Chapter 5 Landforms and Resources United States & Canada.

Chapter 5Chapter 5

Landforms and ResourcesLandforms and Resources

United States & CanadaUnited States & Canada

Landscape Influenced Landscape Influenced DevelopmentDevelopment

• US & Canada occupy the Central & Northern 4/5 of North America.

• Largest countries in the world – 1st Russia– 2nd Canada– 3rd United States

Landscape Influenced Landscape Influenced DevelopmentDevelopment

• Water that border the US & Canada– Atlantic Ocean (East)– Pacific Ocean (West)– Arctic Ocean (North)– Gulf of Mexico (South)

• US & Canada are– Rich in Natural Resources

US & Canada ShareUS & Canada Share

Landforms:

1. Appalachians & Rocky Mountain Range

2. Interior Plains

Water Bodies:

1. Atlantic, Pacific & Arctic Oceans

2. Great Lakes, Niagara Falls

LandformsLandforms

• The Eastern Lowlands

• The Appalachian Highlands

• The Interior Lowlands

• The Western Mountains, Plateaus & Basins

• The Islands

PlainsPlainsPlainsPlains

Interior lowlands

Interior lowlands

Atla

ntic

Coa

stal

Atla

ntic

Coa

stal

Pla

ins

Pla

ins

Gulf Coastal PlainsGulf Coastal Plains

GreatGreatBasinBasin

Eastern LowlandsEastern Lowlands

• A flat, coastal plain runs along the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico.

• Piedmont– Between plains & Appalachian Mountains– Contains rolling hills & fast-flowing rivers and

streams.

Appalachian HighlandsAppalachian Highlands

• West of the coastal plains

• Gently sloping Appalachian Mountains.

• Begin in Newfoundland to Alabama1. Extend 1,600 miles

2. More than 400 million years old

3. Eroded by the elements

4. 1200 ft - 2400 ft. elevation

Appalachian MountainsAppalachian Mountains

• Contain these mountain ranges:1. Green Mountains

2. Catskill Mountains

3. Blue Ridge Mountains

4. Great Smokey Mountains

Interior LowlandsInterior Lowlands

• Mainly level land covers a huge expanse of North America

• Flattened by huge glaciers thousands of years ago.

• Divided into 3 sub-regions: – The Interior Plains– The Great Plains– Canadian Shield; largest, 2 million sq.miles

Interior PlainsInterior Plains

• 1.Between Appalachian Mts. & Mississippi River

• 2. Known as “America’s Breadbasket” – Most productive soil in the world. – Grows millions of bushels of corn, wheat

• 3. Mississippi Drainage Basin – rivers that drain into Mississippi River

• Ohio River

• Tennessee River

RiversRiversRiversRivers

Hudson R

.

Hudson R

.

Potomac R.Potomac R.

Mississip

pi R

.M

ississipp

i R. Ohio R.Ohio R.

Missouri R

.

Missouri R

.

Arkansas R.

Arkansas R.

Colorado R.

Colorado R.

Columbia R.Columbia R.

Yukon R.Yukon R.

Rio Grande R.

Rio Grande R.

St. La

wre

nce

R.

St. La

wre

nce

R.

Platte R.

Brazos R.

Great PlainsGreat Plains

. Between Mississippi River & Rocky Mountains

• Western part of the Mississippi watershed.

• Contains the Missouri, Platte, Arkansas, & Red Rivers

• Stretches from N. Montana to Central Texas

• Treeless region

The Great PlainsThe Great Plains

The Great Plains

Canadian ShieldCanadian Shield

• Lies farther north

• Rocky & mainly flat

• 1500 ft above sea level

• Around Hudson Bay

The Western MountainsThe Western Mountains

• Massive, rugged Rocky Mountains

• Extends 3,000 miles from Alaska to New Mexico

• Relatively young= 80 million years old

• Peaks more than 12,000 ft

• Highest peak is Mt. McKinley located in Alaska @ 20,320 feet

The Continental The Continental DivideDivide

The Continental The Continental DivideDivide

Line of highest points in the Rockies that marks the separation b/w rivers flowing eastward and westward.

Mountains & PlateausMountains & PlateausMountains & PlateausMountains & Plateaus

App

alac

hian

Mts

.

App

alac

hian

Mts

.

Rocky Mts.

Rocky Mts.

Cas

cade

Cas

cade

Mts

.

Mts

.

Sierra N

evada M

ts.

Sierra N

evada M

ts.

Alaskan RangeAlaskan Range

^ Mt. ^ Mt. WhitneyWhitney

^ Mt. McKinley^ Mt. McKinley

^ Pike’s Peak^ Pike’s Peak

Bodies of WaterBodies of WaterBodies of WaterBodies of Water

Chesapeake Chesapeake BayBay

Great Great Salt LakeSalt Lake

LakeLakeOkeechobeeOkeechobee

Straits of Florida Straits of Florida

Puget sound Puget sound

Great Salt Lake, Utah

Lake Okeechobee, FLLake Okeechobee, FLLake Okeechobee, FLLake Okeechobee, FL

Okeechobee is Swamp Land in Southern Florida

The IslandsThe Islands

• Canada’s northernmost lands are islands riding the icy seas near the Arctic Circle

• 3 islands are:– Ellesmere– Victoria– Baffin

• Islands created by volcanic activity– Aleutian Islands– Hawaiian Islands

ResourcesResources

• US & Canada’s most important industries:– Agricultural– Industrial

Great LakesGreat Lakes

– Superior

– Michigan

– Huron

– Erie

– Ontario

• These lakes & the St. Lawrence river form one of the world’s major shipping routes.

Ocean’s & WaterwaysOcean’s & Waterways

• Mississippi River runs almost the length of the US @ 2,357 miles long.

