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WORLD
ATLAS
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HOW TO USE THIS BOOK ....................................................................................4
PLANET EARTH ..................................................................................................................6
Planet Earth FACTFILE Moon FACTFILE Planet Earth from space Inside planet Earth Earth time Hot and cold planet
Summer and winter The solar system Time zones
EARTHQUAKES AND VOLCANOES .............................................................8
Earthquake FACTFILE The cracked planet Ever-changing planet Story of an earthquake Frequency of earthquakes worldwide Inside a volcano Earthquake and volcano disasters Volcano FACTFILE
Worlds largest volcano
MOUNTAINS, LAKES, RIVERS, AND OCEANS.....................10
Making a mountain Worlds 10 highest mountain peaks The Andes Worlds 10 longest rivers The worlds oceans
Ocean depths and coastlines Ocean currents What is a lake? Worlds 10 largest lakes
PHYSICAL WORLD ....................................................................................................12
Physical world FACTFILE Physical MAP OF THE WORLD
Making maps The continents Worlds largest countries
--
POLITICAL WORLD ...................................................................................................14
World population Highest population by country Age structure of world population Worlds largest cities by population Transport facts Life expectancy Wealth by continent
Political MAP OF THE WORLD Independent states and dependencies
--
NORTH AMERICA AND CENTRAL AMERICA ..............................16
People FACTFILE Geography FACTFILE Highest mountains Longest rivers Largest islands Oil consumption Fast facts Political MAP OF NORTH AMERICA Political MAP OF CENTRAL AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN
Physical MAP OF NORTH AMERICA...................................................18
Physical MAP OF CENTRAL AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN................20 Climate: North and Central America
Habitats: North and Central America Land use: North and Central America San Andreas fault North America FACTFILES
Central America FACTFILES ...........................................................................................22--
SOUTH AMERICA ........................................................................................................24
People FACTFILE Geography FACTFILE Highest mountains (by country) Longest rivers Largest lakes
Habitats Amazon Rainforest facts Fast facts Political MAP OF SOUTH AMERICA
Land use Climate: South America Physical MAP OF SOUTH AMERICA........... .................... ........ South America FACTFILES
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AFRICA ..................................................................................................................
People FACTFILE Geography FACTFILE Highest mountains Longest rivers Largest islands Fast Oil consumption Political MAP OF AFRICA Mount Kilimanj
Physical MAP OF AFRICA ................... ................... ...............
Habitats and protecting Africas wildlife Climate: Africa.....
Land use The African baobab tree Africa FACTFILES
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EUROPE ................................................................................................................
People FACTFILE Geography FACTFILE Highest mountains (by country) Longest rivers Largest is Fast facts Oil consumption Political MAP OF EUROPE
Physical MAP OF EUROPE...................................................
Habitats Climate: Europe The European Union ............... European Union members EU flag and the Euro Land use Europe FACTFILES
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ASIA..........................................................................................................................
People FACTFILE Geography FACTFILE Highest mountains (by country) Largest lakes Largest isl Siberia Oil consumption Political MAP OF ASIA
Physical MAP OF ASIA.........................................................
Habitats The Asian rainforest Climate: Asia.................... Land use Fast facts Asia FACTFILES
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OCEANIA .............................................................................................................
People FACTFILE Geography FACTFILE
Highest mountains (by country) Largest islands Habitats Fast facts Political MAP OF OCEANIA Uluru Land use Climate: Oceania
Physical MAP OF OCEANIA...................................................
Oceania FACTFILES
--
THE ARCTIC/ANTARCTICA ............................................................
GLOSSARY ........................................................................................................
INDEX .....................................................................................................................
CONTENTS
s edition published in the United States in 2006 by School Specialty Publishing, a member of the School Specialty Family.
yright ticktock Entertainment Ltd 2005 First published in Great Britain in 2005 by ticktock Media Ltd. Printed in China.
rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a central retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by
means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, withouth the prior written permission of the publisher.
tten by Dee Phillips. Special thanks to: Alan Grimwade, Cosmographics, Indexing Specialists (UK) Ltd, and Elizabeth Wiggans.
rary of Congress-in-Publication Data is on file with the publisher.
d all inquiries to:
ool Specialty Publishing
0 Orion Place
umbus, OH 43240-2111
N 0-7696-4260-8
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P O N M L K J I H DEFG
GHIJKLMNOP
12
The amount of oil produced,bought and sold, and used in the
world is measured in barrels.A barrel is equivalent to42 gallons.
Nigeria isAfricaslargest producerofoil2,356,000barrelsper day
TOP 5 CONSUMERSOF OIL(USAGE PER DAY)
E gy pt 5 62 ,0 00 b ar re lsSouthAfrica 460,000barrelsN ig er ia 2 75 ,0 00 b a rr el sL ib ya 2 16 ,0 00 b ar re lsA lg er ia 2 09 ,0 00 b a rr el s
28
Africa is the second largest continent in
the world. The worlds biggest desert,
the Sahara,dominates the landscape of
the north, while in the south forests and vast
grasslands are home to wild animals, such as
leopards, lions,and elephants. The Great Rift
Valley,one of the Earths major geological
features,runs from the Red Sea down to
Mozambique. This huge crack in the Earths
surface,caused by a series of faults,is made up of
mountains,volcanoes,deep valleys, and lakes.
NAME LOCATION HEIGHT (feet)
Mt. Kilimanjaro Tanzania 19,341
Mt. Kirinyaga (Mt. Kenya) Kenya 17,060
MountStanley(Margherita Peak) Dem.Rep.Congo/Uganda 16,765
Ras Dashen Ethiopia 15,157
NAME RIVER MOUTH LENGTH (miles)Nile Mediterranean 4,144
Congo Atlantic Ocean 2,900
Niger Atlantic Ocean 2,597
Zambezi Indian Ocean 2,200
NAME AREA (sq miles)
Madagascar Indian Ocean 226,657
Runion Indian Ocean 972
Almost90% ofthe rainforestinWestAfrica hasbeen destroyed.
90%of the rainforeston theAfricanisland ofMadagascarhasbeendestroyed.Around80%ofthe animalspeciesfound onMadagascar live onlyonthis island and nowhere elseonEarth(otherthanzoopopulations).
Namibia wasthe firstcountryinthe world toinclude protectingthe environment initsconstitution.Around 14%ofNamibia isnow protectedincludingthe entire NamibDesertcoast.
Ancient rock paintingsshowthat8,000yearsago theSahara Desertwas a lush,greenplace that washome to manywild animals.
Itis believed thatthe firstplaceinthe world tocultivate coffeewasEthiopia.It wasgrowninthe Kefa regionof Ethiopiaaround 1000years ago.
HIGHEST MOUNTAINS FAST FACTS
LONGEST RIVERS
LARGEST ISLANDS
OIL CONSUMPTION
P E O P L EFACTFILE
Total population:887,000,000
Highest population:Nigeria 128,771,988
Lowest population:Djibouti 476,703
Most populous city:Cairo, Egypt11,146,000 residents
Life expectancy:Male: 51 yearsFemale: 53 years
Highest infant mortality rate:Angola: 191 deaths per 1,000births the highest in the world
Average annual incomeper person (in USD):Highest: Mauritius $12,800Lowest: Sierra Leone $600
G E O G R A P H YFACTFILE
Total land area:11,697,000 square miles
Largest country:Sudan: 967,499 square miles
Smallest country:Mayotte: 144 square miles
Largest lake:Lake Victoria, East Africa26,641 square miles
Largest desert:Sahara Desert, North Africa3.5 million square milesLargest desert in the world
Highest waterfall:Tugela Falls, South AfricaTotal drop: 3,110 feet
See page 33AFRICA FACTFILES
An African leopard in theSamburu Game Reserve, Kenya.
See page 24 AMAZON RAINFORESTFACTS
See page 11 WORLDS10 LARGESTLAKES
Madeira
Canary Is.
COMOROSMayotte
Runion
SEYCHELLES
Mauritius
I N D I A NO C E A N
A T L A N T I C
O C E A NSAO TOME & PRINCIPE
REDSEA
MADAGASCAR
SOUTHAFRICA
LESOTHO
NAMIBIA
BOTSWANA
ZIMBABWE MOZAMBIQUE
ANGOLAZAMBIA
TANZANIA
SWAZILAND
K E N Y AUGANDA
E T H I O P I A
S U D A NC H A D
CENTRALAFRICANREPUBLIC
NIGERIA
CAMEROON
EQUATORIALGUINEA
GABON
COTEDIVOIRE
GHANA
TOGO
BENINBURKINO FASO
M A L IMAURITANIA
SENEGALGAMBIA
GUINEABISSAU G U I N E A
SIERRALEONE
LIBERIA
WESTERNSAHARA
A L G E R I A L I B Y A
TUNISIAMOROCCO
N I G E R
E G Y P T
SOMALIA
ERITREA
DJIBOUTI
RWANDA
BURUNDI
MALAWI
DEMOCRATIC
REPUBLIC
OF CONGO
REPUBLICOF
CONGO
CapeVerde Is.
MEDITERRANEANESEA
29
AfricasMount Kilimanjaro isan extinct volcano.It isthe highestmountainin the world that it ispossible toscale without specialclimbingskills orequipment. Around 22,000people climb Kilimanjaroeveryyear,makingit the worldsmostcl imbed mountain.
AFRICA
EUROPE
TheEquator
Tropicof Capricorn
Tropicof Cancer
POLITICAL MAP OF AFRICA
MOUNT KILIMANJARO
0 500 1000 miles
0 500 1000 1500 kilometers
Due to rainforestdestruction, many
Madagascan animals,such as this ring-tailedlemur, are endangered.
AFRICAAFRICA
See the GLOSSARYfordefinitions of LIFE
EXPECTANCY andINFANTMORTALITY RATE.
HOW TO USE THIS BOOK
JUST THE FACTS, WORLD ATLAS combines detailed world maps with a quick and easy-to-use
way to research geography facts and find information on the worlds people, cities, countries,
rivers, lakes, and mountains. Each of the worlds continents has its own section. In addition, there
e pages containing facts about the solar system, time zones, landforms, earthquakes, volcanoes, and
e oceans. For fast access to just the facts, follow the tips on these pages.
TWO QUICK WAYS
TO FIND A FACT:
Use the detailedCONTENTS
list on page 3to find your topic ofinterest.
rn to the relevantge and use the BOX HEADINGS to find theormation box you need.
Turn to the INDEX that starts on page60 and search for key words relating toyour research.
he index will direct you to the correct pageand where on the page to find the factyou need.
GLOSSARYA GLOSSARY of words and terms used in
begins on page 58.The glossary provides additional inforto supplement the facts on the main JUST THE FACTS
Each topic box presents the facts you needin lists; short, quick-to-read bullet points;charts, and tables
BOX HEADINGSLook for heading words linkedto your research to guide youto the right fact box.
