World Geography: Some Glimpses Class 8: Notes and Questions

What World Geography: Some Glimpses is about

Weightage: CBSE sets no Class 8 Social Science paper or marks: Class 8 is assessed by your school, which teaches from NCERT Exploring Society: India and Beyond. School papers usually mix MCQs, short answers (2-3 marks), source or picture-based questions and longer answers (5 marks).Source: docs/research/cbse-8-2026-27.md (NCERT book list, Reprint 2026-27)

Key concepts

Mapping the Earth: projections and physical-map colours

NCERT section The Complexity of Mapping the Earth

The Earth is revered as a mother (Bhūdevī, Vasudhā) in many traditions; its features are connected (the distant Southern Indian Ocean influences the monsoon in the Gangetic Plains).

Oblate spheroid: nearly a sphere, bulging at the equator and slightly flat at the poles because of rotation. Like an orange peel that cannot lie flat without tearing, the curved Earth cannot be drawn on flat paper without distortion. Showing the Earth on a flat surface is a map projection; cartographers (map-makers) have made many.

Projection	Strength	Weakness
Mercator	keeps shape and direction; good for navigation	greatly enlarges areas near the poles (Greenland looks as big as Africa, and larger than India though it is smaller)
Robinson	balances size and shape; looks realistic	some distortion of both

Every map is a compromise, so look at several projections. Professionals use latitude and longitude coordinates for precision.

Physical map colours: water bodies are shown in blue, ice and glaciers in white, deserts in light yellow, plains in green, plateaus in yellow or brown, and high mountains in dark brown.

Worked example

Why does Greenland look larger than India on a Mercator map, and why is that map still used? (2 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. Mercator stretches areas near the poles; Greenland is near the North Pole.
2. It preserves shape and direction, so it is useful for navigation.

Answer: The Mercator projection greatly enlarges areas near the poles, so Greenland, which is far north, appears bigger than India although it is actually smaller. It is still used because it keeps shapes and directions correct, which helps navigation.

Oceans, currents and trenches

NCERT section The Blue of the Blue Planet, the Oceans

The ocean is a vast body of salt water covering about 71% of the Earth's surface (hence the 'blue planet') and holding 97% of its water.

• Supports life from plankton (microscopic organisms with chlorophyll that make food from sunlight and carbon dioxide) to blue whales (over 30 m, almost 150,000 kg).
• Regulates climate: absorbs heat, releases it slowly, adds moisture that forms clouds and rain.
• Gives us almost half the oxygen we breathe (via plankton).
• The ocean floor has mountains, valleys and plains.

Five oceans: Pacific (largest, deepest; whales, tuna), Atlantic (one of the busiest waterways; rich fishing), Indian (warm, rich biodiversity, historically important for trade), Southern (encircles Antarctica; penguins, seals), Arctic (smallest, shallowest, sea ice; polar bears, walruses).

Ocean currents: giant 'rivers' in the ocean. Warm currents flow from the equator towards the poles; cold currents from the poles towards the equator. The Gulf Stream carries warm water north through the Atlantic towards Western Europe, making places like the UK warmer than others at the same latitude.

Trenches: deep V-shaped seafloor areas. The Mariana Trench is the deepest, over 2,000 m deeper than Everest is high; its Challenger Deep is over 11,000 m below sea level. Near-freezing, high pressure, total darkness; life there makes food from chemicals, not sunlight.

Worked example

London lies about as far north as places in Canada with much harsher winters. Using the chapter, give three ways oceans shape climate, including the one that explains London's milder weather. (3 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. Absorb heat and release it slowly.
2. Add moisture to the air: clouds and rainfall.
3. Currents carry heat (Gulf Stream warms Western Europe).

Answer: 1. Oceans absorb large amounts of heat and release it slowly, keeping temperatures moderate. 2. They add moisture to the air, which forms clouds and rainfall. 3. Ocean currents move heat around the globe: the warm Gulf Stream carries water from near the equator towards Western Europe, which is why the UK is warmer than other places at the same latitude.

