THE PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY OF THE U.S. and CANADA

THE LAND

Key Terms: Divide

Headwaters Tributary Fall-line

Fossil fuel Fishery

Aquaculture

WESTERN MOUNTAINS, PLAINS, and PLATEAUS

Pacific Ranges-collision b/t plates Ex: Sierra Nevada, Cascade Range,

Alaska RangeMt. McKinley- Alaska Range (20, 320

ft.)Rocky Mountains

Link Canada and US (NM to Alaska)Dry Basins & Plateaus

Fill land b/t Rockies and Pacific RangesColorado Plateau- Grand CanyonEast of Rocky Mts.- Great Plains

WESTERN MOUNTAINS, PLAINS, and PLATEAUS

EASTERN MOUNTAINS and LOWLANDS

East of Mississippi River Appalachian Mts. (oldest in US)

Canada Canadian Plains▪ Edge is the Canadian Shield▪Located on the Hudson and James Bays▪Anchors the continent

ISLANDS

Both US and Canada have these

In US Hawaii Continental Islands- submerged parts of the continental shelf

WATER SYSTEMS

Make Canada and US prosperous In US

Continental Divide- high ridge that determines the direction in which rives flow

East of Divide- toward the Arctic Ocean, Hudson Bay, the Atlantic, or the Mississippi

West of Divide- Pacific Headwater- source of the river

Ex: Colorado and Rio Grande (Rocky Mts) Tributaries- smaller water systems that

connect to larger rivers Mississippi- Longest River in US (2,350 ft)

LAKES and OTHER WATERWAYS

Glacial Dams- Canada- Great Bear and Great Slave Lake

Glacial Basins- Great Lakes Rich in coal, iron and other materials

Links to inland and coastal waterways= $$$$$$

Ex: Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway sys. Canals, St. Lawrence River and other

waterways link the Great Lakes to the Atlantic INDUSTRY

LAKES and OTHER WATERWAYS

NATURAL RESOURCES

Canada and US- Petroleum and Natural Gas US= Texas; Canada=Alberta

Mineral Resources US= Rockies: gold, silver, copper Canadian Shield= iron and nickel

Timber and Fishing Trees are renewable

Atlantic-Pacific-Gulf of Mexic0 Fisheries- place for catching fish

Grand Banks- Canada’s best fishing spot 139,000 sq. mi.

Problem: overfishing Solution: Aquaculture= fish farms

THE CLIMATE and VEGETATION OF THE U.S. and CANADA

KEY TERMS: HURRICANE CHAPARRAL

PRAIRIE SUPERCELL TIMBERLINE

CHINOOKBLIZZARD

THE SOUTHERN CLIMATES Subtropical, tropical, desert,

Mediterranean 25°N to 40°N

Warm and Wet Humid-Subtropical▪ Ex: The Everglades; hurricanes

Extreme Southern tip of Florida▪ Tropical= distinct dry season (Winter)

SOUTHERN CLIMATES (cont) Warm and Dry

Have rain-shadow effect- dry desert on leeward side of mountain

Plateaus and Basins b/t the Rockies and Pacific Ranges ▪ Ex: Death Valley

Mediterranean- Central and Southern California Mild, wet Winters & hot, dry

Summers Vegetation in this area=

chaparral

NORTHERN CLIMATES

Interior Ex: Great Plains- Humid Continental Bitterly cold Winter, hot Summer

Vegetation Prairie- treeless grasslands in Great

PlainsWeather

Supercell- violent T-storms w/tornados and winds of 300+ mph

Dust Bowl- 1930s drought

HIGHLAND CLIMATE

Due to elevation Ex: Rocky Mountains and Pacific Range

Timberline Elevation above which trees cannot grow

Springtime Chinook- warm dry wind that blows through the area in Spring, melting the snow

COASTAL CLIMATE

Northern California to Southern Alaska Features▪Over 100 inches of rain annually▪Winter- overcast and rainy▪Summer- cloudless▪Coniferous forests

HIGH LATITUDE CLIMATE

Canada and Alaska Features:▪ Frigid Winter▪ Blizzards- heavy snow w/ winds above 35 mph▪ Coniferous trees from Newfoundland to the Yukon Territory▪ Layers of ice and snow over 2 miles thick

Perspective A mile is 5,280 ft.