A R C T I C
Ellesmere Island
O C E A N s l a n d s e t h I
East Siberian Sea
Li mi mi t
o f summer pa pack ice
E
e n u e
Beaufort Sea
a b l i z
Greenland Baffin Bay
Q
B a f f i n n
Chukchi Sea
I s l a
Brooks Range
t i a
n g r i B e w i w n nt t e e r r p a a c ck k i c c
Bering Sea
h c
s
Al eu ti an Ba si n
K
i a n
A l e u t A l
h n c r e T l e i u r K
A l e u
E
m p
d a n s l
I
r e n T t i a
G u l f o f A l a s k a
h n c
i
n
s
Vancouver Island
e r o
r acture
e
Phoenix Is l an ds
a
i
i
Ame ric an
i
Gulf of Mexico
n t a
G r e
a t e West r A n
d s
n
e r
T
c e
a d
m
e r K
S ou t hw es t P ac i fi c
M i d d
Indie s
Caribbean Se a
l e A
m e r i c a T
h
Physical key
A m a z o n
A A m a z o n B a s i n
19,686ft/6000m 13,124ft/4000m 9843ft/3000m 6562ft/2000m 3281ft/1000m 1640ft/500m 820ft/250m 328ft/100m 0 -820ft/-250m -1640ft/-500m -3281ft/-1000m
n
l a h
d
e A M E R I C A s
P
e
P er u B asi n
Planalto de Mato Grosso
u -
C
h l
e
T r e
n
s
c
h
e
Cerro Aconcagua d 22,831ft Juan Fernandez Fernandez (6959m) n Islands
g i H a n i
l i
z a
Brazil Basin
r
B
o a c h C n r a á G a n
i
Tropic Tr opic of Capricorn
r a P
P a
m
p
A
a P
Winter limit of pack ice
d s
SOUTH
n
a s
a i n o g a t
Ar ge nt in e Basin
Falkland Islands Tierra del Fuego
Permanent ice cap/ice shelf f winter pack i c ce e
O C E A N
Guiana Highlands
Mountain
o
Tropic Tr opic of Cancer
A T L A N T I C
Lesser An ti ll es
r e n c
Basin
Limit
M
t i i l l l e s
l
r
I s l a n
Campbell Plateau
d i
Basin
Yucatan Peninsula
Elevation
C o o
Ne w Zealand
n l a t - A
Equator
c
South Island
M
S
Galapagos Islands
h
North Island
a
s
d
New Caledonia
Tasman Sea
r
a l
a
Tonga
Fiji
i e r
e r C M r a l a a d i f r e M o r n O a d i a c c i r e d e n O r i e t
k
Vanuatu
c t i
North
s
O C E A N
s
Samoa
p
A
s
i
n
i a
s
a Coral Se a
e L i n e I s l
e
d g R i
i s
S
e r
n
s
l a n d s
L o w
P A C I F I C
Ma rs ha l l
e I s
Zone
Ha wa i‘ i
r Is l an ds o n
i p p i s
i
Grand Banks of Newfoundland
h c l a a p
l
a
t s M
n i a
r i
s
d s
y
s o u
n
a n
l
M i s
P
s
w a i ‘ i a n
I s l
r e a t
n
n
H a
o
n m o m n
i
M u r
M M o i d - P P u n a c i i c Central t a i f n M s Pacific i Basin
S o o l o
t a
e s
P
Laurentian Mountains
Great Lakes
n
a
u re r ac t u r a y F
Sea
i e l d
Lake
g
Northwest Pacific Basin
Labrador
S h
Winnipeg M o N O R T H A M E R I C A u G
t R
Zone
Péninsule d'Ungava
n
s
n t s
c
i a
a
n o F oc i n M e n d
Hu ds on Ba y
C a
n a d
o
m o u
I sl an ds
Great Slave Lake
C
r S e a
Arctic Circle
Great Bear Lake
a s R t o M c o u k n y t a
e
m a
e n z i e
Mount McKinley (Denali) 20,321ft C (6194m) o
L i im i t o f
t a
d
c k
t r S
a k
n
M a
Cape Horn
g e a s s a D r a k e P
South Georgia South Sandwich Islands
Summer limit of pack ice
Antarctic Peninsula Antarctic Circle
Severnaya Zemlya Franz Josef Land SVALBARD
New Siberian Islands
(to Norway)
Novaya Zemlya JAN MAYEN (to Norway)
ICELAND
E N
D
FAEROE ISLANDS (to Denmark)
E
FINLAND
W NORWAY S
RUSS. FED.
ISLE OF MAN
R U
ESTONIA LATVIA LITHUANIA
LUX.
F
Azores
I TA LY
PORTUGAL
GIBRALTAR (to U.K.) Madeira (to Portugal)
TUNISIA
A s i a t i c
K A Z A K H S T A N
MOLDOVA
O
C C
O M A L G E R I A
Canary Islands (to Spain) WESTERN SAHARA (disputed)
A
L I B Y A
I
N T A I R U A M
SYRIA LEBANON
I R A N
IRAQ
NIGER
CHAD
NORTH KOREA
BAHRAIN QATAR
EGYPT
ERITREA
T A I S K A
P
YEMEN
SENEGAL I NA SUDAN GAMBIA R K O U S DJIBOUTI GUINEAGUINEA B F A NIGERIA N BISSAU O A O CENTRAL ETHIOPIA I SIERRA LEONE BENIN R AFRICAN L E A LIBERIA M REPUBLIC E Q M C A G U CÔTE D’IVOIRE S O UGANDA I N E A (IVORY COAST) O KENYA GHANA G RWANDA GABON N TOGO ODEMOCRATIC BURUNDI C SAO TOME & PRINCIPE REPUBLIC T A Cabinda OF CONGO N Z
H
I
(to Japan)
LAOS (BURMA)
M O
Socotra (to Yemen)
Andaman Islands
(to India)
N I
ANGOLA
(to U.K.)
A T L A N T I C
MALAWI
E U I Q B ZIMBABWE M
NAMIBIA BOTSWANA
Nicobar SRI LANKA Islands
GUAM (to U.S.)
PHILIPPINES MICRONESI
(disputed)
BRUNEI
(to India)
BRITISH INDIAN OCEAN TERRITORY
PALAU
MALAYSIA
CHRISTMAS ISLAND
(to Mauritius)
COCOS (KEELING) ISLANDS
MAYOTTE (to France)
(to Australia)
A
PAPUA NEW GUINEA
EAST TIMOR
(to Australia)
(to U.K.)
Agalega Islands
ASHMORE & CARTIER ISLANDS (to Australia)
S
A
G
MAURITIUS REUNION (to France)
A
D
A
M
I
SWAZILAND
SOUTH AFRICA
(to U.S.)
(disputed)
A C
A
Z O
M
O C E A N
R
M
I N D O N E S I
COMOROS
ZAMBIA
ST. HELENA
A
Spratly Islands
SINGAPORE
A
(to St. Helena)
Paracel Islands
N
CAMBODIA
(to India)
MALDIVES
SEYCHELLES
A
I E
THAILAND Laccadive Islands
NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS
V
T
.
(to Angola)
TAIWAN
MYANMAR
I N D I A
N A
JAPAN
SOUTH KOREA
A
Ryukyu Islands
BANGLADESH
U.A.E.
N
NEPAL BHUTAN
N
JORDAN
ASCENSION ISLAND
N
M O N G O L I A
C
AFGHANISTAN
KUWAIT
SAUDI ARABIA
MALI
I O
R u s s i a
AZERBAIJAN
CYPRUS ISRAEL
MALTA
R A T
UZBEKISTAN GEORGIA KYRGYZSTAN ARMENIA AZERBAIJAN TURKMENISTAN TURKEY TAJIKISTAN
GREECE
R O
E D E
R u s s i a
SLOVENIA ROMANIA SERBIA MONACO CROATIA KOSOVO S.M. B.&H. ANDORRA BULGARIA VATICAN MONT. CITY ALB. MACEDONIA SPAIN
(to Portugal)
CAPE VERDE
LIECH.
FRANCE SWITZ. AUSTRIA HUNGARY
(to U.K.)
A N
E u r o p e a n
DENMARK UNITED Y N BELARUS IRELAND KINGDOM A POLAND NETH. M SLOVAKIA R BELG. E CZ.REP. UKRAINE G CHANNEL ISLANDS (to U.K.)
S S I
N
D
I
A
A U S T R A L I A
N
LESOTHO
O
C
E
A
N
Abbreviations key ALB. BELG. B. & H. CZ. RE P. EQ. GUINEA LIECH. LUX. NETH. NETH. ANT. RUSS. FED. S. M. MONT. SWITZ. U.A.E.
ALBANIA
Tasmania
BELGIUM BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA CZECH REPUBLIC EQUATORIAL GUINEA
FRENCH SOUTHERN & ANTARCTIC TERRITORIES
Prince Edward Islands (to South Africa)
(to France)
LIECHTENSTEIN LUXEMBOURG
HEARD & MCDONALD ISLANDS
NETHERLANDS
(to Australia)
NETHERLANDS ANTILLES RUSSIAN FEDERATION SAN MARINO MONTENEGRO SWITZERLAND UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
S
O
U
T
H
E
R
N
O
A N T A R C T I C A
C
E
A
N
A
R O
C C
T
I
E
A
C N
Queen Elizabeth Islands
GREENLAND (to Denmark)
Baffin Island
ALASKA
(to U.S.)
C
A
N
A
D
A
)
U. S
.
t o Al eu t i an I s l a nd s (
Kurile Islands (to Russ. Fed.)
ST. PIERRE & MIQUELON
P
A
C
I
F
I
O
C
E
A
N
(to France)
C
U N I T E D
O F
S T AT E S
A T L A N T I C
A M E R I C A
O C E A N
BERMUDA (to U.K.)
MIDWAY ISLANDS
Guadelupe
(to U.S.)
(to Mexico)
Hawaii
Revillagigedo Islands
(to U.S.)
WAKE ISLAND
O
JOHNSTON ATOLL (to U.S.)
MARSHALL ISLANDS
CLIPPERTON ISLAND
WALLIS & FUTUNA
(to French Polynesia)
KINGMAN REEF (to U.S.) PALMYRA ATOLL (to U.S.)
(to France)
BAKER & HOWLAND ISLANDS
(to U.S.)
GUATEMALA EL SALVADOR NICARAGUA COSTA RICA
ARUBA (to Neth.)
PANAMA
FRENCH GUIANA
COLOMBIA
Galapagos Islands
(to U.S.)
NAURU
JAMAICA NAVASSA I.
(to Mexico)
(to U.S.)
PUERTO RICO (to U.S.) BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS (to U.K.) VIRGIN ISLANDS (to U.S.) ANGUILLA (to U.K.) ST. KITTS & NEVIS ANTIGUA & BARBUDA MONTSERRAT (to U.K.) GUADELOUPE (to France) HAITI DOMINICA CURAÇAO MARTINIQUE (to France) (to Neth.) ST. LUCIA BARBADOS ST. VINCENT & THE GRENADINES GRENADA VENEZUELA TRINIDAD & TOBAGO
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC TURKS & CAICOS ISLANDS (to U.K.) E CAYMAN ISLANDS X (to U.K.) BAHAMAS I HONDURAS CUBA C BELIZE
M
(to France)
(to Ecuador)
JARVIS ISLAND (to U.S.)
GUYANA SURINAME
ECUADOR
K I R I B A T I
TUVALU
P
TOKELAU
SOLOMON ISLANDS
(to N.Z.)
P
SAMOA
NEW CALEDONIA
O
(to N.Z.)
FIJI
C
I
F
I
B
E
C
R
C
E
A
N
(to Australia)
Lord Howe Island (to Australia)
PARAGUAY San Felix Island
PITCAIRN ISLANDS (to U.K.)
(to U.S.)
(to Chile)
Easter Island (to Chile)
Sala y Gomez (to Chile)
Kermadec Island
San Ambrosia Island (to Chile)
CHILE
N
(to N.Z.)
I
T
Juan Fernandez Island (to Chile)
A
URUGUAY
N
NEW ZEALAND
E
G
Chatham Island (to N.Z.)
Bounty Island Campbell Island
L
BOLIVIA (to France)
NIUE (to N.Z.) AMERICAN SAMOA
NORFOLK ISLAND
I
(to France) (to Australia)
Z
FRENCH POLYNESIA
TONGA
CORAL SEA ISLANDS
A
R
U
COOK ISLANDS
VANUATU
A
(to N.Z.)
(to N.Z.)
Macquarie Island (to Australia)
R
Continental key NORTH AMERICA
pages 2-23
A
EUROPE
pages 46-73
(to U.K.)
SOUTH AMERICA
ASIA
pages 24-33
pages 74-99
AFRICA
pages 34-45
FALKLAND ISLANDS
AUSTRALASIA & OCEANIA
pages 100-109
CHILE SOUTH GEORGIA & SOUTH SANDWICH ISLANDS (to U.K.)
