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Unit 2 Study Guide
Define the following:
1. Great Divide: marks the place which rivers flow either to the Atlantic Ocean or the
Pacific Ocean.
2. Fall line: point where the land drops from the Piedmont Plain to the Coastal Plain;
waterfalls can be found here
3. Chinook: warm, dry wind found in the Rockies
4. Trade surplus: a country exports more than it imports
5. Continental Divide: found in the Rocky Mtns, determines the flow of rivers (east
or west).
6. Parliament: governing body of Canada
7. Urbanization: movement of people to cities
8. Jazz: music distinctive to the US
9. Suburb: outlying area of a city
10. Timberline: point on the mountain where trees can no longer grow
11. Hurricane: tropical ocean storm
12. Dominion: what unites the Canadian provinces and territories (under control of
Great Britain)
13. Blizzard: severe winter storm, nearly no visibility
14. Headwaters: origin of a river
15. Amendment: any change made to the constitution
16. Constitution: the plan of government for the US
17. Tributary: a branch off of a river
18. Fishery: place for catching fish and marine animals
19. Republic: where the people rule themselves (US/Canada)
20. Free market economy: type of trade system in which individuals can operate and
profit from business
21. Prairie: treeless area with grass 6-12 ft tall
a. Where would you find a prairie? Great Plains
22. What are the characteristics of a highlands climate? Cold because of a high
elevation – found in mountains
23. What is significant about Mt. McKinley and where can you find this place?
Highest point in North America, part of the Alaska Range located in Alaska.
24. What is significant about the Death Valley and where can you find this place?
Lowest elevation in North America, highest recorded temperature in the US.
25. What is significant about the Everglades and where might you find one? Areas of
wetlands and swamps, can be found in Florida.
26. Where is the Corn Belt and why is it significant? From Ohio to Nebraska, corn is
grown here.
27. What does NAFTA stand for, who is a member, and what does it do? North
America Free Trade Agreement; US, Canada, Mexico; no trade restrictions
28. What are the characteristics of a Marine West Climate and where would you find
this? Cold winters, 100+ inches of rain/year; found in northern California, Oregon,
and Washington.
29. What make up the Pacific Ranges and how were they formed? Coast Mtns,
Coastal Mtns, Alaska Range, Cascade Range; collision of tectonic plates
30. Where are the Rocky Mountains located? Western part of North America
a. Appalachian Mountains: Eastern part of North America
b. Cascade Mountains: West Coast
c. Sierra Nevada: West Coast
31. How did glaciers form the Great Lakes? Through glacial erosion they carved
basins out of bedrock allowing for the Great Lakes to form.
32. Where would you find a tropical climate? Southern Florida and Hawaii
33. Where would you find the Piedmont Plain? East coast of the US
34. Where would you find coal and mineral deposits in North America? Mountains
35. What affect climate regions? Latitude and elevation
36. What is the climate like in Canada? Very cold winters and cool-cold summers.
Temperatures can average below 0 degrees F in the northern part of Canada.
37. Where would you find the highest population density in Canada and the US?
Canada: Southern part along the border with the US
US: Great Lakes region; along the coasts and inland waterways
38. Compare and contrast the economies of Canada and the US. Both free market;
US – privately owned healthcare and broadcasting; Canada – government
owned healthcare and broadcasting
39. Name the Canadian province where French is the official language. Quebec
40. What is the Transcontinental Railroad and why is it important? Opened in the
1800s and allowed people to migrate and trade in the western part of the US.
41. What is the main cause of population growth in the United States? immigration
42. What is the Louisiana Territory? Why is it important? How did it become part of
the US? Large piece of land in the central portion of North America that had been
owned by the French; the US bought it for $15 million and it more than doubled
the size of the US.