Coral reefs and smaller water bodies

NCERT section The Great Barrier Reef; Smaller water bodies and waterways

A reef is a ridge at or near the ocean surface, natural (rock or built by tiny animals called corals) or artificial. Reefs are called the 'rainforests of the sea' because they shelter about one-quarter of all ocean species (fish, crabs, turtles, sponges).

Great Barrier Reef: off Australia's north-eastern coast; over 2,000 km long, about 350,000 sq km; hundreds of coral species, thousands of fish species; a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Threats: overfishing, pollution, climate change. Coral bleaching (from changes in ocean water chemistry largely caused by humans) kills corals and destroys habitat.

Smaller water bodies:

Type	Meaning	Example
Sea	large, partly enclosed salt water joined to an ocean	Arabian Sea
Gulf	large inlet cutting deep into land	Persian Gulf
Bay	smaller, broad inlet	Bay of Bengal (world's largest bay)
Strait	narrow channel joining two seas/oceans	Strait of Malacca
Canal	human-made channel	Suez Canal

The Persian Gulf has carried India-Europe trade for millennia; bays shelter ports from strong winds. The Suez Canal (opened 1869) links the Red Sea and the Mediterranean, the shortest sea route from India to Europe.

Worked example

A diver notices fish, crabs, turtles and sponges crowded around a reef, but patches of nearby coral have turned white. Explain both observations using the chapter. (3 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. Among the most diverse ecosystems; food and shelter for about one-quarter of ocean species.
2. Threats: overfishing, pollution, climate change.
3. Bleaching from changed water chemistry kills corals.

Answer: The crowd of animals: like rainforests on land, reefs are among the most diverse ecosystems, giving food and shelter to about a quarter of all ocean species, which is why they are called the 'rainforests of the sea'. The white coral: reefs are threatened by overfishing, pollution and climate change; human-caused changes in ocean water chemistry cause coral bleaching, which kills corals and destroys the habitat of many sea animals.

Asia: Tibetan Plateau, Gobi, Steppes, Urals

NCERT section Asia

Landforms recap: mountains (broad base, steep slopes, narrow summit), plateaus (raised, fairly flat top, often steep sides), plains (wide flat or gently rolling), deserts (very dry; hot like Sahara and Thar, or cold like Gobi). The usual count is seven continents.

Tibetan Plateau ('Roof of the World'): highest and largest plateau; north of the Himalayas; formed by collision of the Indo-Australian and Eurasian plates (which also raised the Himalayas); about 2,500 km east-west, 1,000 km north-south, average height over 4,500 m. Influences Asia's climate; source of the Indus, Brahmaputra, Yangtze. Called the 'Third Pole': the largest freshwater store outside the polar regions; with climate change, snowmelt is enlarging lakes and creating new ones.

Gobi Desert (Mongolia and north China): deserts get under 25 cm rain a year, cover about one-fifth of land, and house about one billion people. Mongolia, the 'Land of the Eternal Blue Sky', has 8-9 sunny months but winters near -30°C; herders migrate seasonally to pastures fed by underground water; solar and wind power are harnessed.

Eurasian Steppes: flat, treeless temperate grasslands over 8,000 km west-east; a global carbon sink (store carbon underground); resting spots for migratory birds like the Siberian crane; steppe tortoises (two flew around the moon in 1968); nomads' yurts.

Ural Mountains: ancient range about 2,500 km from the Arctic Ocean to Kazakhstan's border; the natural boundary between Europe and Asia; rich in iron ore, copper, zinc, platinum, gold, coal, oil and gas, and semiprecious stones; taiga (coniferous forest), deciduous forest, tundra (treeless frozen plain over permafrost, which traps greenhouse gases; thawing releases them and speeds climate change).

