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The United Statesand CanadaThe United Statesand Canada
WHY IT’S IMPORTANT—
The United States and Canada are peaceful
neighbors, sharing the longest undefended bor-
der in the world.These two countries have many
things in common, including similar ways of
life and a democratic heritage. In recent
years, free trade has brought their
economies closer together. In each
country, one finds an increasing
number of products that were
made in the other country.
To learn more
about the United States
and Canada and their
impact on your world,
view the World Regions
video “The United
States and Canada.”
World Regions Video
U N I T 22
100 U n i t 2
Golden Gate Bridge across the entrance to San Francisco Bay
NGS ONLINEwww.nationalgeographic.com/education
U n i t 2 101
The United States and Canada span most of North America,stretching from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic.These twohuge countries share many physical features. Mountains frametheir eastern and western edges, cradling a central region of
vast plains.When people first arrived on these plains, they found an immense
sea—not of water, but of grass. Beneath the gently rolling landscapelay dark, fertile soil. In time, the grasslands were transformed into
some of the world’s most productive farmland.To the east of the plains stand the ancient,
rounded Appalachian Mountains.To the west arethe much younger Rocky Mountains, a majesticribbon of jagged, snowcapped peaks. Still fartherwest are the Pacific Ranges, which run along thePacific coast.
Almost every imaginable type of climate—from tundra to desert to tropical savanna—can be found within theborders of these twodiverse countries.
What Makes the United States and Canada a Region?
Six-foot-tall sunflowers thriveon this farm in North Dakota, inthe heart of the Great Plains.North Dakota leads the UnitedStates in the production of sun-flowers. The protein-rich seedsare turned into margarine andcooking oil.
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2
1
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U N I TREGIONAL ATLAS2
102 U n i t 2
Snow-dusted peaks surround a climber in the CanadianRockies. The backbone of North America, the Rockiesextend from the farthest reaches of Alaska and theYukon Territory down into thesouthwestern United States.
The only deserts in the regionare found in the southwesternUnited States, in an area of lowbasins and high, windsweptplateaus sandwiched betweenthe Pacific Ranges and theRocky Mountains. These rippled dunes lie in Utah.
Boats line the harbor of a fishing village in Nova Scotia,along Canada’s Atlantic coast.Both Canadians and Americansharvest fish and other types ofseafood from the Atlantic’sbountiful waters.
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U n i t 2 103
Even the ancestors of Native Americans came from a distant shore.These ancient people may have crossedfrom Asia to North America by way of a land bridge that spanned what is now the Bering Strait.
Immigrants began arriving fromEurope in the 1500s. In the centuries thatfollowed, others came from Africa, Asia,and Latin America. Many made this landtheir home by choice. Others were forcedto come as exiles or slaves.
Today, most people in the UnitedStates and Canada live in urban areas.Major cities are ethnically diverse, reflect-ing an immigrant heritage.The economicstrength of both countries was built onthe bounty of agriculture. Manufacturing,technology, and service industries havejoined agriculture as the region’s primaryeconomic activities.
Region of Immigrants
The white walls of a Spanishmission, or religious settlement,stand out against a blue NewMexico sky. Hoping to convertthe area’s native inhabitants toChristianity, the Spanish builtmany missions in what is nowthe southwestern United States.
3
Red lights and blues music illuminate a musician’s face. Theblues, a distinctively Americanmusical style, was developed by African Americans. It sprangfrom spiritual music and from thewails and calls used by Southernplantation workers.
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U N I TREGIONAL ATLAS2
104 U n i t 2
Lights of Toronto, Ontario, stretchtoward the horizon, brighteningthe night sky. With 4.7 millioninhabitants in its metropolitanarea, Toronto is Canada’s largestcity. It is a thriving center for ser-vice industries such as financeand communications.
3 Freshly caught fish chill in a snowbank outside an Inuit village inCanada’s Northwest Territories. TheInuit have lived in the northernparts of Canada and Alaska forabout a thousand years. Many still pursue traditional activitiessuch as fishing and hunting.
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U n i t 2 105
The United States and Canada
U N I TREGIONAL ATLAS2
PHYSICAL
Atlantic
Ocean
Pacific
Ocean
H u d s o nB a y
G u l fo f
M e x i c o
BaffinBay
BeringSea
Gulf ofAlaska
L a b r a d o rS e a
Chesapeake BayMt. Whitney14,494 ft.(4,418 m)
Mt. McKinley20,320 ft.(6,194 m)
GreatSalt Lake
GreatBear Lake
LakeWinnipeg
GreatSlave Lake
LakeHuron
LakeSuperior
LakeErie
LakeOntario
LakeMichigan
Mis
siss
ippi
R.
Missouri R.
Rio
Grande
Mackenzie
R.
Yukon R.
Slave
St.Law
renc
eR
.
Arkansas R.
Colorado R.
C olum
bia
R.
Fra
ser
R.
Red R.
PlatteR.
Saskatchewan R.
O
hio R.
Nel
son R.
Athabasca
R.
GREENLAND
MEXICO
C A N A D A
U N I T E D
S T A T E S
PointBarrow
GrandCanyon
MammothCave
CapeCod
Everglades
EllesmereIsland
RO
CK
YM
OU
NT
AI
NS
Baffin
IslandCo
as t
Mo
un
tain
sC
OA
ST
RA
NG
ES
CASC
ADE
RAN
GE
Gasp´ePeninsula
ColumbiaPlateau
I n t e r i o rP l a i n s
ColoradoPlateau
BlackHills
Bitterroot Ra.
CENTRALLOWLAND
GREATBASIN
SIERR
AN
EVAD
A
Mackenzie
Mts.
Brooks
Range
DeathValley
-282 ft.(-86 m)
Pi e d
mo
nt
FraserPlateau
Alaska Range
GR
EA
TP
LA
IN
S
CA
NA
DI
A
N
S H I E L D
L A B R A D O R
Island ofNewfoundland
Sable I.
St. Lawrence I.
Kodiak I.
Banks I.
SouthhamptonI.
Devon I.
VictoriaIsland
QueenCharlotte
Islands
QueenElizabethIslands
Nova Scotia
CO
A S T A LP
LA
IN
APPALACH
IAN
MO
UNTAIN
S
OzarkPlateau
TR
OPIC
OF
CANCER
AR
CT
ICC
IRCL
E
140°
W
120°
W
100°
W
80°W
60°W
40°W
50°N
40°N
30°N
20°N
CapeHatteras
Fall Line
Continental Divide
N
Azimuthal Equidistant projection500
5000
0
mi.
km
Elevation Profile
0 mi.
0 km 500
500
GREATPLAINS
ROCKYMOUNTAINS
APPALACHIANMOUNTAINS
CANADIANSHIELDLAKE
SUPERIOR
PACIFICOCEAN
ATLANTICOCEAN
Sea level
2,000 m
4,000 m
6,000 m
8,000 m
6,562 ft
13,123 ft
19,685 ft
26,247 ft
21°N
156°W159°W
Pacific
Ocean
KauaiNiihau Oahu
LanaiKahoolawe
MolokaiMaui
Hawaii
Hawaiian Islands
0 mi.0 km
100100
106 U n i t 2
POLITICAL
Atlantic
Ocean
Arctic
Ocean
Pacific
Ocean
BeaufortSea
GreenlandSea
D
avis Strait
BaffinBay
H u d s o nB a y
L a b r a d o rS e a
Gulf ofAlaska
BeringSea
ChukchiSea
G u l f o fM e x i c o
Hudson Strait
Ottawa
Washington,
Philadelphia
Los Angeles
Vancouver
Chicago
Toronto
Montreal
Houston
New York City
Phoenix
Winnipeg
Calgary
Edmonton
Seattle
Atlanta
Miami
San Francisco
Anchorage
St. Louis
Toronto
Mis
siss
ippi
R.
