Venus has a rocky
crust, a thick basaltic rock mantle and a nickel-iron
core. There is no surface water. The surface of Venus has
been mapped through its cloud layer using radar. The
surface of Venus is covered with roughly 20 percent
lowland plains of solidified lava, 70 percent rolling
uplands, and 10 percent highlands (volcanos, craters,
mountains). The two major plains are called Aphrodite
Terra Highlands (about half the size of Africa) and Ishtar
Terra (a lava-filled basin which is bigger than the United
States). At the surface, there are relatively slow winds.
Venus does not have a very strong magnetic field; this may
be because of the planet's slow rotation or perhaps Venus'
core lacks a molten outer layer.
now label this picture:
