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CONTINENTS

You have already learned about thephysiography, climate, resources and thefactors that influence the human life onthe continents like Australia, NorthAmerica, and South America.

• Which are the continents that you haveto get acquainted with?

• Which is the largest continent?

ASIAAsia is the continent that has one third ofthe total land area of the world.

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Figure - 3.1

Location

Latitude LongitudeAsia 10°11′ South 26°2′ East

81°12′ North 169°40′ West

Asia

Australia

Europe

Africa

AtlanticOceanNorth

America

SouthAmerica

PacificOcean

IndianOcean

Observe the world map and find out themajor latitudes that pass through thecontinent of Asia.

With the help of an atlas answer thefollowing.

• The canal that separates the continentsof Asia and Africa

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3• The largest country in Asia

• The oceans that surround Asia

• The Asian countries that share theirboundaries with India

• The strait that separates North Americafrom Asia

Physiographic DivisionsAsia is divided into the followingphysiographic divisions.

• The Northern Lowlands

• The Central Mountain Chains

• Old Plateaus of the South

Northern lowlands

This is the region found to the south of

the Arctic Ocean covering the majority ofSiberia. Even though they are lowlandsthey are not plains. They have mountainsand plateaus. The Ural Mountains foundon the western side of the northernlowlands separate Asia from Europe.

Find out the location of the UralMountains with help of an atlas.

The Central Mountain Chains

This physiographic division is found onthe southern side of the northern lowlands.The mountain ranges of Asia are extendedfrom the Pamir Knot which is locatedalmost at the centre of Asia. The PamirKnot is known as the 'Roof of the World'.The Hindukush and the Sulaiman are thetwo mountain ranges that extend towards

Figure - 3.2

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3the west of the Pamir Knot. Four mountainranges are seen towards the east of thePamir Knot. The most important amongthem is the Himalayas. The Kunlun andthe Altin are the mountain ranges situatedon the north of the Himalayas.Arakanyoma is a large mountain rangethat runs first towards the southwest fromthe eastern tip of the Himalayas and thenturns towards the south. The centralmountain chain contains many peaksincluding the highest peak in the world -the Mt. Everest.

With the help of an atlas prepare a table

showing the major peaks of the central

mountain chains, their height and the

countries to which they belong.

Old Plateaus of the South

This physiographic division includesthree major plateaus, Arabia, Deccan andIndo-China. They are formed of relativelyold and hard rocks. Though it has somerivers, this is mostly a dry region and liesbetween the Red Sea and the River Tigriswith a west to east slope.

With the help of an atlas find out the

deserts and countries in old plateau

region.

The Great River Valleys

These are fertile alluvial lowlands. Thisregion comprises eight valleys namely,the Tigris-Euphrates valleys, the Indusvalley, the Ganga-Brahmaputra valleys,the Menam valley, the Iravathi valley, theMekong valley, the Yangtze valley and theHwanho valley. This highly fertile region

is one of the most thickly populatedregions of the world.

With the help of an atlas prepare a table

showing the major rivers of Asia and

the countries through which they flow.

The Island Groups

Most of the islands are the elevatedportions of mountain ranges found in theoceans which are the continuation ofmountain ranges of the mainland. Someisland groups have many volcanoes.Japan, Philippines, Indonesia, KurileIslands and Formosa are the major islandgroups.

Climatic Regions and NaturalVegetationFollowing are the important factors thatinfluence the climate of Asia.

• Location of the continent

• Area

• Altitude above mean sea level

• Nearness to ocean

• Location of mountains

• The course of the monsoon

Get to know about the climatic regions,

their peculiarities, the places where they

are experienced and the natural

vegetation of Asia from the given table.

Asia: Resources and Distribution ofPopulation

Forest Resources

Tall and large trees grow densely in theequatorial regions of Asia. The type ofvegetation varies depending upon the

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3variations in rainfall. Evergreen and semi evergreen forests grow in regions whichhave the influence of monsoons and cactus type of vegetation grows in the desert regions.Observe table 3.1 and prepare a note on the various types of vegetation of Asia.

Agriculture

This continent having mountains,plateaus, deserts and dense forestsexperiences water scarcity in manyregions. Most of the people of Asia dependon agriculture for livelihood. China, thelargest producer of rice in the world is inthe continent of Asia. Various crops likewheat, pulses, oil seeds, cotton, jute,rubber, tea, coffee etc. are cultivated indifferent parts of Asia.

