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)