North America

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World Geography
North America Chapters 4 5
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World Geography
North America Section I Physical Systems
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Agenda

• Physical System
• Area overview
• maps of the region
• satellite map
• Geosphere
• landforms and their influences
• boundaries
• natural disasters (plate tectonics)
• Atmosphere
• weather and climate
• natural disasters
• Hydrosphere
• bodies of water
• importance
• Environment and society
• natural resources

North America
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Overview

• North America
• Names
• Canada and The United States of America
• New World
• Sometimes The Western World
• Size
• 3rd largest continent
• Every climate
• Seven (7) time zones
• Changes some still include Mexico
• Languages
• English, French and Spanish
• Religion
• Christianity, Islam and all the others

North America
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The Evolution of the Realm
Continent
Realm

• Canada
• United States
• Mexico

• Canada
• United States

North America
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The Landforms of the Realm

• Most landforms run the length North to South
• Vast plains
• High Mts.
• Plateaus
• Canyons
• Deserts
• Volcanic activity
• Some of the worlds most spectacular scenery

North America
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The Mountains

• Influences weather patterns
• Eastern
• older, more eroded
• gentle slopes
• Interior highlands
• divides interior plains and coastal plains

• Western mountains
• youngest
• steeper
• volcanic

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The Coastal Plains

• Atlantic Coastal Plain
• upper
• rivers P not much IT
• environmental (climate/ land)
• raw materials (minerals)
• manufacturing
• urbanized (megalopolis)
• ports
• lower
• rivers IT no P
• environmental (climate/ land)
• agriculture
• limited ports

• Gulf Coastal plains
• rivers IT no P
• environmental (climate/ land)
• agriculture
• ports
• Natural disasters
• hurricanes

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The Mountains

• Appalachian Mountains
• minerals for early industry
• forestry
• prevented early exploration
• divided the early empires (France and Great
  Britain)

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The Plains

• The Interior Plains
• rolling hills
• rivers and lakes
• fertile/productive soil
• Great Plains
• high plains
• sub-region
• farming and ranching
• severe weather (tornado alley)

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The Mountains

• Rock Mountains
• rugged
• industrial minerals and mining, ranching
• tourism skiing
• very little population
• virtually a physical barrier that divides the
  United States into two countries slowed
  westward expansion
• climate canalizes the jet stream

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The Pacific

• West Coast
• fertile valleys (Willamette Valley)
• fruits and vegetables
• volcanic and earthquakes

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Intermountain, Basins and Plateaus

• Lowlands
• basically a rain shadow from the Pacific Ranges
  
• high plateaus
• deep canyons
• isolated mountain ranges
• desert basins

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Alaska and Hawaii

• Alaska
• mountainous
• edge of the arctic circle
• Sothern portion is the most habitual and
  productive

• Hawaii
• hot spots volcanic activity on the ocean floor
• coral reefs small solid formations of small
  animal skeletons

North America
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Bodies of Water

• More large lakes than any other country in the
  world and the largest
• The continental divide creates two (2) main
  river networks (Pacific or Atlantic)

• Eastern
• Drains into Atlantics O.
• P high IT low

• Western
• Drain into Pacific O.
• P - hydroelectric power
• Carves the intermountain basin and plateaus

• Interior
• Drains into Atlantics Ocean via the Gulf of
  Mexico
• IT
• Drains the plains

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Climates of North America

• US has all climates except arctic, the realm
  has all climates.
• Four factor influence United States climate
• location middle latitudes
• prevailing winds
• ocean currents
• landforms Rocky and Appalachian Mountains
• size (width)

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Climates of North America

• Aids the USs agricultural success
• Arid is a rain shadow
• Missouri is human continental, with four (4)
  distinct season

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Climates of North America
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Natural Disaster

• The geospheres influence on the atmosphere

• Eastern
• Atmo
• T-Storms, Hurricanes, blizzards, droughts,
  tornadoes
• Geo limited
• Hydro minor flooding

• Western
• Atmo
• T-Storms, blizzards, droughts, smog
• Geo
• volcanic
• earthquakes
• tsunami
• Hydro mud slides

• Interior
• Atmo
• T-Storms, blizzards, droughts, tornadoes
• Geo limited
• Hydro flooding and flash

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Natural Disaster
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Natural Disaster
North America
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Natural Disaster

• North American Plate Pacific Plate
• Transform zone
• San Andreas Fault
• Earthquake zone
• North America Plate Juan de Fuca
• Sub-duction zone
• Formed the Cascades Mountains
• Volcanic and earthquake activity

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Boundaries

• Geometric
• U.S. Canada
• Cultural
• U.S. Mexico

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Natural Resources

• Abundant amount of natural resources which led
  to the United States being an industrial giant,
  thus led to the United States being a world power
• US worlds leading agriculture producer
• Forestry
• Coal and iron IR
• Oil supply vs demand (IMPORT)
• Has these resources influenced the growth of
  United States?