ANTARCTICA
CHILDREN’S
WORLD ATLAS Consultant
Dr. Kathleen Baker Senior Lecturer in Geography, King’s College London (retired) Senior Visiting Fellow, London South Bank University Written by
Simon Adams • Mary Atkinson • Sarah Phillips • John Woodward
A Dorling Kindersley Book
Contents LONDON, NEW YORK, MUNICH, MELBOURNE, AND DELHI Project editors Lucy Hurst, Sadie Smith, Shaila Awan, Amber Tokeley Art editors Joe Conneally, Sheila Collins, Rebecca Johns, Simon Oon, Andrew Nash Senior editor Fran Jones Senior art editor Floyd Sayers Managing editor Andrew Macintyre Managing art editor Jane Thomas Picture research Carolyn Clerkin, Brenda Clynch DK Pictures Sarah Mills Production Jenny Jacoby DTP designer Siu Yin Ho Senior cartographic editor Simon Mumford Cartographer Ed Merritt Digital Cartography Encompass Graphics Limited Satellite images Rob Stokes 3D globes Planetary Visions Ltd., London THIS
A CTIVE PLANET PLANET PEOPLE M APPING THE W ORLD
iv vi 1
EDITION
Editor Jessamy Wood Art editors Mark Lloyd, Katie Knutton Senior editor Rob Houston Senior art editor Carol Davis Managing editor Linda Esposito Managing art editor Jim Green Picture research Myriam Mégharbi Production editor Marc Staples Print production Charlotte Oliver Senior cartographic editor Simon Mumford Satellite images Ed Merritt 3D Globes Planetary Visions Ltd., London US editor Stephanie Pliakas First published in the United States in 2003 . This revised edition published in the United States in 2011 by DK Publishing, 375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014. Copyright © 2003, 2008, 2011 Dorling Kindersley Limited
NORTH AMERICA
W ESTERN C ANADA AND A LASKA E ASTERN C ANADA USA : NORTHEAST USA : SOUTH USA : MIDWEST USA : W EST USA : SOUTHWEST MEXICO CENTRAL A MERICA THE C ARIBBEAN
2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 001 – 179338 – Jun/11 All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photycopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the copyright owner. Published in Great Britain by Dorling Kindersley Limited. A catalogue record for this book is available from the Library of Congress. ISBN: 978-0-7566-7584-4 Colour reproduction by Colourscan, Singapore, and MDP, UK Printed and bound by Star Standard Industries Ltd, Singapore
Discover more at www.dk.com
SOUTH AMERICA
NORTHWEST SOUTH A MERICA BRAZIL SOUTHERN SOUTH A MERICA A TLANTIC OCEAN
24 26 28 30 32
ASIA
AFRICA
NORTHWEST A FRICA NORTHEAST A FRICA W EST A FRICA CENTRAL A FRICA SOUTHERN A FRICA
34 36 38 40 42 44
TURKEY AND THE C AUCASUS R USSIA AND K AZAKHSTAN THE NEAR E AST THE MIDDLE E AST CENTRAL A SIA INDIAN SUBCONTINENT W ESTERN CHINA AND MONGOLIA E ASTERN CHINA AND K OREA J APAN M AINLAND SOUTHEAST A SIA M ARITIME SOUTHEAST A SIA INDIAN OCEAN
SOUTHWEST P ACIFIC A USTRALIA NEW ZEALAND P ACIFIC OCEAN
100 102 104 106 108
A NTARCTICA A RCTIC OCEAN
110 111
G AZETTEER INDEX A CKNOWLEDGMENTS
112 134 136
AUSTRALASIA AND OCEANIA
EUROPE
SCANDINAVIA AND FINLAND THE BRITISH ISLES THE LOW COUNTRIES FRANCE GERMANY AND THE A LPINE STATES SPAIN AND PORTUGAL ITALY CENTRAL EUROPE SOUTHEAST EUROPE BULGARIA AND GREECE UKRAINE, MOLDOVA, AND R OMANIA B ALTIC STATES AND BELARUS EUROPEAN R USSIA
46 48 50 52 54 56 58 60 62 64 66 68 70 72
74 76 78 80 82 84 86 88 90 92 94 96 98
ACTIVE PLANET
Active Planet
DOWN TO THE CORE
Earth formed from iron-rich asteroids that smashed together to build the planet. Early in its history it, melted, allowing the heavy iron to sink and create a metallic core. The core is surrounded by lighter rock, with the lightest forming Earth’s crust. Most of the water on the planet lies in huge oceans, and above them is the layer of air that forms the atmosphere.
E���� �� � ������� ������ that is always
changing its form. Heat generated by nuclear reactions deep below the surface creates hugely powerful currents that keep Earth’s rocks on the move, triggering earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Meanwhile, solar energy striking the planet in different ways creates currents in the air, driving the atmospheric turmoil of the weather. This changes with the seasons and from place to place, creating an enormous range of climates and habitats for the most dynamic element of all—life.
Lower atmosphere, 10 miles (16 km) thick Crust, 5–45 miles (8–70 km) thick Mantle, 1,800 miles (2,900 km) thick
North American Plate
North American Plate
THE PLATES OF EARTH’S CRUST
Heat generated deep within the planet creates currents in the mobile mantle rock beneath the crust. These currents drag some sections of the cool, brittle crust apart while pushing other parts together, fracturing the crust into separate plates. The biggest of these span oceans and continents, but there are many smaller plates. At their boundaries the plates may be diverging (pulling apart), converging (pushing together), or sliding past each other at transform faults.
Eurasian Plate Caribbean Plate Pacific Plate
Cocos Plate African Plate Pacific Plate
South American Plate
Indo-Australian Plate
Nazca Plate
Key to map
Antarctic Plate
WHERE MOVING PLATES MEET
The boundaries between the plates are volcanic earthquake zones. The plates move very slowly, pulling apart at divergent boundaries. This allows hot rock below to melt, erupt, and cool to form new crust – especially at the spreading rifts that form mid-ocean ridges. Meanwhile, at convergent boundaries, one plate slides beneath another, pushing up mountain ranges and making volcanoes erupt. Other volcanoes erupt over hot spots in the mantle below the crust.
Liquid outer core, 1,400 miles (2,250 km) thick
Solid inner core, 1,515 miles (2,440 km) across
Transform fault
Divergent boundary
Uncertain boundary
Convergent boundary
1
Continental crust, much thicker than oceanic crust
5
Oceanic crust formed from heavy basalt rock
9
Hot-spot volcano erupting over mantle plume
2
Broad basin formed near uplifted area
6
Upper mantle, mostly solid but very hot
10
Ocean trench marking convergent plate boundary
3
Ancient converging boundary, now inactive
7
Mantle, solid but mobile owing to heat currents
11
Volcano erupting over convergent boundary
4
Mountains created when plate boundary was active
8
Spreading rift forming a mid-ocean ridge
12
Earthquake zone—one plate grinding under another
13
Plates pulling apart, creating a rift valley
10
2
8 4
9
11
5
13
6 iv
1
12 3
7
ACTIVE PLANET
North Pole THE SEASONS
Earth spins on a tilted axis, so as it orbits the Sun once a year, the North Pole points toward the Sun in June and away from it in December. This means that in regions north of the Tropics it is summer in June but winter in December—and the opposite is true to the south of the tropics. Near the Equator it is always warm and there are annual wet and dry seasons.
Cold air (in blue) becomes chilled in upper atmosphere
March is the northern spring
December is the southern summer and northern winter
Arctic Circle, where Sun’s rays are dispersed
South Pole
Earth’s axis
Warm air (in red) heats up near Earth’s surface
June is the northern summer and southern winter
The Sun Equator, where Sun’s rays are concentrated
Tropic of Cancer Tropic of Capricorn COLD POLE
Descending cool, dry air over desert zone
The Tropics are the hottest parts of the planet because the Sun’s rays directly strike them, concentrating the heat energy. Near the poles the same amount of heat energy is spread out over a broader area, so it does not have as much heating effect, even in the summer. At midwinter, the entire polar region is in permanent darkness, so it gets no solar energy at all and is bitterly cold.
JUNGLE AND DESERT
Concentrated sunlight near the Equator heats Sahara Desert Earth’s surface, warming the air above. The warm air rises, carrying moisture with it. This forms huge clouds that spill tropical rain, fueling the growth of rainforests. The dry, cooling air then flows north and south and sinks over the subtropics, creating deserts. Similar air-circulation patterns affect the climate in the far north and south. Rainforest, Borneo RAINFALL
Rising warm, moist air near Equator
Some parts of the world get much more rain than others. The wettest regions are mostly rainforest zones, where year-round rain and warmth promote lush plant growth. Regions of moderate rainfall are naturally forests and grasslands, although most of this land is now used for farming. The driest regions may be too dry for many plants to grow, creating deserts—but they also include some northern forest zones and polar tundra.
Key to map Less than 20 cm (50 in) 20–79 in (50–200 cm) More than 79 in (200 cm)
Atacama Desert, Chile
Cool, dry air sinks over desert zone
v
PLANET PEOPLE
Planet People
T�� ������ �� ������ �� ��� ������ has quadrupled since
1900. A lot of this growth has taken place in the developing world, which is now home to more than 80 percent of the population. Many of these people are very poor and do not enjoy the living conditions that most citizens of the developed world take for granted. This is changing, however, especially in nations such as China, India, and Brazil. Here, new technology and international trade are fueling rapid economic growth that is transforming how people live. But as more of the planet’s people demand more of its scarce resources, there may be some difficult challenges ahead.
S N O I L L I B N I N O I T A L U P O P
10
In 2050, there are expected to be almost 9 billion people
8 6 4 2 1000
1200
1400
1600
1800
2000
YEAR POPULATION INCREASE
For centuries, the number of people on the planet stayed the same, at roughly 300 million. But since the 175 0s, better living conditions and health care have allowed more babies to survive, causing a population explosion. In only 60 years from 1950, the population soared from 2.5 billion to 6.8 billion. It will keep growing, but probably not quite so fast.
Russia POPULATION DENSITY
United Kingdom
On this map the area of each part of the world is adjusted to reflect the number of people who live there. For example, Japan’s population of 128 million is much bigger than that of Australia, with 22 million, so it is shown much larger here despite being a smaller country. More people live in Nigeria—153 million—than in all of Russia. But the nations with the biggest populations by far are India and China, each with far more than 1 billion citizens.
Canada
China EUROPE
NORTH AMERICA
Japan
ASIA United States
Philippines India AFRICA
SOUTH AMERICA
Pakistan Nigeria
Indonesia
AUSTRALASIA
FAMILY SIZE
All over the world, some women have more children than others, but the average varies from continent to continent. European women have 1.5 children on average, so two families may have three children between them. This is much fewer than in Africa, where the population is growing faster despite higher death rates among children. Worldwide, the average is 2.6—more than enough to replace both parents.
AFRICA
4.6 children per woman
SOUTH AMERICA
ASIA
2.2 children per woman
2.3 children per woman
NORTH AMERICA
2 children per woman
BIRTH AND DEATH RATES
If the birth rate is the same as the death rate, the population stays the same. But in most countries, the birth rate is higher. In Niger, west Africa, there are 50.6 births but only 13.1 deaths per 1,000 people, and the population is growing at 4 percent a year. Brazil’s population is also growing, with 14.2 births compared to 6.5 d eaths. By contrast, Lithuania has a shrinking population, with 9.9 births outweighed by 13.8 deaths. NIGER
vi
BRAZIL
A country with few young people is said to have an aging population. But these school children in Burundi, east Africa, are part of a youthful population, with fewer elder people. Both situations can cause problems. LITHUANIA
AUSTRALASIA
1.8 children per woman
EUROPE
1.5 children per woman
PLANET PEOPLE
34,000,000
CITY POPULATIONS
As populations grow, people tend to move from the country to a city to find work. Today one third of the world’s people live in cities, which grow bigger every year. Some are colossal, like Tokyo, Japan—the largest city in Asia. The other cities shown here are the most populous on each continent. They are vibrant centErs of civilization, but some cities are fringed by sprawling shantytowns, where poor people live in makeshift shacks with no public health services or clean water.
23,400,000
22,200,000 20,900,000 15,200,000 12,400,000
4,475,000
TOKYO
MEXICO CITY
NEW YORK CITY
SÃO PAULO
LONDON
CAIRO
LANGUAGES
Christianity 2.1 billion
These are the 10 most common languages worldwide, sized in proportion to the number of native speakers. Chinese outstrips the others because China has such a huge population. But Spanish comes next because it is the main language of many Latin American countries, such as Mexico. English is almost as common, thanks mostly to it being the language of the United States. It is also used as an international language for trade.
HINDI
ARABIC
SYDNEY
SPANISH
CHINESE
RUSSIAN ENGLISH PORTUGUESE BENGALI
JAPANESE
Islam 1.5 billion
GERMAN
Others Hinduism 900 million
Chinese traditional 394 million
Buddhism 376 million
Indigenous 300 million
African traditional Others 100 million 97.7 million
Sikhism Juche Spiritism Judaism Baha’i Jainism Shinto Cao Ðái Zoroastrianism Tenrikyo Neo-Paganism Unitarian Universalism Rastafarianism Scientology
23 million 19 million 15 million 14 million 7 million 4.2 million 4 million 4 million 2.6 million 2 million 1 million 800,000 600,000 500,000
RELIGIONS AND BELIEFS
Almost three fourths of the world’s population are followers of Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, or Buddhism. But many people follow other faiths, especially in China, where the traditional folk religion, Shenism, is practiced by almost one third of the huge population. The “indigenous”and “African traditional religions”data points are both groupings of different, but similar, religions. Others are listed at the far right, in order of popularity.
AFRICA 10.9%
EUROPE 58.4%
SOUTH AMERICA 39.5% MIDDLE EAST 29.8%
% of population using the Internet
ONLINE ACCESS
Over the 10 years, the Internet has become a vital tool for global business, education, and politics, so the more people who can use it, the better. These charts show the percentage of people with Internet access both worldwide and in particular regions. North America, Australia, and Europe lead the field, but the number of Internet users is growing fastest in the Middle East and Africa.
ASIA 21.5%
CENTRAL AMERICA 24.9%
% of population not using the Internet AUSTRALIA 61.3% NORTH AMERICA 77.4%
WORLDWIDE 28.7%
vii
PLANET PEOPLE
WEALTH
A country’s wealth is usually measured in terms of the money it earns divided by the number of its citizens living both at home and overseas. This is called its gross national product (GNP) per capita. Qatar in the Middle East has huge wealth generated by exports of oil and natural gas, and since it has a small population, its GNP per capita is very high. Burundi in east Africa has only one thirtieth of the income of Qatar divided between seven times as many people, so its GNP per capita is very low.
Burundi $135
Lithuania $11,871
Bolivia $1,457
Japan $38,207
Norway $87,068
Canada $41,729
Qatar $93,201
BUSIEST AIRPORTS
Air travel has expanded hugely since the 1950s, when international air travel was a luxury enjoyed by a few wealthy people known as the “jet set.” Today, flying is often the most economical way to travel, as well as the quickest. This is reflected in the vast number of passengers who pass through the world’s airports as they travel for business or pleasure. The busiest airport is Hartsfield Jackson International Airport in Atlanta, Georgia, with more than 90 million people arriving and departing each year.
AIRBUS A380
HARTSFIELD-JACKSON, ATLANTA, GEORGIA
The growth in air travel has led to the development of giant airliners such as the Airbus A380. When it entered service in 2007, this was the world’s largest passenger plane, capable of carrying up to 853 people. The first commercial TOKYO, jet airliner, the Comet 1, had seats JAPAN for only 44 passengers at the most.
HEATHROW, LONDON, U.K.
90,039,280
KINGSFORD SMITH, SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA
67,056,379 66,754,829
GUARULHOS, SÃO TAMBO, PAULO, BRAZIL JO’BURG, RSA
32,900,000 20,400,304
TRADE
Although air freight is an important part of international trade, about 80 percent of cargo by weight is transported by sea. This adds up to around 8.8 billion tons of freight. A lot of this is transported in containers carried by more than 4,700 container ships. The busiest shipping routes link Europe and North America with the Middle East and Far East, with ports such as Singapore, Shanghai (China), Dubai (U.A.E.), and Rotterdam (Netherlands) handling most of the trade. Traffic in millions of tonnes 400+ 300–400 200–300 100–200 20–100 10–20 5–10
viii
18,400,000
NORTH AMERICA The North American continent extends from the frozen wastes of Arctic Canada to the Caribbean islands and the tropical jungles of Panama. It is politically dominated by the United States, the richest nation on Earth, yet life in countries such as Mexico and Nicaragua is still a struggle. The data below is arranged in order of each nation’s size.
