Map Class 05

Previous Class Topic

Brief overview of important deserts and mountain ranges, including Iran’s salt deserts (Dasht-e
KavirandDasht-e Lut) and selected volcanic regions (Italy and Indonesia).

Miscellaneous Physical Features and Quick Highlights

 Great Dividing Range in Australia.

 Altai Mountains classified as block mountains spanning Central Asia, China, and Mongolia.
 Armenian Knot towards Turkey gives rise to the Taurus and Zagros ranges.
 Highest peak of North America found in Alaska.
 Grand Canyon formed by the Colorado River in the USA.
 Angel Falls in the Guiana Highlands, recognized as the world’s highest waterfall (about 997 m).
 Pantanal in South America, noted as one of the world’s largest tropical wetlands.
 Katanga Plateau in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), rich in copper and diamonds.
 Loess Plateau in China composed of windblown silt and dust.
 Major Volcanoes:
 Italy:Stromboli, Etna
 Indonesia:Krakatoa, Tambora, Merapi, Ibu, Dukono
 Philippines:Mayon
 Papua New Guinea:Ulawun
 USA:Mount Saint Helens

Important Rivers of the World

North America

 Yukon River
 Originates in Canada, flows through Alaska, and drains into the Bering Sea.
 Known for rich gold placer deposits near its deltas.
 Crosses the Arctic Circle.
 Mackenzie River
 Longest river of Canada.
 Flows north into the Arctic Ocean (Beaufort Sea).
 St. Lawrence River
 Emerges from the Great Lakes system, flowing into the Atlantic via the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
 Forms part of the USA–Canada boundary.
 Niagara Falls are located on a segment (Niagara River) between Lake Erie and Lake Ontario.
 Hudson River
 Originates in the Appalachian region, draining into the Atlantic near New York City.
 New York City’s port and Long Island lie at its mouth.
 Mississippi River
 Longest river in North America.
 Flows through the fertile Great Plains.
 Noted for its bird’s-foot delta draining into the Gulf of Mexico, an area rich in petroleum.
 Major tributary is the Missouri, which originates in the Rockies.
 Colorado River
 Originates in the Rockies.
 Carves the Grand Canyon in a semi-arid region.
 Flows to the Gulf of California, though much water is diverted for hydropower and irrigation.
 Rio Grande
 Forms part of the USA–Mexico boundary.
 Drains into the Gulf of Mexico.
 Region frequently in news for cross-border migration issues.

South America

 Orinoco River
 Flows primarily in Venezuela.
 Receives tributaries from the Guiana Highlands, creating Angel Falls.
 Amazon River
 Originates in the Andes.
 Largest river by volume worldwide; second-longest after the Nile.
 Drains an extensive rainforest basin covering nearly half of South America.
 Basin spans multiple countries: Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, and the
Guiana nations.
 Key tributary: the Negro River, with Manaus as a major inland port.
 Lakes Coari and Tefé are close by, recently in news due to falling water levels affecting river
dolphins.
 Paraná River
 Originates in Brazil, flows through Paraguay and Argentina.
 Merges with the Uruguay River near its mouth.
 Features Iguazu Waterfalls at the Brazil–Argentina–Paraguay tri-junction, the largest waterfall
system globally.
 Along with the Paraguay River, forms part of the Pantanal wetlands, a major tropical wetland.

Africa

 Nile River
 Longest river worldwide (~6,650 km).
 Flows north, draining into the Mediterranean Sea.
 Formed by the White Nile (from Lake Victoria), Blue Nile (from Lake Tana in Ethiopia),
and Atbara.
 Passes through Sudan (Khartoum) and Egypt (Cairo).
 Subject of water disputes due to Ethiopia’s Grand Renaissance Dam on the Blue Nile.
 Congo River
 Second-largest river by volume after the Amazon.
 Originates in the DRC and flows into the Atlantic.
 Crosses the Equator twice.
 Basin spans multiple countries including the Republic of Congo, DRC, Central African
Republic, Angola, Zambia, Tanzania, Rwanda, and Burundi.
 Notable for thick rainforest cover and minimal infrastructural crossings.
 Brazzaville Declaration highlights peatland conservation in this basin.
 Niger River
 Originates near the coast of West Africa, flowing inland through Guinea, Mali, Benin, and
Nigeria.
 Drains into the Gulf of Guinea; its delta region is rich in oil and gas.
 Vital for agriculture and water supply in the Sahel region.
 Zambezi River
 Forms part of the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe.
 Showcases Victoria Falls.
 Lake Kariba, created by a dam on the Zambezi, is recently in news for low water levels.
 Limpopo River
 Crosses the Tropic of Capricorn twice.
 Flows in southern Africa into the Indian Ocean.