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Natural Resources

• How has these resources influenced the
  population distribution of United States?
• IR wealth in the northeast
• Farming down south and in the interior plains
• Gold rush in the west

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Agenda

• Human Systems
• Brief History
• Native Americans
• Explorers
• Government
• Regions
• Modern America
• Future
• Urbanization
• Canada
• Physical
• Human

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Settlers to America
Native Americans
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Settlers to America
French
British
Spanish
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Settlers to America

• What led to the Americas Discovery?
• Passage to China

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Settlers to America

• What led to the Americas Discovery?
• Passage to China

• British
• Colonization
• Harvest raw materials

• Spanish
• Silver and gold

• French
• Hunting and fur trading

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Evolution of the United States
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Evolution of the United States

• Colonies/states
• American Revolution
• Gains our independence from GB
• Birth of a new Nation
• Colonies - States

• Northwest Territory
• Needed more land

• West Coast
• Mexican-American War

• Louisiana Purchase
• Bought from the French

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The Government of The United States

• Executive
• President
• Vice-president
• Cabinet
• Enforces laws

US Constitution

• Legislature
• Congress
• House of Representative
• Senate
• Makes laws

• Federal Republic
• Federal and State governments
• Who has more power? (Civil War seceding )

• Judicial
• Supreme court
• Reviews laws

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The Regions of the United States

• Northeast
• Earliest settlers
• Ports (easy access imports and exports)
• Financial district
• Industrial region
• raw materials
• ports
• rivers
• decline (cheaper labor else where)
• rustbelt
• Government
• Population (megalopolis)
• Tourism

Interior West
Pacific
N. East
Midwest
South

• South
• Civil War devastated
• Agriculture
• Slow to develop
• New industries technology and biotech
• Tourism history and recreation

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The Regions of the United States

• Midwest
• Excellent water network
• River cities
• Agricultural area
• one of the most fertile areas in the world
• dairy belt
• corn belt
• Population growth

Interior West
Pacific
N. East
Midwest
South

• Interior West
• Lease populated
• Rockies a barrier to pass
• Transcontinental railroad
• Tourism (skiing)
• Wheat belt
• Hydroelectric

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The Regions of the United States

• Pacific
• Population growth
• Economy
• changing economy
• tourism
• Hollywood
• military bases
• technology (silicon valley)
• Tourism

Interior West
Pacific
N. East
Midwest
South
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Modern America

• Economy
• Free enterprise right to make money economic
  freedom
• Tertiary (services)
• Largest consumer of goods

• Future
• Landfills
• recycling
• Green alternative fuels

• Trade
• Leading importer and exporter
• North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)

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Rural to Urban to Suburbs

• Urbanization
• Rural farming
• Movement to cities (urban)
• steady work and wages
• Central Business District
• Low income
• Suburbs

Suburbs
CBD
Low Income
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Citizens of America

• Pluralistic Society
• 99 immigrants or decedents of immigrants
• Migration (legal and illegal)
• Pull factors
• religious freedom
• freedom
• education
• employment
• recreational

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Time Zones
Alaskan Time Zone
Mountain Time Zone
Pacific Time Zone
Eastern Standard
Central Time Zone
Hawaii-Aleutian Time Zone
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The Regions of the Realm

• Atlantic Region
• Hinterland fishing
• Poorest
• scarcely populated

• Quebec and Ontario
• Manufacturing
• Government
• Shipping

• British Columbia
• Forestry

• Prairie
• Agriculture

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History of Canada

• Discovery
• Vikings Leif Erickson
• European searching for Northwest passage
• French found the St. Lawrence

• Culture
• Similar to US, some say closer to US
• Sectionalism worried about their province
• Bilingual

• British Columbia
• Wanted some claim to North America west coast

• French
• Control the eastern portion

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The Regions of the Realm
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North America (Landforms)
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North America
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Regional Map
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Regional Map
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Regional Map
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Regional Map
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Regional Map