Mineral Resources

Asia is a storehouse of various minerals.Hence mining is a major occupation inAsia. About 90% of mica produced in theworld is mined from Asia. In addition tothis, minerals such as monazite, tin,tungsten, iron ore, manganese, bauxite,gold, silver etc. are also mined in Asia.Asia also has large deposits of coal andpetroleum.

Asia: Climatic Characteristics and Natural VegetationClimatic

Climatic Characteristics Places Experiencing Vegetation RegionsTropical • High temperature throughout the year East Indian Islands, Rubber, MahaClimate • Convectional rainfall with thunder Malaysia and Indonesia gony, Rosewood

Monsoon • Cold and dry winter India, Myanmar and Teak, SandalClimate South China wood, Peepal,

• Summer with intermittent heat and Bamboorainfall

Desert • Low rainfall ,dry climate with high and Middle Asia, Arabia and Grasses andClimate low temperatures Thar desert of India Cactuses

Temperate • Moderate rainfall, high Central Asian Deserts, Oak, CamphorGrass lands temperature and cold their north and north

western regions

Moderate cool • Winter season with high cold and Northern Asia Grasses Climate less rainfall

Tundra • Excessive cold and Northern most AlgaeClimate covered with snow throughout the year regions of Asia

Mediterranean • Mild temperatures, and winter with Israel, Turkey, Jordan, Fruits like orangeClimate a fair amount of rainfall Syria and western Asia and grapes and

• Summer with high temperature olive

Table 3.1

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3Distribution of Population

Asia, the largest continent in the world isalso the continent with the highestpopulation. About 60% of the world'spopulation lives in Asia. It is also acontinent with diverse distribution ofpopulation. The Ganga Valley, theYangtze -Tsikiang Valley, Java Island ofIndonesia, Singapore,Japan etc. areregions with a high density of population.Moderate population is found in thecoastal regions of Turkey, Southeast Asiaand in some Arabian countries. Butpopulation is sparse in the central Asiandeserts, southwest Asia and northernRussia.

A Continent with Diversities

Asia is a continent marked by diversegeographical characteristics. Find out thefollowing.

• The highest peak in the world

• The lake found in the highest place onthe earth.

• Region found below the sea level

• The place that receives the highestamount of rainfall in the world

Identify more diversities and prepare anote on the topic, Asia: A Continentof Diversities'

EuropeThe continent got its name from 'Europa',the name of the daughter of Prince Phoenixof the Greek story. What could be thereasons for this?• Large scale trade• High density of population• Absence of hot deserts•

Location

Europe is a continent located fully in thenorthern hemisphere. It is situatedbetween 34°51' N and 81°47' N latitudesand 24°33'W and 69°03' E longitudes.

Locate Europe on the world map and

mark its latitudes and longitudes.

The total area of Europe, which issurrounded by oceans on three sides, is10,49,8000 sq.km. As a common regionEurope and Asia are together known as'Eurasia'.

Find out the answers for the following

with the help of an atlas.

• Which is the mountain range

located on the eastern side of

Europe?

• Which is the ocean located on the

western side of Europe?

• Which are the five countries known

as the 'Scandinavian Countries'?

Physiography

Europe is a continent with manymountains and vast plains. More than halfof Europe lies at an average height of 200mabove the sea level.

Europe has been divided into thefollowing physiographic divisions.

• The North Western Mountain Region

• The North European Plains

• The Central Uplands

• The Alpine System

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Figure - 3.3: Europe - Physiographic Division

The North Western Mountain Region

The region extends from Finland toSweden, Norway, the British Islescomprising Britain and Ireland andIceland. The topography of this region asseen today is the result of the process ofweathering and erosion by glaciers over along period of time. The oldest mountainsof Europe are found in this region. Thenorth western mountain region which isrich in mineral resources has limiteddeposits of coal and petroleum.

The North European Plains

This is a vast plain which covers almosthalf of Europe. It extends from the Atlanticcoast in the west to Ural Mountains in theeast. These plains are formed by thedeposits of rivers. Holland, Belgium,Denmark, western France, northernGermany and Poland are the majorcountries situated in the NorthernEuropean Plains.

With the help of an atlas identify themajor rivers flowing through thisregion.

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3The Central Uplands

This region includes the mountains, hillsand plains lying between the NorthEuropean Plains and the Alps Mountainranges. The mountains in this region havean average altitude of 1600 m above thesea level.

Europe has been classified into thefollowing five climatic divisions.

• West European Type

• Continental Type

• Mediterranean Type

• Taiga Type

• Tundra Type

West European Type

This is the climatic type of western coastalregions. This includes countries likeIreland, Britain, Denmark, Holland,Belgium and northern Spain.

