Download NA physical/human

Human and Physical
Characteristics of North
America
Physical
Characteristics
Location
•
Located in Northern Hemisphere
•
Bordered by Pacific and Atlantic Ocean
•
North America Includes:
•
Canada
•
United States
•
Mexico
•
Central America
•
Caribbean islands
Climate
•
Varies Extremely
•
Examples:
•
Greenland- permanent ice cap
•
Central America• tropical rain forests with
• heavy precipitation and hot temperatures all
year
Landforms
•
Plains, Mountains, Islands, Basins, Plateaus, Great Rivers, and
Large Lakes
•
Plains
• runs down the center of Canada and United States
• “Great Plains”
• fertile soil
•
Mountains
• run the length length of North America
• Great Mountain Ranges:
• Rocky Mountains
• Appalachians
• Sierra Madre Oriental
• Sierra Madre Occidental
Landforms
•
Islands
• Clusters near:
• Arctic Circle
• Caribbean
•
Plateaus
• often cut by canyons or a mountain system
• Most famous —> Grand Canyon
•
Lakes and Rivers
• important source of food and valuable transportation
Human
Characteristics
Population
•
491 million people live in North America
• 59% live in the United States
•
Most of European ancestry
•
Large number of people of African descent live
throughout North America
• due to slavery
Education
•
United States and Canada
• public and private school
• very large and well attended
• required to attend elementary, middle, and
secondary levels
•
Mexico and Central America
• receive mainly an elementary education
• leave school after a short time to help support
their families
Religious Beliefs
•
Christianity most widely practices
•
United States
• Mainly Protestant
• Large minority are Catholic
•
Mexico and Central America
• Majority Catholic
!
•
Others: Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism
Lifestyle
•
2 Distinct regions:
• United States and Canada
• Middle America
•
Lifestyles in large urban areas are similar BUT rural areas are very different
• United States/Canada:
• enjoy the same conveniences and services that are found in urban
areas
• Use modern farm equipment and create a surplus to sell
•
Middle America:
• rural population is very poor
• few own their own land
• raise only enough food for their own use
• do not share the same convinces and services that are found in
urban areas