The Physical Geography of the United States and Canada

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The Physical Geography of the United States and
Canada

• Chapter 5 Section 1
• The Land

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I. Landforms
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Western Mountains

• Mt. McKinley (20,320 ft) Alaska Range
• Rocky Mountains (14,000 ft) Pacific Range
• Stretch over 3,000 miles

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Plateaus

• Death Valley (lowest place in the United States)
• Grand Canyon (6,000 ft deep)

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Interior Landforms

• East of the Rockies, the land falls and flattens
  into the Great Plains, which extend across the
  center of North America.

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Eastern Mountains and Lowlands

• Appalachian Mountains (extend 1,500 miles)
• Oldest mountain chain in North America
• The Canadian Shield

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Islands

• The Hawaiian islands
• Volcanic mountaintops
• Greenland
• Worlds largest island, is just off the coast of
  Canadas Ellesmere Island.

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II. A Fortune in Water
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Rivers from the Rockies

• The high ridge of the Rockies is called the
  Continental Divide. Water flows west of the
  Divide toward the Pacific Ocean and east of the
  Divide into the Mississippi River and the Gulf of
  Mexico.

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The Mighty Mississippi

• Mississippi River (2,350 miles)
• Minnesota Gulf of Mexico
• Drains 31 U.S. states 2 Canadian Provinces

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Eastern Rivers

• St. Lawrence River
• One of Canadas most important rivers
• Helps form the U.S. Canada border

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Eastern Rivers

• Niagara River
• Home of Niagara Falls

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From Glaciers to Lakes

• Glacial dams created Canadas Great Bear Lake and
  Great Slave Lake.

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From Glaciers to Lakes

• The Great Lakes- Superior, Erie, Michigan,
  Ontario and Huron- are basins created by glacial
  activity.

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St. Lawrence Seaway System

• Why is the St. Lawrence Seaway System important
  to the U.S. Canada?

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III. Natural Resources
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Fuels

• An abundance of resources, such as fossil fuels
  and minerals, has contributed to the prosperity
  of the United States and Canada.
• Canada is the 6th largest oil producer in the
  world
• United States is the 3rd largest oil producer in
  the world

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Minerals

• Gold, silver, and copper are found in the Rocky
  Mountains. Nickel and iron are mined in parts of
  the Canadian Shield. Deposits of low-grade iron
  ore exist in northern Minnesota and Michigan.
  Canada supplies much of the worlds potash
  (potassium), copper, and silver.

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Timber

• Today forests cover less than 50 percent of
  Canada and just 30 percent of the United States.
  Commercial loggers face the challenge of
  harvesting trees while preserving the remaining
  forests.

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Fishing

• The coastal waters of the Atlantic and Pacific
  Oceans and the Gulf of Mexico are important
  sources of fish and other sea animals.
• Because of over-fishing, however, the Grand
  Banks, off Canadas southeast coast, are now off
  limits to cod fishers.

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The Physical Geography of the United States and
Canada

• Chapter 5 Section 2
• Climate and Vegetation

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I. A Varied Region
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A Varied Region

• 2/3 of Canada and the U.S. state of Alaska
  experience long, cold winters and brief, mild
  summers. Most of the continental United States
  and the southern one-third of Canada enjoy
  temperate climates, depending on elevation.
  Hawaii, in the South Pacific, has a tropical
  climate.

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II. Northern Climates
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Northern Climates

• Large parts of Canada and Alaska lie in a
  sub-arctic climate zone with very cold winters
  and extensive coniferous forests Winter
  temperatures can fall as low as -70 degrees.

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Northern Climates

• Bitter winters and cool summers in the tundra
  along the Arctic coastline make the area
  unsuitable for most plants or people. Greenland
  boasts only a few ice-free areas with some
  extremely hardy trees.

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III. Western Climates
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Western Climates

• A marine west coast climate brings nearly 100
  inches of rainfall every year to the Pacific
  coast from California to southern Alaska. This
  amount of precipitation, combined with cool
  temperatures, is ideal for coniferous forests,
  ferns, and mosses.

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Highland Climate

• Elevation gives the higher reaches of the Rocky
  Mountains and Pacific Ranges a highlands climate.
  (Cool to Cold)

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IV. Interior Climates
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Prairies

• Prairies or naturally treeless expanses of
  grasses, spread across North Americas
  mid-section.

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V. Eastern Climates
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Eastern Climates

• Southeastern United States,
• Humid Subtropical Climate
• Mild Winters, Long muggy summers
• Much of the original deciduous forest has been
  cleared for agriculture. Wetlands and swamps
  shelter a great variety of plants and animals.
  Every summer, the region prepares for hurricanes.

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Eastern Climates

• Northeastern United States Southeastern Canada
• Humid Continental Climate
• Deciduous Mixed Forest
• Winter Blizzards.

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VI. Tropical Climates
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Tropical Climates

• Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and the southern tip of
  Florida have tropical climates. Southern Florida
  has a tropical savanna area, and both Hawaii and
  Puerto Rico have a tropical rain forests.