Missouri R.
Rio Grande
Mackenzie
R.
Yukon R.
Nels
on R.
Arkansas R.
Colorado R.
Red R.
Ohio R.
.R
ecner
waL
.tS
Sask atche wan R.
TENN.N.C.
VA.
W.VA.
N.J.PA.CONN.R.I.
N.Y. MASS.
ME.N.B.
NOVASCOTIA
P.E.I.
ALA. GA.T E X A S
S.C.OKLA.
KANSAS
NEBR.
NEWMEXICO
ARIZ.
COLO.
UTAHNEVADA
WYO.
OREGON
WASH.
MONT.
ALBERTA
BRITISHCOLUMBIA
A L A S K A
N. DAK.
S. DAK.
MINN.WIS.
IOWA
ILL. IND.
O N T A R I O
KY.
OHIO
MO.ARK.
VT. N.H.
MISS.
LA.
NORTHWESTTERRITORIES
N U N A V U TYUKON
TERRITORY
Q U E B E C
DEL.
IDAHO
MICHIGAN
FLORIDA
MD.
CA
LIF
OR
NIA
MAN
IT
OBASASK.
D.C.
NEWFOUNDLAND
AND LABRADOR
Den.
U N I T E D S T A T E S
C A N A D A
RUSSIA
GREENLAND(KALAALLIT NUNAAT)
MEXICO
BanksIsland
VictoriaIsland
EllesmereIsland
SouthamptonIsland
Baff in
Is land
RO
CK
YM
OU
NT
AI
NS
TROPIC OF CANCER
AR
CT
IC
CIR
CLE
140°W
120°
W
100°
W
80°W
60°W
40°W
20°W
160°W
180°
80°N
70°N
60°N
50°N
40°N
30°N
N
Azimuthal Equidistant projection500
5000
0
mi.
km
Honolulu21°N
156°W159°W
Pacific
Ocean
HAWAII
0 mi.0 km
100100
National capitalMajor city
1. In which Canadian province isCalgary located?
2. Through which U.S. states do theCoast Ranges run?
StudyMAP
U n i t 2 107
The United States and Canada
U N I TREGIONAL ATLAS2
POPULATION DENSITY
N
Ottawa
Washington,
Pittsburgh
Cleveland
PhiladelphiaBaltimore
Los Angeles
San Diego Phoenix
Dallas
Vancouver
Winnipeg
Albuquerque
El Paso
Halifax
Quebec
Regina
Yellowknife
Whitehorse
Calgary
Seattle
Portland
Salt LakeCity
Denver
Minneapolis
Atlanta
Miami
MilwaukeeDetroit
San Francisco
Anchorage
Chicago
Columbus
Cincinnati
Buffalo
Kansas City
Memphis
St. Louis
Toronto
Montreal
HoustonNew OrleansSan
Antonio
New York City
Boston
D.C.
AR
CT
IC
CIRC
LE
N
40°N
30°N
140°W
120°W100°W 80°W
60°W
40°W
Atlantic
Ocean
Pacific
Ocean
BeaufortSea Baffin
Bay
H u d s o nB a y
LabradorSea
Gulf ofAlaska
BeringSea
Chukchi Sea
G u l fo f
M e x i c o
MEXICO
Azimuthal Equidistant projection500
5000
0
mi.
km
21°N
156°W159°W
Pacific
Ocean
Honolulu
0
100
100km
0 mi.
Per sq. mi.Per sq. kmOver 100
50–100
25–50
1–25
Under 1
Uninhabited
Over 250
125–250
60–125
2–60
Under 2
Uninhabited
Cities(Statistics reflect
metropolitan areas.)
Over 5,000,000
2,000,000–5,000,000
1,000,000–2,000,000
250,000–1,000,000
Under 250,000108 U n i t 2
ECONOMIC ACTIVITY
Anchorage
Vancouver
Portland
SanFrancisco
SaltLakeCity
DenverDes Moines
MinneapolisGreen
BayDetroit BuffaloMilwaukee
ChicagoColumbus
IndianapolisKansas CitySt. Louis
Winnipeg
Los Angeles
Phoenix
Houston
Dallas
Memphis
Birmingham
Nashville
AtlantaColumbia
Pittsburgh
Raleigh
Miami
New Orleans
Toronto
Ottawa Montreal
Washington, D.C.Baltimore
Norfolk
PhiladelphiaNew York City
Boston
Calgary
Seattle
120°
W
100°
W
80°W
60°W
50°N
30°N
ARCTIC CIRCLE
TROPIC OF CANCER
Atlantic
Ocean
Pacific
Ocean
BeaufortSea
Davis Strait
BaffinBay
H u d s o nB a y
L a b r a d o rS e a
Gulf ofAlaska
Sea
G u l f o fM e x i c o
Hudson Strait
G R E E N L A N D
U N I T E D S T A T E S
C A N A D A
MEXICO
Corn
Wheat
Wheat
Wheat
Cotton
Fruit
Cotton Pecans
Fruit
Tobacco
Cattle
Cattle
Potatoes
Sheep
CornN
Azimuthal Equidistant projection500
5000
0
mi.
km
Land UseCommercial farmingSubsistence farmingLivestock raisingNomadic herdingHunting and gatheringForestsManufacturing and tradeCommercial fishingLittle or no activity
