ANTARCTICA
This is the Earth’s most southerly
continent, overlying the South Pole.
Antarctica is the coldest, driest and
windiest continent. Indeed, it is the coldest
place on Earth.
There is reputedly only one permanent
resident, Father Georgy, the priest of
Trinity Church, but there are a number of
permanent research stations on the
Continent.
Only cold-adapted plants and animals
survive there, including penguins, seals,
mosses, lichen and many types of algae.
About 98% of Antarctica is covered by the
Antarctic Ice Sheet. Antarctica has 90% of
the world’s ice.
The highest peak is Vinson Massif at 4892
metres (16050 feet) and the only active
volcano is Mount Erebus.
Antarctica has no government of its own
and belongs to no country.
THE ARCTIC
The arctic is the region around the Earth’s
North Pole. It includes the Arctic Ocean
and parts of Canada, Greenland, Russia,
the United States (Alaska), Iceland,
Norway, Sweden and Finland.
The Arctic Ocean consists of a vast icecovered ocean. The surrounding land is
treeless permafrost.
The Arctic has very cold winters and cool
summers. In warmer parts, many shrubs
can grow but in the coldest parts much of
the ground is bare.
Animals include arctic hare, lemming,
musk ox and caribou. They are preyed
upon by the arctic fox and wolf. The arctic
also includes many different birds and
marine animals which include seals, walrus
and whales. There are also polar bears
which hunt marine life from the ice floes.
THE ATLANTIC OCEAN
This is the second largest of the world’s
oceans. It covers approximately one-fifth of
the Earth’s surface.
The Atlantic Ocean has irregular coasts,
indented by numerous bays, gulfs and seas
and also has many islands. Icebergs are
common in the Davis Strait, the Denmark
Strait and the north-western Atlantic Ocean
from February to August.
The Bermuda Triangle is popularly believed
to be the site of numerous aviation and
shipping mysteries because of reports of
apparently unexplained and mysterious
losses of planes and vessels.
Endangered Atlantic species include the
manatee, seals, sea-lions, turtles and
whales.
AUSTRALIA
Australia is a country in the Southern
hemisphere comprising the mainland of the
world’s smallest continent as well as the
major island of Tasmania and numerous
other islands in the Indian and Pacific
Oceans.
The Commonwealth of Australia is a
constitutional democracy and Queen
Elizabeth II is Queen of Australia. The
country is made up of six states and two
major mainland territories.
The Great Barrier Reef, the world’s largest
coral reef, lies a short distance off the northeast coast and extends for 1,240 miles.
Australia is the flattest Continent but Mount
Kosciuzko in the Great Dividing Range is
the highest mountain on the Australian
mainland. By far the largest part of Australia
is desert or semi-arid lands commonly
known as the Outback.
Sport is very popular, including cricket, field
hockey, netball, rugby, swimming and
tennis.
The largest cities are Sydney and
Melbourne.
Among the well known Australia fauna are
platypus, wombats, kangaroos, koala and
crocodiles with birds such as emu and
kookaburra.
THE BERING STRAIT
This is an area of sea between Russia and
Alaska which is approximately 53 miles
wide.
It is named after Vitus Bering, a Danish
born, Russian explorer who crossed the
strait in 1728.
Suggestions have been made for the
construction of a Bering Strait Bridge
between Alaska and Siberia.
BOTANY BAY
Botany Bay is a bay in Sydney, New South
Wales, Australia.
Botany Bay was the site of James Cook’s
first landing on HMS Endeavour on the
continent of Australia.
Later the British chose Botany Bay as the
site for a penal colony. These plans led to
the first European habitation of Australia at
Sydney Cove. The Hull built ship
Alexander was part of the First Fleet to
bring convicts to Australia.
Sydney Airport, Australia’s largest airport,
is located on the western shore of Botany
Bay
The world’s largest population of Weedy
Sea Dragon is found on the southern side
of Botany Bay.
CANADA
Canada is a country occupying much of
North America. It is the world's second
largest country by size.
It is a parliamentary democracy and a
constitutional monarchy with Queen
Elizabeth II as its head of state. Canada
has a population of about 32 million and
has both English and French as official
languages.
Much of Canada has very harsh winters. In
some areas snow can cover the ground for
almost six months of the year. Coastal
Bbritish Columbia is an exception and
enjoys a temperate climate with a mild and
rainy winter.
Canada is one of the world’s richest
countries.
THE GREAT LAKES
The Great Lakes are a chain of freshwater
lakes located in eastern North America on
the Canada – United States border.
Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan,
Huron, Erie and Ontario, they form the
largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth.
Approximately 35,000 islands are dispersed
throughout the Great Lakes.
