sign in sign up
<<
Home , Atlantic Ocean, Bering Sea, Caribbean Sea, Inland sea (geology), Isthmus of Suez, Puncak Jaya

Discover Your 2020 Week 1 The Natural World

This week we focus on the world as it was before humans came along. We will look at the natural barriers of the world like deserts, mountains, and . We will also study some of the wonders of and different natural features that have helped and hindered humans through the ages. What's new this year? Labeled maps to help you find all of the features. 4 , 2 straits, 1 , 2 deserts, 2 mountains, and 5 other features. What should you study to do well? The names of the natural features. What makes them noteworthy. How to find them on a map. How to recognize them from a picture. For challenge questions, have an idea of how these features might relate to each other. What will the categories be? Superlatives (Be able to name the biggest in each category) What is This? (Know different features by name) Claim to fame (Know different features by description) Picture This? (Recognize them from a picture) On the Map (Place the features on the map) Which One Doesn't Belong? Example Challenge Questions

What are three islands in ? What is the only one of the 10 tallest mountains in the world that is not in the ? Which separates from ? Oceans

Oceans are bodies of salt water that separate the . Oceans aren’t just big, they are massive. Oceans cover 71% of the ’s surface, contain 97% of the Earth’s water, and are home to 99% of the Earth’s living species. There are five oceans. They are all connected to each other and scientists have changed the placement of the boundaries between them over the years. Continents Continents are large land masses that are tied to continental plates. Unfortunately the word is used a number of different ways. Sometimes the word continent refers to a single land mass while other times it is a label for an area of the world near a major land mass. When we use the word continent in this program, we are going to use the second definition, meaning that we will organize islands as being part of a continent. The Five Oceans

Pacific : The largest ocean, the Pacific separates the from and . The contains the Mariana Trench, the deepest place on Earth’s surface. It is almost 7 miles below !

Atlantic Ocean: Separates the Americas from and . It is the second largest ocean.

Indian Ocean: It is between Africa, Asia, and Australia.

Arctic Ocean: It is north of the , Europe and Asia.

Southern Ocean: It is south of and Africa. The was not considered an ocean between 1953-2002 and these waters were instead parts of the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans. The Seven Continents Asia: The largest continent, Asia is bound by the Pacific, , and Indian Oceans. Asia is directly connected to Europe and while considered a separate continent it is a single landmass. The border between Asia and Europe is defined by the Ural Mountains, the Caucus Mountains, and the Turkish Straits. Asia includes many islands making up a number of to its east and south.

Europe: Bound by the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans. It is directly connected to Asia. The separates Europe from Africa. Some islands north of Europe and in the Mediterranean Sea are considered part of Europe as well.

Africa: Bound by the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. Africa is connected to Asia by the with the of forming the border between the continents. Many islands off the coast of Africa are also considered part of the continent, the largest being Madagascar.

North America: Bound by the Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic Oceans, North America is connected to South America by the Isthmus of . The area between and Colombia is often called , but is part of North America. Most of the islands in the Sea as well others off the coast are considered part of the continent.

South America: Bound by the Atlantic, Pacific, and Southern Oceans. South America is connected to North America and has numerous islands off the coast.

Oceania: includes the landmass of Australia as well as many islands nearby and throughout the Pacific Ocean.

Antarctica: Bound completely by the Southern Ocean, is mostly uninhabited and not under sovereign control of any .

Seas are large areas of salt water. They are smaller than oceans and are defined by nearby land masses. Most seas can be defined as part of an ocean, but some seas, known as inland seas, are considered to be part of a continent. There are many seas in the world, so this list will only include some of the major ones.

1) 6) 11) 2) Mediterranean Sea 7) 12) 3) 8) 13) 4) 9) 14) 5) 10) 15) South China Sea Mediterranean Sea Caribbean Sea A large sea south of Asia, the Separating Europe and Africa, Tucked between North and South China Sea contains many this sea was important source South America, the Caribbean of the largest ports in the world. of transportation to many early Sea has many countries China has been attempting to civilizations. It is still an build islands in this important important route for connecting waterway in order to claim it. Europe and Northern Africa to Asia through the Suez .

