The United States and Canada

Objectives 1. Describe the dominant landforms and natural resources of the United States and Canada Discuss climate and vegetation in the United States and Canada

U.S. and Canada 7 million square miles 12% of the Earth’s land surface

Western Mountains Sierra Nevada Cascade Range Coast Mountains Alaska Range (Mt. McKinley) highest point in North America

Mt. McKinley

http://www.kodak.com/US/en/corp/features/onTheRoad/ Tour of the United States

Rocky Mountains

Canadian Rockies

Grand Canyon

Death Valley: hottest and lowest place in the United States

Great Plains

Great Plains Continued

Canadian Shield

Canadian Shield

Appalachian mountains

Appalachian Mountains

Islands Manhattan Hawaiian Islands Newfoundland Prince Edward Island Cape Breton Island Vancouver Island

Hawaii

Vancouver Island

Vocabulary Divide: High point or ridge that determines the direction that rivers flow East of the Continental Divide, waters flow towards the Arctic Ocean, Hudson Bay, the Atlantic Ocean, and the Mississippi River System into the Gulf of Mexico West of the Continental Divide, waters flow towards the Pacific Ocean Headwaters: starting point or source of a river Tributaries: Smaller rivers, streams, creeks, that connect with larger rivers.

Rivers Colorado Rio Grande Mackenzie Mississippi St. Lawrence

North American Rivers

Mississippi River

Vocabulary Fall Line: Eastern United States where the higher land of the Piedmont drops into the Coastal Plain (see Georgia) Rapids and waterfalls

Great Lakes THE FIVE GREAT LAKES NAME THE FIVE GREAT LAKES. NAME THE STATES THAT BORDER EACH LAKE. DO THE LAKES BORDER ANY OTHER COUNTRY?

Answer

Natural Resources Freshwater Fuel: Petroleum and Natural Gas Minerals: Gold, Silver, and Copper Timber Fishing Fisheries: places for catching or growing fish

Climate and Vegetation 2/3 of Canada and Alaska: High Latitudes 1/3 of Canada and 48 U.S.: temperate latitudes Hawaii: tropical

Northern Subarctic Tundra

Western Marine West Coast Steppe and Desert Climate (leeward side of western mountains) Highland: Rocky Mountains and Pacific Ranges Vocabulary: Timberline: the elevation above which trees do not grow. Chinook: Warm, Dry winds that blow in the Rockies that melts snow fall during the late winter and early spring.

Interior Climates Humid Continental Climate Bitterly cold winters Hot summers Vocabulary: Prairies: naturally treeless expanses of grasses, spread across the continent’s middle portion. Supercells: collection of thunderstorms that bring tornadoes, funnel clouds, and other unpleasant weather to the midwest.

Eastern Climates Humid Subtropical Climate: Long, muggy summers Mild winters Vocabulary: Hurricanes: rain storms with over 74 plus mile an hour winds that brings devastation to coastal communities throughout the SE part of the United States. Ex: Hurricane Katrina, Ike, Hugo, Camille. Blizzard: snow storm that blows more than 35 mph and results in poor visibility.

New Orleans: Before and After Katrina

http://images. google. com/imgres. imgurl=http://www. hurricanekatrina http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.hurricanekatrina.com/images/hurricane-katrina-category-5.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.hurricanekatrina.com/&usg=__zb45AgaUmiQRd3B5d8_8qufgBzc=&h=479&w=550&sz=51&hl=en&start=1&um=1&tbnid=hcLS_wVreYIq1M:&tbnh=116&tbnw=133&prev=/images%3Fq%3DHurricane%2BKatrina%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Dactive%26sa%3DG%26um%3D1

Hurricane Katrina Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yd5WreHxPg&feature=related http://www.meted.ucar.edu/hurrican/strike/