Geography 5th Grade

Student: _____________________________
Grade: 5th American
 INDEX
Module 1
CONTENTS

UNIT 1 Where Is It Cold? Earth Moves ……………………………………………………. ……. 02-14

UNIT 2 What Are Maps for? How Do I Locate a Place?...................................... 16-22

UNIT 3 Natural Components on Earth…………………………………………………………… 24-33

UNIT 4 Between Valleys, Plains and Mountains……………………………………………. 35-42

UNIT 5 Water on the Planet of Life……………………………………………………………….. 44-50

UNIT 6 Different Climates in the World………………………………………………………… 52-61

UNIT 7 Natural Treasures in the Planet………………………………………………………… 63-74

UNIT 8 Most and Least Populated Countries………………………………………………… 76-83

UNIT 9 The City and the Countryside……………………………………………………………. 85-90

UNIT 10 People Who Are Back and Forth………………………………………………………. 92-97

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UNIT 1
Earth
Where Is It Cold?
Where Is It Hot?

Earth Moves
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Dear Hugo:

Guess where I am? In the middle of the world!

In Quito Ecuador. On the back, you This city would be the warmest on Earth,

can see the landmark in which latitute 0 is however, its mountain relief on The Andes makes

shown, I mean the place from which it have a cool weather.

The Ecuador is traced, where Earth I am going to tell you more details about my

Is surrounded by an imaginary line, like trip to South America when I go back. By the

a belt. By taking a step you are in the way, I am sending you a potograph I took

North and by taking another, you are in the this morning. Check this out !!!!

South. How quick! Don’t you think?

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WHERE IS HOT AND

COLD CLIMATE FOUND?
Let´s get it started
According to Miguel´s postcard, the Equator is traced in the middle of the planet
and it is divided into 2 equal parts. In other words, The North and The South.
Do you know about any other imaginary lines that go across our home planet
Earth?
Imaginary lines are used to locate specific zone’s points and limits. In this lesson
we are going to use these imaginary lines in order to discover how our planet’s
heat is distributed.

Discuss the following questions with your peers:

-What is Earth’s shape?
-Which are the 4 cardinal points?
-Which cardinal point is the postcard’s picture taken from?

IN PEERS: Making use of the following image, fill out the lines with
the imaginary points and circles’ names.
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KNOWLEDGE ENRICHMENT
Imaginary circles are used as a reference in order to locate places
On the Earth’s surface: some of them surround the planet
And they are traced in a parallel way to the Equator, the others pass
through the poles. This way, a net is formed, which allows to locate
a place on the Earth’s surface accurately.

What is Earth?
Our home planet Earth is a rocky, terrestrial planet. It has a solid and
active surface with mountains, valleys, canyons, plains and so much
more. Earth is special because it is an ocean planet. Water covers 70% of
Earth's surface.
Earth is inclined
Our Earth spins around the Sun making an elliptic trajectory, which is
called the Earth’s orbit. The Earth’s axis is slightly inclined concerning its
orbit’s plane.
Let’s take a glance
In the following image some lines are seen, one of them is the Earth’s
orbit plane and the Earth’s axis.
Due to this inclination, the sunlight approaches the tropics in a
perpendicular way as shown in the image below.
 5

This happens either on the Equator’s north or south according to each

season of the year, which is also determined by the Earth’s movement.
Thermic Zones
Why are there different temperatures on Earth? Because of its spherical
shape and inclination. Actually, it is the Equator, where more heat is sent,
but as the sun rays approach the poles, they are projected in an oblique
way, more inclined, and they make those Earth’s places colder.
This way 5 big thermic zones are created: a tropical or warm one, two
mild ones, and two cold or polar ones.
Terrestrial Thermic Zones
The cool zones go from the tropics (Cancer and Capricorn) towards the
polar circles (66° 33’ in both Equator south and north. In fact, they are the
most extensive of our planet. Its climate is mild: rain and temperatures
vary every season of the year.

North Mild Zone

Mild Zone

South mild Zone

The tropical or warm zone is extended from the cancer tropic at 23° 27’
north, up to the Capricorn at 23° 27’ south. It makes a difference because
of its high temperature and its plenty of rain during the whole year or a
huge part of the east.
The coldest or polar zones go from the polar circles (Artic in the south
and Antarctic in the north) up to the poles, where the lowest temperatures
 6

are felt and there are just two seasons of the year: Summer and Winter.
The poles are surrounded by the coldest zones on Earth. In the north
hemisphere they are formed by the Glacial Artic Ocean and islands
covered by ice; and in the south hemisphere they are represented by the
Antarctica, which is a big island that by itself forms a continent.

APPLY KNOWLEDGE:
a) Fill the blanks with the appropriate thermic zone, according
to the picture.

_________________________________

_________________________________

_________________________________
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b) Write the hemisphere and thermic zone to each of the

following continents:

Continent Thermic Zone Hemisphere

America

Europe

Africa

Asia

Oceania

LANGUAGE ENRICHMENT

SPELLING

• The moon, sun and earth have to be capitalized only when

they are used in astrology. We DO NOT capitalize them in
stories, news etc.

• We SHOULD NOT use definite article “The” when writing

earth/Earth

• As we know, proper nouns are capitalized. Then, planets

and stars SHOULD BE capitalized because they are
proper nouns.

a) Use either lower case or capital letters in the following texts:

The ________ (sun) gives Last night the _________

light to (moon)
 8

________ (earth) and the was wonderful and this

________ (moon) provides morning the _________ (sun)

our planet with light during came out. Our planet
the night. ________ (earth) is an
incredible place.

b) Capitalize the first letter of the following planets.

1. ___ercury 5. ___ranus

2. ___enus 6. ___eptune

3. ___ars 7. ___arth

4. ___upiter 8. ___aturn

LANGUAGE IN USE
• We use present simple to talk about things that are true
and happen regularly.

a) Fill the blanks with the present simple of the verbs in

brackets.

1. The Sun __________ (provide) light, heat and energy to

our planet.

2. Earth __________ (go) around the sun.

3. The moon ___________ (come) out at 7:10.

4. Mars __________ (have) a thin atmosphere.

5. Mercury __________ (orbit) the Sun.

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SPEAKING
• What is the most beautiful natural place on earth you
have ever been to?
Describe the place and give reasons and examples.

Plan your speech. Speak from 45 seconds to 60 seconds.

Place____________________ Examples and details:

Reason 1 1.____________________
_______________________ _____

_________________________ _____________________
______ _____

Reason 2 2.____________________
_______________________ _____

_________________________ _____________________
______ _____

Reason 3 3.____________________
______________________ ____

_________________________ _____________________
______ _____
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VOCABULARY: Places on Earth

Match the words with the pictures, then with the

definitions.

1. Peak 6. pon
( ) A smaller part of water than a lake
2. Swamp 7. Hill
3. Bay 8. Cave
( ) A mountain that has a pointed tip
4. Stream 9.Waterfall ( ) All trees that make a forest form
5. Woods 10. Lake ( ) Water falling from height
( ) A part of wet land, usually dangerous
( ) A body of fresh water bigger than a pond
( ) Enclosed water around the coast
( ) Water flowing in a channel, usually with rocks
( ) A natural elevation smaller than a mountain
( ) A hole in a mountain or hill, or underground

LISTENING
Listen to part of a lecture given by a professor in a geography
class.
Choose and circle the correct answer.
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1. What is the main purpose of the lecture?

a. The weather in the North Pole

b. The different kinds of weather on Earth
c. The Earth’s changes of weather in Summer

2. According to the lecture sunny days can…

a) Only be very hot

b) Be cold and windy
c) Never has clouds

3. How are cloudy days formed?

a) Clouds don’t let sun rays go through

b) The sun does not come out
c) When Earth surface is cold.

4. Which of the following sentences is true about rainy days?

a) The wind makes rain

b) They are produced by clouds
c) They are associated with the sun

5. Why does the lecture mention Chicago?

a) Because the weather changes very often

b) Because it’s too cold in the winter
c) Because it is an example of a very windy place
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WRITING
Fill the blanks using the phrases in the word bank.
personally, I think - first of all - according to
because of - in conclusion - such as

_______________, I want to mention that I am against people

who
pollute Earth. They are not conscious of the high damage
they are
doing to our planet. _______________ that we should be
environment-friendly by taking care of natural resources,
_______________ water,
plants and trees, which help us survive. _______________
the Nature Conservancy Association we won’t have enough
resources in 30 years.

_______________, if we continue destroying our world’s

ocean, rivers and forests, some of us and future children will
have very hard time to survive.
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Let’s Learn More

Each planet and the rest of the Solar System bodies follow a specific path. This is
called “orbit” and it has an elliptic shape. If you want to know more about the Solar
System, see your World Geography Atlas. Remember that Earth is the third planet
in the eight existing ones in our Solar System and it makes two main movements:
rotation, on its own axis, and around the Sun, on its own axis
Rotation Movement
Earth goes around its axis from west to east every 24 hours an Earth’s point
passes again in front of the Sun. When the Sun shines half the terrestrial surface,
during the rotation movement, in that part it is daylight, meanwhile in the other it is
night, this way, days and nights succession is originated.