Caspian Sea An inland sea in Asia that is North Sea Baltic Sea surrounded by , A sea between , A small sea between Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Iran, , and , it Scandinavia, the Baltic States, and Turkmenistan. It is is a major source of oil. and Russia. sometimes classified as a lake, making it the world's largest one if you consider it one.

Arabian Sea Located between India and the Middle East, much of the world’s Gulf of Mexico Coral Sea oil passes though the Arabian Bound by and Mexico, East of Australia, the Coral Sea Sea. this sea has major ports and is a is the home of the Great Barrier major source of oil. Reef.

Yellow Sea Red Sea Black Sea Separates Africa from the An inland sea surrounded by a Separates China and the Korean Middle East number of countries between Pennisula. Europe and Asia.

Bering Sea Bay of Bengal Sea of Japan Separates the Located between India and Separates Russia and the () from Russia. . Korean Pennisula from Japan. Islands

Islands are areas of land not connected to a continent. Some of these islands are impressive for their size, while others on this list are here for historical reasons or due to a unique feature that makes them stand out.

1) 7) 13) 19) North/South 2) Honshu 8) Taiwan 14) Galapagos 20) 3) Madagascar 9) Hong Kong 15) Britain 21) Sri Lanka 4) Singapore 10) Java 16) Falkland 22) Macao 5) Luzon 11) Sumatra 17) Robben 23) 6) Cuba 12) 18) Easter 24) Mauritius Greenland Honshu Madagascar Singapore Located east of The largest of the islands of Located off the East coast Singapore is a small, but between the Atlantic and Japan, Honshu is the of Africa, Madagascar has wealthy Arctic Oceans, Greenland is second most populated, unique that whose location on the Strait the largest island in the seventh largest, and most contain many species found of Malacca has made it one world. Part of , economically powerful nowhere else on Earth, like of the most important ports Greenland is one of only island in the world. Japan's the lemur. It is the 4th in the world. two places on Earth largest like Tokyo are largest island in the world. largely covered by a on Honshu. permanent ice sheet.

Luzon Cuba Hispaniola Taiwan The largest of the islands of Located south of Florida, East of Cuba, Hispaniola is A densely populated island the Philippines, Luzon is the Cuba is the largest island in the most populated and east of the Chinese fifteenth largest, but fourth the Caribbean. Cuba is one second largest island in the , the government most populated island in of four communist Caribbean. Its land area is of Taiwan claims to be the the world. Famous for its countries in the world and split between two countries, legitimate government rice terraces, Luzon was was the site of an and the Dominican of all of China. China occupied by the Spanish, international crisis in the Republic disagrees and believes the US, and the Japanese, 1960s that people feared Taiwan is a part of their might start a nuclear war. country. This has complicated diplomacy in the to say the least.

Hong Kong Java Sumatra Borneo A small island south of China, The 13th largest, but most The 6th largest island in the The 3rd largest island in the Hong Kong is one of the populated island in the world, Sumatra is the world, Borneo contains wealthiest cities in the world world, Java is home to over largest island entirely in territory of three countries, with more skyscrapers than 141 million people and is Indonesia. A place of great Brunei, Malaysia, and any other. Hong Kong was a the economic and political natural diversity, Sumatra’s Indonesia. Borneo lies on British colony and is now part center of Indonesia. wildlife is under threat as the and contains of China. Hong Kong has deforestation occurs. the oldest rainforests in the resisted attempts by China to world. take a more direct control over the island's government, marked by massive protests over the last two years. New Guinea Galapagos Britain New Guinea is the 2nd A small group of islands in The largest European island A small group of islands in the largest island in the world. the Pacific Ocean, the and 9th largest island in the Southern , the It is also the most culturally Galapagos are a territory of world, Britain is home to Falklands belong to the United diverse island with over 100 Ecuador. They are famous the countries of England, Kingdom. In the 1980s, different languages for their unique species Wales, and , three and the UK fought a spoken. The countries being studied by Charles parts of the nation of the short war over who controlled New Guinea and Darwin, author of On the . The island the islands even though it has Indonesia divide the island’s Origin of Species. is off of the coast of . a population of less than territory. 3,000 people..