Canada
3,855,103 sq miles 9,984,670 sq km 33,600,000 Ottawa English, French, Chinese, Italian, German, Ukrainian, Portuguese, Inuktitut, Cree
United States of America
3,794,100 sq miles 9,826,675 sq km 315,000,000 Washington, DC English, Spanish, Chinese, French, German, Tagalog, Vietnamese, Italian, Korean, Russian, Polish
Mexico
Honduras
758,449 sq miles 1,964,375 sq km 110,000,000 Mexico City
43,278 sq miles 112,090 sq km 7,470,000 Tegucigalpa
Spanish, Nahuatl, Mayan, Zapotec, Mixtec, Otomi, Totonac, Tzotzil, Tzeltal
Spanish, Garífuna (Carib), English Creole
Nicaragua
50,336 sq miles 130,370 sq km 5,740,000 Managua Spanish, English Creole, Miskito
The warm waters and glorious beaches of the Caribbean make islands like St. Lucia magnets for tourists. The wealth they bring is vital to the local economy.
Cuba
42,803 sq miles 110,860 sq km 11,200,000 Havana Spanish
Panama
29,120 sq miles 75,420 sq km 3,450,000 Panama City English Creole, Spanish, Amerindian languages, Chibchan languages
Guatemala
Spanish, French Creole
10,714 sq miles 27,750 sq km 10,000,000 Port-au-Prince
Quiché, Mam, Kakchiquel, Kekchí, Spanish
French Creole, French
Costa Rica
2
18,792 sq miles 48,670 sq km 10,100,000 Santo Domingo
Haiti
42,042 sq miles 108,889 sq km 14,000,000 Guatemala City
The Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor is a potent symbol of freedom, especially for political refugees to the United States who arrived by ship.
Dominican Republic
19,730 sq miles 51,100 sq km 4,580,000 San José Spanish, English Creole, Bribri, Cabecar
Belize
8,867 sq miles 22,966 sq km 306,800 Belmopan English Creole, Spanish, English, Mayan, Garifuna (Carib)
El Salvador
Dominica
8,124 sq miles 21,041 sq km 6,160,000 San Salvador City
290 sq miles 751 sq km 70,400 Roseau
Spanish
French Creole, English
Bahamas
5,359 sq miles 13,880 sq km 341,700 Nassau English, English Creole, French Creole
St. Lucia
Antigua and Barbuda
238 sq miles 616 sq km 172,200 Castries
171 sq miles 443 sq km 82,800 St John’s
English, French Creole
English, English Patois
Jamaica
Grenada
4,244 sq miles 10,991 sq km 2,720,000 Kingston
133 sq miles 344 sq km 103,900 St George’s
English Creole, English
English, English Creole
Most of Canada is still untamed wilderness—a land of huge, dramatic landscapes like this lake high up in the rugged, frost-shattered Rocky Mountains.
Trinidad and Tobago
1,980 sq miles 5,128 sq km 1,340,000 Port-of-Spain English Creole, English, Hindi, French, Spanish
Barbados
166 sq miles 430 sq km 255,900 Bridgetown Bajan (Barbadian English), English
St. Vincent and the Grenadines
St. Kitts and Nevis
150 sq miles 389 sq km 109,200 Kingstown
101 sq miles 261 sq km 46,100 Basseterre
English, English Creole
English, English Creole
3
NORTH AMERICA B
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FORESTRY
Large parts of western Canada are covered in forests, and lumbering is a major part of the local economy. The trees are used to make buildings, furniture, and paper. In the past, entire forests of trees were cleared, but now sustainable methods, such as selective cutting and replanting, are practiced.
stretches from the flat prairies in the east to the towering Rocky Mountains in the west, and from the relatively mild south to the permanently frozen area north of the Arctic Circle. Harsh conditions throughout most of the region mean that most of the population is concentrated in cities in the south, such as Vancouver, Calgary, and Winnipeg. The Prairies—once a vast expanse of grassland—are now mostly used for growing wheat on huge mechanized farms. Oil and natural gas are found there, too. These C h u k c h i S e a natural resources are also important in Alaska, Wevok Point Lay Barrow B Ne ar a part of the United States. The r i n g S t i t Isl and s K val na i i majority of Alaska’s people Wales Gambell C moved there to work Saint Lawrence l l e R r in these lucrative Rat Island Deering Islands N Umiat industries. B t o n r
Felled trees transported down a river near Vancouver
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This city’s vibrant cultural mix is typical of Canada’s diversity. Many South Asian, Chinese, as well as other ethnic groups live here and reflect Vancouver’s historic role as a destination for migrants. Hosting the 2010 Winter Olympics raised its profile and its bustling economy, mild climate, and cultural links make it an attractive place to live.
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NORTHWEST i n T E R R I T O R I E S
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Mount Logan 19,551 ft (5959m)
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The state sport of Alaska is dogsled racing. Here, competitors take part in the annual Iditarod Trail Great Sled Race, a gruelling run across the rugged landscape for drivers and their teams of dogs.
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YUKON
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DOGSLED RACING
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TOTEM POLES
The native peoples of British Columbia use totem poles to record their clan histories. Each carved and painted totem describes a real or mythical event and often features animals that the clan has a close connection with, such as the eagle (left).
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Mount McKinley Susitna 20,433ft (6194m)
Iliamna Lake
Bristol Bay
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NATIVE PEOPLES
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The native peoples of Alaska are the Aleut, and those in northern Canada are the Inuit. Native peoples are often called “First Nations” because they were the first to live in North America. Most of their land was later taken by European settlers. First Nation culture has revived, and Nunavut is now a self-governing Inuit territory. The Inuit have adapted to the harsh environment and often combine modern technology with their traditional lifestyle.
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Canada has a population of 34 million people, but only about 30 percent of them live in western Canada, and most live near the U.S. border.
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Grain elevators dominate the skyline of the prairies
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Large parts of Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba have rich soils and form one of the largest wheat-growing areas in the world. More wheat is grown here than Canadians can consume, so vast amounts are exported. Wheat is used to make flour for staple foods such as bread. Once harvested, wheat is stored in grain elevators, waiting to be transported by lorry or train.
d C u m b er l a n d
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The rugged Rocky Mountains stretch south through western Canada and into the United States. Every year they attract millions of visitors, who enjoy walking, hiking, and canoeing in the dramatic scenery. Tourists sometimes see wildlife such as the grizzly bear, black bear, elk, moose, and wolf.
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parts of Canada are in the east. Ottawa, the capital, is located here, along with other important cities, such as Toronto, Montreal, and Québec. Some of the earliest settlers were French, and many people speak French as their first language. The Great Lakes—the largest system of lakes in the world—and the St. Lawrence Seaway link the interior to the coast. The most easterly parts of Canada, the Atlantic Provinces, have rugged coastlines and dramatic scenery. However, soils are thin and commercial agriculture is limited to a few areas. Fishing used to be the main activity, but fish stocks have been so depleted that few people are now employed in the industry, despite recent environmental efforts to rebuild the stocks. A growing oil and gas industry and new high-tech businesses are attracting younger workers, although many people still migrate to the bustling cities farther west.
Ungava Peninsula MAPLE SYRUP
The maple trees of Québec and Ontario are tapped for maple syrup, a major export—and a popular topping on pancakes for Canadians. The maple leaf is the national symbol of Canada and features on the nation’s flag.
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Thunder Bay Toronto is Canada’s most important economic center. Located on Lake Ontario, close to the U.S. border, it is not only an industrial and commercial centre but is also home to a wide diversity of ethnic and cultural groups. The Canadian National (CN) tower, which dominates the Toronto skyline, is the world’s tallest tower, and locals and tourists can get an impressive view of the city and Lake Ontario from the top.
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Longlac
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ICE HOCKEY
Sports and leisure are important to Canadians. A popular sport is ice ho ckey, which thousands of people play or watch enthusiastically. Teams of skaters use long, curved sticks to try to get a hard rubber disk—called a puck—into the opposing team’s goal. Both the men’s and women’s national ice hockey teams won gold medals at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics.
8
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Peterborough
Brampton Kitchener Hamilton Sarnia London Windsor Leamington
CN Tower
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Oshawa Lake
Toronto Ontario St. Catharines Niagara Falls
UNITED STATES
9
OF AMERICA 6
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Canadians have a high life expectancy—the average person lives to be 80 years old.
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FRENCH CANADA
St. John’s
Cape Race
Québec province is the main French-speaking part of Canada. With a different language and cultural traditions from other parts of the country, there have been calls in the past for Québec to become independent from the rest of Canada.
ST. PIERRE & MIQUELON
t r a i
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6
(to France)
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New Glasgow Truro
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The Grand Banks, off the coast of Newfoundland, are shallow waters that once contained huge stocks of fish. Stocks have declined, however, owing to overfishing, and now catches are severely restricted. Tourism has been a valuable alternative for those who relied on fishing for their livelihood.
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Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador attract tourists for their landscape, wildlife, and quaint seaside villages. Icebergs are a regular sight off the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador as they drift south from the Arctic.
Resolution Island Akpatok Island
i v i
O
ATLANTIC PROVINCES
H u
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N
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N ST. LAWRENCE SEAWAY
Stretching far inland, the St. Lawrence Seaway provides a link from the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean. A series of huge locks descends from Lake Ontario to sea level, allowing oceangoing ships to transport their cargo as far inland as Lake Superior. Large amounts of iron ore, for example, are transported inland from Labrador to Ontario for processing. Corn, soy, and other agricultural products move in the opposite direction, from the prairies east to the markets of the world.
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The White House in Washington, D.C. has been home to every president except George Washington, whom the city is named after.
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Lock Haven Milton
Pittsburgh
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Oakland
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Catskill Mountains
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Harrisburg
Aberdeen Towson
Cherry Hill Vineland
Baltimore
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MARYLAND Chesapeake Bay A
B
C
D
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F
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8
NEW
Lancaster Wilmington
Hagerstown
9
Trenton
Philadelphia
Carlisle York
VIRGINIA
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Y O R K
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State College
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Dansville
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Indiana Aliquippa
Oswego
Rochester
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Capitol building, the seat of government
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P E N N S Y L V A N I A A l l e g R h e i v e n y r
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L .
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Niagara Once a major steel-manufacturing centre Lockport with a polluted environment, Pittsburgh, Falls Pennsylvania, is now a thriving financial Niagara center with a large number of corporate Falls Buffalo headquarters. Bridges span the three e Hamburg i rivers that run through the city, E r connecting the core downtown e L a k area (above) to the suburbs. Dunkirk
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PITTSBURGH
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All three branches of the federal government, the executive, legislative, and judicial, reside in Washington, D.C. The United States Congress (the legislative branch) meets here in the Capitol building. Many of the city’s residents work for the government.
7
New York is the largest city in the U.S. Historically it grew because it has a good harbor and sits at the mouth of the Hudson River. Immigrants from overseas flooded into the city in the 19th and 20th centuries, boosting its population and economy. Today, it is the main financial center, not just of the U.S.A., but of the world.
New York City
C
CENTRE OF GOVERNMENT 6
Lake Ontario
area that is steeped in history. This is traditionally the main immigration point into the United States, with the Statue of Liberty lighting the way for those arriving into New York City by boat. People from all over the world have settled in this region to live and work, creating a “melting pot”of cultures and ethnic groups. Important historical events, such as the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, took place in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. These documents set the foundations for American life today. It is also here that the capital and center of government were established. Today, while industry and agriculture are still important, finance and commerce are the driving forces of the economy.
THRIVING CITY
Hudson River
G
Ocean City
Salisbury
H
K
L
M
N E
Presque Isle
W B
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CRANBERRIES
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The northeast U.S. is a major cranberry-growing cranberry-g rowing region. Cranberries grow in flooded bogs, and once harvested—often with high-tech equipment (above)—they can be eaten in pies and sauces.
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Mount Desert Island Maine (above), famous for its clam chowder and lobsters (right)
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Biddeford Rochester
THANKSGIVING
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The first Thanksgiving was held in 1621 as a gesture of friendship between American Indians and the Pilgrims after the Pilgrims’ first successful harvest. Americans honor this tradition every November by gathering with family and friends to give thanks for life’s blessings and to share a meal.
Portsmouth
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Lawrence
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Springfield
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Bay of Fund Fu nd y
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Portland
Manchester Nashua
Millbridge
Searsport
Augusta
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Lincoln
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Boston
Worcester
Provincetown Cape Cod
MASSACHUSETTS
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M A I N E
Lewiston
Laconia
Lebanon
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Camden Mount Washington 6289ft (1917m)
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Milo
Berlin
Although Maine is a large state, it is relatively sparsely populated. Early settlers were attracted to its coastline, and fishing communities gradually developed. To this day, fishing remains an important activity,, while colorful foliage activity attracts tourists in the fall.
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Pittsfield
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Plattsburgh
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Mount Katahdin 5266ft (1605m)
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Madawaska
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Orleans
Pawtucket Providence New Bedford Hartford Warwick Martha's Vineyard Vineyard
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Kingston Bristol
RHODE Nantucket ISLAND Groton New Haven Bridgeport Yonkers Stamford Paterson New York Long A Island L T Newark CONNECTICUT
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Tourists can take an elevator to the top of the Statue of Liberty
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Middletown
JERSEY
HIGHER EDUCATION
A large number of universities universities are located located in this region, including two of the most famous—Harvard (above) and Ya Yale. le. As well as studying, students enjoy a full campus life, including taking part in sport. Links between industry and education are strong, so many high-tech companies have been established here.
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Atlantic City NEW YORK CITY
The center of U.S. commerce and business is New York City. People living here have a fast-paced lifestyle, and many travel by train or bus from the suburbs to work in the towering high-rise office buildings of Manhattan. People traveling by boat across the harbor pass the Statue of Liberty, a huge monument that represents freedom and opportunity to Americans. I
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T�� �������� ������ of the U.S.A. have a varied landscape and an interesting 2
Cincinnat i
mix of people, both culturally and economically. Some areas of the region are poor, Newport especially the Appalachian Mountain communities, while other parts, such as the I N D I A N A Florida coast, are wealthy and attract many people from other states and countries. Louisville Frankfort The cultural mix includes people of Latin American origin, African-Americans, Cajuns Evansville Lexington (French-Canadians), and European Americans, giving giving rise to diverse music styles, Owensboro rson Henderson Hende Richmond Elizabethtown dialects, pastimes, pastimes, and food. While coal mining in the Appalachian Mountains G e K E N T U C K Y has declined in recent years, agriculture agriculture is still cah Paducah Padu R i Somerset M I S S O U R I important, as are tourism and industry. Tourism Hopkinsville Bowling Kentucky Green Rogers a u is especially important in Florida and in Lake Bull Shoals t i Mounta n Pocahontas Clarksv lle i a Lake l Union Home New Orleans, Louisiana, Fayettev ille Cookeville P City Nashv lle i d Walnut Ridge M near the mouth B t t i s n Dyersburg Blytheville Murfreesboro l Franklin a Fort Sm th i Jonesboro r of the mighty T E N N E S S E E e A R K A N S A S Jackson A b Maryville Searcy West Lawrenceburg Columbia Mississippi River. m ille Russellv Memphis M u Memphis r
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North C Cleveland O Ouachita T Forrest City Chattanooga r n n e H Mou nta insLittle Rock v i e s Corinth s e e R i v Dalton Huntsv ille L Aittle Rock p i R A r Holly p r Florence Hot Spr Hot Springs L i s Benton k a i Spr ngs s i Scottsboro Decatur n s K s O s a s R i i u Pine O Rome v M Tupelo e r Clarksdale Hamilton Cullman h Bluff i e
e
COTTON CROPS 4
5
Cotton was once the main crop of the South and was grown by African American slaves. slaves. Today, cotton is still important for the economy of the region and is grown in large fields and harvested with huge machinery. Cotton has many uses, primarily as the raw material for textiles.
