Grade 5 Term 4 Geography

Grade 5 Term 4 Geography Study Notes

• South Africa's Mineral Resources: South Africa is rich in minerals. All rocks are composed of minerals, and minerals in rocks are valuable. Gold, silver, platinum, and copper are examples of valuable minerals found underground in mines.

• Minerals as Non-Renewable Resources: Natural resources include things like the sun, water, air, soil, fish, and trees. Minerals are natural resources found in rocks, but the amount of minerals in rocks is limited. When these resources are used up, there are no more.

• Main Minerals Mined in South Africa and Their Uses: Gold (yellow, SA and China, jewelry, money), Silver (silver, China and SA, jewelry), Copper (reddish, Chile and SA, electrical cables), Diamonds (various colours from clear to black, SA and Russia, jewelry, industrial drills), Platinum (silver to white, SA and Russia, motor engines, exhaust systems, jewelry), Chrome (silver, SA and Russia, stainless steel), Manganese (silver to black, SA and Ukraine, added to iron to make steel), Iron Ore (yellow to red, China and SA, making steel). Different locations in South Africa are known for different minerals.

• Coal as a Non-Renewable Resource: Coal forms from plant remains, not rocks. Coal is formed from trees and other plants that lived in swamps millions of years ago. It takes a very long time for coal to form. People use coal to generate electricity. It is burned in a furnace which produces steam that drives machines to generate electricity. Approximately 90% of South Africa's electricity comes from coal-fired power stations. Coal is also used to make plastic, petrol, soaps, shampoos, aspirin, fertilizers, and heating for homes.

• Location of Mines and Links to Settlement Patterns: Towns near mines develop to support miners and grow into cities, as seen in Johannesburg's development after the discovery of gold.

• Mining and People: Deep shaft mining is dangerous, costly, and complex due to small tunnels, low oxygen, constant dampness, and extreme heat underground. Miners face risks like dust, rockfalls, fires, methane gas, and explosives. Miners must wear protective gear like hard hats, goggles, and masks to stay safe and healthy. Safety rules, written in the Mine Health and Safety Act, are important to keep the workplace safe and reduce risk.

• Mining and the Environment: Mines negatively affect the environment. They pollute the air (dust from drilling, blasting, rock movement). Poisonous gases like methane can leak. Mines use a lot of water and large areas of land. Water from mines can be polluted and can cause problems for other living things in that area. Waste from mines is also a concern. The chemicals used in treating polluted water need careful handling to avoid further environmental issues.

• Types of Mining: Open-pit mining is used for minerals or coal near the surface (the hole is left open for trucks to drive in and collect the materials). Deep-shaft mining (or underground mining) is used for resources deep underground (drilling and blasting are used to move and create pathways into the mine). These are both essential to extract the minerals.

• Waste from Mines: Mining produces waste rock and soil, polluted water (acidic water), and broken/old equipment. Methods to counteract the pollution from the waste include purifying polluted water (treating it with chemicals), and reusing or recycling waste products like sand and rocks for building materials (bricks), and metal (scrap metal).