North AmericaMap Study

Saint Lawrence River

St. Lawrence SeawaySt. Lawrence Seaway

Canal and Canal and dam locksdam locksAt right, a Great Lakes At right, a Great Lakes steamer passes steamer passes through a series of through a series of locks to go from one locks to go from one Great Lakes to Great Lakes to another.another.

The Saint Lawrence Seaway is the system of The Saint Lawrence Seaway is the system of canals that permits ocean-going vessels to travel canals that permits ocean-going vessels to travel from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes as far from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes as far as Lake Superior. The Welland Canal as Lake Superior. The Welland Canal (above)(above) connects Lakes Erie and Ontario, bypassing the connects Lakes Erie and Ontario, bypassing the Niagara Falls on the Niagara River. Niagara Falls on the Niagara River.

All of the boat traffic that flows into or out of Lake All of the boat traffic that flows into or out of Lake Superior must move through the locks of the St. Superior must move through the locks of the St. Mary's River, at Sault Ste. Marie.Mary's River, at Sault Ste. Marie.

Ohio River

Mississippi River

Mississippi River Drainage Basin

Mississippi Mississippi RiverRiverThe Mississippi drains most of the The Mississippi drains most of the

area between the Rocky Mountains area between the Rocky Mountains and the Appalachian Mountains. It and the Appalachian Mountains. It runs through two states — runs through two states — Minnesota and Louisiana — and was Minnesota and Louisiana — and was used to define the borders of eight used to define the borders of eight states (the river has since shifted) states (the river has since shifted) — Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, — Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky, Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, Arkansas, Tennessee, and Mississippi — before emptying and Mississippi — before emptying into the Gulf of Mexico about 100 into the Gulf of Mexico about 100 miles (160 km) downstream from miles (160 km) downstream from New Orleans.New Orleans.

• Rivers

• North America has a very large river system in the Mississippi-Missouri-Ohio

• The Missouri and Ohio rivers flow into the Mississippi, thus making them tributaries of the Mississippi

Missouri River

Colorado River

Rio Grande

Columbia River

Yukon River

Central America and the Caribbean Islands are also part of North America

Yucatan Peninsula

Rain forest

Tropical rain forests are mainly Tropical rain forests are mainly the product of climatic interactions, the product of climatic interactions, particularly temperature and rainfall. particularly temperature and rainfall. They occur where They occur where monthly temperature monthly temperature of 20 - 28°C combines of 20 - 28°C combines with an annual with an annual rainfall of 1.5 -10m, rainfall of 1.5 -10m, evenly distributed evenly distributed throughout throughout the year.the year.

Central AmericanRain Forest

The tropical rain forest is a The tropical rain forest is a forest of tall trees in a forest of tall trees in a region of year-round warmth region of year-round warmth with an annual average of with an annual average of 50- 260” of rain. These 50- 260” of rain. These forests belong to the forests belong to the tropical wet climate grouptropical wet climate group..

Great Plains

Great PlainsGreat PlainsThe broad expanse The broad expanse of prairie which lies of prairie which lies east of the Rocky east of the Rocky Mountains in the Mountains in the United States of United States of America and America and Canada.Canada.

Great Plains

In the Prairies ecozone, rivers and streams are slow moving, usually with muddy bottoms. There are few lakes, but many marshes and small shallow ponds.

The Great Plains cover the center of the continent.

PrairieThe prairie biome is a The prairie biome is a plant community plant community dominated by grasses dominated by grasses and non-grassy herbs and non-grassy herbs with some woody with some woody shrubs and occasional shrubs and occasional trees.trees.

Temperate grasslands are characterized by hot summers and cold winters. Evaporation rate is high, so little rain makes it into the rich soil.

Mid-grass prairie near Manhattan, KansasMid-grass prairie near Manhattan, Kansas

Great Plains grasslandsGreat Plains grasslands

Rocky Rocky MountainsMountains

Commonly defined to Commonly defined to stretch from the stretch from the Liard River in British Liard River in British Columbia, down to Columbia, down to the Rio Grande in the Rio Grande in New Mexico. The New Mexico. The mountains can also mountains can also be considered to run be considered to run to Alaska or Mexico, to Alaska or Mexico, but usually those but usually those mountains are mountains are considered to be considered to be part of the entire part of the entire American cordillera, American cordillera, rather than part of rather than part of the Rockies.the Rockies.

The Rockies are young scamps that haven’t faced the extra 320 million years of erosion that the Appalachians have suffered and so are much taller.

Rocky Mountain SeptemberRocky Mountain September

The range runs parallel to the Pacific coasts of California, Washington, and Oregon for 4,500 miles in the United States and extend north into Canada for about 1,000 miles and south into Mexico for about 800 miles.

Sierra Nevada Mountains

Cascade Range

Appalachian Mountains

AppalachiansAppalachiansA vast system of A vast system of North American North American mountains, partly in mountains, partly in Canada, but mostly Canada, but mostly in the United States, in the United States, extending as a zone, extending as a zone, from 100 to 300 from 100 to 300 miles wide, running miles wide, running from Newfoundland from Newfoundland and Labrador, and Labrador, Canada, 1500 miles Canada, 1500 miles south-westward to south-westward to central Alabama in central Alabama in the United States.the United States.

Sierra Madre Occidental and Oriental

Great Lakes

Lake Winnipeg

Lake Okeechobee

EvergladesFlorida EvergladesFlorida Everglades

Everglades National Everglades National ParkPark

Florida Florida EvergladesEvergladesA subtropical A subtropical

marshland located in marshland located in the southern portion of the southern portion of the U.S. state of the U.S. state of Florida. Much modified Florida. Much modified by agricultural by agricultural development in central development in central and southern Florida, and southern Florida, the Everglades is the the Everglades is the southern half of a large southern half of a large watershed arising in watershed arising in the vicinity of Orlando the vicinity of Orlando known as the known as the Kissimmee River Kissimmee River system.system.

Great Bear & Slave Lakes

Great Salt Lake

Gulf of St. Lawrence

Lago Nicaragua

Greenland

Newfoundland

Greater Antilles

• Cuba

• Hispaniola

• Jamaica

• Puerto Rico

Lesser Antilles