WBBSE Class 8 Geography Chapter 10 South America Topic A Physical Environment Of South America Short Answer Questions

Chapter 10 Topic A General Introduction And Physical Environment Of South America Short Answer Questions

Question 1. What is the Strait of Magellan?
Answer:

Strait Of Magellan:-

The narrow waterbody or passage of water that joins two waterbodies and separates two land masses is called a strait.

The waterbody that exists between the Tierra del Fuego islands and the main landmass of South America is called the Strait of Magellan.

The Portuguese explorer Magellan reached the Pacific Ocean through this strait, after crossing the Atlantic Ocean. Hence, the strait has been named after the explorer.

WBBSE Solutions For Class 8 Geography Chapter 10 Topic A General Introduction And Physical Environment Of South America Strait o Magellan

Question 2. Why is South America also called ‘Latin America’?
Answer:

South America Also Called ‘Latin America’:-

Latin America actually refers to South America as well as Mexico, the Caribbean Islands and the countries of Central America. This region is dominated by Spanish, Portuguese, French and Italians.

Thus the language of the first colonial settlers is widely spoken in this region. These languages have been originated from Latin, the ancient classical language.

Still, now these are practised in Middle and South America. So the region is called Latin America.

Question 3. Mention the main physiographic divisions of South America. Explain briefly about any one of them. Or, Divide South America into physiographic regions. Give a brief. account of any one of them.
Answer: Based on topography, South America has been classified into four physiographic divisions.

These are

  1. The western mountain region,
  2. Narrow coastal plains of the west,
  3. The eastern highland region,
  4. The extensive central plains and

1. The Western Mountain Region:

The mountain region in the west of South America covers the Andes Mountain ranges. The Andes Range is the longest Coastal Plain of a continuous chain of mountains in the world. It extends from Panama in the north to Cape Horn in the south.

It is the second-highest mountain range in the world. The Andes is a chain of young fold mountains and hence is geologically active. This leads to frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

The entire region of the Andes is part of the Pacific Ring of Fire: Mt. Chimborazo (6272 m) and Cotopaxi (5896 m) are the first and second highest active volcanoes on Earth respectively.

WBBSE Class 8 South America Short Answer Questions

The highest mountain peak in the Andes is the Aconcagua (6960m). World’s highest lake, Titicaca (3810m) is located in this area.

2. Narrow Coastal Plains of the west:

Besides the Central Plains, there are a narrow stretches of plain lands lying along the western, eastern and northern coasts of South America. In western part, the Andes descend abruptly into the ocean.

Thus, it can be said that the coastlines barely exist here. Atacama desert, about 1100 km long lies in the middle of this region. This is one of the most driest and drought-prone areas of the world.

On the other hand, the coastal plains are quite extensive in the eastern as well as the northern parts, near the Amazon and the La Plata river basins.

3. Eastern Highland Region:

The Eastern Highlands consist of the Guiana Highlands (average height 800 m) in the north, the Brazilian Highlands (average height 1000m) in the east and the Patagonian Plateau region in the south.

The Amazon separates the Guiana Highlands from the Brazilian Highlands. The Mato Grosso plateau exists between Brazilian Highlands and Andes.

This area acts as a watershed between Amazon and La Plata river. The Angel Falls in Venezuela is in the Guiana Highlands. It is the world’s highest waterfall (979 m) and is situated on a tributary of the river Orinoco.

Roraima (2769 m) is the highest peak of the Guiana Highlands. The Brazilian Highlands extend over a larger area and are higher than the Guiana Highlands. The Brazilian Highlands cover the eastern part of South America.

The central parts of the Brazilian Highlands are occupied by the Campos grasslands. Pico-da-Banderia is the highest peak of this region located along the coastal zone of the Atlantic Ocean in the south-eastern margin of this highland.

The rivers San Francisco and the Parana flow through these highlands. The Patagonian Plateau is situated close to the southern part of the Andes and the western part of Argentina. This region gradually slopes down to the Atlantic Ocean.

The climatic condition in the plateau region is arid. Patagonia is a large cold desert and experiences an average temperature of 3°C.

4. The extensive Central Plain:

These plains consist of three large river basins-the Orinoco river basin, the Amazon river basin and the La Plata river basin. The Central Plains refer to the vast stretch of plainland that lies between the Andes and the Eastern Highlands.

The Orinoco River originates in the Guiana Highlands and after travelling through Venezuela and Colombia, meets the Atlantic Ocean. The Orinoco River basin covers the northern region of South America.

