Patterns of Physical Geography
Use the Unit Atlas toadd to your knowledgeof the United States andCanada. As you look atthe maps and charts,notice geographicpatterns and specificdetails about the region.
After studying theillustrations, graphs, andphysical map on thesetwo pages, jot downanswers to the followingquestions in yournotebook.
Making Comparisons1. Compare the world’s
longest river, the Nile,
to the Mississippi. How
much difference is there
in the lengths of the
two rivers?
2. Compare the landmass
and population of the
United States to those of
Canada. What statement
can be made about the
two countries?
3. Compare the mountain
peaks of the United
States to those of
Canada. What statement
can be made about
the height of these
mountains?
102 UNIT 2
Mt. Everest Nepal-Tibet
29,035 feet
Mt. McKinleyUnited States
20,320 feet
Mt. Logan Canada
19,524 feet
Mt. St. Elias U.S.-Canada
18,008 feet
Mt. Foraker United States
17,400 feet
World’s Tallest U.S. Tallest
0 1000 2000 3000 4000
Nile4,160 miles
Mississippi2,357 miles
Missouri2,315 miles
Rio Grande1,885 miles
Mackenzie1,120 miles
Length (in miles)
Canada
3,851,809 sq mi
ContinentalUnited States
3,165,630 sq mi
Comparing Data
World’s Longest
U.S. Longest
Landmass
Rivers
Mountains
Population
United States�281,422,000
Canada�30,750,100
Population (in millions)
0 50 100 150 200 250 300
For updated statistics on theUnited States and Canada . . .
DATA UPDATECLASSZONE .COM
G u l f o f
M e x i c o
Labrador Sea
Davis Strait
Beaufort Sea
Gulf ofAlaska
Bering Sea
Chukchi Sea
C a r i b b e a n S e a
HudsonBay
B a f f i nB a y
G r e e n l a n d S e a
Gu
l fo
fC
al i f o
r ni a
James Bay
Denm
arkStra
it
Bering Strait
Gulfof
St. Lawre
nce
AT L A N T I C
O C E A N
A R C T I C O C E A N
P A C I F I C
O C E A N
Aleutian
Islands
G re e n l a n d
Newfoundland
BermudaIs.
Hispaniola
QueenElizabeth
Is lands
KodiakIs.
QueenCharlotte
Is.
Vancouver I.
Death Valley-282 ft.(-86 m)
Mt. Whitney14,494 ft.(4,421 m)
Mt. McKinley20,320 ft.(6,194 m)
Mt. Logan19,551 ft.(5,959 m)
Victoria
Island
Ellesmere
Island
Channel Is.
Baffin Island
W e s t I n d i e s
CA
NA
D
IA
N S H I E
LD
GR
EA
TP
LA
IN
S
C O A S T A L
PL
AI
N
A
PP
AL
AC
HI A
NM
OU
NT
AI N
S
RO
CK
YM
OU
NT
AI
NS
BR
OO
KSRANGE
ALASKA
RAN
GE
GREATBASIN
SIE
RR
AN
EV
AD
A
CA
SCA
DES
CO
AST
RA
NG
ES
MACKENZIE
MT
S.CO
AS
TM
OU
NT
AIN
S
C A N A D A
MEXICO
BELIZE
CUBA
BAHAMAS
GUATEMALA
EL SALVADOR
HONDURAS
NICARAGUA
COSTA RICAPANAMA
COLOMBIA
VENEZUELA
R U S S I A
ICELAND
U N I T E D S T A T E S
YukonR
.
Mackenzie
R.
Colum
bia
R.
St. L
awre
nce
R.
Colorado R.
Grande
Rio
M
ississippi R.
Mis
siss
ippi
R.
OhioR.
Mis souri R
.
L. Superior
L.M
ichi
gan
L. Huron
L.Ontario
GreatSlave Lake
LakeAthabasca
LakeWinnipeg
GreatBear Lake
L. Erie
30°N
40°N
20°N
60°N
0°
10°W
10°E
80°N
70°N
160°E
170°E
180°
50°N
40°N
30°N
20°N
10°N
0°
140°W
160°W
150°W
60°N
30°W
40°W
70°W
50°W
80°W90°W100°W110°W120°W130°W
Arct
icCi
rcle
Tropic of Cancer
PACIFICOCEAN
H a w a i i a nI s l a
n
ds
Hawaii
KauaiNihauOahu
MolokaiLanai Maui
KahoolaweHAWAII
156°W 154°W
22°N
20°N
158°W160°W
0
0 75 150 kilometers
75 150 miles
N
S
EW
Elevation
Mountain peak
(4,000 m.)(2,000 m.)