Inclination of the terrestrial axis causes the days and nights to have different
durations at different points on the planet. For example, on the equator day and
night last almost the same as almost all year long; instead, as one progresses
towards the poles, days or nights get longer up to 24 hours depending on the
Season, either Summer or Winter. The translation movement is the one made by
Earth around the Sun, and it takes 365 days and six hours to be completed. In four
years, those six hours left add up to 24 hours, which is equivalent to a full day
added to the month of February. For that reason, that year was called “leap”,
because it is made in 366 days.
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The tilt of the Earth's axis and the translational movement originates the four
seasons of the year: Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter, although in the regions
near the equator, they can’t be distinguished, because temperature hardly changes
during the year. Each season lasts three months. Have you noticed what happens
in each season? How does temperature and vegetation change? Both are called
equinoxes times of the year, this is when the Sun is just in front of the equator, and
it illuminates both, the northern hemisphere and the southern hemisphere; that's
why night and day have the same duration. In the northern hemisphere the equinox
of Spring starts on March 21st. Both are called “solstices” times of the year, where
there is a greater difference between the duration of day and night. It occurs on
June 21st in the tropics of Cancer and on December 22nd in the Capricorn.
During the summer, in the northern hemisphere the solar rays shine
perpendicularly on the Tropic of Cancer; that's why in the south hemisphere it is
winter. This occurs from June 21st to September 22nd, approximately. If in the
northern hemisphere it is Spring, from March 21st to June 20th, and in the southern
hemisphere it is Autumn on these same dates.
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UNIT 2
What Are maps for?
How Do I Locate a Place?
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Buenos Aires, Argentina, December 20th, 2013.

Hi Armando:

What do you think? Yes, I am going to visit you in Monterrey; I am arriving on

December 26th, after Christmas. I have many things to tell you. I visited my uncle
Juan, who is a rancher in the Pampa. I have read that in other countries a Pampa
is called “praire”. How amazing! Once we were on the road and there were no
trees for a long way. I met a man from La Pampa and I was surprised on how he
uses the ropes to knock down cattle and mark it. When I see you back, I will show
you some pictures. It’s too hot In Buenos Aires.

Hey, what clothes do you recommend me to wear?

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DECEMBER IN AUSTRALIA

During December holidays we like to go to the

beach to cool off, because during the day it is

hot. If we can't go to the beach, in Sydney,

we go to parks and gardens. We are already

used to eating seafood, sweet ham, salads, cold meats

and a cold milk dessert that is called “custard”.

We dress in tops and shorts to keep ourselves cool.

DECEMBER IN DANEMARK

Danish children look forward to the New Year holidays

with great excitement, because if they are lucky and it snows, and

they can play with snowballs and make snowmen.

Sometimes it's so cold that the lakes freeze, so

they can walk and skate on them. We also like to

go to the forest to choose the pine that will decorate our house

during the end of the year holidays. There are pines everywhere,

because for every tree that is cut down, others are planted.

We wear jackets, hats and gloves, because in the forest

it is extremely cold. Meanwhile we are having dinner, between 6 and 7 pm, we are decorating our
Christmas tree with candles.

DECEMBER IN VENEZUELA
December holidays are beautiful, since it is warm and it does not rain

so much, streets are crowded, because we go out to play.

During the whole month of December, you can hear the bagpipes

and drums in the country. They start playing at eight o'clock

at night and end at dawn. Neighbors organize the so-called “roller-skating”,

which takes place on the street; in the afternoons, streets and

avenues are closed so we can skate or ride a bike. At home we eat Hallacas,

they are made of corn dough, stuffed with meat, olives, raisins and other

ingredients (delicious!), and wrapped up in a banana leaf.

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Hi Mom:

I'm in Thailand, on the other side of the world

(if you see a globe, Mexico is on the opposite side).
I bought a city map to cross it without problems,
although I don’t understand many symbols.
On my return, I will show you some awesome photos
of the wonders I have visited.

Penelope

What are Maps used for?

Globes and maps allow us to know different characteristics of many places, if we learn to
use its elements. Try to remember what these elements are and discuss them with a
partner. Maps are useful tools for different situations; for example, Penelope used them
for touring Bangkok;
what do you use maps for?
Look up Bangkok city, Thailand in your Atlas of World Geography, on
page 77, and identify on which continent it is located and the
adjoined countries; if you have a world globe, use an Atlas
planisphere and discuss with your peers about
what Penelope says about “Bangkok is of the other
side of the world”, and, with your teacher’s help, locate the
two countries. Comment your answers with your classmates.
 19

LET’S LEARN MORE

Maps are flat representations of the Earth's surface. Through elements, which include
symbology, coordinates, scale and orientation and they indicate certain components of the
geographical space. There are different kinds of maps, according to different needs. They
represent specific aspects; for example, rivers, mountains and political division, among
others.

Complete the following table. Write down the map’s title or maps and the World
Geography Atlas page where you can get information to solve the following
situations.

Carlos will visit the Iguazú National Park, in the border of Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay;
you want to know what type of relief it has, its climate, what region or natural regions and
what rivers provide with those huge waterfalls.

The 5th grade group won a trip to visit Paris, and their teacher told them to find out about
its climate, natural and cultural places, and the economic activities in France.

What type of map did they use in each situation? What are maps useful for? Write a
situation in your notebook in which you have used or would use a map. As we know, there
are different types of maps and each one has a specific use.

Cartographic projections: the flattened Earth

To represent the Earth's curved shape on paper or on another flat surface, geometric
calculations are made with Imaginary circles that surround the planet: parallels and
meridians. Cartographers, who are responsible for developing different type sof maps,
project those circles in lines on a plane.

Activity
In teams, get a globe and look at the maps on pages 189, 190 and 191; identify how the
parallels and meridians are represented. With your teacher’s help, locate each
representation: Mexico, Greenland, Australia, Russia and Alaska; also Antarctica.
Compare shape and size, first among the five territories and then in each of the
projections. With the results of your observations, make a table like the one below in your
 20

notebook; write down the differences you found from a same place and between one map
and another.

Maps have different shapes and represent different portions of land and dimensions,
according to the cartographic projection with which are made, and according to their use.
Mapping is important for all countries in the world, because through its components, the
geographical space can be identified, represented and related. According to the
information to be represented, there are different types of maps, such as the following
examples. Discuss with your classmates which of the projections most distorts the shape
of the continents.

Include information on the location of

places, communication routes and points of
interest historical, recreational, cultural,
among others. It is useful for people visiting
a region or a country.
Represent the road connection of a country
or a region.

Describe current and ancient maps;

contains information about places with
historical importance.

Show the different political identities in

which the territory is divided into.

Arno Peters designed his projection arguing that Europeans used Mercator's to
make Europe appearance bigger compared to the rest of the world. Instead, his
 21

projection shows the actual size of the continents, in benefit of the countries that
are found near the equator and in the southern hemisphere.

In teams, look at the map on page 89 of your Atlas of World Geography and
choose a place outside Mexico that is a cultural or natural heritage place, and
imagine that you are explorers. You are going to visit that place; you need to know
the main routes to get there and the different cities you will pass through. Consult
different maps to learn more about the country you chose and where it is located;
for example, political division, relief, climate, languages or other characteristics.
Select one of the projections (Mercator, Robinson, or Goode) so you can create a
map in which the route from Mexico to the country you selected is traced. Discuss
and write in your notebook in what way the maps you consulted were useful and
present your work to the group.
 22

Gerhard Mercator (1512-1594),

Flemish cartographer who designed
the cylindrical projection that carries on
his name. Some authors consider him the
father of modern cartography, based on his
theories and proposals that have been
developed for new projections.

Map of New Orleans, 1885. More than a map it is a drawing, since

it is not based on a projection, and does not consider the elements of a map.
The most important was to show the natural and economic resources of the
region; for example, the Mississippi River and its boats.
 23

UNIT 3
Natural Components on Earth
 24

Hello Ivan:

Dear grandson, I am sending you a big hug from Paris, the most visited country in
the world. I hope you could come someday. Do you know where it is? Try to locate
it in an atlas and show it to me when I go back.

Best wishes to all the family,

Your grandfather

The postcard on the previous page shows a city. Which one is it?
How is that city located in a map? Discuss it with your partner
 25

Read the following text and do the activities

Hello Eva:
Have you seen the postcard I sent you? It is from the city of Paris, where my
grandfather was born. I have also taken it to a school and the teacher asked us to
find its location for homework. Some of us told her that Paris is in France, but she
wanted us to search for its exact location. I never imagined how much data it is
needed to know the location of a place. I learned that the city of Paris is at the
geographical coordinates 49º north latitude and 3º east longitude. Also, it is 60
meters above sea level. At first, I didn't know what all data meant, but I found it in
the Atlas of World Geography. Now I can locate the places I am interested in
through coordinates.

Best regards,

Ivan
Discuss in group the meaning of the mentioned data and what they are for. What
relationship do the data that Iván investigated have to do with parallels and
meridians?

Let’s Learn more

To locate a place on the planet's surface we have to look at the geographical

coordinates on the map, which are given by latitude and longitude. Latitude is the
distance between the equator and the parallel that passes through any point on
Earth. It is expressed in degrees, from the equator from 0º to 90º in the poles. The
location of a point will either be north or south, depending on its position with
respect to the equator. Look at the planisphere on page 191, so you can locate by
latitude in which hemisphere Italy is, also South Africa and Brazil. According to
your latitude, in which hemispheres are they located?

_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
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Let’s Explore
With your teacher’s help, locate some capital cities, in the planispheres of your
Atlas of World Geography, pages 74 to 79, according to the closest geographical
coordinates, and complete the table. Write down in each of the blank boxes a city
or a place with its respective coordinates. Add some others capital cities.

Capital City Country Latitude Longitude

Panama

Praga

El Cairo

Bakú

Honiara

Altitude
In addition to latitude and longitude, Ivan wrote that Paris is 60 meters above sea
level; this means that the altitude of Paris city is 60 meters above sea level.
Altitude is distance, but vertically measured in meters, from any point on the
Earth's surface, in relation to the sea level. The highest altitudes in Mexico are in
the Transverse Volcanic System, which is formed by numerous volcanoes located
from the Pacific Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico, so they represent the natural
boundary between the north and south of the country (You can see its location in
 27

the Atlas of World Geography, pages 28 and 30). The drawing below shows some
volcanoes with this system.

What is the highest altitude volcano in Mexico?

Look in your World Geography Atlas, on page 29, which the highest mountain in
America is and which the highest in the world is too.
As a group, answer how many meters difference is there between the highest peak
in Mexico, America and the world?

