GEOGRAPHY Chapter 5: Geography of North America

THE LAND  Landforms: Collisions between plates has caused several mountain ranges to form. (Plate Tectonics)  Basins/Plateaus between the mountain ranges. (See Diagram 131)  Mountains:  West - Cascades, Sierra Nevada, Alaska Range, The Rocky Mountains  East – Appalachians  Older and worn down by erosion and weathering

THE LAND  Rain Shadow causes dry basins between Ranges. (See pg. 131)  Great Plains- area between the Rockies and the Mississippi. Breadbasket of the nation.  Islands- Hawaii, Manhattan, Northern Canada

WATER SYSTEMS  Rivers- Mississippi, Colorado, Missouri, Rio Grande, Columbia, Hudson, etc.  Divide- high point that determines direction of flow.  Headwater- Source  Tributaries- Smaller rivers that join together.  Fall line- farthest navigable point up a river. (See pg. 133)

Map of the 7,000 rivers that feed into the Mississippi

WATER SYSTEMS  Lakes:  Great Lakes, Salt Lake, Lake Tahoe, Crater Lake. Created How? (Glacier, Volcano, etc.)

RESOURCES OF NORTH AMERICA  Natural Resources  Fossil Fuels- Decaying organic matter found in the crust. (Produced by time, pressure and heat.)  Petroleum (Canada), Natural Gas (Texas)  Why are we so dependent on Petroleum?  It is used in many products!!!

NATURAL RESOURCES  Minerals - Gold/Silver, Copper, Iron Ore, Iron, Coal  Mining Techniques- Underground, Strip/Open pit.  Timber  33% of US and 50% of Canada. Reforestation efforts?  Fishing  Grand Banks- richest fishery in the world.  How much fish do you eat?  Aquaculture = Fish

CLIMATE AND VEGETATION

CLIMATES  Southern Climates- (2 Types) Warm and Wet, Warm and Dry  Warm and Wet Climate- (humid subtropical) Southeast US has hot/humid summers and mild winters. Deciduous forests, swamps and wetlands.  Example- Everglades  Warm and Dry Climate- (Desert or Mediterranean) usually caused by a rain shadow. This climate has hot/dry summers and mild/dry winters. Vegetation- grasses, low shrubs, some hardwoods.  Example- Death Valley

CLIMATES  Northern Climates- (2 types) Interior, Coastal  Interior- Far from a large body of water, Greater range of temps- Hot summers, cold winters (latitude will determine Temps), less precipitation (10-30 inches). Some Steppe climates along leeward side of Rockies.  Vegetation- grasslands with scattered trees.  Example- Great Plains  Coastal- (Marine west coast climate) Ocean currents and Wind bring moist air. Coastal mountains force air upward, causing rain (100 inches or more). Cool summers, rainy winters. Vegetation- ferns, mosses, coniferous trees.  Example- Seattle, Vancouver.

CLIMATES  High-Latitude Climate  Large parts of Canada and Alaska have Sub-Arctic Climates. Little direct Sun causes cold average Temps. Short Cool Summers, LONG cold Winters. Some winter temps average below zero degrees. Vegetation- Tundra, Mixed forests (along coasts) Blizzards are a common hazard.  Example- Yellow knife- (average winter temp- -10 degrees)  *Greenland- icecap climate with some coastal tundra.