Transcript United States and Canada Physical Geo

Physical Geography
of the
United States
and
Canada
Landforms
• Colorado Plateau was eroded by the
Colorado River to form the Grand
Canyon (in Arizona)
• Great Basin includes Death Valley (in
South Eastern California) – the hottest
and lowest place in the U.S.
The Grand Canyon
Death Valley
Mountains
• Mountains form because of collisions
between tectonic plates
• Mountains are on east and west
edges of both United States and
Canada
Rocky Mountains
• Rocky Mountains link the U.S. and
Canada – from New Mexico to Alaska
• Dry basins and plateaus found between
the Pacific Ranges and the Rocky
Mountains
Basin
The Pacific Ranges
Mount Stuart is a massive rocky pyramid that
utterly dominates the view from Longs Pass.
Canadian Shield
• Eastern Mountains include the Canadian
Shield and Appalachian Mountains
• Canadian Shield is a gigantic core of rock
that anchors North America
• It makes up the eastern half of Canada
and North Eastern United States
Appalachian Mountains
• Appalachian Mountains extend from
Quebec to central Alabama
• Coastal lowlands are east and south
of the Appalachian Mountains
The
Great
Plains
Great Plains
• Located east of the Rocky Mountains
• Extends 400 miles across center of
United States
• Grasses, very little trees, ideal for
farming, little change in elevation
Islands
United States’ Islands
• Manhattan Island - at the mouth of
the Hudson River
- a major world economic center
• The Hawaiian Islands – were
formed by volcanic mountains in
Pacific Ocean
Manhattan Island
Canada’s Islands
• Newfoundland, Prince Edward
Island, Cape Breton Island
– in the East
• Vancouver Island – in the West
Vancouver Island
Water
• In North America, the high ridge of the
Rockies is called the Continental Divide.
– A divide is a high point or ridge that
determines the direction that rivers flow
– Some rivers have their headwaters, or
source, in the Rockies
– Many tributaries, or brooks, rivers, and
streams, flow into these rivers
Rivers
• Mississippi River is North America’s
longest river.
- it runs from Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico
• St. Lawrence River is one of Canada’s
most important rivers.
- it links the cities of Quebec, Montreal, and
Ottawa
Fall Line
• The Fall Line marks the place where the
higher land of the Piedmont drops to the
lower Atlantic Coastal Plain
• Along the line, rivers become rapids and
waterfalls
• Cities of Philadelphia, Baltimore, and
Washington D.C. are along the fall line
• Niagara Falls (along US/Canadian border) is
used for hydro-electric power
The Piedmont
Niagara Falls