1. Regional Geography of North America P 160-180
Chapter 6
Regional Geography of North America P

2. Introduction North America is made up of a variety of landscapes
Earth is 4.5 billion years old
Three layers: crust, mantle, and core

3. Earth’s Layers The crust is a thin layer of rock about 5-35 km thick
Broken up into large and small pieces – plates
Under the crust is the mantle which is molten rock known as magma
The centre of the earth is the core that is hot, and dense, and solid in the centre
Heat of the core is responsible for heating the mantle
Magma moves, causing the plates of the crust to move or break

4. Forming of Continents
From 600 to 225 million years ago, the continents of North America, Africa, and Europe were joined
Tectonics created the Canadian Shield 2 billion years ago

5. Fold Mountains
When two plates are pushed together over millions of years, the rock layers crumple up and form fold mountains
e.g. Rocky Mountains and Appalachian Mountains

6. Volcanic Mountains
When the crust breaks while it is folding, molten rock pushes through and creates volcanic mountains
E.g. Canadian Shield and Cascade Mountains

7. Ice Ages Ice Ages eroded geographic features
Prolonged period of cooling about 60 million years ago
By 2.5 million years ago, glaciation of the northern hemisphere widespread
During last ice age ( years ago), glaciers covered most of North America
Glaciers are literally rivers of ice

8. Glaciers in North America

9. Effects of Glaciation Melted water drained into earth’s oceans
Some of the melted water was blocked by debris the glaciers had scraped away
Formed lakes
Deposits of silt laid down  flat, bare land like the prairies
Scraped the rocks bare, leaving very little soil Canadian Shield
Left mounds of debris  hills

10. North American Settlers
Before European settlement, North America was filled with forests, swamps, and deserts
First Nations peoples did not really change the environment much
European settlers to North America felt that the environment should be modified to suit their needs

11. Some final definitions
Topography: the shape of the land
Climate: the prevailing conditions of temperature and precipitations
Vegetation: the plants that grow naturally in an area

12. 8 Geographic Regions of North America
Information taken from Heidi Robinson’s powerpoint on SlideShare

13. Appalachian Region

14. Topography
Travels from Newfoundland through, Maritime provinces through, U.S. as far as Alabama and Georgia
Many different mountain ranges
About 300,000,000 years old
Lots of continual erosion
Consists of fertile plateaus and river valleys
Coal, oil and gas can be found in sedimentary rock

15. Climate Heavily affected by ocean currents
Grand Banks had lots of fish which was the main attraction for European explorers and settlers

16. Vegetation
Mixed coniferous (evergreen) and deciduous (shed leaves annually) trees

17. The Coastal Plains

18. Topography
Extends from Cape Cod along Atlantic coast which includes, Florida then going westward and traveling along Gulf Of Mexico continuing to Mexico
Average elevation is below 200m above sea level
Mostly flat
Swamps and marches that give transportation routes and agricultural land

19. Climate North – cold and snowy winters/hot and humid summers
South – subtropical climate, mild to warm winters
Hurricanes – late summer to early winter

20. Vegetation
Mainly sandy - some natural vegetation has adapted to this type of soil
Lush jungles (in Mexico)
Originally pine forests

21. The Great Lakes – St. Lawrence Lowland

22. Topography includes triangle created by lakes Huron , Ontario and Erie
Smallest of all the geographic regions of North America
Several escarpments (Niagara Falls)
Has two separate parts
Rolling landscape
Created by glaciation

23. Climate Humid continental climate Due to the Great Lakes
Winter – cool to cold
Summer – warm to hot

24. Vegetation Very fertile Maple, Beech, Hickory and Black Walnut trees
Mixed forests – deciduous and coniferous

25. The Interior Plains

26. Topography
Bordered on the east by the Canadian Shield and on the west by the Rocky Mountains
Bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean and to the south by the Gulf of Mexico
Not entirely flat
Gentile rolling hills and deep river valleys
m above sea level on average
Canada’s “Bread Basket of the World”

27. Climate Continental climate In the heart of the continent
Away from the influence of oceans
Climate of extremes
Long hot summers
Cold winters
Little precipitation
In the north the winters are colder and longer, in the south the summers are warmer
Arctic climate in the north with extremely long winters and short summers

28. Vegetation Grasslands in this prairie area
Boreal forest in the northern regions with tundra towards the Arctic

29. The Canadian Shield

30. Topography More than 2 billion years old
Great volcanic mountains that have been levelled by erosion
Geographic foundation of Canada
Only in 2 of the US States
Barren rock left by glaciation
Chaotic pattern of rivers, lakes, swamps and muskeg
About m above sea level on average
Most rivers flow towards Hudson or James Bay

31. Climate
As you travel north the winters get longer and colder, and the summers get shorter and cooler

32. Vegetation Boreal forest covers most of the area
North of the tree line, no trees are able to grow due to the very short growing season, little precipitation and permafrost

33. The Western Cordillera

34. Topography Along the west coast of North America
Range after range of mountains
New mountains not yet worn by erosion
The Rocky Mountains form the continental divide that determines the flow of most rivers

35. Climate Maritime climate West coast is moist and mild
Winters usually above freezing with cooler summers that the interior of the continent
Warm valleys
Rain-shadow

36. Vegetation Varied Forests and deserts
Most of the earths forms of vegetation can be found here

37. The Intermountain Region

38. Topography
Located in U.S. and Canada which falls between the Rocky Mountains, the Cascades and Sierra Nevada
Area of high plateaus
Isolated mountains
Streams and rivers never make it to the ocean (not in all cases)
Lots of cattle ranching

39. Climate Affected by location and elevation
Winters can be cool and wet or hot and dry

40. Vegetation Sparse grasslands to semi-desert or desert plants
Pine forests in the higher elevations

41. The Arctic

42. Topography Combination of lowlands and mountains Flat near the ocean
Mountains in the far north
Mostly covered by glaciers

43. Climate Very severe Very far from the equator
Winter lasts for 10 months at a time
Summer is very short
Actually a desert because of so little precipitation
Area is dominated by permafrost

44. Vegetation Very few life forms Trees cannot grow on the tundra
Small shrubs, mosses and lichen can grow