Chapter 5-1 pgs USA and Canada

Map of the USA

Facts about the USA Capital: Washington, D.C. Largest city: New York City 19,006,798 (area) Population est. 309,770,000 Area - 3,794,101 sq mi The Interstate Highway System extends 46,876 miles

The Geography of the USA – Extreme points of the United States: Highest: Mount McKinley (Denali), Alaska at (20,322 ft) Lowest: Death Valley, California at (−282.2 ft) Longest River: The Mississippi River 2350 miles Largest Lake (all inside the USA): Lake Michigan 22,300 sq mi

USA and its Territories

Appalachian Mountains The range is mostly located in the United StatesUnited States 100 to 300 miles wide The highest of the group is Mount Mitchell in North Carolina at 6,684 feet which is the highest point in the United States east of the Mississippi River.Mount MitchellNorth CarolinaMississippi River

Appalachian Mountains Old, short, and Weathered covered with vegetation Rounded tops Was the “Western” edge of the 13 Colonies

The Rocky Mountains stretch more than 3,000 miles The range's highest peak is Mount Elbert located in Colorado at 14,440 feetMount ElbertColorado The Rockies vary in width from 70 to 300 miles

The Rocky Mountains Young, tall, and sharp peaks The Continental Divide is located in the Rocky Mountains and designates the line at which waters flow either to the Atlantic or Pacific Oceans.Continental Divide AtlanticPacific

Death Valley

Mt Denali Used to be called Mt McKinley Native American for "The High One" in Alaska is the highest mountain peak in North America and the United States, with a summit elevation of 20,322 feet

The Great Lakes

Superior, Michigan, Huron, Ontario, Erie Formed by glaciers The largest Freshwater system in the world You can take a large ship from the Atlantic Ocean to Minnesota using the St Lawrence Seaway

Niagara Falls Located on the Niagara River, which drains Lake Erie into Lake Ontario, the combined falls form the highest flow rate of any waterfall in the world vertical drop of more than 165 feet

The Great Lakes The Great Lakes contain roughly 22% of the world’s fresh surface water This is enough water to cover the 48 contiguous U.S. states to a uniform depth of 9.5 feet The Great Lakes coastline measures approximately 10,500 miles Can change the weather with Lake Effect

The Lake-effect snow is produced during cooler atmospheric conditions when cold winds move across long expanses of warmer lake water, providing energy and picking up water vapor, which freezes and is deposited on the leeward shores.