What Are The Physical Features Of North America – The giant redwood that towers over California’s Redwood National Park is the tallest tree on Earth, standing over 100 meters (328 feet) tall. These trees are also very old. One of the trees known as “General Sherman” is the largest tree in the world by volume and is believed to be over 2000 years old. At the time General Sherman first came out, North America was inhabited by several indigenous groups. It took another 1,000 years for Europeans to contact the Americas. Today, although many redwoods still remain, the physical and human landscape of North America has changed dramatically.
Traditionally, the North American continent extended from Arctic Canada through the United States and Mexico to the narrow Isthmus of Panama (see Figure 4.1). Considered a “region” of North America, that is, an area united by common physical and cultural features, there are certain similarities between Canada and the United States in terms of a shared language and history, which is very different from Spanish. Speaking of southern neighbors. Although the narrow strip of land that usually separates North and South America makes it easy to separate the two regions, in many ways, Central America is a transition zone between the more powerful economies of the north and south. For example, Mexico is culturally similar to countries such as Guatemala and Honduras in the south, while physiographically it is similar to the United States in the southwest. Thus, the United States and Canada are discussed in terms of North America while Mexico and Central America are considered in terms of South America.
What Are The Physical Features Of North America
Figure 4.1: Map of North America, scale 1:36,000,000 (original work by CIA World Factbook, public domain)
North America Physical World Listening Worksheet
The physiographic regions of North America are well defined and commonly identified by their inhabitants (see Figure 4.2). One could say that he is from Appalachia, or that he grew up in the Rocky Mountains. In general, the physiographic region has a strong north-south alignment. Climatically, this region is quite diverse, from the tundra of northern Canada and Greenland to the semi-arid desert of the southwestern United States. These diverse physical conditions make North America rich in natural resources, but also lead to significant regional differences.
, known in Russia as taiga (see Figure 4.3). The forest area in the north consists of coniferous trees such as spruce and pine and is characterized by a cold climate. Especially for Canada’s indigenous communities, this vast forest is an important resource. The rocky landscape of the Canadian Shield extends from the central Arctic region of western Canada to Quebec and is one of the oldest geological formations on Earth. It also has some of the richest mineral regions in the world.
Like the physical landscape, North America’s climate zones are diverse. In general, North America has a relatively simple climate system. As the northern latitude rises, the temperature drops, and as it moves from west to east, precipitation increases. So, California, on the west coast, is relatively hot and dry, while Florida is hot and humid on the east coast.
Most of North America, including Mexico, Greenland, and some of the Caribbean, lies on the North American Plate and is therefore geologically relatively stable (see Figure 4.4). However, a notable exception is the Juan de Fuca plate, which subducts beneath the North American plate near California and Vancouver Island, an area known as the Cascadia subduction zone. About once every 500 years, a powerful earthquake that causes a tsunami occurs here. The last major earthquake in this area was in 1700 AD. To the south, the San Andreas Fault, which runs along the edge of California, forms the boundary between the Pacific Plate and the North American Plate. This is the boundary of the transformation plane, with two planes sliding past each other horizontally. San Francisco is located on this fault line and this area has experienced many earthquakes.
Physical Geography Of The Region
North America has several important rivers, some used for navigation and others for hydroelectricity. The longest river in North America is the Missouri River, which originates in Montana and flows into the Mississippi River. The Mississippi River is the most important waterway in terms of commercial shipping. Located along the Mississippi, the port of South Louisiana is the largest port in the United States by tonnage.
Or a layer of permeable rock that holds groundwater. The largest aquifer is the Ogallala Aquifer in the central United States, which stretches from South Dakota to Texas. This aquifer supplies much of the Great Plains—in fact, it supplies about one-third of all groundwater used for irrigation in the United States. While aquifers are useful for irrigation, water sources replenish themselves relatively slowly through rainfall. Depletion of the Ogallala Aquifer has accelerated over the past few decades, and water is now being withdrawn from the aquifer faster than it is being replaced. Once all the water is gone, it takes about 6,000 years for it to be replenished naturally. Groundwater conservation initiatives in the region aim to reduce discharge rates by encouraging farmers to adopt sustainable irrigation practices.
While farmers are encouraged to conserve water, groundwater depletion is just one of the many environmental problems currently facing North American farmers.
It remains an important initiative more broadly. This type of agriculture looks at the impact of agriculture on the larger ecosystem and seeks to produce agriculture in a way that does not have a negative impact on the ecosystem in the long run. The essence of sustainable agriculture is that it strives to minimize water use, soil erosion and harmful chemicals. Globally, more than a third of all agricultural land has been degraded due to poor soil and resource management. Soil is a finite resource and topsoil formation can take over 500 years! Traditional forms of agriculture, where you can see cultivated fields, can often lead to erosion of the top layer. Through sustainable agricultural practices, the rate of soil erosion in the United States has decreased over the past several decades.
South America Physical Map Elements. Build Your Own Geography Info Graphic Collection. Vector Illustration Stock Vector Image & Art
Many environmental problems, such as surface soil erosion and groundwater depletion, affect large areas and can have far-reaching effects in areas where the environment is not managed sensitively.
For example, it consists of emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides, which can have a damaging effect far from the area where these gases are emitted (see Figure 4.5). When a car or a factory catches fire
Non-renewable energy sources consisting of decaying plant or animal remains release several chemicals, including sulfur and nitrogen. These gases react with water in the atmosphere to form highly acidic rain that can damage plants and animals. The lower the pH value, the more acidic the substance. Pure water has a pH of 7. Acid rain can have a pH of around 5.0 or even less than 4.0 in some areas. In comparison, pickles have a pH of around 5.20, so you can imagine the damaging effects of this acid rain on the environment. Strict regulation of fossil fuel emissions since the 1970s has dramatically reduced cases of acid rain in the United States, but some argue that more regulation is needed to address global climate change and other pollution problems.
Figure 4.5: Map of acid rain in the United States (National Atmospheric Deposition Program/National Trends Network, public domain)
United States Physical Map
Although Christopher Columbus is often credited with “discovering” America, the land was inhabited long before Europeans made contact. Most likely, early settlers to the Americas traveled from Asia over the Beringia land bridge that once connected Siberia and Alaska more than 10,000 years ago. These indigenous peoples, known as First Nations in Canada or Native Americans in the United States, are divided into several different groups, some consisting of only a few small families and others that include vast territories and empires. see Figure 4.6). Some groups practice hunting and gathering, but most practice sedentary agriculture. Before European contact, an estimated 50 million indigenous people lived in North and South America.
European colonization completely changed the cultural landscape of North America. In 1492 AD, Columbus made contact with what are now the Bahamas, Cuba, and the island of Hispaniola, leading to Spanish and Portuguese colonization of the Americas. The term “India” was originally used by Columbus who thought he had reached the East Indies, which are now called East and Southeast Asia. Early settlement by the French and British was not successful, but eventually they managed to control the area and establish permanent colonies. The easternmost indigenous groups were the first to experience the effects of the European invasion. Many were often forcibly moved to North America to free up land for European settlement. Disease and war would have devastating effects on indigenous groups in the Americas. European settlers and explorers brought smallpox, measles, and cholera—diseases previously unknown to North America. in some
Map of physical features of south america, physical features map of central america, physical features map of america, physical features of north america, latin america physical features, physical features map of north america, what are the physical features of south america, physical features map of latin america, what are the physical features, physical features of united states of america, physical features of america, latin america physical features quiz
