U.S & Canada Physical Features

Location• U.S & Canada are in North America• Atlantic Ocean is to the East• Pacific is to the West• Arctic is to the North• Mexico & Gulf of Mexico is to the South• Canada is larger than the U.S

• Canada is 2nd largest country in the world• U.S is 4th largest country• U.S has almost 10x as many people as

Canada

Landforms• Rocky Mountains— the largest

mountain system in North America along the western section of the continent• Extends about 3,000 miles

• Along the spine of the Rockies runs the Continental Divide• Continental Divide—a boundary that

separates the flow of rivers to the oceans• East side of Rockies=rivers flow to

Atlantic, Arctic and Gulf of Mexico• West side of Rockies=rivers flow to Pacific

Continental Divide

Rocky MountainsRocky Mountains

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Landforms• Appalachian Mountains—the second

largest mountain system in Eastern North America• Extends about 1,600 miles becoming the

Laurentian Highlands in Canada

Appalachian Mountains

Landforms• Between Rockies and Appalachian

Mnts• Huge plains area

• Canada=Interior Plains• U.S=Great Plains & Central Plains

• Much of this region has rich soil• Wetter, eastern area-farmers grow crops

like corn & soybeans• Drier, western area-farmers grow wheat &

ranchers raise livestock

Interior Plains

Great Plains Central

Plains

The Great PlainsThe Great Plains

Special Features of the Unites States• West of the Rockies=plateaus & basins

• Largest basin=Great Basin=site of the Great Salt Lake in the west & Death Valley•Death Valley-the hottest, driest place in

North America, located in the southwest

• Sierra Nevada Mntn range in CA• Cascade Mntns in Washington &

Oregon• Glaciers fill many of the valleys

between Alaska’s many mntns• Glacier-huge, slow moving sheets of ice

Sierra Nevada Mnt.

Death Valley

GreatBasin

Special Features of Canada• East of Alaska=The Yukon Territory

• Mount Logan, Canada’s highest peak, is there

• Coast Mnts stretch south along the Pacific, almost to the U.S border

• Interior Plains—central North America, Southern Canada, just above the U.S border

• East of Interior Plains=Canadian Shield= region of ancient rock covered by a thin layer of soil that covers about ½ of Canada=few people live there

YukonTerritory

Mt. Logan

Interior Plain

Special Features• Southeast of Canadian Shield=St.

Lawrence Lowlands=home to more than ½ of Canada’s population• Region produces 1/3 of Canada’s crops• Region=Canada’s manufacturing center

Major Bodies of Water• Great Lakes—group of 5 large lakes in

central North America• World’s largest group of freshwater lakes• Lakes Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie &

Superior• Lake Michigan=only great lake that lies

entirely in U.S• Melting ice from ancient glaciers formed

Great Lakes• The Great Lakes Important waterways in

U.S & Canada• Shipping on Great Lakes helped industry to

develop in both countries

The Great LakesThe Great Lakes

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MH

EO

Major Rivers• Canada has 2 major rivers

• Mackenzie River— country’s longest river• Forms in the Rockies & flows north into the

Arctic Ocean

• St. Lawrence River— Eastern Canada, connects the Great Lakes to the Atlantic•One of North America’s most important

transportation corridors• Transportation corridor—route by which

people can travel by foot, vehicle, rail, ship or airplane

Mackenzie River

St. LawrenceRiver

Major Rivers• U.S major rivers

• Mississippi River—U.S’s largest river that flows south from Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico

• Ohio & Missouri Rivers are tributaries of the Mississippi•Tributary— a stream that flows into a larger

river or body of water

• Colorado River—River that starts in Colorado River that starts in Colorado and flows 1450 miles into the northwestern part of and flows 1450 miles into the northwestern part of Mexico. Mexico.

• Lake Mead was created because of Hoover dam.Lake Mead was created because of Hoover dam.

Mississippi River

Colorado River

Missouri River

Ohio River

MississippiRiver