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North America
World Geography
105
North America Facts:
• North America is the third largest continent in the world.
• North America covers an area of about 9,540,000 sq mi.
• North America covers about 4.8% of the planet's surface.
• Mexico City, Mexico is the largest city in North America.
• Mount McKinley, in Alaska, is the tallest point on the
continent at 20,322 ft.
• The longest river in North America is the Mississippi River.
• North America was named after the explorer Americo
Vespucci.
• North America is the only continent that has every kind of
climate.
Climates of North America
Coniferous Forest
These regions have cold, long, snowy winters, and warm, humid
summers; well-defined seasons, at least four to six frost-free
months. Coniferous forests consist mostly of conifers, trees that
grow needles instead of leaves, and cones instead of flowers.
Temperature
-40°F to 68°F, average summer temperature is 50°F
Precipitation
12 to 24 inches of rain per year
Deciduous Forest
Temperate deciduous forests are most notable because they
go through four seasons. Leaves change color in autumn, fall
off in the winter, and grow back in the spring; this adaptation
allows plants to survive cold winters.
Temperature
-30°F to 86°F, yearly average is 56°F, hot summers, cold winters
Precipitation
30 to 60 inches of rain per year
Alpine/Mountain Climate
This region is found in mountain ranges all over the world
and usually usually above 10,000 ft. The Alpine has unique
seasons, with its "winter" lasting about 7 months. Little plant
and tree growth due to poor soil and growing conditions.
Temperature
-37°F to 54°F, yearly average is 36°F, luke-warm summers, freezing cold
winters.
Precipitation
8- 12 inches of rain per year
Mediterranean Climate
A climate typical of most of the lands in the Mediterranean Basin,
and is a particular variety of subtropical climate. The climate is
characterized by warm to hot, dry summers and mild to cool, wet
winters and usually occur on the western sides of continents.
Temperature
37°F to 92°F, yearly average is 58°F, dry and hot summers, cool and moist
winters
Precipitation
10-20 inches of rain per year
Rainforest
There are two types of rainforests, tropical and temperate. Tropical
rainforests are found closer to the equator and temperate rainforests
are found farther north near coastal areas. The tropical rainforest is a
hot, moist biome where it rains all year long.
Temperature
68°F to 77°F, must remain warm and frost-free
Precipitation
79-390 inches of rain per year
Grassland
Grasslands are generally open and continuous, fairly flat areas of
grass. They are often located between temperate forests at high
latitudes and deserts at subtropical latitudes. The height of grass
correlates with the amount of rainfall it receives. Temperate
grasslands have cold winters and warm summers with some rain.
Temperature
-20°F to 86°F, yearly average is 50°F, cold winters and warm summers with
some rain.
Precipitation
20-35 inches of rain per year
Tundra
Almost no trees due to short growing season and permafrost;
lichens, mosses, grasses, sedges, shrubs. Tundra is the
coldest of the biomes and also receives low amounts of
precipitation, making the tundra similar to a desert.
Temperature
-40°F to 62°F, average summer temperature is 37°- 60°F
Precipitation
6 to 12 inches of rain per year
Desert
Desert biomes are the driest of all the biomes and receive very
little rainfall. Temperatures in the desert can change drastically
from day to night because the air is so dry that heat escapes
rapidly at night. Some desert plant species have a short life cycle
of a few weeks that lasts only during periods of rain.
Temperature
Average of 100°F (day), average of 25°F (night)
Precipitation
10 inches of rain per year
North America Physical Features
• Rocky Mountains
• Cascade Mountains
• Appalachian Mountains
• Sierra Nevada
• Laurentides
• Sierra Madre Occidental
• Sierra Madre Oriental
North America Physical Features
• Lake Michigan
• Lake Superior
• Lake Ontario
• Lake Huron
• Lake Erie
North America Physical Features
• Hudson Bay
• Labrador Sea
• Baffin Bay
• Beaufort Sea
• Arctic Ocean
Major Rivers of North America
• Mississippi
River
• Arkansas River
• Snake River
• Ohio River
• Columbia River
• Missouri River
• Yukon River
• McKenzie River
• Rio Grande River
• Slave River
• Colorado River
• Nelson River
• Great Bear River
• Saint Claire River
• Peace River
• Koukdjuak River
• Niagara River
• Saskatchewan River