Roles of mountains: shape climate, act as 'water towers' (snow and glacier melt), biodiversity hotspots, natural boundaries.

Worked example

Why is the Tibetan Plateau called the 'Third Pole', and why does it matter to India? (3 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. Largest freshwater reserves outside the polar regions (ice and snow).
2. Source of major rivers including the Indus and Brahmaputra.
3. Influences Asian climate; snowmelt changes affect water supply.

Answer: Its ice and snow hold the largest reserves of freshwater outside the polar regions, so scientists call it the 'Third Pole'. It feeds major rivers such as the Indus and Brahmaputra, on which millions in India depend, and it influences Asia's climate. Faster snowmelt from climate change is already enlarging lakes, which could affect future water supply.

Europe and Africa: European Plain, Alps, Sahara, savannah, Nile

NCERT section Europe; Africa

Plains form by deposition of sediment; fertile soils support farming, trade and dense populations. River valleys gave water, soil and routes to early civilisations.

European Plain: one of the world's largest flatlands, across several countries; low land, gentle hills, wide valleys. Grows wheat, barley, rye, potatoes (Europe grows the largest share of the world's wheat); rivers carry trade; coal, oil and gas deposits; cities like Moscow, Berlin, Paris, Amsterdam, Warsaw; a historic battleground.

Alps: crescent-shaped, about 1,200 km, south-central Europe; peaks like Mont Blanc; oak, beech, spruce, pine, edelweiss (Austria's national flower); ibex, chamois, marmots, golden eagles; feed the Rhine and tributaries of the Danube (water, irrigation, hydropower); minerals such as iron, copper, lead, rock salt, graphite.

Sahara: largest hot desert; 30-46°C (flora and fauna cope with over 50°C); rain under 25 cm; oases with date palms; underground homes; loose clothing of nomads; fennec fox's big ears lose heat. Nomads herd sheep, goats and camels; ancient routes carried gold, salt and ideas to the Mediterranean.

Savannah: tropical grassland with scattered trees and wet and dry seasons, between rainforests and deserts; elephants, lions, zebras, giraffes; threatened by farming, deforestation and climate change.

Nile: longest river in the world, about 6,650 km; cradle of ancient Egyptian civilisation; irrigation (wheat, barley, flax), drinking water, fishing, hydropower, transport.

Worked example

Give three reasons why the European Plain is economically important. (3 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. Fertile soils: wheat, barley, rye, potatoes.
2. Rivers for trade and transport; coal, oil, gas.
3. Flat land and good climate: big cities.

Answer: 1. Its fertile soils make it one of the most productive farming regions, growing wheat, barley, rye and potatoes. 2. Its rivers carry trade and transport, and it has coal, oil and natural gas. 3. Flat land and a favourable climate have supported major cities like Paris, Berlin and Moscow.

The Americas: Andes, Amazon, Atacama, Colorado Plateau, Rockies, Appalachians, Great Lakes

NCERT section South America; North America

South America

• Andes (west coast): largest range in the continent; Mount Aconcagua (highest peak of the Western Hemisphere); Bolivia's Uyuni Salt Flats (largest on Earth); feed rivers like the Amazon (largest by volume); rich biodiversity, but only about one-fourth of original flora and fauna remains: a conservation hotspot; copper, zinc, silver, lithium; Andean condor (wingspan about 3.2 m).
• Amazon: longest river in South America, flowing east from Peru's Andes to the Atlantic; its basin supports the Amazon Rainforest (tall evergreen trees, heavy rain), called the 'Lungs of the Earth'; about 400 indigenous communities help conserve it; threatened by deforestation and climate change. Sahara dust carries phosphorus to the Amazon.
• Atacama (Chile): one of the driest places on Earth, about 1,000 km; 40°C by day, 5°C at night; clear skies for stargazing; NASA tested rovers; now a fast-growing dump for fast-fashion clothes, which the UN calls an environmental and social emergency.

