1. Chapter 3: Geography and History Essential Questions: What are the significant physical features of North America?, How did the United States and Canada develop as nations?, and How have various cultures influenced Mexico’s history?

2. Section 1: Geography 1.1 Physical Geography Main Idea: North America has a wide variety of landforms, bodies of water, and climates. ❖ At the center in the 48 contiguous United States-all connected in one landmass.

3. Highlands, Plains, and Plateaus ❖ Generally land elevation in North America rises from east to west. ❖ East of the Rocky Mountains are the Great Plains-flat areas of land that make up most of the center of North America ❖ Plateaus-flat lands of high elevation-located between mtns. in the western U.S. and central Mexico

4. Highlands, Plains, and Plateaus

5. Rivers and Lakes ❖ Major cities developed along numerous rivers in the U.S. ❖ The St. Lawrence River provides a waterway from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes. ❖ Great Lakes-largest body of fresh water in the world.

6. Four of the Great Lakes form a physical boundary between the U.S. and Canada.

7. The Great Lakes

8. The Rio Grande serves as a border between the U.S. and Mexico.

9. Rio Grande

10. A Variety of Climates ❖ North America includes temperate, or mild climates as well as extremes of cold and heat. ❖ Parts far north are covered by glaciers- large masses of ice and packed snow.

11. 1.2 The Great Plains

12. Main Idea The Great Plains of the United States and Canada are a rich agricultural region with valuable energy resources. This region runs through the center of the continent. Crops grown here feed all of North America with enough left for export-send to other countries for aid or profit.

13. Farming on the Great Plains ❖ The soil is rich. ❖ The climate is temperate and usually has enough rain. ❖ Periods of time with below normal rainfall cause droughts. ❖ 1930s witnessed a record drought. ➢ Plowing native prairie grasses led to soil erosion ➢ Caused the “Dust Bowl”.

14. Commercial Agriculture, or the business of producing crops to sell is popular in the Plains region.

15. Rivers like the Missouri and the Mississippi transport goods from the Great Plains to lowland areas.

16. Energy Resources ❖ Major deposits of oil and natural gas. ❖ Commercial drilling in the Gulf is dangerous. ❖ 2010 human error caused an explosion on a drilling structure, it resulted in a major oil spill. 2010 ❖ Wind energy can be used on the plains.

17. 1.3 Western Mountains and Deserts Main Idea: The resources of the western United States and Canada are rich in some areas and limited in others.

18. Mountains and plateaus cover a lot of the western U.S. They create natural barriers to the western coast.

19. Landforms and Climate ❖ Main landform in the west is the cordillera-a system of several mountain ranges that run parallel to one another. ➢ Rocky Mountains and Sierra Nevadas ❖ Between the Rockies and the Sierra Nevada is the Great Basin-a depression in the surface of the land. ➢ desert, dry and sandy with little rainfall or plant life. ➢ Grand Canyon.

20. Resources and Conservation ❖ Great Basin and Mountain ranges around it have mineral deposits. ❖ Areas of southwestern Canada have natural gas. ❖ This area also uses dams-a barrier that controls the flow of water and can help solve the problem of water shortages. ❖ Hoover Dam on the colorado River.

21. Hoover Dam

22. 1.4 Mexico’s Mountains and Plateaus Main Idea: The mountains and plateaus of Mexico are important to the country's economy.

23. Landforms and Climate ❖ Two peninsulas: Baja and the Yucatan. ❖ Sierra Madre Mountains running along the side. ❖ Mexican Plateau lies between the two ranges of the Sierra Madres. ❖ Mexico City is the capital-located on the Mesa Central. ❖ It makes up 20% of the population of Mexico. ❖ Some volcanic activity in this area. ❖ Rich soil helps with abundant crops like sugarcane, corn, and wheat.

24. Northern Mexico sits in the temperate zone and the southern half is in the tropics.

25. On the Mesa Central, climate is modified, or made less extreme because of elevation.

26. Resources and Agriculture ❖ Mexico’s mtns. hold resources like copper, silver, and zinc. ❖ Richest resource is oil found in and around the Gulf. ❖ 3 million barrels produced each day. ❖ Agriculture is also important. ❖ North grow cotton, wheat, and fruit and raise cattle. ❖ South produces sugarcane, coffee, and tropical fruits. ❖ Rural farms produce only what they need-subsistence farming.