The World’s largest river in terms of water discharge, is the Amazon. The rainforest formed along the Amazon river basin is the largest in the world.

WBBSE Class 8 Physical Environment of South America

The Amazon originates in the Andes and after travelling through Peru, Ecuador, Colombia and Brazil, it drains into the Atlantic Ocean. The La Plata basin consists of three major rivers-the Parana, the Paraguay and Uruguay.

These rivers originate in the Brazilian Highlands and join the Atlantic Ocean. The river basin is in the southern part of the continent.

Question 4. Write a brief note on the Andes mountain range.
Answer:

Andes Mountain Range:-

The Andes is the world’s longest range of mountains. It extends from the Caribbean Sea in the north to Cape Horn in the south. This range consists very high mountain peaks and it is the longest mountain chain of the world.

It becomes narrower in the east-western parts. The Andes is a range of young fold mountains and so, the process of its formation is still continuing. As a result of this, the Andes region is highly prone to earthquakes.

The highest peak of the Andes is the Aconcagua (6960 metre). In many places of Andes region, intermontane plateaus are located, such as- Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru, Titicaca, etc. Titicaca Lake (3810m) is the highest lake of the world.

Question 5. Why are the hilly regions of the Andes prone to earthquakes?
Answer:

Hilly Regions Of The Andes Prone To Earthquakes:-

The Andes hilly regions are earthquake-prone, because-

  1. The Andes has developed on the convergence point of the Nazca oceanic plate and the South American continental plate. Since these two plates are dynamic and are moving towards each other, it makes that particular region earthquake-prone.
  2. As a result of the convergence of these two plates, many volcanoes have developed in the Andes region. Due to volcanic eruptions, this region is prone to earthquakes as well.
  3. Since the region is made up of soft sedimentary rocks, landslides are common and the process of land formation is still continuing. Hence, the Andes region is earthquake-prone.

WBBSE Solutions For Class 8 Geography Chapter 10 Topic A General Introduction And Physical Environment Of South America The Andes mountains and its plate region

Question 6. Describe the important volcanoes in South America.
Answer:

Important Volcanoes In South America:-

Aconcagua, the highest mountain peak in South America is an extinct volcano. It is in the west-central Argentine province of Mendoza. and has an altitude of 6960 metres.

Mount Chimborazo (6267 metres) and Cotopaxi (5896 metres) are two notable active volcanoes in Ecuador. These are the first and second highest active volcanoes on the earth respectively.

Both of these are located on the volcanic belt of the Pacific Ocean. [Ojos del Salado, situated on the Chile-Argentina border, is now considered to the highest active volcano in the world.]

Question 7. Briefly discuss the northern plateau region of South America.
Answer:

Northern Plateau Region Of South America:-

Location:

The northern plateau region of South America extends from the Andes in the west to the Atlantic coast in the east. It is as old as the Deccan plateau of India and the Canadian shield of North America.

Characteristics:

The following characteristic features are found in this region-

  1. It is a type of ancient dissected plateau made of hard rock.
  2. Although it is made of hard rock, erosion by natural forces such as wind, rain and river has reduced the height of the plateau to some extent. At present, the average height of the plateau is 800 metres.
  3. Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana and Brazil are the five countries across which the plateau region extends. The region is also known as the Guiana Highlands. Its length is 1600 km, its average height is 300m- 1500m and its maximum height is 3000 m.
  4. The plateau region is quite high in Venezuela because some mountain ranges have also developed there. The region slopes towards the north and east coasts.
  5. Angel, the world’s highest waterfall is located in this upland.
  6. Roraima (2769 m) is the highest peak of this region.

South America Geography Short Answer Questions

Question 8. Describe the important plains of South river basin and America.
Answer:

Important Plains Of South River Basin And America:-

There is a vast stretch of plainland which extends from north to south of the continent of South America. This region has the Andes mountains to the west, the Guiana Highlands to the north and the Brazilian Highlands to the east.

WBBSE Solutions For Class 8 Geography Chapter 10 Topic A General Introduction And Physical Environment Of South America Plains Of South America

Some important rivers, namely, the Amazon, the Orinoco and the La Plata, pass through this region. According to physical features, this region can be classified into the following four sub-divisions-

  1. Plains of the amazon river basin,
  2. Plains of the Orinoco river basin,
  3. Plains of the la plata river basin and
  4. The parana-paraguay among these, the plains of the amazon river basin are the largest but, they are not flat throughout and have some uneven highlands and hillocks.

