Transcript Chapter 5 “A Land of Contrasts” - AAA Geography

Chapter 5
“A Land of Contrasts”
United States and Canada
Ch. 5.1 “Land and Resources”
• U.S. and Canada
occupy 4/5 of North
America
• Culturally known as
Anglo America
• Large land mass +
abundance of
resources = high
probability of econ.
success
Varied Landforms
•
Eastern Lowlands (Coastal
Plain)
Appalachian Mtns. (highlands)
Interior Lowlands
•
•
1.
2.
•
Great Plains
Canadian Shield
West
–
–
1. Rocky Mountains
2. Continental divide
–
3. Sierra Nevada & Cascades
•
Islands
–
–
–
1. Canadian (Arctic)
2. Aleutian (Alaska)
3. Hawaiian (Pacific)
Islands of Canada
Rocky Mtns.
•Continental Divide: point where
rivers flow E and W.
Oceans
1.
2.
•
•
•
Pacific
Atlantic
Arctic
Gulf of Mexico
Hudson Bay
Waterways
• The Great Lakes
• Mississippi River
• Mackenzie River:
Canada’s
longest river
Land and Forests
• U.S. is the world’s
largest food exporter
• Most Agricultural land
is found in plains and
river valleys
• Large forest areas
– ½ Canada
– 1/3 U.S.
Minerals and Fossil Fuels
• Both US and Canada have large supplies of
both
• This allowed both to industrialize rapidly
5.2 “Climate and Vegetation”
• U.S. has more climate zones than Canada
• Colder Climates
– Arctic Coasts of Alaska and Canada
• Permafrost – permanently frozen ground
• Moderate Climates
– N. Central and N. Eastern U.S. and S. Canada
– Prevailing Westerlies: NW U.S.- winds that blow
from West to East.
• Wet but mild winters
Great Plains
Differences in Climate and
Vegetation
1. Milder Climates
•
Southern States: mild temp + adequate
rainfall = long growing season
2. Dry Climates
•
Great Plains and Northern parts of Great
Basin, less than 15 in. of rain per year
3. Tropical Climates
•
Hawaii and Southern Florida
•
Everglades: swamp land that covers 4,000 sq.
mi.
Effects of Extreme Weather
• Thunderstorms
• Tornados
• Blizzards
Cold air from
Canada
Warm air from
Gulf of Mexico
5.3 “Human Environment
Interaction”
Settlements Alter Land
• 1st Settlers
– Nomads: people who
move from place to
place
– Probably came from
Asia on land bridge
known as Beringia.
– Most settled near
coastline, rivers and
streams.
Agriculture Alters Land
• Settlements become
permanent after
agriculture becomes
primary source of
food.
– Both countries are
leading exporters of
agriculture
Building Cities
• Montreal
– Canada’s 2nd largest
city
– Major Port
– Below 32° 100 days
out of year
• As consequence many
retail centers
underground
• Los Angeles
– US 2nd largest city
– Rapid population leads
to problems
• Smog
• Inadequate H²O
supplies
Overcoming Distance
• Land bridges
• Europeans settled on E. coast and cut paths
(Oregon trail) to west.
Waterways
• Erie Canal- Atlantic Ocean to Great Lakes
• St. Lawrence Seaway
– N. Americas most important deepwater ship route
– Uses locks to move ships up & down 600 feet
Transcontinental Railroad
• Trains make crossing
continent easier
• 1st trans continental
RR completed in
1869
• Many natural barriers,
canyons, rivers,
mountains, had to be
overcome
National Highway System
• US
– 4,000,000 miles of
roads
• Canada
– 560,000