Resources
Iron ore
Petroleum
Natural gas
Coal
Copper
Zinc
Gold
SilverFruit
Sugarcane
21°N
156°W159°W
Pacific
Ocean
Honolulu
HAWAII
0 mi.0 km
100100
1. Where are most of Canada’s coaldeposits located?
2. How has access to water affected citydevelopment? What is the predominantland use near cities?
StudyMAP
Montgomery
Dover
JuneauPhoenix
Sacramento Denver
Hartford
Little Rock
TallahasseeAtlanta Honolulu
Boise
Springfield Indianapolis Des MoinesTopeka Frankfort
Baton Rouge
AugustaAnnapolis
BostonJackson
Saint PaulLansing
MAINE
ALABAMA
DELAWARE
ALASKA ARIZONA CALIFORNIA COLORADO
CONNECTICUT
ARKANSAS
FLORIDA GEORGIA HAWAII IDAHO
ILLINOIS INDIANA IOWA KANSAS KENTUCKY LOUISIANA
MARYLAND MASSACHUSETTS MISSISSIPPIMINNESOTA MICHIGAN
named for Virginia’scolonial governor,Baron De La Warr
“the great land” (Aleut)“little spring” (Papago),or “dry land” (Spanish)
unknown meaning(Spanish) “red” (Spanish)
“beside the long tidal river”(Native American)
“downstream people”(Quapaw)
“feast of flowers”(Spanish)
named for England’sKing George II
unknown meaning(Native Hawaiian)
unknown meaning(Native American)
“tribe of superior men”(Native American)
“land of Indians”(European American)
unknown meaning(Native American)
“people of thesouth wind” (Sioux)
“land of tomorrow”(Iroquoian)
named for France’sKing Louis XIV
named for an ancientFrench province
named in honor of the wifeof England’s King Charles I
“great mountain place”(Native American)
“father of the waters”(Native American)
“sky-tinted water”(Sioux)“great lake” (Ojibway)
“thicket clearers”(Choctaw)
U.S. State Names: Meaning and Origin
* COUNTRIES, FLAGS, STATES, AND PROVINCES NOT DRAWN TO SCALE
UNITED STATES
284,500,00077 per sq. mi.30 per sq. km
3,717,796 sq. mi.9,629,091 sq. km Crude OilMachinery U.S. DollarEnglish
Federal Republic
English, French
31,000,0008 per sq. mi.3 per sq. km
3,849,670 sq. mi.9,970,610 sq. km Crude OilNewsprint
Canadian Dollar
Parliamentary Democracy
✪Ottawa
CANADA
COUNTRY *
AND CAPITAL
FLAG AND
LANGUAGE
POPULATION
AND DENSITYLANDMASS
MAJOR
EXPORT
MAJOR
IMPORTCURRENCY GOVERNMENT
COUNTRY PROFILES
FOR AN ONLINE UPDATE OF THIS INFORMATION, VISIT GEOGRAPHY.GLENCOE.COM AND CLICK ON “TEXTBOOK UPDATES.”
Washington, D.C.
The United States and Canada
U N I TREGIONAL ATLAS2
110 U n i t 2
Carson City
LincolnJefferson City
Concord
Trenton
Santa Fe
Albany RaleighBismarck
Columbus Oklahoma City
NashvillePierreColumbia
ProvidenceHarrisburg
Salem
Austin
Salt Lake City Montpelier
Richmond Olympia
Madison
Charleston
Cheyenne
Helena
NEVADA NEBRASKA NEW HAMPSHIRE NEW JERSEY
NEW MEXICO NEW YORK NORTHCAROLINA
NORTH DAKOTA OHIO OKLAHOMA
TENNESSEE SOUTH DAKOTASOUTHCAROLINA
RHODEISLAND
PENNSYLVANIAOREGON TEXAS
UTAH VERMONT VIRGINIA WASHINGTON WISCONSINWEST VIRGINIA WYOMING
MONTANAMISSOURI
“snowcapped”(Spanish)
“flat water”(Native American)“mountainous” (Spanish)
“town of the large canoes”(Native American)
named for Hampshire,a county in England
named for Isle of Jersey,a British territory
named for the state’s formercolonial ruler, Mexico
named in honor of theEnglish Duke of York
named in honor ofEngland’s King Charles I
named for the Dakota,a Native American group
“great river”(Native American) “red people” (Choctaw)
named for Tanasi,“Cherokee villages”
(Cherokee)named for the Dakota,
a Native American groupnamed for England’s
King Charles Iunknown meaning
and origin
“Penn’s woodland,” named forthe father of Pennsylvania’s
founder, William Pennunknown meaning
and origin “friends” (Tejas)
“people of themountains” (Ute)
“green mountain”(French)
named for the unmarriedQueen Elizabeth I of England,known as “the Virgin Queen”
named in honor ofGeorge Washington
“grassy place”(Chippewa)
began as the westernpart of Virginia before
becoming a state in 1863“upon the great plain”
(Delaware)
Halifax
Whitehorse
Yellowknife
IqaluitToronto
CharlottetownQuebec Regina
Edmonton
Victoria Winnipeg FrederictonSt. John’s
NOVA SCOTIA ONTARIO PRINCE EDWARDISLAND
QUEBEC SASKATCHEWAN
ALBERTA
YUKONTERRITORY
NORTHWESTTERRITORIES
NUNAVUT
BRITISHCOLUMBIA
MANITOBA NEWBRUNSWICK
NEWFOUNDLAND
Latin term for “New Scotland,”based on province’s
Scottish heritagemeaning unknown
(Iroquoian)“our land”(Inuktitut)
named for the son ofEngland’s King George III
“place where theriver narrows”(Algonquian)
“fast flowing river”(Cree)
“great river”(Native American)
named for thedaughter of England’s
Queen Victoria
named for ChristopherColumbus and the province’s British
heritage“strait of the great spirit”
(Algonquian)named for English royal
family of Brunswick-Luneburg
“new found land,”named by European explorer John Cabot
in 1497
named for landsnorth and westof Lake Superior
Canadian Province and Territory Names: Meaning and Origin
U n i t 2 111
Historians still debate the details, buteveryone agrees that ice hockey wasinvented in Canada.The game seems tohave originated in the early 1800s in
Nova Scotia, one of Canada’s easternmost provinces.Not content to spend long winters indoors, some of Nova Scotia’s inhabitants began tinkeringwith an Irish game, similar to field hockey, thatwas played with sticks and a ball.The eagersportsmen realized that the slick surface of afrozen pond was a worthy alternative to agrassy playing field.They traded their shoesfor skates, and ice hockey was born.
As the new game gained popularity, itspread west and north across Canada.By the turn of the century, ice hock-ey had become Canada’s nationalsport.And it was not just formen.The first all-female
Pick-up game near Canada’sLaurentian Mountains
▲▲ Member of a Canadian women’s teamracing for the puck
�
GLOBALCONNECTIONCANADA AND THE UNITED STATES
ICE HOCKEY !
U N I TREGIONAL ATLAS2
112 U n i t 2
ice hockey game on record was played in Ontario in 1892.
Hockey fever spread southward, too, crossing theU.S.-Canadian border into northern states such asMinnesota, Michigan, Massachusetts, and New York.In 1924 the Boston Bruins became the first U.S. teamto join Canada’s National Hockey League. Othernorthern cities, including Chicago and Detroit, soonhad teams on the League’s roster as well.
At this point, geography checked ice hockey’ssouthward spread. For nearly a quarter century, thegame remained a northern pastime. It just didn’tcatch on in southern states where cold weather wasrare and lakes never froze.
Eventually, however, indoor ice rinks,televised hockey games, and a steadyinflux of Canadian players into theUnited States overcame the geographicbarriers, and the sport found a footholdin nearly every state. Hockey made headlines in 1980 when America’s team beat the heavily favored Soviets in the Olympic Winter Games and thenwent on to win the gold medal.WhenCanadian superstar Wayne Gretzky cameto play in the United States a few yearslater, hockey’s popularity surged again.
Now in-line skates and roller hockeymake it possible for would-be players toget a feel for the game no matter where
they live or what the season. Manymajor U.S. cities have professional hockey teams, includ-
ing Phoenix, Dallas, and Miami. In fact, America’s SunBelt alone is home to more hockey teams than thereare in Canada! But ice hockey in the United States isn’tjust for professionals. It’s played by kids—both boysand girls—and amateurs throughout the nation.