Robben Island Easter Island North and Newfoundland A small island 4 miles off A small island in the South South Island A populated island in the the coast of Town, Pacific, Easter Island eastern part of Canada, Leif Found east of Australia, was used as is a territory of . Easter Erikson reached North and South Island a political prison. Three Island is famous for its Newfoundland in the 11th make up most of the former inmates who were massive Maui statues, century long before country of New . political prisoners for created by a civilization that Columbus took his voyage They are the 12th and 14th opposing have has since vanished. largest islands in the world. gone on to become president of .

Sri Lanka Macau Iceland Mauritius A large island off of the A small island off of the A sparsely populated island One of the islands in the coast of India, Sri Lanka is a coast of China that was in the northern Atlantic, country of the same name, culturally diverse country formerly a Portuguese Iceland is much greener Mauritius is in the Indian that was settled by humans Colony. Today Macau is than its name implies, Ocean . The now extinct over 100,000 years ago. best known for its casinos unlike Greenland which is Dodo Bird was once which bring in seven times far icier. common here. the business of those in Las Vegas. Straits

Straits are narrow areas of water between seas and oceans. Straits have been important historically as part of trade routes and for military control of waterways. Many important cities have formed around these locations. Human built straits are called . These will be covered in week 2.

Strait of Hormuz Strait of Connecting the Between Southern Asia and This strait connects the Magellan to the Arabian Sea, much the island of Sumatra, this Mediterranean Sea to the On the Southern end of of the world’s oil passes connects the South China Sea Atlantic Ocean between South America, this strait through here. to the and is and . connects the Atlantic and the world’s busiest waterway. Pacific Oceans.

Dardanelles English Strait of Sunda Bab-el-Mandeb Found between Indonesian and Bosporus Channel islands of Sumatra and Java Strait Located between the Horn These two straits connect Connects the North Sea to this straight offers an of Africa and the Arabian the Mediterranean to the the Atlantic Ocean and alternate longer route to Peninsula, this strait Black Sea between separates Britain from the Indian Ocean for controls the entrance to the European and Asian . mainland Europe. from the South China Sea. The Sea of Mamara is Red Sea. between them.

1) Strait of Hormuz 3) Strait of Gibraltar 5 )Dardanelles and 7) Strait of Sunda 2) Strait of Malacca 4) Bosporus 8) Bab-el-Mandeb 6) Strait

Rivers are moving bodies of fresh water. Used for farming, transportation, , and drinking water, rivers provide many of the resources people need to survive. Most early cities were built along the banks of rivers.

1) Nile 5) Rhine 9) , , 13) Congo 2) Yangtze 6) Niger and Yenisei 14) 3) Yellow 7) Zambezi 10) Tigris and 15) Amazon 4) Danube 8) Volga Euphrates 16) Mekong 11) Indus 12) Ganges Nile Yangtze Yellow Danube The world’s longest river The longest and most China’s second longest river is Europe’s longest river flows into the Mediterranean important of China’s rivers, north of the Yangtze outside of Russia, the Sea and was the life source of the Yangtze provided water to and empties into the Yellow Danube passes through ten the Egyptian and Sudanese China’s early civilization and is Sea. countries and four capitals civilizations. now the site of the world’s before entering into the largest dam. Black Sea.

Rhine Niger Zambezi Volga A major river of Europe that The longest river of western A major river of ’s longest river runs ends in the North Sea, Africa was a water source Africa, the Zambezi forms through Russia and empties the Rhine contains the for cities in the Mali and the border of Zimbabwe into the Caspian Sea continent’s largest port Songhai. It empties into the and empties into (Rotterdam). Atlantic Ocean. the Indian Ocean..

Lena, Ob, and Tigris and Indus Ganges Running from the Himalayas Flowing through India and Yenisei Euphrates through Pakistan into the Bangladesh into the Bay of These are the longest of These two rivers in the Middle Arabian Sea the Indus provided Bengal, the Ganges is Russia’s many rivers that East define the fertile area of water to one of the oldest considered sacred to the empty into the . Mesopotamia that was the major civilizations in the world. Hindu religion. site of many early civilizations important to world history.