PHYSICAL MAPSEach continent has a detailed physi
map that shows: Borders
Capital cities
Major cities
Highest mountains
Rivers and lakes
Land heights above and below sea leve
Oceans, seas, and major bodies of wate
HOW TO FIND A PLACE USINGTHE PHYSICAL MAPS
Look up the place you want to find in the Mon page 6064. There you will see a pag
and a letter/number code. Look for the lenumber on the grid at the edge of the relevDraw a line with your fingers from those tYou will find the place you are looking for
two tracks meet.
FACTFILES The section for each continent incluinformation on every country.
LINKSLook for the purple links throughout the book. Each link givesother pages where related or additional facts can be found.
GUADELOUPETotal area ( sq. miles ) : 687Total population :448,713Capital c ity: Basse-TerreCurrency: Euro(EUR)Languages:French
Farming ( top 5 produc ts ) : Bananas,sugarcane,fruit,vegetables,livestockNatural resources:Limited,butbeachesand climate good fortourismStatus:Frenchoverseasterritory
GUATEMALATotal area ( sq. miles ) : 42 , 043Total population :14,655,189Capital c ity: GuatemalaCurrency: Quetzal(GTQ),US dollar(USD)Languages:Spanish;Quiche,Cakchiquel,Kekchi,MamFarming ( top 5 produc ts ) : Sugarcane,corn,bananas,coffee,beansNatural resources ( top 5) :Oil,nickel,timber ,fish,chic le
HAITITotal area ( sq. miles ) : 10 , 714Total population :8,121,622Capital c ity: Port-au-PrinceCurrency: Gourde (HTG)Languages:French;CreoleFarming ( top 5 produc ts ) : Coffee,mangos,sugarcane,rice,cornNatural resources ( top 5) :Bauxite,copper,calc ium carbonate,gold,marble
HONDURASTotal area ( sq. miles ) : 43 , 278Total population :6,975,204Capital c ity: TegucigalpaCurrency: Lempira (HNL)Languages:Spanish,Ameri ndiandialectsFarming ( top 5 produc ts ) : Bananas,coffee,citrusfruits,cattle,timberNatural resources ( top 5) :Timber,gold,s ilver,copper,lead
JAMAICATotal area ( sq. miles ) : 4 , 244Total population :2,731,832Capital c ity: KingstonCurrency: Jamaicandollar(JMD)Languages:English,EnglishpatoisFarming ( top 5 produc ts ) : Sugarcane,bananas,coffee,citrusfruits,yamsNatural resources:Bauxi te,gypsum,limestone
MARTINIQUETotal area ( sq. miles ) : 425Total population :432,900Capital c ity: Fort-de-FranceCurrency: Euro(EUR)Languages:French,Creole patoisFarming ( top 5 produc ts ) : Pineapples, avocados, bananas,cutflowers,vegetables
Natural resources:Limited,butcoastline and beachesgood fortourismStatus:Frenchoverseasterritory
MEXICOTotal area ( sq. miles ) :761,606Total population:106,202,903Capital c ity: Mexico(DistritoFederal)Currency: Mexicanpeso(MXN)Languages : Spanish, Mayan, NahuatlFarming ( top 5 produc ts ) : Corn,wheat,soybeNatural resources ( top 5) :Oil,s ilver,copper,go
MONTSERRATTotal area ( sq. miles ) :39Total population: 9 , 341Capital c ity: Temporarygovernmentbuildingsat BradesEstate, CarrsBay and Little Bay due Currency: East Caribbeandollar (XCD)Languages :EnglishFarming ( top 5 produc ts ) : Cabbages,carrots,tomatoes, onionsNatural resources :Very limitedStatus :United Kingdom overseasterritory
NICARAGUATotal area ( sq. miles ) : 49 , 998Total population:5,465,100Capital c ity: ManaguaCurrency: Gold cordoba (NIO)Languages :SpanishFarming ( top 5 produc ts ) : Coffee,bananas,suNatural resources ( top 5) :Gold,s ilver,copper,t
PANAMATotal area ( sq. miles ) : 30 , 193Total population:3,039,150Capital c ity: PanamaCurrency: Balboa (PAB), US dollar (USD)Languages :Spanish,Engli shFarming ( top 5 produc ts ) : Bananas,rice,cornNatural resources :Copper,mahoganyforests,spower
PUERTO RICOTotal area ( sq. miles ) :3,515Total population:3,916,632Capital c ity: SanJuanCurrency: US dollar (USD)Languages :Spanish,Engli shFarming ( top 5 produc ts ) : Sugarcane,coffee,
plantains, bananasNatural resources :Copperand nickel(limitedfor onshore and offshore oilStatus : United Statesof America Commonwea
ST. KITTS AND NEVISTotal area ( sq. miles ) : 101Total population: 38 , 958
Capital c ity: BasseterreCurrency: East Caribbeandollar (XCD)Languages :EnglishFarming ( top 5 produc ts ) : Sugarcane,rice,yabananas
Natural resources :Arable land
Each country-by-country factfilecontains: totalareaof thecountry in squaremiles; totalpopulation;nameof the capital city; themain currencyused in thecountry; main languagesspoken (listed in order ofnumber of speakers); top fivefarming productsproduced (listed in order of importanceto thecountryseconomy); natural resources (of commercial importance; somecountriesdo not havenatural resources, suchasoil or minerals, but their coastlineand climateattract touristswhich arevital to thecountryseconomy); anda countrys statusif it isnot independent.
An inviting Virgin Islands beach.Formanycountries,the beauty
of the environment is theirmostimportant natural resource.
CENTRAL AMERICAFACTFILES
ANGUILLATotal area ( sq. miles ):39Total population: 13 , 254Capital c ity: The ValleyCurrency: East Caribbeandollar (XCD)Languages:EnglishFarming: Tobacco,vegetables,cattleNatural resources: S a l t , f ish,lobstersStatus :United Kingdom overseasterritory
ANTIGUA AND BARBUDATotal area ( sq. miles ): 170Total population: 68 , 722Capital c ity: Saint Johns(onAntigua)Currency: East Caribbeandollar (XCD)Languages:English,localdi alectsFarming ( top 5 produc ts ) : Cotton, vegetables, bananas, coconuts,cucumbersNatural resources:Limited,butcl imate good fortourism
ARUBATotal area ( sq. miles ): 74 . 5Total population: 71 , 566Capital c ity: OranjestadCurrency: Arubanguil der/florin(AWG)Languages:Dutch,Papiamento,EnglishFarming: Aloe plants,l ivestockNatural resources:Fish,white sandybeachesthatare goodfortouri smStatus :Self-governingNetherlandsterritory
BAHAMAS (THE)Totalarea( sq.miles ) : 5382Total population:301,790Capital c ity: NassauCurrency: Bahamia n d o llar (BSD)Languages:English,CreoleFarming: Citrusfruits,vegetabl es,poultryNatural resources:Salt,aragonite,timber
BARBADOSTotal area ( sq. miles ): 166Total population:279,254Capital c ity: BridgetownCurrency: Barbadia n d o llar(BCD)Languages:EnglishFarming: Sugarcane,vegetabl es,cottonNatural resources: O i l , f ish,naturalgas
BELIZETotal area ( sq. miles ) :8,867Total population: 279 , 457Capital c ity: BelmopanCurrency: Belizeandollar(BZD)Languages :English,Spanish,MayanFarming ( top 5 produc ts ) : Bananas,coca,citrusfruits,sugarcane,fishNatural resources :Timber,fish,hydroelectricpower
BERMUDATotal area ( sq. miles ) : 20 . 5Total population: 63 , 365Capital c ity: HamiltonCurrency: Bermudiandollar(BCD)Languages :English,PortugueseFarming ( top 5 produc ts ) : Bananas,vegetables,c itrusfruits,cutflowers,dairyproductsNatural resources :Limestone,climate good fortourismStatus :United Kingdom overseasterritory
BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDSTotal area ( sq. miles ) :59Total population: 22 , 643Capital c ity: Road TownCurrency: US dollar(USD)Languages :EnglishFarming: Fruit,vegetables,livestock,poultryNatural resources :Fish,is l andsgood fortourismStatus :United Kingdom overseasterritory
CAYMAN ISLANDSTotal area ( sq. miles ) : 101Total population: 44 , 270Capital c ity: George TownCurrency: Caymaniandollar (KYD)Languages :EnglishFarming: Vegetables,fruit,l ivestock,turtle farmingNatural resources :Fish,c li mate and beachesgood fortourismStatus :United Kingdom overseasterritory
COSTA RICATotal area ( sq. miles ) : 19 , 730Total population:4,016,173Capital c ity: SanJoseCurrency: Costa Ricancolon(CRC)Languages :Spanish,EnglishFarming ( top 5 produc ts ) : Coffee,pineapples,bananas,sugarcane,cornNatural resources :Hydroelectricpower
CUBATotal area ( sq. miles ) : 42 , 803Total population:11,346,670Capital c ity: HavanaCurrency: Cubanpeso(CUP)Languages:SpanishFarming ( top 5 produc ts ) : Sugarcane,tobacco,citrusfruits,coffee, riceNatural resources ( top 5) :Cobal t,nickel,i ronore,chromium,copper
DOMINICATotal area ( sq. miles ) : 291Total population: 69 , 029Capital c ity: RoseauCurrency: EastCaribbeandollar(XCD)Languages: E n g lish,FrenchpatoisFarming ( top 5 produc ts ) : Bananas,citrusfruits,mangos,root vegetables, coconutsNatural resources:Timber ,hydroelectricpower
DOMINICAN REPUBLICTotal area ( sq. miles ) : 18 , 815Total population:8,950,034Capital c ity: SantoDomingoCurrency: Dominicanpeso(DOP)Languages:SpanishFarming ( top 5 produc ts ) : Sugar cane, coffee, cotton, cocoa, tobaccoNatural resources:N ickel,bauxite,gold,s ilver
EL SALVADORTotal area ( sq. miles ) : 8 , 124Total population:6,704,932Capital c ity: SanSalvadorCurrency: US dollar (USD)Languages:Spanish,NahuaFarming ( top 5 produc ts ) : Coffee,sugarcane,corn,rice, oilseedNatural resources:Hydroelectricpower,geothermalpower , o i l
GRENADATotal area ( sq. miles ) : 133Total population: 89 , 502Capital c ity: Saint GeorgesCurrency: EastCaribbeandollar(XCD)Languages: E n g lish,FrenchpatoisFarming ( top 5 produc ts ) : Bananas, cocoa, nutmeg,mace,citrusfruitsNatural resources:Timber ,tropicalfruit,deepwaterhar borsgood forshipping
SeetheGLOSSARYforwordsandtermsusedi ntheseFACTFILES.
22
NO
8 9
EARTHQUAKESAND VOLCANOES
Researchers believethatthe Earths crust is cracked into huge pieces
that fit together like a giant puzzle. The cracked sections, called
tectonic plates,are supported by the oozing,soft rocks of the mantle
beneath the Earths crust. The unstable borders between the plates are known
as rings of fire. These areas are danger zones for both volcanoes and
earthquakes. A volcano is an opening in the Earths crust which allows red-
hot magma (molten rock) from the mantle to escape onto the surface of the
Earth. An earthquake is a shaking of the ground caused by movements of
rocks beneath the Earths surface.
