Download This region is bounded by the Atlantic Ocean on the east and the

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
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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 hug 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.
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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
McKinley 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
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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
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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.
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.
Saskatchewan: This province produces uranium, potash, natural gas, and agricultural
crops.
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
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.
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.
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 are also fishing ports, and aquaculture farms to
be found here.
Newfoundland and Labrador: This area includes numerous small islands within its
periphery. Labrador produces iron ore. Fish processing is one of the main industries
here.
Nova Scotia: Fish processing, fishing, and coal mining earlier were the chief
industries of this province. This area also produces coal and gypsum.
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
province
United States: political geography
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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.