North America

• Colorado Plateau (south-western USA): over 3,30,000 sq km; uplifted sedimentary rock carved by erosion into canyons like the Grand Canyon (about 5 million visitors a year); coal, oil, gas, uranium, copper.
• Rocky Mountains: over 4,800 km; copper, gold, silver; mining, hydropower, tourism; once home to large Native American communities who saw the mountains as sacred; Yellowstone geysers (Old Faithful). Restoration: wolves introduced in 1995 cut the overgrazing elk population and plants recovered.
• Appalachians: among the oldest ranges; fertile valleys; Cherokee homeland; coal, timber, gas; tourism and renewables.
• Great Lakes: five huge freshwater lakes; shipping routes; drinking water; threatened by chemical and agricultural pollution.

Worked example

How did reintroducing wolves restore Yellowstone's ecosystem? (2 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. Elk were overgrazing; imbalance.
2. Wolves (1995) hunted elk; fewer elk; vegetation returned.

Answer: Too many elk were overgrazing the park. Wolves, introduced in 1995, hunted the elk and reduced their numbers, so plants grew back and the ecological balance was restored.

Australia, Antarctica and human impact

NCERT section The Australian Continent

Australia: much of it is arid, the Great Australian Desert, including the Great Victoria Desert. Animals: reptiles, skinks, wallabies, bilbies, feral camels (brought from places like India and Afghanistan in the 19th century); predators like dingoes; rare species (sandhill dunnart, marsupial mole, mallee fowl) struggling. The Spinifex people have lived there for over 25,000 years.

Antarctica: the largest desert on Earth, over 14 million sq km (more than four times India's area) and the coldest, colder than the Arctic, the other polar desert. Deserts can be cold!

Human actions and the environment (chapter summary): natural processes (tectonics, erosion, deposition) shape landforms, which influence climate, ecosystems, settlement, farming and trade. Deforestation, overuse and pollution disturb this balance, causing desertification, biodiversity loss and climate change. Examples in the chapter: coral bleaching, permafrost thaw, Amazon deforestation, Andes biodiversity loss, Atacama clothes dumps, Great Lakes contamination. Studying world geography helps us manage these features sustainably.

Worked example

Why is Antarctica called a desert though it is covered with ice? (2 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. Desert = very dry, very little precipitation.
2. Antarctica receives very little precipitation; largest (14 million sq km) and coldest desert.

Answer: A desert is defined by very low precipitation, not by heat. Antarctica gets very little precipitation, so it is a cold desert, in fact the largest (over 14 million sq km) and coldest desert on Earth.

World Geography: Some Glimpses in real life

Each concept, met in an everyday situation. Read the situation, answer the question in your own words, then compare with the model answer. The one-line hook is what to remember.

Topics in this chapter

• Landforms of the Continents and Environmental Issues
• Map Projections, Oceans and Water Bodies

World Geography: Some Glimpses: key facts

Ocean facts

Ocean = about 71% of surface, 97% of water, about half our oxygen | Mariana Trench (Challenger Deep) > 11,000 m

Projection rule

• •Mercator: right shape and direction, wrong size near poles
• •Robinson: balanced compromise
• •Every flat map distorts

Water bodies

Sea	Arabian
Gulf	Persian
Bay	Bengal, world's largest
Strait	Malacca
Canal	Suez, 1869

Record holders

Highest/largest plateau	Tibetan
Largest hot desert	Sahara
Largest and coldest desert	Antarctica
Longest river	Nile (about 6,650 km)
Largest river by volume	Amazon
Deepest trench	Mariana
Largest salt flat	Uyuni
Largest bay	Bengal

Lengths to remember

• •Tibetan Plateau 2,500 × 1,000 km, over 4,500 m
• •Urals about 2,500 km
• •Steppes over 8,000 km
• •Alps about 1,200 km
• •Rockies over 4,800 km
• •Great Barrier Reef over 2,000 km
• •Atacama about 1,000 km

Map colours

• •Water → blue
• •Ice → white
• •Desert → light yellow
• •Plain → green
• •Plateau → yellow-brown
• •High mountain → dark brown

World Geography: Some Glimpses: map work

The places on the official CBSE map list for this chapter. Find each one on an outline map of India and practise marking it.

