North American landforms and Resources

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Chapter 5

• North American landforms and Resources
• Section 1

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The Gulf-Atlantic Plain

• The flat coastal plain that runs along the
  Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. It goes
  from the Northeast part of the United States to
  Florida and then to Texas.

3
Appalachian Mountains

• In the eastern portion of North America are the
  Appalachian Mts. They run from Newfoundland to
  Alabama.

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Great Plains

• West of the interior plains is the Great Plains.
  These plains are a treeless area or grasslands
  that rise to about 4,000 feet in elevation.

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Canadian Shield

• North of the Great Plains is the Canadian Shield.
  It is a rocky, flat region that covers nearly
  2,000,000 square miles around the Hudson Bay.

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Rocky Mountains

• West of the Great plains are the Rocky Mountains.
  The Rockies are a series of ranges that extend
  3,000 miles from Alaska to New Mexico. They are
  80 million years younger then the Appalachian Mts.

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Continental Divide

• Is the line of the highest points in the Rocky
  Mountains. It marks the division between rivers
  flowing eastward and westward.

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Great Lakes

• Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, Superior (HOMES).
  With the St. Lawrence River becomes one of the
  worlds most important shipping routes.

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Mississippi River

• It runs almost the length of the United States.
  It is part of North Americas longest and busiest
  river system.

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Mackenzie River

• Canadas longest River

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Forests

• Both the US and Canada have huge forests. Both
  countries are major producers of lumber and
  forest products. The pacific Northwest in the US
  is major supplier of US Timber.

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Resources

• Both countries have abundant resources but the
  United States still needs to import oil to meet
  its needs.

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Section 2

• Climate and Vegetation

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Permafrost

• Much of Canada has a subarctic climate. This
  climate very cold winters and short mild summers.
  Much of the land has vast forest of needle leaf
  trees. Some areas have permafrost or permanently
  frozen ground

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Tropical

• In the United States only Hawaii and southern
  Florida have a tropical climate. Hawaii with
  tropical wet and S. Florida tropical wet and dry.
• Canada does not have any tropical areas.

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Mediterranean Climate

• This is the climate of central and southern
  California coast. Summers are dry and warm.
  Winters are rainy and mild. Long growing season
  and irrigation make this area ideal for
  vegetables and fruit growing.

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Climates in the US

• The US has so many climate zones because the
  countrys north and south reach extends very far.

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Humid continental

• The upper part is in Canada and the lower part is
  in the United States. Much of it is forested
  especially deciduous trees and needle leaf trees.
  The western part of the region has temperate
  grasslands.

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Prevailing Westerlies

• This is winds that blow from west to east

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Everglades

• Huge swampland in southern Florida

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Section 3

• Human-environment Interaction

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Nomads

• The first inhabitants of North America were
  Nomads. These are people who move from place to
  place.

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Beringia

• The nomads probably came from Asia over a land
  bridge that once connected what is now Siberia
  and Alaska. This land bridge was called Beringia.

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Early Settlers

• Some of the obstacles that early settlers in
  North America faced as they moved across the land
  included severe climates, enormous
• Distances, large bodies of water, and treacherous
  landforms.

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Montreal

• The 2nd largest city in Canada. It has a very
  harsh winter. To make it more livable the people
  there went inside and underground. Montreal has
  developed a network of shops and restaurants
  underground.

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Los Angeles

• 2nd largest city in US. Has a year round mild
  climate, good location of pacific coast. Many
  people moved here in the 20th century. This
  brought problems such as air pollution,
  inadequate water supply, and construction on
  earthquake possible lands.

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St Lawrence Seaway

• North Americas most important deepwater ship
  route, connecting the Great Lakes with the
  Atlantic Ocean.

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Locks

• Is a section of a waterway with closed gates
  where water levels are raised or lowered

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Railroads

• Railroads first became transcontinental in 1867.
  Canada trans-Canadian railway was completed in
  1885.

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Highway System

• The trans-Canada Highway is Canadas prime
  roadway. It stretches over 4800 miles across
  Canada. The US interstate Highway system is
  46,000 miles of network of highways that
  crisscross the US.