   1. Deforestation due to logging, agriculture, and cattle ranching.
   2. Loss of biodiversity as natural habitats are being destroyed.
   3. Climate change impacts, like reduced rainfall and increasing temperatures, which threaten the rainforest's survival.

4. Tribes living in the Amazon Basin include:

   1. Yanomami
   2. Ticuna
   3. Kayapo
   4. Munduruku

5. The people living in the Amazon Basin practise shifting cultivation, also known as slash-and-burn agriculture. It is harmful to the environment in the following ways:

   1. Leads to deforestation, as new forest areas are constantly cleared.
   2. Depletes soil nutrients quickly, making land unfit for future farming and contributing to environmental degradation.