By reviewing Kerala Syllabus SCERT Class 6 Social Science Solutions Chapter 7 Through the Continents Important Questions, students can improve their conceptual understanding.
Through the Continents Extra Questions and Answers Class 6 Social Science Chapter 7 Kerala Syllabus
Through the Continents Class 6 Important Questions
Question 1.
Asia is the largest continent on Earth. It comprises almost one third of the land area of the Earth.
a) Explain the Geographical features of Asia
b) Which mountain range separates Europe and Asia?
Answer:
a)
- The Himalaya mountains where the highest peak in the world, Mount Everest is situated, is in Asia.
- Karakoram Range, Hindu Kush Range,Pamir Mountains, Tian Shan Mountains, Altai Mountains etc are the other mountains in Asia.
- In addition to mountains, deserts, plains and plateaus are also geographical features of Asia.
- Many rivers flow through this continent. Yangtze is the longest river in Asia.
b) The Ural mountain ranges
Question 2.
Asia is the continent with the highest population in the world.
a) Explain the Human life of Asia.
b) Describe the climatic differences in the various regions of Asia.
Answer:
a) Asia is the continent with the highest population in the world. 60% of the world population resides in Asia. Most of the Asians depend on agriculture for living. Asia is the largest producer of paddy in the world. It is the meeting place of various cultures, languages and religions. There are bustling cities like Tokyo and Mumbai as well as villages with very low population in Asia.
b) As the northern part of Asia is lying close to the polar region, it experiences extreme cold. The eastern part experiences moderate heat and cold because of the proximity to the oceans. Since the southern region lies close to the equator, it is hot and humid and has heavy rainfall. In the arid western region the temperature is generally high.
Question 3.
Africa has diverse geographical features that range from expansive Savannah grasslands to dense rain forests.
a) Explain the geographical features of Africa.
b) Write the natural borders of Africa.
Answer:
a)
- Africa is the second largest continent. This is a continent that is spread almost equally in the Northern and Southern hemispheres.
- Sahara, the largest hot desert in the world and the Congo river basin covered with tropical rainforests are the features of this continent.
- River Nile, which is the longest river in the world flows through this continent.
- The highest mountain in this continent is Kilimanjaro. Mount Kenya, Mount Elgon, Drakensberg Mountains, Atlas Mountains etc are the other mountains in Africa.
b) East – Red Sea and Indian Ocean, West – Atlantic Ocean, South – Southern Ocean,
North – Mediterranean Sea (located between Africa and Europe)
Question 4.
Differentiate the flora and fauna of Asia and Africa.
Answer:
| Asia | Africa |
| In accordance with the climatic variations, a variety of flora and fauna can be seen in Asia. | The Savannah grasslands and the tropical rainforests in Africa are rich in diverse flora and fauna. The seasonal migration of animals in Serengeti is a major characteristic of Africa. |
| Eg: Rafflesia,Neelakurinji, Snow Leopard, Red Panda | Eg: Baobab Tree, Black rhinoceros, African wild dog |
Question 5.
Desert are region with very low rainfall and vast arid land areas.
Differentiate hot and cold deserts.
Answer:
Deserts that experience extreme heat are called hot deserts and those with extreme cold are called cold deserts.
Question 6.
What are plains and plateaus?
Answer:
- Land areas that are almost flat are called plains.
- Land areas that are elevated from the surrounding regions, and with a comparatively flat surface, are called plateaus.
Question 7.
How are alluvial plains formed?
Answer:
Alluvial Plains are formed from the sediments deposited by rivers. These are generally fertile.
Question 8.
What are the main features of the Sahara Desert?
Answer:
The Sahara is the largest hot desert in the world. This desert, with vast sand dunes and rocky plateaus, is the habitat of various flora and fauna. Ethnic tribes who adapt to adverse conditions to survive are also a feature of the Sahara.
Question 9.
Define Tropical rainforests and why it’s called rainforests?
Answer:
Tropical rainforests are the rich and dense forests seen in the equatorial region. This region experiences extreme heat and receives high rainfall throughout the year. These forests are called rainforests because they grow in regions with heavy rain.
Question 10.
Write the names of any two regions where tropical rainforests are found.
Answer:
Amazon in South America and the Congo in Africa.
Question 11.
The majority of people in Africa live in villages and engage in agriculture.
a) Explain the Human Life of Africa
b) Describe the climate of Africa and mention the regions where moderate climate is experienced.
Answer:
a) The majority of people in Africa live in villages and engage in agriculture. Africa is a land, rich in cultures, languages and history. The Egyptian civilization, which was one of the ancient civilizations, originated in Africa. Egyptian pyramids exist as an evidence of ancient architectural expertise.
b) Africa, which is almost equally spread on either side of the equator, generally experiences hot climate. Still, regional differences are also there. Moderate climate is experienced along the coastal areas and in the regions belonging to the temperate zone.
Question 12.
North America is the continent that is surrounded by the Pacific, the Atlantic and the Arctic oceans.
a) Explain the Geographical features of North America.
b) Write the natural borders of North America.
Answer:
a) Appalachian and Rocky Mountains are two major mountain ranges situated in North America. The fertile plains in this continent are known as the Great Plains. The prairies are the vast grasslands of North America. Several rivers including the Missouri and the Mississippi are there in North America. Five freshwater lakes which are known as the Five Great Lakes are also there in this continent. The Grand Canyon which is a huge valley situated in Arizona in North America is a wonder of the nature.
b) East – Atlantic Ocean, West- Pacific Ocean, South- South America and Caribbean Sea, North – Arctic Ocean.