World political division

Look at your location table of capital cities on the previous page. There, you
located some cities from their geographical coordinates, but if you did not know
how to locate them, in what other way would locate them? It is possible to locate
countries and important capital cities if we know the political division.
Politically, human beings have divided the world into five continents: America,
Europe, Asia, Africa and Oceania. there are about 200 countries into these
continents that are characterized by having a territory, certain number of
inhabitants, natural and economic resources, a government system as well as a
certain political organization.
Activity
As a group, draw a wall map with parallels and meridians; then decide its size.
Form five teams, each representing a continent, select two countries, become
reporters and look up information for the next session about some important events
in those countries. Look up the information in magazines, newspapers,
encyclopedias or on the internet. Each team should locate the countries on the
selected wall map and write down their names, the coordinates where they are
located and what their capital is. Share the information with others.
 28

Abraham Ortelius (1527-1598), Flemish, geographer and cartographer who designed

and developed the first modern atlas, originally with 70 maps; which

sample is a planisphere, The Orb (globe) of Earth, drawn in 1570

Let’s apply what we have learned

Have you read the book “Around the world in 80 days” written by the French writer
Jules Verne? The story takes place in the 19th century and tells the adventures of
Phileas Fogg, who travels around the world exploring distant and unknown lands. If
you had 80 days to travel around the world, which countries would you visit? Why?

Jules Verne (1828-1905) who

Wrote “Around the world in 80 days”, also

wrote “Twenty thousand leagues submarine

travel”, “A journey to the center of

Earth”, among many others.

 29

Check the World Geography Atlas for the location of the countries you would like to
visit and on the map above trace the route to reach them. Make a list of the chosen
places in your notebook, with its geographical coordinates. Write a short text
explaining if you crossed hemispheres, if you traveled north, south, east or west
and why you chose these countries. Show it to your peers.

What I have learned

Read the dialogue and answer the questions. Remember that you can review your
lessons. In a city in Nuevo León, Susana was walking back to her home when she
met Fernando, her neighbor. She stopped and looked at him; he was making some
marks on the ground.
S: Hi Fer, what are you doing?
F: I am marking the tree shadow limit.
S: What for?
F: To see how the shadow changes day by day and at the same time. Look at the
marks of the previous 45 days! See how it gradually moves towards the north.

*Susana observed the marks, located the north and said: "Yes, it is true, but I think
that at another time of the year it will move south, right?"

Answer:
1. What movements of the Earth influence on the marks change that Fernando
makes?
2. In which hemisphere is Nuevo León located?
3. In what season of the year does the sunrise and sunset move towards the
South in Mexico?
 30

4. In the opposite hemisphere in which Mexico is located, in what season of

the year does the sunset and sunrise go towards north?
F: That's right, in the northern hemisphere the sunrise and sunset travel towards
the north in the Summer, but it occurs the opposite in the South of the equator. A
friend who lives in South Africa, told me that there they travel south.

S: Ah yes, and where is South Africa? Well I know that it is in Africa, but where,
exactly?
F: Come. In this atlas you can see that it is on the other side of the Atlantic, eight
hours from the southern hemisphere; South of Namibia and Southwest of
Madagascar island. In fact, it is the southern tip of that great continent.
S: Hey, South Africa is on the same latitude as Uruguay, in South America, very
near the Tropic of Capricorn. Do you think Africa is a very big continent?
F: Let's compare its size with the one of Europe.
S: Well, yes, but if we consider Greenland, which belongs to Denmark, then, it's not
that big! Perhaps that single island occupies almost half Africa.
F: Yes, it seems to be in this map, but let's look at data. Greenland has an area of
2,166,086 square kilometers and Africa of 30,272,922 square kilometers.
S: What a big difference!

Write down:
a. The imaginary circles that allowed Susana to see that Uruguay and South
Africa are at almost the same latitude.

____________________________________________________________

b. Other countries that are located at that same latitude.

____________________________________________________________

c. Why Greenland seems to have almost half of the size of Africa.

____________________________________________________________
d. What a political division map is and what a geographic coordinate map is
used for.
 31

My Achievements
The image below represents Earth at one time of the year. Look at it carefully and answer
the following questions; mark with a (✓) the correct answer.

1. According to the time of year represented in the diagram, what is the

season in North Africa?
( ) Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter

Day

Night

2. Observe the Earth's axis and imagine the rotational movement. What
characteristics do days and nights have at this time of the year?
( ) The shortest nights are in northern Europe.
( ) You can see the Sun until midnight in southern Europe.
( ) Days are shorter in northern Europe.
( ) Days and nights are the same in both poles.

3. Observe the drawn parallels and indicate the correct expression.

( ) The tropics separate warm from cold zones.
( ) The Tropic of Capricorn is located at 23º 27’ in the northern hemisphere.
( ) The Tropic of Cancer crosses countries like Egypt and Mexico.
( ) The Antarctic polar circle is located at a latitude of 90º south.
 32

4. What is the distance between the equator and the parallel of any place on the
Earth's surface called?
( ) Altitude
( ) Latitude
( ) Longitude
( ) Hemisphere
5. The parallels and meridians are measured in:
( ) Hours
( ) Meters
( ) Degrees
( ) Kilometers

6. A group of African entrepreneurs want to set up a fish packing plant. Conditions

for doing it are that the country where it gets built should be in Africa and that it has
a coast in the Mediterranean Sea. Which of the following countries do you think
would be an option?
( ) Greece
( ) Nigeria
( ) Saudi Arabia
( ) Morocco

Test

Aspects to evaluate I do it well I do it I need help

with difficulty to do it
I can identify the I can analyze in I can identify in I can locate the
relationship models and diagrams and places like capital
between the shape diagrams, the models the cities based on
of Earth and the movement of relationship of geographic
thermal zones rotation to recognize translational coordinates
(tropical, warm and its consequences. movement and tilt and on the political
cold) in the globe of the terrestrial division of the
and in different axis with the world.
diagrams seasons of the year.
 33

I can analyze in
models and
diagrams the
movement of
Rotation in order to
recognize its
consequences
I can identify the
relationship of
translational
movement and tilt
of the terrestrial
axis with the
seasons of the year
in diagrams and
models.
I can locate places
and capital cities
based on geographic
coordinates and on
the political division
of the world.
I can use maps for
everyday activities;
for example, to
locate places I like.
I can share
conclusions of
activities with my
colleagues.

I intend to improve
on___________________________________________________________
 34

UNIT 4
Between Valleys, Plains and Mountains
 35

Hello Rosa:

I am writing from Italy, in the area where the city of Pompei is. It is astonishing to
see the volcanic materials thrown out by the Vesuvius on August 24th in 79 D. C.,
which buried the ancient Roman city. People were petrified; it's like if I had stopped
time. When I go back, I'll tell you more about it and I will show you some pictures.

Greetings from Italy,

Diana
 36

Between Valleys, Plains

and Mountains

Let’s get it started

Plains, mountains, and volcanoes, like Vesuvius, are part of a place relief. Talk
with a partner about other landforms that you can remember. The place where you
live can be located in a mountain range, a valley, a plateau or a plain. This
depends on the relief’s characteristics. Discuss with your colleagues how the relief
of the place where you live is. Is it a mountainous place or a plain? Are there any
volcanoes that have erupted like the Vesuvius? If so, try to remember their names
and tell how the eruption changed the land.

Activity
See page 26 of the Geography Atlas of the World, in the "Relief" section and
identify the characteristics of mountains, plateaus, plains and depressions. See the
following images and write on the line the type, what relief they belong to.
 37

Let’s learn more

The Ground We Step on
The relief and geographical location of a place influence climate, vegetation and
fauna; that’s why, they originate a certain type of natural region. The relief can be
either continental or oceanic. The first is made up of mountains, plateaus, plains
and depressions. The internal processes that shape it tend to happen inside Earth
due to the tectonic and plates movement, which originates volcanoes and causes
earthquakes or tremors on Earth. There are also external processes, such as
erosion, in other words, they wear away and it caused mainly by water and wind.

The tectonic plates movement causes

fractures in the Earth's crust and magma output.

Source: www.guerreroseguro.gob.mx

A Breakable Crust
Continents and oceans are part of the Earth's surface; its solid part is made up of
tectonic plates, which are enormous rigid blocks of the earth's crust floating on the
material mantle melt; their movements are the main cause of earthquakes or
tremors as well as the mountains and volcanoes formation.

Let’s Explore
See the tectonic plate map, on page 27 of the Atlas of World Geography, and
identify in which Mexico is located. Keep track of the answers for the following
questions in your notebook.
 38

• What ocean sits on the tectonic plate and carries on its name?
• Choose two tectonic plates and identify the continents in which they are.
• What oceans are located on the plates you chose?

Tectonic plate movements

Tectonic plates have three movements:

Convergence. When the tectonic plates are pressed to each other, volcanic zones
and mountain ranges are generated.
For example, the “Pacific Ring of Fire” and the “Cordillera” from the Himalayas.
See the plates on page 27 of your Atlas of World Geography.
Separation. When the tectonic plates move and they separate causing the outflow
of magma (melted rock) on the ocean ground, renovating them. They also give
origin to mountain ranges called “ocean ridges”.
Side sliding. When tectonic plates slide in opposite directions, such as the San
Andrés fault, located between The United States and Mexico. Look at the image on
page 25 in the Atlas of World Geography.

Tectonic Plate Convergent Movement Tectonic Plate

Side Sliding Movement Tectonic Plate Separation Movement
 39

Earthquakes or tremors
The Earth's surface is made up of tectonic plates and when they move, they modify
relief: they create mountains or volcanic material and, sometimes, make
earthquakes or tremors happen. Earthquakes are the vibratory movements
originated by the energy that is released when the tectonic plates collide. The
place where an earthquake happens is called the “focus or hypocenter”; and the
point above the focus, where it has more intensity, is the epicenter. In the Pacific
Belt of Fire, Located in Western America and Eastern Asia, a great seismic activity
is made. Find it in the map on page 28 of the Atlas of World geography. Observe
that our country is located in this seismic zone.