Europe

 Tagus River
 Originates in Spain, flows into Portugal, draining near Lisbon in the Atlantic.
 Seine River
 Passes through Paris, draining into the English Channel.
 Recently in the spotlight due to water quality issues.
 Rhine River
 Arises in the Swiss Alps.
 Flows through Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Austria, Germany, France, and the Netherlands.
 Passes the industrial Ruhr region in Germany.
 Basel (Switzerland) on its banks is known for the Basel Convention on hazardous waste.
 Ends at Rotterdam in the North Sea.
 Danube River
 Second-longest river in Europe.
 Originates in Germany’s Black Forest region and empties into the Black Sea in Ukraine.
 Passes through or touches 10 countries in Central and Eastern Europe.
 Nistru (Dniester) and Dnieper Rivers (Ukraine)
 Flow into the Black Sea, resulting in lower salinity.
 Dnieper runs through Kyiv; its tributary, Pripyat, flows near Chernobyl.
 Don and Volga Rivers (Russia)
 Don drains into the Sea of Azov.
 Volga is Europe’s longest river, emptying into the Caspian Sea.
 Connected by the Volga-Don Canal, providing a navigational route from the Caspian Sea to the
Black Sea.
 Ural River
 Marks part of the boundary between Europe and Asia.
 Tiber River
 Flows through Italy, passing near Rome.

Asia

 Tigris and Euphrates

 Flow in West Asia, supporting the Mesopotamian Plain.
 Part of the Fertile Crescent.
 Amu Darya and Syr Darya
 Originate in Central Asian mountains.
 Once fed the Aral Sea, now heavily diminished due to extensive irrigation.
 Lena River (Russia)
 Major Siberian river that freezes in winter.
 Starts near Lake Baikal and flows into the Arctic Ocean.
 Chinese Rivers
 Amur/Heilong: Forms a border with Russia; drains into the Sea of Okhotsk.
 Huang He (Yellow River): Known as “Sorrow of China” for its floods.
 Yangtze: Asia’s longest river, featuring the Three Gorges Dam and passing major cities like
Shanghai and Wuhan.
 Pearl River: Near Hong Kong and Macau.
 Indochina Rivers
 Irrawaddy in Myanmar, vital for transport.
 Chao Phraya in Thailand.
 Mekong: Originates in China, flowing through five Southeast Asian nations into the South China
Sea.
 Kaladan River (Myanmar)
 Important for India’s Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Project.

Australia

 Murray and Darling

 Originate in the Great Dividing Range.
 Drain into the southern region near the Great Australian Bight.

Major Lakes and Water Bodies

 North America

 Five Great Lakes (Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, Ontario)

 Created by glacial erosion.
 Lake Superior is the largest freshwater lake by surface area.
 Niagara Falls is located between Lake Erie and Lake Ontario.
 Connected via canals (Welland, Soo, Erie) for inland navigation.
 Great Salt Lake (USA)
 Highly saline due to intense evaporation.
 Located near the Rocky Mountains, currently shrinking from drought.

South America

 Lake Maracaibo (Venezuela)

 One of the largest lakes in South America.
 Rich in petroleum reserves.
 Lake Titicaca (Peru–Bolivia)
 World’s highest navigable lake.
 Largest freshwater lake by surface area in South America.
 Affected by climate change-induced shrinkage.

Africa

 Rift Valley Lakes

 Lake Assal in Djibouti, extremely saline.
 Lake Tana in Ethiopia, source of the Blue Nile.
 Lake Turkana in the Kenya–Ethiopia region.
 Lake Victoria (Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda), largest African lake and source of the White Nile.
 Lake Tanganyika, longest freshwater lake and the second-deepest globally.
 Lake Nyasa (Malawi) in the southern Rift section.
 Lake Chad
 Shared by Chad, Niger, Nigeria, and Cameroon.
 Significantly shrinking.
 Lake Nasser
 Reservoir formed by the Aswan High Dam on the Nile.
 Asia

 Lake Baikal (Russia)

 Largest by volume of freshwater on Earth.
 Deepest lake globally, holding approximately 23% of the world’s surface freshwater.
 Aral Sea (Kazakhstan–Uzbekistan)
 Once a large inland sea, now mostly dried due to irrigation projects.
 Caspian Sea
 Largest enclosed inland body of water on Earth.
 Considered a remnant of the ancient Tethys Sea.
 Dead Sea (Israel–Jordan)
 Lowest lake on Earth’s surface (approximately 400 m below sea level).
 Extremely saline (around 280 parts per thousand).
 Fed by the Jordan River.
 Sea of Galilee (Israel)
 World’s lowest freshwater lake (approximately 200 m below sea level).
 Also part of the Jordan River system.
 Tonle Sap (Cambodia)
 Seasonally inundated lake, designated as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.
 Lake Toba (Indonesia)
 A caldera lake in Sumatra formed from volcanic activity.

