USA/Canada Physical Feature Notes 6th Grade Geography

Landforms

Arctic Lowlands Made up of a series of islands located in northern Canada. Ground stays frozen most of the year. Very few people live there.

Queen Elizabeth Islands A series of islands located between the Arctic Lowlands and Greenland. All together, the islands have a population of less than 400 people.

Canadian Shield Also called the Laurentian Plateau. Stretches from north of the Great Lakes to the Arctic Ocean. It covers over half of Canada.

Interior Plains Located in both Canada and the United States. The land in this area is typically good for farming. Western edge runs along the Rocky Mountains.

Rocky Mountains Runs through both the United States and Canada. Largest mountain system in North America. Located in the western regions of both the United States and Canada.

Coast Mountains A major mountain range in the Pacific Coast Ranges. Located in along the coast of western Canada.

Mackenzie Mountains Located in both the Yukon Territory and Northwest Territory. Named in honor of Canada’s second Prime Minister Alexander Mackenzie.

Appalachian Mountains Second largest mountain system in North America. Runs along the eastern region of the United States. Much of the mountains have lush vegetation.

Hudson Bay Lowlands Area between the Canadian Shield and Hudson Bay. Climate is determined by the level of water in Hudson Bay.

Labrador Peninsula Large peninsula in eastern Canada. Bordered by the Hudson Bay, the Hudson Strait, the Labrador Sea, and the Gulf of St. Lawrence.

Water

Baffin Bay Located between Baffin Island and Greenland. Most parts of the year boats are not able to navigate this body of water due to the ice coverage and/or icebergs.

Davis Strait Named for explorer John Davis. It is famous for its fierce tides that range from 30 to 60 feet. Located near the southern tips of Baffin Island and Greenland.

Labrador Sea Formed when the North American Plate and the Greenland Plate separated. 2/3 of the sea is covered in ice.

Atlantic Ocean East of both Canada and the United States. Second largest of the world’s oceans. Covers approximately 20% of Earth’s surface.

Pacific Ocean The largest of the earth’s oceans. Covers 1/3 of the earth’s surface. Currently shrinking due to plate tectonics. West of Canada and the US.

Bering Sea Bordered by Alaska and Russia. Considered to have one of the best ecosystems to support marine life.

Bering Strait Body of water between Russia and Alaska. About 53 miles wide.

Lake Superior Largest of the Great Lakes and largest freshwater lake. Bordered by Ontario, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan.

Lake Michigan The only Great Lake that is located entirely in the US. Second largest Great Lake according to water volume. “Michigan” comes from an Ojibwa word meaning “great water”.

Lake Ontario Ontario, Canada’s most populated province, was named for it. Bordered by Ontario and New York. Serves as an outlet to the Atlantic Ocean through the St. Lawrence River.

Lake Erie The outflow from the lake provides hydroelectric power to Canada and the U.S. as it spins huge turbines at Niagara Falls. It is the shallowest of the Great Lakes.

Lake Huron The 2nd largest Great Lake and 3rd largest freshwater lake in the world. Named after the Huron people who lived in the surrounding area.

Mississippi River Largest river system in North America. The name came from an Ojibwa word meaning “great river”. Runs through 10 states and was used to help form state borders. Runs from Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico.

St. Lawrence River Connects the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean. Drains into the Gulf of St. Lawrence.

Gulf of St. Lawrence The world’s largest estuary. The outlet of the Great Lakes from the St. Lawrence river to the Atlantic Ocean.

Yukon River Runs through Alaska and the Yukon Territory. The Yukon Territory was named after the Yukon River.

Gulf of Alaska The entire shoreline of the Gulf is a rugged combination of forest, mountain, and a number of tidewater glaciers. It is the generator of storms that drop snow and ice on Alaska.

Beaufort Sea Located north of Alaska, the Yukon Territory, and the Northwest Territory. The sea is characterized by severe climate and is frozen over most of the year.

Hudson Bay Large body of saltwater in northeastern Canada. It is largely frozen over from mid-December to mid-June. Surrounded by the Hudson Bay Lowlands.