HOLT
World
Geography
Today
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HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON
HOLT
CHAPTER 7
World
Geography
Today
Natural Environments
of North America
Section 1: Physical Features
Section 2: Climates and Biomes
Section 3: Natural Resources
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HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON
Section 1
Physical Features
HOLT
World
Geography
Today
Major landform regions of the United States and
Canada generally stretch from north to south.
Going From East to West:
 eastern coastal plain
 piedmont
 Appalachian Mountains
 interior plains
 Canadian Shield
(north of interior plains,
around Hudson Bay)
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 Rocky Mountains
 Continental Divide (Rivers)
 intermountain region
 Pacific Coast region
 Alaska and Hawaii
HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON
HOLT
Section 1
World
Geography
Today
Physical Features
Bodies of water:
 Major river systems (East and West)
East Rivers:
 Mississippi, Missouri, and Ohio Rivers
 St. Lawrence system
 Mackenzie River system
Western rivers:
 Colorado, Columbia, Fraser, Yukon
 Major lakes
 Great Lakes
 Northern Canada: Athabasca, Great Slave, Great Bear
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HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON
HOLT
World
Geography
Today
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HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON
Section 2
Climates and Biomes
HOLT
World
Geography
Today
Climates
 tropical wet and dry—southern tip of Florida, parts of
Hawaii
 humid subtropical—most of southeastern U.S.
 humid continental—northeastern U.S., southern and
southeastern Canada
 semi-arid—Great Plains, parts of intermountain
region
 highland—Rocky Mountains
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HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON
Section 2
Climates and Biomes
HOLT
World
Geography
Today
Climates (continued)
 marine west coast—southeastern Alaska to northern
California
 Mediterranean—southern and central California
 tropical humid—parts of Hawaii
 tundra—far northern North America
 subarctic—most of Canada and Alaska
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HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON
Section 2
Climates and Biomes
HOLT
World
Geography
Today
Biomes
 temperate forest—southeastern U.S. and much of the
U.S. and Canadian west
 semiarid and desert—much of southwestern U.S.
 grassland—interior North America
 boreal forest—about half of Canada and Alaska
 arctic tundra—northernmost region
 tropical—southern Florida and Hawaii
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HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON
HOLT
World
Geography
Today
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HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON
HOLT
Section 3
World
Geography
Today
Natural Resources
Farming, forest, and water resources:
 Farming
 wide variety of soils and climates
 abundant production of crops and livestock
 Forests
 leading producers of wood and paper
 major U.S. forests in southeast and northwest
 Water
 plentiful supplies (Except SW U.S.)
 irrigation and hydroelectric power
 coastal waters rich in marine resources
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HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON
Section 3
Natural Resources
HOLT
World
Geography
Today
Energy resources are abundant in both
the U.S. and Canada.
 coal—good supply in both countries; U.S. has a large
percentage of world total
 oil and natural gas—also plentiful, but U.S. uses
more oil than it produces
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HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON
Section 3
Natural Resources
HOLT
World
Geography
Today
Mineral resources are abundant in both
the U.S. and Canada.
 Canada is rich in nickel, zinc, and uranium—
especially in the Canadian Shield—and also produces
lead, copper, gold, and silver.
 U.S. has valuable deposits of iron, copper, lead, zinc,
gold, and silver.
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HOLT, RINEHART AND WINSTON