The Handy Geography Answer Book. Paul A Tucci

Чтение книги онлайн.

Читать онлайн книгу The Handy Geography Answer Book - Paul A Tucci страница 8

The Handy Geography Answer Book - Paul A Tucci The Handy Answer Book Series

Скачать книгу

The Himalayas are the result of the Indo-Australian Plate colliding with the Eurasian Plate. At these collision zones, volcanoes and earthquakes are common.

      How did the Himalayas form?

      About 30 to 50 million years ago, the landmass of India pressed into the landmass of Asia, pushing up land at the place of impact and creating the Himalayas. Even today, as the Indian subcontinent presses against Asia, the Himalayas continue to grow and change.

      How much do the Himalayan Mountains grow?

      Scientists estimate that the Himalayan Mountains grow .39 inches (1 cm) per year. In 1 million years, they will be approximately 6.2 miles (10 km) higher.

      What is the highest point in the world?

      At 29,029 feet (8,848 meters), the highest point above sea level in the world is Mt. Everest, which lies on the border of China and Nepal. This figure is based upon surveys of the height that were done in 1999 and 2005, without including the ice/snow cap to the figure. In one recent Chinese survey, the snow cap measured an additional 11 feet (3.35 meters).

      Is Mt. Everest growing taller?

      Because of the shifting plates underneath the surface of the Earth, Mt. Everest is actually changing its size by moving upward at an approximate rate of .16 inches (4.06 mm) and northeastward at a rate of .12–.24 inches (3.05–6.1 mm) per year.

      What are the highest points on each continent?

      In Asia, the highest peak is Mt. Everest at 29,029 feet (8,848 meters). The highest peak in South America, Aconcagua, lies in Argentina at 22,838 feet (6,961 meters). In North America, Alaska’s Denali (also called Mt. McKinley from 1917 to 2015) is 20,322 feet (6,194 meters). Mt. Kilimanjaro at 19,341 feet (5,895 meters) is in Africa’s Tanzania. Ice-covered Antarctica’s high point is known as Vinson Massif, or Mt. Vinson, at 16,050 feet (4,892 meters). Europe’s Mont Blanc is in the Alps between France and Italy at 15,771 feet (4,807 meters). A debate continues on whether or not to include in this list Mt. Elbrus, in the Caucasus Mountains, straddling the geographic border between what is Europe and Asia. At 18,510 feet (5642 meters), it is also considered by many to be the highest mountain in Europe. Australia’s high point, Mt. Kosciuszko, is the lowest high point of all the continents at 7,310 feet (2,228 meters).

      What else is interesting about Mt. Elbrus?

      The mountain is actually a dormant volcanic cone and has two peaks, with the west peak approximately 69 feet (21 meters) higher than the east peak. Although the lower peak was first ascended in 1829, it was not until 1874 that the higher peak was scaled.

      What is the highest mountain on Earth?

      The highest mountain lies on the Big Island of Hawaii, with a height from the bottom of the sea floor, where it begins, rising 33,480 feet (10,205 meters) to the top of Mauna Kea, which is a volcano that rises 13,680 feet (4,170 meters) above sea level. The summit of Mt. Everest is actually considered to be the highest elevation above sea level.

      What were the seven wonders of the ancient world?

      While there was often disagreement by ancient and classical scholars as to which major works of art and architecture could be considered wonders, these seven were nearly always on the list: the Pyramids of Egypt (the only remaining wonder), the Colossus of Rhodes (on the island of Rhodes in Greece), the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus (a marble temple in Turkey), the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus (Bodrum, Turkey), the Statue of Zeus at Olympia (an ivory and gold statue in southwestern Greece), the Hanging Gardens of Babylon (an enormous garden building, with plants of every kind, near Al Hillah, Iraq), and the Lighthouse of Alexandria (on the island of Pharos, near Alexandria, Egypt).

A comparison of Mt. Everest,...

      A comparison of Mt. Everest, Mt. McKinley, Mt. Sharp (on Mars), and Mt. Rainier.

      What are the seven wonders of the modern world?

      According to the American Society of Civil Engineers, the seven wonders of the modern world include the Channel Tunnel between England and France; the CN Tower in Toronto, Ontario, Canada; the Empire State Building in New York City; the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, California; the Itaipu Dam between Brazil and Paraguay; the Netherlands North Sea Protection Works; and the Panama Canal.

      What are the seven natural wonders of the world?

      These include the Aurora Borealis (northern lights), Mt. Everest (on the border of China and Nepal), Victoria Falls (near the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe in eastern Africa), the Grand Canyon (in Arizona in the United States), the Great Barrier Reef (in Australia), Parícutin (volcano in Mexico), and the harbor of Rio de Janeiro (in Brazil) with its stunning topography.

      When did agricultural activity first begin?

      Agricultural activity began about ten to twelve thousand years ago in a time period known as the first agricultural revolution. It was at this time that humans began to domesticate plants and animals for food. Before the agricultural revolution, people relied on hunting wild animals and gathering wild plants for nutrition. This revolution took place almost simultaneously in different areas of human settlement around the world.

      Where did agriculture begin?

      Agriculture simultaneously began in what is known now as the Middle East (Fertile Crescent), the Yangtze River Region of southern China, the Yellow River Region of northern China, Sub-Saharan Africa, South-Central Andes near modern-day Peru, Bolivia, and Chile, Central Mexico, and the eastern United States.

      What is the difference between cultivation and domestication?

      Cultivation is the deliberate attempt to sow and manage essentially wild plants and seed. Domestication is when people experiment and consciously select the right seeds to grow for various conditions.

      When was the second agricultural revolution?

      The second agricultural revolution occurred in the seventeenth century. During this time, production and distribution of agricultural products were improved through machinery, vehicles, and tools, which allowed more people to move away from the farm and into the cities. This mass migration from rural areas to urban areas coincided with the beginning of the Industrial Revolution.

      What was the Industrial Revolution?

      The Industrial Revolution began in the eighteenth century in England with the transformation from an agricultural-based economy to an industrial-based economy. It was a period of increased development in industry and mechanization that improved manufacturing and agricultural processes, thereby allowing more people to move to the cities. It included the development of the steam engine and the railroad.

      How much of the world’s population is devoted to agriculture?

      In less-developed countries, such as Asia and Africa, a majority of the population is engaged in agricultural activity. In the more-developed countries of Western Europe and North America, less than one tenth of the population relies on agriculture for their livelihood.

       What is the Green Revolution??

      The Green Revolution began in the 1960s as an effort by international organizations (especially the United Nations) to help increase the agricultural

Скачать книгу