Activity

Carry out the following experiment. 4. Then make the buildings and place
materials them further from the board. Now hit
• A board. again; first slightly and then harder.
• A hammer. • What happened to the buildings in each
• A table of approximately ten centimeters case?
per side. • How did distances influence between
• 30 sugar cubes (you can substitute them the board and the buildings?
for play cubes or small cardboard boxes). • When more buildings fell down: Were
Process they closer or further from the knock?
1. Place the board on the table. Next to 5. Keep track of conclusions in your
the table, about five centimeters, make notebook and illustrate what happened.
some buildings with sugar cubes. The damage caused by an earthquake
2. Tap the board lightly with the hammer depends on the epicenter’s intensity and
and see what happens to the buildings. distance; the intensity of earthquakes is
3. Remake the buildings at the same higher in places that are closer to this one.
distance and hit the board, but this time
stronger.
 40

Volcanoes

Fractures of the Earth's crust, caused by

pressure between the tectonic plates,
originate volcanoes. Volcanoes are
generally shaped like a cone and an
opening at the top where they throw out
lava, rocks, ashes, water vapor and gases
that come out from the interior of Earth at
high temperatures. Volcanoes are also
formed in oceans and on some islands, for
example, in Hawaii and the Archipelago of
the Revillagigedo islands, in the Pacific
Ocean.

As we know, volcanic activity has

destructive effects. However, it also brings
benefits, because soils from volcanoes,
formed by ashes, are fertile and suitable
for agriculture. In certain areas volcanic
areas, you can find thermal water, that is
appropriate to create tourists’ centers
or generate geothermal energy.

Earthquakes and volcanic activity are The Santa Elena volcano, in the western,
natural phenomena that shape relief, but United States, suddenly erupted in 1980
also represent a risk to population, so and killed about 60 people.
we must be prepared to prevent disasters
and mitigate its effects.

Activity

Decal on plastic, mica or transparent paper The Relief Forms Erosion

the map on page 28 of the Atlas of
Geography of the world. Place it on the For thousands of years, the relief forms
tectonic plate map, on page 27 of the have been wearing out due to erosion.
same atlas. Observe seismic and volcanic Erosion is the natural process that, over
regions, as well as: time, wears away or destroys the soils and
the boundaries of tectonic plates. In your rocks of the terrestrial crust, this way
notebook, create an outline that modeling landscape.
incorporates the following aspects.
 41

• What relationship do you find between

the seismic and volcanic zones with
respect to the tectonic plates?
• What happens when two plates are
moved like the one in Nazca and the South
American one?

The main erosion agents are: water and wind; water is the most erosive one. Rain,
hail, snow and wind shape up the continental surface. Water runs on the rocks,
dissolves and breaks them when and drags them when a river is formed; waves
wear away coasts forming bays and cliffs. The wind has blown, mainly in dry and
desert areas; grains of sand that, along thousands of years, wear down the
terrestrial surface or form mounds of sand called “dunes”.

Activity

Relief changes due to internal factors, Look at the following images and write on
such as volcanism and seismicity, and the lines the type of erosion that
external agents, like erosion caused by predominates:
water and wind a river, by waves or by the wind.
 42

*Then write a text in your notebook about

how the relief changes due to erosion
caused by water and wind. Draw it.

Let’s Apply What We Have Learned

In teams, perform the following experiment.
materials
• A plastic cup or a toilet paper tube; if you choose
the tube, glue a plastic with adhesive tape on the base to
seal it.
• Four tablespoons of baking soda.
• A half cup of vinegar.
• A pinch of red vegetable paint.
• Cardboard to make the model of the volcano.
• A hard cardboard or a plate to stick the model of the
volcano.
• Scissors, tape and play dough (optional).

Process

1. Color or cover cardboard with play dough, do it with

a cone and glue its sides to get a volcano model.
2. Cut off a few centimeters from the tip (this hole will be
the crater of your volcano). Calculate this cut vertically to fit
the toilet paper tube or glass.
3. Match the top of the glass or tube to the volcano’s crater.
4. Attach the volcano to the cardboard or to the plate using
play dough or tape
5. In a small plate, mix baking soda with a pinch of paint and
put it in the tube or glass.
6. Gradually, add vinegar and look!

Describe what happened when baking soda and vinegar

were mixed.
Write down what relationship you saw between the result
of your experiment and to what happens when a volcano
erupts. As a group, discuss how a volcanic eruption affects
population.
 43

UNIT 5
Water on the Planet of Life
 44

Hello, dear Sandra:

I am sending you a picture of the Aral Sea because it really attracted me. It is an
old sea that turned into a lake when the continents moved and enclosed water in
the middle of what today is called Asia. Actually, it is divided into two small lakes;
this is awesome because some inhabitants told me that it was one of the four
largest lakes in the world but its volume went down almost 70%, because rivers
have been used for irrigation. This made its salinity triple up, damaging animal and
plant life in the area, which made fishermen change job. What a pity, don't you
think? But fortunately, environmental actions are being taken to recover it.

I hope to see you soon,

your sister Yuriria

 45

Water in the planet

Let’s get it started

Climate, relief and works carried out by human beings, such as dams and river
diversion for road construction or for the irrigation, have changed the amount of
available water for population. In this lesson, you will learn how water is distributed
throughout the planet and its importance for life. According to the image and the
text in the postcard, analyze with a partner why the location of this lake is important
to natural life and for the population in the region.

Activity
Observe satellite images and discuss
with
a partner why the planet is called the
blue Earth and how water is distributed
on earth. Is water the same in oceans,
rivers
and lakes? What are their differences?
As a group, discuss what the main use
of water is. What actions are taken to
avoid wasting it and contaminating it?
Write a paragraph about the
importance water has for life and show
it to your classmates.

Let’s Learn More

As you saw in the previous image, two

thirds of our planet are covered with
water from the oceans; There is also water
in the continent’s interior, rivers, lakes,
lagoons and ground water that fills the
reservoirs or aquifers. On Earth, there are
four great oceans: Pacific, Atlantic, Indian
and Arctic. These contain approximately
97% of the water
 46

on the planet and provide the population

with a great diversity of natural resources;
however, due to its high salt content,
people, animals and most of the land
Only 3% of all water in the world is fresh plants cannot consume it.
water and more than three quarters of this
is inaccessible, because it is formed in ice
and glaciers, located in polar areas. Only Water resources
1% surface fresh water is available to living Inland waters represent about 3% of total
things. water In the planet. They are called “fresh
waters” because they contain almost no
salt, so they are vital to human beings. We
use them to carry out daily and economic
activities, for example, agriculture,
stockbreeding and food processing. Rivers
and streams that flow over the land
surface; they come from the high parts of
the mountains and drain towards the
lower parts. Many rivers, such as the
Amazon, the Bravo and the Mississippi,
drop their water into the ocean; others
come to the low parts without success to
the sea and form lakes. The population
take advantage of the river’s water to
irrigate the cultivated fields, generate
The Nezahualcóyotl dam or Malpaso, in electricity, navigate, fish and for industrial
Chiapas, built on the bed of the Grijalva or domestic purposes.
river. Its water is mainly used to generate
electric power. Unlike lakes, lagoons are bodies of water
that depend on rivers and the sea; for that
reason, they have sweet and salty water,
like lakes and lagoons they are also
suitable for fishing.

Part of rainwater, upon its arrival to

surface is absorbed and filtered until it is
accumulated in deposits within the sub-
soil. Those deposits form aquifers, which
constitute the most important water
supply sources for the population,
especially in arid areas.
 47

Let’s Explore
In pairs, look at the tables showing the longest rivers and the largest lakes in the
world. Write down the continent to which they belong to, the countries they cross
from their origin and the ocean in which they flow into.
You should also note the main cities located close to them. Consult pages 40 to 45
and 84 in the Atlas World Geography.

River Continent Countries Ocean in Cities

which it leads
Amazonas (6
800 km)
Nilo (6 450 km)
Yangzi (6 380
km)
Misisipi-
Missouri-
Jefferson (6 270
km)
Madeira-
Mamoré (5 908
km)
Amarillo o
Huang He (5
464 km
Ob (5 400 km)
Amur (4 410
km)
Congo (4 380
km o 4 670 km)
Lena (4 260 km)

Lake Continent Countries Ocean in Cities

which it leads
Superior (84 131
km2)
Hurón (59 500
km²)
Michigan (58
016 km²)
 48

Victoria (69 482

km²)
Tanganyika (32
893 km²)
Baikal (31 500
km²)
Del Oso (31 153
km²)
Nyasa (29 504
km²)
Maracaibo (13
820 km²)

Although Lake Superior is the largest in Rivers and lakes have allowed large areas
the world, Lake Baikal is the one that has to develop civilizations that have no direct
the most water due to its depth; its base is contact with the ocean; for example, the
1, 637 meters and it contains the first great cities of Antiquity: Babylon,
equivalent of a 20% of fresh water in the Nippur, Ur and Assur grew thanks to Tigris
planet, with the one you could flood the Euphrates rivers in the Mesopotamia
entire main land with a 20 centimeters region. The big cities that are developed
layer. If its tributaries stopped providing on the coasts have had the benefits of the
water, the lake would take more than 400 rivers that flow into the sea. In addition,
years to empty completely. marine resources, including the possibility
of navigating the world have been
benefited too.

Lake of the Clouds, Michigan, USA Mississippi River, USA

 49

Activity
In pairs, look at the Urban Population and Major Cities in the map on page 84 of
your Atlas of World Geography. Count the number of cities that have more than
five million inhabitants, write down in your notebook which of these are not located
near a river, lake or shoreline. Then discuss the coincidence between most
populated cities and bodies.
The low quantity and poor distribution of fresh water causes social and
environmental problems. Some contagious diseases become epidemics because
of the poor-quality water shortage. There are even war conflicts for possession of
this resource.

