Study of Continents — South America

Tick the right option

Question 1

Andes are

1. Residual mountains
2. Fold mountains
3. Block mountains
4. Volcanic ranges

Answer

Fold mountains

Question 2

Lake Titicaca is situated in

1. Bolivia plateau
2. Patagonia desert
3. Brazilian highlands
4. Guiana highlands

Answer

Bolivia plateau

Question 3

The tropical rainforests are called

1. Selvas
2. Pampas
3. Llanos
4. Campos

Answer

Selvas

Question 4

The Amazon river rises from the

1. Andes cordillera
2. Brazilian highlands
3. Eastern highlands
4. Guiana highlands

Answer

Andes cordillera

Question 5

The La Plata river basin is also known as

1. Pampas
2. Selvas
3. Gran Chaco
4. Paraguay

Answer

Paraguay

Question 6

Which is the highest peak in Andes range?

1. Mt. Aconcagua
2. Mt. Elbert
3. Mt. McKinley
4. Mt. Toubkal

Answer

Mt. Aconcagua

Question 7

The western coastal strip is surrounded by ............... on the east.

1. Andes
2. Pacific Ocean
3. Bolivian Plateau
4. Georgia Islands

Answer

Andes

Question 8

The driest desert, where there has been no rainfall.

1. Atacama Desert
2. Desert of Siloli
3. Coastal Desert of Peru
4. La Tatacoa Desert

Answer

Atacama Desert

Question 9

Orinoco, Amazon and La Plata drain into which ocean?

1. Atlantic
2. North Pacific
3. South Atlantic
4. South Pacific

Answer

Atlantic

Question 10

The largest river system of the world is .............

1. Amazon
2. Orinoco
3. Paraguay
4. Parana

Answer

Amazon

Question 11

Brazilian highland is the source of which river basin

1. Paraguay
2. Amazon
3. Orinoco
4. Araguaia

Answer

Paraguay

Question 12

Rio de la Plata is an example of

1. gulf
2. bay
3. estuary
4. port

Answer

estuary

Question 13

Which desert lies to the south of Pampas?

1. La Tatacoa
2. Patagonia
3. Atacama
4. La Guajira

Answer

Patagonia

Question 14

The ............... highland is the home for the world's highest waterfall.

1. Guiana
2. Brazilian
3. Patagonian
4. Andes

Answer

Guiana

Question 15

An island country in the northern edge of South America

1. Trinidad and Tobago
2. Falkland
3. Juan Fernandez
4. Wellington

Answer

Trinidad and Tobago

Fill in the blanks

Question 1

............... discovered South America in ............... .

Answer

Christopher discovered South America in 1498 .

Question 2

............... and ............... pass through South America.

Answer

Equator and Tropic of Capricorn pass through South America.

Question 3

The latitudinal extent of South America is from ............... N to ............... S.

Answer

The latitudinal extent of South America is from 13° N to 55° S.

Question 4

The Andes form an unbroken stretch of ............... mountains.

Answer

The Andes form an unbroken stretch of Young fold mountains.

Question 5

............... marks the southernmost tip of South America.

Answer

Cape Horn marks the southernmost tip of South America.

State whether the following statements are true or false. Correct and rewrite the wrong statements.

Question 1

The Andes run from north to south along the eastern coast of South America.

Answer

False

Corrected statement — The Andes run from north to south along the western coast of South America.

Question 2

Mt. Chimborazo is one of the highest volcanoes of South America.

Answer

True

Question 3

La Plata is made up of two rivers.

Answer

False

Corrected statement — La Plata is made up of three rivers i.e. the Parana, the Paraguay and the Uruguay.

Question 4

The Gran Chaco is a grassland.

Answer

False

Corrected statement — The Gran Chaco is a plain and tropical dry forest.

Question 5

Pampas lies to the north of South America.

Answer

False

Corrected statement — Pampas lies to the south of South America.

Give an example of each of the following found in South America

Question 1

The largest river

Answer

Amazon

Question 2

An archipelago

Answer

Tierra del Fuego

Question 3

An active volcano

Answer

Mt. Cotopaxi

Question 4

A highland in the north of South America

Answer

Guiana

Question 5

A desert in South America in the coastal strip

Answer

Atacama desert

Answer the following in one word

Question 1

The largest country of South America

Answer

Brazil

Question 2

An archipelago found at the eastern tip of South America

Answer

Tierra del Fuego

Question 3

The intermontane plateau in the Andes.

Answer

Altiplano

Question 4

A majestic volcano in South America

Answer

Chimborazo

Question 5

The largest lake in South America

Answer

Lake Titicaca

Answer the following questions in brief

Question 1

Describe the location of South America.

Answer

South America lies between 13° N latitude to 55° S and 35° W to 81° W longitude. The major part of South America is in Southern Hemisphere and only a small part lies in Northern Hemisphere. Equator and Tropic of Capricorn cross through South America.

Question 2

Name the major physical divisions of South America.

Answer

The major physical divisions of South America are:

1. Western Mountains — Andes
2. The Western Coastal Strip
3. The Central Plains
4. The Eastern Highlands
5. The Islands

Question 3

Name the three rivers that make up the Paraguay river basin.

Answer

The three rivers that make up the Paraguay river basin are:

1. The Parana
2. The Paraguay
3. The Uruguay

Question 4

Write a short note on Amazon basin, Gran Chaco and Pampas.

Answer

Amazon basin — It is drained by Amazon river and its tributaries and is spectacular in size with some 20,800 km of navigable water-ways. Amazon is the largest river system of the world. It rises from the Andes and falls into the Atlantic Ocean. It flows through dense equatorial forest called Selvas.

Gran Chaco — The Western part of the central plain is called Gran Chaco. It is an extensive alluvial plain. It is also known as Dry Chaco. It is an arid subtropical region of low forests.

Pampas — It is the Grassland of South America. It lies to the south of the Gran Chaco. Pampas is the most productive agricultural region of South America. It is covered with fine grained stoneless deposits similar to loess.

Question 5

Name the three river basins found in central lowlands. What is meant by Llanos?

Answer

The three river basins found in central lowlands are:

1. The llanos of the Orinoco Basin
2. The Amazon Basin
3. Paraguay or Plata river basin

Llanos refers to the tropical grassland of Orinoco river basin. It lies in the north of Orinoco river basin.

Question 6

State the characteristic features of Andes mountain range.

Answer

The characteristic features of Andes mountain range are:

1. It is the longest mountain system of the world. Their average height is about 4000 m above sea level.
2. It is an unbroken stretch of young fold mountains which flank the Pacific coast from Caribbean Sea to Cape Horn.
3. It has two parallel ranges from western and eastern sides.
4. It's highest peak is Mt. Aconcagua.
5. It has majestic volcanic ranges which include Cotopaxi, Chimborazo, Ancohuma in Bolivia and Ojas del Salado in Argentina.
6. The western slopes of the Andes give rise to only short streams but many numerous large rivers drain the eastern slopes, flowing into the Amazon river.

Question 7

Name the two deserts of South America. Give a reason for the scanty rainfall in the deserts

Answer

The two deserts of South America are

1. Atacama Desert
2. Patagonia Desert

The deserts receive scanty rainfall because they lie in Rain shadow area that is the leeward side of the mountain. The windward side of the mountain receives rainfall while the leeward side remains dry.

Question 8

What is meant by rain shadow area? Give one example of such an area in South America.

Answer

The Rain shadow area is an area on the leeward side of the mountain which does not receive rainfall. Atacama desert is one of the examples of rain shadow area.

Question 9

Name the highest peak in Andes.

Answer

The highest peak in Andes is Mt. Aconcagua.