U.S. & CANADIAN GEOGRAPHY

The Physical Aspect

Landforms

W. Mountains, Plains, & Plateaus

Pacific Range Sierra Nevada, the Cascades, the Coast

Range, & the Alaska Mt. McKinley

Highest Continental Peak 20,320 feet high

Rocky Mountain Link U.S. Canada 3000 Miles Long Run from New Mexico to Alaska

…Continued

Columbia Plateau Lies between Pacific &

Rocky Mt. ranges Formed by ancient lava

flows Features

Mesas Grand Canyon

6000 ft deep at its deepest

Formed by erosion of the Colorado River

…Continued

The Great Basin Death Valley

The Great Plains 300 to 700 miles across Elevation up to 6000

feet Slopes 10 ft per mile

toward the Mississippi Grasslands

Eastern Mountains & Lowlands

Appalachian Mountains Oldest continental mountain

range 1500 miles long

Quebec to Alabama

Canadian Shield “Anchors the Continent” Found in Canada and the

Northeastern U.S. Eventually descends into the

Hudson Bay

Islands

Hawaiian Islands Volcanically formed 8 main islands and 124

smaller islands

Greenland Continental Island Territory of Denmark World’s largest island,

840,325 square miles

…Continued

Major Canadian Islands Newfoundland, Prince Edward

Island

Manhattan Island New York City Found at the mouth of the

Hudson River World economic center

Water Systems

Rivers

Continental Divide Determines river flow

for the Continent East of the Divide

Flows toward Arctic Ocean, Hudson Bay, or Atlantic Ocean

West of the Divide Flows toward the

Pacific Ocean

…Continued

Mississippi 2,350 miles from

Minnesota to the Gulf

Drains 1.2 million square miles

31 states and 2 Canadian provinces affected

One of the worlds busiest commercial waterways

Other Water Forms

Niagara Falls Border between the U.S. and Canada Horseshoe & America Falls Major source of hydroelectric power

Lakes & Other Waterways

Glacial Lakes Great Bear Lake &

the Great Slave Lake

The Great Lakes Erie, Huron,

Michigan, Ontario, & Superior St. Lawrence

Seaway connects lakes to the ocean

Center for industry

Water System Terms

Headwaters: the source of a river

…Continued

Tributaries: smaller rivers and streams that converge into a larger river.

…Continued

Fall Line: marks the place where the higher land drops to the lower coast line

Natural Resources

Fossil Fuels

Fuel sources created by carbon deposits compressed over millions of years

Petroleum & Natural Gas Petroleum – Texas (1st) & Alaska (2nd)

Natural Gas- Texas & Alberta Coal

Wyoming, Appalachian Mountains , & British Columbia

…Continued

Mineral Resources Rocky Mountains

Gold, Silver, & Copper Michigan, Minnesota, &

Canadian Shield Iron Ore

Canada Potash, Copper, Gold,

Silver

Timber & Fishing Timber

50% of Canada & 30% of the U.S. remain heavily forested

Responsible timber management Renewable resource Replanting Cooperating in

protecting the environment

…Continued

Fisheries found on all coastlines The Great Banks

139,000 square miles Off Canadian sea coast

Overfishing Fish populations historically low Canadian ban on Cod fishing

Aquaculture Growing economic sector

Climate & Vegetation

Southern Climates

Warm & Wet Climates Humid & Subtropical

environment No dry season due to proximity

to the ocean Deciduous forests extend to

Louisiana Swamp lands along coastal

plains Everglades in Florida

Hurricane threats Season runs from late summer

to early fall

…Continued

Warm & Dry Climates Rain shadow affect in the Southwest

Creates desert & arid regions Death Valley reaches temperatures up to 134 degrees F

Mediterranean Climate Southern California coast Mild wet winters & hot dry summers Chaparral vegetation

Tough & drought resistant Threats of summer wildfires

Northern Climates

Interior Climates Distance from oceans creates moderate climates Prairies

Great Plains Humid Continental climates (bitter winters/hot summers) Average of 10-30 inches of rain annually support tall

grasslands Violent Spring storms form-Super cells Prairie degradation until the 1930’s

Dust Bowl Timber found in mountain regions lower than the

“timberline” Chinook Winds

http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=dust%20bowl&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=jJlRp1lBEuWXmM&tbnid=Kyornjkti6yzNM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http://www.weru.ksu.edu/new_weru/multimedia/dustbowl/dustbowlpics.html&ei=aa0cUtyQGIT02QX5mYGgDA&bvm=bv.51156542,d.cWc&psig=AFQjCNHZR4FKSzzgqYmlKBsC4OcM0Sor5w&ust=1377697491953029

http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=dust%20bowl&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=AhSBUs4ReRE1RM&tbnid=6awSobpv_1K_MM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http://imagely.net/tag/dust-bowl/&ei=lK0cUsWnKIid2QXQuoBA&bvm=bv.51156542,d.cWc&psig=AFQjCNHZR4FKSzzgqYmlKBsC4OcM0Sor5w&ust=1377697491953029

http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=dust%20bowl&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=5qMBTML3KO0M9M&tbnid=1nw4YjAkzc4S9M:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http://kcts9.org/education/history-cafe/surviving-dust-bowl&ei=xq0cUs7KFOXV2AXYnoHQBQ&bvm=bv.51156542,d.cWc&psig=AFQjCNHZR4FKSzzgqYmlKBsC4OcM0Sor5w&ust=1377697491953029

http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=dust%20bowl&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=WSO8tKSsvgz-NM&tbnid=8MrK9ZhXAcSirM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http://www.mountainfilm.org/film/the-dust-bowl-part-one&ei=5q0cUprvAsjA2gXut4DIAQ&bvm=bv.51156542,d.cWc&psig=AFQjCNHZR4FKSzzgqYmlKBsC4OcM0Sor5w&ust=1377697491953029

http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=dust%20bowl%20pictures&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=oPaSeN-1S0mncM&tbnid=3nte091uaeU1IM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2012/11/ken-burns-dust-bowl-the-greatest-man-made-eco-disaster-in-us-history/265249/&ei=X64cUp7-Ccfi2AXQwIGYDQ&bvm=bv.51156542,d.cWc&psig=AFQjCNHd-5VgvqlStRYdRFOoIqMax4kGhQ&ust=1377697741419487

http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=dust%20bowl%20pictures&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=VoWpCcXZwBv7TM&tbnid=RWckarPgtaxmQM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http://www.usatoday.com/story/weather/2012/11/13/dust-bowl-drought/1691507/&ei=x64cUr_ZCcmk2gXz-YGoCA&bvm=bv.51156542,d.cWc&psig=AFQjCNHd-5VgvqlStRYdRFOoIqMax4kGhQ&ust=1377697741419487

…Continued

Coastal Climates Temperate rainforests

100+ inches rainfall annually Ferns, lichens, Coniferous

forests supported Winter often overcast &

rainy Summers are cloudless &

cool Found in Northwest

High-Latitude Climates

Canadian North & Alaska Winter temps can fall below -70 degrees F Subarctic winds cool Canada & the U.S. Winter blizzard of up to 35mph Newfoundland to the Yukon mix of

Coniferous & Deciduous forests Tundra

Coastal regions Dwarfed & sparse plant life

Ice Caps Up to 2 miles thick