Activity
Team up and choose a continent. Look at the world water availability map on page
193; write down in your notebook what use stands out in your continent or
continental region.

Let’s apply what we have learned

With less than 1% of water in the whole planet, needs for more than 7,000 million
people have to be covered, counting consumption for agricultural and industrial
activities. To find out how 1% is distributed, get together in pairs, look on page 193,
and read the following news.
 50

THE NEWSPAPER

Diseases caused by lack of potable water

causes death for 5, 000 children a day *

Diseases arising from the lack of potable water causes death for two
million children under the age of five years according to the United
Nations Fund for Children (Unicef), which claims that the lack of this
resource and the absence of infrastructures of clean water, produces
88% of deaths from diarrhea.

The ONU warns that the lack of water will create serious
environmental problems in the next 15 years.

According to the report prepared by 1500 experts, agriculture is the

most worrying issue when it comes to lack of fresh water, because
there has been an increase of loss of arable land, food insecurity and
damage, with the consequent expansion of malnutrition and
diseases.

As a consequence of water shortage, which will be expressed like

desertification, there will be less food production, increased infectious
diseases and destruction of ecosystems, so conflicts will start to arise
social and political differences

*Draw a symbol for each problem and explain what is mentioned in the three notes.
In your map on page 193, locate the regions where basins are struggling with
water shortage, which will have any of the problems mentioned. As a group, draw
or paste on a planisphere, large symbols of the problems you chose and indicate
the countries that face them.

What do you do to take care of water?

 51

UNIT 6
Different Climates in the World
 52

Dear Nallely:
As I promised, I am sending you one more postcard, now from Vancouver,
Canada.
It is a beautiful city surrounded by forests. Its climate is cold and rainy all year long;
however, when we arrived in here, we could feel a pleasant heat. We left our
sweaters, because the weather forecast said that temperature would go up to 28 °
C, something weird for September. Normally, it is cold, windy and the forests are
covered with golden and red leaves in the fall, but it seemed like we were in mid-
Summer. However, we did not mind; after the heat in Merida, it was nice to walk in
light clothes between maple and pine trees.

Tania,
your aunt who loves you
 53

DIFFERENT CLIMATES IN THE WORLD

Let’s get it started

Many times, you have heard on the radio or television news about the intense cold
and the snow fall in Europe or in the United States; extreme droughts in some
African countries; heat waves in Australia, or the typhoons that cause flooding in
Southeast Asia. Many of these meteorological phenomena may be different from
those that occur in the place where you live and this is because in each place there
are certain conditions that cause different climates. As a group, discuss what the
differences are in the climate where you live in relation to climate in Vancouver,
Canada? What conditions prevail where you live in September? Is it rainy and cold
like in Vancouver?
Activity
See images of Typhoon Soulik in China and the snow storms that happened in
various European countries in 2013, and discuss them with your partners. Are
these meteorological phenomena frequent where you live? In a map, locate the
countries that make reference to the images. Look at the map on page 49 of the
Atlas of World Geography and Compare the climate of the countries shown in the
images with the main climates in Mexico (page 16 in the Atlas of Mexico).
Comment your observations with your classmates; you can guide yourself with
these questions: how often does it rain in your place? Is there a constant cold or
you live in a dry climate?
There are devices, such as weather satellites, that facilitate forecasting weather.
They are orbiting Earth, like NASA's Aqua satellite, by using it you can see the
weather from the sky. It records temperature, cloudiness and quantity of
greenhouse gases, even during a cloudy day. The information is used to make
more detailed forecasts and follow up meteorological phenomena, for example,
hurricanes. This information is essential for scientists who study climate and its
changes.
 54

Tifon, Soulik, China 2013

Snowstorm in London, England

 55

Learn More
The state of the weather is the result of the conditions of the atmosphere at a
certain moment: temperature, humidity and the precipitation. However, despite the
atmospheric changes, there are certain environmental regularities that allow
determining the climatic characteristics of each region.
Activity

The following landscapes correspond to three places

that present differences and similarities.
Consider that the three photographs were taken
on August 20th and the weather indicated
is cloudy with a maximum temperature of 31 ºC

Cahuitas National Park, East Costa Rica

Hanos National Park, Chihuahua

Indiana Forest, United States
 56

Stamps Collection: “Let’s conserve animal species” Issued by the Mexican Postal
Service in 1966

Postage stamps "Conservemos las Especies", issued in 1996 by the Mexican Postal Service,
Correos de México.
 57

Elk, Alaska Polar Bears, Cana

Classification of climates Polar climates.

Tropical, warm and cold climates are They are located in high latitudes, after the
humid, because they are combined with polar circles. The average temperature of
characteristics of different types of rain the warmest month is less than 10 º C and
(frequency and times when they occur: all rainfall is less than 300 millimeters per
year long, in Summer or in Winter). In year.
turn, dry climates are characterized by
having a few periods of rain and humidity. Polar Tundra. Close to the polar circles,
Also, see how climates are distributed, with intense and constant cold, no month
consult in your Atlas of Geography of the exceeds 10 ºC. Low rainfall in form of
World, page 49, the map "Climates of the snow, which drops down as you approach
World". the poles.
Perpetual Ice Polar. Intense and constant
cold with temperatures 0ºC or less. Low
rainfall in the form of snow. In this climate
there is no vegetation.
High mountain polar. They are located in
the high mountains, where altitude is
higher than 3,000 meters.
Tropical climates. Warm climates. They are distributed
between 30 and 45º north and south
They are extended in the warm or tropical latitude. They are favorable for people
zones, from 0º to the Tropics of Cancer because of their average temperatures,
 58

and Capricorn. They have high higher than 10 ºC throughout the year.
temperatures and abundant rainfall They present a succession of the four
throughout the year, especially in Summer seasons well differentiated by their
and part of Autumn temperatures and rainfall.
Rainy Warm. It lacks a dry season and its
temperatures do not present abrupt
changes due to the influence of the sea.
Mediterranean. Dry summers and rainy
winters
Cold climates. They are distributed Dry climates. They are distributed
between 50º of latitude between 25 and 50º latitude. Evaporation
and the polar circles, with is greater than precipitation.
rigorous winters; the average temperature Dry desert. Aridity prevails, it seldom rains
of the month and temperatures are variable throughout
colder is below -3 ºC the year. Extreme weather, too cold nights
and the warmest month, and up to50 ºC heat during the day
higher than 10 ºC. Snows Dry steppe. Long, hot summers and short
one or more months a year. winters. There is no much snow.

Activity
Team up and cut out boxes (landscape, location, climate group and climate) on
page 201. Then classify them. To do this, consult your zone scheme and the
Climate Map on page 49 in your Atlas of World Geography. Write down the
continent to which each image belongs to and its approximate latitude.
Sea currents, which are like rivers running Climate also changes from one place to
in the sea with different temperatures another because of relief and altitude;
modify climate; for example, the Gulf that's why in the mountains and on the
Stream is warm and moves from the Gulf plateaus is colder than in the plains and
of Mexico to the British Islands and valleys. It's possible to see snow on top of
Denmark; creating a pleasant warm the high mountains as well as in the
climate in countries that, due to their tropical regions.
latitude, they are supposed to have cold
weather.
 59

Proximity to shorelines or lakes modifies

climate, because these provide greater
humidity. Thus, in dry and desert places,
plants from other climates are found, as in
dry climate region in Coahuila, where four
swamps are located.

In teams, on page 49 in your Atlas of World Geography find information about the
three places mentioned below. Write climates in the table. Compare its latitude,
proximity to lakes or seas and the type of relief each one has. Determine the
climate factor that most influences on each of the places. Discuss differences.

Korean Peninsula Guayanas Andes Mountains

Climate Climate Climate
 60

Let’s Apply What We Have Learned

A trip to Manaus, Brazil, and Toronto, Canada

In teams, analyze the information in the following tables regarding
climate in Manaus and Toronto.

Weather forecast on
Toronto’s Weather Forecast
December 20th,2012
Manaos’ Weather Forecdast
Maximum temperature 27° C Maximum temperature 5 ºC

Maximum temperature 24 ºC Maximum temperature -1 ºC

Sky conditions mostly sunny Sky conditions showers

Chance of rain 30% Chance of rain 70%

Weather forecast on December 20th,2012

Analyze the average annual temperature graph and rainy days per month to
complete the information in the following tables. Using temperature data and
precipitation, look up information about the type of climate for each place. Look at
the map on page 49 in the World Geography Atlas to compare your answers.

Climate in Toronto Climate in Toronto

Annual máximum temperature: Annual máximum temperature:

Annual mínimum temperature: Annual mínimum temperature:

Rainiest month: Rainiest month:

Less rainy month: Less rainy month:

Type of climate: Type of climate:

 61

Answer the following questions.

• What data is it needed to know the weather and climate?

• What are the differences between the information provided by the weather
forecast and climate?
• What time period is it considered to define the weather and climate?
• Are climates in Toronto and Manaus similar? What differences are there between
them?
As a group, compare your answers and write your conclusions. Then, look up
information about the weather characteristics and climate in books, or on the
internet about different places in the continents, and compare them.
 62

UNIT 7
Natural Treasures in the Planet
 63

San José de Costa Rica, November 2010.

Hi Clarita, how are you? I am writing you from this beautiful nation, Costa Rica. I
have read that it is the greenest country in the world. I'm at the Corcovado National
Park, a wonderful and Awesome place. Today we had “gallo pinto” for breakfast
(rice and beans), a traditional dish in the Caribbean and Central America, then we
had a tour along the coast, where we saw macaws, crabs, pelicans, an anteater,
capuchin monkeys and woodpeckers, which are just a few of the animals in this
region. People in Costa Rica cares for its natural resources and are interested in
promoting eco-tourism. Actually, I'm having a great time. On my return, I will I show
you some pictures of other natural regions. By the way, landscapes are beautiful.