How the school exam asks World Geography: Some Glimpses

The question patterns to expect, and the method that works for each.

Tricks to remember World Geography: Some Glimpses

Short memory aids. Say each one aloud once, then use it on a question the same day.

• Five oceans by size

  'Please Accept Indian Sweets Always': Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Southern, Arctic (largest to smallest).

  Use it when: Ocean order.

• Water bodies

  'Seas Go By Ship Carefully': Sea, Gulf, Bay, Strait, Canal, with examples Arabian, Persian, Bengal, Malacca, Suez.

  Use it when: Classification table.

• Asia tour

  'Third Pole, Blue Sky, Grass Sea, Boundary Range': Tibet, Gobi, Steppes, Urals.

  Use it when: Asian features with nicknames.

• Americas

  'ACE Lungs': Andes-Condor, Atacama-Clothes, Amazon-Lungs; 'Old Faithful wolves' for Yellowstone.

  Use it when: South and North American highlights.

• Deserts

  'Hot: Sahara, Thar, Atacama, Australian; Cold: Gobi, Antarctica (largest)'.

  Use it when: Desert types.

World Geography: Some Glimpses: exam-level solved questions

Ordered from exam level to HOTS. Cover the solution, write your own, then compare step by step.

Case-study practice (Section E style)

Read the situation, then answer every part. In a school exam set on the board pattern this is a 4-mark question split into 1 + 1 + 2 marks.

Where the marks are

How a typical answer is split into step marks. Show every step: a right final answer alone rarely earns full marks.

Where students lose marks in World Geography: Some Glimpses

The slips examiners see most often, and what to write instead.

• ✗Mistake: Thinking Greenland is bigger than India

  Trusting the Mercator map.

  Wrong working

  Greenland is larger than India, as the world map shows.

  Right working

  Greenland is smaller than India; the Mercator projection exaggerates areas near the poles.

  ✓Do this: Name the projection and its distortion.

  Usually costs: 1 mark.

• ✗Mistake: Calling the Sahara the largest desert

  Forgetting cold deserts.

  Wrong working

  The Sahara is the largest desert in the world.

  Right working

  The Sahara is the largest hot desert; Antarctica is the largest desert overall.

  ✓Do this: Add 'hot' before Sahara.

  Usually costs: 1 mark.

• ✗Mistake: Confusing a bay with a gulf, or a strait with a canal

  Similar shapes on maps.

  Wrong working

  The Suez Canal is a natural strait.

  Right working

  A canal is human-made (Suez, 1869); a strait is a natural narrow channel (Malacca).

  ✓Do this: Canal = made by humans.

  Usually costs: 1 mark.

• ✗Mistake: Saying the Amazon is the world's longest river

  Mixing 'longest' with 'largest by volume'.

  Wrong working

  The Amazon is the longest river in the world.

  Right working

  The Nile is the world's longest (about 6,650 km); the Amazon is the largest by volume and longest in South America.

  ✓Do this: Length = Nile; volume = Amazon.

  Usually costs: 1 mark.

• ✗Mistake: Writing that the Gulf Stream is a cold current

  Not recalling the direction.

  Wrong working

  The cold Gulf Stream cools the UK.

  Right working

  The Gulf Stream is warm, flowing from near the equator to Western Europe, making the UK warmer than other places at its latitude.

  ✓Do this: Equator → pole = warm.

  Usually costs: 1 mark.

NCERT exercise guide: World Geography: Some Glimpses

What each exercise in the NCERT chapter tests, how to approach it, and a question of the same kind solved step by step. Questions here are written in our own words.

