©2012 P Gersmehl Teachers may copy for use in their classrooms. Contact pgersmehl@gmail.com regarding permission for any other use.

©2015 Michigan Geographic Alliance

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Types of Deserts

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MegaGeologyAncient shieldsYoung mountains

Tropical deserts have a complex cause. Air rises and makes rain in a wide band called the Equatorial Rainy Belt. This air is then pushed away from the equator. Most of it sinks toward the ground and makes deserts near the Tropic lines. Exception: Warm ocean currents and hurricanes bring rain to the east sides of continents.

Rainshadow deserts form on the east side of mountains in the mid-latitudes, because the mountains block the winds that generally blow from west to east.

Polar deserts form in the high latitudes, far from the equator, because cold air is not able to hold much moisture.

Ancient shields are the original cores of continents. They formed by “collisions” between small crustal plates a long time ago.Young mountains are being formed by on-going crustal motion, usually near the edges of the crustal plates that exist today.

WORLD PHYSICAL WORK MAP

©2012 P Gersmehl Teachers may copy for use in their classrooms. Contact pgersmehl@gmail.com regarding permission for any other use.

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Map Key 12 Largest Cities Other Large Cities Historically Important Smaller Cities

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WORLD POLITICAL WORK MAP

©2015 Michigan Geographic Alliance

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The European Colonies map on the right shows where countries in Europe claimed territory on other continents. Most of these areas are now independent, but many effects of the colonial era are still seen today - language, trade links, military alliances, etc.

The Population map on the left shows where people live in 2015 “Each dot represents 2 million people” does not mean that there are 2 million people living right in the exact location of the dot. 2 million people live in the general area around the dot.

In the 1700s, Russia claimed colonies in Alaska. In the 1900s, Japan (J) invaded China, Korea, and many Pacific islands. Also in the 1900s, the Soviet Union (USSR, based in Russia) ruled many small countries in Central Asia and eastern Europe.

Some parts of the world are too crowded to be shown accurately with this dot ratio. The dots overlap and form a mass of color.