Planetary winds and ocean currents are

the factors that control the climate of

this region. Identify them and prepare

a note.

Continental Type

This type of climate is experienced in East-Central Europe. Since this region is locatedfar away from the oceans, winters are verycold here. A low amount of rainfall isreceived during the summer season.

Mediterranean Type

This type of climate is experienced aroundthe Mediterranean Sea in the southernEurope. Countries experiencingmediterranean type of climate arePortugal, Spain, southern France, Italy,and Greece. Since it is a moderate climate,it is highly suitable for the cultivation offruits. Olives, oranges and lemons growabundantly here.

The Central Uplands include the UralMountains and the Black Forest ofGermany.

The Alpine SystemThe Alpine System includes mountainranges extending from the Atlantic Oceanin the west to the Caspian Sea in the east.Parallel fold mountains are thepeculiarities of this region.

Climate

The following are the major factorscontrolling the climate of Europe.

• Physiography

• Nearness to oceans

• Planetary winds

• Ocean Currents

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3Taiga Type

The Taiga type of climate experienced innorthern Europe extends from 50° Nlatitude to the Arctic Circle. Countries likeNorway, Sweden, and Finland comeunder this region. This region where treeslike pine and fir grow is utilized byEurpoe for the requirement of timber.

Tundra Type

This type of climate is found in theextreme north of Europe. This region iscovered with snow throughout the year.Because of the severe cold only plantswhich can withstand this could survive inthis region.

Resources

Agriculture

Only one third of the total geographicalarea is used for cultivation. A smallportion of the people of Europe areengaged directly or indirectly inagriculture. Different types of food crops,fruits and flowers are cultivated here.Many crops like wheat, barley, oats, sugarcane etc. are grown here. Cattle rearing isone of the main occupations of the peoplein different parts of Europe.

Fishing

Europe is a continent which has the mostfavourable geographical conditions forfishing. The following are the some ofthem.

• A lot of bays

• Confluence of ocean currents

• Presence of planktons

All these help in fishing. One fourth of thefish produced in the world is from Europe.Fishing is done using modern machinery.Dogger Bank, Norway, Sweden, Denmark,France, Britain, Germany, Holland etc. arethe major fishing centres of Europe.

Mineral Resources

Europe has a diverse collection of mineraland energy resources. The major resourcesfound in Europe are iron ore, zinc, lead,platinum, copper, bauxite etc. In additionto conventional energy sources like coal,petroleum and natural gas, non-conventional energy sources like atomicand hydel energy are also used here.Europe is far ahead in terms of theproduction of non-conventional energy.

Industries

Europe has many industries. Iron andsteel industry, wool industry,technological industries like automobilemanufacturing, ship building, chemicalindustries, paper manufacturing etc. arewidespread in Europe. Ruhr Basin inGermany, which has the fifth position inthe world in the production of iron andsteel, is in Europe.

Human Life

Europe has the third position in the worldin terms of total population and the firstposition in terms of population density.Rhine Valley, Holland, Belgium, Britainetc. are densely populated regions.Norway, Sweden etc. are countries withvery low density of population.

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3Africa"Nile is an epic poetry."

Evolutionary history right from the periodof creation lies entangled on both thebanks of the 4000 mile long Nile River.Exciting remains of ancient civilizations,achievements of modern civilization,natural evolutions and the results ofhuman labour, all remain intermingled inthe soils of Africa.

This huge river embraces deep forestswhere the sun's rays do not penetrate tothe surface, vast stretches of scorchingdesert land, islands of grass and moderncities on its way to the Mediterranean Sea.There is no other river valley in the worldwhich represents such diversities inhuman race and animal wealth…. Whenviewed from the banks of the River Nile,the sunset on the red hills beyond the greygrasslands is an unforgettable sight."

The portion given above is the descriptionof the beauty of the River Nile in thetravelogue 'Nile Diary' by S.K. Pottakkad.

Let us examine the peculiarities of Africathrough which flows the longest river inthe world (6738 km). The River Nile isdescribed as the 'Life blood of Egypt."

Africa has the second position in the worldin terms of its area. Almost all the sides ofAfrica are covered with oceans and seas.Africa is the continent having the largestnumber of countries, with about59 countries including the MadagascarIsland. Till the end of last century theinterior of the African continent was a

mystery to the outside world. HenceAfrica is known as the 'Dark Continent'.

