The United States and Canada Physical Geography

Landforms The U.S. and Canada have several major mountain ranges: The Rocky Mountains The Appalachian Mountains Pacific Coastal Ranges

The Rocky Mountains The Rocky Mountains extend about 3,000 miles from Alaska south to New Mexico. They are younger (80 million years old) and taller than the Appalachian Mountains. The Continental Divide is the line of highest points in the Rockies that marks the separation of rivers flowing eastward and westward.

The Appalachian Mountains The Appalachian Mountains extend about 1,600 miles north to south from Newfoundland in Canada to Alabama. Include the Green and Catskill Mts. In the North and the Blue Ridge and the Great Smoky Mts. In the South 400 million years old Erosion has left gentle sloping ranges

Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plains The flat, low-lying Atlantic Coastal Plain extends from New York all the way south to parts of Florida The Gulf Coastal Plain extends around the Gulf of Mexico in the Southern United States and eastern Mexico. .

Pacific Coastal Ranges A series of small mountain ranges stretch from southern California to Washington. These ranges are low in elevation and right on the coast. They make the coastline rugged and steep. Includes Sierra Nevada and Cascade Mountain range Mt. McKinley in Alaska North America’s highest peak

Area included in Ring of Fire Highly active for earthquakes and volcanoes.

Other Landforms The Canadian Shield Interior Lowlands Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plains Basin and Range Great Plains Grand Canyon

Interior Plains An area that spreads from the Appalachian Mountains to the Mississippi River. This area is mostly flat with rolling hills. Flattened by glaciers Includes rolling hills, lakes, rivers, fertile soil

Great Plains A largely treeless flat area that extends from Canada down to Mexico. Glaciers leveled the land making the soil very fertile and good for farming Climate can be harsh with cold winters and hot summers. This area also gets many tornadoes.

Canadian Shield The Canadian Shield is a rocky, mainly flat area around Hudson Bay. It is part of the Interior Lowlands Covers almost half of Canada Spreads from Great Lakes to Arctic Ocean Only about 25,000 people live in this area (mostly Native people)

Arctic and Gulf Coastal Plains These are flat areas that stretch along the Gulf of Mexico in the south and the Arctic Ocean in the north. The Arctic Coastal Plain is tundra.

Arctic Coastal Plain Includes taiga and tundra Animals living on the Arctic Coastal Plain include wolves caribou. arctic hares, minks, weasels, lemmings, arctic foxes, and polar bears. Seals and walruses can be found near and in the water.

Basin and Range This area is mostly in Nevada and it consists of rocky outcroppings of rock and large depressions. Covers much of the Western U.S. The Mojave Desert (pronounced: mo-hah-vee) is a desert which occupies a significant portion of southeastern and centralCalifornia; southern Nevada, southwestern Utah

Death Valley A desert valley located in Eastern California. Situated within the Mojave Desert, it is the lowest, hottest and driest area in North America --282 feet below sea level Temperature’s at Furnace Creek have hit a record of 134 degrees.

Continental Divide Western Continental Divide is an imaginary line that sits atop a continuous ridge of mountain summits that divide the continent into two main drainage areas. Rain or melting snow on one side (via rivers and streams) flows west to the Pacific Ocean; on the other side, rivers and streams flow northeast to Hudson Bay, Canada, or southeast to the Gulf of Mexico.

Grand Canyon The Grand Canyon was formed by water erosion from the Colorado River. The canyon is 277 miles long and ranges in width from 4 to 18 miles. Most of the canyon is in Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona. See the Grand Canyon skywalk at youtube!

Groups of Islands Hawaiian archipelago - A group of 19 islands and islets in the Pacific Ocean that formed over a hotspot in the earth’s crust. The largest island, Hawaii, has an active volcano. Aleutian Islands - A chain of over 300 small volcanic islands that extend from Alaska to Russia.

North American Waterways Columbia River Missouri River Great Lakes OHIO RIVER Colorado River Rio Grande River Mississippi River

Rivers Some major rivers in the United States are: Mississippi Missouri St. Lawrence Colorado Columbia Rio Grande Ohio River

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the longest river in the United States with a length of 2,340 miles. The river is an important transportation route from the grain producing states of middle America to the Gulf of Mexico.

St. Lawrence River The St. Lawrence River connects the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean. The river has a system of locks that allow large ships to transport loads of minerals and goods. Part of the river serves as the border between Canada and the United States.

Colorado River The Colorado River flows from Colorado to the Gulf of California. The river formed the Grand Canyon by erosion and it is an important source of fresh water in an arid region. (It provides water for seven states.) The Hoover Dam on the river provides electricity for Los Angeles.

Great Lakes Chain of 5 large freshwater lakes; form the largest lake group in the world, covering an area of 95,000 sq miles. Important transportation route for iron ore, steel, petroleum, grain, American automobiles, and much more. The Great Lakes have a total shoreline near 10,000 miles, contain over 350 species of fish, and provide drinking water for over 40 million people.

Columbia River The Columbia River is the fourth largest river in the U.S. and the largest river in the Pacific Northwest. The river has many dams that are used to create hydroelectric power. The dams have impacted the local salmon industry.

Large Bodies of Water The location of the United States, with its Atlantic and Pacific coasts, has provided access to other areas of the world. The Atlantic Ocean served as the highway for explorers, early settlers, and later immigrants. The Pacific Ocean was an early exploration route. The Gulf of Mexico provided the French and Spanish with exploration routes to Mexico and other parts of America. Bodies of water support interaction among regions, form borders, and create links to other areas.

Other Water Features Some other important water features are: Gulf of Mexico Great Lakes Arctic Ocean Pacific Ocean Atlantic Ocean Hudson Bay

Climate Most of the Eastern United States is humid subtropical. This climate zone has a mild winter and hot humid summers. The Northern states are humid continental. They have much colder winters but the summers can still be hot and uncomfortable.

Climate Canada and the United States are in the middle and high latitudes. The most common climates are: Humid Subtropical and Continental Semiarid and Arid Marine West Coast and Mediterranean Tundra and Icecap

Climate Semiarid = Great Plains into the Southwest Arid = Southwest Marine West Coast = Coast of Oregon and Washington Mediterranean = Coast of Southern California Tundra = Northern Canada and Alaska Tropical Wet = Hawaii

The tundra is a flat treeless plain with lichens, shrubs, and some flowers.

The taiga is a coniferous forest that grows in subarctic climates. Only coniferous trees grow because of the Lack of sunlight in the wintertime.