Getting a feel for skating on wheels
▲
▲ Hockey legend WayneGretzky entering a rink
U n i t 2 113
GeoJournalAs you read this chapter, note in your journalunusual facts about the physical geographyof the United States and Canada—facts thatmake you ask how or why. Consider usingthese facts as the main ideas for essays orreports.
Chapter Overview Visit the Glencoe WorldGeography Web site at tx.geography.glencoe.comand click on Chapter Overviews—Chapter 5 to preview information about the physicalgeography of the region.
Guide to ReadingConsider What You KnowThe United States and Canada sharethe world’s longest undefended bor-der. What famous natural feature doboth the United States and Canadaclaim as a tourist attraction?
Read to Find Out• What are some key similarities
and differences in the physicalgeography of the United Statesand Canada?
• Why have rivers played such animportant role in this region’sdevelopment?
• What geographic factors havemade the United States andCanada so rich in naturalresources?
Terms to Know• divide • fall line
• headwaters • fishery
• tributary
Places to Locate• Mount McKinley
• Rocky Mountains
• Canadian Shield
• AppalachianMountains
• Colorado River
• Rio Grande
• Mackenzie River
• Mississippi River
• St. Lawrence River
• Great Lakes
C h a p t e r 5 115
Organ Pipe Cactus NationalMonument, Arizona
The Land
A Geographic ViewCarving Their Own WayGrain fields spill their color across thebadlands of the Missouri Breaks, alonesome swatch of eastern Montanawhere the Great Plains roll to anabrupt and wild end. The MissouriRiver and its tributaries have cutdeep paths through the underlyingsandstone and shale, fracturing the open country. Rough andremote spaces rule the Breaks—perfect for folks who insist oncarving their own way.
—John Barsness, “The Missouri Breaks,”National Geographic, May 1999
The rugged terrain of the Missouri Breaksbears witness to the geologic forces that have shaped the NorthAmerican continent. The United States and Canada share the north-ern part of the continent. They form a geographic region of enormousphysical variety and natural wealth. Together, Canada and the conti-nental United States cover more than 7 million square miles (18 mil-lion sq. km), about 12 percent of Earth’s land surface. In this sectionyou will explore the physical geography of these two countries.
LandformsMountains rise at the eastern and western edges of both the United
States and Canada. In the west young, sharp-edged mountain rangestower above plateaus that descend to vast, rolling central plains.Mighty rivers and enormous lakes satisfy the thirst of cities, wildlife,and natural vegetation in the two countries’ midsections. The fertileplains extend across the continent until they meet the lower, moreeroded mountains in the east.
Missouri Breaks, Montana
116 U n i t 2
Although the Great Plains appear flat, the landslopes gradually downward at about 10 feet permile (about 2 m per km) to the heart of the CentralLowlands along the Mississippi River.
Eastern Mountains and LowlandsEast of the Mississippi, the land rises slowly into
the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. At theedge of the Canadian plains, the Canadian Shield, agiant core of rock centered on the Hudson andJames Bays, anchors the continent. The stony land ofthe Shield makes up the eastern half of Canada andthe northeastern United States. In northern Quebecthe Canadian Shield descends to the Hudson Bay.
The heavily eroded Appalachian Mountainsare North America’s oldest mountains and the continent’s second-longest mountain range. Theyextend about 1,500 miles (2,414 km) from Quebecto central Alabama. Coastal lowlands lie east andsouth of the Appalachians. Between the mountainsand the coastal lowlands lies a wide area of rollinghills. Many rivers cut through the Piedmont andflow across to the Atlantic Coastal Plain in the Car-olinas. In the southeast the Gulf Coastal Plainextends westward to Texas.
IslandsIslands are important in the region. New York
City’s Manhattan Island, at the mouth of the Hud-son River, is a major United States and world eco-nomic center. Volcanic mountaintops emergingfrom the Pacific Ocean formed Hawaii, creating 8major and 124 smaller islands with a land area of6,471 square miles (16,760 sq. km). Newfoundland,Prince Edward Island, and Cape Breton Island inthe east and Vancouver Island in the west areCanada’s most important islands. Near the coastof Canada’s Ellesmere Island lies the world’slargest island, Greenland. An overseas territory ofDenmark, Greenland spans 840,325 square miles(2.2 million sq. km), an area about the size ofAlaska and Texas combined.
A Fortune in WaterFreshwater lakes and rivers have helped make
the United States and Canada wealthy. Abundantwater satisfies the needs of cities and rural areas,provides power for homes and industries, andmoves resources across the continent.
Western Mountains and PlateausCollisions between the Pacific and the North
American tectonic plates millions of years agothrust up a series of impressive, sharp-peakedmountain ranges called the Pacific Ranges. Stillyoung in geologic terms, the Pacific Ranges includethe Sierra Nevada, the Cascade Range, the CoastRange, and the Alaska Range. The Alaska Rangegives rise to the highest point on the continent,Mount McKinley, at 20,320 feet (6,194 m).
Like the Pacific Ranges, the Rocky Mountainsgrew as geologic forces heaved slabs of rockupward. The map on p. 117 shows that the snow-covered Rocky Mountains link the United Statesand Canada and stretch more than 3,000 miles(4,828 km) from New Mexico to Alaska. Some peaksof the Rockies soar to more than 14,000 feet (4,267 m).
Dry basins and plateaus fill the area between thePacific Ranges and the Rockies. The ColumbiaPlateau in the north was formed by lava thatseeped from cracks in the earth. The heavilyeroded Colorado Plateau displays flat-toppedmesas and the majestic Grand Canyon of the Col-orado River. At its deepest the canyon’s steepwalls plunge 6,000 feet (1,829 m). The Great Basincradles Death Valley, the hottest and lowest place in the United States. Canada’s Nechako Plateau and Fraser Plateau are colder and narrower than the plateau areas in the United States.
Interior LandformsEast of the Rockies, the land falls and flattens into
the Great Plains, which extend 300 to 700 miles (483to 1,126 km) across the center of the region. TheGreat Plains are sometimes called the Interior Plainsor the High Plains because of their location and ele-vation, which reaches up to 6,000 feet (1,829 m).
Canada is about one andone-fourth timesthe size of thecontinentalUnited States.
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Valley–282 ft.(–86 m)
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MAP STUDY
The United States and Canada: Physical-Political
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1. Interpreting Maps Which Canadian provinces border Hudson Bay?
2. Applying Geography Skills How do the Rocky Mountains affect the rivers inthe United States and Canada?
118 U n i t 2
Rivers fromthe Rockies
In North America thehigh ridge of the Rockiesis called the ContinentalDivide, or the Great Divide.A divide is a high point orridge that determines thedirection that rivers flow.East of the ContinentalDivide, waters flow towardthe Arctic Ocean, HudsonBay, the Atlantic Ocean, andthe Mississippi River systeminto the Gulf of Mexico; tothe west, waters flow intothe Pacific Ocean. Rivers—such as the Colorado andthe Rio Grande—have theirheadwaters, or source, inthe Rockies, and manytributaries, or brooks, rivers,and streams, connect with one of theserivers. Northeast of the Rockies, theMackenzie River—which flows from theGreat Slave Lake to the Arctic Ocean—drainsmuch of Canada’s northern interior.
