GEOGRAPHY OF NORTH AMERICA:

THE UNITED STATES

• The United States is one of the most geographically diverse nations on Earth.

• Between its two coasts are rugged mountains, vast deserts and plains, the Grand Canyon and the heavily forested Pacific Northwest.

• The United States deserts and valleys include the brightly colored rock formations of the Painted Desert and Imperial Valley.

US Geography BasicsUS Geography BasicsUS Geography BasicsUS Geography Basics

Third largest country in the world (by size).

Half the size of Russia.

One third the size of Africa.

Half the size of South America.

2 ½ times the size of Western Europe.

More Statistics• Coastline: 19,924 km or 12,380 miles• Bordered by: Mexico in the South;

Canada in the North• Lowest point: Death Valley

(California)• Highest point: Mt. McKinley (Alaska)• World's third-largest country by

population after China and India• Population (2011): 312,040,000

(China=1,339,724,852; India=1,210,193,422)

Regions & Time Zones of the U. Regions & Time Zones of the U. S.S.

4 major time zones plus Alaska and 4 major time zones plus Alaska and Hawaii Time Zones: Eastern, Hawaii Time Zones: Eastern, Central, Mountain, Pacific; Georgia Central, Mountain, Pacific; Georgia in the Eastern Zonein the Eastern Zone

Regions & Time Zones of the U. Regions & Time Zones of the U. S.S.

4 major time zones plus Alaska and 4 major time zones plus Alaska and Hawaii Time Zones: Eastern, Hawaii Time Zones: Eastern, Central, Mountain, Pacific; Georgia Central, Mountain, Pacific; Georgia in the Eastern Zonein the Eastern Zone

• Eastern Time Zone: 5 hrs. behind Greenwich Mean Time (Georgia, Florida, most of the East coast)

• Central Time Zone: 1 hr. behind Eastern time zone

• Mountain Time Zone: 2 hrs. behind Eastern time zone (Colorado, Montana, Nevada, etc)

• Pacific Time Zone: 3 hrs. behind Eastern Time Zone (California, Oregon, Washington)

• Alaska and Hawaii have their own time zones. • Alaska is 4 hrs. behind Eastern time zone• Hawaii is 6 hrs. behind Eastern time zone

• topography?• maps or charts of natural and man-

made features of a place or region especially in a way to show their relative positions and elevations

Northeast

• Pennsylvania• New Jersey• Connecticut• Rhode Island• Massachusetts• New York• Vermont• New Hampshire• Maine

TOPOGRAPHY OF THE NORTHEAST US

• New England consists of the Appalachian Mountains, the New England highlands, and the seaboard lowlands.

• The Appalachian Mountains roughly follow the border between New England and New York.

• There are the Berkshires in Massachusetts and the Green Mountains in Vermont.

• The Appalachians extend northwards into New Hampshire as the White Mountains, and then into Maine and Canada.

• Mount Washington in New Hampshire is the highest peak in the Northeast.

New York, New York

Boston

Philadelphia

North-South Divide: North-South Divide:

The Mason-Dixon LineThe Mason-Dixon Line: : symbolizes a cultural boundary between the North and South

Topography of the Southeast

• Texas• Louisiana• Arkansas• Mississippi• Alabama• Florida• Tennessee• South Carolina• North Carolina• Virginia• Kentucky

New Orleans

Dallas, Texas

Charleston SC

Topography ofTopography of the Midwest the Midwest• Ohio• Illinois• Indiana• Michigan• Wisconsin• Minnesota• North Dakota• South Dakota• Nebraska• Kansas• Missouri• Iowa

Chicago

St. Louis, MO

The West• California• Oregon• Washington• Arizona• New Mexico• Utah• Nevada• Montana• Idaho• Wyoming• Colorado

Alaska (became 49th state in Jan. 1959)

Hawaii – became the 50th state in August 1959

Geography of Hawaii

• The Hawaiian Islands are of volcanic origin and are edged with coral reefs.

• Hawaii is the largest and geologically the youngest island of the group, and

• Oahu, is the most populous and economically important.

• The other principal islands are Kahoolawe, Kauai, Lanai, Maui, Molokai, and Niihau

• Some of the world's largest active and inactive volcanoes are found on the islands of Hawaii and Maui

• Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa are volcanic mountains on the island of Hawaii; also Kilauea volcano

• Haleakala volcano is on Maui in Haleakala National Park.

Mauna Loa Erupting

• Kilauea is the home of Pele, the Hawaiian goddess of the volcano

State Flag of Hawaii

Honolulu: Capital of Hawaii

Waikiki Beach – one of the most famous in the world

State Symbols

• Flower: Yellow Hibiscus

• State Bird: Hawaiian Goose (Nene)

• State Tree: Kukui (Candlenut)

• Nickname: Aloha State

• Abbreviation: HI

• Highest point: Mauna Kea

• The temperature is mild; average high temperature in mid to high 80s; lows mid 60s to mid 70s

• Average rainfall: ½ inch to 3 inches depending on the month.