The Great Lakes contain roughly 22% of
the world’s fresh water. They were formed
at the end of the last Ice Age, about 10,000
years ago.
The Great Lakes are prone to sudden and
severe storms and hundreds of ships have
met their end on them.
GREENLAND
Greenland is a member country of the
Kingdom of Denmark and is located
between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans. It
has a population of approximately 56,000
people. By area it is the world’s largest
island that is not classed as a continent in
its own right.
About 81% of Greenland is covered by the
Greenland Ice Sheet. All towns and
settlements are situated along the ice-free
western coast. The economy is very
dependent on fishing.
GRYTVIKEN
Grytviken is the largest of the old whaling
stations and is located in Cumberland Bay
on the Island of South Georgia.
Cumberland Bay is the best harbour on the
island. It is very sheltered and has a good
supply of fresh water. Grytviken was
established as a whaling station in 1904.
The explorer Ernest Shackleton reached
South Georgia after a long voyage in an
open boat from Elephant Island where the
rest of his crew were stranded after his
ship the Endurance was broken up by ice.
It was from South Georgia that Shackleton
organised a rescue operation to bring
home his men from Elephant Island.
Shackleton returned to South Georgia in
1922 and he died of a heart attack in
Cumberland Bay. His grave is located just
south of Grytviken.
During the Falklands War Grytviken was
captured by Argentinean forces in early
April 1982. The Royal Marines retook the
settlement three weeks later.
Grytviken has been declared as area of
Special Tourist Interest. It is a popular stop
for cruise ships visiting Antarctica and
tourists usually land there to visit
Shackleton’s grave.
HUDSON STRAIT
The Hudson Strait links the Atlantic
Ocean to Hudson Bay in Canada. It lies
between Baffin Island and the northern
coast of Quebec.
Discovered by explorer Henry Hudson in
1610 aboard the British ship, Discovery, it
was long thought to be the fabled
Northwest Passage.
ICELAND
Iceland is an island country located in the
North Atlantic Ocean between mainland
Europe and Greenland. It has a
population of just over 300,000 and the
capital city is Reykjavik.
It is the eighteenth largest island in the
world but the second largest in Europe
after Britain. The Central Highlands are the
coldest part of the country. Wild animals
found in the country include the arctic fox,
mink, mice, rats rabbits and reindeer.
Many seabirds are found including puffins,
skuas, guillemots and kittiwakes and some
provide food and feathers for pillows etc.
The fishing industry is a major contributor
to Iceland’s economy and thermal energy
from volcanic activity under the ground
provides much of the country’s heating and
is a valuable source of power. Iceland has
volcanoes as well as glaciers and is often
described as the land of ice and fire.
The country’s official language is Icelandic
but English is widely spoken. The main
traditional sport in Iceland is Glima, a form
of wrestling.
LAKE TITICACA
Lake Titicaca is a lake located on the
border between Peru and Bolivia. It is high
in the Andes mountain range and its shores
are 3812 metres (12,500 feet) above sea
level which makes it the highest
commercially navigable waterway in the
world. It is also the largest lake in South
America in terms of the volume of water it
contains.
Lake Titicaca is also notable for the people
who live in an unusual place. People live
on the Uros, a group of around 42 islands
which are made of floating reeds.
NEVIS
Nevis is a small and delightful volcanic
island, and is sister island to St Kitts. It is
located in the Caribbean Sea. It is
uncrowded and largely unspoiled, with just
a few mid and light brown sand beaches;
one long main beach, some secluded,
others with lively sports and beach bars.
Nevis is a generally unhurried island with a
gracious old West Indian air. It has
excellent golf, biking and hiking and many
historic houses and churches. The island
is immensely fertile with a wonderful
variety of plants.
The population of Nevis is just over
11,000.
Animals include the mongoose but the
largest animal in the wild is the velvet
monkey. Four species of turtle come to
nest on Nevis.
NEW YORK
New York is the most populated city in the
United States. It is located at the mouth of
the Hudson River, situated half way
between Washington DC and Boston.
The summers in New York are hot and
humid but the winters are quite cold.
Manhattan’s Central Park is the most
visited city park in the United States.
Tourism is very important to New York
City. Major attractions include the Empire
State Building, Ellis Island, Broadway
theatre productions, Central park, Times
Square, Fifth and Madison Avenues – for
shopping – and the Statue of Liberty.
New York City has teams in the four major
North American professional sports
leagues. These are baseball, basketball,
ice hockey and American football.
It is one of the richest cities in the world.
NEW ZEALAND
New Zealand is an island country in the
south-western Pacific Ocean. The North
Island and South Island are the main areas
of land but there are numerous small
islands. In area, it is a little larger than the
United Kingdom and has a population of
approximately 4.3 million people.