E A R T H Q U A K EFACTFILE
Seismologists:Scientists who study and measureearthquakes are calledseismologists.
Measuring earthquakes:Seismologists use measuringinstruments called seismographstorecord the pattern of anearthquakes seismic waves and todetermine out the strength andduration of the earthquake.
The Richter scale:The best known method ofrecording the magnitude ofearthquakes is the Richter Scale.
American seismologist, Charles F.Richter, developed this numberingsystem in 1935.
Earthquake depths:The focus, the starting point, of mostearthquakes is less than 50 milesbelow the Earths surface.
Largest recorded earthquake:On May 22, 1960, an earthquakeof 9.5 magnitude on the RichterScale struck the coast of Chile,South America. Seismographsrecorded seismic waves travelingaround the whole world for manydays afterward.
V O L C A N OFACTFILE
ACTIVE OR EXTINCT?
Active volcanoes are those thaterupt regularly or have the capacity
to erupt. They are sometimes called
dormantif they have not erupted fora very long period. Extinct
volcanoes are dead volcanoes.
They will not erupt again.
MAGMA/LAVA
Magma is the red-hot, melted rock
inside a volcano. As soon as
magma leaves a volcano andbursts out into the air or sea, it is
known as lava. Lava can erupt at
temperatures of up to 2192F.
PLINIAN ERUPTIONS
During a plinian eruption, gas-rich
magma explodes inside a volcano.
This causes cinder, ash, and gasesto be f ired up into the air
sometimes as high as 19 miles!
A volcano isa self-mademountain. Itshollowcentreprovidesa pathwaybetween theEarthsupper mantleand thesurface.
The magnitude ofanearthquake isa measurementofthe earthquakesstrengthand size.The measuringsystem used here isthe RichterScale.
The intensityofanearthquake isa measurementofthe shakingcausedbythe earthquake.
M a g ni t ud eDes c r ip t i on I nt ensi t y Av er ag enumb ereach year
2 t o 2 . 9 V e r y min o r R e c o rd e d b y s e i s mog r a p hs , 1 , 300 ,000butnotfeltbypeople
3 t o 3 .9 M i no r F e lt b y so m e p e op l e 1 3 0 ,0 0 04 t o4 .9 L ig ht F el t by m an y pe op le 1 3, 00 05 t o5 .9 M od er at e S li gh t da ma ge 1 ,3 196 to 6. 9 S tr on g D am ag in g 1 34
7 to 7. 9 M aj or D es tru ct iv e 1 78 an d hi gh er G r ea t D ev as ta ti ng 1
PLATE MOVEMENTSTwo tectonic plates slowly move,squeezing and stretching the rocksunderground. Enormous pressurebuilds up.
FOCUS OF THE EARTHQUAKEMiles underground, rocks break andgive way, releasing the pressure.The point where this happens iscalled the focusor hypocenter.
SEISMICWAVESVibrations, or seismicwaves , aresent out from the focus causing theground at the surface to shake. Thepoint on the surface directly abovethe focus is called the epicenter.
FAULTSSometimes, the Earths crust is putunder such pressure that it cracks.The places where the surface cracksopen are called faults. The lines thecracks create are called faultlines.
MOST DEADLYEARTHQUAKE
The worldsmostdeadly,recordedearthquake happened in1556.Theearthquake struck incentralChina.Around 830,000people were killedwhentheirhomes,whichwerecarved insoftrock,collapsed.
KRAKATOA
OnAugust27,1883, the volcanicisland ofKrakatoa,inIndonesia,
erupted ina massive explosionwhichcould be heard across8%ofthe Earthssurface.Thousandsofpeople were sweptouttosea by
a gianttsunamicaused bythe
eruption.Over36,000people
were killed.
EARTHQUAKES IN JAPAN
Japanissituated where fourof
the Earthsplatesmeet.In1 923,143,000people were killed inthe
area around Tokyo,Japanscapital,
whena magnitude-8.3earthquake
struck.OnJanuary17,1995, a
magnitude-7.2earthquake killed5,500people and destroyed
100,000homesin Kobe,Japan.
Mauna Loa, Hawaii, isthelargest volcano on Earth.Mauna Loa last erupted in 1984.
Mauna Loassummitis2 9,527feetfrom the oceanfloor.However,scientistsestimate thatitsgreatmassisactually squashingthe oceanfloordownbyanother26,246feet,givingthe volcanoa
totalheightofjustunder56,000feetfrom seafloorbase tosummit.
INSIDE A VOLCANO
FREQUENCY OF EARTHQUAKES WORLDWIDESTORY OF ANEARTHQUAKE
EARTHQUAKE AND VOLCANO DISASTERS
WORLDS LARGESTVOLCANO
See page 6INSIDEPLANETEARTH forinformation on the Earthscrustandmantle.
See page 9FREQUENCY OF EARTHQUAKES
WORLDWIDEto see howearthquakemagnitudesare measuredusing the
Richterscale.
OCEANPLATECONTINENTAL PLATE
SPREADINGRIDGE
Lava flowsoutthrougha riftinthe oceanfloorcreatingnewcrustand a range of
undersea mountains.
HOT SPOT VOLCANO
Hotspots are areasofgreatactivityinthe mantle where
magma forcesitswaythrougha tectonicplate.
MID-OCEANRIDGE
OCEANTRENCH
VOLCANOES
Where the platescollide,magma canescape tothesurface,creatingarangeofvolcani cmountains.
NEW VOLCANICISLAND
OCEANPLATE
CONTINENTAL RIFT
The point where twocontinentalplatesare movingapart.
SUBDUCTIONZONE
Where platescollide,the edge ofone isoftenpushed underneaththe other.This iscalled subduction.Itmaytake place betweencontinentalplates,
oceanplatesorone ofeach(asshownabove).
Epicenter
Focus
Normalfault
Reversefault
Horizontal fault
Seismicwaves
Ash cloudCraterLava flow
Main ventSidevent
Magmachamber
Earthscrust
CrustMagma rises from themantleintochambers insidetheEarths crust
Asatelliteimageof MaunaLoa.Thevolcanos base
spreads over50%of theisland of Hawaii.
Steepmountain sidescreated froma build-up oflava fromearliereruptions.
EVER-CHANGING PLANET
NORTH AMERICANPLATE
JUANDE FUCAPLATE
PACIFICPLATE
COCOSPLATE
NAZCAPLATESOUTH
AMERICANPLATE
CARIBBEANPLATE AFRICANPLATE
ANATOLIANPLATE
EURASIANPLATE
ARABIANPLATE INDIA
PLATE
ANTARCTICPLATE
AUSTRALIANPLATE
PHILIPPINEPLATE
PACIFICPLATE
THE CRACKED PLANET Thismap showstheedgesof thetectonicplatesthat makeup theEarthssurface. Theplatesareconstantlymoving by just a fewincheseach year.
TheEarthstectonicplatemovementsset off earthquakesand volcanoes,aswell ascreatemountain rangesand deep-sea trenches.
CONTINENT-BY-CONTINENT FACTSEach continents section opens with two pagesthat show key facts and statistics about thepeople and geography of that continent.
Pages packed with supplementary factsand geography information.
POLITICAL MAPSEach continent has a map that shows theterritories of all the countries.
See page 33 AFRICA FACTFILES
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Because the Earth is curved like aball, the Suns rays are weakerand more spread out at the Arcticand Antarctic, making theseregions cold.
At the Equator, the Suns raysare the most concentrated, sothis region is very hot.
Our planet, calledEarth, is a ball of rock
traveling about 67,000 miles an hour through
space. Earth is moving around a star, called the
Sun. The pulling power, or gravity, of the Sun keeps the
Earth on an elliptical (oval-shaped) course. The time it
takes the Earth to make one complete orbit of the Sun is
called ayear.
Planet Average dis tance f rom Sun Time taken to orbit the Sun Per iod of rotat ion Diameter a(in millions of miles) (in Earth days) (in Earth days) Equ
Mercury 36 88 58.63 3033Venus 67 224.7 243 7521Earth 93 365.2 1 7926Mars 142 687 1.02 4222Jupiter 484 4331 0.41 88,846Saturn 891 10,747 0.44 74,897Uranus 1785 30,589 0.72 31,763Neptune 2793 59,800 0.67 30,775Pluto 3647 90,588 6.39 1485
When viewed from space theEarth looks blue, brownand white.
The vast areas of
blue are oceans.70.7% of theEarths surface iscovered in water: anarea of 138,984,000square miles.
The brown areas are landmasses.29.3% of the Earths
surface is dry land: anarea of 57,688,000square miles.
The white areasare clouds hanging
in the atmosphere(the layer of gases
surrounding the Earth).
The crustThickness varies from 3 miles(beneath the oceans) to 1243miles (where there arelandmasses and mountains).
The mantleMade of magnesium andsilicon and around 1,800miles thick. About 62 milesdown, the mantle becomesmolten (melted).
Outer coreMade of molten iron,
cobalt, and nickeland around 1,400
miles thick.
Inner coreMade of solidiron and around
800 miles thick.The temperature at
the core is 10,800F.
As the Earth spins, some partsof the world are in sunlight whileothers are in darkness. That is whyit is a different time in variousplaces in the world.
Therefore, the world has beendivided up into 24 time zones.Because the Earth rotates through360 degrees every 24 hours, eachtime zone covers 15 degrees oflongitude on a map of the world.
The zero point of longitude is atGreenwich in London. It is knownas the Greenwich meridian. As youmove east or west from Greenwichthrough each new time zone, youadd or subtract an hour of time.
As Earth spins, it also tilts,so its position in relation tothe Sun gradually changesthroughout the year.
When the northern hemisphere
is tilted toward the Sun, countries
in the north have summer.
Countries in the southern
hemisphere have winter.
PLANET EARTH FROM SPACE
TIME ZONES
INSIDE PLANET EARTH
L A N E T E A R T HFACTFILE
e of the Earth:billion years old
meter at the Equator:26 miles across
meter at the Poles:00 miles across
cumference at the Equator:627 miles around
eight (mass) of the Earth:sextillion tons
erage surface temperature:F
tational speed at
Equator:5 mph
Earth is a ball spinning on an, so places at the Equator spinh faster than at the North andth Poles.
O O N
ACTFILE
moon is a ball of rock thatbits a planet. Moons aremetimes calledsatellites.e Earth has one moon.
ngth of Moons orbit:Moon orbits the Earth once
ry 27 days, 7 hours, and 43
utes. It takes the same length ofe to rotate once on its own axis.
biting speed:00 mph
tance from the Earth:distance varies from,456238,857 miles.
cumference of the Moon:90 miles around the middle
A year
The exact time it takes for the
Earth to make one complete orbit
of the Sun is 365 days, 6 hours,
9 minutes and 10 seconds.
A leap year
Because it is more convenient
to use a calendar of 365 whole
days, every four years we have
to add up the extra 6 hours, 9
minutes and 10 seconds to make
an extra day. These 366-day years
are called leap years.
A day
As the Earth orbits the Sun it also
rotates, or spins around. One
complete rotation takes 23 hours,
56 minutes and 4 seconds.