(500 m.)(200 m.)
(0 m.)Below sea level
13,100 ft.6,600 ft.1,600 ft.
650 ft.0 ft.
Glacier
0
0 250 500 kilometers
250 500 miles
Azimuthal Equal–Area Projection
103
United States and Canada: Physical
US
&C
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Patterns of Human Geography
After the coming ofEuropean settlers in the 17th century, thepolitical map of NorthAmerica changedquickly and significantly.Study the historical andpolitical maps of theUnited States andCanada on these twopages. In your notebook,answer these questions.
Making Comparisons1. What differences do you
notice when you compare
the map of 1600 with the
map of the United States
and Canada today?
2. Which names of native
peoples are found as
geographic names on
the map on page 105?
3. Which country was more
sparsely settled by native
peoples in 1600?
104 UNIT 2
Gulf of Mexico
HudsonBay
ATLANTICOCEAN
ARCTIC OCEAN
PACIFICOCEAN
50°N
60°N 70°N
40°N
90°W100°W110°W 80°W 70°W
30°N
ArcticCirc
leTropic of Cancer
Inuit
Kutchin
Kaska
Inuit
Inuit
Inuit
Inuit
Inuit
Inuit
Inuit
Aleut
Inuit
Cree
Chipewyan
KwakiutlNootka
Haida
SalishChinook
YurokPomo
Chumash
Papago
ShoshoneShoshone
Hopi
Apache
ApachePuebloNavajo
MandanCrow
Arapaho
Cheyenne
Wichita
Kiowa
MiamiIllinois
Shawnee
Algonquin
HuronOttawa
OjibwaAssiniboin
Micmac
Iroquois
Susquehannock
Cherokee
ChickasawCreek
ApalacheeChoctawNatchez
BlackfeetNez
Perce
Ute
FoxSioux
Erie
Animals and wild plants
Cultivated plants
Fish
Animals
Wild plants
Native peoples
Major food source
Crow
N
SE
W
0
0 500 1,000 kilometers
500 1,000 miles
Azimuthal Equal–Area Projection
Selected Native Peoples of North America, c. 1600
G u l f o f
M e x i c o
Labrador Sea
Davis Strait
Beaufort Sea
Gulf ofAlaska
Bering Sea
Chukchi Sea
C a r i b b e a n S e a
HudsonBay
B a f f i nB a y
G r e e n l a n d S e a
Gu
l fo
fC
al i f o
r ni a
James Bay
Denm
arkStra
it
Bering Strait
Gulfof
St. Lawre
nce
AT L A N T I C
O C E A N
A R C T I C O C E A N
P A C I F I C
O C E A N
C A N A D A
MEXICO
R U S S I A
ICELAND
CUBA
GUATEMALAEL SALVADOR
BELIZE
NICARAGUA
COSTA RICA
PANAMA
COLOMBIA
HONDURAS
BAHAMAS
Bermuda(U.K.)
HAITIDOMINICAN
REPUBLIC
U N I T E D S T A T E S
YukonR
.
Mackenzie
R.
Colu
mbi
aR
.
St. L
awre
nce
R.
Colorado R.
Grande
Rio
M
ississippi R.
Mis
siss
ippi
R.
OhioR.
Missouri R.
L. Superior
L.M
ichi
gan
L. Huron
L. Ontario
GreatSlave Lake
LakeAthabasca
LakeWinnipeg
GreatBear Lake
L. Erie
ALASKA(U.S.)
BRITISHCOLUMBIA
ALBERTA
SASKATCHEWAN
YUKONTERRITORY
MANITOBA
O N T A R I O
NORTHWESTTERRITORIES
NUNAVUT
Q U E B E C
NEWBRUNSWICK
NOVASCOTIA
PRINCEEDWARDISLAND
N E W F O U N D L A ND
WASHINGTON
OREGON
CALIFORNIA
NEVADAUTAH
ARIZONA NEWMEXICO
T E X A S LA.ALA.
MISS. GEORGIA
FLORIDA
S.C.
N.C.TENNESSEE
KENTUCKYVIRGINIA
PENN.
N.Y.
MAINE
W.VA.
ARK.
MO.
ILL.
KANSAS
OKLAHOMA
NEBRASKA IOWA
COLORADO
WYOMINGS. DAKOTA
N. DAKOTAMONTANA
IDAHO
MINN.
WIS.
MICH.
IND. OHION.J.DEL.
MD.
CONN.R.I.
MASS.
VT.N.H.
GREENLAND(Den.)
Washington, D.C.
