Environmental geography: focus on North and South America | Geography

Starter quiz

Which of these countries are in North America?
- Bolivia
- Greenland ✓
- Mexico ✓
- Uruguay
Which of these major lines of latitude does not pass through South America?
- Antarctic Circle
- Equator
- Tropic of Cancer ✓
- Tropic of Capricorn
Which of these oceans would you need to cross to get to the USA from Portugal?
- the Atlantic Ocean ✓
- the Indian Ocean
- the Pacific Ocean
- the Southern Ocean
Order these countries from north to south.
- 1
  
  ⇔
  
  Canada
- 2
  
  ⇔
  
  Cuba
- 3
  
  ⇔
  
  Peru
- 4
  
  ⇔
  
  Uruguay
______ features are natural features that would be here even if there were no people around.
- 'Physical' ✓
Choose the best option to complete the following sentence: Biomes are regions of the Earth which have ...
- similar climates, landscapes, plants and animals. ✓
- similar climates and weather patterns.
- similar vegetation.
- the same physical features.

In which country is the Glacier National Park located?
- Canada
- Chile
- Greenland
- the USA ✓
The ______ rainforest is the largest rainforest in the world.
- 'Amazon' ✓
Which of these features might you find in a wilderness area?
- a bridge
- a mountain ✓
- a river ✓
- a road
In which of these countries are boreal forests found?
- Argentina
- Canada ✓
- Ecuador
- the USA ✓
Which of the following are major causes of deforestation in the Amazon rainforest?
- earthquakes
- mining ✓
- sheep grazing
- urban development ✓
Which of the following statements could be used to describe a boreal forest?
- Animals live there, including chimpanzees, elephants and tigers.
- Most of its trees are conifers. ✓
- It is one of the world’s largest biomes. ✓
- It was only recently inhabited by people.

There are a range of magnificent physical features in North and South America.
North and South America have some large areas of wilderness that are home to many different plants and animals.
People interact with the environment in North and South America; this can have positive and negative consequences.

That nobody is taking action to protect the environment.

Find out about ways in which people are taking action to protect the environment in learners' communities and elsewhere in the world.

Physical features - A physical feature is natural and has not been formed or made by humans.
Landscape - A landscape is an area and its landforms and features that can be seen when viewed from another place.
Wilderness - A wilderness is a place or area that is in its natural state and where there are few people and no farming.
Natural resources - Natural resources are those that come from Earth without human influence and can be used for human needs.