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Camden Camde
Shreveport S A
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Fort Walton
Pensacola Beach
Biloxi
Tallahassee
Panama City
Chandeleur Islands
Cape San Blas
G u l f f
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Mis sis sip pi Riv er Delta
Apa lac hee Bay
i c c o
CAJUN CULTURE
The Cajuns in this region are French-speaking French-speak ing people who were expelled from Canada in the 1700s. They mixed with other cultures i n Louisiana, but their French influence can be seen in the music, food, and place names, such as Lafayette.
FLORIDA EVERGLADES
The increasing population of Florida means that the Everglades, swampy plains inhabited by alligators and other wildlife, are under threat as land is needed for houses and farms. However, the Everglades National Park Pa rk protects part of this important ecosystem. C
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Albany
Bainbridge Lake Seminole
Crestview
New Orleans
Chef holding a skillet of jambalaya, a Cajun dish
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Dothan
Mobile
Gulfport
MUSICAL ORIGINS
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Prichard
Houma
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Ozark Brewton
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Venice
The southern U.S.A. is famous for its music, most of which reflects the cultural mix of the region. New Orleans and other parts of Louisiana are the birthplaces of jazz and Cajun music, while bluegrass and country have origins in Nashville and Memphis, Tennessee. These music styles started here, but quickly spread throughout the country and developed even further in the cities.
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Troy Andalusia
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Jazz musician on Bourbon Street, New Orleans
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Metairie
Morgan City
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Baton Rouge
New Iberia
Columbus C
Montgomery
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Lafayette
Cotton pod, or boll
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Laurel
Bogalusa
Lake Charles
The Mississippi is the largest river in North America and the third largest in the world.
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Demopolis Demopol Prattville
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Alexander City
Yazoo City Canton Clinton Bossier City Meridian Tallulah L O U I S I A N A Vicksburg Jackson
Monroe
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Marietta
Atlanta
Birmingham
Tuscaloosa
MISSISSIPPI
Bastrop
Ruston Ru ston
Natch itoches
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Columbus
Greenv ille
El Dorado
Gadsden Anniston
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PENNSYLVANIA
Winchester
Parkersburg Clarksburg
Spruce Knob 4862ft (1482m) s
WEST
OHIO Portsmouth
VIRGINIA Hunt ington
O hi o o R Riive r
Charleston
Saint Albans
Beckley
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Bluefield
Pikeville
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Knoxville l a
Dale City MARYLAND Fredericksburg
P o a Staunton Charlottesville R t o m t i a v Chesapeake e r c n V I R G I N I A R chmond i J a am e u m s e s R i iv e v er Cape Charles Lynchburg o Petersburg
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Danville Middlesboro Kingsport n a Bristol i Greensboro Greenev ille Winston
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WASHINGTON D.C.
Arlington
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Pulask i
London
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Norfolk Virginia Beach
Newport News Portsmouth R o a
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Elizabeth City
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Durham
Rocky Mount Raleigh Greenville
Salem
High Point Cary Goldsboro c o p l i N O R T H C A R OLINA New Bern P a m u n d p Ashev ille S o Gaston ia A Fayettev ille Charlotte Havelock a
Mount Mitchell 6683ft (2037m)
Spartanburg
Greenville
Laurinburg Jacksonv ille
Rock Hill Union
Gainesville S O U T H C A R O L I N A Greenwood Florence Athens
Clark Hill Lake
GEORGIA
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Hilton Head Island
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Savannah
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Hinesville R i v e r
Tifton Waycross
Brunswick
Valdosta Okefenokee Thomasville Swamp
Lake George
T N
5
MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR
Martin Luther King, Jr., (left) was born in Atlanta in 1929. In the 1960s, he led many peaceful protests to end the laws that discriminated against black Americans. King was assassinated assassinated in 1969 and has since been seen as a symbol of the struggle for racial equality. Many African-Americans African-Americans live in the southern U.S., where, before the Civil War (1861–65), their ancestors were forced to work on cotton plantations and farms.
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Daytona Beach
De Land Deltona
Spring Hill
Orlando
Martin Luther King, Jr., speaking at the final rally of the March Against Fear, Mississippi, 1966
Cape Canaveral
Lakeland
Tampa
Melbourne
Fort Pierce
Hutchinson Island
Port Charlotte Lake Okeechobee Charlotte Harbor Fort Myers Naples
Boca Raton
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Big Cypress d a Swamp
Pompano Beach
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Fort Lauderdale
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Miami Beach
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Miami a
Cape Sable
Key Largo
Florida Bay
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K e
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FLORIDA’S FLORIDA ’S SUNSHINE COAST
West Palm Beach
e h T
Key West
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Lake Kissimmee
Tampa Saint Petersburg Bay Sarasota FLORIDA
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Kumba roller coaster, the fastest in Florida, in Busch Gardens, Tampa
Saint Augustine
Gainesv ille Ocala
E C
Jacksonville
Lake City
Clearwater Largo
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Charleston
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Statesboro
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Tourism is an important industry in the south, especially for Florida. As well as warm weather weather and appealing appealing scenery, tourists are attracted to the amusement parks around Orlando. Jobs and income are generated by tourism, with many people working in retail outlets, restaurants, hotels, and amusement parks.
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North Charleston
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Cordele
Long Bay Georgetown
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Milledgeville
Dublin
Cape Fear
Aiken Orangeburg
AugustaS
Every year on the first Saturday of May, the Kentucky Derby takes place in Louisville. This horse race and the festivities based around it mark the beginning of spring for people in the area. The best horses and jockeys, as well as massive massive crowds of spectators from around the country, travel here for the event.
TOURISM
Myrtle Beach
Lake Marion
KENTUCKY DERBY
Cape Hatteras
Onslow Bay
Wilmington
Columbia
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Bay
t s a i
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o f
Florida’s sunny weather and sandy beaches have traditionally attracted many retired people, many of whom live in apartments along the coast in resorts such as Miami Beach (right). Florida also attracts young people, especially to the vibrant city of Miami, where many immigrants from Central America, Cuba, and other Caribbean islands live, and Spanish is spoken by half the population. The Florida Keys, an island chain in the south of the peninsula, is also popular with tourists, and contains sone of the largest living coral formations in North America.
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Plains, once the home of cattle ranches, cowboys, and Native American peoples. However, the discovery of gold in South Dakota brought a rush of settlers to the area. This, combined with a decline in buffalo numbers, led to the eventual displacement of the Native Americans from the Plains. The area is prone to dramatic weather— tornadoes, blizzards, and hot summers. To the west, vast areas of farmland generate more wheat and corn than anywhere else in the world. East of the Mississippi River, the landscape varies and, although farming is important, this is the industrial center of the country. Cities such as Chicago (Illinois), Detroit (Michigan), and Cleveland (Ohio) are major manufacturing centers. Up to 100 million buffalo once grazed on the Great Plains. They provided local Native Americans with food for the family, and skin for clothes and tepees. The Dakota people used buffalo bones to make shields and tools, and the animal’s bladder was made into a bag for carrying water. But overhunting and the destruction of the buffalo’s habitat by early European settlers drastically reduced the number of animals. The buffalo is now a protected species and lives in reserves.
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Concordia
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C Mount Rushmore, in the Black Hills of South Dakota, was created as a tribute to the American presidency. Four of the United States’ greatest presidents—(left to right) George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln— were carved into the granite cliff between 1927 and 1941. Teams of workers hung from saddles anchored to the mountain to complete Each carved face is about the work, often enduring harsh 60 ft (18 m) high winds or blazing sun. Today, it is a popular tourist attraction.
Dodge City
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Topeka Independence Ottawa Emporia
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Well ington
Liberal
Creston Lamoni
Clarinda
Atchison Manhattan Kansas City Junction City ve s R i r Salina s a
Great Bend Garden City Hutchinson
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Newton M I S Iola El Dorado Fort Scott Chanute Pittsburg Parsons Springfield Arkansas City Carthage
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O z TORNADO ALLEY
Dramatic tornadoes, or “twisters,” regularly tear through the states of Kansas and Missouri along a path known as Tornado Alley. Tornadoes occur when warm and cold air masses meet. As the warm air rises, it cools, and under the right conditions, it can suck in more and more air u ntil a whirling twister develops. The more air that is pulled in, the greater the power of the tornado.
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Indianola
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Council Bluffs
Nebraska City Beatrice
Albert Lea
Mason City Algona Cedar Fort Falls Dodge Webster City Ames
Bellevue
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Sioux City
Denison Harlan Columbus Fremont i ver
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Ogallala
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South Sioux City Norfolk
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New Northfield Ulm Faribault Brookings Mankato Madison Owatonna Worthington Fairmont
Yankton
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Bloomington Burnsville
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Minneapolis
Sioux Falls
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Buffalo herd on a reserve, South Dakota
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Spearfish S G Sturgis B e i v R N l a Rapid n n e c k I H City y e
BUFFALO ON THE PLAINS
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NORTH AMERICA B
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Spokane
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Seattle e
Centralia
S a in t J o e R
i v e W A S H I N G T O N r Pullman Moscow a Yak ma i Kelso Richland Pasco Lewiston Longview Clearwater Walla Vancouver R Kennewick Moun tai ns C ol e r Walla Portland u mbi a R i v R Hermiston Newberg The Dalles Gresham Pendleton McMinnville o La Grande v e r i o Salem Woodburn t e s J C R S al mo nc h e u Albany Lebanon i ver o n h r k e D a y R c e l a Ri ver Corvallis e s i v u Baker n k S d D R m Eugene Salmon River y b C a Bend Mou nta ins Springfield O R E G O N i a Coos Bay c
NORTHERN FORESTS
The coastal areas of Oregon and Washington contain large forests. These produce economically important timber, but a lot of land is also left in its natural state and is popular with hikers. Most people here live in large cities like Seattle, Washington, and in the fertile P inland valleys.
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Roseburg Grants Pass
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Susanville The Native i F Ch co i American name Reno Sparks Yuba G r e a t for Death Valley I Ukiah City Carson City s N E V A D C South Lake Tahoe is Tomesha, Santa Rosa Citrus Heights B a s i n Napa Sacramento which means Fairfield Berkeley Hawthorne e Stockton “land where the San Francisco Oakland r Yosemite Tonopah Modesto Palo Alto National ground is on fire.” O Sunnyvale San Jose Park N Santa Cruz Gilroy I
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CALIFORNIA AGRICULTURE
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California is warm, fertile, and well irrigated, ideal for agriculture. Grapes are an important crop north of San Francisco in the Napa Valley. Farther south, citrus crops such as oranges also flourish. Premium farming land is under threat, however, as the population expands.
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the coastal region from the drier inland states. Fast-growing cities in California, such as San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego, hug the Pacific coast and have attracted many migrants because of good job opportunities. Inland, blazing deserts and towering mountains provide some of the most dramatic landscapes in the country. National parks, such as Yellowstone in northwestern Wyoming and Montana, and Yosemite in central California, protect some of these wilderness areas. Farther east, the foothills of the Rockies give way to vast plains grazed by large herds of cattle.
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Santa Barbara
Pasadena San Bernardino r a d o r l o i v e Riverside o C R Long Beach Santa Palm Springs Huntington Beach Ana Salton Blythe
LOS ANGELES
Sea This sprawling Oceanside Escondido city—the second largest in Encinitas the U.S.—is home to migrants San Diego El Ca jon Brawley El Centro from all over the world as well as Chula other states in the country. Sandwiched Vista between the coast and the mountains, the city MEXICO has major air-pollution problems. This mostly arises from the exhaust fumes from the high number of cars used by commuters on the city’s highways.
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Los Angeles
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Steamboat Fort Collins Springs Greeley Sterling Loveland Fort Morgan Longmont Brighton Boulder Broomfield Denver
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COLORADO
The Rocky Mountains cut through this region. N The stunning terrain and the O L O R A D O light, dry snow that falls here Pikes Peak S Colorado Springs support the skiing industry Gunnison 14,108ft A (4300m) in Colorado. Resorts such Pueblo Canon City as Aspen are popular with S an S g e Americans as well as La Junta d e San Ju an C overseas visitors. R i r i o s s Moun tain
Durango
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The first national park in the world, Yellowstone was established in 1827 in Wyoming and Montana to protect the abundant wildlife and hydrothermal activity. The United States now has more than 350 national parks, which attract millions of visitors every year.
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A R I Z O N A
The driest place in the U.S. is Death Valley, which also holds the highest recorded temperature in North America of 135°F (57°C). Although seemingly inhospitable, its canyons, rock formations, and sudden spring blooms make it popular with tourists.
N E B R A S K A
Torrington
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Lake Mead
DEATH VALLEY
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Wheatland i e
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Mount Elbert 14,432ft (4399m)
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Saint George
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Casper L Rawlins
Green River
Logan
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Cedar City
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Baldy Mountain Fort Peck 6624ft Lake (2019m)
Kalispell R a
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Many people who live in Montana, Wyoming, Utah, and Colorado work in the booming farming and mi ning industries. A lot of the land on these foothills and plains is grazed by cattle on huge ranches, established originally to provide food for the flourishing east coast. Modern cowboys may use horses, trucks, or even helicopters to watch over the cattle.
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EARTHQUAKES
Silicon, an element, is used in many computer products
San Francisco, California suffers from frequent earthquakes owing to its location on the San Andreas fault line. Modern skyscrapers are designed to withstand tremors, but many houses, especially those on typically steep streets, are still at risk.