We round this period up to 24
hours and call it a day.
PLANET EARTH
EARTH TIME
Tropic of Cancer
Arctic Circle
Antarctic Circle
The Equator Suns rays strongest
Sunsraysweakest
Sunsrays weakest
Tropic of Capricorn
Earth is dividied into differentsections by human beings sothat it
is easier to study.
Summer
Summer
Winter
Day for the half of theEarth facing the Sun.
12:00 pmGreenwich,London, UK
07:00 amNew York, USA
04:00 amSeattle, USA
3:00 pmMoscow, Russia T
Night for the half of facing away from the
The Earth travels 585,000,000 milesin a year to complete one orbit.
Winter
Mercury Venus Earth Mars Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune
The Earth is one of nineplanets that make up the
Solar System.
HOT AND COLD PLANET
SUMMER AND WINTER
Earths orbit365days(approx)
GREENWICH
SEATTLENEW YORK
MOSCOW
TOKY
-12 -11 -10 -9 -8 -7 -6 -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 +1 +2 +3 +4 +5 +6 +7 +8 +9 +
NORTH
AMERICA
SOUTH
AMERICA
AFRICA
EUROPE ASIA
THE SOLAR SYSTEM
Sun
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EARTHQUAKESAND VOLCANOES
Researchers believe that the Earths crust is cracked into huge
pieces that fit together like a giant puzzle. The cracked sections,
called tectonic plates, are supported by the oozing, soft rocks of the
mantle beneath the Earths crust. The unstable borders between the plates are
known as rings of fire. These areas are danger zones for both volcanoes and
earthquakes. A volcano is an opening in the Earths crust which allows red-
hot magma (molten rock) from the mantle to escape onto the surface of the
Earth. An earthquake is a shaking of the ground caused by movements of
rocks beneath the Earths surface.
A R T H Q U A K EACTFILE
smologists:entists who study and measurehquakes are calledmologists.
asuring earthquakes:mologists use measuringruments called seismographs toord the pattern of anhquakes seismic waves and to
ermine out the strength andation of the earthquake.
e Richter scale:best known method of
ording the magnitude ofhquakes is the Richter Scale.erican seismologist, Charles F.hter, developed this numberingem in 1935.
thquake depths:focus, the starting point, of mosthquakes is less than 50 miles
ow the Earths surface.
gest recorded earthquake:May 22, 1960, an earthquake.5 magnitude on the Richterle struck the coast of Chile,th America. Seismographs
orded seismic waves travelingund the whole world for manys afterward.
V O L CFACTF
ACTIVE OR EXTIN
Active volcanoes are
erupt regularly or hav
to erupt. They are som
dormantif they have
a very long period. E
volcanoes are dead v
They will not erupt ag
MAGMA/LAVA
Magma is the red-hot
inside a volcano. As s
magma leaves a volca
bursts out into the air
known as lava. Lava c
temperatures of up to
PLINIAN ERUPTIO
During a plinian erupmagma explodes insi
This causes cinder, as
to be fired up into the
sometimes as high as
A volcano is a self-made mountain. Its hollow centre provides a pathwaybetween the Earths upper mantle and the surface.
The magnitude of an earthquake is a measurement of the earthquakesstrength and size. The measuring system used here is the Richter Scale.
The intensity of an earthquake is a measurement of the shaking causedby the earthquake.
Magn it ude Desc rip ti on I nt en sit y Average numbereach year
2 to 2.9 Ve ry min or R ec ord ed by se is mo gra ph s, 1 ,3 00 ,0 00but not felt by people
3 to 3.9 Minor Felt by some people 130,0004 to 4.9 Light Felt by many people 13,0005 to 5.9 Moderate Slight damage 1,3196 to 6.9 Strong Damaging 1347 to 7.9 Major Destructive 178 and higher Great Devastating 1
PLATE MOVEMENTS
Two tectonic plates slowly move,squeezing and stretching the rocksunderground. Enormous pressurebuilds up.
FOCUS OF THE EARTHQUAKE
Miles underground, rocks break andgive way, releasing the pressure.The point where this happens iscalled the focus or hypocenter.
SEISMIC WAVES
Vibrations, or seismic waves, aresent out from the focus causing theground at the surface to shake. Thepoint on the surface directly abovethe focus is called the epicenter.
FAULTS
Sometimes, the Earths crust is putunder such pressure that it cracks.The places where the surface cracksopen are called faults. The lines thecracks create are called fault lines.
MOST DEADLY EARTHQUAKE
The worlds most deadly, recorded
earthquake happened in 1556. Theearthquake struck in central China.Around 830,000 people were killedwhen their homes, which werecarved in soft rock, collapsed.
KRAKATOA
On August 27, 1883, the volcanicisland of Krakatoa, in Indonesia,erupted in a massive explosionwhich could be heard across 8% ofthe Earths surface. Thousands ofpeople were swept out to sea by
a giant tsunami caused by theeruption. Over 36,000 people
were killed.
EARTHQUAKES IN JAPAN
Japan is situated where four ofthe Earths plates meet. In 1923,143,000 people were killed in the
area around Tokyo, Japans capital,when a magnitude-8.3 earthquakestruck. On January 17, 1995, amagnitude-7.2 earthquake killed5,500 people and destroyed100,000 homes in Kobe, Japan.
Mauna Loa, Hawaii,largest volcano on EMauna Loa last eru
Mauna Loas summitfeet from the ocean fHowever, scientists eits great mass is actuthe ocean floor down26,246 feet, giving total height of just unfeet from seafloor ba
INSIDE A VOLCANO
FREQUENCY OF EARTHQUAKES WORLDWIDESTORY OF ANEARTHQUAKE
EARTHQUAKE AND VOLCANO DISASTERS
WORLDS LAVOLCA
See page 6 INSIDE PLANET EARTH for information on the Earths crust and mantle.
See page 9FREQUENCY OF EARTHQUAKESORLDWIDE to see how earthquakeagnitudes are measured using the
Richter scale.
OCEAN PLATECONTINENTAL PLATE
SPREADING RIDGE
Lava flows out through a riftin the ocean floor creatingnew crust and a range of
undersea mountains.
HOT SPOT VOLCANO
Hot spots are areas of greatactivity in the mantle where
magma forces its way througha tectonic plate.
MID-OCEAN RIDGE
OCEAN TRENCH
VOLCANOES
Where the plates collide, magma can escape tothe surface, creating a range of volcanic mountains.
NEW VOLCANICISLAND
OCEAN PLATE
CONTINENTAL RIFT
The point where two continental platesare moving apart.
SUBDUCTION ZONE
ere plates collide, the edge of one is often pushed underneath the other.This is called subduction. It may take place between continental plates,
ocean plates or one of each (as shown above).
Epicenter
Focus
Normalfault
Reversefault
Horizontal fault
Seismic waves
Ash cloudCraterLava flow
Main ventSide vent
Magmachamber
Earthscrust
CrustMagma rises from the mantle intochambers inside the Earths crust
A satellite imageLoa. The volcan
spreads over 50island of Ha
Steepmountain sidescreated froma build-up oflava fromearliereruptions.
EVER-CHANGING PLANET
NORTH AMERICANPLATEJUAN DE FUCA
PLATE
PACIFIC PLATE
COCOSPLATE
NAZCA PLATESOUTH
AMERICANPLATE
CARIBBEANPLATE AFRICAN PLATE
ANATOLIANPLATE
EURASIANPLATE
ARABIANPLATE INDIA
PLATE
ANTARCTICPLATE
AUSTRALIANPLATE
PHILIPPINEPLATE
PACIFICPLATE
THE CRACKED PLANETThis map shows the edges of the tectonic plates that make up the Earths surface. The plates are constantlymoving by just a few inches each year.
The Earths tectonic plate movements set off earthquakes and volcanoes,as well as create mountain ranges and deep-sea trenches.
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The Andes are the worldslongest chain of mountains.
They stretch down the westcoast of South America foraround 5,500 miles.
The Andes include the highest
mountain in South America,
Aconcagua in Argentina, which is
22,834 feet high. Many of the
mountains in the Andes are
volcanic.
The Andes were formed around
70 million years ago by the
collision of the Nazca Oceanic
Plate with the South American
Continental Plate.
A lake is a large body of water surrounded by land. Most laof fresh water. Lakes form in basins in the Earths surface. Rmelted snow and ice collect in the basin. Water also feeds inand streams.
L akes without a river flowing outward lose water through evawater becomes salty as minerals in the lake become m ore coThe worlds largest lake, the Caspian Sea, is a salt water lake
Lake Baykal in Russia is the worlds deepest lake. Its deepest5,315 feet deep.
Lake name Area
1. Caspian Sea Asia 1
2. Lake Superior Canada/USA
3. Lake Victoria East Africa
4. Lake Huron Canada/USA
5. Lake Michigan USA
6. Lake Tanganyika Central Africa
7. Great Bear Lake Canada
8. Lake Baykal Russia9. Lake Malawi/Nyasa East Africa
10. Aral Sea Kazakhstan/Uzbekistan
WHAT IS A LAKE?
WORLDS 10 LARGEST LAKES
THE ANDES
There are five oceans in the worldand many smaller seas withinthe oceans.
The Pacific ocean is the worldslargest ocean its total area isgreater than the amount of dryland on Earth.
The Southern Oceancircumnavigates the continent ofAntarctica. It officially became anocean in 2000, and was formedfrom the southern sections of theAtlantic, Indian, and Pacific oceans.
The deepest points in each of the worlds oceans are listed below.They are measured from sea level(the surface of the ocean).
Cha ll enger Deep in the Mar iana Trench Pac if ic Ocean -35,840 feet
M ilwaukee Deep, Puer to Ri co Trench Atlanti c Ocean -28,232 feet
Java Trench Indian Ocean -23,812 feet
Southern end of South Sandwich Trench Southern Ocean -23,737 feet
Fram Basin Arctic Ocean -15,305 feet
Total length of coastline oneach ocean:
P ac if ic O ce an 8 4, 29 7 m il esA tl an ti c O cean 69,510 mil esI nd ia n O ce an 4 1, 33 7 m il esArctic Ocean 28,20 3 m ilesSou ther n Oc ea n 11,165 mil es
The oceans are never still.Tides rise and fall, and oceancurrents, which are like riversin oceans, move the wateraround.
Surface currentsare created bythe wind. Currentsdeep underwaterare created bytemperaturedifferences and theamount of salt in the water.
OCEAN CURRENTS
OCEAN DEPTHS AND COASTLINES
From the Himalayas, the worlds tallest mountains, to the deepest
ocean trench six and half miles below the surface of the Pacific
ocean, the Earths surface is slowly changing. Mountains grow inch-
by-inch and year-by-year, rivers carve new channels as they rush to the sea,
and oceans push and pull at the edges of the land.
MOUNTAINS, LAKES,RIVERS, AND OCEANS
untains are formed when theths tectonic plates move.
s layers of rocks push againstach other, they buckle andold at the edges. Mountainsre pushed up at upfolds, andalleys are formed in downfolds.
