Physical geography of north America Mrs. Minks World Geography & Cultures

U.S. & Canada: A region? North America land of immigrants First peoples, ancestors of Native Americans, came from Asia In 1500s immigrants from Europe arrived Later others came from Africa, Asia, & Latin America Many made this home by choice Others forced to come as exiles or slaves

United States and Canada Stretch from Pacific to Atlantic Mountains frame Western and Eastern edges Central region of vast plains Dark, fertile soil Almost all climates, from tundra to desert to tropical wet, can be found

Appalachian Mountains Physical Geography Plains and Plateaus Lakes and Rivers Mountains Natural Resources Appalachian Mountains

Pacific Ranges Sierra Nevada Cascade Range Coast Range Alaska Range All caused by tectonic plate collisions Alaska Range

Rocky Mountains Link the US and Canada More than 3,000 miles from NM to AK

In between the Pacific Range and Rocky Mountain Range Dry basins Plateaus Columbia Plateau formed by lava Eroded Colorado Plateau Majestic Grand Canyon Great Basin

East of the Rockies Great Plains 300 to 700 miles across the center of the region Stretch to Mississippi River

East of the Mississippi Land rises into the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains Appalachians are North America’s oldest mountains

Rockies and Appalachians

Islands Oceanic islands are volcanic Hawaii – 8 major and 124 smaller islands Continental islands are unsubmerged parts of continental shelf Greenland, world’s largest island

Rivers Continental (or Great) Divide – high ridge of the Rockies Divides determines direction rivers flow East of Continental Divide waters flow toward Arctic & Atlantic Oceans, Gulf of Mexico West of Divide waters flow to Pacific Ocean

Mississippi River One of North America’s longest rivers Begins in Minnesota as a stream so narrow you can jump across it Reaches a width of 1.5 miles as it empties into Gulf of Mexico

Great Lakes Glacial dams created Canada’s Great Bear Lake and Great Slave Lake Other Great Lakes made by glacier gouging at central section of continent

Natural Resources Fossil fuels Minerals Petroleum and natural gas TX and AK rank 1st and 2nd for petroleum reserves Coal mined in Appalachians, Wyoming, and British Columbia Minerals Rocky Mountains yield gold, silver, & copper Iron ore in Minnesota and Michigan

Timber & Fishing Timber vital resource for US & Canada Fishing Forests cover about 33% of US, 34% of Canada Renewable source if…. Fishing Essential to region’s economy

Climate & Vegetation Very diverse Wet & dry, bitterly cold, cool & wet

Southern Climates Warm and Wet climates Warm and Dry climates Humid subtropical in SE; long, muggy summers, mild winters Wetlands and swamps (Everglades) Last summers hurricanes common Warm and Dry climates Between Pacific Ranges and Rocky Mountains Deserts (Death Valley)

Northern Climates Interior Climates Coastal Climates Great Plains – bitterly cold Prairies – tornadoes common Coastal Climates Lots of rain, overcast winters, cool summers

High Latitude Climates Subarctic with frigid winters (Canada, Alaska) Winter blizzards Inhospitable for most plants Few people live in these areas (Yukon Territory)

Why Geography Matters: Story of a Hurricane August 23 – 24, 2005: Tropical depression forms over Bahamas, becoming Tropical Storm Katrina August 25: Katrina becomes category 1 hurricane before making landfall in Florida August 26 – 28: Hovering over Gulf of Mexico, Katrina grows to category 5 August 29: Katrina destroys towns in Louisiana and Mississippi

Why Geography Matters: Story of a Hurricane Katrina was born from a cluster of thunderstorms near the Bahamas. Like other hurricanes, it formed from high humidity, light winds, and water temperatures of at least 80°F. Katrina became the largest hurricane of its strength to ever hit the U.S. With 125 mph winds, gusting to 215 mph, and a 34-foot storm surge, Katrina had the energy of 10,000 nuclear bombs.

Hurricane Classification Category Wind Speed Storm Surge (above normal tide) 1 74-95 mph 4-5 feet 2 96-110 mph 6-8 feet 3 111-130 mph 9-12 feet 4 131-155 mph 13-18 feet 5 Above 155 mph Above 18 feet

Hurricane Katrina

The human toll Thousands left battered, displaced, and homeless Official death toll: 1,833 But months later more than 4,000 people were still unaccounted for Many still missing

Exit Ticket Why might people not want to leave their homes before a hurricane hits? Why might people choose to rebuild homes in areas often affected by hurricanes?