The Mighty MississippiOne of North America’s longest rivers, the
Mississippi River, flows 2,350 miles (3,782 km)from its source. It begins in Minnesota as a streamso narrow that a person can jump across it.
“ When I was nine years old, I jumpedacross the Mississippi. . . . My parents letme know this modest stream I’d takenin stride was actually one of the Earth’sgreat corridors, dominion of paddleboatsand Huck Finn, prime mover of food,fertility, and commerce across our land.”Barbara Kingsolver, “San Pedro River:
the Patience of a Saint,” National Geographic, April 2000
The Mississippi, swelled to a width of a mile anda half (2.4 km), empties into the Gulf of Mexico. TheMississippi drains 1,200,000 square miles (3,108,000
sq. km) of land, including all or part of 31 U.S. statesand 2 Canadian provinces. It is one of the world’sbusiest commercial waterways.
Eastern RiversThe St. Lawrence River, one of Canada’s most
important rivers, flows for 750 miles (1,207 km)from Lake Ontario to the Gulf of St. Lawrence in theAtlantic, forming part of the border betweenCanada and the United States. The Canadian citiesof Quebec, Montreal, and Ottawa grew up along theSt. Lawrence River and its tributaries and depend onthese waters as a transportation resource.
In the eastern United States, a boundary calledthe fall line marks the place where the higher landof the Piedmont drops to the lower Atlantic CoastalPlain. Along the fall line, eastern rivers break intorapids and waterfalls, blocking ships from travel-ing farther inland. Many key U.S. cities, such asPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania; Baltimore, Maryland;and Washington, D.C., grew up along the fall line.They offer port facilities for oceangoing trading ves-sels. Smaller towns along the fall line, especially
The MightyRockies Rising high into the sky, much of the RockyMountains are capped with snow year-round.
Place What major rivers have their headwaters in the Rockies?
C h a p t e r 5 119
in New England and in the South, tap the water-power of the falls for textile mills and factories.
Niagara Falls is a popular tourist attraction onthe Niagara River, which forms part of the borderbetween Ontario, Canada, and New York State inthe United States. Niagara Falls is also a majorsource of hydroelectric power for both countries.Two separate drops form the falls, the HorseshoeFalls adjoining the Canadian bank of the river, andthe American Falls adjoining the U.S. bank.
From Glaciers to LakesIn northern Canada glacial dams created Great
Bear Lake and Great Slave Lake. Glaciers alsogouged the Canadian Shield and tore at the centralsection of the continent, leaving glacial basins thatbecame the Great Lakes. Lake Superior, LakeHuron, Lake Erie, Lake Ontario, and Lake Michigan
have had their current shapes for only about thelast 14,000 years.
Providing a link between inland and coastal water-ways has been crucial to the economic developmentof North America. The greatest of these connectionsis the Great Lakes–St. Lawrence Seaway, a series ofcanals, rivers, and other inland waterways linkingthe Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean. The sea-way helped make cities along the Great Lakes, suchas Chicago, powerful trade and industrial centers.Other important inland waterways include the GulfIntracoastal Waterway, which connects cities fromFlorida to Texas with the Mississippi River, and theAtlantic Intracoastal Waterway, which providessheltered inland channels for navigation betweenNorfolk, Virginia, and Key West, Florida.
Natural Resources Ample freshwater is only one of the many natural
resources of the United States and Canada. Thesame geologic processes that shaped the NorthAmerican landscape left the region rich in a widevariety of resources. Access to this natural wealthhas helped speed the industrialization of this region.
FuelsThe United States and Canada have important
energy resources such as petroleum and naturalgas. Texas and Alaska rank first and second in oilreserves in the United States. Texas also has thegreatest reserves of natural gas. Most of Canada’soil and natural gas reserves lie in or near Alberta.Coal in the Appalachians, Wyoming, and BritishColumbia has been mined for more than 100 years.
MineralsMineral resources are also plentiful in the
region. The Rocky Mountains yield gold, silver,and copper. Parts of the Canadian Shield are rich in iron and nickel. Deposits of low-grade ironore exist in northern Minnesota and Michigan.Canada’s minerals include 28 percent of theworld’s supply of potash (mineral salt used in fer-tilizers), 18 percent of its copper, 14 percent of itsgold, and 12 percent of its silver.
TimberTimber is vital for both countries. Forests and
woodlands once covered much of the United
Copper Mining During the 1990s, this cop-per mine in Utah produced over 300,000 tons ofcopper annually.
Place What minerals are mined in the UnitedStates and Canada?
120 U n i t 2
Checking for Understanding1. Define divide, headwaters, tribu-
tary, fall line, fishery.
2. Main Ideas On a sheet of paper,fill in a chart like the one below.Then choose one example oflandforms, water, of naturalresources and describe its impacton the United States and Canada.
Critical Thinking3. Drawing Conclusions Why might
fishing disputes arise in the region?
4. Identifying Cause and Effect Howdid the Great Lakes–St. LawrenceSeaway influence the develop-ment of cities in the region?
5. Drawing Conclusions In whatways did the actions of glaciersalter the physical geography ofthis region, and what effects didthose alterations have on theregion’s development?
Analyzing Maps6. Location Study the physical-
political map on page 117.Describe the landscapes found in the following places: Montana,Texas, and Ontario.
Landforms Water Natural Resources
United States
Canada
7. Effects of Location Write aparagraph describing theeffects of a physical process,such as weather or gravity,on the flow of rivers in theUnited States and Canada.
Applying Geography
States and Canada. Today, however,forests cover less than 50 percent ofCanada and about one-third of theUnited States. Commercial lumberingoperations face the challenge of har-vesting the region’s timber resourcesresponsibly. Positive efforts to preservethe forests include planting new treesto replace those cut for lumber, cooper-ating to protect the 1,000 species ofnative animals in the forests, and pre-serving old-growth forests in areas setaside as national forests.
Economics
FishingThe coastal waters of the Atlantic and
Pacific Oceans and the Gulf of Mexicoare important to the region’s economy.Rich with fish and shellfish, thesewaters are important fisheries, or placesfor catching fish and other sea animals.The Grand Banks, once one of theworld’s richest fishing grounds, coversabout 139,000 square miles (360,000 sq.km) off Canada’s southeast coast. Fish-
ers have harvested cod from the Grand Banks for atleast 500 years. As these waters were overfished,however, stocks decreased, and the Canadian gov-ernment banned cod fishing in 1992.
Catch of the Day This fisherman earns hislivelihood fishing on Lake Michigan.
Place Why is the Grand Banks important toCanada?
Climate andVegetation
A Geographic ViewLife Amid the GlaciersThe diversity of species on nunataks[mountains surrounded by glacial ice] takes patience to grasp. Only the showiest, such as moss campionand orange lichens, grab the eye.Wait and you might glimpse analert wolf spider or resting butter-fly. How did life reach these iso-lated peaks? Winds bore mostpioneers over the glaciers. Plantswere carried as seeds. Young spi-ders sailed in on strands of silk.
—Kevin Krajick, “Nunataks,” National Geographic, December 1998
The ice fields of Canada’s northwestern Yukon Territoryseem at first to be Arctic wastelands. Studding the glaciers, though, arecraggy summits encased in glacial ice. Although temperatures there canfall below zero, mini-climates shelter an amazing variety of life forms.Similar diversity characterizes the whole of Canada and the UnitedStates. In this section you will learn about the climate regions and nat-ural vegetation of the United States and Canada.