8
Tourists watching the Old Faithful geyser, Yellowsto ne National Park
SILICON VALLEY
The area between Palo Alto and San Jose has been nicknamed “Silicon Valley” because of the many companies engaged in high-technology research and manufacturing here. It is the center of the world’s computer industry. I
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Astronaut leaving the Space Shuttle by means of a manned manouvering unit (MMU)
ADOBE HOUSES
Traditional homes of the Pueblo peoples of the Southwest were made from adobe bricks of sun-baked earth and straw covered with plaster. Dwellings had a flat roof and smooth walls. Modern adobe-style buildings can still be seen in the Southwest but are often made of concrete and then painted to look like adobe. Here, a woman demonstrates baking bread in an adobe oven.
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Elk City
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Brownfield Lamesa Seminole Sweetwater
Andrews
Carlsbad
Big Spring
Stephenville
Fort Davis
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Eagle Pass
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Kingsville
Norias OIL FIELDS
The oil i ndustry has provided Texas with a lot of its wealth. Oil lies deep underground and is brought up to the surface by huge oil jacks, also known as nodding donkeys.
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Beaumont Baytown Port Arthur
Pasadena
The Grand Canyon is up to 1 mile (1.6 km) deep, 18 miles (29 km) wide, and 217 miles (349 km) long.
Texas City Alvin Galveston El Campo Angleton Lake Jackson Edna Freeport Bay City
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Gulf of
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M e x i c o
Port Lavaca Port O’Connor
Beeville r a
Atlanta
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C ol o r a d o
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Texarkana
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Houston, Texas, is the centre of the United States space program. After a rocket has blasted off from Cape Canaveral in Florida, its journey is controlled by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in Houston. Astronauts are also trained at the center, and new space technology is developed here.
S
Dallas Tyler Arlington
San Marcos Seguin
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Uvalde
Idabel
NASA
Sulphur Springs Plano Garland Lake Tawakoni Marshall
Temple Belton
Austin
San Antonio
Hugo
Greenville
Killeen
New Braunfels Schertz
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Denison Sherman
A S Waco B r a
Lake Buchanan Round Rock Lake Travis
Kerrville
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Emory Peak 7825ft (2385m)
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Durant
Cleburne
Ballinger
San Angelo
Fort Stockton
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Coleman
Pecos
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Fort Worth
Abilene
Colorado City
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Guadalupe Peak Odessa 8750ft (2667m) Monahans
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Lubbock
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Artesia
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Duncan Ardmore Burkburnett
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Warner Eufaula Lake
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Shawnee
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Oklahoma C ity
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SPANISH INFLUENCE
Close to Mexico and Central America, the southwestern states have long been settled by Hispanic people, whose influence can be seen—and heard—throughout the Southwest. Spanish is widely spoken, and the Roman Catholic religion that the Spanish brought is evident in the churches scattered here.
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Padre Island
Harlingen San Benito
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Brownsville
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G
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ALONG THE BORDER
In 1994, Mexico signed the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which effectively bound its economy to that of the U.S. A large industrial area has developed along the Mexican border with the U.S., and many American companies have relocated south of the border to benefit from the lower labor costs.
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F
and then the focus of Spanish conquistadors who came in search of wealth, Mexico today reflects its colorful past through its culture and architecture. The majority of Mexicans is mestizo (mixed race)—of Spanish and native Indian descent. Mexicali U N I T E D S T A T E San Luis Mexico City, the site of the S R Tijuana D e s ie r ancient Aztec capital, is Rosarito t o Ciudad Juárez d R i e A o today one of the largest l G t a r Ensenada r a R i o n d Samalayuca B d Agua Pr eta cities in the world, with i e e r r r a v l Nogales N o a o r o t e M a population of more than S Cananea á a r n Caborca t 16 million. Despite oil and natural Magdalena i Nuevo gas reserves and a plentiful supply Casas Grandes Cumpas El Sueco B of labor, large numbers of Mexicans a Isla Ángel San Pedro El Sáuz j de la Guarda are still poor, especially in rural areas de la Cueva a C and urban slums. R Hermosillo B h í í a e r v i
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LIFE IN THE CITY
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Santa Genoveva 7894ft (2406m)
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The volcano Popocatépetl is the highest peak around the city
Mexico City is the political, economic, and cultural hub of the country and is home to some 16 million people. Its location, in a basin surrounded by mountains, means that expansion is difficult. Air pollution from factories and cars cannot escape, so on most days a thick layer of smog builds up over the city. Attempts to deal with the pollution, including banning cars from some areas, have had limited success.
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DAY OF THE DEAD
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Guerrero Negro
One of the biggest festivals in Mexico is the Day of the Dead. It is believed that once a year the souls of the dead can come back and visit their loved ones. In celebration of this, special food is prepared to welcome the souls, and offerings of flowers, candles, and incense are made at gravesides.
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Puerto Vallarta WORKING ON THE LAND
Mexico City is contained within a ring of mountains
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Agriculture employs 6.5 million people—about one eighth of Mexico’s work force. However, only 12 percent of the land is suitable for farming because it is so mountainous and dry. The peasant communities of the south rely on farming for their food, while communities in the north are more industrialized. Here, the agave plant is being harvested near the town of Tequila.
Manzanillo
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Mexican selling baskets, Puerto Escondido
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CHEWING GUM
Chicle is a latex produced by the sapodilla tree, native to the Yucatán Peninsula. In 1867, American inventor Thomas Adams added sugar to chicle pellets and invented an early form of chewing gum. This worker (right) is stretching heated chicle with a stick, preparing it to be made into chewing gum.
TOURIST INDUSTRY
1
2
One of Mexico’s largest employment sectors is tourism. Tourists are attracted to the numerous beautiful beaches on both the Pacific and Caribbean coasts, as well as Mexico’s rich blend of history and culture. Popular tourist sites include the archaeological A remains of the Aztec and Mayan civilizations, such as the Mayan E ruins of the city of Palenque.
M
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Villa Acuña
FAMILY TIES
C A
Boquillas
Piedras Negras
Mexico has a large population, almost half of which is aged 24 or under. Very often extended families live together in one house, with the mother at the center of the family. Mother’s Day remains one of the most important dates in the Mexican calendar.
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Mexico is the world’s main producer of silver, which is mined in the center of the country.
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6
Isla Cozumel
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Aztec headdress
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Fresnillo Zacatecas Guadalupe
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The Aztecs ruled a large part of this region from about 1428 until 1521, when they were conquered by the Spanish. Their capital, Tenochtitlán, was located on the site that is now Mexico City. The influence of this great civilization has left its mark on Mexico—more than 1 million Mexicans speak Nahuatl, the native Aztec language. This feather headdress is thought to have belonged to Moctezuma, the last Aztec ruler.
Ciudad Miguel Alemán
Sabinas Hidalgo
Monclova
MEDIEVAL RULERS
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Tapachula Ciudad Hidalgo
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NORTH AMERICA B
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Central America
threaten the livelihoods of people in the M E X I C O Hill seven countries of Central America. People Belize City Bank Carmelita z here have also struggled with poverty and e B civil war. In more recent years, however, Santa Elena BELMOPAN San Ignacio peace and economic recovery have offered R Dangriga í o Flores U s u m San Benito hope, and education is now free in all BELIZE c i La Libertad h í y a i s Monkey River countries. Remains of the ancient Mayan M a t a n l B Dolores n e Town u d civilization that flourished until the 1500s, s Roatán M Sayaxché r a l a u San Antonio I s Iriona d San Luis when the Spanish invaded, can be seen Tru jillo o n Punta Gorda H Limón throughout the region. Large numbers f o f Puerto Cortés G l La Ceiba Ch sec i Barillas Tela of the native population died Puerto Barrios San Pedro Tocoa Savá Sula after the invasion, mostly from Jacaltenango GUATEMAL A Morales San Esteban S El Progreso Cha Lago de i disease. Today, Spanish is the jul Cobán Gualaco Huehuetenango r r Neba j Izabal i La Un ón Los Amates Yoro a u a main language of the region. Catacamas M Rabinal Salamá M o t g Gualán Santa Cruz del Quiché d R í o H O N D U R A S Zacapa l i
2
Lake Nicaragua is the only freshwater lake in the world that contains sharks.
Corozal Caledonia Orange Walk San Pedro Indian Church
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San José
Santa Ana Ahuachapán
Ecotourism, which encourages visitors but aims to protect and preserve the environment, is increasingly important in the region. In Belize, tourists can dive in the clear, warm waters off the world’s second-largest barrier reef, and there are wildlife hikes to many forest areas. Animals include jaguars, howler monkeys, and butterflies.
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Somotillo
Condega Jinotega Estelí Matagalpa Sébaco Muy Muy Ciudad Darío
N I C A R
Chinandega
G
León
P A C
Tipitapa Juigalpa
MANAGUA
I F I C
The Spanish colonizers of the 1500s, and the missionaries who came with them, converted the native population and established Roman Catholicism throughout Central America. They also built many beautifully decorated churches. The one shown here, El Merced, is built in a low, squat style to resist the ever-present threat of earthquakes. The majority of people still follow the Roman Catholic faith.
Jinotepe Nandaime
Masaya Granada Isla de Ometepe
Belén Rivas
O
La Cruz
C Golfo de E Papagayo Liberia A
Filadelfia
N
Nicoya
Península de Nicoya
VOLCANIC REGION
Central America is an unstable area because it lies along the meeting point of two of Earth’s tectonic plates. There are at least 14 active volcanoes here, including Volcán de Pacaya (right). Although this makes it a dangerous place to live, the volcanic soil is very fertile and is good for crops.
D
E
F
G
Boaco
Lago de Managua
Corinto
DECORATED CHURCHES
Pyramid has nine sloping terraces
Ocotal Somoto
R
Usulután aCholuteca o n f F
Jalapa
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San Miguel
EL SA LVAD OR
Between 250–900 CE , the Maya designed ceremonial centers filled with temples, courts, and plazas. Without metal, they shaped tools from the solid lava of volcanoes to carve the limestone buildings. One of the largest sites is at Tikal (left), Guatemala, where temple remains lie in a huge area of tropical rainforest.
Steps lead up to the temple at the top
Danlí
l o
San Vicente
TEMPLE PYRAMIDS 6
Comayagua
Chalatenango SAN SALVADOR
Sonsonate
FAUNA AND FLORA
Juticalpa Campamento Bocay Guaimaca
La Esperanza Metapán TEGUCIGALPA
Jutiapa
Escuintla
Siguatepeque
Santa Rosa de Copán
Chiquimula
H
CENTRAL AMERICA I
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FOOD MARKETS
NATIVE PEOPLES
Coffee, bananas, and sugar cane are all key exports from here to the food markets of the world. Most are cultivated on large plantations. However, food for the local po pulation, such as potatoes, avocados, rice, and corn, is grown on small farms and sold at local markets.
These Cuna Indians of Panama wear traditional embroidered clothes. Native Indians and mestizos (people of mixed heritage) form a small minority in the region, although the ethnic mix varies from country to country. In Guatemala, more than half the people are direct descendants of the Maya Indians.
O
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Brus Laguna BANANA INDUSTRY
Laguna de Caratasca
c a t u a P í o R
The hot, wet climate of Honduras is perfect for cultivating fruit, such as bananas. These are often grown on huge plantations, which employ local people who may work long hours for very little pay. Once cut down, the bananas are washed, inspected, and packed into boxes to be sent overseas. Bananas are a major export for Honduras.
Puerto Lempira
R í o
c o
C o
Cayos Miskitos
Waspam
Tuapi Yablis
Bonanza
t s
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Market, selling fresh fruit and vegetables
Puerto Cabezas
As bananas grow, they begin to point upward
a
Siuna
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Prinzapolka
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La Sirena
COFFEE BEANS
Barra de Río Grande
s
M
Costa Rica was the first country in Central America to grow coffee and today produces more than 100,000 tons each year. Coffee is harvested from the fruit of the coffee bush. Once picked, the beans are left to dry in the sun. This worker is raking the beans as they dry.
Laguna de Perlas
A G U A El Rama Bluefields
Punta Gorda
Lago de Nicaragua
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San Carlos R í o
Upala
San Juan del Norte S a
J
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Puerto Bagaces Vie jo COSTA RICA Cañas Quesada Siquirres Heredia Ala juela Limón a
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Laguna de Chiriquí
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Bahía Cortés de Coronado Palmar Sur
Boquete e l c
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C or d i l le r a Ce n t ra l
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Isla de Coiba
K
Ocú
La Palma
N
A
Chitré Las Tablas
Península de Azuero Isla
Cébaco
L
San Miguel ito Chimán PANAMA CITY
Puerto S Obaldía
Gulf of Darien
e d e l r r a D n a r í a i é
PANAMA CANAL
n
Forming a vital link Isla El Real Yaviza between the Atlantic I del Rey Garachiné and Pacific oceans, B the Panama Canal is M A one of the world’s busiest waterways. After Gulf O sharing the canal with the Jaqué L U.S., Panama took full Panama O control in 1999. Over the years, C trade has made Panama City a major financial center.
A
Archipiélago de las Perlas
Aguadulce
P
Aligandí
Lago Bayano
Capira Penonomé
Santiago
l f o G o
iller a d e S an B l a C o rd s
Lago Gatún Balboa
Mos qui to Gulf
Volcán Barú 11,401ft (3475m)
La Concepción
Península de Osa
Caribbean Colón S e a Panama CanalCristóbal
Almirante
n
Buenos Aires
G
Guabito
C o r d i l T l a l a m e r a d e a
Cerro Chirripó Grande Quepos 12,530ft (3819m)
y
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El Porvenir
Portobelo
SAN JOSÉ
Puntarenas
7
Istmo de Panamá
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of
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NORTH AMERICA B
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The Caribbean
F
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
H
Grand Bahama Island Marsh Harbour Freeport
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2
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Great Abaco
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a n ne l d e n c e Ch
i P o Cuba in the west to Trinidad and Tobago in the southeast. European a s t e Berry h t Islands N o r colonists wanted control of the islands in the 1500s, but the diseases Eleuthera Island NASSAU Nicholls a they brought wiped out most of the local Carib and Arawak peoples. d Town i New r Rock Sound African slaves, imported to work on plantations, replaced local Providence E l o Andros Town x u F S peoples, and today most of the population are descended from Cat Island f o Exuma o u n m a s d t i Cays those Africans. English, Spanish, and San Salvador a Andros Island S t r French are spoken in different T r o pic o f C anc e r BAHAMAS Anguilla Cays HAVANA Rum Cay countries, depending on George Town (LA HABANA) Guanabacoa Long Island Great Exuma Island which European power Artem isa Cárdenas s a g e Pinar Matanzas Sagua la Grande Clarence P s Crooked claimed the territory. n l d del Río Archipiélago Town á e Consolación Island l a n t n Santa Clara de Camag üey I s Tourism and agriculture La Fé del Sur d a n e k C Placetas C ienfuegos c a Ragged Island Acklins are major sources Nueva Gerona u B a Morón h Range Island a n h Y Cayo Largo í i Sanct g e of employment. C Isla de a Ciego de Áv ila M a y a a g r v
a
3
r o o
a
la Juventud
e
s r o
a r Ar ch i pié la g o de los Ca n
Spíritus
d e
C
o c
h i
u
C U B A
Nuevitas
Camag üey
n
o s
Little Cayman Grand Cayman CAYMAN ISLANDS
5
r e
6
JAMAICA
7
Rastafarian, whose religion forbids him from cutting his hair
The Rastafarian religion began in Kingston, Jamaica, in the 1930s. Followers worship Haile Selassie, the former emperor of Ethiopia (Ras Tafari), and believe that God will lead black people back to Ethiopia, the Promised Land. Jamaica is also home to reggae music, a rhythmic blend of African, European, and South American styles that can be heard across the island. The lyrics often tell of hardship and political struggle.
