The Physical Geography of North America
SSWG8: The student will describe the interaction of physical and human systems that have shaped
contemporary Canada and the United States
How has the physical geography, such as climate and physical features, affected the development of the
United States and Canada?
SSWG8A: Describe the location of major physical features and their impact on Canada and the United States
SSWG8B: Describe the major climates of Canada and the United States and how they affect Canada and the
United States
SSWG8D: Explain how the physical geography of Canada and the United States contributed to region growth
and development
What are the major landforms that make up North
America?
SSWG8A: Describe the location of major physical
features and their impact on Canada and the United
States
Western Mountains, Plains, and
Plateaus
– Tectonic plate collisions in the
past created a series of sharppeaked mountains called the
Pacific Ranges (Sierra
Nevada, the Cascade, Coast
Range, and the Alaska Range)
– The Alaska Range is where
you find the highest point on
the continent, Mount
McKinley
– The Rocky Mountains also
created as a result of tectonic
activity
– The Rocky Mountains link the
United States and Canada,
from New Mexico to Alaska
Western Mountains, Plains, and
Plateaus
– Dry Basins and plateaus fill
the area between the Pacific
Ranges and the Rockies
– Colombia Plateau in the
north was formed by lava that
seeped from cracks in the
earth
– Colorado Plateau, heavily
eroded, has flat-topped
mesas
– Colorado Plateau is the
location of the Grand Canyon
along the Colorado River
– The Great Basin cradles Death
Valley, the lowest place in the
United States
Western Mountains, Plains, and
Plateaus
– Canada’s plateaus are
colder and narrower than
those in the United States
– East of the Rockies, the
land falls and flattens to
the Great Plains
– The Great Plains reach
elevations up to 6000 ft.
– The plains appear flat, the
land slopes downward to
the Central Lowlands
along the Mississippi River
Eastern Mountains and Lowlands
– East of the Mississippi, the
land rise to the foothills of
the Appalachian
Mountains
– At the edge of the
Canadian plains is the
Canadian Shield (giant
core of rock around
Hudson Bay and James
Bay)
– Rocky land makes up the
eastern half of Canada and
the northeastern United
States
Eastern Mountains and Lowlands
– Appalachian Mountains,
heavily eroded, are the oldest
range in North America
– Extend from Quebec to
central Alabama
– Between the Appalachian
Mountains and the coastal
lowlands is the Piedmont
(wide area of rolling hills)
– Many rivers cut through the
Piedmont, flowing east to the
Atlantic Coastal Plain
– Southeast, the Gulf Coastal
Plain extends toward Texas
Islands
– Islands were created by
geologic forces
– Oceanic islands, like
Hawaii, are volcanic
– Continental islands are
un-submerged parts of
the continental shelf- a
shallow, underwater
platform that forms a
continental border
Islands
– Continental islands
include Ellesmere,
and Baffin Island
– Islands can play an
important economic
role, such as
Newfoundland,
Prince Edward
Island, Vancouver
Island, and New
York’s Manhattan
How has the physical geography influenced the economic
development of the region?
