North America

World Geography

105

North America Facts:• North America is the third largest continent in the world.

• North America covers an area of about 9,540,000 sq mi.

• North America covers about 4.8% of the planet's surface.

• Mexico City, Mexico is the largest city in North America.

• Mount McKinley, in Alaska, is the tallest point on the continent at 20,322 ft.

• The longest river in North America is the Mississippi River.

• North America was named after the explorer Americo Vespucci.

• North America is the only continent that has every kind of climate.

Climates of North America

Coniferous ForestThese regions have cold, long, snowy winters, and warm, humid

summers; well-defined seasons, at least four to six frost-free months. Coniferous forests consist mostly of conifers, trees that

grow needles instead of leaves, and cones instead of flowers.

Temperature-40°F to 68°F, average summer temperature is 50°F

Precipitation12 to 24 inches of rain per year

Deciduous ForestTemperate deciduous forests are most notable because they go through four seasons. Leaves change color in autumn, fall off in the winter, and grow back in the spring; this adaptation

allows plants to survive cold winters.

Temperature-30°F to 86°F, yearly average is 56°F, hot summers, cold winters

Precipitation30 to 60 inches of rain per year

Alpine/Mountain ClimateThis region is found in mountain ranges all over the world

and usually usually above 10,000 ft.   The Alpine has unique seasons, with its "winter" lasting about 7 months. Little plant

and tree growth due to poor soil and growing conditions.

Temperature-37°F to 54°F, yearly average is 36°F, luke-warm summers, freezing cold winters.

Precipitation8- 12 inches of rain per year

Mediterranean ClimateA climate typical of most of the lands in the Mediterranean Basin,

and is a particular variety of subtropical climate. The climate is characterized by warm to hot, dry summers and mild to cool, wet

winters and usually occur on the western sides of continents.

Temperature37°F to 92°F, yearly average is 58°F, dry and hot summers, cool and moist winters

Precipitation10-20 inches of rain per year

RainforestThere are two types of rainforests, tropical and temperate. Tropical

rainforests are found closer to the equator and temperate rainforests are found farther north near coastal areas. The tropical rainforest is a

hot, moist biome where it rains all year long.

Temperature68°F to 77°F, must remain warm and frost-free

Precipitation79-390 inches of rain per year

GrasslandGrasslands are generally open and continuous, fairly flat areas of grass. They are often located between temperate forests at high

latitudes and deserts at subtropical latitudes. The height of grass correlates with the amount of rainfall it receives. Temperate

grasslands have cold winters and warm summers with some rain.

Temperature-20°F to 86°F, yearly average is 50°F, cold winters and warm summers with some rain.

Precipitation20-35 inches of rain per year

TundraAlmost no trees due to short growing season and permafrost;

lichens, mosses, grasses, sedges, shrubs. Tundra is the coldest of the biomes and also receives low amounts of

precipitation, making the tundra similar to a desert.

Temperature-40°F to 62°F, average summer temperature is 37°- 60°F

Precipitation6 to 12 inches of rain per year

DesertDesert biomes are the driest of all the biomes and receive very little

rainfall. Temperatures in the desert can change drastically from day to night because the air is so dry that heat escapes rapidly at night. Some desert plant species have a short life cycle of a few

weeks that lasts only during periods of rain.

TemperatureAverage of 100°F (day), average of 25°F (night)

Precipitation10 inches of rain per year

North America Physical Features

• Rocky Mountains

• Cascade Mountains

• Appalachian Mountains

• Sierra Nevada

• Laurentides

• Sierra Madre Occidental

• Sierra Madre Oriental

North America Physical Features

• Lake Michigan

• Lake Superior

• Lake Ontario

• Lake Huron

• Lake Erie

North America Physical Features

• Hudson Bay

• Labrador Sea

• Baffin Bay

• Beaufort Sea

• Arctic Ocean

Major Rivers of North America