World Geography North America



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World Geography

North America

Notes


  1. North America History

    1. First Americans

- came over from Asia about 40,000 to 20,000 years ago- probably used a strait- waters lowered in P. Ocean exposing land

- 10,000 years ago people populated all of North America




    1. European Explorers started in late 1500’s

        1. Spanish

          • controlled: Florida ad large area west of the Mississippi River

          • came for: to block expansion of other European powers; founded military posts or missions- tried to convert natives to Christianity




        1. French

          • controlled: along St. Lawrence River and Miss R, near Gulf of Mexico

          • came for: economic reasons- set up trading post (beaver pelts) to ship to Europe. Most did not plan to settle




        1. English

          • controlled: Land along Atlantic coast and around Hudson Bay







          • split 1763 France had to give land in NA to Britian, natives didn’t like a lot of Brit practices, colonists started to reject British rule- revolted and formed US- loyalist went to British controlled Can- Can eventually broke from Eng- peacefully




  1. North America Physical Features:

    1. Physical Land Formations

- 3rd Largest continent

- continent with the most coastlines



- wide variety of climates and vegetations- have all 11 climate zones!


        1. Canadian Shield: large area of bare rock

          • Surrounds Hudson bay- eastern and central Can

          • Planets oldest rocks (Precambrian times) used to mountains that have eroded away- now covered in thick forest




        1. Eastern Uplands




        1. Western Mountains

          • Pacific Range- western part of NA includes Alaskan, Coastal, Cascade and Sierra Nevada Mountains- not as tall as other mnt ranges in NA

          • Rocky Mountains 3,000 mi long from New Mex. to Alaska- tallest and longest mnt chain in NA




        1. Central Plains includes great plain (also called High plains) area between rockies and miss river




        1. General Features

          • Longest river: Mississippi river (2,340 mi)

          • Highest Point: Mount McKinley

          • Lowest Point: Death Valley




    1. Divide line that separates rivers that flow toward opposite ends of a continent

        1. Continental Divide: Rocky Mnts




        1. Height of Land in Canada

          • Separates waters flowing into Arctic Ocean


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