A Varied RegionMuch of the United States and Canada experiences exactly the types
of climate one might expect from the countries’ latitudes. Two thirds ofCanada and the U.S. state of Alaska lie in higher latitudes and experi-ence long, cold winters and brief, mild summers. Most of the continen-tal United States and the southern one third of Canada lie within moretemperate latitudes, where climate regions vary with elevation.Hawaii, the only non-continental U.S. state, has a tropical climate.
C h a p t e r 5 121
Guide to ReadingConsider What You KnowThink about the climate differencesbetween the United States andCanada. Why do you think Canada is so much colder than the UnitedStates?
Read to Find Out• Which climate zones are found in
the United States and Canada?
• In what ways do winds, oceancurrents, latitude, and landformsaffect the region’s climates?
• What kinds of weather hazardsaffect the United States andCanada?
• How has human settlementaffected the natural vegetation ofthe United States and Canada?
Terms to Know• timberline
• chinook
• prairie
• supercell
• hurricane
• blizzard
Places to Locate• Death Valley
• Great Plains
• Everglades
• Newfoundland
• Yukon Territory
C h a p t e r 5 121
Moss campion,Yukon Territory, Canada
122 U n i t 2
Northern ClimatesLarge parts of Canada and Alaska lie in a
subarctic climate zone with very cold wintersand extensive coniferous forests. Two-thirds ofCanada has January temperatures that averagebelow 0°F (–18°C). In winter, temperatures can fallto –70°F (–57°C) in some places. A persistentlyhigh atmospheric pressure area over the Canadiansubarctic spawns the cold winds that chill much ofthe central United States during the winter.
Lands along the Arctic coastline fall into the tundraclimate zone. Bitter winters and cool summers in thisvast expanse of wilderness make it inhospitable formost plants, and few people live there. Greenland’stundra vegetation consists of sedge, cotton grass,
and lichens. The island’s small ice-free areas havefew trees, but some dwarfed birch, willow, andalder scrubs do survive. As in other northern cli-mate areas, few people inhabit Greenland becauseof its harsh climate conditions.
Western ClimatesFrom the cool, wet coast of British Columbia to
the hot, dry deserts of California and the snow-capped peaks of the Rocky Mountains, the climateand vegetation patterns in the western areas of theUnited States and Canada vary widely. This varia-tion in climate and vegetation is the result of thecombined effects of latitude, elevation, ocean cur-rents, and rainfall.
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MAP STUDY
The United States and Canada: Climate Regions
Find NGS online map resources @www.nationalgeographic.com/maps
Tropical rain forestTropical savanna
SteppeDesert
Marine west coastMediterraneanHumid subtropicalHumid continental
SubarcticTundraIce cap
Highlands (climatevaries with elevation)
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Honolulu
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1. Interpreting Maps Whattype of climate dominatesthe southeastern UnitedStates?
2. Applying GeographySkills How does locationaffect the climate of thewestern coast of Canadaand the northwesternUnited States?
C h a p t e r 5 123
Marine West CoastThe interplay of ocean currents and winds with
the Pacific Ranges gives the Pacific coast from Cali-fornia to southern Alaska a marine west coast climate. The mountains force the wet ocean airupward, where it cools and releases its moisture. Asa result, more than 100 inches (254 cm) of rain soaksparts of this region each year. Coniferous forests,ferns, and mosses are common there. Southern California has a mild Mediterranean climate.
Plateaus, Basins, and DesertsThe rain shadow effect keeps the plateaus and
basins that lie between the Pacific Ranges and theRocky Mountains hot and dry. Much of the area has
a steppe or desert climate. U.S. desert lands in thisarea, including the Great Salt Lake Desert, DeathValley, the Mojave (moh•HAH•vee) Desert, andthe Chihuahuan (chee•WAH•wahn) Desert, bakein the relentless sun. Death Valley had the highesttemperature ever recorded in the United States,134°F (57˚C). In the western deserts, cacti and hardywildflowers bloom in the brief spring rains. Theareas adjacent to these deserts usually experience asteppe climate with a mixture of desert scrub, grass-lands, or coniferous forest, depending on latitude.
Elevation, not latitude, gives the higher reachesof the Rocky Mountains and Pacific Ranges theirhighlands climate. Coniferous forests cover themiddle elevations of the western mountains, but
Anchorage
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MAP STUDY
The United States and Canada: Natural Vegetation
Find NGS online map resources @www.nationalgeographic.com/maps
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1. Interpreting Maps Whatkind of vegetation can befound around the GreatLakes?
2. Applying GeographySkills In what climateregion can most ofCanada’s forests be found?
124 U n i t 2
beyond the timberline, the elevation above whichtrees cannot grow, only lichens and mosses bravethe ever-present cold. In late winter and earlyspring, a warm, dry wind called the chinook(shuh•NUK) may blow down the eastern slopes ofthe Rockies. Warming at a rate of about 1°F forevery 180 feet (or about 1°C for every 99 meters)that it descends, the chinook rapidly melts andevaporates the snow at the base of the mountains.
Interior ClimatesFar from large bodies of water that tend to moder-
ate climate, the Great Plains, in the center of the con-tinent, have a humid continental climate withbitterly cold winters and hot summers. Althoughwestern mountains do block moisture-bearingPacific winds, the Great Plains benefit from moistwinds that blow north along the Rockies from theGulf of Mexico and south from the Arctic. The humidcontinental climate extends into southern Canada.
PrairiesIn the Great Plains of the United States and
Canada, prairies, or naturally treeless expanses ofgrasses, spread across the continent’s midsection.Each year, rainfall ranging from 10 to 30 inches (26 to 76 cm) waters tall prairie grasses, such asswitchgrass and bluestem. Towering 6 to 12 feet(1.8 to 3.7 m) high, these grasses can grow as muchas half an inch (1.3 cm) a day. In the Great Plainsand the eastern United States, violent spring andsummer thunderstorms called supercells spawntornadoes, twisting funnels of air whose windscan reach 300 miles (483 km) per hour.
History
The Dust BowlThe tangled roots of prairie grasses once formed
dense, solidly packed layers of sod on the GreatPlains. Then settlers broke up the sod to growcrops. When dry weather blanketed the plains inthe 1930s, the wind eroded unprotected topsoil,reducing farmlands across several U.S. states to abarren wasteland called the Dust Bowl. The result-ing economic hardships, made worse by the Great
Student Web Activity Visit the Glencoe World Geography Website at tx.geography.glencoe.com and click on Student Web Activities—Chapter 5 for an activity about the physical features of North America.
Dust Bowl to Recovery Farmland that turnedto desert during the 1930s has been revived andtoday produces crops such as wheat and sorghum.
Human-Environment Interaction How didhuman activity bring about the Dust Bowl?
C h a p t e r 5 125
Checking for Understanding1. Define timberline, chinook, prairie,
supercell, hurricane, blizzard.
2. Main Ideas Use a Venn diagramto compare the climate and vege-tation of the United States andCanada.
Critical Thinking3. Making Comparisons How do the
Pacific winds and the Arctic windsdiffer in their impact on climate?
