1. Explain the location of North America.

North America lies in the Northern Hemisphere. It is the third largest country in the world. A big portion of the continent lies in the Arctic. It is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean in the east, Gulf of Mexico in the South, the Pacific Ocean in the west and the Arctic Ocean in the North. To the North is separated from the eastern most tip of Siberia by the Bering Strait. The Arctic circle runs through the North of the continent. The tropic of cancer cuts the narrow part in the South. The continent is centrally located and has good trade links with Europe and Asia.

2. Which are the five great lakes of North America?

Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake Erie and Lake Ontario are great lakes of fresh water in this plain. Among there five lakes, Lake Superior in the largest fresh water lake in the world by surface area and third largest by volume. The lake is fed by over two hunched rivers. The world famous Niagra falls are located between Lake Eric and Lake Ontario.

3. Mention the physical features of North America.

North America has striking difference in physical features. It may be divided into three major physical divisions. They are the western mountainous region known as the western cordilleras, the Eastern high lands and the Great central plains. The Western part of the continent is a vast mountainous region. The mountain stretch from north to south along the whole length of the continent. Most of the rivers of North America rise in the Western Cordilleras. The Western Cordilleras consist of several parallel ranges. The rocky mountain range in the most prominent among them. The Eastern High lands include the Appalachian mountain. These mountains are for older than the Western Cordilleras. The Great Central Plains lie between the Western Cordilleras and Eastern Highlands. The Central and the Southern part of this plain is occupied by the vast and flat river basin of the Mississippi.

4. Briefly describe the climate of North America.

North America is a large continent. It extends from the tropical zone in the South to the polar region in the North. The high Rockies and the eastern highlands extend in North- South direction. So the central plain is open to the influence of both cold winds from the North and warm winds from the South. The Mediterranean type of climate is found on the west coast. In the extreme North, the climate is very cold. In summer west coast is kept cold by the sea, but the centre of the continent gets warm. Rainfall is abundant in many parts. Forests and wild life depend upon the climate. North America exhibits all types of climatic condition.

5. Name the areas of heavy rainfall.

Rainfall is abundant in many parts of North America. The relief, direction of winds and ocean currents influence rainfall. The West Coast of Canada, eastern part of Mexico. Central America, eastern part of the United States and eastern Canada are the areas of heavy rainfall.

6. Why winters are very cold in North America?

In the extreme North, the climate is very cold and winters are very cold because cold northern winds blow unhindered far down South. In northern and central parts winter temperatures are many degrees below freezing point, and the ground remains frozen for a greater part of the year.

7. What are Prairies? 

The grass lands are known by various names. In North America the grasslands are called the prairies. They lie between the foot hills of the Rockies and the Great lakes. They are quiet extensive. Prairie is a continuous mast of grassland in the interior of North America. Maize and corn in grown widely in the prairies. 

8. What is Tundra?

Tundra is a cold vast, flat, treeless plain located in the Arctic Circle. Worn smooth by huge ice sheets in the past ages, the region is an open landscape of shallow lakes, barren out crops, and hillocks. Vegetation is sparse as the sub soil remains frozen all year with permafrost, and wildlife is largely restricted to small, hardly species.

9. Name some animals and trees found in North America.

Polar bear, caribou, musk, ox, reindeer, beaver, mink are some of the common animals. Spruce, pine, fir, oak, birch maple, softwood trees like pine, fir, cedar, palms and Mahogany are some of the important trees found in different parts of North America.

10. Write a short note about the population of North America.

North America is about half the population of India. The total population is about 1400 million and its density is about 15 persons per square kilometer. Large areas of the Western part of the continent have a density of population less than two persons per square kilometer. In the central lowlands population is fairly moderate, because there are no big cities. The western cordilleras have very sparse population. The eastern coastal lands are thickly populated because many big cities are situated here. In Mexico, the thickly populated part in the central region around Mexico City. In Canada and the United States, the population is uneven. In this part, the population is predominantly white. The distribution of population in North America is uneven.