Transcript wgt_ch07 - Midwest Central High School

World Geography Today
Chapter 7
Natural Environments of North America
Preview
Section 1: Physical Features
Section 2: Climates and Biomes
Section 3: Natural Resources
Chapter Wrap-Up
World Geography Today
Chapter 7
Section 1: Physical Features
Read to Discover
• What are the major landform regions in the
United States and Canada?
• What rivers and lakes are found in the
region?
World Geography Today
Chapter 7
Section 1: Physical Features
Question
What are the various landform regions of
the United States and Canada?
World Geography Today
Chapter 7
Section 1: Physical Features
Landform Regions of North America
Region
Location
Description
Gulf-Atlantic
Coastal Plain
Along the Atlantic Ocean
and Gulf of Mexico
Long coastal plain, begins at
sea level and gradually rises
Piedmont
Alabama to New Jersey
Upland region at the foot of
the Appalachians
Appalachian
Highlands
Alabama to southeastern
Canada
Several ranges, valleys, and
ridges; low, eroded mountains
Interior
Plains
Between Appalachians
and Rocky Mountains
Rolling hills, many rivers
and lakes, productive soils
Interior
Highlands
Missouri, Arkansas, and
Oklahoma
Old, eroded highlands
World Geography Today
Chapter 7
Section 1: Physical Features
Landform Regions of North America
Region
Location
Description
Great Plains
South-central Canada to
Texas and Mexico
High plains, subregion of
interior plains
Canadian
Shield
Arctic Ocean to Atlantic
coast
Ancient rock, heavily
glaciated, little soil
Rocky
Mountains
New Mexico to Canada
Several high and rugged
ranges
Intermountain Between Rockies and
Basins and
coastal mountain ranges
Plateaus
Pacific
Along Pacific coast
Mountains
and Valleys
High plateaus, deep
canyons, isolated mountain
ranges, desert basins
Two mountain ranges
separated by a series of valleys
World Geography Today
Chapter 7
Section 1: Physical Features
Major landform regions of the United
States and Canada generally stretch
from north to south.
Listed from east to west the regions are:
• Gulf-Atlantic Coastal Plain
• Piedmont
• Appalachian Highlands
• Interior Plains
• Canadian Shield
• Great Plains
• Rocky Mountains
• Intermountain Region
• Pacific Coast Region
• Alaska and Hawaii
World Geography Today
Chapter 7
Section 1: Physical Features
Bodies of Water
• Major river systems
•
•
•
•
Mississippi, Missouri, and Ohio Rivers
St. Lawrence system
Mackenzie River system
Western rivers: Colorado, Columbia, Fraser, Yukon
• Major lakes
• Great Lakes
• Northern Canada: Athabasca, Great Slave, Great
Bear
World Geography Today
Chapter 7
Section 2: Climates and Biomes
Read to Discover
• Which climate types are found in the
United States and Canada?
• What are the major biomes of the region,
and where are they found?
World Geography Today
Chapter 7
Section 2: Climates and Biomes
Question
What are the locations of the different
climate types in the United States and
Canada?
World Geography Today
Chapter 7
Section 2: Climates and Biomes
Climate Types of North America
Tropical Humid
Eastern Hawaii
Tropical Wet and Dry
Very tip of Florida, western Hawaii
Humid Subtropical
Southeast United States
Humid Continental
Northeast United States and southeastern Canada
Semiarid
Great Plains, western mountains
Arid
Areas east of Sierra Nevada and Cascades
Highland
Rocky Mountains
Marine West Coast
Southern Alaska through northern California
Mediterranean
Southern and central California
Subarctic
Northern Canada and Alaska
Tundra
Northern Alaska to Newfoundland and Quebec
World Geography Today
Chapter 7
Section 2: Climates and Biomes
Biomes
• Temperate Forest—Southeastern U.S. and much of
the U.S. and Canadian west
• Semiarid and Desert—Much of southwestern U.S.
• Grassland—Interior North America
• Boreal Forest—About half of Canada and Alaska
• Arctic Tundra—Northernmost region
• Tropical—Southern Florida and Hawaii
World Geography Today
Chapter 7
Section 3: Natural Resources
Read to Discover
• What farming, forest, and water resources
are found in the United States and
Canada?
• How rich is the region in energy and
mineral resources?
World Geography Today
Chapter 7
Section 3: Natural Resources
Question
What natural resources can be found in
North America?
World Geography Today
Chapter 7
Section 3: Natural Resources
Resources of North America
Forest
• Large
forests and
tree farms
• Lumber,
newsprint,
pulpwood,
and other
products
• Leading
producers
and
exporters
Water
• Allow for
irrigation
and hydroelectricity
production
• Rich
fisheries
along
coasts
Agriculture Energy Minerals
• Large area
• Good climates for
farming
• Fertile soils
• Provide enough
food to feed
population and
leave a surplus
• Huge coal
reserves
• Major oil
producer,
but still
must
import
• Nickel, zinc,
uranium,
lead, copper,
gold, and
silver in
Canada
• Iron, copper,
lead, zinc,
• Rich in
gold, silver,
natural gas
and other
minerals in
United States
World Geography Today
Chapter 7
Section 3: Natural Resources
• Farming
• Wide variety of soils and climates
• Abundant production of crops and livestock
• Forests
• Leading producers of wood and paper
• Major U.S. forests in southeast and northwest
• Water
• Plentiful supplies
• Irrigation and hydroelectric power
• Coastal waters rich in marine resources
World Geography Today
Chapter 7
Section 3: Natural Resources
• Energy
• Coal—Good supply in both U.S. and Canada;
U.S. has 25 percent of world total; generally
thick deposits located in unpopulated areas
• Oil and Natural Gas—Also plentiful, but U.S.
uses more oil than it produces
World Geography Today
Chapter 7
Section 3: Natural Resources
• Minerals
• Canada is rich in minerals—especially in the
Canadian Shield—and produces nickel, zinc,
uranium, lead, copper, gold, diamonds, and
silver.
• The United States has valuable deposits of
iron, copper, lead, zinc, gold, and silver.
World Geography Today
Chapter 7
Chapter Wrap-Up Understanding the Main Ideas
1. What physical process forms barrier islands? Where are they
found in North America?
2. What evidence of tectonic forces will you find in western areas
of the United States and Canada?
3. What can happen when different air masses come in contact
with one another over the Great Plains?
4. What major factors influence climates in the United States?
How does nearness to the Great Lakes and the Atlantic Ocean
influence the humid continental climate region of the
northeastern United States?
5. About 25 percent of the world’s reserves of which energy
resource are found in the United States?