When the Earths crust cracksn a fault, layers of rock on oneide of the crack can be pushed
p to form a mountain.
When molten magma burstshrough the Earths crust, itardens and cools, sometimesorming a mountain.
eat from molten rock in themantle pushes layers of solid
ock in the Earths crust upwardreating a bulge on the Earthsurface.
MAKING AMOUNTAIN
Rivers begin their lives as small streams high up on mountains or hills.They grow and grow, joining with other small rivers, until they form onebig river which reaches the sea or lake. River water comes from rainfall,melted ice or snow, and groundwater from inside the Earths crust.
River Length (miles)
1. Nile Africa 4,144
2. Amazon South America 4,0073. Yangtze Asia 3,964
4. Mississippi-Missouri N. America 3,740
5. Yenisey-Angara Asia 3,448
6. Huang He (Yellow) Asia 3,395
7. Ob-Irtysh Asia 3,361
8. Congo Africa 2,900
9. Parana South America 2,796
10. Mekong Asia 2,702
WORLDS 10 LONGEST RIVERS
Some mountain peaks stand alone high above the surrounding landscape, but most mountains are joinedtogether to form a range. When several ranges of mountains are grouped together, they are called a chain.
The worlds ten highest mountain peaks are all in the same range of mountains in Asiathe Himalayas.
Mountai n nam e C ount ry Hei gh t ( fe et )1. Everest China/Nepal 29,035
2. K2 China/Pakistan 28,251
3. Kanchenjunga India/Nepal 28,169
4. Lhotse China/Nepal 27,939
5. Makalu China/Nepal 27,824
6. Cho Oyu China/Nepal 26,906
7. Dhaulagiri Nepal 26,811
8. Manaslu Nepal 26,758
9. Nanga Parbat Pakistan 26,660
10. Annapurna Nepal 26,502
WORLDS 10 HIGHEST MOUNTAIN PEAKS
Fold mountain
Mount Everestthe highest mountainin the world.
Coasts can be icy, rocky, orsandy, like these beaches at Rio
de Janeiro, Brazil, on SouthAmericas east coast.
(Numbers are rounded as appropriate.)
Fault mountain
Volcanic mountain
The Nile River snakesthrough Egypts capital
city, Cairo. The Nile flowsthrough northeast Africa outinto the Mediterranean Sea.
Dome mountain
See page 8THE CRACKED PLANET andEVER-CHANGING PLANET
See page 8EVER-CHANGING PLANET
for information on how oceantrenches are formed.
PPacific Ocean:60,000,000
sq. miles
Southern Ocean:7,800,000sq. miles
Arctic Ocean:5,400,000 sq. miles
Atlantic Ocean:29,600,000
sq. milesIndian Ocean:26,400,000
sq. miles
THE WORLDS OCEANS
Warm water currentsCold water currents
LakthelakeOvespefishits w
((numbers are rounded as appropriate.)
(Numbers are rounded as appropriate.)
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P A C I F I C
O C E A N
A
N
D
E
S
RO
CK
YM
O
U
N
TAINS
A M A Z O NB A S I N
CARIBBEAN
SEA
NORTH
AMERICA
SOUTH
AMERICA
GR E E N
GULF
OF
ALASKA
GULF OF
MEXICO
PHYSICAL WORLD
K AL AHARI
D ESERT
P A C I F I
O C E A N
I N D I A N
O C E A N
ARABIAN
SE A
S A H A R A
ALPS
S I B E R I A
HIM
AL
A Y A S
PLATEAUOF TIBET
M E D ITERR
ANEA N S E A
R
E
D
S
E
AB A Y
O F
B E N G A L
BLACK SEA
U
R
A
L
M
OUNT
A IN
S
S O U T H E R N
O C E A N
EUROPEASIA
OCEA
A N T A R C T I C A
A F R I C A
L A N D
A R A B I A NP E N I N S U L A
Planet Earth is three dimensional: it has length, width, and height.
In order to create two dimensional maps for an atlas, map makers,
called cartographers, have devised ways to convert the Earths curved
surface into flat images, called projections . The projection below is a
physical map of the whole world. It shows physical features such as
mountains, and has a key that shows how the maps colors denote different
environments, such as tundra and desert.
HYS I CA L W ORL DACTFILE
tal surface area of Earth:6,672,000 square miles
tal length of coastlineEarth:
4,512 miles
gest ocean:ific Ocean
al area: 60 million square miles
gest oceanic island:enland, North America
al area: 836,330 square miles
gest lake:pian Sea, Asia is a
d-locked salt water lake.
al area: 143,244 square miles
gest freshwater lake:
e Superior in Canada/USAal area: 31,660 square miles
gest freshwater island:de Maraj, Brazil, South
erica, an island at the mouth ofAmazon River.
al area: 15,500 square miles
ngest river:e, Africaal length: 4,144 miles
lest mountain:unt Everest, Himalayas range,der of China and Nepal, Asia
ght: 29,035 feet
ngest cave system:mmoth Caves, USA0 miles of caves have been
ored and mapped.
gest gorge:nd Canyon, USA
al length: 277 milesdest point: 15 miles
gest desert:
ara desert, North Africaal area: 3.5 million square miles
ghest waterfall:gel Falls, Venezuela, South
erica has an uninterrupted fall,212 feet of water.
ttest recorded temperature:Aziziyah, Libya6F
west recorded temperature:tok Base, Antarctica
8F
C ON TI NE NT A re a ( sq ua re mi le s) P er ce nt ag e
Asia 17,177,000 29
Africa 11,697,000 20
North and Central America 9,357,000 16
South America 6,868,000 11
Antarctica 5,443,000 9
Europe 3,843,000 6
Oceania 3,303,000 5
THE CONTINENTS
Area (square miles)1. Russia 6,592,772
2. Canada 3,855,103
3. USA 3,718,711
4. China 3,705,407
5. Brazil 3,286,488
WORLDS LARGESTCOUNTRIES
PHYSICAL MAP OF THE WORLD
The projection on these pages wascreated by a process thats a bitlike peeling an orange, thensmoothing the skin out.
The flat, peeled version of theEarth was then stretched andmanipulated by computer tocreate the map we see below.
MAKING MAPS
ARCTIC OCEAN
ARCTIC OCEANW
Mountains
Ice
Forest
Grassland
Desert
Tundra
The Grand Canyon in Arizona was carved from thesurrounding rock by the flow of the Colorado River.
Its average depth is 4,000 feet.In the deepest places, the gorge is 6,000 feet deep.
Parts of the SaharaDesert in Africa can
go for severalyears without
having any rain.
MAP KEY
PHYSICAL MAP OF THE WORLD
CASPIANSEA
NORTHATLANTICOCEAN
The Angels Falls inVenezuela, SouthAmerica, were namedfor an Americanadventurer JamesAngel who crash-landed his plane nearthe top of the falls in1937.
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C A N A D A
MEXICO CUBA
JAMAICABELIZE
DOMINICANREPUBLIC
HAITI PUERTORICOGUATEMALA
COSTA RICA
NICARAGUA
HONDURAS
EL SALVADOR
PANAMA
COLOMBIA
VENEZUELA
TRINIDAD &TOBAGO
GUYANA
SURINAME
FRENCH
GUIANA
ECUADOR
B R A Z I LPERU
PARAGUAY
ARGENTINA
URUGUAY
FALKLAND/MALVINAS ISLANDS
G R E E N L A N D(KALAALLIT NUNAAT)
UNIT ED STATES
OF AMERICA
C
H
I
L
E
HAWAII
GALAPAGOS IS
N O R T H
A T L A N T I C
O C E A N
CARIBBEANSEA
GULF OFMEXICO
ICELAND
FINLAND
DENMARKUNITED
KINGDOMIRELAND
FRANCE
BELGIUM
NETHERLANDS
LUXEMBOURG
GERMANY
LITHUANIARUSSIA
POLANDBELARUS
U K R A I N E
SPAINPORTUGAL
CZECHREP.
AUSTRIASWITZERLAND
ITALY
SLOVAKREP.
HUNGARY
SERBIA-MONTENEGROBULGARIA
ROMANIA
MOLDOVA
GREECETURKEY
CYPRUS
MOROCCO
WESTERNSAHARA
A L G E R I A L I B Y A
TUNISIA
MAURITANIA
SENEGALGAMBIA
GUINEA-BISSAU
GUINEA
SIERRA LEONE
LIBERIA
M A L I
BURKINAFASO
IVORYCOAST G H
A N A
TOGO
B E N I N NIGERIA
N I G E R C H A D
E G Y P T
S U D A NERITREA
E T H I O P I ACENTRAL AFRICANREPUBLIC
CAMEROON
EQUATORIALGUINEA
GABONREPUBLIC OF
CONGORWANDA
BURUNDI
UGANDA KENYA
SOMALIA
ANGOLA
NAMIBIA
ZAMBIA
TANZANIA
MALAWI
ZIMBABWE
BOTSWANA
MOZAMBIQUE
MADAGASCAR
SWAZILAND
LESOTHOSOUTHAFRICA
MAURITIUS
RUNION
GEORGIA
ARMENIA AZERBAIJAN
SYRIALEBANON
ISRAELJORDAN
IRAQ I R A N
SAUDI
ARABIA
QATARUNITEDARAB
EMIRATES
OMAN
YEMEN
I N D I A
AFGHANISTAN
PAKISTAN
TURKMENISTAN
U Z BE K IS T AN K YR G YZ ST A N
TAJIKISTAN
KAZAKHSTAN
SRILANKA
NEPAL BHUTAN
BANGLADESH
LAOS
THAILAND
CAMBODIA
VIETNAM
M A L A Y S I ABRUNEI
PHILIPPINES
TAIWAN
I N D O N E S I A PAPUANEW
GUINEASOLOISLA
A U S T R A L I A
R U S S I A NF E D E R A T I O N
M O N G O L I A
NORTHKOREA
SOUTHKOREA
JAPANC H I N A
ANDORRA
N
O
RW
AY
S
WE
DE
N
LATVIA
ESTONIA
CROATIABOSNIA-
HERZEGOVINA
ALBANIAMACEDONIA
KUWAIT
DEMOCRATICREPUBLIC
OF CONGO
DJBOUTI
SLOVENIA
BURMA
SINGAPORE
S O U T H
A T L A N T I C
O C E A N
P A C I F I C
O C E A N
I N D I A N
O C E A N
ARABIAN SE A
M ED I TERRA
NEA N S EA
B A YO F
B E N G A L
BLACK SEA
Life expectancy at birthtotal population:Male: 63 yearsFemale: 66 years
Highest life expectancy:Andorra, Europe 83.5 years
Lowest life expectancy:Botswana, Africa 34 years
dian age is the age that dividesopulation in two half theple are younger than this age,half are older.
al world populationdian age: 27.6 yearsle: 27 years
male: 28.2 years
This chart shows the worldspopulation by age group.
POLITICAL WORLD
This map is a political map of the world. The colors on the map
show how people divide up the world into territories, or individual
countries. The number of countries in the world changes often.