C a
a t
i b b
Cuba specializes in making top-quality cigars
m
a i c a
KINGSTON
S
e a n
0 km 50
The most densely populated country in the Caribbean is Barbados.
J a
e
JAMAICA r
0 miles
100 50
Île de la Gonâve Jérémie
(to U.S.)
Spanish Town
CUBA
i n W
NAVASSA ISLAND
Montego Bay
150 100
Cayes
C h
r
a n n
e l
A e a
200 150
200
CARIBBEAN CROPS
The semitropical climate here creates ideal conditions for many crops, especially sugar. The growing and processing of sugar is an important industry in Cuba, Jamaica, and many of the Lesser Antilles, providing jobs and income for the region. Fermented cane sugar is used to make rum and is a major export. Sugar cane Plantain Sweet potato
8
Breadfruit
Papaya
Okra 9
Mango
22
A
B
C
D
E
Ginger F
Chilli
Banana G
s a
P
d a r w d
(to U.S.)
(to U.K.)
Cuba is the largest island and the only communist country in the region. It was supported by the communist superpower, the U.S.S.R., until the U.S.S.R. collapsed in 1991, at which time many Cubans suffered great conomic hardship. The Cuban government invested its money in improving social services. The people benefit from good health care and a high literacy rate. Children who complete pre-college education are awarded the Bachillerato.
Guantánamo
Guantánamo Bay
G
TOWN
e
g
a
s
Palma Soriano Santiago de Cuba
GEORGE
Matthew Town
Bayamo
Manzanillo Cayman Brac
Lake Rosa
Holguín
Las Tunas
Archipiélago de los Jardines de la Reina
4
s
P a s
H
THE CARIBBEAN I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
HURRICANES
The Caribbean islands can be devastated by hurricanes between May and October each year. These powerful and damaging storms occur when a normal storm builds up energy as it moves across the Atlantic Ocean. Eventually, violent winds and torrential rain are released on the islands.
1
2
Tro pic o f Cancer
Mayaguana
g s s a
TURKS & CAICOS ISLANDS
e
P a
s c o
a i
C
FAMILY LIFE
Family is very important here, and is usually the center of everyday life. Some Caribbean people migrated to other countries, such as the U.K., but return when they retire – often bringing considerable money back with them.
(to U.K.)
TROPICAL ISLES
White sand and warm water attract vast numbers of visitors to these islands. Tourism is important to the economies of many countries, including the Bahamas and the Dominican Republic. Many people work in tourism-related jobs, such as at hotels.
COCKBURN TOWN
Little Inagua Great Inagua
CapHaït ien
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
Monte Cristi
Puerto Plata
C o r d i l l La Vega C e n t r e r a
HAITI
a
l
M
PRINCE
t
i
l
Isla Mona
Caguas Ponce Mayagüez PUERTO RICO (to U.S.)
l
s
e
w
TOWN
s
HAITI
Haiti was the first Caribbean country to become independent. However, political unrest, combined with poor soils, have made Haiti one of the poorest countries in the world. Health-care and sanitation levels are poor and, as a result, life expectancy is low.
I
s
T I l
(to Netherlands)
L
ARUBA (to Netherlands)
e
s
s e r
A n t i l l e
ORANJESTAD
PLYMOUTH
MONTSERRAT
s
(to France)
Pointe-à-Pitre
Marie-Galante
BASSE-TERRE
Basse-Terre
r
L O O C I
DOMINICA
M ar t i ni que
e Pa s sa g
K
s
d
FORT-DE-FRANCE
MARTINIQUE (to France)
l
St L uc ia
n
l
e n n
C h a
a l
.
l
e s
S a
i n t
s
CASTRIES
ST. LUCIA
7
I
Vieux Fort
BARBADOS
V i nc e n t P assa ge
Saint Vincent
BRIDGETOWN
d
KINGSTOWN
r
The Grenadines
a
w
s
GRENADA
d
ST. GEORGE'S
n
8
i
W
BONAIRE A TIME TO CELEBRATE
The celebration of Diwali (Hindu), Eid al-Fitr (Muslim), and Christmas (Christian) reflect the varied religions of people in Trinidad and Tobago. The woman above is dressed for Carnival in Port of Spain to mark the beginning of the Christian season of Lent.
VENEZUELA J
6
ROSEAU
n t i
WILLEMSTAD
B M
N
GUADELOUPE
Grande Terre
(to U.K.)
e
5
C E A
s
Antigua
A
(to Netherlands)
I A
O
d
ST JOHN’S
CURAÇAO (to Netherlands)
n
Barbuda BASSETERRE
SAINT VINCENT & THE GRENADINES Haitian man selling flowers
a
C
ANTIGUA & BARBUDA
Sint Maarten
SAINT KITTS & NEVIS
L e
N
a
AMALIE
St. Croix
4
THE VALLEY
CHARLOTTE
s s
a
Isla Saona o n a DOMINGO
Isla Beata
n
a
P
SANTO
PORT-AU-
SAN JUAN
g
La Romana
e
ROAD
(to U.S.) e
e
A T L A
r d BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS VIRGIN ANGUILLA (to U.K.) ISLANDS (to U.K.)
Santiago San Francisco de Macorís
Gonaïves
Jacmel
L
3
L
M
N
Tobago PORT-OF-SPAIN
Gulf of Par ia
O
TRINIDAD & TOBAGO Trinidad
9
San Fernando
P
23
SOUTH AMERICA Although South America is much poorer than its northern neighbor, it is rich in natural resources. Its mineral wealth led to its invasion by the Portuguese and Spanish in the 1500s, and their languages and culture still shape the lives of the people here. The nations below are listed in order of area, headed by Brazil—the world’s fifth-largest country.
Brazil
Venezuela
3,287,612 sq miles 8,514,877 sq km 194,000,000 Brasília Portuguese, German, Italian, Spanish, Polish, Japanese, Amerindian languages
Spanish, Amerindian languages
Bolivia
424,164 sq miles 1,098,581 sq km 9,860,000 La Paz Aymara, Quechua, Spanish
Argentina
1,073,518 sq miles 2,780,400 sq km 40,300,000 Buenos Aires Spanish, Italian, Amerindian languages
Peru
496,225 sq miles 1,285,216 sq km 29,200,000 Lima Spanish, Quechua, Aymara
Latin American culture is world famous, thanks to its infectious music and dance. Here a couple in Buenos Aires, Argentina, demonstrates the art of the tango.
352,144 sq miles 912,050 sq km 28,600,000 Caracas
Chile
291,933 sq miles 756,102 sq km 17,000,000 Santiago Spanish, Amerindian languages
Paraguay
157,048 sq miles 406,752 sq km 6,350,000 Asunción Guaraní, Spanish, German
Ecuador
109,484 sq miles 283,561 sq km 13,600,000 Quito Spanish, Quechua, other Amerindian languages
Guyana
83,000 sq miles 214,969 sq km 762,500 Georgetown English C reole, Hindi, Tamil, Amerindian languages, English
Colombia
439,737 sq miles 1,138,914 sq km 45,700,000 Bogotá Spanish, Wayuu, Páez, and other Amerindian languages
24
Uruguay
68,037 sq miles 176,215 sq km 3,360,000 Montevideo Spanish
Suriname
Soccer is a national passion in Brazil. Most of these barefoot boys on Ipanema beach, Rio de Janeiro, will be dreaming of playing for Brazil in the World Cup.
63,251 sq miles 163,820 sq km 519,700 Paramaribo Sranan (creole), Dutch, Javanese, Sarnami Hindi, Saramaccan (creole), Chinese, Carib
Hidden high up in the Andes, the ruined city of Machu Picchu is a spectacular symbol of the Inca Empire of Peru that was destroyed by Spanish invaders.
25
SOUTH AMERICA B
C
D
F
Brazil
3
4
H
G U
VENEZUELA
G
its fusion of music and dance—reflects the rich mix of its ethnic groups. The country also boasts immense natural resources with well-developed mining and manufacturing industries. Brazil grows all of its own food and exports large quantities of coffee, sugar cane, soybeans, oranges, and cotton. However, the wealth is not evenly distributed, with some people living in luxury, most struggling with poverty. São Paulo is home to almost 10 million people, but poverty and lack of housing means that many live in shantytowns without running water or sanitation. Brazil was colonized in the 1500s by the Portuguese, who established their language and Roman Catholic faith. It remains a deeply Catholic country with a strong emphasis on family life.
I A
M
COFFEE
Brazil produces about one fourth of the world’s coffee, which is grown on large plantations in the states of Paraná and São Paulo. However, because world coffee prices go up and down so much, Brazilians are now growing other crops for export, too.
a
H i
R o
g h
r a i m a
Tefé
á
Manaus
A m
a z o n
u
i r a
Coari
r
R
M
s
r u
o R i
R i o P u
B
m a z o n
e a d
i
a s
n
Humaitá Japiim
Feijó
P
E
R
A
c
r
B e
U
ã A b u n
R i o
R
Porto Velho
R
o
n
d ô
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C h a p
B
G u a
a
p o r
O
L I
V I
é
d a
d
A
o s
Vilhena
Brazilian morpho butterfly with brilliant blue wings, lives in rainforests from Brazil to Venezuela.
7
r
a r
i s
PEOPLE OF BRAZIL
Brazilians come from a variety of different ethnic groups, including descendants of the original native Indians, Portuguese colonizers, African slaves brought over to work in the sugar plantations, and European migrants.
SOCCER FANS
28
Brazilians are passionate about football, which is played everywhere from beaches to shantytowns. There is fervent support for the national team, which has won the World Cup more times than any other country, most recently in 2002. A
B
C
D
E
F
G
o
e c
Brasília replaced Rio de Janeiro as Brazil’s capital in 1960 as part of a program to develop the interior of the country. Situated on land that was once rainforest, the city is laid out in the shape of an airplane. Government buildings are in the “cockpit,” and residential areas are in the “wings.”
8
a n
e
u
u J
P
BRASÍLIA
9
d s
g r o
u J i o
A
l a n
Represa Balbina
R io I çá
r i
A
Caracara í
R i o N e
R io J a p u r á
a v a o J R i
N
Boa Vista n
Pico da Neblina 9888ft (3014m)
Covering more than one third of Brazil, the rainforest is home to a huge variety of animal and plant life. At one time, more than 5 million native Indians also lived here, but now only about 200,000 remain. Over the years, vast areas of forest have been cut down to provide timber for export, make way for farmland, or mine minerals such as gold, silver, and iron. The Kaxinawa Indians (left) still cultivate root vegetables as a food crop.
6
a
L
O C Equator
A
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O
AMAZON RAINFOREST
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2
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ATLANTIC OCEAN B
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Atlantic Ocean T�� �����’� ������-������� �����, the Atlantic
2
3
separates the Americas from Europe and Africa. The Atlantic is the world’s youngest ocean, starting to form about 180 million years ago, as the continental plates began to separate. This movement continues today, as the oceanic plates that meet at the Mid-Atlantic Ridge continue to pull apart. The Atlantic is a major source of fish but, due to overfishing, stocks are now low. Many shipping routes cross the Atlantic, and pollution is an international problem as ships dump chemicals and waste. There are substantial reserves of oil and gas in the Gulf of Mexico, off the coast of west Africa, and in the north Atlantic.
F
G
H
GREENLAND
Fishing for halibut
The largest island in the world, Greenland is a self-governing part of Denmark. Most Greenlanders live on the southwest coast. Mostly Inuit, with some Danish-Norwegian influences, they make their living by seal hunting, fishing, and fur trapping.
NORTH AMERICA
TOURISM
The volcanic islands and black beaches of the eastern Atlantic, especially the Canaries (left), Madeira, and the Azores, are popular with tourists, who are attracted to the scenery and subtropical climate.
BERMUDA (to U.K.) s
r a
e n t i t a a l
H
Gulf of Mex ic o G r e
P
P ue r t o
t e r
A n
R
i c T r e nc h o
a
t i l l
e s
Caribbean Sea 4
The Gulf Stream flows up the east coast of North America and across the Atlantic. It brings warm water and a mild climate to northern Europe, which would otherwise be cooler.
Mid-Atlantic Ridge
Tristan da Cunha island
Panama Basin
Galápagos Islands (to Ecuador)
P e
r
u
Humpback whale breaching
8
A
e
T
A
r i
n
e n
c
h
n
d
P A C I F I C
e
OCEAN Chile
P e r u
Basin
s
- C h i l e
T r e n
c h
C h i
l e
R
i s
e
FALKLANDS
Set in the windy south Atlantic off the coast of Argentina, the Falkland Islands belong to the U.K. but are also claimed by Argentina. Fishing and sheep farming are important. The land is rocky, mountainous, boggy, and almost treeless.
9
32
i l
s
The Atlantic Ocean contains more than half of the world’s total stock of fish. Herring, anchovy, sardine, cod, flounder, and tuna are among the most important fish found here. However, overfishing, especially of cod and tuna, has caused a significant decline in numbers.
7
h
a
ATLANTIC FISHING INDUSTRY
Many whales live in the Atlantic, migrating from summer feeding grounds in the cold polar regions to warmer waters in the Caribbean for the winter. They give birth and mate again before returning north.
C
B
The Mid-Atlantic Ridge is a huge underwater mountain chain that runs the entire length of the Atlantic. It was formed by magma that oozed up from the sea bed, cooled to create solid rock, and gradually built up to form a ridge. Some peaks are so high that they break the surface to form volcanic islands, such as the country of Iceland.