Location

Africa spreads on both the hemispheres.It is located between 34°52' S to 37°31' Nlatitude and 25°11 W to 51°24' E longitude.The equator divides this continent into twoequal halves. The area of African continentis 3033500 sq. km.

Answer the following with the help

of the world map and an atlas.

• Which is the strait that separates

Africa from Europe?

• Which are the major latitudes that

pass through Africa?

• Which is the ocean on the western

side of Africa?

• Which is the largest lake in Africa?

• The desert seen on the northern side

of Africa?

• Which is the canal that separates the

African continent from the Asian

continent?

Physiography

The physiography of Africa is classifiedas follows.

• Plateaus

• Mountains

• Deserts

• Rift Valleys

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Figure - 3.4 Africa Physiography

PlateausGenerally Africa consists of plateaus madeup of hard rocks and narrow coastalplains. The average height of the plateausis over 600 m above the sea level. It can beseen that the altitude of the plateausdecreases from south to north.

With the help of an atlas prepare a table

showing the plateaus of Africa.

Mountains

Mountains are relatively few in thecontinent of Africa. Some importantmountains are found in the plateaus and

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3With the help of an atlas identify thecountries through which the RiverCongo flows.

Climate and Natural Vegetation

Hot climate is generaly experienced in thecontinent except in its north and southends. When the countries in the northernhemisphere of the African continentexperience a cold climate, most of thecountries of Africa in the southernhemisphere experience a hot climate.

Africa is divided into the followingclimatic regions.

Equatorial Climate

This climate is experienced in the placeson both sides of the equator. These regionsexperience hot and humid climatethroughout the year. Mahogany,rosewood, and ebony are the major treesfound in this region.

Savanna Climate

This climatic region known as tropicalgrasslands has hot and humid climateduring summer and cold and dry climateduring winter. These grasslandscontaining tall grasses is known the'Velds'.

deserts. The highest peak in Africa isMt. Kilimanjaro. This is situated inTanzania of East Africa. In addition to this,Atlas, Kenya, Ruwanzari etc. are othermajor mountain ranges of Africa.Ruwanzari is also the source of the NileRiver.

Deserts

Deserts are seen on the northern andsouthern sides of Africa. One third of

Africa is covered with deserts.

Prepare a table showing the major

deserts of Africa and the countries in

which they are situated.

Rift Valleys

Another major landform in Africa is theRift Valleys. Rift valleys are formed whenthe region in between two fault zonessubsides. The Great Rift Valley is a majorrift valley in Africa.

Rivers

The longest river in the world, River Nileoriginates from the tropical rainforests ofAfrica. In addition to the River Nile, theRiver Congo which has many tributariesflows through the middle of Africa.

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3Desert Climate

This climate is experienced in placeswhere the evaporation is more than therainfall. The places situated in the highpressure areas on both the hemisphereshave dry climate throughout the year.

Midlatitude Temperate GrasslandClimate

This region, which experiences summerand winter alternatively, receivesrelatively less rainfall. This type of climateoccurs in the southeastern portions of theSouth African plateau.

Mediterranean Climate

This climate with rainfall in winter anddrought in summer is experienced in thenorth and southwestern parts of Africa.Trees like olive, mulberry, cork etc. growabundantly in this region.

Mountain or Highland Climate

This type of climate is experienced in themountainous regions in the easternportion of the African continent and inEthiopia.

China Type Climate

This type of climate is found in the southeastern part of Africa. Summers are veryhot and humid and winters are dry.

Resources

Forest Resources

One fourth area of the African continent isdense forest. Dense forests containingmany types of trees and wild animals arethe peculiarity of Africa.

Agriculture

Since most of the places in Africa aredeserts or dense forests, areas suitable foragriculture are very less here. Butavailable agricultural land is utilized tothe maximum. Old agricultural practicesare followed mostly. Agriculture usingmodern machinery is practiced in SouthAfrica, the Nile Delta of Egypt and in thecoastal areas. Africa produces many cropslike rice, wheat, cotton, coffee, tea etc.Fruits like pineapple, lemon, orange,grapes and olive are cultivated in theregions where Mediterranean type ofclimate is experienced.

Minerals

Africa is blessed with many types ofminerals. The major minerals mined inAfrica are copper, gold, platinum, iron ore,lead and manganese. About 25% of theuranium and copper produced in theworld is from African countries likeZambia, Zimbabwe and Zaire. TheAfrican continent is the leading miningcentre of diamonds in the world. TheKimberly region of Africa has the firstposition in diamond mining.