Question 13.
Explain the given features of North America.
• Climate
• Flora and Fauna
• Human Life
Answer:
Climate: The northern region of the continent experiences extreme cold as it is lying close to the polar region. The temperature relatively increases while moving from the North to the South.
Flora and Fauna: North America is a habitat of great variety of flora and fauna. The Sequoia forests in the West and the grasslands in the Great Plains are examples for this. Some varieties of flora and fauna are California poppy, Saguaro cactus and Moose.
Human Life: The United States of America (USA) and Canada are renowned for their high standards of living and technological advancement. Large metropolitan cities of the world such as New York, Los Angeles and Mexico are situated in North America. Favourable climate and fertile soil enrich the agricultural sector here. Inuits (Eskimos) who live in the snowy areas is another feature of this continent.
Question 14.
What is the Grand Canyon and how was it formed?
Answer:
The Grand Canyon is a huge valley which is about 446 km long up to 29 km wide and more than 1500 m deep. This huge valley was formed as a result of the action of River Colorado over millions of years. This is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Question 15.
The Andes mountain ranges which is the longest in the world and Amazon, the largest river on earth are in South America.
a) Write the natural borders of South America.
b) Explain its geographical features.
c) Why are the Amazon rainforests called the ‘Lungs of the Earth’ and where are they located?
Answer:
a) East – Atlantic Ocean, West- Pacific Ocean, South- Southern Ocean, North – Caribbean Sea.
b) The Andes mountain ranges which is the longest in the world and Amazon, the largest river on earth are in South America. The major part of the vast Amazon river basin is rainforests. The Atacama, which is the most arid desert in the world is another geographical feature of South America.
c) Amazon rainforests are called the ‘Lungs of the Earth’. Because the Amazon forests, which is the habitat of a huge variety of flora and fauna that are not found anywhere else, is in South America.
Question 16.
What kind of climate does the northern and southern part of South America have?
Answer:
In the equatorial region, the northern regions of South America are very hot and get plenty of rainfall. The southernmost region of South America experiences extreme cold.
Question 17.
Explain the Human Life, Flora and Fauna in South America.
Answer:
| Human Life | Flora and Fauna |
| • Most of the South Americans engage in agriculture, fishing and industry. • This continent is remarkable for the cultural diversity due to the presence of indigenous people, Europeans, Africans and Asians. |
• South America is famous for Amazon Water Lily, Anaconda and so on. • The Andes mountains in South America is the habitat of a flowering plant called Andean Lupin and mammals such as Llama. • Pantanal in South America is one of the largest tropical wetland areas in the world. • A mammal called Capybara, can be seen in this area. |
Question 18.
Explain the given features of Antarctica.
• Location
• Geographical features
• Climate
• Flora and Fauna
Answer:
Location: 98 percentage of this continent is covered by the Antarctic glacier. Most of the pure water on Earth is contained in this glacier. It is a continent that is surrounded entirely by the Southern Ocean.
Geographical features: The Transantarctic mountain ranges divide the continent as Eastern Antarctica and Western Antarctica. Antarctic peninsula is a physiographic division of Antarctica which lies close to South America. The highest mountain in Antarctica is Vinson Massif. Several volcanoes can also be seen in this continent.
Climate: Antarctica is a cold desert which is covered by snow throughout the year. It is the location of Antarctica which makes its climate unique.
Flora and Fauna: Except for certain mosses that are seen in the rifts of glaciers, the rest of Antarctica is barren. Many of the coastal regions of this continent are the habitats of Penguins and Seals.
Question 19.
Match the following.
| A | B |
| The vast grasslands in eastern Europe | Europe |
| The Carpathian | Steppe |
| Smallest Continent | Animal species in Australia |
| The Great Victoria | Australia |
| Marsupials | Desert |
Answer:
| A | B |
| The vast grasslands in eastern Europe | Steppe |
| The Carpathian | Europe |
| Smallest Continent | Australia |
| The Great Victoria | Desert |
| Marsupials | Animal species in Australia |
Question 20.
Compare the given features of Europe and Australia.
• Climate
• Flora and fauna
• Human Life
Answer:
| Features | Europe | Australia |
| Climate | • Europe generally experiences moderate heat and cold. • Snowfall during winter is common in the northern regions of this continent. |
• The major area of Australia experiences arid climate. • As we go to the interiors of the continent the intensity of dryness increases. |
| Flora and Fauna | • The Alpine region of Europe is famous for its grassland and the Mediterranean regions for vineyards. • Eg: Coak Oak Trees, Lynx. |
• The isolated position of Australia resulted in the evolution of flora and fauna in a different way. • Eg: Marsupials and egg-laying mammals. |
| Human Life | • Europeans generally maintain a high standard of living. • Europe is a continent rich in art and cultural heritage. • Athens and Rome, which are among the most ancient cities of the world, are situated in Europe. • Cities such as Paris, London and Berlin are centres of art, fashion and technology. |
• Australia is the land of modern cities and ancient culture. • The indigenous tribal people here possess a very rich ethnic culture. • Cities like Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane are famous for their high standards of living and cultural activities. |