WHALES
SOUTH
-
P e r u
UNDERWATER MOUNTAINS
6
L e s s
Basin
At the center of the ridge is a valley at least 10 miles (16 km) wide
5
A e r
Basin
Guatemala WARM CURRENTS
B
s
e
l l i t n
Colombian
C
D
E
H
I
J
K
GREENLAND
r k m a
(to Denmark)
Labrador Sea
D
l a n d N e w f o u n d
Newfoundland i R Basin
a
d u m s e r e i B R
t n
Sohm Plain
Sargasso S ea
-
A
t l
a
l a l k c o R
c i
d
Canary Islands
(to Spain)
PRAIA
AFRICA
d
Pernambuco
(to Brazil)
AMERICA
i
Guinea Basin
Plain
r e r a c t u
- i o n F Asc e n s
A t
Brazil Basin
e Z o n
ICEBERGS
Icebergs in the Atlantic Ocean are formed when ice sheets and glaciers reach the ocean. Parts break off and start to drift, driven by winds and currents.
A n g o l a Basin (to U.K.)
Zubov Seamount e
g d
i
R
i
s l v a i
d
Plateau Rio Grande Rise
W C a p e
g
Cape Horn
e Z a p i ola Ri d g
Scotia Sea
(to U.K.)
SOUTH GEORGIA e P r a k
g e
a s s a
e
F a
7
Cape of Good Hope
Gough Island o n e (to Tristan da Cunha) r e Z u t c a h F r G o u g
Basin
FALKLAND ISLANDS
n g
Basin
(to St. Helena)
Gulf of San Matías Gulf of San Jorge
O
r a
n
e
TRISTAN DA CUNHA
A r g e n t i n e
5
6
R
Santos
3
ST. HELENA
c
(to Brazil)
The Atlantic covers one fifth of Earth’s surface.
(to St. Helena)
n
Ilha da Trindade
ICELAND
Iceland is situated in the north Atlantic on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. As a result, it has at least 20 active volcanoes and suffers from frequent earthquakes. There are numerous thermal springs with boiling mud lakes and geysers. Water from hot springs (above) is used to provide hot water and heat for a large proportion of Iceland’s population, most of whom live on the coast. The warm Gulf Stream ensures that the country’s ports stay icefree in the winter.
ASCENSION ISLAND
a
t
Vitória Seamount
Gulf of Guinea
l
i
2
4
Sierra Leone Sierra Rise Leone Basin
C e a r á
Fernando de Noronha
S a h e l
CAPE VERDE
M i n
n S e a
Cape Verde Plain
OCEAN P l a
e a
S a h a r a
D ol d r u ms F ra cture Zone
P l e r a r a i n a
n
M a s t l A
Plain
m
Mineral-rich waters in the Blue Lagoon, Iceland, are said to be beneficial to people’s health
d i
i n s n t a o u
(to Portugal)
Verde Basin
s
t e r r a
Madeira
Madeira
l p
M e
E as t A zores F
Cape F r a c t u r e Z o n e
Amaz on Fan
A
e e Z o n r ac t u r
A T L A N T I C
D e
EUROPE
(to Portugal)
M e
i
t l
B a
Azores
i
K a n
Se a
Isles
e
S
c
Bay of Biscay
Great Meteor Tablemount
d
Nares Plain
a
(to Denmark) k n British No rt h B a
g
k s o f
P
FAEROE ISLANDS
e
Gra nd B a n
O
1
Iceland Basin
Char li e- Gi bbs F ra c tu r e Z on e
Newfoundland
N
ICELAND
REYKJAVIK
Reykjanes Basin
M
a i t S t r
e n
Labrador Basin
L
(to U.K.)
D
BOUVET
SOUTH SANDWICH
ISLAND
ISLANDS
(to Norway)
8
(to U.K.)
SOUTHERN OCEAN East Scotia Basin 9
I
J
K
L
M
AFRICA Sudan
967,500 sq miles 2,505,813 sq km 42,300,000 Khartoum Arabic, Dinka, Nuer, Nubian, Beja, Zande, Bari, Fur, Shilluk, Lotuko
Algeria
919,595 sq miles 2,381,741 sq km 34,900,000 Algiers Arabic, Tamazight (Berber: Kabyle, Shawia, Tamashek), French
Congo, Dem Rep of
495,755 sq miles 1,284,000 sq km 11,200,000 N’Djamena French, Sara, Arabic, Maba
Niger
489,191 sq miles 1,267,000 sq km 15,300,000 Niamey
Ethiopia
426,373 sq miles 1,104,300 sq km 82,800,000 Addis Ababa
Namibia
318,261 sq miles 824,292 sq km 2,170,000 Windhoek
Amharic, Tigrinya, Galla, Sidamo, Somali, English, Arabic (Oromu)
Ovambo, Kavango, English, Bergdama, German, Afrikaans
Mauritania
Mozambique
397,955 sq miles 1,030,700 sq km 3,290,000 Nouakchott
308,642 sq miles 799,380 sq km 22,900,000 Maputo
Madagascar
Zimbabwe
226,658 sq miles 587,041 sq km 19,600,000 Antananarivo
150,872 sq miles 390,757 sq km 12,500,000 Harare
Malagasy, French
Shona, isiNdebele, English
Botswana
224,607 sq miles 581,730 sq km 1,950,000 Gaborone
Ivory Coast
124,504 sq miles 322,463 sq km 21,100,000 Yamoussoukro
Hausa, Djerma, Fula, Tuareg, Teda, French
Hassaniyah A rabic, Wolof, French
Makua, Xitsonga, Sena, Lomwe, Portuguese
Setswana, English, Shona, San, Khoikhoi, isiNdebele
Akan, French, Kru, Voltaïque
Angola
Egypt
Zambia
Kenya
Burkina Faso
905,355 sq miles 2,344,858 sq km 66,000,000 Kinshasa
481,354 sq miles 1,246,700 sq km 18,500,000 Luanda
386,662 sq miles 1,001,450 sq km 83,000,000 Cairo
Kiswahili, Tshiluba, Kikongo, Lingala, French
Portuguese, Umbundu, Kimbundu, Kikongo
Arabic, French, English, Berber
Bemba, Tongan, Nyanja, Lozi, Lala-Bisa, Nsenga, English
Kiswahili, English, Kikuyu, Luo, Kalenjin, Kamba
Mossi, Fulani, French, Tuareg, Diyula, Songhai
Congo, Republic of
Mali
Tanzania
Somalia
Cameroon
Gabon
905,355 sq miles 2,344,858 sq km 3,680,000 Brazzaville
478,841 sq miles 1,240,192 sq km 13,000,000 Bamako
Kikongo, Teke, Lingala, French
Bambara, Fula, Senufo, Soninke, French
Kiswahili, Sukuma,Kichagga, Nyamwezi, Hehe, Makonde, Yao, Sandawe, English
Libya
South Africa
Nigeria
679,362 sq miles 1,759,540 sq km 6,420,000 Tripoli Arabic, Tuareg
34
Chad
Covering one fifth of the world’s land area, Africa has a rapidly growing population. Many of its 52 nations—listed below in order of size—are desperately poor. This is partly due to hostile climates, especially in and around the vast Sahara desert, but also because of a history of political turmoil, ethnic tennsion or conflict and, in some countries, war. Despite this, African culture is among the most vibrant on Earth.
470,693 sq miles 1,219,090 sq km 50,100,000 Tshwane English, isiZulu, isiXhosa, Afrikaans, Sepedi, Setswana, Sesotho, Xitsonga, siSwati, Tshivenda, isiNdebele
365,755 sq miles 947,300 sq km 43,700,000 Dodoma
356,669 sq miles 923,768 sq km 155,000,000 Abuja Hausa, En glish, Yoruba, Igbo
290,587 sq miles 752,618 sq km 12,900,000 Lusaka
224,081 sq miles 580,367 sq km 39,800,000 Nairobi
105,869 sq miles 274,200 sq km 15,800,000 Ouagadougou
246,201 sq miles 637,657 sq km 9,130,000 Mogadishu
183,568 sq miles 475,440 sq km 19,500,000 Yaoundé
Somali, Arabic, English, Italian
Bamileke, Fang, Fula, French, English
Fang, French, Punu, Sira, Nzebi, Mpongwe
Central African Republic
Morocco
Guinea
240,535 sq miles 622,984 sq km 4,420,000 Bangui Sango, Banda, Gbaya, French
172,414 sq miles 446,550 sq km 32,000,000 Rabat Arabic, Tamazight (Berber), French, Spanish
103,347 sq miles 267,667 sq km 1,470,000 Libreville
94,926 sq miles 245,857 sq km 10,100,000 Conakry Pulaar, Malinké, Sousou, French
Uganda
93,065 sq miles 241,038 sq km 32,700,000 Kampala
Eritrea
45,406 sq miles 117,600 sq km 5,070,000 Asmara
Luganda, Nkole, Chiga, Lango, Acholi, Teso, Lugbara, English
Tigrinya, English, Tigre, Afar, Arabic, Saho, Bilen, Kunama, Nara, Hedareb
Ghana
Benin
92,098 sq miles 238,533 sq km 23,800,000 Accra
112,622 sq km 43,484 sq miles 8,940,000 Porto-Novo
GuineaBissau
13,948 sq miles 36,125 sq km 1,610,000 Bissau
Twi-Fanti, Ewe, Ga, Adangbe, Gurma, Dagomba (Dagbani)
Fon, Bariba, Yorùbá, Adja, Houeda, Somba, French
Portuguese Creole, Balante, Fula, Malinké, Portuguese
Senegal
Liberia
Lesotho
75,955 sq miles 196,722 sq km 12,500,000 Dakar
43,000 sq miles 111,369 sq km 3,960,000 Monrovia
Wolof, Pulaar, Serer, Diyula, Mandinka, Malinké, Soninke, French
Kpelle, Vai, Bassa, Kru, Grebo, Kissi, Gola, Loma, English
Tunisia
Sierra Leone
63,170 sq miles 163,610 sq km 10,300,000 Tunis Arabic, French
Malawi
27,699 sq miles 71,740 sq km 5,700,000 Freetown Mende, Temne, Krio, English
Togo
45,747 sq miles 118,484 sq km 5,300,000 Lilongwe
21,925 sq miles 56,785 sq km 6,620,000 Lomé
Chewa, Lomwe, Yao, Ngoni, English
Ewe, Kabye, Gurma, French
11,720 sq miles 30,355 sq km 2,070,000 Maseru English, Sesotho, isiZulu
Equatorial Guinea
Rwanda
10,169 sq miles 26,338 sq km 10,000,000 Kigali
Mandinka, Fula, Wolof, Jola, Soninke, English
Djibouti
Cape Verde
23,200 sq km 8,958 sq miles 864,200 Djibouti City
Spanish, Fang, Bubi, French
Somali, Afar, French, Arabic
10,745 sq miles 27,830 sq km 8,300,000 Bujumbura Kirundi, French, Kiswahili
4,361 sq miles 11,295 sq km 1,710,000 Banjul
Kinyarwanda, French, Kiswahili, English
10,831 sq miles 28,051 sq km 676,300 Malabo
Burundi
Gambia
Swaziland
17,364 sq km 6,704 sq miles 1,180,000 Mbabane English, siSwati, isiZulu, Xitsonga
Mauritius
788 sq miles 2,040 sq km 1,290,000 Port Louis French Creole, Hindi, Urdu, Tamil, Chinese, English, French
São Tomé and Príncipe
1,557 sq miles 4,033 sq km 505,600 Praia
372 sq miles 964 sq km 162,800 São Tomé
Portuguese Creole, Portuguese
Portuguese Creole, Portuguese
Comoros
863 sq miles 2,235 sq km 676,000 Moroni Arabic, Comorian, French
35
AFRICA B
C
D
E
F
G
H
Northwest Africa F��� ��������� , plus the disputed area of Western Sahara, make
2
up this part of Africa. Algeria, Libya, and Tunisia have rich supplies of oil and natural gas that boost their economies. Morocco relies on tourism, phosphates used for chemicals and fertilizer, and agriculture. In the fertile valleys of the Atlas Mountains, farmers grow grapes, citrus fruit, dates, and olives. The area also attracts Many tourists visit Tunisia and Morocco each year to enjoy tourists to its colorful the warm climate and sandy beaches. Tourism provides jobs markets, historical sites, for the local people and brings much-needed income. and sandy beaches. The Tizi Ouzou Sahara Desert dominates ALGIERS C the region, especially in GIBRALTAR (ALGER) T I o f G i (to U.K.) b Algeria and Libya. lt N N Chlef Ceuta (to Spain) Blida Tangier A A Oran Mel lla i L E Tetouan (to Spain) Mostaganem Ksar-el-Kebir T C Chefchaouen Arab invasions during Sidi Bel Abbès A O the 600s and 1000s have Ou jda Salé Kénitra D jelfa SUN AND SEA
3
S
t r a i t
ra ar
ARAB INFLUENCE
4
Casablanca Safi Essaouira
Khouribga
Marrakech
Beni-Mellal
A t l
s P a u t
Chott ech Chergui
a n a i t l a s S t A u n M o
a s Er-Rachidia
n r i e h a Laghouat
Ghardaïa
Figuig
a l
Béchar
t d e n
i
c c
Ouarzazate
O E r g El Goléa n d
G r a
Tiznit
5
s
H
MOROCCO Agadir
x a u l a t e
Jerada
Mohammed ia
El-Jadida
Tlemcen
Fès
RABAT
influenced the culture, religion (Islam), architecture, and language of northwest Africa. Today, Arabic is the main language, and MOROCCAN MARKET more than 95 percent In a souk, or market, craftworkers of the people here sell handmade products to are Muslim. tourists. Goods are displayed in booths along the bustling streets.
r a u D
a d H a m a d
Tan-Tan LAÂYOUNE
Bou jdour 6
Smara Bou Craa
El Mahbas
Galtat-Zemmour
Muslims going to worship at the Hassan II mosque in Casablanca, Morocco Ad Dakhla
WESTERN SAHARA
M A U
8
The Berber people were the original inhabitants of northwest Africa. Most now live in the Atlas Mountains or the desert. Although most Berbers converted to Islam when the Arabs arrived, they kept their own language and way of life. In 2001, Algeria recognized Berber (Tamazight) as an official language.
L
Tindouf
G
i
u î d
R I T A N I A
(disputed territory under Moroccan occupation)
E
R
Plateau du Tademaït
Adrar
I g
I-n-Salah Reggane
r g
E
‘
g E r
BERBERS 7
A
C h
e
c
h
S
T ro pi c o f C anc er
a
T a
n
e z
M Lagouira
r o
A Berber woman working the land in the Atlas Mountains
u f t
L
I
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A
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NORTHWEST AFRICA I
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ANCIENT RUINS
Phoenicians, Romans, and Greeks from ancient times have all left their marks on this part of Africa. Today, tourists come to admire the historical sites along the coast. These ruins of Carthage, near Tunis, date from 146 BCE , when Romans laid waste to this city. The Romans went on to control all of the north African coast.
DATE PALMS
Dates are an important crop for Algeria and Tunisia. Date palms are often grown at oases, where water lies close to the surface of the desert. Here, the clusters of dates are shown ripening beneath polyethylene. Leaves from the trees can be used for thatch and the trunk is cut for timber.