Practice questions on World Geography: Some Glimpses

Write each answer on paper first. Open the hint only if you are stuck, and the answer only when you have finished.

1. Q1 · 1 mark · MCQExam level

   Which colour shows plateaus on a physical map?
   (a) Green (b) Blue (c) Yellow/brown (d) White

   Hint

   Map language.

   Answer

   (c) Yellow/brown

2. Q2 · 1 mark · Very short answerExam level

   Which three major rivers rise on the Tibetan Plateau, according to the chapter?

   Hint

   Two flow into South Asia.

   Answer

   The Indus, Brahmaputra and Yangtze.

3. Q3 · 1 mark · Very short answerExam level

   Name the national flower of Austria that grows in the Alps.

   Hint

   Sunflower family.

   Answer

   Edelweiss.

4. Q4 · 1 mark · Very short answerExam level

   What are the Great Lakes?

   Hint

   North America.

   Answer

   A chain of five huge freshwater lakes in North America, important for shipping and drinking water.

5. Q5 · 2 marks · Short answerHarder exam level

   How do life forms in the Mariana Trench get food without sunlight?

   Hint

   Chemicals.

   Answer

   Since no light reaches the trench, photosynthesis is impossible; organisms instead use energy from chemicals in the water to make food (e.g. snails feeding on bacteria that do this).

6. Q6 · 2 marks · Short answerHarder exam level

   Why are mountains called 'water towers'? Give one example from the chapter.

   Hint

   Snow and glaciers.

   Answer

   Being high, they store snow and glaciers whose melt supplies freshwater to rivers. Example: the Alps feed the Rhine and Danube tributaries; the Andes feed the Amazon.

7. Q7 · 1 mark · Assertion-reasonHarder exam level

   Assertion (A): The UK is warmer than other places at the same latitude.
   Reason (R): The warm Gulf Stream flows from near the equator towards Western Europe.
   (a) Both true, R explains A (b) Both true, R does not explain A (c) A true, R false (d) A false, R true

   Hint

   Warm current.

   Answer

   (a) Both true and R explains A.

8. Q8 · 3 marks · Short answerHarder exam level

   Compare the African savannah and the Eurasian Steppes.

   Hint

   Climate, trees, animals.

   Answer

   Both are grasslands. The savannah is tropical, with scattered trees and distinct wet and dry seasons, and supports elephants, lions, zebras and giraffes. The Steppes are temperate, flat and treeless, with hot summers and cold winters, and support steppe tortoises and migratory birds like the Siberian crane; they are also a global carbon sink.

9. Q9 · 3 marks · Short answerHOTS / competency

   The Andes keep only about one-fourth of their original flora and fauna. Why is this a concern, and what does 'conservation hotspot' mean?

   Hint

   Unique species.

   Answer

   Many Andean species are found nowhere else, so losing three-quarters of the original life means irreversible biodiversity loss. A conservation hotspot is an area where efforts are made to save native flora and fauna lost mainly through human activities, so the Andes need urgent protection.

10. Q10 · 3 marks · Short answerHOTS / competency

    The chapter calls mountains 'water towers' and biodiversity hotspots. Pick one Indian mountain landscape that deserves protection on these grounds, and suggest two protective steps.

    Hint

    Water towers, biodiversity.

    Answer

    Example: the Himalayas. Like the Tibetan Plateau and Alps, they are 'water towers' feeding major rivers, biodiversity hotspots and climate shapers, but melting glaciers threaten water security. I would advise protecting forests, limiting unplanned construction and monitoring glaciers. (Other well-argued choices accepted.)

11. Q11 · 2 marks · Short answerHOTS / competency

    Dust from the Sahara fertilises the Amazon. What does this teach us about studying world geography?

    Hint

    Connections.