Sometimes, large countries divide up into smaller countries. Other times, a
group of small countries will join together to become one large country.If
you were to look at a political map of the world 50 years from now, it might
look quite different to how the political world looks today.
LIFE EXPECTANCY
Total length of roadsin the world:
20,098,354 miles
Total length of railwayin the world:692,956 miles
Number of airportsin the world:
49,973
TRANSPORT FACTS
AGE STRUCTURE OF WORLD POPULATION
otal world population in2005:
6,446,131,400
World population growthper year:
1.14%
C hina 1,30 6,313 ,8 12ndia 1,08 0,264 ,3 88
USA 295,734,134
nd ones ia 241,973,879
Brazil 186,112,794
P aki st an 1 62 ,4 19 ,9 46
Bangladesh 144,319,628Russia 143,420,309
Nigeria 12 8,771 ,9 88
Japan 127,417,244
Tokyo Japan 35,327,000
Mexico City Mexico 19,013,000
New York USA 18,498,000
Mumbai (Bombay) India 18,336,000
S~ao Paulo Brazil 18,333,000
Delhi India 15,334,000
Kolkata (Calcutta) India 14,299,000
Buenos Aires Argentina 13,349,000
Jakarta Indonesia 13,194,000
Shanghai China 12,665,000
014 years
1564 years
65+ years
27.8%
64.9%
7.3%
mbers include the city and surrounding urban areas.)
Territories anddependencies are noted in
the country-by-countryFACTFILES.
See the GLOSSARY forLIFE EXPECTANCY
SOUTHERN
ORLD POPULATION
GHEST POPULATIONBY COUNTRY
ORLDS LARGEST CITIES BY POPULATION
Share of worldswealth by contine
In the world today, there are 192 countries,
or states, which have their own governmentand are completely independent.There are also many countries that are
territories or dependencies of one of
the independent states. Territories and
dependencies are governed and protected
by the independent country
INDEPENDENT STATES AND DEPENDENCIES
KeyEuropeOceania
AsiaAfricaSouth AmericaNorth America
World population by continent
WEALTH BY CONTINENT
2.2%
3.7%
7.1%15.5%
0.4%
58.3%
6.7%
12%
32.7%
24
POLITICAL MAP OF THE WORLDPOLITICAL MAP OF THE WORLD
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Oil is a fossil fuel (a naturalresource) that we burn to producepower for heating and lighting. Itis also used as fuel for cars,trucks, and planes.
Oil production and consumption ismeasured in barrels. A barrel isequivalent to 42 gallons.
TOP 5 CONSUMERS OF OIL(USAGE PER DAY)
USA 19,650,000 barrels
C anada 2 ,2 00,00 0 barrels
Pue rt o R ic o 190,000 b ar re ls
Cuba 163,000 barrelsJamaica 66,000 barrels
The North American continent lies between
the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. This
varied region stretches from the icy plains
of arctic North America to the hot deserts and lush
tropical forests of Central America and the
Caribbean islands. Dominating western North
America are the Rocky Mountains, which stretch
for 3000 miles from Canada to New Mexico,
through the United States of America.
NORTH AMERICA AND
CENTRAL AMERICA
NAME LOCATION HEIGHT (feet)
Mt. McKinley USA (Alaska) 20,322
Mt. Logan Canada 19,849
Pico de Orizaba Mexico 18,406
Mt. St Elias USA/Canada 18,008
NAME RIVER MOUTH LENGTH (miles)
Mis sis si pp i- Mi ss our i G ul f of M ex ic o 3 ,7 40
Mackenzie Arctic Ocean 2,635
Yukon Pacific Ocean 1,979
Rio Grande Gulf of Mexico 1,889
NAME LOCATION AREA (sq miles)
Greenland Atlantic Ocean 836,330
Baffin Island Canada 196,100
Victoria Island Canada 81,900
The center of Greenland hassunk to 1,000 feet below sealevel due to the weight of thehuge ice sheet that covers mostof the island.
At 282 feet below sea level,Death Valley in California is thelowest place in the westernhemisphere. Summertemperatures often exceed120F.
The USA is the worlds thirdlargest producer of oil7,800,000 barrels each day.
The saguaro cactus only growsin the Sonoran desert in theUSA and Mexico. Saguaros cangrow to 50 feet tall and live for175 years.
Cuba is the fifth largest island inthe region at 42,803 squaremiles.
HIGHEST MOUNTAINS FAST FACTS
LONGEST RIVERSLONGEST RIVERS
LARGEST ISLANDSLARGEST ISLANDS
OIL CONSUMPTION
M E X I C O
U N I T E DS T A T E S O FA M E R I C A
C A N A D A
Alaska(USA)
GREENLAND(KALAALLIT NUNAAT)
BERMUDA
C U B AHAITI
JAMAICA
DOMINICANREPUBLIC
PUERTORICO
St. Lawrence Island
KodiakIsland
QUEEN CHARLOTTEISLANDS
VictoriaIsland
Belcher Is.
BaffinIsland
Newfoundland
EllesmereIsland
ALEUTIAN ISLANDS
St.-Pierre &Miquelon
VANCOUVER ISLAND
R U S S I A NF E D E R A T I O N
QUEENEL IZABETHISLANDS
A R C T I C
O C E A N
C H U K C H I S E A
B E R I N G S E A
B E A U F O R T S E A
GUL F OF AL ASK A
P A C I F I C O C E A N
G U L F O F M E X I C O
H u d s o n B a y
B a f f i n B a y
L A B R A D O R S E A
A T L A N T I CO C E A N
No r thM a g n e t i cPo le
POLITICAL MAP OF NORTH AMERICA
P A N A M ACOSTARICA
NICARAGUA
HONDURAS
EL SALVADOR
GUATEMALA
BELIZE
C U B AHAITI
JAMAICA
DOMINICANREPUBLIC
PUERTO
RICO
THEBAHAMAS
CAYMANISLANDS
TURKS &CAICOSISLANDS
M E X I C O
Aruba
Lake Nicaragua
BritishVirginIslandsAndros I.
BaAnSt.Kitts
& NevisMontserrat
St.Lucia
NetherlandsAntilles
L E S S E R AN
TI
L
L
E
S
GR
E A T E R A N T I L LE S
AnG U L F O F M E X I C O
B a y o f C a m p e c h e
Gulf ofTehuantepec
MosquitoGulf
C A R I B B E A N
S E A
Gulf ofHonduras
G
u
lf
o
f
C
a
li
fo
rn
i
a YucatnCh
anne
l
Virgin Is
POLITICAL MAP OF CENTRAL AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN
E O P L EACTFILE
tal population:rth America: 328,600,000tral America: 185,800,000
ghest population:A 295,734,134
west population:Pierre and Miquelon 7,012
st populous city:xico City, Mexico013,000 residents
e expectancy:rth America: 77 yearstral America: 73 years
ghest infant mortality rate:ti: 73 deaths per 1,000 births
erage annual incomer person (in USD):hest: USA $40,100es t: Hait i $1,500
E O G R A P H YACTFILE
tal land area:57,000 square miles
gest country:ada: 3,855,103 square milesond largest country in the world
allest country:muda: 20.5 square miles
gest lake:e Superior, Canada/USAal area: 31,660 square miles
gest desert:at Basin Desert, USA
al area: 190,000 square miles
ghest waterfall:bon Fall, Yosemite Nationalk, USAal drop: 1,612 feet
See page 21NORTH AMERICA FACTFILES
and page 22CENTRAL AMERICA FACTFILES
See page 11 WORLDS 10 LARGEST LAKES
HAWAII
MAUI
OAHU
KAUAI
NORTHAMERICA
ASIA
Arctic Circ
Tropic ofCancer
CENTRAL AMERICA
Rising majestically from thedesert floor, 1000-feet high
sandstone rock forms inMonument Valley, Utah.
See the GLOSSARY forefinitions of LIFE EXPECTANCY
and INFANT MORTALITY RATE.
SOUTHAMERICA
The Equator
For Bermuda, see map a
0 500
0 500 1000 15
NORTH AMERICA AND CENTRAL A
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PHYSICAL MAP OF NORTH AMERICA PHYSICAL MAP OF NORTH AMERICA1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21
12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
NORTH AMERICA AND CENTRAL A
N
E
S
W
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2 3 4 5 6 7 8 91
B
C
D
E
F
PHYSICAL MAP OF CENTRAL AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
10 11 12
A
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
12
CANADATotal area (sq. miles) :3,855,103
Total population:32,805,041Capital city: OttawaCurrency: Canadian dollar (CAD)Languages: English, FrenchFarming (top 5 products): Wheat, barley, oilseed,tobacco, fruitNatural resources (top 5) : Iron ore, nickel, zinc,copper, gold
GREENLANDTotal area (sq. miles):836,330
Total population: 56,375Capital city: NuukCurrency: Danish krone (DKK)Languages: Greenlandic (Inuit mixed with Danish);Danish, EnglishFarming: Forage crops (for animals), vegetables,sheep, reindeerNatural resources (top 5): Coal, iron ore, lead, zinc,molybdenumStatus: Self-governing Danish territory
SAINT PIERREAND MIQUELON
Total area (sq. miles) : 93Total population: 7,012Capital city: Saint-PierreCurrency: Euro (EUR)Languages: CreoleFarming: Vegetables, poultry, livestockNatural resources: FishStatus: French overseas territory
UNITED STATESOF AMERICA
Total area (sq. miles) :3,718,711
Total population: 295,734,134Capital city: Washington DCCurrency: US dollar (USD)Languages: English, SpanishFarming (top 5 products): Whecereal crops, fruit, vegetables, cNatural resources (top 5) : Coalmolybdenum, phosphates
Each country-by-country factfile contains: total area of the country in square miles; total population; name of the capital city; the maiused in the country; main languages spoken (listed in order of number of speakers); top five farming products produced (listed in oimportance to the countrys economy); natural resources (of commercial importance); and a countrys status if it is not independent.
LAND USE: NORTH AND CENTRAL AMERICAForest, including treesgrown for timber
Permanent pasture
Permanent crops,such as fruit trees orgrapevines
Arable crops, such aswheat and rice, that arereplanted each year
Other roads, towns,and barren land
25.7%
17.2%
0.4%
12.1%
44.6%
Cc
wc1
The RockyMountains aremade up of 100separate mountainranges.
This map shows the differenthabitats across the continent.
CLIMATE: NORTH AND CENTRAL AMERICA
TEMPERATURES IN JANUARY TEMPERATURES IN JULY
TROPIC OF CANCERTROPIC OF CANCER
CLIMATES KEYHABITATS KEY
NORTH AMERICA FACTFILE
N
E
S
W
PacificOcean
HABITATS: NORTH AND CENTRAL AM
SAN ANDREAS FAULT
The San Andreas fault on thePacific coast of California, is746 miles long.The fault is part of the boundarybetween the Pacific and NorthAmerican tectonic plates, and isone of the worlds majorearthquake zones.
