Natural Wonders (World)-II PDF

# Natural Wonders (World)-II In the last class we read about some natural wonders of the world. Here are some more. Read about them and name them using the clue box. 1. It is the world’s largest hot desert covering most of Northern Africa. It is a beautiful sea of sand with some sand dunes reachin...

# Natural Wonders (World)-II In the last class we read about some natural wonders of the world. Here are some more. Read about them and name them using the clue box. 1. It is the world’s largest hot desert covering most of Northern Africa. It is a beautiful sea of sand with some sand dunes reaching as high as 600 feet. Its name comes from the Arabic word for desert. **Sahara Desert** 2. It is situated in North Vietnam around a 120 kilometre long coast line. It is also called the ‘Bay of Descending Dragons’. The bay features thousands of islands each topped with thick jungle vegetation, forming a spectacular seascape of limestone pillars. **Ha Long Bay** 3. It is the coldest, driest and windiest continent on the planet and has the highest average elevation of all the continents. Although 98% of it is covered by ice it looks like a beautiful sea of ice. Sea life here includes penguins, blue whales, orcan and seals. **Antarctica** 4. One of the great natural wonders of the world, this waterfall is situated on the border between Brazil and Argentina. It is collectively made up of 275 falls. The most impressive of them is the Devil’s Throat a U-shaped waterfall which is about 2300 ft in height. **Iguaza Falls** 5. It is a small archipelago of volcanic island belonging to Ecuador in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. It is quite remote and isolated, lying some 1000 km west of the South American continent. Charles Darwin visited the site in 1835 and his observations there later inspired his ‘Theory of Evolution’. **Galapagos Islands** 6. This ecosystem is a geographical region in Africa. It is located in Northern Tanzania and extends to South-Western Kenya. It is best known for its large lion population. Around 70 large mammals and 500 birds species can be spotted in the region. **Serengati** 7. It is a wide cone volcano in the Mexican state of Michoacan. It is famous because it is the youngest volcano to form in the Northern Hemisphere, developing in a farmer’s cornfield. **Paricutin Volcano** 8. It is an 8.2 km long underground river in the Philippines. The river flows right into the South China Sea, after passing through some of the most beautiful limestone formations in the world. **Puerto Princessa Underground River** ## Indian Honour The Indian honour system is recognized by the Indian government and broadly classified into five types-leadership, literature, civilian, patriotic and particular. Read the clues and name these National Awards. 1. It is the highest civilian award of India. The award is given for outstanding achievement in arts, literature, science and public services. **Bharat Ratna** 2. These awards are for exceptional and distinguished service in any field including services rendered by government servants. **Padma Awards** 3. It is the highest military award in India, equivalent to the Victoria Cross in the United Kingdom. **Param Vir Chakra** 4. It is the second highest military decoration in India and is awarded for acts of gallantry in the presence of the enemy whether on land, at sea or in the air. **Mahavir Chakra** 5. It is the highest honour bestowed to a sportsperson for his/her achievement in India. **Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award** 6. This award is given to Indian sportspersons for outstanding performance in the field of sports. **Arjuna Award** 7. This award is given to the best coach of any particular sport. It is named after the famous archery coach mentioned in the Mahabharata. **Dronacharya Award** 8. This award was instituted in 1961 and it is presented by the Bhartiya Jnanpith, a trust founded by the Sahu Jain family, the publishers of the newspaper-The Times of India. It is an annual award given for outstanding prose or poetry, literary works in any 22 Indian languages. **Jnanpith Award** 9. It is India’s highest award in cinema. It is presented annually at the National Film Awards ceremony by the Directorate of Film Festivals. **Dadasaheb Phalke Award** 10. It is the Lifetime Achievement Award in sports and games. It is named after a legendary hockey player. **Dhyan Chand Award** 11. This award is given to individuals and institutions for their contributions towards social, economic and political revolution through non-violence and Gandhian philosophy. **International Gandhi Peace Prize** 12. Instituted in 1954, this award recognises and promotes excellence in writing. It is the second highest literary honour in India. **Sahitya Akademi Awards** ## Info-bites * **Ha Long Bay** * **Paricutin Volcano** * **Galapagos Island** * **Iguaza Falls** * **Antarctica** * **Serengeti** * **Sahara Desert** * **Puerto Princesa Underground River** ## Info-bites * In February 1943, there were several earthquakes around Paricutin, Mexico. One day after the earthquakes, a farmer was ploughing his corn fields. He noticed a stream of smoke and steam rising from a hole in the ground. He was watching the birth of a volcano-the Paricutin Volcano! The volcano continued to erupt for another eight years. Today it is quiet. ## Info-bites * The Bharat Ratna medal looks like a peepal leaf with 'Bharat Ratna' written on it in Devanagri script. An image of the Sun is also printed on it. The back side of the award carries the state emblem and motto. The number of annual awards is restricted to a maximum of three in a particular year.