    Answer

    Distant features are connected: a desert in Africa supplies phosphorus to a rainforest in South America. So environmental changes in one place can affect another far away, which is why we study the whole world.

12. Q12 · 5 marks · Long answerHOTS / competency

    The Gulf Stream, the Suez Canal and the Indian Ocean all appear in this chapter. Use them, with other examples, to show that oceans shape both the world's weather and its trade.

    Hint

    Climate first, then trade.

    Answer

    Climate: oceans cover about 71% of the Earth and absorb heat, releasing it slowly and adding moisture that forms clouds and rain; plankton produce almost half our oxygen. Currents redistribute heat: the warm Gulf Stream keeps the UK milder than other places at its latitude, and the distant Southern Indian Ocean influences the monsoon over the Gangetic Plains. Trade: the Indian Ocean, warm and rich in life, has been historically important for trade; the Atlantic is one of the busiest waterways; the Persian Gulf has carried India-Europe trade for millennia; bays shelter ports; and the Suez Canal gives the shortest route from India to Europe. So oceans shape both weather and the world economy.

Test your recall

Answer in your head or on paper first, then open the card. Pulling an answer out of memory makes it stick far better than re-reading.

1. 1.What shape is the Earth?Show answer

   An oblate spheroid: bulging at the equator, slightly flat at the poles.

2. 2.What does the Mercator projection preserve?Show answer

   Shape and direction (useful for navigation).

3. 3.What share of Earth's surface do oceans cover?Show answer

   About 71%.

4. 4.Which is the deepest ocean trench?Show answer

   The Mariana Trench (Challenger Deep, over 11,000 m).

5. 5.Where is the Great Barrier Reef?Show answer

   Off the north-eastern coast of Australia.

6. 6.When was the Suez Canal opened, and what does it join?Show answer

   1869; the Red Sea and the Mediterranean.

7. 7.Which plates' collision formed the Tibetan Plateau?Show answer

   The Indo-Australian and Eurasian plates.

8. 8.Why is Mongolia called the 'Land of the Eternal Blue Sky'?Show answer

   It has about 8-9 months of sunny weather.

9. 9.Which mountains form the boundary between Europe and Asia?Show answer

   The Ural Mountains.

10. 10.What is permafrost?Show answer

    Frozen soil under the tundra that traps greenhouse gases.

11. 11.Which is the highest peak in the Western Hemisphere?Show answer

    Mount Aconcagua (Andes).

12. 12.What happened at Yellowstone in 1995?Show answer

    Wolves were introduced, reducing elk and restoring vegetation.

Quick revision checklist

The night before the exam: can you do each of these without looking?

• ☐Earth = oblate spheroid; all flat maps distort; Mercator vs Robinson.
• ☐Oceans: 71% surface, 97% water, about half our oxygen.
• ☐Warm currents → poles; cold → equator; Gulf Stream warms the UK.
• ☐Mariana Trench: Challenger Deep over 11,000 m; life uses chemical energy.
• ☐Reefs: 'rainforests of the sea'; Great Barrier Reef over 2,000 km; bleaching threat.
• ☐Sea, gulf, bay, strait, canal; Suez 1869; Bay of Bengal largest bay.
• ☐Tibetan Plateau: highest, largest; 'Third Pole'; Indus, Brahmaputra, Yangtze.
• ☐Gobi: 'Eternal Blue Sky'; Steppes: carbon sink; Urals: Europe-Asia boundary; tundra and permafrost.
• ☐European Plain: wheat, rivers, cities; Alps: Rhine, Danube, edelweiss.
• ☐Sahara: largest hot desert; savannah; Nile about 6,650 km, ancient Egypt.
• ☐Andes, Amazon ('Lungs of the Earth'), Atacama (fast-fashion dump).
• ☐Colorado Plateau, Rockies (Yellowstone wolves), Appalachians, Great Lakes; Australia's deserts; Antarctica largest desert.

World Geography: Some Glimpses: frequently asked questions