The plains of the Amazon are called the Selva, those of the Orinoco are called the Llanos, and the Parana-Paraguay plains are known as the Gran Chaco. The La Plata plains of Argentina are called the Pampas.

Question 9. Describe the central and eastern plateau regions of South America.
Answer:

Central And Eastern Plateau Regions Of South America:-

There is a vast highland region in the eastern and central parts of South America. The eastern part is known as the Brazilian Highland (it occupies almost rd of Brazil’s total area) and the central part is known as the Mato Grosso Plateau.

The following characteristic features are found in this region-

  1. The Mato Grosso Plateau region has actually connected the Andes mountain range in the west with the Brazilian Highlands in the east.
  2. The famous Iguazu waterfall is situated here.
  3. The eastern side of the Brazilian Highlands, i.e., the side towards the Atlantic. Ocean is very steep. However, the western side gradually slopes towards the central plainland. This implies that the highland slopes from east to northwest.
  4. A vast stretch of this highland is occupied by the Campos grassland.
  5. The highlands have an average elevation of 1000 metres. Pico-da-Bandeira is the highest peak of this region.

Question 10. Differentiate between the Brazilian Highlands and the Guiana Highlands.
Answer: The differences between the Brazilian and the Guiana Highlands are as follows-

WBBSE Solutions For Class 8 Geography Chapter 10 Topic A General Introduction And Physical Environment Of South AmericDifferentiate Brazilian and Guiana highlands

Class 8 Geography South America Topic A Solutions

Question 11. Classify the central plains of South America according to regional variations.
Answer: The central plains of South America are classified as follows-

WBBSE Solutions For Class 8 Geography Chapter 10 Topic A General Introduction And Physical Environment Of South America Central plains of south America

 

Question 12. Give a physiographic description of the Amazon River basin.
Answer:

Amazon River Basin:-

In terms of physical features, they can be classified into three main sub-divisions, Amazon river basin is a plainland.

Origin:

The Amazon, passes through the adjacent highlands of the western part of the Andes, the northern part of Guiana Highlands and the southeastern part of the Brazilian Highlands.

Along its course, the river has transported and accumulated sand and silt to form the vast Amazon River basin.

Features:

  1. The size of the Amazon River basin is 7050000 sq. km and it slopes from west to east.
  2. The region is wide in the west and quite narrow in the east.
  3. Due to the winding course of the Amazon river in the central region, several oxbow lakes, canals and swamps are found there.
  4. Many riverine islands are there in the mouth of the river, among which Marajo is the largest.

Physical classification:

The Amazon river basin is according to its physical features. These are-

  1. The western highlands,
  2. The central and eastern plains and,
  3. The northern and southeastern highlands (Guinea and brazil).

Question 13. Which is the main river of South America? Write a brief note on it.
Answer: Amazon is the main river of South America. The length of this river is 6437 km.

Amazon River: It is the largest river of the world in terms of the volume of water discharge.

Origin: Mismi peak in the Andes. Length: 6437km

Tributaries:

  1. Left bank tributaries-Putu- mayo, Japure, Negro, Napo, etc.,
  2. Right bank tributaries-Madeira, Jurua, Purus, Xingu, etc.

Special features:

  1. It is the largest river in the world in terms of the discharge of water.
  2. It is the second longest river in the world after the river Nile of Egypt.
  3. Though it has no delta near its mouth, the largest riverine island of the world, the Marajo, has developed on this river.
  4. The discharge of water per second is 209000 cubic metres.
  5. There are about more than 1000 tributaries of Amazon and they are quite long.

Mouth: North Atlantic Ocean.

Navigable course: 3600km from the mouth.

WBBSE Class 8 Geography Exercise on South America

Question 14. On which river is the world’s highest waterfall located? Describe that river. 
Answer: The world’s highest waterfall is the Angel Falls which falls from a height of 979 metres. It is situated on the course of the river Orinoco. [Actually, Angel waterfall is situated on the river Caroni which is a tributary of the river Orinoco.]

WBBSE Solutions For Class 8 Geography Chapter 10 Topic A General Introduction And Physical Environment Of South America Angel Falls

Orinoco River: It is the third largest river of the world in terms of the volume of water discharge.

Origin: The Orinoco originates from the Parima mountain in the Guiana Highlands to the south of Venezuela.

Length of its course: 2150 km

Tributaries: Meta, Caroni, Inirida and Guaviare.

