North America

–North America includes 23 independent countries, as well as dozens of small island possessions and territories mostly in the Caribbean Sea.–Canada, USA, and Mexico are the largest countries.–Central America is made up of 7 countries that connect North America to South America.

•Canada, the USA, and Mexico are the three largest countries in North America...

Snow coverSnow cover

Though broadleaf temperate forests are found Though broadleaf temperate forests are found along the Gulf Coast, a substantial amount of along the Gulf Coast, a substantial amount of southern pine forest are found in Southeastern southern pine forest are found in Southeastern United States as well.United States as well.

Population map

Which part of the Which part of the United States is the United States is the most heavily most heavily populated?populated?

NightLights

Based upon Based upon satellite satellite measurements measurements of city lights, of city lights, this image is a this image is a map of the map of the urban urban population population density of North density of North America.America.

Most major cities are in level Most major cities are in level areas along an ocean, bay, areas along an ocean, bay, large lake, or navigable riverlarge lake, or navigable river. . 

Highest Elevation: Mt McKinley 20,320 ft.

Lowest Elevation: Death Valley -282 ft.

Arkansas River

Churchill River

Colorado River

Columbia River

Frazer River

Mackenzie River

Mississippi River

Mississippi River Drainage Basin

Mississippi Mississippi RiverRiverThe Mississippi drains most of the The Mississippi drains most of the

area between the Rocky Mountains area between the Rocky Mountains and the Appalachian Mountains. It and the Appalachian Mountains. It runs through two states — runs through two states — Minnesota and Louisiana — and was Minnesota and Louisiana — and was used to define the borders of eight used to define the borders of eight states (the river has since shifted) states (the river has since shifted) — Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, — Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky, Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, Arkansas, Tennessee, and Mississippi — before emptying and Mississippi — before emptying into the Gulf of Mexico about 100 into the Gulf of Mexico about 100 miles (160 km) downstream from miles (160 km) downstream from New Orleans.New Orleans.

• Rivers

• North America has a very large river system in the Mississippi-Missouri-Ohio

• The Missouri and Ohio rivers flow into the Mississippi, thus making them tributaries of the Mississippi

Missouri River

Ohio River

Red River

Rio Grande

Saint Lawrence River

St. Lawrence SeawaySt. Lawrence Seaway

Canal and Canal and dam locksdam locksAt right, a Great Lakes At right, a Great Lakes steamer passes steamer passes through a series of through a series of locks to go from one locks to go from one Great Lakes to Great Lakes to another.another.

The Saint Lawrence Seaway is the system of The Saint Lawrence Seaway is the system of canals that permits ocean-going vessels to travel canals that permits ocean-going vessels to travel from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes as far from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes as far as Lake Superior. The Welland Canal as Lake Superior. The Welland Canal (above)(above) connects Lakes Erie and Ontario, bypassing the connects Lakes Erie and Ontario, bypassing the Niagara Falls on the Niagara River. Niagara Falls on the Niagara River.

All of the boat traffic that flows into or out of Lake All of the boat traffic that flows into or out of Lake Superior must move through the locks of the St. Superior must move through the locks of the St. Mary's River, at Sault Ste. Marie.Mary's River, at Sault Ste. Marie.

Yukon River

AppalachiansAppalachiansA vast system of A vast system of North American North American mountains, partly in mountains, partly in Canada, but mostly Canada, but mostly in the United States, in the United States, extending as a zone, extending as a zone, from 100 to 300 from 100 to 300 miles wide, running miles wide, running from Newfoundland from Newfoundland and Labrador, and Labrador, Canada, 1500 miles Canada, 1500 miles south-westward to south-westward to central Alabama in central Alabama in the United States.the United States.

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Blue Mts.

Tuscarora Mts.

Jacks Mts.

Tussey Mts.

Bald Eagle Mts.

Lewistown

South Mts.

Juniata R.

Rocky Rocky MountainsMountains

Commonly defined to Commonly defined to stretch from the stretch from the Liard River in British Liard River in British Columbia, down to Columbia, down to the Rio Grande in the Rio Grande in New Mexico. The New Mexico. The mountains can also mountains can also be considered to run be considered to run to Alaska or Mexico, to Alaska or Mexico, but usually those but usually those mountains are mountains are considered to be considered to be part of the entire part of the entire American cordillera, American cordillera, rather than part of rather than part of the Rockies.the Rockies.

• The Rockies are young scamps that haven’t faced the extra 320 million years of erosion that the Appalachians have suffered and so are much taller.

Rocky Mountain SeptemberRocky Mountain September

The range runs parallel to the Pacific coasts of California, Washington, and Oregon for 4,500 miles in the United States and extend north into Canada for about 1,000 miles and south into Mexico for about 800 miles.

They are the series of They are the series of mountain ranges that mountain ranges that stretch along west stretch along west coast of North America coast of North America from Alaska to Mexico. from Alaska to Mexico. They are also known as They are also known as the the Pacific CordilleraPacific Cordillera..