Australia

 Lake Eyre
 Lowest point on the Australian continent.
 Typically features a salt lake environment.

Significant Cropping Regions

 Rice
 Staple food for half the global population.
 Major producers include China, India, Vietnam, and Thailand.
 Grown mostly in warm, humid climates.
 Wheat
 Dominant in temperate zones such as the USA, Russia, Canada, and Ukraine.
 India grows large quantities in its northern regions.
 The Russia–Ukraine conflict has affected global wheat supplies.
 Maize (Corn)
 Key producers include the USA, Brazil, Argentina, and China.
 Used for food, feed, and biofuels.
 Soybeans
 Extensively cultivated in Brazil, Argentina, and the USA.
 Large portions are processed into soy meal and oil; India imports significant amounts of oil.
 Cotton
 Major producers include China, India, the USA, and Brazil.
 Essential for textiles and industrial uses.
 Sugarcane
 Top global producers include Brazil and India.
 Used for sugar, ethanol, and biofuels.
 Rubber
 Mostly natural rubber from Southeast Asia (Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia).
 Some production also occurs in Brazil.
 Coffee
 Leading producers are Brazil, Colombia, Ethiopia, and Vietnam.
 Brazil’s coffee exports are shipped from major ports like Santos and Rio de Janeiro.
 Tea
 Produced by China, India, Kenya, and Sri Lanka.
 Grown in subtropical and highland regions.
 Cocoa
 Dominated by West African nations such as Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana.
 Increasing cultivation is seen near the Congo Basin.
 Palm Oil
 Extensive plantations in Indonesia and Malaysia.

Minerals and Mineral Producing Regions

 Iron Ore
 North America: Around Lake Superior (USA) and Labrador (Canada).
 Brazil: Eastern and southeastern regions contain large deposits.
 Sweden: Northern deposits at Kiruna–Gällivare.
 Russia and Ukraine: Notably in the Ural Mountains and other areas.
 Australia: Significant production in the Pilbara and other regions.
 Bauxite (Aluminum Ore)
 Australia: Major deposits in Cape York.
 China and India: Large producers.
 Guinea (Africa): Significant exporter.
 Copper
 Chile: Notable for Chuquicamata, one of the world’s largest copper mines.
 Peru: High production in the Andes.
 DRC: Katanga Plateau.
 Mongolia: Contributes to the global supply.
 Gold
 Yukon (Canada) and the Rocky Mountains (USA) for placer deposits.
 South Africa: Historically held the world’s largest reserves.
 Australia: Kalgoorlie region.
 Siberia: Also known for gold deposits.
 Lithium
 "Lithium Triangle": Argentina, Bolivia, and Chile.
 Western Australia and China: Growing supply.
 Recent finds in northern India.
 Cobalt
 DRC accounts for approximately 50% of global production.
 Australia and Canada also produce cobalt.
 Rare Earth Elements
 China leads in production.
 The USA also holds reserves.
 Graphite
 Top suppliers include China and Brazil.
 Tin
 Major sources: Malaysia, Indonesia, Myanmar, China, and Nigeria.

Major Straits, Channels, and Artificial Canals

 Strait of Malacca
 Between Malaysia and Indonesia.
 A critical choke point linking the Indian and Pacific Oceans.
 Strait of Hormuz
 Between the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf.
 Vital for oil transport.
 Bab-el-Mandeb
 Connects the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
 Located between Yemen and Djibouti.
 Bosporus and Dardanelles (Turkey)
 Bosporus connects the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara.
 Dardanelles connects the Sea of Marmara to the Aegean Sea.
 Strait of Gibraltar
 Separates Europe (Spain) and Africa (Morocco).
 Links the Mediterranean and the Atlantic Ocean.
 English Channel and Strait of Dover
 Between the UK and France.
 Important ferry and trade route.
 Strait of Magellan
 Near the southern tip of South America, between the mainland and Tierra del Fuego.
 Suez Canal (Egypt)
 Links the Red Sea (Gulf of Suez) to the Mediterranean.
 Notable for the 2021 blockage by the container ship Ever Given.
 Governed by the Convention of Constantinople ensuring open access.
 Panama Canal (Panama)
 Connects the Pacific (near Panama City) and the Caribbean Sea (near Colón).
 Involves a system of locks to navigate variable elevations.
 Eases shipping between North America’s east and west coasts.

Topic to be Discussed in the Next Class

 Briefly finishing any remaining global physical geography topics.

 Commencing detailed mapping of India.