Download presentation
Presentation is loading. Please wait.
1
U.S. & Canadian Geography
The Physical Aspect
2
Landforms
3
W. Mountains, Plains, & Plateaus
Pacific Range Sierra Nevada, the Cascades, the Coast Range, & the Alaska Mt. McKinley Highest Continental Peak 20,320 feet high Rocky Mountain Link U.S. Canada 3000 Miles Long Run from New Mexico to Alaska
4
…Continued Columbia Plateau Lies between Pacific & Rocky Mt. ranges
Formed by ancient lava flows Features Mesas Grand Canyon 6000 ft deep at its deepest Formed by erosion of the Colorado River
5
…Continued The Great Basin The Great Plains Death Valley
300 to 700 miles across Elevation up to 6000 feet Slopes 10 ft per mile toward the Mississippi Grasslands
6
Eastern Mountains & Lowlands
Appalachian Mountains Oldest continental mountain range 1500 miles long Quebec to Alabama Canadian Shield “Anchors the Continent” Found in Canada and the Northeastern U.S. Eventually descends into the Hudson Bay
7
Islands Hawaiian Islands Greenland Volcanically formed
8 main islands and 124 smaller islands Greenland Continental Island Territory of Denmark World’s largest island, 840,325 square miles
8
…Continued Major Canadian Islands Manhattan Island
Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island Manhattan Island New York City Found at the mouth of the Hudson River World economic center
9
Water Systems
10
Rivers Continental Divide Determines river flow for the Continent
East of the Divide Flows toward Arctic Ocean, Hudson Bay, or Atlantic Ocean West of the Divide Flows toward the Pacific Ocean
11
…Continued Mississippi 2,350 miles from Minnesota to the Gulf
Drains 1.2 million square miles 31 states and 2 Canadian provinces affected One of the worlds busiest commercial waterways
12
Other Water Forms Niagara Falls Border between the U.S. and Canada
Horseshoe & America Falls Major source of hydroelectric power
13
Lakes & Other Waterways
Glacial Lakes Great Bear Lake & the Great Slave Lake The Great Lakes Erie, Huron, Michigan, Ontario, & Superior St. Lawrence Seaway connects lakes to the ocean Center for industry
14
Water System Terms Headwaters: the source of a river
15
…Continued Tributaries: smaller rivers and streams that converge into a larger river.
16
…Continued Fall Line: marks the place where the higher land drops to the lower coast line
17
Natural Resources
18
Fossil Fuels Fuel sources created by carbon deposits compressed over millions of years Petroleum & Natural Gas Petroleum – Texas (1st) & Alaska (2nd) Natural Gas- Texas & Alberta Coal Wyoming, Appalachian Mountains , & British Columbia
19
…Continued Mineral Resources Rocky Mountains
Gold, Silver, & Copper Michigan, Minnesota, & Canadian Shield Iron Ore Canada Potash, Copper, Gold, Silver
20
Timber & Fishing Timber
50% of Canada & 30% of the U.S. remain heavily forested Responsible timber management Renewable resource Replanting Cooperating in protecting the environment
21
…Continued Fisheries found on all coastlines The Great Banks
139,000 square miles Off Canadian sea coast Overfishing Fish populations historically low Canadian ban on Cod fishing Aquaculture Growing economic sector
22
Climate & Vegetation
23
Southern Climates Warm & Wet Climates Humid & Subtropical environment
No dry season due to proximity to the ocean Deciduous forests extend to Louisiana Swamp lands along coastal plains Everglades in Florida Hurricane threats Season runs from late summer to early fall
24
…Continued Warm & Dry Climates Rain shadow affect in the Southwest
Creates desert & arid regions Death Valley reaches temperatures up to 134 degrees F Mediterranean Climate Southern California coast Mild wet winters & hot dry summers Chaparral vegetation Tough & drought resistant Threats of summer wildfires
25
Northern Climates Interior Climates
Distance from oceans creates moderate climates Prairies Great Plains Humid Continental climates (bitter winters/hot summers) Average of inches of rain annually support tall grasslands Violent Spring storms form-Super cells Prairie degradation until the 1930’s Dust Bowl Timber found in mountain regions lower than the “timberline” Chinook Winds
32
…Continued Coastal Climates Temperate rainforests
100+ inches rainfall annually Ferns, lichens, Coniferous forests supported Winter often overcast & rainy Summers are cloudless & cool Found in Northwest
33
High-Latitude Climates
Canadian North & Alaska Winter temps can fall below -70 degrees F Subarctic winds cool Canada & the U.S. Winter blizzard of up to 35mph Newfoundland to the Yukon mix of Coniferous & Deciduous forests Tundra Coastal regions Dwarfed & sparse plant life Ice Caps Up to 2 miles thick
Similar presentations