See page 8 THECRACKED PLANET
See THE GLOSSARY for words and terms used in these FACTFILES. See page 22 CENTRAL AMERICA FACTFILES
over 90 F
75 to 90 F
60 to 75 F
45 to 60 F
30 to 45 F
15 to 30 F
0 to 15 F
-10 to 0 F
below -10 F
Ice and snow
Tundra
Mountains/barren landForest
Grassland
Semidesert
Desert
The plates at the Sanfault slide past each about two inches ea
NORTH AMERICA AND CENTRAL A
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GUADELOUPETotal area (sq. miles) : 687Total population: 448,713Capital city: Basse-TerreCurrency: Euro (EUR)Languages: FrenchFarming (top 5 products): Bananas, sugar cane, fruit, vegetables,livestockNatural resources: Limited, but beaches and climate good for tourismStatus: French overseas territory
GUATEMALATotal area (sq. miles) : 42,043Total population: 14,655,189Capital city: GuatemalaCurrency: Quetzal (GTQ), US dollar (USD)Languages: Spanish; Quiche, Cakchiquel, Kekchi, MamFarming (top 5 products): Sugar cane, corn, bananas, coffee, beansNatural resources (top 5) : Oil, nickel, timber, fish, chicle
HAITITotal area (sq. miles) : 10,714Total population: 8,121,622
Capital city: Port-au-PrinceCurrency: Gourde (HTG)Languages: French; CreoleFarming (top 5 products): Coffee, mangos, sugar cane, rice, cornNatural resources (top 5) : Bauxite, copper, calcium carbonate,gold, marble
HONDURASTotal area (sq. miles) : 43,278Total population: 6,975,204Capital city: TegucigalpaCurrency: Lempira (HNL)Languages: Spanish, Amerindian dialectsFarming (top 5 products): Bananas, coffee, citrus fruits, cattle, timberNatural resources (top 5) : Timber, gold, silver, copper, lead
JAMAICATotal area (sq. miles) : 4,244Total population: 2,731,832Capital city: KingstonCurrency: Jamaican dollar (JMD)Languages: English, English patoisFarming (top 5 products): Sugar cane, bananas, coffee,citrus fruits, yamsNatural resources: Bauxite, gypsum, limestone
MARTINIQUETotal area (sq. miles) : 425Total population: 432,900Capital city: Fort-de-FranceCurrency: Euro (EUR)Languages: French, Creole patoisFarming (top 5 products): Pineapples, avocados, bananas,cut flowers, vegetablesNatural resources: Limited, but coastline and beachesgood for tourismStatus: French overseas territory
MEXICOTotal area (sq. miles) : 761,606Total population: 106,202,903Capital city: Mexico (Distrito Federal)Currency: Mexican peso (MXN)Languages: Spanish, Mayan, NahuatlFarming (top 5 products): Corn, wheat, soybeans, rice, beansNatural resources (top 5) : Oil, silver, copper, gold, lead
MONTSERRATTotal area (sq. miles) : 39Total population: 9,341Capital city: Temporary government buildingsat Brades Estate, Carrs Bay and Little Bay due to 1997 volcanoCurrency: East Caribbean dollar (XCD)Languages: EnglishFarming (top 5 products): Cabbages, carrots, cucumbers,tomatoes, onionsNatural resources: Very limitedStatus: United Kingdom overseas territory
NICARAGUATotal area (sq. miles) : 49,998Total population: 5,465,100
Capital city: ManaguaCurrency: Gold cordoba (NIO)Languages: SpanishFarming (top 5 products): Coffee, bananas, sugar cane, cotton, riceNatural resources (top 5) : Gold, silver, copper, tungsten, lead
PANAMATotal area (sq. miles) : 30,193Total population: 3,039,150Capital city: PanamaCurrency: Balboa (PAB), US dollar (USD)Languages: Spanish, EnglishFarming (top 5 products): Bananas, rice, corn, coffee, sugar caneNatural resources: Copper, mahogany forests, shrimps, hydroelectricpower
PUERTO RICOTotal area (sq. miles) : 3,515Total population: 3,916,632Capital city: San JuanCurrency: US dollar (USD)Languages: Spanish, EnglishFarming (top 5 products): Sugar cane, coffee, pineapples,plantains, bananasNatural resources: Copper and nickel (limited amounts), potentialfor onshore and offshore oilStatus: United States of America Commonwealth
ST. KITTS AND NEVISTotal area (sq. miles) : 101Total population: 38,958Capital city: BasseterreCurrency: East Caribbean dollar (XCD)Languages: EnglishFarming (top 5 products): Sugar cane, rice, yams, vegetables,bananasNatural resources: Arable land
ST. LUCIATotal area (sq. miles) : 238Total population: 166,312Capital city: CastriesCurrency: East Caribbean dollar (XCD)Languages: English, French patoisFarming (top 5 products): Bananas, coconuts, vegcitrus fruits, root vegetablesNatural resources (top 5) : Forests, beaches (for tomineral springs, potential for geothermal power
ST. VINCENT AND THE GRENADITotal area (sq. miles) : 150Total population: 117,534Capital city: KingstownCurrency: East Caribbean dollar (XCD)Languages: English; French patoisFarming (top 5 products): Bananas, coconuts, swespices, livestockNatural resources: Hydroelectric power
TRINIDAD AND TOBAGOTotal area (sq. miles) : 1,980Total population: 1,088,644Capital city: Port-of-Spain
Currency: Trinidad and Tobago dollar (TTD)Languages: English, Hindi, French, Spanish, ChinesFarming (top 5 products): Cocoa, sugar cane, rice,Natural resources: Oil, natural gas, asphalt
TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDSTotal area (sq. miles) : 166Total population: 20,556Capital city: Grand TurkCurrency: US dollar (USD)Languages: EnglishFarming: Corn, beans, cassava, citrus fruitsNatural resources: Fish, spiny lobsters, conch (tropStatus: United Kingdom overseas territory
VIRGIN ISLANDSTotal area (sq. miles) : 136Total population: 108,708Capital city: Charlotte AmalieCurrency: US dollar (USD)Languages: English, Spanish or Spanish Creole, FreFarming: Fruit, vegetables, sorghum, cattleNatural resources: Limited, but climate and beacheStatus: United States unincorporated territory
country-by-country factfile contains: total area of the country in square miles; total population; namee capital city; the main currency used in the country; main languages spoken (listed in order ofber of speakers); top five farming products produced (listed in order of importance to the countrysomy); natural resources (of commercial importance; some countries do not have natural resources, suchl or minerals, but their coastline and climate attract tourists which are vital to the countrys economy); and
untrys status if it is not independent.An inviting Virgin Islands beach.For many countries, the beautyof the environment is their most
important natural resource.
CENTRAL AMERICAFACTFILES
UILLAea (sq. miles) : 39
opulation: 13,254city: The Valley
cy: East Caribbean dollar (XCD)
ges: Englishg: Tobacco, vegetables, cattle resources: Salt, fish, lobstersUnited Kingdom overseas territory
IGUA AND BARBUDAea (sq. miles) : 170
opulation: 68,722city: Saint Johns (on Antigua)
cy: East Caribbean dollar (XCD)ges: English, local dialectsg (top 5 products): Cotton, vegetables, bananas, coconuts,bers resources: Limited, but climate good for tourism
BAea (sq. miles) : 74.5
opulation: 71,566city: Oranjestad
cy: Aruban guilder/florin (AWG)ges: Dutch, Papiamento, Englishg: Aloe plants, livestock resources: Fish, white sandy beaches that are goodismSelf-governing Netherlands territory
AMAS (THE)ea (sq. miles): 5382
opulation: 301,790city: Nassau
cy: Bahamian dollar (BSD)ges: English, Creoleg: Citrus fruits, vegetables, poultry resources: Salt, aragonite, timber
BADOSea (sq. miles) : 166
opulation: 279,254city: Bridgetown
cy: Barbadian dollar (BCD)ges: Englishg: Sugar cane, vegetables, cotton resources: Oil, fish, natural gas
BELIZETotal area (sq. miles) : 8,867Total population: 279,457Capital city: BelmopanCurrency: Belizean dollar (BZD)
Languages: English, Spanish, MayanFarming (top 5 products): Bananas, coca, citrus fruits, sugar cane, fishNatural resources: Timber, fish, hydroelectric power
BERMUDATotal area (sq. miles) : 20.5Total population: 63,365Capital city: HamiltonCurrency: Bermudian dollar (BCD)Languages: English, PortugueseFarming (top 5 products): Bananas, vegetables, citrus fruits,cut flowers, dairy productsNatural resources: Limestone, climate good for tourismStatus: United Kingdom overseas territory
BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDSTotal area (sq. miles) : 59Total population: 22,643Capital city: Road TownCurrency: US dollar (USD)Languages: EnglishFarming: Fruit, vegetables, livestock, poultryNatural resources: Fish, islands good for tourismStatus: United Kingdom overseas territory
CAYMAN ISLANDSTotal area (sq. miles) : 101Total population: 44,270Capital city: George TownCurrency: Caymanian dollar (KYD)Languages: EnglishFarming: Vegetables, fruit, livestock, turtle farmingNatural resources: Fish, climate and beaches good for tourismStatus: United Kingdom overseas territory
COSTA RICATotal area (sq. miles) : 19,730Total population: 4,016,173Capital city: San JoseCurrency: Costa Rican colon (CRC)Languages: Spanish, EnglishFarming (top 5 products): Coffee, pineapples, bananas,sugar cane, cornNatural resources: Hydroelectric power
CUBATotal area (sq. miles) : 42,803Total population: 11,346,670Capital city: HavanaCurrency: Cuban peso (CUP)
Languages: SpanishFarming (top 5 products): Sugar cane, tobacco, citrus fruits, coffee, riceNatural resources (top 5) : Cobalt, nickel, iron ore, chromium, copper
DOMINICATotal area (sq. miles) : 291Total population: 69,029Capital city: RoseauCurrency: East Caribbean dollar (XCD)Languages: English, French patoisFarming (top 5 products): Bananas, citrus fruits, mangos,root vegetables, coconutsNatural resources: Timber, hydroelectric power
DOMINICAN REPUBLICTotal area (sq. miles) : 18,815Total population: 8,950,034Capital city: Santo DomingoCurrency: Dominican peso (DOP)Languages: SpanishFarming (top 5 products): Sugar cane, coffee, cotton, cocoa, tobaccoNatural resources: Nickel, bauxite, gold, silver
EL SALVADORTotal area (sq. miles) : 8,124Total population: 6,704,932Capital city: San SalvadorCurrency: US dollar (USD)Languages: Spanish, NahuaFarming (top 5 products): Coffee, sugar cane, corn, rice, oilseedNatural resources: Hydroelectric power, geothermal power, oil
GRENADATotal area (sq. miles) : 133Total population: 89,502Capital city: Saint GeorgesCurrency: East Caribbean dollar (XCD)Languages: English, French patoisFarming (top 5 products): Bananas, cocoa, nutmeg,mace, citrus fruitsNatural resources: Timber, tropical fruit, deepwater harbors good forshipping
Opened in 1914, the 50-mile-lonPanama Canal allows ships to s
Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Oceacanal was built, ships had to sai
around South America by Ca
See the GLOSSARY for words and terms used in these FACTFILES.
