Unit 3: Geography of United States and Canada

1. Unit 3: Geography of United States and Canada

2. The North American continent includes:1. Canada2. United States3. Greenland4. Mexico5. Central American countries6. Caribbean Islands

3. Natural Processes Affect Physical Geography of the Earth: • Landforms continually change • Sometimes violently: volcano or earthquake. • Sometimes slowly: erosion

5. Glaciers • Thousands of years ago glaciers covered much of North America. • As they moved across the land, they smoothed out rough surfaces, carved depressions and deep trenches, and piled up rock and dirt. • Once the ice was melted glaciers left new valleys, lakes, and hills.

8. Erosion • The Grand Canyon was partly affected by the result of millions of years of erosion by the Colorado River.

12. River System • The largest rivers in the United States are the Mississippi and Missouri rivers. • The largest river in Canada is the Mackenzie River.

17. T

19. 7 Geographic Regions of the United States and Canada

20. Atlantic Coastal Plain • Along the Gulf of Mexico and the east coast of North America • This region has much rich farmland and some swamps and wetlands.

24. Appalachian Mountains • This mountain range is 400 million-years-old. • These forest-covered mountains have weathered, or worn down, over time.

28. Central Lowlands • West of the Appalachians • General flat. • Soil is rich, with many farms

31. Great Plains • Grasslands and few trees • Farmers grow crops and ranches raise cattle in some areas.

36. The Rocky Mountains and Coastal Ranges • North America’s highest mountain range • These high, rugged, and heavily forested mountain ranges run along the western part of the continent from Mexico to Alaska.

42. Intermountain Region • Located between the Rocky Mountains and the western coastal mountains. • Dry with plateaus, basins, and deserts • The Grand Canyon is found here.

46. Canadian Shield • Most of Greenland, curves around the Hudson Bay, and reaches into the United States along the Great Lakes. • Central and Northwestern Part: • Has flat plains with hills and lakes • Northeast Part: • High mountains • South Part: • Covered with forest • Rich in minerals: iron, gold, copper, and uranium • Most is not farmable, and is sparsely populated

50. NAFTA • North American Free Trade Agreement • Goal= to eliminate trade barriers between U.S., CANADA and MEXICO • Encourages free trade (exports/imports) between the three countries