physical geography us and canada. the continent ▪ canada: ▪ second largest country in the world....
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Physical GeographyUS and Canada
The Continent▪ Canada:▪ Second largest country in the world.
▪ The longest non-militarized border in the world (8,900 km).
▪ Trade agreement since 1989.
▪ Several similarities but different societies.
▪ US:▪ Fourth largest country in the world.
▪ 48 continental (contiguous) states plus Alaska and Hawaii
▪ Mexico▪ We’ll do Mexico next unit!
More about the Continent
▪ Rich in natural resources
▪Major Landforms:▪ Eastern Lowlands▪ Flat plain along Gulf of Mexico and
East Coast with good harbors▪ Bordered by Piedmont plateau
▪ Appalachian Highlands▪ Appalachians extend 1600 miles
from Canada to Alabama▪ Catskills, Blue Ridge, Smoky Mountains
are in Appalachians
▪ 400 million years old▪ Once as tall as Alps and Rockies
More Landforms▪ Interior Lowlands▪ Flat land, flattened by glaciers thousands
of years ago
▪ Interior Plains, Great Plains and Canadian Shield▪ Gradually rise from East to Rockies in West
▪ Western Mountains▪ Rocky Mountains▪ Series of ranges from Alaska to Mexico
▪ 3000 miles long
▪ Continental Divide in Rockies▪ Separates rivers flowing east and west
▪ Between Rockies and Coast▪ Series of ranges: Cascades, Sierra Nevada
run from California to Alaska
▪ Part of the Ring of Fire
Islands▪North Canada▪Near Arctic Circle▪ Largest Islands: Elsmere, Victoria, and Baffin
More Islands▪Archipelagoes of US▪ Aleutian Islands▪ Barren, off coast of
Alaska
▪ Hawaiian Islands▪ Not geographically part
of NA▪ Stretches 1500 miles!
Pacific NorthwestMidwest
SouthMid Atlantic StatesMountain WestSouthwest
New England
Hawaii and Alaska are not part of a region
D.C.
Regions of
the US
Resources▪ Oceans and Waterways▪ Three Oceans
▪ Atlantic, Pacific, and Arctic
▪ Large freshwater lakes▪ Great Lakes; part of St. Lawrence River system
▪ Mississippi-Ohio-Missouri River system
▪ Land▪ LOTS of land & Fertile soil make US leading food producer
in world
▪ Huge forests
▪ Minerals and Fossil Fuels▪ Canadian Shield and Western Mountains: Iron, Nickel,
copper, gold, uranium
▪ Oil and Natural Gas in Plains, Alaska, and Gulf of Mexico▪ BUT US largest consumer of fossil fuels
Precipitation▪ East/west gradient in
precipitation▪ Wet air from the Pacific.
▪ When reaching the coastal chain and the Sierra Nevada is forced to gain altitude.
▪ precipitation over the West Side of these mountain chains.
▪ The air becomes dryer as it goes over mountains
▪ Less rain falling over the western part of the Great Plains.
▪ As it moves east, air masses gain in humidity through land evaporation and precipitation levels rise.
Climate▪ Very diversified, ranging from
continental humid to sub tropical.
▪ Relatively simple weather system:▪ Varies from west to east.
▪ Influenced by air masses moving from the arctic (cold and dry) and from the gulf of Mexico (hot and wet).
▪ The southeast section of the United States:▪ A high precipitation level.
▪ Result of movements of air masses from the gulf of Mexico.
▪ Subject to tropical storms coming from the South Atlantic
More Climate▪ Tundra in far north▪ Treeless, 40˚ is average in July!
▪ Coastal ranges prevent arctic air from entering interior
▪ North Central and northeast▪ Cold winters, warm summers
▪ Great for agriculture: Breadbasket of US
▪ Pacific Coast▪ Marine west coast climate; summers
warm, winters rainy and mild
▪ Southwest▪ Desert climate
▪ Tropical▪ Hawaii and Florida
The Anglo-American cultural space▪ US and Canada are known as
“Anglo-America”▪ Bound together by geographic,
cultural, political and economic ties▪ As opposed to Latin America (Spanish
and Portuguese cultural origin).
▪ Prominence of English Language.▪ A few exceptions:▪ French Canada, Hawaii, US/Mexico
border regions, southeast Florida, First Nations and the Black population.
▪ Immigration is changing this space.▪ English remains the language of
power and business.
Immigration to the United States, 1820-2002
0
200,000
400,000
600,000
800,000
1,000,000
1,200,000
1,400,000
BritishIsles
GermanyScandinavia
SoutheastEurope
Latin AmericaAsia
Transportation
▪ Overcoming space▪ Always been a challenge.
▪ Massive transport infrastructure (from trails to railways to highways to the information highway).
▪ Transportation▪ Supports the economic efficiency
of the United States and Canada.
▪ Comes with high energy and infrastructure costs.
▪ Transportation uses 27% of all the energy.
▪ The American consumption of energy is 3 times greater than Europeans.
Interstate Highway System
▪ Built since the 1950s:▪ Peak construction during the 1960s.▪ Mainly completed by 1991.▪ Currently about 45,000 miles of
highways.
▪ Trans Canadian highway is the Canadian equivalent.▪ Interstates have changed urban
spaces: ▪ Reduced the dominance of
downtown areas▪ Providing an alternative locational
choice - both for commercial and residential activities: the suburbs
Impact of the Interstate System▪ Impacts on businesses:
▪ Attracted by the lower rents in the suburbs
▪ Availability of parking space.
▪ Near suppliers and customers.
▪ Individual families:▪ The interstates made commuting much easier (more
distance for the same amount of time).
▪ Car ownership increased dramatically
▪ Public transport was relatively neglected in this process.
▪ Suburban America
▪ Made possible by highways and personal mobility.
▪ Reflects American ideals of private ownership and individualism:▪ Attracted by the more spacious surroundings for housing.
▪ Fled the cities with all of their urban problems.
▪ Increase in the size of housing units.
▪ Automobile dependency
CanadaNot Just America’s Hat!
Canada▪ Climate and location
▪ Similar to Russia:▪ Continental scale.
▪ Latitude (plus, it’s stoopid cold)
▪ High dependency to the United States:▪ Trade 75%.
▪ Each other’s largest trading partners
▪ Resources are in the north while population is in the south.
▪ Provinces and territories combined in a federal system (like what the US has)
French Canada▪ Linguistic and cultural
distinctiveness.
▪ Along the St. Lawrence Valley settled in “long lots”.
▪ Montreal is the second largest French-speaking city in the world.
▪ Significant lumber, mining and hydroelectric resources
The Northern Frontier▪ Most of it in Canada with the
exception of Alaska.
▪ Many natural resources, but difficult to access:▪ Distances.
▪ Permafrost.
▪ Low populations concentrated along extraction sites.
▪ Tar sands of Northern Alberta:▪ More oil than Saudi Arabia.
▪ Trapped as bitumen (oil shale) in sand formations.
▪ .Released by Hydraulic Fracturing (Fracking)