United States and Canada
Physical Geography
Chapter 6, Section 2
Climate and Vegetation
Much of Canada is very cold.
Although mostly cold, Canada has climate zones
ranging from a mild climate to a frigid, polar
climate.
Climate in the United States can vary from tropical and desert to forest and tundra
regions.
The Tundra is a very cold, dry region, covered with snow for more than half the year.It is found in the far northern regions of the United States and Canada.
In the Tundra, when the soil above the permafrost thaws,mosses, grasses and bright wildflowers grow there.
The Grasslands are flat and often, they are rolling land covered with grasses found in the United States and Canada.
Prairies are grasslands of North America. These grasslands are the largest in the world, known as the
Central and Great Plains.
Desert Scrub is a hot region which gets very little rain.
The few people, if any, and wildlife in the area, have learned to adapt to drought conditions.
The Forest region covers
nearly one-third of the United
States andone-half of
Canada
The mild northern climates are suitable for forests of
conifers; fir, pine and spruce trees.
Forests also grow deciduous trees, which shed their leaves in the fall.
Key Term Review
tundrapermafrostprairiesprovinces
The Tundra is a cold, dry region, covered in snow for more than half the
year.
Permafrost is a permanently frozen layer of ground below a
top layer of soil
A region of flat or rolling land covered
with grasses is known as a prairie.
A political division of
land in Canada is known as
a province.