NORTH AMERICA AND CENTRAL A
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ARGENTINA
URUGUAY
B R A Z I L
PARAGUAY
B O L I V I A
P E R U
ECUADOR
COLOMBIA
VENEZUELAGUYANA FRENCH
GUIANA
P A N A M A
TRINIDAD& TOBAGO
C
H
I
L
E
Ilhade
Maraj
SouthGeorgia
NetherlandsAntilles
WestFalkland
EastFalkland
L ES S E R A N T I LL E S
FALKLAND/MALVINASISLANDS
SURINAME
Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego
Maraj Bay
So MarcosBay
A T L A N T I C
O C E A N
C A R I B B E A N S E AGulf of
Venezuela
Gulf ofPanama
BlancaBay
Gulf ofSan Jorge
Strait of Magellan
S C O T I A
S E A
P A C I F I C
O C E A N
Valds Peninsula
Fernando deNoronha Island
A T L A N T I C O C E A N
GrandeBay
POLITICAL MAP OF SOUTH AMERICA
The continent of South America
stretches from the warm waters of the
Caribbean Sea in the north to the
stormy, cold waters of Cape Horn in the
south. The worlds longest mountain chain,
the Andes, runs down the western coast, while
the dense, dark Amazon forest, the worlds
largest rainforest, spreads across the north of
the continent.
SOUTH AMERICA
NAME LOCATION HEIGHT (feet)
Aconcagua Argentina 22,834*Ojos del Salado Argentina/Chile 22,664Huascaran Peru 22,205
Sajama Bolivia 21,463Chimborazo Ecuador 20,702
* Aconcagua is the highest mountain in South America.
NAME RIVER MOUTH LENGTH (miles)
Amazon Atlantic Ocean 4,007
Parana Atlantic Ocean 2,796
Purus Amazon 2,082
Madeira Amazon 1,988
NAME LOCATION AREA (sq miles)
Lake Titicaca Bolivia/Peru 3,205
Lake Poopo Bolivia 1,081
Rainforests around the world areshrinking. They are cut down bythe timber industry or clearedfor mineral mining and farming.
Just 2.5 acres of Amazon
rainforest can contain up to1500 different plant species.
Each species of tree may
support more than 400 different
insect species.
20% of the worlds birds live in
the Amazon rainforest.
500 years ago, 6 million nativepeople lived in the Amazon
rainforest. In 2000, the number
was less than 250,000.
HIGHEST MOUNTAINS (BY COUNTRY) AMAZON RAINFORESTFACTS
LONGEST RIVERS
LARGEST LAKES
E O P L EACTFILE
tal population:,400,000
ghest population:zil 186,112,794
west population:aguay 6,347,884
st populous city:Paulo, Brazil
333,000 residents
e expectancy:e: 70 yearsale: 76 years
ghest infant mortality rate:via: 53 deaths per 1,000 births
erage annual incomer person (in USD):hest: Uruguay $14,500es t: Bol iv ia $2,600
E O G R A P H YACTFILE
tal land area:68,000 square miles
gest country:zil: 3,286,488 square milesh largest country in the world
allest country:herlands Antilles: square miles
gest island:Grande de Tierra del Fuego147 square miles
gest desert:cama Desert, Chile000 square milesre has never been any rainfallorded in parts of this desert.
ghest waterfall:gel Falls, Venezuelaal drop: 3,212 feet
See page 27SOUTH AMERICA FACTFILES
See the GLOSSARY for
efinitions of LIFE EXPECTANCYand INFANT MORTALITY RATE.
See page 10 THE ANDES
Venezuela is South Americasmain producer of oil. Brazil usesthe most oil in South America,2,199,000 barrels each day.
The Amazons source is aremote slope of the NevadoMismi peak (17,440 feethigh), in Peru.
La Paz in Bolivia is the worldshighest capital city, about12,000 feet above sea level.
The worlds southernmis Ushuaia, a fishing ponaval base, on the islanTierra del Feugo, Argen
FAST FACTS
SOUTH AMERICA
NORTH AMERICA
ANTARCTICA
TEMPERATURES
IN JANUARY
TEMPE
IN
THE EQUATOR THE EQUATO
LAND USEFAST FACT
The Amazon River accounts fortwenty percent of all freshwater
that drains into the worldsoceans each year.
CLIMATE: SOUTH AMERICA
over 90 F
75 to 90 F
60 to 75 F
45 to 60 F
30 to 45 F
15 to 30 F
0 to 15 F
-10 to 0 F
below -10 F
KEY
14.2%
5.5%
50.5%
28.7%
1.1%
Ice and snow
Tundra
Mountains/barren land
KEY
Forest
Grassland
Semidesert
Desert
HABITATS
This map shows the different typesof habitats across the continent.
Forest, including treesgrown for timber
Permanent pasture
Permanent crops,such as fruit trees orgrapevines
Arable crops, such aswheat and rice, that arereplanted each year
Other roads, towns,
and barren land
SOUTH A
The Equator
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Each country-by-country factfile contains: total area of the country in square miles; total population; name of the capital city; the maiused in the country; main languages spoken (listed in order of number of speakers); top five farming products produced (listed in importance to the countrys economy); natural resources (of commercial importance); and a countrys status if it is not independent.
ARGENTINATotal area (sq. miles) : 1,068,302Total population: 39,537,943Capital city: Buenos AiresCurrency: Argentine peso (ARS)Languages: Spanish, English, Italian,German, FrenchFarming (top 5 products): Sunflower seeds, lemons,soybeans; grapes, cornNatural resources (top 5) : Fertile pampas plains, lead, zinc, tin, copper
BOLIVIATotal area (sq. miles) : 424,164Total population: 8,857,870Capital city: La Paz/Sucre
Currency: Boliviano (BOB)Languages: Spanish, Quechua, AymaraFarming (top 5 products): Soybeans, coffee, coca, cotton, cornNatural resources (top 5) : Tin, natural gas, oil, zinc, tungsten
BRAZILTotal area (sq. miles) : 3,286,488Total population: 186,112,794Capital city: BrasiliaCurrency: Real (BRL)Languages: Portuguese, Spanish, English, FrenchFarming (top 5 products): Coffee, soybeans, wheat, rice, cornNatural resources (top 5) : Bauxite, gold, iron ore, manganese, nickel
CHILETotal area (sq. miles) : 292,260Total population: 15,980,912Capital city: SantiagoCurrency: Chilean peso (CLP)Languages: SpanishFarming (top 5 products): Fruit, onions, wheat, corn, oatsNatural resources (top 5) : Copper, timber, iron ore, nitrates,precious metals
COLOMBIATotal area (sq. miles) : 439,736Total population: 42,954,279Capital city: BogotaCurrency: Colombian peso (COP)
Languages: SpanishFarming (top 5 products): Coffee, cut flowers, bananas, r ice, tobaccoNatural resources (top 5) : Oil, natural gas, coal, iron ore, nickel
ECUADORTotal area (sq. miles) : 109,483Total population: 13,363,593Capital city: QuitoCurrency: US dollar (USD)Languages: Spanish, QuechuaFarming (top 5 products): Bananas, coffee, cocoa, rice, potatoesNatural resources: Oil, fish, timber, hydroelectric power
FRENCH GUIANATotal area (sq. miles) : 35,135
Total population: 195,506
Capital city: Cayenne
Currency: Euro (EUR)
Languages: French
Farming (top 5 products): Corn, rice, manioc (tapioca),
sugar cane, cocoa
Natural resources (top 5) : Bauxite, timber, gold, oil,kaolin
Status: French overseas territory
GUYANATotal area (sq. miles) : 83,000
Total population: 765,283Capital city: Georgetown
Currency: Guyanese dollar (GYD)
Languages: English, Amerindian dialects, Creole, Hindi
Farming (top 5 products): Sugar cane, rice, wheat,
vegetable oils, livestock
Natural resources (top 5) : Bauxite, gold, diamonds,
timber, shrimp
NETHERLANDS ANTILLESTotal area (sq. miles) : 371
Total population: 219,958
Capital city: Willestad
Currency: Netherlands Antillean
guilder (ANG)
Languages: Papiamento, English, Dutch
Farming (top 5 products): Aloe plants, sorghum, peanuts,
vegetables, tropical fruit
Natural resources: Phosphates (on Curacao island),
salt (on Bonaire island)
Status: Self-governing Netherlands territory
PARAGUAYTotal area (sq. miles) : 157,047
Total population: 6,347,884
Capital city: Asuncion
Currency: Guarani (PYG)Languages: Spanish, Guarani
Farming (top 5 products): Cotton, sugar cane, soybeans, corn, wheatNatural resources (top 5) : Hydroelectric power, timber, iron ore,
manganese, limestone
PERUTotal area (sq. miles) : 496,226
Total population: 27,925,628
Capital city: Lima
Currency: Nuevo sol (PEN)
Languages: Spanish; Quechua; Aymara
Farming (top 5 products): Coffee, cotton, sugar cane, rice, potatoes
Natural resources (top 5) : Copper, silver, gold, oil, timber
SURINAMETotal area (sq. miles) : 63,039Total population: 438,144Capital city: ParamariboCurrency: Suriname guilder (SRG)Languages: Dutch, English, Sranang Tongo (Creole
called Taki-Taki)Farming (top 5 products): Rice, bananas, palm ker
plantainsNatural resources (top 5) : Timber, hydroelectric poshrimp
URUGUAYTotal area (sq. miles) : 68,038Total population: 3,415,920Capital city: MontevideoCurrency: Uruguayan peso (UYU)Languages: Spanish
Farming (top 5 products): Rice, wheat, corn, barleyNatural resources: Hydroelectric power, minerals, fi
VENEZUELATotal area (sq. miles) : 352,144Total population: 25,375,281Capital city: CaracasCurrency: Bolivar (VEB)
Languages: Spanish, numerous indigenous dialectsFarming (top 5 products): Corn, sorghum, sugar caNatural resources (top 5) : Oil, natural gas, iron ore
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Llamas are members of the camare native to South America. Th
in the Andes for centuries, boanimals and in domesticated hthey still work as pack anima
goods through inaccessible mou
See the GLOSSARYfor words and terms used in these
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SOUTH AMERICA FACTFILE
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The amount of oil produced,bought and sold, and used in the
world is measured in barrels.A barrel is equivalent to42 gallons.
Nigeria is Africas largest producer ofoil2,356,000 barrels per day
TOP 5 CONSUMERS OF OIL(USAGE PER DAY)
Egypt 562,000 barrelsSouth Africa 460,000 barrelsN ig er ia 2 75 ,0 00 b ar re lsLibya 216,000 barrelsA lg er ia 2 09 ,0 00 b ar re ls
Africa is the second largest continent in
the world. The worlds biggest desert,
the Sahara, dominates the landscape of
the north, while in the south forests and vast
grasslands are home to wild animals, such as
leopards, lions, and elephants. The Great Rift
Valley, one of the Earths major geological
features, runs from the Red Sea down to
Mozambique. This huge crack in the Earths
surface, caused by a series of faults, is made up of
mountains, volcanoes, deep valleys
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