North America
Chapter 5
Physical Geography
Section 1
Landforms and Resources
Landscape Influenced Development
 The U.S. and Canada
occupy 4/5 of the continent
of North America;
 Anglo America: U.S. and
Canada are both former
British colonies; therefore,
most people speak English.
 U.S. and Canada have
strong political and
economic ties with one
another.
Vast Land and Abundant
Resources
 Canada is the 2nd largest country in land mass
and the U.S. is third.
 1/8 of the land surface on earth.
 Rich in natural resources: fertile soils, large
supply of water, forests, and large deposits of a
variety of minerals.
 The amount of resources have attracted
immigrants from around the world and helped
both to become global economic powers.
Varied Landforms
 U.S. and Canada have all the major types of landforms
 They share mountain chains in both the east and the
west, and they also share interior plains.
Eastern Lowlands and Interior
Lowlands
 The Eastern Lowlands are flat, coastal plains that run
along the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico.
 The Interior Lowlands includes a terrain of lowlands,
rolling hills, lakes and rivers, and some of the world’s
most fertile soils.
 Interior Plains – extend from Appalachian to Missouri
River
 Great Plains – extend from Missouri River to Rocky
Mountains
 Canadian Shield – vast, flat area around Hudson Bay
Canadian Shield
Great Plains
Appalachian
Highlands
 West of the coastal plain
 Green and Catskill Mountains
 Blue Ridge and the Great Smoky
Mountains
 Appalachian Mountains – one of
the two major mountain chains
in the eastern United States and
Canada, extending 1,600 miles
from Newfoundland south to
Alabama
 Run North to South
 More than 400 million years old
The Western Mountains, Plateaus, and
Basins
 Rocky Mountains – run
3,000 miles from Alaska to
New Mexico
 80 million years old
 Continental Divide – the line
of the highest points along the
Rockies
 Separates rivers that flow
eastward from those that
flow westward
 Earthquakes are frequent in
this area
 Highest Peak in North America
– Mt. McKinley in Alaska
The Appalachian Mountains and the
Rocky Mountains
 The Appalachian are 400 million years old
 They have been eroded by the wind and rain
 The top of the mountains are more rounded because of the
erosion
 The Rocky Mountains are only 80 million years old
 They have not been eroded by the wind and rain as much
 The top of the mountains are more pointed because of the lack
of time and erosion
The Islands
 Canada’s Islands are the northern islands: Ellesmere,
Victoria and Baffin
 The U.S.’s Islands are the Aleutians, which are in
Alaska, and the Hawaiian Islands
Oceans and Waterways
 Three oceans: Atlantic, Arctic, and
Pacific
 Both Canada and the U.S. have
large rivers and lakes
 Provide transportation,
hydroelectric power, fisheries,
irrigation, and freshwater
 Great Lakes: Huron, Ontario,
Michigan, Eerie, and Superior
 Mississippi-Missouri-Ohio
River System: North America’s
longest and busiest inland
waterway
 Mackenzie River: longest river
in Canada that crosses over the
Northwest Terrritories
Land, Forests, Minerals, Fossil Fuels
 Fertile Soil – helps to make North America the lead food
exporter
 Large forests provide lumber and other products
 Canadian Shield – iron ore, copper, nickel, uranium, and
gold
 Appalachian Mountains and Great Plains – Coal
 Gulf of Mexico – oil, natural gas
Section 2
Climate and Vegetation
Climate Similarities
 The U.S. has more climate zones
than Canada
 Arctic coast is tundra with some
permafrost – permanently frozen
ground
 Rockies and Pacific ranges are
highland: colder with little to no
vegetation
 North central, northeast U.S., and
southern Canada are humid
continental
 The Pacific Coast of North America
is a marine west coast climate
Differences in Climate
 The U.S. has milder climates because most of the states are
located south of the 40 degrees N latitude
 The Southern states and central and southern California
 The U.S. has parts of the country that are a dry climate
 The Great Plains and the Southwest
 The U.S. also has tropical climates
 The islands of Hawaii and South Florida
The everglades – swampland (tall grasses and
scattered trees) covering 4,000 square miles, locate in
Florida
Effects of Weather
 Tornado Alley – located in the
Great Plains – Warm air clashes
with cold air from Canada which
creates strong thunderstorms,
tornadoes, and blizzards
 Hurricanes in the Gulf and
Atlantic in the summer and fall
 Heavy rains cause flooding along
the Mississippi
 Heat and a lack of rain can cause
droughts, dust storms, and
wildfires
Section 3
Human-Environment Interaction
Building Cities
 Where a city is built and how
it grows depends a great deal
on physical setting
 Factors that can affect the
suitability of a site are
landscape, climate, weather,
and the availability of natural
resources
 Water is a major factor in
how a city is built and
developed
Montreal, Quebec
 Canada’s second largest city
 Major Port
 Located on a large island
where the St. Lawrence
and Ottawa rivers meet
 The French built a
permanent settlement in
1642
 Severe winters – large areas
developed underground
including a network of shops
and restaurants
Los Angeles, California
 Thousands were attracted
to the mild climate and
the ocean in the early
1900s
 Became the second
largest city in the U.S. in
1980
 Rapid growth brought
pollution, inadequate
water supplies, and
development on
earthquake-ridden
land
Trails and Inland Waterways
 When the Europeans colonized, they started on the
coast and worked their way in
 Oregon and Sante Fe Trails
 Built canals along the Mississippi and Ohio
rivers
 Erie Canal – first navigable waterway between
the Atlantic and the Great Lakes
 St. Lawrence Seaway – deepwater ship route
built by U.S. and Canada
 Gated off sections called locks raise and lower
the water and the ships
 Large ocean vessels can get to industrial and
agricultural areas
 Promotes international trade
Transcontinental Railroads and the
National Highway Systems
 Transcontinental – from the Atlantic coast to the
Pacific coast
 First continental railroad in the U.S. – 1860; first
one in Canada – 1885
 Railroads move goods and people; promote
economic development and national unity
 Automobiles influenced the National Highway
system
 The U.S. has 4 million miles of roads while Canada
has 560,000