4. Problem Solving How might theconditions that caused the 1930sDust Bowl disaster have beenavoided?
5. Comparing and Contrasting Howdo hurricanes and tornadoes differ?
Analyzing Maps6. Region Study the maps on pages
122 and 123. Identify the threelargest climate regions and thevegetation common in each.
7. Effects of Climate Describeand explain the environ-mental factors that haveaffected human migrationin the region.
Applying Geography
United States Both Canada
New Hampshire Forest During autumn inthe northeastern United States, deciduous forestsshow a dazzling display of colors.
Place Where are humid continental climate regionslocated in the United States and Canada?
climate. Hawaii, 2,400 miles (3,862 km) west of themainland, and the Caribbean island of Puerto Ricohave tropical rain forests. The wide variety of cli-mates and vegetation in the United States andCanada has helped shape the region’s history.
Depression, caused mass migrations of people.Since the 1930s, improved farming and conserva-tion methods have restored this region’s soil.
Eastern ClimatesThe humid subtropical climate of the southeast
has long, muggy summers and mild winters.Deciduous forests extend as far south as Louisiana,but land has been cleared for farming along theMississippi River. Wetlands and swamps likeFlorida’s Everglades shelter a great variety of vegeta-tion and wildlife. In late summer and early autumn,hurricanes—ocean storms hundreds of miles widewith winds of 74 miles per hour (119 km per hour)or more—can pound the region’s coastlines.
A humid continental climate extends from thenortheastern United States into southeasternCanada. In Canada, a band of deciduous and mixeddeciduous-coniferous forestland more than 1,375miles (2,213 km) wide sweeps from Newfoundlandinto the subarctic Yukon Territory. In the UnitedStates, deciduous forests grow at lower elevations inthe south. In winter, much of northern NorthAmerica experiences blizzards with winds of morethan 35 miles per hour (56 km per hour), heavy orblowing snow, and visibility of less than 1,320 feet(402 m) for three hours or more. On the East coasthazardous winter weather may disrupt travel.
Tropical ClimatesWithin the continental United States, only the ex-
treme southern tip of Florida has a tropical savanna
The Glencoe Skillbuilder Interactive Workbook,
Level 2 provides instruction andpractice in key social studies skills.
Reading a Relief MapWhen you plan a walk, do you prefer an easy stroll along
flat ground, or do you look for a challenging hike up anddown steep hills? By using a relief map, you can determine theelevation of the terrain you are going to cover.
Learning the SkillA relief map is a special pur-
pose map that shows variationin height, or elevation, of landareas. All elevation is measuredfrom sea level, the average levelof water in the world’s oceans.Mapmakers label this elevationlevel zero feet (0 m). The actualelevation of some places isshown as a negative numberbecause they lie below sea level.
It is not possible for a reliefmap to show the elevationof every single inch of land. As a
result, areas are groupedtogether. A map may show allareas with an elevation betweensea level and 1,000 feet (305 m)colored green. Within that areano hill will be higher than 1,000feet (305 m) and no valley lowerthan sea level.
Follow these steps to read arelief map:
• Note the title of the map.
• Study the map key. Reliefmaps generally use colors or shaded areas to identifyelevation.
• Compare the relief map withother maps. Observe howelevation affects climate,population distribution, andeconomic activity in an area.
Practicing the SkillRefer to the relief map shown
here to answer these questions.
1. What is the color of themap’s highest elevation?
2. What elevation range doesthe color green indicate infeet? In meters?
3. What color is the elevationrange of 2,000 to 5,000 feet(600 m to 1,500 m)?
4. At what elevation is the stateof Mississippi?
5. What are the elevation levelsas you travel west from NewJersey to Ohio?
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Appalachian Region: Physical–Political
126 U n i t 2
Compare the relief map of theUnited States and Canada on page117 with the population densitymap on page 109. Then write aparagraph explaining how elevationaffects population distribution.
C h a p t e r 5 127
Key Points• Canada and the continental United States
have similar landforms, shaped by similar geologic processes. Both have high, sharpmountains and dry plateaus in the west; rolling,grassy plains in the center; and lower, oldermountains and coastal lowlands in the east.
• The region’s waterways, including rivers, lakes, coastal waters, and intracoastal channels,played a vital role in settling the land and con-tinue to serve as commercial highways.
• The Continental Divide divides the region intotwo large drainage areas. To the east of theDivide, waters flow to the Arctic Ocean, toHudson Bay, to the Atlantic Ocean, or to theGulf of Mexico. To the west, they flow into the Pacific Ocean.
• Glacial movement shaped much of the NorthAmerican landscape.
• The geologic factors that shaped the UnitedStates and Canada also provided the regionwith a wealth of natural resources.
Organizing Your NotesUse a table like the one belowto help you organize the notes you took as you read this section.
Terms to Know• timberline• chinook• prairie• supercell• hurricane• blizzard
Key Points• The region encompassing the United States and
Canada experiences a great variety of climates.
• Some climate regions of the United States andCanada are influenced primarily by latitude.
• Wind, ocean currents, rainfall patterns, and ele-vation moderate the effects of latitude in otherclimate zones of the United States and Canada.
• Climatic factors cause hazardous seasonalweather patterns in the United States andCanada, including spring and summer torna-does, and summer and fall hurricanes, and winter blizzards.
• The region’s natural vegetation reflects its climatic variety, but human interaction with the environment has greatly altered naturalvegetation.
Organizing Your NotesUse diagrams like the one belowto organize your notes underthe following headings: ClimateRegions, Seasonal Weather Patterns, and Vegetation.
Terms to Know • divide• headwaters• tributary• fall line• fishery
SECTION 1 The Land (pp. 115–120)
SECTION 2 Climate and Vegetation (pp. 121–125)
SUMMARY & STUDY GUIDE
Physical Feature Location
Cascade Range
Great Plains
Canadian Shield
AppalachianMountains
Climate Regions
latitude geographic influences
detailsdetails
Critical Thinking1. Analyzing Information What geologic
processes shaped much of this region?
2. Drawing Conclusions Why should theUnited States and Canada protect their nat-ural vegetation?
3. Classifying Information On a web dia-gram, fill in information about the kinds ofvegetation found in each of the region’s cli-mate zones.
Reviewing Key TermsWrite the key term that best completes each sen-tence. Refer to the Terms to Know in the Sum-mary & Study Guide on page 127.
1. __________ supply great quantities of fish andother sea animals to North America.
2. The warm, dry wind, or __________, meltssnow at the base of the Rockies.
3. Lichens and mosses grow abovethe __________.
4. Spring and summer tornadoesare spawned by a violent thun-derstorm called a(n) __________.
5. Farmers on the wide grasslands,or __________, of the GreatPlains broke up sod to growcrops.
6. Many North American rivershave their __________, or source,in the Rocky Mountains, wherea(n) __________ determines thedirection of the rivers’ flow.
7. Important cities grew up alongthe __________, where the Piedmont drops to the AtlanticCoastal Plain.
8. A(n) __________ of the MississippiRiver may be a stream or smallriver.
Reviewing FactsSECTION 1
1. How were the Pacific Rangesformed?
2. What effect does the Continen-tal Divide have on the directionrivers flow?
SECTION 23. What kind of climate is common
in most of the United States andsouthern Canada?