• Sugar cane, pineapple, and flowers are the chief products.

• Hawaii also grows coffee beans, bananas, and macadamia nuts.

• The tourist business is Hawaii's largest source of outside income.

•

Texas• State Abbreviation - TX

• State Capital - Austin

• Largest City - Houston

• Area - 268,601 square miles [Texas is the second biggest state in the USA - only Alaska is bigger]

• Population - 20,851,820 (as of 2000) [Texas is the second most populous state in the USA, after California; New York is the third most populous]

Major Industries - petroleum and natural gas, farming (cotton, livestock), steel, banking, insurance, tourism

• Main Rivers - Rio Grande, Red River, Brazos River

• Highest Point - Guadalupe Peak, 8,749 feet (2,667 m) above sea level

• Number of Counties - 254

• Bordering States - Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma

• Bordering Country - Mexico

• Bordering Body of Water - Gulf of Mexico

• Origin of the Name Texas - The Caddo Indians of eastern Texas called their group of tribes the "Tejas," meaning "those who are friends".

• State Nickname - The Lone Star State

• State Motto - Friendship

• State Song - "Texas, Our Texas"

• State bird• Mockingbird

• The official state flag of Texas, called the Lone Star Flag,

• was adopted in 1845 when Texas became the 28th state of the United States.

• The colors represent bravery (red), purity (white), and loyalty (blue).

• The large white star was first used on Texas flags in the 1830's during the battles between Texas and Mexico.

• State Flower• Bluebonnet

Canadian Geography

• Canada is a huge country located in the northern portion of the North American continent

• 3,849,675 sq. mi.=2nd largest country in the world

• Borders Atlantic Ocean, Arctic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, & the United States

• Most of Canada’s population live along the southern border

• Capital of Canada: Ottawa, in the province of Ontario, right above the Great Lakes area

• Provinces & territories: 10 + 3• Alberta, British Columbia, Prince

Edward Island, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Nunavut, Ontario, Saskatchewan, Newfoundland, Northwest Territories, and Yukon Territory

• Land: fertile agricultural plains in south

• Freezing tundra in north• Mild climate in British Columbia• Very cold –rest of country• North Pole – located in territory

of Nunavut

• Mountains:• Tallest mt.= Mt. Logan• Mt. Ranges: Rockies,

Appalachians, Laurentians, Mackenzie

• Lakes = 2 Million Lakes; covers 7.6% of the land area; biggest lake = Lake Huron

• Rivers: longest river Mackenzie River; other important rivers St. Lawrence River, Yukon River, and Columbia River

THE CARIBBEAN

• The Caribbean, often referred to as the West Indies, includes more than 7,000 islands;

• of those, 13 are independent island countries,

• and some are dependencies or overseas territories of other nations.

• In geographical terms the Caribbean area includes

• the Caribbean Sea • all of the islands located southeast of

the Gulf of Mexico, • east of Central America and Mexico, • and to the north of South America.

• in 1492, Christopher Columbus, the Italian explorer began his exploration of the Caribbean, becoming the first European to venture into the area.

• After landing in the eastern Bahamas, Columbus named these islands the Indies, because he thought he had finally reached Asia and the East Indies.

• Numerous explorers followed in his path, then tens of thousands of settlers arrived from the Americas, China, European countries and India. Included in that mix were religious outcasts and a small army of pirates.

Across the Caribbean, slaves from Africa were imported in great numbers to work the sugar and tobacco plantations.

By then the indigenous populations of the islands were in severe decline as exposure to disease and brutal genocide wiped out much of their number.

• Over the years great military powers continually fought for control of the islands

• Finally, a blended mix of African and European cultures and languages transformed this large group of islands and its peoples

• It has become one of the premier tourist destinations on the planet.

• The climate of the region is tropical but rainfall varies with elevation, size and water currents

• Warm, moist tradewinds blow consistently from the east creating rainforest/semidesert divisions on mountainous islands.

• The region enjoys year-round sunshine, divided into 'dry' and 'wet' seasons, with the last six months of the year being wetter than the first half.

• The waters of the Caribbean Sea host large, migratory schools of fish, turtles, and coral reef formations.

• The Puerto Rico trench, located on the fringe of the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea just to the north of the island of Puerto Rico, is the deepest point in all of the Atlantic Ocean.

• Hurricanes, which at times batter the region, usually strike northwards of Grenada, and to the west of Barbados.

• The region sits in the line of several major shipping routes with the man-made Panama Canal

• connecting the western Caribbean Sea with the Pacific Ocean.