1
2
M
d i t e r r a n e a S e a Bizerte n
e
Annaba
The pits from dates can be roasted and ground to make a traditional date coffee.
Carthage
TUNIS
Sétif
Constantine
Biskra
Sousse
Kairouan
Batna
Kasserine
Chott Melghir
Mahdia G o l f
de Gabès
e
Chott el Jerid
Ruins of a Roman bath in Carthage
Sfax
Gafsa
Tozeur
Gabès
Île de Jerba
Médenine
Zuwárah
TUNISIA
El Oued
Touggourt
Nálút
l
Mi§rátah
Gulf of Sirte
a
I
h ç A k
C y r e n a
( K h a l í j S u r t )
Marsá al Burayqah
g O E r
Al Jaghbúb
Jálú G r e a t
Waddán
A
L
Bord j Omar Driss
I
B
SURVIVAL IN THE SAHARA
ica
E
Marádah
T r i p o l i t a n i a
4
Wád í al Í am í m
Surt
e r i
d a n G r
l a l
A l J a b a
(Bangház í )
◊ubruq
r
a
A jdábiyá
t
n
Benghazi
Al Khums YafranGharyán
Darnah
Al Bayçá’ Al Mar j
TRIPOLI (◊ARÁBULUS)
Az Záwiyah
Ouargla
3
Y
S a
G n d
S
e a
A
P
Tiguentourine
T
Sabhá Awbár í Zaw í lah
- A
F e z z a n
Al 'Uwaynát
j j e
a D janet
r g g a
a A h Tahat
a
r I d h á n M u r z u q
Libyan Al Kufrah
f T r o p i c o
S U D A N
Picco Bette 7500ft (2286m)
C
I
G
r C a nc e
7
Tamanrasset
N
a h
D e s e r t
9573ft (2918m)
E
6
y á n
a b a t R l m R a
r
h
5
Y
Birák
T a s s i l i - n
The Sahara Desert covers almost one third of Africa and is an inhospitable place to live, with high daytime temperatures and freezing nights. The Tuareg are nomads and call the desert home. Traditionally, they raise camels for transportation and to provide meat, milk, and hides. Many Tuareg now live in mountain areas or dwell in cities.
R
H
A
D
Tuareg nomads in the Sahara carry salt to trade in markets
0 km 100 0 miles
8
200 100
200
LIBYAN OIL RESOURCES
The discovery of oil and gas in 1959 brought considerable wealth to Libya, and oil and gas currently make up 95 percent of the country’s exports. As a result, Libya’s cities have grown as people have moved from rural areas to find work in the oi l industry. Some of the money from oil is spent on better health care and education for Libyans.
Libyan oil field
I
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37
AFRICA B
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West Africa
0 km 100 0 miles
200
F
300
100
G
H
400
200
300
400
i d î
D����������� ��������� �������� and landscapes influence life in
2
3
u
g west Africa. In the hot, dry north, it is difficult to grow crops. Only oases I ‘Aïn Ben Tili in the Sahara Desert and seasonal rainfall in the Sahel make crop r g Bîr Mogreïn E ' growing possible. To the south, the climate is warm and wet, and k e n crops such as cocoa and coffee are grown on large plantations. h a g g H â l E r This region also has many valuable minerals. Despite these WESTERN T r o pic o f C anc e r h K E e c h rich resources, most countries are poor. Since independence C SAHARA Fdérik Zouérat territory from colonial powers, there has been a lot of political unrest, under(disputed e Touâ j îl Taoudenni Moroccan occupation) â n often sparked by poverty and tribal rivalries in the region. a r u West Africa is also divided by religion, with Islam O Choûm Nouâdhibou dominant in the north and Christianity in the south. â rAœâr S a h Chingueœœi c k A
GAMBIA
In recent years, tourism has become increasingly important to the economy of Gambia. Visitors come to see wildlife along the Gambia River and to visit the Atlantic coast beaches. These safari tourists are admiring a giant termite mound.
4
MAURITANIA
Rosso
Se ne
Richard Toll
PEOPLE OF GHANA
Sokone BANJUL
Family ties and a sense of community are important to the people of Ghana, and ceremonies throughout the year mark the events of childbirth, puberty, marriage, and death. About half of Ghanaians are Ashanti people whose ancestors developed one of the richest and most notable civilizations in Africa.
Mbaké Diourbel
b i a
a f
n
g
Sédhiou Bafatá
GUINEAT BISSAU
Boké
A
A N
Labé
Dinguiraye Pita
Koulikoro
San
Bougouni
T i k i nsso
Mamou
Siguiri
Koutiala
Faranah
SIERRA Bo
CÔTE Katiola D'IVOIRE
(IVORY COAST) Danané
Tubmanburg
YAMOUSSOUKRO
Harbel
Buchanan
Gagnoa
Zwedru
LIBERIA a l l a v a
C
8
Harper
Lac de Kossou
B a
n d
a m
S
a
s s a n
d
r a
Divo
a
Abid jan
Sassandra San-Pédro
DIAMONDS AND GOLD
West Africa has many valuable minerals, including diamonds, uranium, copper, and gold. In Sierra Leone, where diamonds (left) provide crucial income, the mines have been a focus of fighting in the civil war between rebel groups and the government.
9
40
A
B
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o é
Boundiali Korhogo
Beyla
Gbanga
C
K o m
Ferkessédougou
Odienné
Kenema Nzérékoré
MONROVIA
Sikasso
Tengréla
Kissidougou
LEONE
g
a B
Bobo-Dioulasso
Kankan
Tokounou
T
I
Ba n i
é o
Makeni
FREETOWN
a
BAMAKO
G U I N E A
CONAKRY
N
N
Mopti
Baudiagara
Ségou
Gaoual
Kindia
L
Kita
i
r i g e
Kolokani
Toukoto
B
a m
BISSAU
E 7
G
Ténenkou
S
Tambacounda
Kolda
A
C
Boûmdeïd
Kayes
GAMBIA
Ziguinchor
O
Tid jik ja
Kaolack
Bignona
6
l
Thiès
Mbour
Tîchît
A o u k Oualâta â r Tâmchekkeœ Lac Faguibine Kiffa ‘Ayoûn el ‘Atroûs Kaédi Néma Timbedgha Goundam Matam Kobenni Amour j Bassikounou Sélibabi Nioro
SENEGAL
Mékhé DAKAR
é
Aleg
g a
Dagana Louga
y
Araouane
NOUAKCHOTT Idîni Boutilimit Magœa‘ Laì jar Rkîz
Saint Louis
5
E l M r e y
Ou jeft
Ak jou jt
G
H
WEST AFRICA I
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FOOD CROPS
In wetter, southern regions, root vegetables, such as yams and cassavas, are grown for food. Peanuts, which also grow under the ground, are cultivated in the north for export or to cook in traditional stews.
Cassava 1
Yam
Peanuts
2
L I B Y A Tropic of Cancer
e
n k â
h
S â n I
M
a
u
o
â
The Sahara may be spreading south into a region of semi-desert known as the Sahel. People are planting grass to try to halt the erosion that may be a result of droughts, overgrazing, and tree removal.
a
r
d
A
L
Gao
N
Ménaka
Hombori
e
l
Tillabéri
NIAMEY
Dogondoutchi
BURKINA OUAGADOUGOU Koudougou
FASO a t l Bolgatanga o
V
B
a
l m i B
a t l o
e V t i
h
W
N i g e r
Yendi O
Tamale
O
GHANA Bondoukou Wenchi Sunyani
Lake Volta
Oyo
O Abomey
Kumasi Abengourou Nsawam
Sokodé
G
Kpalimé V o l t
a
Ibadan
R
Katsina
Koko
H C
N
PORTO-NOVO
gol a
I
G
E
Jo s R Pl at ea u
Kumo
I
A
Owo
t a
Benin City Enugu
Lagos Cotonou Sapele
u e e n
M Wukari e l s t o n Makurd i G n t a i u o B
Loko ja
N
Yola
b e n h u S o
r
Lafia
Gombi
i s s h i n
ABUJA
N i g e
6
Biu
Bauchi
Jos
Ogbomosho Ede
Maiduguri
o n
G
Kaduna
Minna
Jebba
Hade j i a
Potiskum
Zaria
Kainji Reservoir
5
Lake Chad
Hade jia
Kano
Yelwa
4
Nguru
M
Onitsha
LOMÉ Owerri Warr t o f B e n i n C M i B i g h Uyo ACCRA Aboisso Aba o u i G n Cape Coast e a u o f Calabar h u l f Sekondi G s Port Harcourt o Takoradi f e r
Asamankese
Ngourti
Gouré
Guidimouni
Maradi Gusau
Parakou Ilorin
Zinder
Tessaoua
Sokoto
BENIN
T
E
Nguigmi
Dakoro
o k S Jega
G
D
A
a
G r
Keïta
Birnin Konni
Fada-Ngourma Tenkodogo Bawku Kandi SansannéMango Natitingou i t
I
d e g E r n d
i l ia
o to
Kaya
Wa
é
D
Tahoua Ayorou
Ouahigouya
l
n Massif de l'Aïr T é
r
é
3
Séguédine
Agadez
h
a
Iferouâne
Assamakka
I
Ansongo
Lac Niangay
c
Ténéré du Tafassâsset
Monts Bagzane 6634ft (2022m)
Timbuktu (Tombouctou)
k
L
A
A d r a r d e s I f ô g h a s
Lake Volta in Ghana, formed by a dam, is the largest artificial lake in the world.
A
I
R
E
G
a
Tessalit
g ‘ E r
A z
SPREADING SAHARA
A
M
O
WEST AFRICAN FARMERS
In the dry northern areas, crop farming is restricted to when and where seasonal rain falls. Herders are partly nomadic and they need to follow the rains in search of grazing land for their animals. Further south, where rainfall is higher, farmers grow a wider variety of crops for their families to eat, and for sale.
O
R E
7
Herbs, shells, bones, and sticks are used by traditional healers
t
t h e N i g
MEDICINE AND HEALING
Many people here seek advice from a traditional healer if they got ill. Often the healer is also a religious leader. Treatment may include the use of herbs or magical items to fight off the enemy spirit. Healers may also chant and dance to attract good spirits.
MASKED DANCERS
Masks, such as this one from the Dan tribe of the Ivory Coast, are worn by dancers who take on different characters during tribal ceremonies. Round-eyed masks represent males, while straight-eyed masks are for females. However, the actual dancers are always men. I
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41
AFRICA B
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Southern Africa F��� ��� �������� Namib and
Kalahari deserts in the west to the tropical forests in the north, southern Africa is a region of contrasts. Oil, diamonds, gold, and other precious metals are all mined here. There are huge inland plains that are home to a variety of wildlife and large areas devoted to agriculture. But flooding and droughts, together with civil unrest, have hampered development so that, despite an abundance of natural resources, many countries remain poor.
3
San hunter using a poison-tipped arrow
0 miles
C u a n g o
Uíge Ambriz
Lobito Benguela
E
P
Saurimo
.
(2610m)
m
Z a
Planalto
g o
K
Z A M B I A
Tombua
C u b a n g o
LUSAKA Mazabuka Kafue Monze Kariba Choma Victoria Lake Katima Mulilo Falls Kariba Livingstone t r i p Ca p riv i S Victoria Falls O Hwange k
e
Oshikango
Olifa
Rundu
Etosha Pan
N a n Tsumeb a Tunnels transport Otavi Grootfontein m water between dams i Ot jiwarongo b N A M I B I A Ghanzi Brandberg v a
g o
5
8442ft (2573m)
Wlotzkasbaken
6
The Okavango River does not run out to the ocean like most rivers, but runs inland into the Kalahari Desert.
7
LESOTHO
T ro pic
o f C a p rico r n
s e
Gobabis
r Water is a valuable resource in Dams t southern Africa, and are marked Lesotho makes good use in black of its mountainous land and numerous rivers. The Highlands Water Project Keetmanshoop uses dams and tunnels to transport water A Aus to neighboring South Africa. T Lüderitz
JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA
A N
Gold, first discovered near Johannesburg in 1886, brought a T Oran jemund great deal of wealth to the region. I South Africa currently produces C about 12 percent of the world’s gold.
With a population of more than 7.5 million, Johannesburg is the fourth-largest city in Africa after Cairo, Lagos, and Kinshasa. Many people have moved here from the surrounding countryside in search of work.
Okavango Delta
ZIMBABWE Bulawayo
Maun
Nata Gwanda S
Francistown
h
a s
h e
t e o g r o e r
G b s a
a r
K
TSHWANE / PRETORIA
D e s e r t M o l
Mmabatho
p o
Soweto
Johannesburg
o
Klerksdorp
S O U T H
Karasburg Upington n g r e R i v e
Kimberley
l V a a
Kroonstad Bethlehem
Welkom
LESOTHO
BLOEMFONTEIN MASERU
Prieska
A F R I C A De Aar
O C S E t H e l e
8
Serowe Palapye
Mamuno
o b
Klein Karas O r a
L
GOLD MINING
e
p o p o m i WINDHOEK Mahalapye LPolokwane (Pietersburg) Rehoboth K a l a h a r i Mochudi s h GABORONE i F Modimolle N Jwaneng o Mar A iental s o (Nylstroom) Kanye p Werda u
Karibib
e
Walvis Bay
u
BOTSWANA
D
Swakopmund
f
Mongu
C u i t o
N’Giva
n en C u
Kabwe
a
o
Hu íl a Pl at ea u
Nambala K
Kaoma
C ua n d
Menongue
Luanshya
Zambezi
do Bié
Lubango
Solwezi Mufulira p o m Chingola o b a Kitwe
n g é - Bu n
Kuito
Caála
Mansa
z i
L u
Huambo
GO
b e
Luena
Caconda Cubango
Namibe
C O N
A N G O L A
Uaco Cungo Môco Camacupa 8563ft
Cubal
Lake Mweru
R
Malan je
C ua n za
Gabela Sumbe
.
Lucapa
N’Dalatando
Dondo
4
400
E M
Lóvua Chitato
Camabatela
Caxito LUANDA
One of the few groups of hunter-gatherers left in Africa, the San people roam the Kalahari Desert. Also known as Bush people, many San are now changing to a more settled life, often working on cattle ranches.
200
D
M’Banza Congo
SAN BUSHMEN
400
C o
(to Angola)
2
200
o n g
Cabinda
CABINDA
0 km
H
A n a B N a
Beaufort West
y
Bellville
CAPE TOWN
G r e a
r g
b e n s e a k Umtata D r
Colesberg
Cradock
Queenstown
East London
Mdantsane
t K a r o o
Uitenhage George
Worcester
Cape of Good Hope
Kokstad
Mosselbaai
Port Alfred
Port Elizabeth
Cape Agulhas
9
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