Pacific Coast RangesPacific Coast Ranges

Canadian Canadian CordillerasCordilleras

Canadian Shield

The Canadian Shield, also known as the Precambrian Shield The Canadian Shield, also known as the Precambrian Shield or Laurentian Plateau, covers about half of Canada as well or Laurentian Plateau, covers about half of Canada as well as most of Greenland and part of the northern United as most of Greenland and part of the northern United States; an area of 1.7 million square miles.States; an area of 1.7 million square miles.

Precambrian rocks exposed on Earth's surface are Precambrian rocks exposed on Earth's surface are often highly weathered. This portion of the often highly weathered. This portion of the Canadian Shield is about 2.5 billion years old.Canadian Shield is about 2.5 billion years old.

The Eastern Lowlands

• Flat level land by the eastern and Gulf coastal areas.

The brown area along the coast is lowlands.

Great PlainsGreat PlainsThe broad expanse The broad expanse of prairie which lies of prairie which lies east of the Rocky east of the Rocky Mountains in the Mountains in the United States of United States of America and America and Canada.Canada.

Great Plains

In the Prairies ecozone, rivers and streams are slow moving, usually with muddy bottoms. There are few lakes, but many marshes and small shallow ponds.

•The Great Plains cover the center of the continent.

prairie

The prairie biome is a The prairie biome is a plant community plant community dominated by grasses dominated by grasses and non-grassy herbs and non-grassy herbs with some woody with some woody shrubs and occasional shrubs and occasional trees.trees.

Temperate grasslands are characterized by hot summers and cold winters. Evaporation rate is high, so little rain makes it into the rich soil.

Mid-grass prairie near Manhattan, KansasMid-grass prairie near Manhattan, Kansas

Great Plains grasslandsGreat Plains grasslands

Great Lakes

The The Great Great LakesLakes

L. Michigan

L. Superior

L. Huron

L. Erie

L. Ontario

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Milwaukee

Chicago

Detroit

Convection

Lake Effect

EvergladesFlorida EvergladesFlorida Everglades

Everglades National Everglades National ParkPark

Florida Florida EvergladesEvergladesA A subtropical

marshland located in the southern portion of the U.S. state of Florida. Much modified by agricultural development in central and southern Florida, the Everglades is the southern half of a large watershed arising in the vicinity of Orlando known as the Kissimmee River system.

Alaska’sDenali

The Alaskan The Alaskan denali denali is a treeless is a treeless tundra with only tundra with only mosses and lichen mosses and lichen vegetation in the vegetation in the summer, and summer, and covered with snow covered with snow the rest of the the rest of the year. year.

Denali glacier

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At the left-center of the picture is North America's At the left-center of the picture is North America's highest peak, the 20,320 foot summit of Mt. highest peak, the 20,320 foot summit of Mt. McKinley. It's also known as Denali (the Great McKinley. It's also known as Denali (the Great One). To the west is Mt. Forager (17,400 ft), and in One). To the west is Mt. Forager (17,400 ft), and in the foreground are several of the dozens of large the foreground are several of the dozens of large glaciers emanating from the Alaska Range. glaciers emanating from the Alaska Range.

This This unusually unusually clear clear wintertime wintertime aerial aerial photo photo shows a shows a portion of portion of the Alaska the Alaska Range in Range in south south central central Alaska.Alaska.

Alaska wildlife

The Brown Bear The Brown Bear (right)(right) lives lives throughout the North throughout the North American continent, American continent, particularly in the particularly in the colder climes.colder climes.

Arctic birds converge Arctic birds converge along the islandsalong the islands

The southern part of the Denali tundra gives The southern part of the Denali tundra gives way to the hardy trees of the taigaway to the hardy trees of the taiga

Taiga (or Boreal Forests) Taiga (or Boreal Forests) represent the largest represent the largest terrestrial biome. terrestrial biome. Occurring between 50Occurring between 50°° and 60and 60°° north latitudes, north latitudes, boreal forests can be boreal forests can be found in the broad belt of found in the broad belt of Eurasia and North Eurasia and North America. At left is the America. At left is the hardy jack pine species hardy jack pine species common in the poor, common in the poor, sandy soils, mostly in sandy soils, mostly in Canada.Canada.

TaigaTaiga

Moosemoosemoose

Central America and the Caribbean Islands are also part of North America

Rain forest

Tropical rain forests are mainly Tropical rain forests are mainly the product of climatic interactions, the product of climatic interactions, particularly temperature and rainfall. particularly temperature and rainfall. They occur where They occur where monthly temperature monthly temperature of 20 - 28of 20 - 28°°C combines C combines with an annual with an annual rainfall of 1.5 -10m, rainfall of 1.5 -10m, evenly distributed evenly distributed throughout throughout the year.the year.

Central Americanrain forest

The tropical rain forest is a The tropical rain forest is a forest of tall trees in a forest of tall trees in a region of year-round warmth region of year-round warmth with an annual average of with an annual average of 50- 260” of rain. These 50- 260” of rain. These forests belong to the forests belong to the tropical wet climate grouptropical wet climate group..

drawing