Regards,

Alexandra
 64

THE NATURAL TREASURES With the study of this

OF THE PLANET. lesson, you will recognize
the distribution of regions
and natural resources on
Let's get started Earth.

Now you are going to go on a journey through the nature of

our planet. In this lesson you will know the natural regions of the world and some of
the resources, which we take most advantage of.
Locate on page 74 of your World Geography Atlas the country that Alejandra visited;
then locate it on page 62 in the same Atlas. Get together with a partner and answer
which natural regions there are in that country and which ones are similar to those
in Mexico.
As a group, draw on the board the natural resources that we can take advantage of
in these regions.
Exercise
What plants and animals do you see in each
Look at the images and answer the following
one of the images?
questions. • What place do you think has the highest
heat? Which one do you think will be cold?
• Which one do you consider the most
suitable for human beings? Why?
Discuss your answers with your classmates.
 65

An interesting fact: Let's learn more

A quarter of the Natural regions are associated with climatic conditions. Each region
land on the planet groups animal and plant species that are characteristics of a
has dry weather. climate. In the places of tropical and humid climates there are a
In some places greater number of animal and plant species because temperature
there is so little
and humidity conditions remain stable during the year, in contrast to
rain that soils are
dry.
those where cold, warm or dry climates predominate.

Exercise
Read the text about natural regions. After locate and color
them in the annex planisphere, page 194. You can also
see them in your World Geography Atlas, pages 62 to 67,
to identify its distribution. Then do their symbology.
Once you've made your map, draw the natural resources
obtained from each natural region and paste them on the
map, in the place where they correspond. Put the maps
up in the classroom and present your work.

Natural regions

Wood is a resource which

is extracted from the
Tropical regions. Jungle and tropical forest regions are the most
woods.
humid areas in the planet and they are located in the strip of tropical
climates. The largest rivers run there too, like the Amazon and the
Congo rivers.
In this region, trees are dense and high, which prevent light to reach
the ground and let grass grow. There are several mushroom
species. Its vegetation consists of trees, such as the “palo de rosa”,
mahogany and cedar, and climbing plants.
The fauna of these regions consists of animals such as monkeys,
flying squirrels, mandrills, anacondas, insects, jaguars, tapirs,
peccaries, parrots and quetzals which are mainly found in the
jungles of America. These regions have been altered by humans
when introducing tropical plantations, such as banana, coffee and
rubber, among others, and when extracting precious wood, like
mahogany, cedar, and “Palo de Rosa”.
 66

The tropical climate savanna mainly surrounds the areas of the

jungle. The African one is the most known, which has been
subjected to intense looting, in addition to being modified by • Jojoba is a plant that grows in
agriculture, livestock and the growth of human settlements. The desert regions and is used in
alternative medicine.
vegetation of this region varies, although isolated trees and small
forests predominate. Its fauna is made up of giraffes, zebras,
antelopes, elephants, hippos, rhinos and buffalos.

Dry regions. The desert is located in dry climates and, due to its
extreme aridity, it is not entirely suitable for human beings. In this
region there are cacti plants that have spine-shaped leaves to
retain moisture, as well as deep roots to search for groundwater;
you can also find thorny bushes. Regarding the fauna, we can find
animals like snakes, scorpions, rodents, and insects. Steppes
surround deserts; also, dry climate predominates. The shrubby
thicket and natural pastures favor livestock, even in some areas
from central Asia such as Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Its fauna is
made up of camels, wild horses, prairie dogs, marmots, field rats,
partridges and ostriches, among others.
Temperate regions. The Mediterranean vegetation zones of warm
climates are found around the Mediterranean Sea, in some parts in
North and South America, South Africa, and Australia. The
• Barley plantations grow in
vegetation is made up of oak, laurel and cork oak. The fauna in the the temperate regions.
region is made up of bears, beavers, wolves and deer.

The prairie also has a warm climate with rains in summer and has
rivers and fertile soils for agriculture; large population centers have
been established there, which have altered the landscape of the
region. The vegetation is characterized by grasses and weed. In
the grasslands of South America there are native rodents and other
small animals, such as armadillos, weasels, lizards and foxes.
Among birds there are rheas, American partridges, owls and ducks;
cardinals and calandra larks live in trees, among others. In this
region you can also find pumas and pampas deer. There are other
animals like the American badger and the coyote and the antelope
In the Asian grasslands. Warm forest have abundant rain. Its
vegetation consists mainly of oak, pine and oyamel. Among the
fauna: brown bears, the wolves, foxes, deer, songbirds, beavers
and otters.
 67

Cold regions. Coniferous or taiga forests belong to cold climates and constitute
some of the largest forest reserves on the planet. They are located in North
America, Europe and Russia. From the forests of these regions you get cellulose,
which is the raw material for making paper. They are not present in the southern
hemisphere due to the existence of ocean waters, but they are in the northern
hemisphere, in mountain ranges and in wooded areas covered with snow. In
winter life is hard on animals, so birds migrate to warmer places, while other
• The vast areas of forests animals hibernate. The animals of these regions: brown bears, wolves, foxes,
conifers are exploited to get minks, weasels, reindeer, deer and elks.
wood.
Polar regions. The tundra belongs to the polar climates, it is observed beyond
70º latitude and there is practically it is only in the northern hemisphere. It is the
least favorable region for human settlements because the ground remains frozen
for six months and for the remainder of the year only lichens grow, mosses and
herbs. Its fauna is made up of moose, geese, walruses, polar bears and musk
oxen. In this region there are only two seasons, winter, which lasts for almost six
months and in which darkness prevails, and the other, summer, when day
conditions are maintained.
The high mountain region also has a polar climate: as altitude increases,
temperature decreases and permanent snow areas appear. The perpetual ice,
corresponds to polar climates; vegetation is practically non-existent, although it
is made up of lichens, mosses and small bushes; the fauna survives among ice
and the ocean waters.

• The rivers feed on the

falling wáter from the
mountains due to the thaw.
 68

Let's apply what we have learned

Complete the following outline:
Write down the name of the corresponding natural region and illustrate it.

Warm forest, England

Fauna
Vegetation
Capuchin monkey,
flying squirrel, High, dense
mandrill, trees, species
. like rosewood,
anaconda, insects, mahogany,
jaguar, tapir, cedar and
peccary, parrot climbing plants.
and quetzal.
Countries
(select three
Weather per continent)
How has In America:
Tropical, has high
temperatures and man altered In Asia:_____
these In Africa:____
abundant rains all regions?
year round or in When
summer. extracntig
precious woods
such as By introducing
mahogany, banana, coffee and
cedar and rubber plantations,
rosewood. among others.

Look at the following images and do an outline

in your notebook an outline about the warm
forest. Don't forget to include the activities
carried out in this region.
 69

Warm forest deer.

Warm Forest, England

What I have learned

Read the stories of Isabel and Susana; then perform the requested activities.

Susana is a four-year-old girl who lives in

Isabel is a 10-year-old girl living in Guambiana, Kuopio, Finland, Northern Europe. If you look
Colombia; It is Guambiana. On Tuesdays, at west to east at a map of this continent, you
Isabel and her family go to market which is in will locate Norway, Sweden, Finland and
Silvia. They leave “loaded” with vegetables and Russia; further north there is only an ocean of
fruits, and they are warmly dressed in colors. ice. Finland is a cold country; Winters are long,
Florentino, her father, cultivates land. The area it snows from October to April and nights are
where they live is mountainous, it rains a lot long. Kuopio is located in the center of the
and vegetables are a wonder. The Guambiana country in a region of lakes; in Summer,
Indians weave a lot; her mom, sister and Isabel landscape is wonderful: green and blue, with
make ponchos, scarves and “polleras” (thick torrents, fir trees and sandy beaches. Susana
skirts worn by men and women). Warm clothing has a cabin in the forest, among pine trees and
is very important because They are at an snow.
altitude of 2,600 meters above the sea level.
 70

Complete the table with the characteristics of the place where each girl lives. Then
answer the questions.

Relief Climate Vegetation Natural region

Isabel lives in Colombia, near the equator; Why is it so cold in her community?
How are the weather conditions in each place?
In which of the two regions are there less extreme natural conditions?

My achievements
Read the text about Kilimanjaro and look at the images of vegetation of that mountain
in Africa. Then answer the questions on the next page; circle the right answer.
 71

A group of friends is planning a trip to the next year to Mount Kilimanjaro, which lies
on the border between Kenya and Tanzania, in Africa. If you want to help them, you
should start inform yourself about the topic. This news can be a support; also, it
contains images of the vegetation and fauna of the place.

THE NEWSPAPER

Washington (AP) - Monday, November 2th, 2009, 7:17 pm

Kilimanjaro, snow is melting

About 85% of the ice that made up the

mountain's glaciers in 1912 has
disappeared by 2007, researchers
reported in the magazine Proceedings of
the National Academy of Science. More
than a quarter of the ice present in 2000
was no longer in 2007.
Similar changes are occurring in Mount
Kenya and the Ruwenzori Mountains in “The fact that so many glaciers are
Africa, as well as the glaciers in South disappearing suggests that there is a
America and the Himalayas. common cause; the increase in the
temperatures on Earth near the surface
and in the entire troposphere would
explain it, at least partially”.

<http://www.zocalo.com.mx/seccion/arti
culo/lasnieves-from-kilimanjaro-are-
melting>.
 72

1The type of climate that the group of friends will find in those latitudes is:
a. with rains all year round
b. Cold with rain in winter.
c. Tropical with rains in summer.
d. Dry desert.
2 Other explorers who climbed up Mount Kilimanjaro took photos from bottom to top;
the order of the photos would be:
a. 3, 2, 1
b. 1, 3, 2
c. 2, 1, 3
d. 1, 2, 3
3 Based on the previous photos of Kilimanjaro, you would say that the most
influences the type and distribution of vegetation is:
a. Length.
b. Climate.
c. Latitude.
d. Altitude.
4 When tectonic plates collide, they produce:
a. earthquakes, volcanic areas and mountain ranges.
b. Rock cracking due to changes in temperature.
c. New ocean ground formations.
d. Mountains in the mid-ocean ridges.
5 Many of the most populous cities in the world are similar to:
a. Low latitudes, close to the equator.
b. Great plains.
c. The distribution of rivers, lakes and coasts.
d. The areas of mining resources.
 73

6 The climates that follow a latitudinal distribution are modified by:

a. The humidity of the air.
b. The amount of heat or cold accumulated over 10 years.
c. The amount of rain that falls in different months of the year.
d. The winds, the relief and the distance between the bodies of water.