Special Features: World’s highest waterfall, the Angel Falls has formed on the river Orinoco. The only delta in South America has developed at the mouth of the Orinoco River.

Mouth: The Atlantic Ocean.

Question 15. Write a short note on the La Plata River.
Answer:

La Plata River:-

The major river that flows through the southern part of South America is the La Plata. The Paraguay River originates from the Mato Grosso Plateau region and the Parana River originates from the Brazilian highlands.

These two rivers flow separately for about 2400km and converge with each other. The combined channel flow further south in the form of the Parana River.

Then, the Salado river from the west and the Uruguay River from the east joins the Parana and flow as the La Plata through Argentina, to meet the Atlantic Ocean. The deltaic area of La Plata is known as Rio-de-la- Plata.

At the mouth, the river is 224 km wide. The La Plata River has the Campos grassland to its north and the Pampas grassland to its south. This estuary has developed in port and water transportation facilities.

Question 16. No delta has formed in the mouth of the Amazon River. Why?
Answer:

No delta has formed in the mouth of the Amazon River:-

The mouth of the Amazon has no delta because of the following reasons-

  1. The Amazon River basin slopes towards the sea. Hence, a large volume of water gets discharged into the Atlantic Ocean with great force.
  2. The mouth of the river is very wide. Due to this, the tidal waves can enter the river without any barrier and thus, silt deposition is prevented.
  3. Since the ocean current is very high near the mouth, the silt carried along by the river gets removed by it. Hence, no delta has developed on the mouth of the Amazon River.

Question 17. Which are the important lakes in South America? Describe any one of them.
Answer: There are quite a few big lakes in South America-Titicaca, Poopo, Junin, Sarococha, Maracaibo, etc.

Titicaca lake:

Titicaca is situated at Peru- Bolivia border in the Andes region. It is the highest navigable lake of the world. Actually, the lake is situated in the Bolivia plateau region, which is surrounded by the Andes mountain range.

It is quite big in terms of size as well. The average depth of the lake is about 107 m. Hence, small ships and other means of water transport are able to travel across the lake. This lake is at an altitude of 3810 metres.

The river Desaguadero has originated from it.

Understanding Physical Environment of South America

Question 18. Briefly describe the major climatic regions that are prevalent in the continent of South America.
Answer:

Major Climatic Regions That Are Prevalent In The Continent Of South America:-

WBBSE Solutions For Class 8 Geography Chapter 10 Topic A General Introduction And Physical Environment Of South America Various Climatic regions of South America

Question 19. Describe the climatic features of the is Orinoco River basin in Venezuela to the Amazon River basin.
Answer: The climatic features of the Amazon River basin are as follows-

Climate type:

The Amazon River basin experiences hot and humid climate because of its location in the equatorial climatic region.

Temperature:

Season change does not occur here. Humid summers prevail throughout the year and the average annual temperature is 27°C.

Rainfall:

Heavy convectional rainfall, along with thunder and lightning, occurs in the evenings in this region. The average annual rainfall is 250 cm-300 cm or more.

Humidity:

The humidity of this region is almost 90%. Hence, the climate is wet, uncomfortable and unhealthy. There is no climatic variation because of the high water vapour content in the air.

Heavy rainfall causes the rivers to collect large volumes of water which sometimes overflow and cause floods.

Question 20. Write about the Savanna grassland.
Answer:

Savanna grassland:-

About 20 per cent of total land of South America is covered with tropical grassland called the Savanna. Both trees and grasses grow here, neither of which is very tall in size.

The grassland has tree cover of 10-15 per cent and grass cover of 85-90 per cent. These trees and grasses are generally found in the transitional regions between deserts and forests.

These grow during specific seasons. The Savanna grassland is found in Venezuela, Brazil, Argentina and the northern parts of Uruguay.

WBBSE Class 8 Geography Chapter 10 Notes

Question 21. Discuss the tropical grasslands in South America.
Answer:

Tropical Grasslands In South America:-

The tropical grasslands are found mainly in the intermediate regions of 5°N-20°S latitudes of South America. This stretch of land is known as the Savanna grasslands. These grasslands are seen in two regions.

One of them north of the Equator, while the other is the Brazilian Highlands to the south of the Equator. These two grasslands are locally known as the Llanos (in the Orinoco river basin) and the Campos (in the Brazilian Highlands).

Although the grasses that grow here have varying lengths (approximately 4 metres), they are all quite thick and sturdy by nature.

