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

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

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

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

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

6. In Between Landforms Dry basins and plateaus fill area between Pacific Ranges and Rockies – Why? –rain shadow effect from Pacific Ranges

7. In Between Landforms Great Basin Region: area of low land surrounded by mts. –Great Basin, Mojave, Sonoran, & Chihuahuan Deserts

8. In Between Landforms –Death Valley: hottest & lowest (282 ft. below sea level) place in N. Am. dancing rocks phenomenon

9. In Between Landforms Columbia Plateau- –Created by lava seeping thru cracks Flood basalt –Eventually part of crust sank into space left by lava

11. In Between Landforms Colorado Plateau- –Created by tectonics and erosion (Colo. River) –Grand Canyon @ southern end –Walls as steep as 6,000 ft

12. 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

13. 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)

15. Rockies in Alberta, Canada

16. Continental Divide Divide = high point or ridge that determines the direction that rivers flow –E - toward Arctic Ocean & Atlantic Ocean –W - into the Pacific Ocean

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

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

19. 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 300-700 miles across center of region –“Breadbasket” of the US (Wheat Belt) *depends on source*

20. Interior Landforms High Plains: primarily W of the 100th meridian –W of meridian= 10-20 inches of rain (semi- arid); good for rangeland Rain shadow from Rockies –E of meridian= 20+ inches of rain

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

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

24. 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.)

25. Exposed Precambrian bedrock

26. 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

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

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

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

32. 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

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

34. 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

35. 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)

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

37. Resources Timber –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