Brit a nnic a LEARNING LIBRARY Planet Earth Discover and understand our world’s natural wonders CHICAGO LONDON NEW DELHI PARIS SEOUL SYDNEY TAIPEI TOKYO
The pyramid and the camel pictured here in Giza Egypt are two images often associated with the Egyptian desert Royalty-Free Corbis
Planet Earth TABLE OF CONTENTS OCEANS The World of Water 42 Islands Dry Spots in a Watery World 44 Galapagos Islands The Islands at the End of the World 46 Great Barrier Reef Island of Reefs Within Reefs 48 Icebergs The Biggest Ice Cubes 50 Tides The Ocean’s Rise and Fall 52 Atlantic Ocean The Youngest Ocean 54 Indian Ocean Ocean Between Many Continents 56 Mediterranean Sea The Sea in the Middle of Land 58 Pacific Ocean Largest Ocean in the World 60 GLOSSARY 62 INDEX 63 INTRODUCTION 3 GEOGRAPHY Learning About the Earth 6 CONTINENTS The Largest Pieces of Land 8 Antarctica A Continent of Extremes 10 Mountains Building Earth’s Giant Landscapes 12 Caves When Water Is Stronger than Stone 14 Deserts Lands of Little Water 16 Oasis Water in the Desert 18 Peninsulas Fingers of Land 20 Rainforests Endangered Ecosystems 22 Marshes Grassy Wetlands 24 RIVERS The Power of Flowing Water 26 Floods Engulfed by Water 28 Glaciers Rivers of Ice 30 Amazon The Rainforest River 32 Nile River Egypt’s Gift 34 Victoria Falls The Smoke That Thunders 36 Niagara Falls Thunder of Waters 38 Grand Canyon Nature’s Masterpiece 40 Brit a nnic a LEARNING LIBRARY