Self Test

It is time to evaluate what you have learned in this block. Read each sentence and
mark with a (✓) the level you have reached.

Aspects to evaluate I do it well with difficulty I need help

to do it
I establish relationships
between natural
elements: climate, relief
and vegetation, by using
maps.
I identify the distribution
of water on Earth in
different types of
diagrams and maps.
I recognize the diversity
of climates from the
variation of its elements
and I can record it in a
table.

I describe the
distribution of landforms
using maps and other
models.
 74

Write a situation in which you apply what you learned, did or searched in this unit.

Aspects to evaluate I do well it do I do it with difficulty I need help

to do it
I reflect on the importance
of the seismic and volcanic
phenomena that affect us.

I value the importance of

water and its availability for
life on Earth.

I recognize the importance of

natural resources for
human activities.
 75

Unit 8
Most and Least Populated Countries
 76

My dear Joana,
I am sending you this postcard from the city of Tokyo. You are
probably impressed by the number of people, as it happened to me
when walking through its streets. Here it would be impossible for
you to be able to go out with your bicycle and walk the paths and
gardens as you usually do in your hometown.
Although the bustle of big cities like Tokyo is interesting, I already
miss the calm of our peaceful city of Perth, Australia. I send a kiss
and a hug to you and your mother.
See you soon,

The one who always loves you,

your grandmother Mago
 77
• With the study of this
lesson, you will describe
MOST AND LEAST POPULATED COUNTRIES how you are distributed in
the world population.

Let's get started

As you read on the postcard, the population is distributed unevenly in the world.
Look at the image of the postcard that Joana received and identify the following
photographs. What differences did you find between the two places?

• Calcutta, • Migrant children in

India Culiacán, Sinaloa,
Mexico.
• Architecture of the city of
Djenné, in the inner delta of
the Niger River, Mali.

Motorcycles are the most used

mean of transportation in Siem
Reap, Camboya

Activity
Using the maps in the World Geography Atlas, pages 74, 77, 78 and 79, locate the
countries mentioned in the captions of the photos. Look at the distribution of its
population on page 80 of the atlas and discuss it with your classmates.
What do you consider to be the causes that influence the distribution of the
population in the countries you have located?

Let's learn more

In the last century, technological development transformed the way of life of the
world's population. Interest in agricultural activities decreased as the importance of
 78

the industrial and service sectors increased. This transformation was reflected,
among other things, in the growth of population, which increased five times in one
hundred years and its distribution varied.

The distribution of the population in the world

Just as you have observed, there are differences in the climate, vegetation and
fauna of the natural regions of the continents, there are also differences in the way
the population is distributed, because in some continents, there are more
overpopulated countries than the ones with a little population.
In 2011, the absolute or total population of the world was estimated at 7 billion
inhabitants, who are unevenly distributed and their growth does not follow the same
rhythm in the various continental regions.

Make teams. Analyze the graph, draw your conclusions, and answer the questions.
• If the extent of the Asian continent represents one third of the total extent of the
continents. What should the percentage of its population be in equilibrium?

• Can it be said that America is a sparsely populated continent? Why?

• What is the most overpopulated continent? Why?

Distribution of the 70

population (percentages) 60

50

Absolute population 40

Extension 30

20
África Asia América Europe Oceanía
10

0
The uneven distribution of population between the continents also occurs between
countries; for example, Australia has just 21 million inhabitants, in a country of seven
and a half million square kilometers; In contrast, Indonesia, with less than two million
 79

square kilometers, holds a population of 244 million people. According to the data
registered by the UN Population Fund, in 2010 China was the most populated
country in the world, with 1,344 million inhabitants; followed by India, with 1, 221
million inhabitants, which means that if the population of both countries (which are
only two in almost 200 countries) would have a third part of the world total.

Subway station in rush

hours in Hong Kong,
China.

Subway station in rush

hours in Vancouver,
Canada.
 80

Activity
Look at the graph of the most populated countries in the world.
Based on the information in the graph, locate the most populated countries in the
world on the map and color them in the same colors as those in the graph.
When you have finished, give your map a name and compare it with that of your
partners to verify that they have located and colored the same countries.

Get together with a partner and answer the following questions in your
notebooks.
•In which continent are the two most populated countries in the world located?
•In America, which are the most populated countries?
•What place does Mexico occupy among the most populated countries in the
world?
Match the information in the graph with the map and indicate if the most
populated countries are the largest.
•What factors influence whether or not the population lives in certain regions?
 81

The natural elements, the climate, the relief and the distribution of natural resources
influence the distribution of the population in the world. The regions of warm climates
usually concentrate a greater number of inhabitants; In contrast, regions with a
predominance of dry, polar or steep-relief climates have a lower concentration of
population.
Concentration and dispersion of the population in a territory
With the previous activity you have identified which countries have the most
population. However, to know if a continent, country, province or region is
overpopulated or not, you need to know its population density or relative population;
This is determined by calculating how many inhabitants there are per square
kilometer in a territory.
To do this, you have to divide the number of inhabitants into the area or surface area
of its territory, either an entity, a country, a region or a continent.
Thus, it turns out that Asia has 118 inhabitants per square kilometer (inhab / km²);
Europe, 33 inhabitants / km², and Africa, 28 inhabitants / km².

The distribution of the population on the planet is uneven, because there are
overcrowded places and others are almost uninhabited.
 82

Concentration problems of population

Some densely populated cities have difficulties in providing all its inhabitants the
services they require: transportation, drainage, electricity and drinking water. This
is due, among other reasons, to the fact that they have grown up very quickly
because they constantly receive people arriving from other populations looking for
better job opportunities; for example, Cancun, in Mexico; Calcutta, in India, and
São Paulo, in Brazil

• Pollution cloud, Santiago From Chile.

Photograph taken from the hill of Santa Lucia.

São Paulo is the most populated city in Brazil; also, suffers from serious pollution problems.

Let's apply
what we have
learned
In pairs, look at
the table and
identify the
population
density that
corresponds to
each country
per square
kilometer. In
the boxes,
represent the
 83

population density by country putting one point for each inhabitant.

Now, with the help of your teacher, form a discussion group to discuss whether or
not they agree with the following statements.
•• If the United States has a similar area to that of Canada, the density of population
of both must be similar.
•• Mexico is an overpopulated country since it has 61 inhabitants / km².
•• Although Canada is similar in size to China, its population density is small
compared to that of that country.
•• Spain and Turkey have a very similar relationship between their population and
their extension, therefore they have almost the same population density.
•• Australia and Canada are countries with a low population density mainly due to
climate and territorial extension.
 84

UNIT 9
The City and the Countryside
 85

Dear uncles:
I am sending you this postcard from the city of São Paulo,
Brazil, where you once lived. I was impressed by the large
number of people who can live in a few square meters, on
floors and in closely-packed buildings; despite this I have also
seen several green areas.
Now I understand why you chose to live in Colima, a small city
with less people and which is also close to the sea.
A hug,
Katia

City and countryside

We know
You already know how the population is distributed on the continents. Now you can
know how spaces with characteristics are formed different from the concentration or
dispersion of the population. Is the place where you live a city, a town, a
neighborhood, a village or another? In your notebook, draw the landscape that is
described in the passage above, or write a similar story in which you describe the
place where you live. Note if you think the story talks about an urban or a rural space
and on the text, underline the phrases that will help you decide why.
 86

Read the following passage from the story “Not the wheel alone”, by Roberto Savino
Asprino.
The evening was falling beautifully, lighting up gold, the most austere corners of the
house. Aunt Carlota had come to the balcony and her Almond skin seemed to absorb
the light. Little by little the streets emptied and at times there was an immense
silence, that soon would be overthrown by the drone of mosquitoes legions.
I carefully peered out onto the balcony. My mother walked fast, holding her purse,
and from the seventh floor there was still far and small, even though it was less than
two blocks from the gray stone entrance of the building. Three minutes after getting
lost under a roof of acacias her voice sounded in the hallway. I hadn't seen mom
since yesterday early morning.
Now her tired look, her smell of air conditioning lockdown, her smile she had only for
a few seconds, I had the feeling that I had not seen her for many years. I looked at
her and remembered my words when I asked her to give me permission to stay, that
I liked being there, that I loved the warm milk served in the thick, green glasses,
vanilla cookies and chocolate, going down to the patio to the yard to play soccer with
Pedro and Marcelo, who lived on the fifth floor. I told her everything reluctantly
kicking the ground, using all the tricks that the children do to their parents when it
comes to getting to convince them. Although that was not a lie, it wasn't the truth
either.

In your notebook, draw the landscape that is described in the excerpt above, or write
a similar story in which you describe the place where you live. Note if you think the
story talks about an urban or rural space and on the text, underline the phrases that
will help you decide why.

Let’s learn more

Within the national territory, the population is distributed unevenly or
heterogeneously; the same occurs on a continental scale and world. There are
overcrowded cities, such as Tokyo and the City of Mexico, and places where there
are almost no people, for example, the Sahara, North Africa, or the Siberia region,
in Russia.
Urban and Rural
In its origins, the majority of towns tried to settle down in regions conducive to
agriculture, such as rivers near the coasts, where fertile soils predominate. Over the
time and thanks to agricultural overproduction, other economic activities were
developed, such as trade and industry, which gradually led the population to
concentrate in smaller areas.
 87

Greater population is concentrated in cities or towns; in them, most services are

provided, such as hospitals, schools, jobs or entertainment centers. Although each
country considers specific characteristics to define a city, all take into account the
number of inhabitants. In Mexico, a town that concentrates more than 2,500 people
can be considered an urban locality; the same happens in States United, but in
countries like Spain or Greece, the minimum number of people must be 10,000. On
the other hand, there are countries, like Denmark, in which it is classified as any
urban location one that has at least 250 persons.
For their part, rural spaces areas concentrate less population, since activities like
agriculture or livestock, which are developed in the field, require more surface area,
so the use of the natural elements is direct.

