Landforms and Natural Resources

Physical Geography of

North America – A Land of Contrasts

U.S. and Canada are bound together by both physical geography and cultural heritage as well as strong economic and political ties

Both rank among the largest in the worldBoth are rich in natural resources

Fertile soils, ample supplies of H20, vast forests and large deposits of a variety of minerals

Popular with immigrants from around the world

Landforms and Resources

Many and Varied Landforms

Eastern Lowlands Flat, coastal plain along

the narrower Atlantic coast from the Northeast to Florida

Offers many excellent harbors

Gulf Coastal Plain is much broader from Florida to Texas

Low plateau – called the Piedmont (rolling hills) – connects the lowlands to the mountains

Runs north to south from Alabama into Canada

Contain several other mountain ranges w/in (Catskill, Blue Ridge, Great Smoky Mountains)

Varied LandformsAppalachian Highlands

Interior Lowlands Mainly level lands flattened

by huge glaciers 1000’s of years ago Includes lowland, rolling

hills, thousands of lakes and rivers + some of the most fertile soil

Divided into 3 sub-regions: Interior Plains –

Appalanchains to 300 miles west of Mississippi

Great Plains – largely treeless area up to 4,000 ft.

Canadian Shield – rocky, mainly flat area covering 2 million sq. mi.

Rocky Mtns – Massive & rugged Relatively young - 80 million

years old – not eroded like Apps

Continental Divide – highest point of the Rockies that splits rivers flowing east and west

Sierra Nevadas & the Cascade Range run parallel to Pacific coastline Highest peak is Mt. McKinley

20,320’ Steep cliffs, deep canyons and

lowland desert areas called basins

Varied LandformsMtn. Plateaus & Basins

The Islands Canada’s northernmost

lands are islands near the Arctic Circle 3 islands – Ellesmere,

Victoria & Baffin – are only smaller than Greenland

U.S. - Aleutian Islands - volcanic, rugged and treeless - off of Alaska and Hawaii – lush, tropical – both reside outside of continental U.S.

Oceans and Waterways Atlantic, Pacific, Artic and

Gulf of Mexico Great Lakes – Superior,

Michigan, Huron, Erie and Ontario

Lands and Forests Minerals and Fossil Fuels

Gives U.S. & Canada means to industrialize

U.S. = world’s biggest consumer of energy resources Canada’s exports to energy

to U.S.

Varied Landforms

Natural Resources