The Handy Geography Answer Book. Paul A Tucci

subcontinent, but in millions of years, Eastern Africa will break off from Africa and become its own subcontinent.

      What was Pangea?

      About 250 million years ago, during what is called the Paleozoic Period, all of the land on Earth was lumped together into one large continent known as Pangea. Faults and rifts broke the landmasses apart and pushed them away from each other. The continents slowly moved across the Earth to their present positions, and they continue to move today. The Indian subcontinent (composed of India and its neighbors) continues to push into Asia and create the Himalayas. German scientist Alfred Wegener, who described his theory on continental drift, coined the term “Pangea” in 1912. More than ten years later, the word “Pangea” made its way into English scientific literature in 1926.

      A rough drawing illustrating how continental drift caused the continents of Africa and South America to drift apart over millions of years.

      Where was Pangea located?

      It was located near present-day Antarctica and has slowly drifted and split to form the continents as we know them today. The continents and their tectonic plates continue to move and will one day be in a much different arrangement than they are today.

      How are mountains formed?

      The process of orogeny, or mountain building, is related to continental drift. When two tectonic plates collide, they often form mountains. This is because the Earth’s crust shortens and thickens, and the thicker crust gradually rises. Layers of rock far beneath the new mountain are superheated and become lighter, causing the rocks to gradually rise. The Himalayas are the result of the Indo-Australian Plate colliding with the Eurasian Plate. At these collision zones, volcanoes and earthquakes are common.

      How did the Himalayas form?

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

      How much do the Himalayan Mountains grow?

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

      What is the highest point in the world?

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

      Is Mt. Everest growing taller?

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

      What are the highest points on each continent?

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

      What else is interesting about Mt. Elbrus?

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

      What is the highest mountain on Earth?

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

      What were the seven wonders of the ancient world?

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

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

      What are the seven wonders of the modern world?

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

      What are the seven natural wonders of the world?

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

      When did agricultural activity first begin?

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

HUMAN CIVILIZATION

      Where did agriculture begin?

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

      What is the difference between cultivation and domestication?

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

      When was the second agricultural revolution?

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