The city of
Baghdad, in Iraq,
founded on the
banks of the
Tigris River,
became the
independent
capital of that
country in 1921.
Currently, it has
a population of
more than six
million
inhabitants and
is an important
cultural center of
the Arab
community of all
that region.
 88

THE NEWSPAPER
May 28th, 2013
Only 100 years ago, for every individual who lived in a city or town, there were seven
people living in the countryside. Today, more than half of the world lives in urban
areas and every day 180 thousand people leave their villages to look for a better life
in the city. Although the shift to urban life brings educational, economic and social
benefits, poverty is growing faster in these areas. Likewise, migration impacts rural
communities beyond merely economic factors, since it exerts pressure on natural
resources with environmental limitations on water and fertile land. Furthermore, the
demand for food increases and divergent perceptions challenge the relationship
between rural and urban areas
* <http://fria.syngenta.com.mx/rural-urbanosuperando- the-gap.aspx>.

Now compare the information in the report with the map in the annex on page 195

Get together with a partner, discuss and write in your notebook: countries with the
largest rural population. You can consult the political division maps in your Atlas of
World Geography. As a group, discuss what the most urbanized continent is. Why
is the world becoming more and more urban?
 89

Differences and relationships between the countryside and the city

The number of inhabitants is not the only thing that distinguishes a rural space from
an urban one; The activities carried out by people, the quantity and quality of
services, the distribution of buildings and the way of life also influence this difference.
Activity
Organize the group into two teams for a discussion. The first team will defend the
idea that cities are more important than the countryside and the second, the opposite
idea. Remember that this is not about attacking the ideas of the other team, but
about defending your position with well-founded arguments. To review dynamics and
organization of the debate, consult your Spanish book in block III.

Read the following notes so you can defend your position.

The cities.
Points of
development
Mexico, 2011 page 12
Cities play an important role, not only as providers of employment, housing and
services, but also as centers of cultural, educational and technological development,
as gateways to the rest of the world, industrial centers for the processing of
agricultural products and manufacturing, places where income is generated. There
is a close positive link between levels of human development and levels of
urbanization in a country.
Rural communities.
Origin of resources
As long as cities exist, they will need rural resources, including the people of these
spaces and the communities that help satisfy the needs of cities. Clean Air, water,
food, fibers, wood and minerals have their origin in rural zones. Cities cannot stand
on their own, but the rural zones, Can! Cities depend on rural resources.
Then, among the whole group, identify and write down the products that are
consumed daily and whose basic materials come from the field. Also, the services
and products that are created or finished in cities, such as computers, telephones,
cars, clothing, and so on. Write both lists on the board. Discuss how the countryside
and the city complement each other.
 90

Cities and rural areas are very different, even between countries; for example, a city
in Europe and a city in Asia or Africa does not have the same characteristics. Some
of the characteristics that explain the contrasts between these spaces are the
political, social and economic environment; health conditions of the population,
services and public transport; the consumption of goods, schooling and education,
housing; the sociocultural environment and the circumstances of the natural
environment. The better they are in these aspects, the better living conditions the
inhabitants will have. In teams, choose a continent. Check the map “Population
urban and main cities”, on page 84 of your Atlas of Geography of the World, and
make a list of the major cities of the continent you selected (those that exceed one
million population). In front of each city, write down the country to which it belongs
and highlight those countries that have more than one city with high population
density. In the news, look for images and reports of the cities of one of the most
urbanized countries of its continent. You can also look in magazines, newspapers
and encyclopedias, or consult the UN official website, in the population division (http:
// www. unep.org) or in the magazine The State of World Population, which the
United Nations Population Fund (fpnu) has published. As a group, compare the
pictures and report from your cities regarding the living conditions of the population
and the care of environment. Decide which of the cities you found presents the
greatest contrasts and in what aspects. It is to be hoped that the conditions of the
field workers will also be very different between under-developed and developed-
countries. Look at the following images and highlight the main differences; then write
down in which country in the world you would locate the images below. Finally,
discuss how these inequalities influence the mobility of the world population.

Technology helps in the field A large number of men work in the field
In developed-countries in under-developed countries
 91

Unit 10
People Who Are Back and Forth
 92

Chicago, Illinois, USA

Hello Uncle Alejandro!

This city is a very modern city and there are many people; in fact, it is
the third most populated city in the United States; here almost a third of
the inhabitants are “Latinos”. I have been working in an Italian food
restaurant for a long time.
Say hello to the family.
Sincerely,
Pepe
 93

PEOPLE WHO ARE BACK AND FORTH

Just like Pepe, a large number of Latin Americans decide to move to the United
States to work. Do you know someone who has migrated? Why did he do it? Discuss
it with your partners.

In the first lesson of this unit you studied how the population is distributed in the
countries. An influencing factor is migration, that is, the displacement that people
make when they are going to live somewhere else, either for some time or
permanently.

Activity
Make teams. Look at the previous image, look for a news about some of the
situations represented in it. Write it down and read it to the rest of the group. Then
answer the following:
Were there similar events in the news that other teams found? Which ones?
For what reason do you consider that people emigrate from one country to another?
In Mexico, where do people emigrate? Why?
 94

Let's learn more

The temporary or permanent displacement of people, either from one country to
another, from one city to another or from one town to another is called migration.
The population leaves their place of origin for economic, family, social or political
reasons.

We are neither from here nor from there

At present, migration is mainly due to the need of achieving a better quality of life
and greater well-being.
Migration involves two processes:

Emigration is the action of leaving the place of origin.

When a person leaves his/her place of origin he/she is called an emigrant.
Immigration is the action of reaching the destination.
When a person arrives at the destination is called an immigrant.
External migration is the movement of people between different countries.

Many Mexicans work in the field in the US Refugees crossing the border in Somalia

Some field workers travel to the city for a better job Central American Immigrants
 95

The lost generation *

In Eastern Europe there is a growing “lost generation” of girls and boys vulnerable
to crime and exploitation, abandoned by their parents, as they had to emigrate
abroad in search of employment. Groups that work for children pointed out that the
greatest number of teenagers in these conditions is found in the poorest countries
of Eastern Europe: Ukraine, Bulgaria, Moldova and Romania. “Governments can
help by improving the labor market situation and creating new opportunities. But first
of all, a system must be implemented that make migrant parents to be legal
guardians for their children before leaving”, they added.
* <http://www.ipsnoticias.net/2009/07/infanciaeuropa-la-generacion-perdida/>.

In pairs, underline with a color the main causes of the emigration and with different
color, underline the consequences that occur in the countries where they leave as in
those to which they arrive in.

Countries sending and receiving migrants

The countries can be classified, according to their migratory status, in expelling and
receiving. The main expelling regions of the world are Southeast Asia, Africa,
Eastern Europe and Latin America. The regions receiving migrants are Western
Europe, mainly France, the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain and Germany, and in the
American continent, the United States.
Of the migratory streams that arrive in Europe, the most numerous come from North
Africa and Turkey. Actually, the United States attracts population from practically all
over the world, but the main migratory flows come from Latin America and Asia. It is
estimated that this country has received about 20 million immigrants between 1960
and 2000; of these, the main migratory flow comes from Mexico (more than eight
million), followed by the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Haiti, El Salvador, Colombia,
Peru, Guyana, Ecuador and Guatemala. Most of these movements are illegal and
grow year after year. Asian emigrant flows
are mainly originated by China and India
and, lately, from other countries such as the
Philippines, Vietnam and South Korea.
• in 2010, in several cities in the United States, there were
demonstrations in favor of immigration reform and for the
rejection of the so-called “Arizona Law”, which
criminalizes undocumented immigrants.
 96

Other countries receive smaller flows, such as Brazil and Argentina, which attract
migrants from Paraguay, Peru and Bolivia. Similarly, Japan, Australia, Hong Kong,
Singapore, the Republic of Korea and Taiwan receive workers from Thailand,
Malaysia, Sri Lanka, India and China. The Republic of South Africa. In fact, is a host
country for the inhabitants of Mozambique and Lesotho, because it is closer to them
and their living conditions are the best in the region. The most developed nations of
the Persian Gulf (Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates) receive
migratory flows from less developed countries, such as Egypt, India, Pakistan,
Jordan, Yemen and Turkey, as well as from South and Southeast Asia. In this case,
a significant element of migration is of a cultural nature, as these people are
characterized by practicing the Islamic religion and, in some cases, having a
common language.

Let's apply what we have learned

In teams, analyze the map in the annex, page 196; it indicates the countries receiving
migrants. Then complete the following table.

Countries that Countries that have

have between 5 20% or more
and 19% immigrants
immigrants

In pairs, make a map of migration flows. First, on a map, locate the United States
and color it orange; then color the countries expelling emigrants to the United States
green. Identify them in the text on the previous page. Draw arrows from the sending
countries to the recipient. Assign a title to your map and answer in your notebook
from which continent the most migrants leave to the
United States.
•There is a large concentration of Chinese
population and businesses in the United States.
 97

Look at the graph in which the main countries appear expellers of migrants and
carries out the following activities.
Identify the main country expelling migrants and respond what the situation is in
Mexico, is it receiver or expeller?
Locate on the planisphere on page 196 the countries that appear on the graph.
• As a group, identify with a color the main sending country of migrants and the
continent where there is a greater number of sending countries. Then, discuss how
migration is in the distribution of the world population.