Question 22. Write a short note on the Campos.
Answer:

Campos:-

The tropical grassland in the Brazilian Highlands to the south of the equator, is called the Campos. The characteristics of the grassland are-

  1. Instead of trees, different types of grasses grow here because the hot climatic conditions cause rapid evaporation of rainwater.
  2. Tall, thick grasses grow near the equator as this region receives more rainfall.
  3. The scattered growth of deciduous trees is also seen in this region.

Question 23. Elucidate on the Gran Chaco.
Answer:

Gran Chaco:-

Gran Chaco is the region where mixed vegetation of dense deciduous forests and grasses have grown. It has developed along the Parana-Paraguay river valley in the southern part of the Brazilian Highlands.

This region remains warm all the year round. There is moderate to heavy rainfall during summer, but the winter months are very dry. Trees in these forests shed their leaves in the winter, have very strong trunks and yield hardwood.

For example, the hardwood Quebracho or the’ axe-breaker’ is a deciduous tree.

Question 24. What are the factors that led to the formation of the Atacama desert?
Answer:

Factors That Led To The Formation Of The Atacama Desert:-

During the summer months, the trade winds collect a large amounts of water vapour from the Atlantic Ocean.

Then, in accordance with Ferrel’s Law, these trade winds deflect to the right and become the Northeastern trade winds in the northern hemisphere and divert to the left in the form of the Southeastern trade winds in the southern hemisphere.

These winds enter South America from the east. On hitting the Andes in the western part of South America, these winds cause heavy rainfall on the eastern slope of the Andes.

However, when these winds reach the western slope of the mountain range, their water vapour content decreases. Henceforth, they cannot cause rainfall.

Therefore, the Atacama desert has developed in the northern part of Chile, which is situated on the western slope of the Andes.

WBBSE Class 8 South America Question Answers

Question 25. Write a short note on the Atacama Desert.
Answer:

Atacama Desert:-

The Atacama Desert lying in the Pacific coast extends in Peru and Chile (up to 30°S latitudes). Being situated in the leeward side of the Andes, it is the driest, hot tropical desert.

It covers a 105000 sq. km area. Lack of precipitation and the existence of cold Humboldt currents along the southwest coast of South America have resulted in this desert.

Annual average rainfall in this desert ranges between 1mm-15mm. Some parts of this desert have never met rain at all. The Atacama Desert is also the driest non-polar region in the world.

WBBSE Solutions For Class 8 Geography Chapter 10 Topic A General Introduction And Physical Environment Of South America Atacama Desert

Question 26. Give an account of the arid and semi-arid climatic regions in South America.
Answer:

Arid And Semi-Arid Climatic Regions In South:-

The northern part of Chile (to the west of the Andes) remains rain-deprived because it is located in the rain-shadow region of the Andes Mountains, in the path of the southeast trade winds.

On the other hand, the area is also considerably hotter since it is in the tropical region. As a result, the climate is hot and dry, which has led to the development of the hot desert of Atacama.

Again, the southern part of Argentina (to the east of the Andes) also remains rain-deprived because it is located in the rain-shadow area in the path of the westerlies.

Even though the region is in the temperate zone and is less hot, lack of rainfall has led to the development of the Patagonian semi-arid region.

Question 27. Write a brief note on the Patagonian desert.
Answer:

Patagonian Desert:-

The Patagonian Desert lies in the southern part of Argentina in South America. It is a temperate desert and hence, a cool climate prevails there throughout the year.

Being located in the rain-shadow area of the Andes, it receives the very little amount of rain from the westerlies. It extends for 673000 sq. km. This region experiences about seven months of winter and five months of summer.

The average temperature in this desert generally ranges from 3°C-12°C. The Patagonian Desert is the largest desert of Argentina.

Short Answer Questions on South America for Class 8

Question 28. Why is Quito, the capital of Ecuador, called the ‘Land of Eternal Spring’?
Answer:

Quito, The Capital Of Ecuador, Called The ‘Land Of Eternal Spring’:-

Equatorial regions generally have hot and humid climates throughout the year. The capital of Ecuador, Quito, is in the northwestern part of South America.

Although the city is situated on the equator (0°), the land on which the city has developed is quite high (at the height of 2891 m, on the Andes).

Due to this, as per the normal lapse rate of temperature (6.5°C decrease per every 1000 m of ascent), the climatic condition of the city is pleasant and relatively cool all through the year. Hence, Quito is called the ‘Land of Eternal Spring’.

 

 

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