• Main tributaries - Ohio & Missouri Rivers.

• Longest & busiest river system is Mississippi-Missouri-Ohio

• Canada’s longest river = Mackenzie River flows to Arctic Ocean

Land & ForestsLand & Forests• Land is one of the richest natural resources due

to fertile soil.

• Leading food exporter = North America

• 1/2 Canada & 1/3 of US are covered by woodlands

• Major producers of lumber & forest products

• US has more different trees than Canada b/c of the varied climate.

The American Landscape

Minerals & Fossil FuelsMinerals & Fossil Fuels• Canadian shield has rich deposits of:

– Iron ore– Nickel– Copper– Gold– Uranium

• Coal - Appalachian Highlands & northern Great Plains

• Oil & Natural Gas - Great Plains, Alaska, & along the Gulf of Mexico

Minerals & Fossil FuelsMinerals & Fossil Fuels

• The US is the Largest consumer of energy resources

• 60 % of energy imported from the middle east countries are OPEC

Climate & VegetationClimate & Vegetation

• Most of the US lies in the mid-latitudes

• Climate are moderate

• Canada is colder b/c it lies far north

• Canada & US share similar climates along the joint border

Colder ClimatesColder Climates

• A sub arctic climate (tundra) is along the coast of Alaska & Canada

• Permafrost would be found in Alaska

• Rocky Mountains & the Pacific ranges have highland climate & vegetation.

– See map on page 125

Moderate ClimatesModerate Climates

• A humid continental climate can be found in central & northeastern US & southern Canada.

• Most of Canada’s population is found in the humid continental climate.

Milder ClimatesMilder Climates

• Milder, dry and tropical climates of N. America are found south of 40º latitude.

• Much of the US is located here.

• Most southern states have a humid subtropical climate

• Great plains & northern parts of the Great Basin have Semiarid climate

• Houston has a Humid Subtropical climate

Milder ClimatesMilder Climates

• Southern California has a Mediterranean climate

• Mojave and the Sonoran are large desert areas of the Southwest.

• Only Hawaii and southern Florida have tropical climates.

• Mount Waialeale on Hawaii is one of the wettest spots on earth. It receives about 460 inches of rain per year.

DesertsDesertsDesertsDeserts

Mohave Mohave DesertDesert

Death Death ValleyValley

Great Great BasinBasin

Sonora Sonora DesertDesert

Mojave Desert – 3,000’Mojave Desert – 3,000’Mojave Desert – 3,000’Mojave Desert – 3,000’

Death Valley, CADeath Valley, CADeath Valley, CADeath Valley, CA

3.3 million acres.

95% wilderness.

Climate – Semi-Arid - Arid

Grand Canyon, Arizona

Extreme WeatherExtreme Weather

• An area of extreme weather in the Great Plains is called “Tornado Alley”

• Violent thunderstorms, tornadoes and blizzards are caused by warm air from the Gulf of Mexico meeting the cold Canadian air masses.

SettlementSettlement

• The 1st inhabitants of N. America were Nomads from Asia

• Beringia was a land bridge connecting Siberia & Alaska

• Most early Americans settled along coastlines and near rivers and streams

• About 3000 years ago agriculture replaced hunting & gathering as the primary method of food production

• Early American vegetables like corn, beans, & squash are now food staples around the world.

Building CitiesBuilding Cities

• Early cities built mainly around water.

• Other factors that affect where cities are build include:– Climate – Weather– Landscape – Availability of natural resources

Jamestown established in May 1607

Building CitiesBuilding Cities

• Canada’s 2nd largest city is Montréal, Quebec

• It’s located on a large island where the St. Lawrence & Ottawa rivers meet

• In order to make living easier in here, much of the city has been developed underground

Montréal, Quebec

Building CitiesBuilding Cities

• Los Angeles expanded into valleys & desert like foothills to handle all the people pouring in the area

• Large populations caused air pollution, inadequate water supplies and construction on earthquake-threatened land

• Los Angeles’ metropolitan area spreads over 4,060 square miles.

• Los Angeles settled in 1781 by Spain.

Los Angeles: The City of Los Angeles: The City of Angels?Angels?

Los Angeles: The City of Los Angeles: The City of Angels?Angels?

Overcoming DistancesOvercoming Distances

• Obstacles faced by early settlers in moving across N. America were huge distances, large bodies of water, formidable landforms, & harsh climates.

• Early settlers carved overland trails in order to move inland called: – Oregon trail– Sante Fe Trail– National & Wilderness roads

• They also used inland waterways such as the Mississippi & Ohio Rivers.

Inland WaterwaysInland Waterways

• They built a network of canals to connect bodies of water

• The Erie canal was the 1st navigable waterway b/w the Atlantic & the Great Lakes was built in 1825

• N. America’s most important deepwater ship route—the St. Lawrence Seaway

• It was a joint project of the US & Canada

Great Mississippi Flood, 1993Great Mississippi Flood, 1993Great Mississippi Flood, 1993Great Mississippi Flood, 1993

St. Louis, MO before the flood

St. Louis, MO during the flood

St. Louis, MO after the flood

Mississippi River floods due to weather.

RailroadsRailroads

• Today, the US has the world’s largest railway system

• The 1st transcontinental railroad was completed across the US in 1869.

HighwaysHighways

• The development of automobiles spurred road building.

• The US has about 4 million miles of roads

• Canada has about 560,000 miles of roads

• The Canadians built their roads going East to West to connect principal cities, most people live in the south.

1950 Austin, Texas 1958

HighwaysHighways

• Canada’s primary roadway is called The Trans-Canada Highway & stretches about 4,860 miles

• The US interstate highway system began in the 1950’s and is a network of more than 46,000 miles of roads.