Ottawa
Anchorage
Edmonton
Vancouver Calgary
Seattle Winnipeg
Salt Lake City
San Francisco
Los Angeles
San DiegoPhoenix
Dallas
Houston New Orleans
Miami
Atlanta
Philadelphia
New York
BostonToronto
Montreal
Minneapolis
DetroitChicago
St.Louis
Kansas City
40°N
30°N
50°N
20°N
10°N
0°
80°W90°W100°W110°W120°W130°W
140°W
150°W
160°W
180°
170°E
160°E
30°N
40°N
20°N
60°N
0°
10°W
10°E
30°W
40°W
70°W
50°W
80°N
70°N60°N
Arct
icCi
rcle
Tropic of Cancer
PACIFICOCEAN
H a w a i i a nI s l a
n
ds
Hawaii
KauaiNihau Oahu
MolokaiLanai Maui
KahoolaweHAWAII
Honolulu
156°W 154°W
22°N
20°N
158°W160°W
0
0 75 150 kilometers
75 150 miles
N
S
EW
National capital
Other city
0
0 250 500 kilometers
250 500 miles
Azimuthal Equal–Area Projection
105
United States and Canada: Political
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&C
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Regional Patterns
These pages containthree thematic mapsand an infographic. Theinfographic illustrateseconomic connectionsbetween the UnitedStates and Canada. Themaps show economicactivities, populationdensity, and areasaffected by naturalhazards.
Study these two pagesand then answer thequestions below in yournotebook.
Making Comparisons1. Where are the areas of
greatest population
density found in each
country? Do settlement
patterns have any
relationship to the threat
of natural hazards?
2. Where are manufacturing
and trade concentrated
in the United States and
Canada? Why might this
be so?
Gulf of Mexico
HudsonBay
ATLANTICOCEAN
ARCTICOCEAN
PAC I F I CO C E A N
C A N A D A
U N I T E D S T A T E S
Manufacturing and trade
Commercial farming
Livestock raising
Subsistence farming
Nomadic herding
Forestry
Commercial fishing
Hunting, fishing, and forestry
Little or no economic activity
N
S E
W
0
0 500 1,000 kilometers
500 1,000 miles
Azimuthal Equal–Area Projection
Economic Activities of the U.S. and Canada
106 UNIT 2
Direct Investment TourismTradeImmigration
21,7
51
people
(1996)
)8991(
elp
oe
p0
55,
4
)89
91(n
oillim
80
3,
65
1$S
U)8
991(
noilli
m4
48,
471$S
U US$5
1,0
00
mill
ion
(1998) )8991(
noilli
m8
09,
30
1$S
U
)9991(sr
elev
artn
oillim
1.4
1
14.8
mill
ion
trave
lers
(199
8)
CANADA
UNITED STATES
Canada-U.S. Connections
Source: The Europa World Year Book 2000
This graphic shows that the geographic
nearness of the United States and Canada
has resulted in economic connections.
Gulf ofMexico
Davis Strait
BeaufortSea
Gulf ofAlaska
HudsonBay
BaffinBay
AT L A N T I CO C E A N
ARCTIC OCEAN
PAC I F I CO C E A N
C A N A D A
U N I T E D S T A T E S
60°N 50°N
10°N
20°N
30°N
40°N
20°N
80°W 70°W 60°W110°W 100°W 90°W120°W
150°W
ArcticCirc
le
Tropic of Cancer
N
SE
W
0
0 500 1,000 kilometers
500 1,000 miles
Azimuthal Equal–Area Projection
Earthquakes*
Volcanoes*
Tsunamis
Tropical storm track
Areas at high risk for tornadoes
Selected rivers subject to flooding
Areas subject to desertification
*20th century
Gulf of Mexico
HudsonBay
AT L A N T I CO C E A N
A R C T I C O C E A N
PAC I F I CO C E A N
C A N A D A
U N I T E D S T A T E S
50°N
30°N
40°N
70°W90°W100°W110°W 60°W120°W
ArcticCirc
le
Tropic of Cancer
Calgary
Seattle
Vancouver
Edmonton
San Francisco
Los AngelesSan Diego
Phoenix Dallas
Houston
Philadelphia
Washington, D.C.
Atlanta
Miami
New York
BostonToronto
Winnipeg
Detroit
MontrealQuebec
ChicagoBaltimore
Minneapolis
Personsper
sq mi
Personspersq km
Over 520260–519130–259
25–1291–24
0
Over 200100–19950–9910–491–90
Metropolitan areagreater than 2 million
N
SE
W
0
0 500 1,000 kilometers
500 1,000 miles
Azimuthal Equal–Area Projection
Natural Hazards of the U.S. and Canada
Population Density of the U.S. and Canada
107
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&C
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