Population Distribution

Even though Africa has one fifth of thetotal geographical area of the world, itspopulation is comparatively less. Onetenth of the world's population live inAfrica. Since most of the places in Africaare deserts or thick forests, the populationhere is less. Population is more in thecoastal areas, river valleys, mining centresand the elevated regions of east Africa.

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3ANTARCTICAAntarctica known as the 'White Continent'is the only continent in the world wherethere are no permanent inhabitants. Thearea of Antarctica, which has the fifthposition in terms of its size, is about14000000 km. The highest peak in thiscontinent is the 'Vinson Massif'.

Physical Characteristics

Most of Antarctica lies 2100-2400 m abovethe sea level. Antarctica is divided into two- East Antarctica and West Antarctica. EastAntarctica is a snow covered plateau. Butthe comparatively small West Antarcticais seen as broken up into thousands ofsnow covered islands. East and West partsof Antarctica are covered with ice slabs ofabout 2000 m thickness. Even though theyare snow covered, active volcanoes arefound in the Scotia Islands of Antarctica.

Climate

The climate of Antarctica has manypeculiarities. Very cold blizzards and the'white deserts' covered with closely spacedsnow hillocks are the characteristics worthmentioning. Temperature in Antarcticafalls as low as -85°C during winter seasons.This has given Antarctica the, title, 'thecoldest continent of the earth'. Thetemperature of -89.2°C, recorded at theRussian observation centre Vostok on 21st

July 1983, remains the lowest everrecorded temperature on the surface of theearth. Only the observation centres ofvarious countries working in Antarcticarecord temperature continuously on allseasons. Antarctica experiences long days

and nights. The average temperature ofAntarctica is -49°C

• Which is the period when the lengthof day time is more in Antarctica? Whyis it so?

• Which is the period when the lengthof night time is more in Antarctica?Why is it so?

Flora and Fauna

Antarctica has only a few species of plantswhich can withstand very high coldcondition. Long nights and very toughwinters act as hindrance tophotosynthesis. The soils of Antarctica arenot fertile. But they are not barren. Greenmosses and algae are found in Antarctica.More than 200 species of mosses and 700species of algae have been identified inAntarctica. Diverse marine organisms andrare species of birds are also found inAntarctica. Penguins, skewva, and petrelare the major birds found abundantly inAntarctica and the neighbouring islands.Marine organisms are the food for thebirds. The Antarctic Ocean is the storehouse of planktons which are the primarysource of food for marine organisms.Hence most species of whales, seals, fishesand sea birds are found in the AntarcticOcean.

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3ResourcesThe presence of abundant ocean resourcesis the reason for drawing human attentionto Antarctica. Seals were hunted forleather and whales for oil. Now whalehunting has been banned in all the oceanssouth of Australia. Fishing has beenincreasing in the oceans around Antarcticafor the past thirty years. Besides marineresources mineral deposits are also foundin Antarctica. Deposits of iron ore,chromium, copper, gold, nickel, coal etc.are found here.

Human Life

Unlike in other continents there are nopermanent human settlements inAntarctica. Permanent stations for researchpurpose have been established here bymany countries. Tourists have been

visiting Antarctica in specially designedships during summer season since 1950.Adventurous pilots also reach here. Theabsence of settlements and ports havebeen a hindrance to the development oftourism.

India's Explorations

India became part of Antarcticexplorations in 1979. India has establishedtwo research centres, Dakshina Gangotriand Maitri in Antarctica. For facilitatingcommunication among the scientists, Indiain 1988 established the first post officeoutside India in Antarctica in 1988. Thisfunctions under Goa Postal Division.Research activities focusing on variousaspects of Antarctica such as itsgeography, biology and climate are beingcarried out by the research stations ofIndia.

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3 Follow up activities

1. Prepare a note on Asia, Europe, Africa and Antarctica. The note caninclude• Countries in the continent

• Their capitals

• Their currency

• Cultivated crops

• Mineral resources

• Language

• Industries

• Tourism

2. Analyse how suitable is the title 'The Continent of Diversities' and arriveat your conclusion as to how far this title is suitable for Asia.

3. Write a description on the role of physiography of Europe in its growthin the fields of science and technology, and industry.

4. Analyse the relationship between the physiography and thedevelopment of Africa and note down your findings.

5. Collect information and pictures about the continent Antarctica, knownas the 'White Continent', its distinct climatic features, India's Antarcticexplorations etc. and conduct a seminar in your class.

6. Compared to Africa Europe's potential for fishing is higher. What couldbe the reason for this?

7. What influence has the latitudinal location of Antarctica exerted on itsclimate, flora and fauna? Explain.