Moral, Social and Cultural Studies

The Land and Physical Geography of North

America
Chapter No.1, Page No. 116

1. How many countries and territorial islands are there in North

America?
Ans. There are ten countries on the continent of North America, and about
13 different nations and territorial islands in the Caribbean Sea.

2. When and why was the Panama Canal created?

Ans. The Panama Canal was constructed and opened in 1914 and allows
ships to pass from the Caribbean Sea on the Atlantic Ocean side of the
continent and to cross the narrow isthmus into the Pacific Ocean.

3. Why do some areas of the Arctic North have darkness half the year
and sunlight for half the year?
Ans. The areas remain in sunlight and in darkness for months because of
the tilt of the earth’s axis toward and away from the sun.

4. What is the Canadian Shield?

Ans. The Canadian shield is a large sheet of rock that stretches all the way
from the St. Lawrence River in Eastern Canada to the Great Lakes in
Southern Canada and northward all the way up to the Arctic Regions.

5. What is the Appalachian Mountain range?

Ans. The Appalachian Mountain range stretches from the Northeast to the
South, where it gives way to a large coastal plain from the Atlantic Ocean.