Congo Orinoco Amazon Mekong The Congo flows into the The second longest river in The world’s second longest The world's twelfth longest Atlantic Ocean after passing South America, the Orinoco river, the Amazon crosses river runs through through rainforests and empties into the Caribbean. South America from the southeast Asia, forming the two capital cities directly Northern to the border between multiple across from each other Atlantic Ocean through the countries and emptying into (Kinshasa and Brazzaville). Amazon Rain Forest. the South China Sea. Mountains

While it doesn’t look like it, the land below our feet is moving. Mountains form as giant plates of earth push against each other. Mountains make traveling strenuous, farming difficult, and serve as natural barriers that keep people apart. These tall landforms are often natural borders of civilization.

1) Everest 5) Puncak Jaya 2) 6) 3) Kilimanjaro 7) 4) Elbrus 8) Vinson Everest K2 Kilimanjaro Elbrus Located in the Himalayan The second tallest mountain The tallest mountain in Africa, Europe’s tallest mountain is range between Nepal and in the world, K2 is the Kilimanjaro is a dormant found in the Caucus China, Everest is the world’s only one of the world’s 10 in Northern Tanzania. Mountains in southern tallest mountain rising over tallest peaks that is not in the It rises to almost 20,000 feet Russia. 29,000 feet above Himalayas. It is in the above sea level. sea level. Karakoram Range of Pakistan.

Puncak Jaya Aconcagua Mont Blanc The tallest mountain in the The tallest mountain in the The tallest mountain in The tallest peak in Pacific Islands, Puncak Americas is found on the Europe outside of Russia,, Antarctica, only the most Jaya is on the Indonesian Chile/Argentina border. It Mont Blanc is in the Alps serious mountaineers side of the island of New rises almost 23,000 feet. between Italy and France attempt this desolate climb. Guinea.

Himalayas Andes Great Dividing Covering parts of China, Spanning much of the Found in northern Africa, the Range India, Nepal and Pakistan, length of South America, the divides the Found near the Eastern the Himalayas contain most Andes are the longest fertile Mediterranean coast coast of Australia, the Great of the highest peaks on the mountain range in the world. from the unforgiving Dividing Range lives up to planet including the tallest Many of the early civilizations Desert. its name by separating the and 3rd to 10th highest. living in these mountains eastern coastal cities from were united into the Inca the deserts in the west. .

Caucuses Urals Alps Rwenzori Located between the Black Like the Caucuses in The Alps contain the largest Home to six of Africa’s Sea and the Caspian Sea, the south, the Ural mountains in Europe tallest mountains, this short the Caucuses form a Mountains in Russia form a outside of Russia carves range between the DR natural barrier between natural border between through eight countries Congo and Uganda is filled Europe and Asia. Europe to their west and including Italy, France, with unique and unspoiled Asia to their east. Germany, and Switzerland. terrain. Deserts

Areas with very little rainfall make it difficult for life to flourish. While they are very different from them in most ways, deserts are like mountains in that they are a barrier to people. Deserts are often very hot, but they don’t have to be: any area that lacks rainfall is a desert. This means that Antarctica, not the Sahara, is the largest desert in the world! Sahara Patagonian Kalahari Gobi The largest hot and sandy The largest desert in South Located in southern Africa, the A large Asian desert the Gobi desert in the world, the America, the Patagonian Kalahari covers most covers parts of China and Sahara Desert used to be a desert covers a large part of of Botswana. The Kalahari is much of Mongolia, explaining grassland about 10,000 years Argentina. less dry than some other why the latter is the least ago. The inhospitable terrain deserts and has distinctive densely populated country in makes it an imposing natural orange . the world. barrier. Great Victorian Chihuahuan Arabian One of the largest deserts Covering parts of Northern Of the many deserts in the in the world, the Great Covering the entirety of the Mexico and the Southern US, Middle East, the Arabian Desert is found in continent, the Antarctic the Chihuahuan Desert is Desert is the largest, Southern Australia and is Desert is cold and frozen. formed from Sierra Madre covering most of the biggest of five huge deserts Mountain's . . It is also that can be found in the the largest desert in Asia. country. 1) Sahara 2) Patagonian 3) Kalahari 4) Gobi 5) Arabian 6) Great Victorian 7) Antarctica 8) Chihuahuan Other Features

Here are some other important natural geographic features that don’t fall into any of the other categories.