New Zealand is a monarchy and Queen
Elizabeth II is the head of state and the
country is a parliamentary democracy.
New Zealand contains some extraordinary
plant and animal life which includes the kiwi
and gecko. The highest mountain is Mount
Cook at 3,754 metres in height.
The country is quite rich and it mainly
exports agricultural goods. Sport is a very
important part of New Zealand life with
rugby union being its national game. Other
popular sports include cricket, bowls,
netball, golf, swimming and tennis.
THE NORTH POLE
The North Pole is the northernmost point
on earth. At the North pole all directions
point south.
The North Pole is located in the middle of
the Arctic Ocean and the waters are almost
permanently covered with constantly
shifting ice.
At the North Pole, the sun is permanently
above the horizons during the summer
months and permanently below the
horizons during the winter months.
There is no permanent human presence at
the North Pole.
The North Pole is much warmer than the
South Pole because it lies at sea level in
the middle of an ocean.
Very few creatures can live at the North
Pole.
THE OREGON TRAIL
The Oregon Trail was one of the three main
overland migration routes on the North
American continent leading from places on
the Missouri River to the Oregon Territory.
People travelled in wagons, pack trains, on
horseback, on foot, by raft and by boat to
set up new farms, lives and businesses in
the Oregon Territory.
The trail stretched westward for about 2000
miles. Between 1841 and 1869 the Oregon
Trail was used by settlers, ranchers,
farmers, miners and businessmen.
Most travellers used oxen to pull their
wagons, Some used mules but only a few
used horses. Teams of oxen were slower
but they were cheaper and could survive
better on the sparse grass found on many
stretches of the route. They were also
tamer and easier to handle and the Indians
were less interested in stealing them.
Trained mules were often hard to find.
Indian attacks on the travellers increased
after 1860 when most of the army troops
were withdrawn. This led to short cut routes
being set up.
Run overs were a major cause of death.
The wagons couldn’t easily be stopped and
people, particularly children were often
trying to get on and off the wagons while
they were moving. Another hazard was
getting your dress caught in the wheel
when walking alongside the wagon and
being pulled under it.
PARIS
Paris is the capital city of France and is
situated on the River Seine in the north of
the country.
It is one of the most highly populated cities
in Europe and also one of the world’s most
popular tourist destinations. Paris has
warm summers and chilly winters but the
temperature rarely drops below freezing
point.
Important tourist attractions include the
Champs-Elysees (a major shopping street)
and Montmartre. The three most famous
landmarks in the city are the twelfth century
cathedral of Notre dame, Eiffel Tower
which was built in the nineteenth century
and the Arc de Triomphe. The Louvre is
one of the largest and most famous
museums, having many works of art,
including the Mona Lisa.
PITCAIRN ISLANDS
The Pitcairn Islands are a group of four
volcanic islands in the southern Pacific
Ocean. The islands are a British Overseas
Territory, the last in the Pacific. Of the four
islands in the group, only Pitcairn Island is
inhabited.
The islands are best known for being the
home of the descendants of the Bounty
mutineers and the Tahitians who
accompanied them. The story is still
apparent in the surnames of many of the
islanders. There are only nine families on
Pitcairn Island.
Parts of the wreck of the Bounty can still be
seen under the water in Bounty Bay.
The first language on the island is Pitcairn
which is a mixture of English and Tahitian.
TRISTAN DA CUNHA
This is a remote group of volcanic islands
in the South Atlantic Ocean.
The islands were first sighted in 1506 by a
Portuguese sailor Tristao Da Cunha. They
were occupied by a British military garrison
in 1816 and a small civilian population was
gradually built up.
In 1961 a volcanic eruption forced the
evacuation of the entire population to
England but most families returned two
years later.
All Tristan families are farmers, owning
their own livestock. No outsiders are
allowed to buy land or settle. The islands
have a population of 271 who share just
seven surnames.
VANCOUVER
Vancouver is a coastal seaport and is the
largest city in British Columbia, Canada. It
is the third largest metropolitan area in
Canada.
Vancouver has an area of 114 square
kilometres, including both flat and hilly
ground. It is renowned for its scenery and
the city’s Stanley Park is one of the largest
urban parks in North America.
Vancouver’s climate is temperate with not
very much snow. It is one of the largest
industrial cities in the world and has also
been selected to co-host the 2010 Winter
Olympics.
Notable buildings in the city include Christ
Church Cathedral, the Hotel Vancouver
and the Vancouver Art Gallery. Many
prominent museums, galleries and theatres
can be found.
Sports and outdoor activities are very
popular in Vancouver. They include
running, skiing and ice-hockey.