Geography of North America This region is bounded

Geography of North America

This region is bounded by the Atlantic Ocean on the east and the Pacific Ocean on the west.

The Arctic Ocean lies to the north of this region.

The Gulf of Mexico lies to the south.

North America Consists of: United States, Canada and Mexico Third largest continent Covers 9. 5 million sq. miles Western portion is dominated by the Rocky Mountains • Middle portion is covered by the Great Plains • Much of the water run-off drains into the Mississippi River • •

If you look at the physical map of this region, you see mountains running along both sides with a large, flat area in the center. This flat area runs from the Arctic Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico. It is made up of shield and plains.

In North America, this rock core was exposed thousands of years ago. During the ice ages, glaciers scraped across the land, taking the soil with them. They left just a thin layer of soil in eastern and central Canada.

Plains are flat or gently rolling areas of land. Much of the soil that glaciers scraped from the Canadian Shield ended up on the plains of Canada and the United States.

The Canadian Shield covers almost half of Canada. The rest of this sub-region contains islands, lakes, plains, and mountains.

The glaciers that scraped the shield also dug holes that became the Great Lakes.

These lakes lie between Canada and the United States. They are the world’s largest group of freshwater lakes. The St. Lawrence River connects the Great Lakes to the ocean.

To the far north are many smaller lakes and Hudson Bay. The region extends past the Arctic Circle and ends with a scattering of islands. x

In the Atlantic Ocean, off the southeast coast of Newfoundland, lie the Grand Banks. The ocean is very shallow here.

Far to the west, in the Alaska Range, is the highest peak in North America. Mount Mc. Kinley rises 20, 320 feet above sea level.

Two major mountain ranges run through the continental United States. In the east, the Appalachians are a gentle range of rounded peaks and deep valleys.

In the west, the Rocky Mountains jut up into jagged, snowcapped peaks. The Rockies reach all the way from Alaska to New Mexico.

Between these two ranges, wide plains stretch across the middle of the continent.

This vast, mostly flat region extends about 2, 500 miles north and south. From the Rockies, the dry and treeless Great Plains slope down to the central lowlands.

A large system of rivers drains most of the plains between the Rocky Mountains and the Appalachians.

These rivers all flow into the muddy Mississippi River. The Mississippi empties into the Gulf of Mexico.

• Contains every type of climate the World has: – Ice – Seasons, warm summers and cold winters – Cool and wet – Warm and dry – Desert – Tropical • Population is 60% U. S. , 20% Mexico, and 20% Canada

Descendants – Canada – British and French, U. S – European Mexico – Spanish and Native American The Caribbean is mostly made up of former African slaves Urbanization in major cities throughout N. A. 12% use of agriculture enabling N. A. to lead the world in food production • Forrest cover 1/3 of N. A. , timber is a huge industry • Fishing is also a major industry due to the large coast line in N. A. • Exploding population hurts the environment in the present in N. A. • • •

Political Geography of Canada • 10 provinces • 3 territories

1. British Columbia: It is the third largest province in Canada. The famous Vancouver Island is situated in this province. British Columbia is a good generator for hydro electricity. 2. Alberta: It is the fourth biggest province of Canada. It is commonly known as Canada’s “energy province”. Alberta’s natural resources include coal, natural gas, and oil. 3. Saskatchewan: This province produces uranium, potash, natural gas, and agricultural crops. 4. Manitoba: In fact Manitoba is one of the This province is located in the zone in Canada called the “Canadian Shield” Lot of metals and minerals are to be found here. largest producers of nickel in the world 5. Ontario: This is the second largest amongst the provinces in Canada. The chief industries include automobiles as well as auto parts. Toronto which is Ontario’s capital city is Canada’s financial hub. 6. Quebec: It is situated in eastern part of Canada. Quebec is the biggest among the ten provinces of Canada. This province has one of the largest hydroelectricity producing plants. 7. New Brunswick: Also referred to as the “Loyalist province”, it belongs to a group of four Atlantic provinces in Canada. This province is the leading producer of zinc, lead, bismuth and copper in Canada. There also fishing ports, and aquaculture farms to be found here. 8. Newfoundland Labrador: This area includes numerous small islands within its periphery. Labrador produces iron ore. Fish processing is one of the main industries here. 9. Nova Scotia: Fish processing, fishing, and coal mining earlier were the chief industries of this province. This area also produces coal and gypsum. 10. Prince Edward Island: This is supposed to be the smallest province in Canada. Agriculture, food processing, tourism and fishing are the primary industries in this

United States: political geography United States is made up of 50 states Population= 316. 13 million (2013) Alaska is the largest state in area (656, 424 sq mi) Rhode Island is the smallest (1, 545 sq mi) California has the largest population around 38 million people Wyoming has the fewest people (450, 320 ) The U. S. is generally divided into six large regions: New England; the mid-Atlantic; the South; the Midwest; the Southwest, and the West. • Though loosely defined, these zones tend to share important similarities, including climate, culture, history, and geography. • •