4. Name two types of vegetationin this region.
Locating PlacesThe United States and Canada: PhysicalGeography
Match the letters on the map with the physical features of the United States and Canada. Write your answers on a sheet of paper.
1. Rocky Mountains2. Great Plains3. Appalachian
Mountains4. Canadian Shield
5. Great Lakes6. Mississippi
River7. Hudson Bay8. Great Bear Lake
9. Pacific Ranges10. Mackenzie
River11. Rio Grande12. Great Slave Lake
A
F
G
L
I
J
K
B
C
H
D
E
160°W
140°W
120°
W
100°
W
80°W
60°W
40°W
20°W
180°
80°N70°N
60°N
50°N
40°N
30°N
TR
OPIC
OF
CANCER
AR
CT
IC
CIR
CLE
Azimuthal Equidistantprojection
500
5000 mi.
0 km
N
ASSESSMENT & ACTIVITIES
128 U n i t 2
Climate Zonesand Vegetation
C h a p t e r 5 129
To determine which city is east of the fall line, remember that the fallline is where the higher land of the
Piedmont drops to the lower Atlantic Coastal Plainto the east. Eliminate those choices that do not indicate a city on the coast, near sea level.
Self-Check Quiz Visit the Glencoe WorldGeography Web site at tx.geography.glencoe.comand click on Self-Check Quizzes—Chapter 5 toprepare for the Chapter Test.
Using the Regional Atlas Refer to the Regional Atlas on pages 106–109.
1. Region How are the eastern and westernhalves of the United States and Canada different?
2. Location On the physical map, locate riversthat flow into the Mississippi. Then use theeconomic activity map to make a list of prod-ucts that might be shipped using these rivers.
Thinking Like a GeographerThe region of the United States and Canada pos-sesses natural resources that people depend on forsurvival. Choose one section of the region, andwrite a paragraph explaining how people dependon a natural resource in that area.
Problem-Solving ActivityGroup Research Project The flooding of theMississippi River floodplain in 1993 caused billionsof dollars worth of damage and raised questionsabout the wisdom of controlling the flow of majorrivers with dams and levees. Should rivers beallowed to take their natural course? In yourgroup, choose who will argue for controllingrivers and who will argue against it. Be sure togive a fair presentation of the data, including sup-portive evidence on the pros and cons.
GeoJournalExpository Writing Using the information youlogged in your GeoJournal as you read, write aparagraph explaining how one of the region’sphysical features affects its inhabitants. Use yourtextbook and Internet resources to make yourexplanation clear and accurate.
Technology ActivityUsing the Internet for Research
Think about the effects of physical processes, land-forms, and climate. Then use reliable Internetresources to find out more about one way inwhich life in your area is shaped by physical geog-raphy. Write a report, and share it with the class.
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
City 1 City 2 City 3 City 4
Elev
atio
n A
bove
Sea
Lev
el
ft./m
750/229
700/213
650/198
600/183
550/168
500/152
450/137
400/122
350/107
300/91
250/76
200/61
150/46
100/30
50/15
0/0
Choose the best answer for the following multiple-choice question. If you have troubleanswering the question, use the process ofelimination to narrow your choices.
1. Given the information shown in the bargraph, which city is most likely locatedeast of the fall line in the eastern UnitedStates?
A City 1 C City 3B City 2 D City 4
Elevations: Selected U.S. Cities
Selected Cities
Comparing Soils
You may think that allsoil is alike, but there
are many different vari-eties. Several factorsaccount for soil differ-ences. The parent rock,or the type of rock fromwhich soil is formed, isone factor. Weatheringbreaks down parent rockto produce differenttypes of soil. For exam-ple, if limestone is theparent rock, it will pro-duce a different soil thanif sandstone were the
parent rock. Climate, types of vegetation, and theslope of the land surface also affect soils.
The color of the soil indicates the presence ofcertain minerals or other substances. Sandy soil isusually light in color. Soil rich in humus is dark incolor because of the presence of decaying plant and animal matter. Red soils are colored by largeamounts of iron-bearing minerals. Different types ofsoil are found in the United States, including moun-tain soils, prairie soils, river soils, glacial soils, anddesert soils.
Materials• Computers with Internet access• Large map of your state, with counties out-
lined and identified• Small plastic envelopes or bags for soil
samples• Labels for the plastic envelopes or bags• Pushpin or thumbtacks
ProceduresIn this activity, you will use the Internet andother resources to compare soils in your stateand explain why differences exist amongthem.
1. Using the Internet, locate e-mail addressesfor as many other schools throughout yourstate as you can. Save the e-mail addressesin your program’s address book.
2. Collect the e-mail addresses and postaladdresses of your friends and relativesthroughout your state.
3. Coordinate all of the addresses to ensurethat there is full coverage and that countiesor regions are not duplicated.
4. Send e-mail messages or handwritten notesto all your partners, asking each to sendyou a small soil sample of his or her area.Ask partners to identify exactly where the soil came from (for example, “from my yard,” or “from the hillside behind my house”). Explain that you are trying to identify why soil samples are differentwithin an area. Ask that the soil samples be sent as soon as possible.
130 U n i t 2
Students collect soil sam-ples for experiments.
C h a p t e r 5 131
ArcticDesertGlacialMountainPrairieRiverTemperateTropicalWetlands
Azimuthal Equidistant projection
500
5000 mi.
0 km
N
140°W
120°
W
100°
W
80°W
60°W
40°W 20°W160°W
70°N
60°N
50°N
40°N
30°N
A
RC
TIC
CIR
CLE
TROPIC OFCANCER
ATLaNTIC
OCEaN
PaCIFIC
OCEaN
ARCTIC
OCEaN
U N I T E D S T A T E S
C A N A D A
GREENLAND
MEXICO
21°N
156°W159°W
PaCIFIC
OCEaN
HAWAII
0
0
200
200km
mi.
People in many parts of theworld have used soil to build homes. Adobehouses are made of sun-dried bricks of clay soiland straw. Soils with about 70 percent sand and30 percent clay can be compacted to form bricksor walls for durable rammed-earth houses.
5. Ask partners to sterilize the soil in a 350° oven for about 15 minutesbefore sealing the cooled soil sam-ple in a small plastic bag.
6. As soil samples arrive, put each onein a separate plastic envelope or bag.Label each envelope or bag with thename and location of the person whosent it. Using the map below, try to identify the type of soil your partners sent.
7. Research to find the characteristics of that area’s soils. Does the soil sam-ple reflect information found in yourresearch?
8. Using the pushpins, place each soil sampleon the map in the area of its origin.
9. Describe how the location of where thesesoils were found affects how they are simi-lar to or different from each other.
Lab Report
Different types of soils arefound in the United States.
Find Out MoreIdentify a climate area in Canada or theUnited States, and research to find out, for example, how soils in that climate differ from each other. How has the climateaffected the soil? The area’s vegetation?
1. How many soil samples were collected?
2. What were some of the factors that
accounted for the differences in the soils?
3. Drawing Conclusions Write a paragraph
explaining how the differences in the soils
collected do or do not reflect the economic
activity of at least two areas of the state.
Give reasons for your conclusions.
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