all weather conditions for a given location over a period of time. © 1996 - 2020 National Geographic Society. You cannot download interactives. characteristic to or of a specific place. Mexico and Central America’s western coast are connected to the mountainous west, while its lowlands and coastal plains extend into the eastern region. 2. 2 terms. Resources can be natural or human. Use these resources to spark student curiosity in terrestrial ecosystems and discover how different abiotic and biotic factors determine the plants and animals found in a particular place. This hard surface provides a rich community for algae and plants such as seagrass. The Rocky Mountains are part of a system of parallel mountain ranges known as the Cordilleras. The audio, illustrations, photos, and videos are credited beneath the media asset, except for promotional images, which generally link to another page that contains the media credit. This article treats the physical and human geography of North America. type of plant that has thick leaves and stems for storing water. The temperate rain forest receives an incredible amount of precipitation, between 254 to 508 centimeters (100 to 200 inches) annually. Text on this page is printable and can be used according to our Terms of Service. Also known as petroleum or crude oil. ecosystem with large, flat areas of grasses. /CSp /DeviceRGB North America’s physical geography, environment and resources, and human geography can be considered separately. Encyclopedic entry. Prefixes. Start studying Physical Geography of North America. The continent includes the enormous island of Greenland in the northeast and the small island countries and territories that dot the Caribbean Sea and western North Atlantic Ocean. Wetland areas are a biome of the eastern region and consist of areas of land whose soil is saturated with permanent or seasonal moisture. The Great Plains are also home to rich deposits of oil and natural gas.Much of the fertile soil was formed from material deposited during the most recent glacial period. The slide show includes animations and sound . 3. >> Andrew Turgeon, Mary Crooks, National Geographic Society series or chain of mountains that are close together. Animal species include the roadrunner, Gila monster, and rattlesnake.In addition to mountains, deserts, and forests, the northern part of the western region of North America also has the richest deposits of oil and natural gas on the continent. South America is a continent of extremes. natural or artificial line separating two pieces of land. Privacy Notice |  During the summer, this top layer of soil thaws less than 10 centimeters (only a few inches) down, forming numerous shallow lakes, ponds, and bogs. Extreme weather prevents the growth of large plants but is perfectly suited to the native grasses that dominate the region. If no button appears, you cannot download or save the media. Kara West. North American Physical Geography The United States and Canada All images courtesy of Wikimedia and Google Maps Important Physical Features Rocky Mountains Largest mountain range in North America Also the youngest Reaches higher altitudes than the Appalachian Mountains Stretches from Alaska to Mexico Appalachian Mountains Second largest North American range Oldest range in North America … narrow strip of land that lies along a body of water. area of tall, mostly evergreen trees and a high amount of rainfall. endobj stream Sawgrass marshes are the most iconic plant community of the Everglades and thrive on the slow-moving water of the wetlands. 25 terms. North America’s older mountain ranges, including the Appalachians, rise near the east coast of the United States and Canada. /PCSp 4 0 R ��_���ԕ:��חL��'�+��O�� ��� ?���a���$lj䳄sM�e���i�ˏQ�.�1��$�?6b��S�1�������J]U���`. Some diverse biomes represented in North America include desert, grassland, tundra, and coral reefs.Western RegionYoung mountains rise in the west. A reef is a ridge of jagged rock, coral, or sand just above or below the surface of the sea. << The tundra, stretching along the northern borders of Alaska and Canada to the Hudson Bay area, is a biome common to the Canadian Shield. The Cordilleras extend from Canada all the way to the Isthmus of Panama. Canada is slightly bigger than the USA and about as big as China. JosephP1109. The Sierra Madre stretch from the southwestern United States to Honduras. dry land on the side of a mountain facing away from prevailing winds. The Rocky Mountains are part of a system of parallel mountain ranges known as the Cordilleras. 1145 17th Street NW 2 terms. /CreationDate (D:20150713011255-04'00') Although Columbus is given much credit as having discovered America, there were plenty of people already living in North America prior to the Europeans having arrived. There are 23 countries in North America (see list of the ten biggest countries on the right) and 9 dependencies with a total of more than 590 million people living on the continent. She or he will best know the preferred format. It is home to the world's largest river (the Amazon) as well as the world's driest place (the Atacama Desert). Most Renewable Electricity ProducedBelize (96.7%; hydropower, biomass), Population Density57 people per square kilometer, Largest WatershedMississippi River (3 million square kilometers/1.15 million square miles), Highest ElevationDenali, Alaska, United States (6,190 meters/20,310 feet), Largest Urban AreaNew York City, United States (23.7 million people). Engage students with this power point over North America's Geography and Physical Features. In the far north, the continent stretches halfway around the world, from Greenland to the Aleutians. /Resources 10 0 R movement of air (from a high pressure zone to a low pressure zone) caused by the uneven heating of the Earth by the sun. /Parent 2 0 R As glaciers retreated, streams of melted ice dropped sediment on the land, building layers of productive soil. endobj large grassland; usually associated with the Mississippi River Valley in the United States. to fill one substance with as much of another substance as it can take. narrow strip of land connecting two larger land masses. However, its cool winters and mild summers promote the growth of mosses, ferns, fungi, and lichens. community and interactions of living and nonliving things in an area. rocky ocean features made up of millions of coral skeletons. The Sitka spruce, western red cedar, and Douglas fir are trees native to North America’s temperate rain forest. /Contents 8 0 R These large deserts are located in the rain shadows of nearby mountains. ecosystem filled with trees and underbrush. any area on Earth with one or more common characteristics. /Producer (�� Q t 4 . This ice age reached its peak about 18,000 years ago. The North American continent is a big place, with a diverse range of ecosystems, landforms, and climates. Word Roots. /CA 1.0 These areas have been mined for rich deposits of coal and other minerals for hundreds of years.The Atlantic coastal plain extends from river, marsh, and wetland regions east of the mountains toward the sandy beaches of the Atlantic coast. A cordillera is a long series of mountain ranges. 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