1) Lake Baikal 6) Zuma Rock 11) Monteverde 16) Crystal Caves 2) Mariana Trench 7) Cloud Forest 17) Vesuvius 3) Great Barrier Reef 8) Parícutin 12) Niagara Falls 18) Javan Rainforests 4) 9) 13) Angel Falls 19) Serengeti 5) Uluru 10) Congolese 14) Victoria Falls 20) Salar de Uyani Rainforests 15) Ha Long Bay

Lake Baikal Great Barrier The deepest lake in the Mariana Trench Reef Dead Sea world, Lake Baikal by itself The deepest place on the Off the eastern coast of Actually a lake, the Dead holds over 20% of the world’s Earth’s surface, the Australia, the Great Barrier Reef Sea is the world’s saltiest surface fresh water even Mariana Trench is under the is the largest living thing in the . It is located though it is only the 7th Pacific Ocean and was just world. A massive coral system, between Israel and Jordan. largest lake by surface area. recently explored. It is seven rising temperatures have Lake Baikal is in , miles below sea level. already killed portions of the Russia. reef. Uluru Zuma Rock Krakatoa Parícutin Named Ayers Rock by Zuma Rock is a massive An active volcano in A volcano in Southern Europeans, Uluru is a granodiorite monolith Indonesia, its 1883 Mexico, Parícutin is unique massive sandstone found just to the West of eruption was extremely in that the entirety of its monolith in the Northern ’s capital Abuja. The deadly, causing the deaths active cycle was studied by Territory of Australia. It is Rock was both a defensive of 36,000. It was also the scientists. Its eruption in hundreds of miles from any fortification and spiritual loudest of historic 1943 destroyed two towns, and is sacred to the landmark to the people of times, estimated to have but it has since gone aboriginal Yankunytjatjara the area. been 310 decibels. dormant. and Pitjantjatjara people. Krakatoa last erupted in 2018.

Amazon Congolese Monteverde Niagara Falls On the border of the United Rainforest Rainforests Cloud Forest States and Canada, Niagara The world’s largest rainforest, A small Costa Rican rainforest, The world’s second largest Falls are three large the Amazon spans parts of the Monteverde Cloud Forest is rainforest, the Congolese waterfalls near each other. , , Bolivia, Ecuador, a reserve that protects Rainforests follow the basin of Every second more than a Colombia, , , the diverse from the . million gallons of water and . It is the most deforestation. Deforestation is happening passes through the largest diverse ecosystem in the much slower here than in of these three, Horseshoe world, with over 16,000 other major rainforests. Falls, the most of any species of trees. Half of the About 25% of the world’s waterfall in the world. world’s remaining rainforest rainforest can be found here. is in the Amazon.

Angel Falls Victoria Falls Ha Long Bay Cave of Crystals Located in a remote part of The biggest waterfall in An inlet in Vietnam, Ha Long Found in Mexico, this Venezuela, Angel Falls is the terms of combined width Bay is has unique limestone interconnected cave tallest waterfall in the and height, Victoria Falls is pillars rising from the water, contains huge selenite world. The total drop is found on the Zambezi River a diverse collection of crystals, among the largest more than half of a mile. on the border of Zambia tropical plants and animals, crystals ever found in on and Zimbabwe. and a numerous caves and earth. The extreme grottoes, making it a natural temperatures have made it wonder of the world. difficult to study. Vesuvius Javan Serengeti Salar de Uyuni A volcano in the Gulf of The Serengeti is a At 12,000 feet above sea Naples, Italy, Vesuvius is Rainforests grassland area that is the level in Bolivia, Salar de Indonesia is home to some one of the most dangerous world's most popular safari Uyuni is the world's largest of the most diverse volcanoes in the world due destination. This national salt flat. This desolate place rainforests in the world with to the millions of people park is part of the largest is home to over 50% of the many unique species. nearby. It is famous for its migration route in world's lithium as well as These forests are under eruption in the year 79 AD the world, nicknamed the many other rare metals. great pressure as Indonesia that destroyed Pompeii in "Megaherd". The Serengeti grows and develops, the . is in Northern Tanzania. especially Java's due to its huge population..

Next Week: The Constructed World! Join us as see study feats of engineering and culture landmarks. Come learn about human ingenuity, both functional or artistic.