SSWG8D: Explain how the physical geography of Canada and the
United States contributed to regional growth and development
Lakes and Other Waterways
– Large deposits of coal,
iron, and other minerals
near the Great Lakes
favored industrial &
urban development
– Coastal waterways
provide a link between
inland areas and the
coast = important for
economic development
Lakes and Other Waterways
– Great Lakes-St. Lawrence
Seaway system (series of
canals, the river, and
other inland waterways)
link the Great Lakes with
the Atlantic Ocean
– The St. Lawrence Seaway
helped make cities along
the Great Lakes trade
and industrial centers
Fossil Fuels and Minerals
– Abundant supplies of
petroleum and natural gas
– Petroleum found in Texas
and Alaska
– Canada’s petroleum and
natural gas found in
Alberta
– Coal is found in the
Appalachian Mountains,
Wyoming, and British
Colombia
– Rocky Mountains yield
gold, silver, and copper
Fossil Fuels and Minerals
– Canadian Shield- rich in
iron and nickel
– Iron ore in northern
Minnesota and
Michigan
– 33% of world’s potash
(used for fertilizer) is
found in Canada
– Interest in finding new
sources of fossil fuels,
without disrupting the
natural environment
Fossil Fuels and Minerals
– Mining involves heavy
equipment, uses large
quantities of water, &
moves rocks and other
natural materials
– Mining can damage land,
water, and air systems
– Challenge for mining in the
region is to find ways to
remove and process
minerals and metal
resources with the least
disruption to the
ecosystem
Fossil Fuels and Minerals
– Efforts are made to
restore land after the
mining operation is
finished
– Land can be used as
wildlife parks, tree farms
and orchards, public
hunting and fishing
areas, or grazing
livestock
Timber and Fishing
– Timber is a vital resource
for both countries
– Challenge is to harvest
timber responsibly –
must protect and forests
and ecosystems to
sustain the resource
– Efforts to preserve
forests include
replanting trees,
protecting animal
species, and preserving
old growth forests
Timber and Fishing
– Coastal waters of
Atlantic and Pacific
Oceans, and the Gulf of
Mexico are essential for
regional economy
– Important fisheries for
fish, shellfish, and other
sea animals
– Grand Banks off
Canadian coast is one of
the richest fishing
grounds
Timber and Fishing
– Overfishing caused
decrease in fish stocksCanadian government
banned cod fishing
– Countries are working
together to protect
species that are
endanger of being
overfished
– Aquaculture has
become a growing
economic activity
How do the climate regions of North America affect
the United States and Canada?
SSWG8B: Describe the major climates of Canada and
the United States and how they affect Canada and the
United States
Southern Climates
Warm and Wet Climates
– Humid Subtropical in the
Southeast is rainy, long muggy
summers and mild winters
– The southeast borders the
Atlantic Ocean, there is no dry
season
– Deciduous forests extend to
Louisiana, but much has been
cleared for farming along
Mississippi River
– Wetlands & swamps has a
variety of vegetation and
wildlife (Everglades in Florida)
Southern Climates
Warm and Wet Climates
– Late summer and early
autumn, hurricanes can affect
the coastline
– The extreme tip of Florida has
a tropical climate with a
distinct dry season during the
winter
– Hawaii has a tropical wet
climate that support rain
forest vegetation
Northern Climates
Interior Climates
– Humid continental climate
can be found in the Great
Plains region and extends to
northeastern United States
and southeastern Canada
– Cold winters and hot
summers
– Great Plains region get
moisture from winds that
blow north along the Rockies
from the Gulf of Mexico and
cold winds that blow from the
Arctic Ocean
Northern Climates
Interior Climates
– Prairies are treeless expanses
of grasses in the Great Plains
region
– Spring and summer storms
called supercells affect the area
causing many tornadoes
– Areas west of the Great Plains
have a steppe climate that has
a mix of vegetation depending
on elevation
– Steppe climates are transitional
climates between dry desert
climates and humid interior
climates
Northern Climates
Interior Climates
– Rockies and Pacific Ranges
have a highland climate
– Coniferous forests are in the
middle elevations
– Timberline- elevation above
which trees cannot grow, only
lichens and mosses grow
– Chinook- warm dry wind in
early spring blows down the
slopes of the Rockies melting
the snow
Northern Climates
Coastal Climates
– Ocean currents, westerly
winds, and the Pacific
mountains allow coast from
northern California to
southern Alaska to have a
Marine West Coast climate
– Mountains force wind up and
they release moisture
providing the region with
over 100 inches of rain
annually
Northern Climates
Coastal Climates
– Winters are over cast and
rainy, summers are cloudless
and cool
– Ferns, mosses, and coniferous
forests
Northern Climates
High Latitude Climates
– Large parts of Canada and
Alaska have subarctic
climates with frigid winters
– High atmospheric pressure
over Canada spawns the cold
winds that chill much of the
United States during winter
– Winter blizzards are common
in northern North America
Northern Climates
High Latitude Climates
– Band of coniferous forests
found from Newfoundland
into the subarctic Yukon
Territory
– Along Arctic coast is in a
Tundra climate zone
– Area is inhospitable for most
plants and few people live
there
SUMMARY
1) How do location near the coast and prevailing
wind patterns affect climate in the southern
United States?
2) What causes variations in climate and
vegetation in most of the United States and
Canada?
3) Explain how water, wind, and tectonic forces has
influenced the landscapes of the United States
of America and Canada
4) How are lakes and rivers important to economic
development in the United States and Canada?