1. Physical Geography of the U.S. & Canada
Chapter 5 Section 1

4. - U.S. & Canada cover 7 million sq. miles
- 12% of Earth

6. Western Features Pacific Ranges
Formed by colliding plates (Pacific & N.A.)
Sierra Nevada, Cascade Range, Alaska Range, and Coast Mountains (in Canada)

7. Mt. McKinley (Alaska Range) = tallest peak
in N.A. at 20,320 feet

11. Western Features Great California Valley alluvial valley
out produces any other region in fruit & vegetable production

12. Intermontane Landforms
Dry basins and plateaus fill area between Pacific Ranges and Rockies – Why?
rain shadow effect from Pacific Ranges

13. Intermontane Landforms
Great Basin Region: area of low land surrounded by mts.
Great Basin, Mojave, Sonoran, & Chihuahuan Deserts

14. Intermontane Landforms
Death Valley:
hottest & lowest (282 ft. below sea level) place
in N. Am.
dancing rocks phenomenon

16. Intermontane Landforms
Columbia Plateau-
Created by lava seeping thru cracks
Flood basalt
Eventually part of crust sank into space left by lava

18. Intermontane Landforms
Colorado Plateau-
Created by tectonics and erosion (Colo. River)
Grand southern end
Walls as steep as 6,000 ft

19. Hoover Dam Built on Colorado River b/w Arizona and Nevada (1931-1935)
What is purpose of building dam?
to provide irrigation, flood control, and hydroelectric-power

20. Rocky Mountains Formed by collision of N. A. & Pacific plates
Stretch more than 3,000 miles from New Mexico to Alaska
Some peaks are more than 14,000 ft tall
Series of ranges (cordilleras)

22. Rockies in Alberta, Canada

23. Continental Divide
Divide = high point or ridge that determines the direction that rivers flow

24. Rivers Main rivers that have headwaters in Rockies
Colorado, Columbia, Rio Grande, Mackenzie, Missouri

25. Interior Landforms US: between Rockies and Appalachian
Canada: between Rockies and Canadian Shield

26. Interior Landforms Great Plains (aka Interior/High Plains*)
Start at 6,000 ft gradually slope down about 10 ft/mile from W to E
E of Rockies: extend miles across center of region
“Breadbasket” of the US
(Wheat Belt)
*depends on source*

27. Interior Landforms High Plains: primarily W of the 100th meridian
W of meridian= inches of rain (semi-arid); good for rangeland
Rain shadow from Rockies
E of meridian= 20+ inches of rain

29. Interior Landforms
Eastern Interior Plains: region most positively affected by glaciers
Typically east of 100th Meridian
20-40 inches of rain
Mostly flat w/ some rolling hills
Most fertile soil in world: Corn Belt

30. Interior Landforms Interior Highlands Ozarks: Surface is limestone
Sinkholes, caves, and springs

31. Canadian Shield Giant core of bedrock (millions of yrs. old)
Negatively affected by Glaciation: scraped down to bare rock/thin soil
Good soil deposited in Great Plains
Only veg. is forests in south
Great for minerals (ores, gold, silver, copper, etc.)

32. Exposed Precambrian bedrock

33. Eastern Mountains Appalachians: formed 300 million yrs ago
Oldest mts; eroded to 5,000-6,000 ft
Eastern NA plate collided with African plate
From Quebec to central Alabama
Valleys great for agriculture

35. Piedmont & Lowlands Piedmont: E of Appalachians
Plateau region that drops (Fall line) into the coastal lowlands
Many 1st cities originated here: Philadelphia, Richmond, Baltimore, D.C…. WHY?
Rapids/waterfalls = hydroelectric power and blocked from moving inland

37. Lowlands Atlantic Plain- Carolinas, narrower as move North
Gulf Coastal Plain- west toward TX

38. Water
US/Canada wealthy b/c of abundant water- power, transportation

39. Water Mississippi: 2,350 miles Starts as stream in Minnesota
Gets to width of 1 ½ miles & empties into Gulf of MX
Affects all/part of 31 states and 2 provinces
One of world’s busiest waterways

40. Water St. Lawrence River: one of Can. most impt. Rivers Niagara Falls:
From Great Lakes to Atlantic, forms country border
Niagara Falls:
Tourist attraction, and major source of hydroelectric power
Form border of Ontario and NY

41. Water
Glacial Lakes
Great Bear Lake & Great Slave Lake formed by glacial dams
Great Lakes (Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, Superior) formed by glacial gouges
St. Lawrence Seaway- series of canals & rivers
Helped build industry in NE

42. Islands NYC’s Manhattan Island: impt. economic center
Hawaii: volcanic island state, big tourism
Newfoundland, P.E.I., Vancouver I.: Canada’s most impt.
Greenland: world’s largest island, Denmark territory (Alaska + TX)

43. Resources Fuels Minerals
petroleum & nat. gas: TX and Alaska, & Alberta lead
Coal: Appalachians, Wyoming, & British Columbia
Minerals
Gold, silver, copper: Rockies
Iron & nickel: Canadian Shield

44. Resources Timber Fishing Today cover <50% of Canada & 1/3 of US
Conservation of forests and animals is high priority
Fishing
Grand Banks (Can.), Atlantic, Pacific, and Gulf of MX
Cod fishing banned in Grand Banks in ’92 due to overfishing