NORTH AMERICA: Physical Features Chapt 4, Sect 1 1. Where in the world are the United States and Canada located? The United States and Canada are located in North America, with Canada north of the U.S. 2. What are the main landforms of the U.S. and Canada? The main landforms of the U.S. and Canada are the Rocky Mountains, the Appalachian Mountains, and the Central/Interior Plains. Other landforms include the Grand Canyon, Death Valley, the Great Basin, and the St. Lawrence Lowlands. 3. What are the major bodies of water in the U.S. and Canada? The U.S. and Canada are surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico, Mexico, the Pacific Ocean, Hudson Bay, and the Arctic Ocean. Other major bodies of water inside the U.S. and Canada include the Great Lakes (Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, and Superior), the Mississippi River, the Ohio River, the Missouri River, the St. Lawrence River, and the MacKenzie River. Continental Divide boundary formed by the Rocky Mountains that separates rivers/water flowing west to the Pacific Ocean and rivers/water flowing east to the Atlantic Ocean glacier a huge, slow moving sheet of ice transportation corridor a route used for transporting people and goods tributary stream that flows into a larger river Rocky Mountains largest mountain system in North America; located in western U.S. and Canada Appalachian Mtns. second largest mountain system in North America; located in eastern U.S.; known as Laurentian Highlands in Canada Death Valley hottest place in North America Great Lakes world’s largest group of fresh water lakes St. Lawrence River major Canadian river that links the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean Mississippi River largest river in the U.S. (Mackenzie River is the longest river in North America) NORTH AMERICA: Physical Features Chapt 4, Sect 1 United States Land Forms Bodies of Water Rocky Mountains, the Appalachian Mountains, and the Central Plains, the Grand Canyon, Death Valley, and the Great Basin Atlantic Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico, the Pacific Ocean, the Arctic Ocean, the Great Lakes (Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, and Superior), the Mississippi River, the Ohio River, and the Missouri River Canada Rocky Mountains, the Laurentian Highland, the Interior Plains, and the St. Lawrence Lowlands Atlantic Ocean, the Pacific Ocean, Hudson Bay, and the Arctic Ocean, the Great Lakes (Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, and Superior), the St. Lawrence River, and the Mackenzie River. Nuggets: Alaska’s Mount McKinley is the highest mountain in North America; Mt. Logan is the highest mountain in Canada. Canada is the second largest country in the world; the U.S. is the fourth largest country in the world. The U.S. has ten (10) times the population of Canada. The Rocky Mountains stretch 3000 miles in western North America; the Appalachian Mountains (Laurentian Highlands in Canada) stretch 1600 miles in eastern North America. Between the Rocky Mountains and the Appalachian Mountains are the Great/Central Plains in the U.S. and the Interior Plains in Canada. The plains of North America are the largest grassland area of the world. They have rich, alluvial soil due to floodingbmy the many rivers in this area. West of the Rockies (between the Rockies and the Cascades Mountains in Washington/Oregon and the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California) lies the Great Basin (where Salt Lake City is located). Snow and ice cover much of northern North America; glaciers fill many of the valleys between the mountains. Most of Alaska’s population lives along the southern coast. East of the Interior Plains in Canada is the Canadian Shield, a region of ancient rock covered by a thin layer of soil that covers about half of Canada. The St. Lawrence Lowlands, along the St. Lawrence River, is home to more than half of Canada’s population and much of its farming and manufacturing. Melting ice from glaciers formed the Great Lakes (Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, Superior). Only Lake Michigan is completely inside the U.S.; the other four lakes are shared by both the U.S. and Canada. Mackenzie River, the longest river in North America, forms in the Canadian Rockies and flows north to the Arctic Sea. Locks and canals make the Great Lakes navigable. Mississippi River is called “Father of Water” by Native Americans; the St. Lawrence River is often called the “Mother of Canada.” ___________________________________________________________________________ SUMMARY: The U.S. and Canada have a wide variety of unique physical features, including mountains, farmlands, great lakes, and mighty rivers.